Is there any downside to the on board booking perk?

[sailor05]

What if you want 2 cabins on your next cruise? DH and I are cruising in October, but plan to take DDs (18 and 14) next May. Should DH and I each by a next cruise certificate? How much of a deposit would be required to put down at that point?

 

Just book 1 under your name and you'll receive 2 more certificates for 2 other bookings on the same cruise (make sure you do). This will require a deposit of $100, but essentially gets you $200 in OBC between the 2 cabins.

 

How many next, why nots can you book when you're onboard? Let's say I'd like to book three cruises, it'll cost me $100pp for each one and I'll get obc for each - correct?

 

Thanks much!

 

See above. If you book the 1, you'll get 2 more certificates that can be used on the same cruise. If you want more than 3 total, then you need to put 1 in someone else's name to get 3 more. There is a maximum of $100 per cabin that can be received. That is why there is no advantage to paying more than one deposit for one person.

 

I may have misunderstood what you were saying also. If you're asking about getting 3 next cruises that you can use on 3 separate cruises, then yes you are correct. They will give you a separate reservation number for each.

[janazaz]

It doesn't work for me, because I can't plan vacations that far in advance. I've booked every cruise close to or after final payment was due, as that's when I could find airfare deals and secure vacation days.

 

If I could plan stuff 6+ months out, I'd go for it--but I'm more likely to plan something 6 weeks out.

 

Me too! 3-4 Weeks out is good enough for me.

[MrsPete]

But in my experience, the last minute sale rates can save you literally hundreds, or even more than $1,000 per cabin compared to receiving $100 OBC per cabin? Sorry no comparison.

While many people do adhere to this method, it has a significant downside: You may find that your cruise is sold out, or you may find that you must choose between an inside cabin and a suite (when you really wanted a balcony). This matters to me. It may not matter to everyone.

Royal Caribbean has a reason to entice people to book on board in exchange for a little OBC. They want you to book and make final payment before they slash the rates 2-8 weeks out. They are in business to turn a profit.

I agree that it's a brilliant marketing move:

 

First, $100 doesn't cost them $100. For example, say you spend that OBC on mixed drinks. They may sell for $7-8 each, but the actual cost to the ship is probably less than $1.

 

Second, once you've bought a Next Cruise or booked onboard, you've decided that your next cruise will be on Royal Caribbean. You probably won't bother to compare Princess or Carnival's offerings.