What happens with unsold cabins

The days where you could get a stand by or very last minute holiday or long gone ,thanks to 9/11 the cruise lines have to submit all the passengers names no later than 3 days before the cruise departs due to security.
When is the best time to book then to bag that great deal ??
Well I don’t actually think anyone even mystic meg can answer that !!!
Thanks to NCL having some great child prices mine is already booked for 2016 !!

But what actually happens if the cruise lines don’t fill the cabins ?
I can honestly say in all the cruises I have been on they always seem to be at full capacity , the cruise lines do want to sell the cabins in advance an actually with cruises being the fastest growing area in the travel industry this isn’t really a big concern for the cruise lines.
In fact, if you wait too long to try to get a last minute deal, hoping to grab an unsold cruise cabin, you may find yourself not being able to get a room at all.
If some cabins are still unsold before a cruise, some passengers might get a call from the cruise line offering a discounted upgrade to a higher category cabin. They do this to both cut their losses on the rooms and to also try to get you hooked on that higher category stateroom. And often…. it works. But what a cruise ship does with the leftover cabins depends on a few factors.
Even if some cabins are empty a cruise line may not be able to sell them to you.They factor in how many passengers are on board so for eg not every cabin has 2 people there are also families of 3 and 4 .
You may be trying to save money but you may also end up with a cabin that is not what you would you choose !!
What a lot of people don’t realise is that even in the current climate the ships do sail at full capacity.
My advise is when you find something that is perfect for you and you like the price don’t delay and book it that day