Last Minute Cruises Seattle

Find last-minute cruises, including Seattle-Alaska roundtrips, and be flexible on air-travel times.

Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah for summer travel. Last year, 35 million Americans decided to venture away from home with most hitting the road on a car trip (only 8 percent took to the skies).

This year, Labor Day falls on Monday, Sept. 7, and you still have time to plot a getaway without spending a lot of bank.

First, consider taking a cruise. Last-minute travelers (considered three to six weeks before departure) can often get rock-bottom fares, say the experts at CruiseCritic.com. The shipboard accommodations may not be the best, but the prices could be much lower than average. . Also check weekly or monthly sales from cruise lines lsuch as Royal Caribbean and Carnival, which may publish price drops on desirable suites up to two weeks before travel. (And for Seattle residents, weeklong, round-trip cruises to Alaska leave from the downtown waterfront, making it easy to sail away.)

With any type of travel, the more flexible you are, the more you will save. According to Kayak.com, among the top 10 destinations for Labor Day travel, Las Vegas, Chicago and Orlando are the most affordable.

For air travel, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday tend to have y the lowest fares as do flights in the early morning or late evening. Check airline websites early in the week for weekend travel specials up to two weeks before your desired travel date. If you can travel midweek, you will also find better rates for hotel rooms in popular destinations.

Finally, one of the best ways to save on Labor Day travel is to keep it local. Take a “staycation” in the city and use the time to see attractions and restaurants that you typically would not visit. Or look for a last-minute getaway in the region.