NEW Decide Later Open Booking Program

[ehfl]

It's actually more attractive now because you can create a NC bookings for family and friends, they will get the same benefits as if they were on board and they can book any cruise/sailing date/itinerary that they want to.

 

Before, the 2 certificates were free. Now, you have to pay for them. How is that more attractive, exactly?

[cruisenfever]

Before, the 2 certificates were free. Now, you have to pay for them. How is that more attractive, exactly?

When you received the Certificates for F&F the people who you gave them to had to book the same cruise as you did within 30 days of when you converted your NC and they had to pay the deposit at that time.

 

Now, when you transfer a NC to Family & Friends, they can book any cruise they want whenever they want but they still have to repay you the deposit. So in effect, you are not out anything when all is said and done.

Edited May 22, 2013 by cruisenfever

[luvsunnydayz]

its nice having all the correct up to date info on OB in one thread. :)

 

Agreed!!!!

 

Thank you, OP!

[CanuckCruizer]

I believe limiting them to 3 only is new - someone mentioned it was that way last year - well, I bought 5 all at once on the Adventure in November '12, and was told that there was no limit to how many I could buy.

 

Thanks for providing the new information.

 

Canuck

[joan&jen]

So glad you all shared and clarified this info

[skyas]

I just gave a ncc to my brother and he cannot use the $100 that l paid as the deposit for his partner and him as it it in my name, (so he has to pay $200), what happens to the $100 that l originally paid and will he get the benefit of the on board credit?

[emeraldcity]

I used the NCC I bought last April to book three cabins for our family group of ten ... deposit was only $900. It's a blessing not to have to tie up $2500 a year before sailing.

 

As for the name of the program changing, I'm surprised that the page in my cruise documents for next week's cruise still are entitled "Next Cruise". Apparently, they haven't completed changing their systems.

Edited May 26, 2013 by emeraldcity

[cruisenfever]

I just gave a ncc to my brother and he cannot use the $100 that l paid as the deposit for his partner and him as it it in my name, (so he has to pay $200), what happens to the $100 that l originally paid and will he get the benefit of the on board credit?

You have to transfer the NC you gave your brother from your name to his name. If the NC booking that you made is still with RCI, just call them. He then pays you the $100 that you paid when you created it and when he adds his partner's name he will pay another $100 with no further money due until final.

 

When he converts that NC into a booking (and it can be on any ship/itinerary/sailing date), as long as he is a C&A Member he will get the OBC which is determined by length of cruise and either a balcony discount or the ability to use a C&A Savings Certificate.

Edited May 26, 2013 by cruisenfever

[skyas]

Thank-you very much for your reply Patti.

 

This will be my brothers first cruise so he is not a C&A member yet.

Does this mean the obc is void?

[petesweet]

The NextCruise/Decide Later Booking is nothing new and has been in place since at 2008. Everything you have listed is the same.

 

The only thing that changed as of March 6 is that they no longer issue Certificates for Family & Friends where those using a certificate had to book the same cruise as you did within 30 days of your NC being converted.

 

Now they are allowing you to create a NC for family and friends and they don't have to go on the same cruise as you are going on.

 

Thanks for that, Patti. I was trying to figure out what was different.

 

Kathy

[CruisesOnMyMind]

Just a FYI:

 

The heading on the paper work now says "Open Booking Confirmation Letter"

 

instead of the "NextCruise Booking Confirmation Letter"

[Clarea]

Thank-you very much for your reply Patti.

 

This will be my brothers first cruise so he is not a C&A member yet.

Does this mean the obc is void?

No, I don't believe the OBC is void. Royal says the NCC can be transferred to anyone, and the NCC includes OBC.

[nelblu]

Just used one of the NCC with an on-line TA and got a matching $100 OBC, plus some other perks. I still have an open NCC and planning on getting 3 more on our upcoming August Mediterranean cruise. For a $100 deposit per NCC it's a sweet and smart vacation planning option, as these certs never expire.

[skyas]

Just got off a long phone call from RC.

The lady told me l couldnt transfer the certificate and l had to be on the same cruise for family and friends to get the benefit.

 

After explaining that the system has changed and l dont think l need to be on the same cruise she looked at the paper work again, spoke to a supervisor and then told me that it can be done!

 

Its amazing that the staff are not up to date with procedures. Had it not been for the lovely people who help on CC, l would have hung up the phone none the wiser!:rolleyes:

[Clarea]

Just got off a long phone call from RC.

The lady told me l couldnt transfer the certificate and l had to be on the same cruise for family and friends to get the benefit.

 

After explaining that the system has changed and l dont think l need to be on the same cruise she looked at the paper work again, spoke to a supervisor and then told me that it can be done!

 

Its amazing that the staff are not up to date with procedures. Had it not been for the lovely people who help on CC, l would have hung up the phone none the wiser!:rolleyes:

Sadly, that seems to happen with any policy change.

[cruisenfever]

Just got off a long phone call from RC.

The lady told me l couldnt transfer the certificate and l had to be on the same cruise for family and friends to get the benefit.

 

After explaining that the system has changed and l dont think l need to be on the same cruise she looked at the paper work again, spoke to a supervisor and then told me that it can be done!

 

Its amazing that the staff are not up to date with procedures. Had it not been for the lovely people who help on CC, l would have hung up the phone none the wiser!:rolleyes:

Doesn't it give you a good feeling when you know more than RCI!:D Glad that it worked out for you.

[LissyTx]

It said this is non-refundable. We have not done the open booking, but have booked a future cruise onboard (specific ship and sail date). I want to be sure this is fully refundable if you cancel more than 75 days out.

 

Thanks!

[Clarea]

It said this is non-refundable. We have not done the open booking, but have booked a future cruise onboard (specific ship and sail date). I want to be sure this is fully refundable if you cancel more than 75 days out.

 

Thanks!

The initial fee paid for the open booking is not refundable.

[LissyTx]

The initial fee paid for the open booking is not refundable.

 

So if you end up not being able to cruise and dont think you will for awhile, what's the best option?

 

I am 95% sure their Loyalty person when we went to book said the deposit was fully refundable.... hence I didnt see a downside at all in booking something onboard.

 

We're expecting and due in Nov... I have not yet cancelled the Dec booking we have just in case something happens (I've lost a pregnancy before). And our little one will be 6 months old for the June 2014 booking we have. The June one is TBD if we'll feel comfortable being away from our little one or not. (I dont feel comfortable bringing the baby with at 6 months.)

 

Thanks!

Edited May 27, 2013 by LissyTx

[Clarea]

So if you end up not being able to cruise and dont think you will for awhile, what's the best option?

 

I am 95% sure their Loyalty person when we went to book said the deposit was fully refundable.... hence I didnt see a downside at all in booking something onboard.

 

We're expecting and due in Nov... I have not yet cancelled the Dec booking we have just in case something happens (I've lost a pregnancy before). And our little one will be 6 months old for the June 2014 booking we have. The June one is TBD if we'll feel comfortable being away from our little one or not. (I dont feel comfortable bringing the baby with at 6 months.)

 

Thanks!

Change the NCC booking (do not cancel) to some other cruise in the future. It does not matter if it's a sailing you're not going to take. It's just a means to "park" the NCC until you decide on the cruise you really want.

Edited May 27, 2013 by clarea

[CaroleSP]

The only thing I see different from Next Cruise Certificate, is the limit or 3 per C&A person.

 

I know for sure, when the rumor was circulating they wre going to do away with this program, I stocked up. I had at least six available to me in January, since then I've used two. I wonder if its you can only get three at a time, or you can only be holding three.

 

We purchased 3 of the certificates earlier this month. The person we worked with said he could override the 3 if we wanted more.

[iamlost]

Sorry I read the thread a few times and I'm still not very clear about the new Open Booking Cert.

 

Lets assume I'll be booking 3 rooms for 6 people (I'll be sailing as well), do I need to use 3 Open Booking Certs or I use only one (and the other 2 rooms will be using the F&F like last time)?

 

If I have to use 3 Open Booking Certs, wouldn't it be better if I were to use the old NC cert (which I still have 2) which comes with 2 F&F?

[Clarea]

Sorry I read the thread a few times and I'm still not very clear about the new Open Booking Cert.

 

Lets assume I'll be booking 3 rooms for 6 people (I'll be sailing as well), do I need to use 3 Open Booking Certs or I use only one (and the other 2 rooms will be using the F&F like last time)?

 

If I have to use 3 Open Booking Certs, wouldn't it be better if I were to use the old NC cert (which I still have 2) which comes with 2 F&F?

If you used the new (post March 2013) Open Booking certs, you would need 3 to book your staterooms. They would all be in your name initially, and you would have to transfer 2 of them to the occupants of the other staterooms, before you assigned a cruise to the certificates.

 

If you used the old (pre March 2013) certificates, you would only need 1 certificate, and you could use the F&F certificates for the other 2 staterooms. The other 2 bookings would have to be made within 30 days of your booking to use the F&F certificates.

Edited June 16, 2013 by clarea

[peacefrogdog]

Requesting clarification...

 

I purchased one NExtCruise certificate in August 2012. Looking to book on July 2014 Allure - total 7 staterooms.

 

If using my certificate, how many staterooms can I book in order to get the on-board credit for each?

[Clarea]

Requesting clarification...

 

I purchased one NExtCruise certificate in August 2012. Looking to book on July 2014 Allure - total 7 staterooms.

 

If using my certificate, how many staterooms can I book in order to get the on-board credit for each?

Now it's one certificate, one stateroom.

 

Used to be one certificate would get 2 other Friends and Family certificates, so one purchase could get 3 staterooms with OBC, but that went away this past March.

Edited July 4, 2013 by clarea