I've seen it mentioned that last minute Galapagos cruise deals can commonly be found as the departure date nears. What are the logistics of making this happen? If you've done this, are you booking a hotel/airbnb and abandoning it if you find a deal? How common are these last minute deals? Do prices start dropping a couple of weeks out or just a few days from departure? It looks like the ships depart from different islands. There also seems to be a risk of delaying the flight purchase until the last minute to ensure I fly into the correct island.
Also, when looking at the cruises, they strongly recommend purchasing flights through them, otherwise they charge a fee. Is that fee waived if you purchase a last minute deal and are already on the island?
Thanks in advance for any advice!