A cruise planning for the cruise you have waiting and saved for so long will possibly require about 24 to 48 hours at the earliest to embark on your cruise, but with last-minute cruise deals still available during that time frame. These are defined as being able to sail from 60 days to six months in advance, due to many of the cruise lines still attempting to fill ships that are vacant. Planning for a cruise can be done at the last minute, due to the Internet and travel agencies receiving faxes from cruise lines. Technology has changed the world of cruises, with the number of cruises tripling by 2009.

When planning a cruise for adults only, for a single person, or for an entire family, the best time to get a last-minute rate is about 60 days prior to the ship departure. This is because last minute cancellations are done at that time, often leaving the ship with empty spaces they do not want. When travelers contact the cruise lines with their cancellations, at this time the cruise ships will realize how many discounts or last-minute deals are available due to the cancellations.

The most opportunist time to travel on cruises and to get last-minute cruise deals is during the peak hurricane season, which is September through early November. Another excellent time is right before the holidays, the first two weeks in December, and right after the holidays, the first two weeks of January. But traveling to cheap will not get you that vase of flowers or a bottle of wine you would normally receive, so a lot depends on what you want on the cruise.

Planning shore excursions during a cruise brings to mind several things, and reading the cruise planning guide will help this planning go much smoother. The most important thing is to know the real itinerary for the cruise, and how much time is actually spent on shore. It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes to get to shore, depending on the cruise line and the destination, as not all ports can handle large cruise ships. Most port stops will last all day, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the free short excursions.

It may be a good idea to check with the travel agent, cruise line, a cruise guidebook, or the internet to see if the ship docks in the city, and then jump into a taxi for a quick ride into the sight-seeing areas which are almost always close together.