The spa, too, can be costly, so keep an eye on the daily cruise programme, as this often lists last-minute discounts on various spa treatments.

Our pick of the best travel deals around Britain, including a last-minute discount for the Brecon Beacons.

The result is likely to be less reliance on last-minute discounts to sell extra merchandise, which became pervasive last year.

And the same advances in computer technology that have allowed the airlines to offer more last-minute discounts to customers have also enabled them to maximize passenger loads.

Sometimes they make last-minute discounts retroactive.

Ticket prices and conditions (including last-minute discounts) at the box office are identical to those at Opéra Bastille.

Those enticing, seemingly last-minute, discounts had probably been planned all along.

Instead, he said, they wait to snap up last-minute discounts from Web sites.

Hunter adds that the old advice to look for last-minute discounts no longer really applies.

"We're not seeing as many last-minute discounts as we did a few years ago," she says.