lovebears Posted January 1, 2015 #1 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We are sailing on the Triumph in 50 days.😃😃😃😃yay! My question is this.....does anyone have experience with booking while onboard and is it worth it in your opinion? We are looking at a 14 day cruise in the fall 2015. Would be a nice OBC, but wondering if the Triumph does in deed have a future cruise desk and if there were long lines to book? We cruised the Miracle to Hawaii last fall and we observed long lines at the future cruise desk and Internet not always working, so passengers were told check back later. Also, is the future cruise desk typically only open on sea days???? Have to way the pros and cons, if there are long lines to book and/if the Triumph would have internet challenges would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine😄 Any experience with this would be welcome!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funinthesun1964 Posted January 1, 2015 #2 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We are sailing on the Triumph in 50 days.yay! My question is this.....does anyone have experience with booking while onboard and is it worth it in your opinion? We are looking at a 14 day cruise in the fall 2015. Would be a nice OBC, but wondering if the Triumph does in deed have a future cruise desk and if there were long lines to book? We cruised the Miracle to Hawaii last fall and we observed long lines at the future cruise desk and Internet not always working, so passengers were told check back later. Also, is the future cruise desk typically only open on sea days???? Have to way the pros and cons, if there are long lines to book and/if the Triumph would have internet challenges would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine Any experience with this would be welcome!!! We always book on board. I think it is worth it for the OBC. However, I have not been on the Triumph. I know a couple of ships do not have the Future Cruise Desk; cannot think of the ships that do not right off the top of my head. Cons - you have to pay the deposit. sometimes, they have reduced deposits, but it could be the full deposit that is due. Also you have to make sure you go when the future cruise desk is open - the times are listed in the Fun Times. Sometimes you get lucky and there is no one there, and it doesn't take too long. Hopefully, you get a person that is knowledgeable and friendly. Pros - You get OBC for the cruise that you book. You don't have to call or go online to book after you get home. No way do I take away from my time in the sun, I try to go in the later afternoons or evenings. I've gone on Port Days when we get back from port. Sometimes internet service is lacking, but it only caused a problem for me once. We set an appointment with the guy for the next day and it worked great then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieN Posted January 1, 2015 #3 Share Posted January 1, 2015 When we have booked onboard we have done our research at home. We knew which ship, sailing and cabin(s) we wanted to book. Then we would book the first night the desk was open. Much easier than trying to decide which cruise with the FCD person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommom of 7 Posted January 1, 2015 #4 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We are sailing on the Triumph in 50 days.yay! My question is this.....does anyone have experience with booking while onboard and is it worth it in your opinion? We are looking at a 14 day cruise in the fall 2015. Would be a nice OBC, but wondering if the Triumph does in deed have a future cruise desk and if there were long lines to book? We cruised the Miracle to Hawaii last fall and we observed long lines at the future cruise desk and Internet not always working, so passengers were told check back later. Also, is the future cruise desk typically only open on sea days???? Have to way the pros and cons, if there are long lines to book and/if the Triumph would have internet challenges would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine Any experience with this would be welcome!!! I have found a FCD. on all but the Sensation. I try & book all of my cruises that way. My advice & also how I do it is to do your own research at home & know what you want to book. Write it all down & I get to the desk as soon as they open the first day. Ya I know the first day & all but for me it is worth it not to have to wait later in the week. There open time will be listed in the fun times on the back. Sometime I will just leave my request with them & pick it up later. Your deposit will come off the same CC that your S&S is on. Your booking goes straight to your PVP that you booked with & yes they do get the credit for that booking. Char Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funinthesun1964 Posted January 1, 2015 #5 Share Posted January 1, 2015 When we have booked onboard we have done our research at home. We knew which ship, sailing and cabin(s) we wanted to book. Then we would book the first night the desk was open. Much easier than trying to decide which cruise with the FCD person. Yes, that is what we do also. I always know ahead of time which cruise I want to book and approximately the location of the cabin I want to book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budget Queen Posted January 1, 2015 #6 Share Posted January 1, 2015 The lines are minimal early in the cruise and get much longer the last days. They usually have some open hours most days. I agree it is essential, to have done all your homework. Know exactly what you want to book. Including, if you want some "open" bookings (which I do). I booked 3 cruises in 2016, with regular full cancellation options, Not early saver. I will just "refook" these cruises with something I want. And still get the OBC. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poison7fl Posted January 1, 2015 #7 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We always bring our tablets and search for cruises, since accessing the Carnival sites are free to search onboard. When we find the cruise we like, we go to the desk and see what we can get. A few weeks ago, I got a cruise in the Valor for $254 with $150 obc... I jumped fast on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funinthesun1964 Posted January 1, 2015 #8 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I have found a FCD. on all but the Sensation.I try & book all of my cruises that way. My advice & also how I do it is to do your own research at home & know what you want to book. Write it all down & I get to the desk as soon as they open the first day. Ya I know the first day & all but for me it is worth it not to have to wait later in the week. There open time will be listed in the fun times on the back. Sometime I will just leave my request with them & pick it up later. Your deposit will come off the same CC that your S&S is on. Your booking goes straight to your PVP that you booked with & yes they do get the credit for that booking. Char The booking doesn't go straight to your PVP. My PVP tells me that I have to let her know that I booked onboard and then she can take the booking. She always thanks me; but this last cruise I just kept forgetting to let her know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller_KC Posted January 1, 2015 #9 Share Posted January 1, 2015 The booking doesn't go straight to your PVP. My PVP tells me that I have to let her know that I booked onboard and then she can take the booking. She always thanks me; but this last cruise I just kept forgetting to let her know. My PVP said the same thing. He gets credit but only if I let him know I booked and he gets his name attached to the booking. I try to book on-board any time I can for the OBC. If you know the cruise and cabin you want the booking goes fast. I try to book before the first Future Cruise seminar because the lines get long after that. You can always reduce your wait by setting up an appointment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utopiagal Posted January 1, 2015 #10 Share Posted January 1, 2015 One problem I have encountered with booking at the future cruise desk is your OBC shows up initially, but if you get a price drop later your OBC disappears. It wasn't a problem to get it reinstated but I had to call to get it back. I was told it was a glitch in their system. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky2 Posted January 1, 2015 #11 Share Posted January 1, 2015 We also book onboard for the next year's B2B. I've already done my research for when we cruise the last 2 weeks of January. The only time consuming part to our booking is that we want the same cabin for both legs of our B2B. We've done all of the leg work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebears Posted January 1, 2015 Author #12 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Do all ships now have future cruise desks on them? Some older threads I have researched mentioned some that did not......I assume they all do now????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyannea Posted January 1, 2015 #13 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Do all ships now have future cruise desks on them? Some older threads I have researched mentioned some that did not......I assume they all do now????? I would like to know the answer to that question as well. While on the Breeze (11/30-12/6) the guy at the desk told me that I wouldn't be getting the credit as I book solo, unless I pay for the full cruise price for two. He also had a list of select bookings for the OBC and was quite persistent (and arrogant) about the specific cruises only (despite how nice he appeared on the TV shows, lol) . So, I didn't book with him. The following week on the Freedom (12/6-12/13), I went to the desk and the gal said that she didn't believe that this information was correct. Needless to say, I didn't book while on 2 cruises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Honolulu Blue Posted January 1, 2015 #14 Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) We are sailing on the Triumph in 50 days.yay! My question is this.....does anyone have experience with booking while onboard and is it worth it in your opinion? We are looking at a 14 day cruise in the fall 2015. Would be a nice OBC, but wondering if the Triumph does in deed have a future cruise desk and if there were long lines to book? We cruised the Miracle to Hawaii last fall and we observed long lines at the future cruise desk and Internet not always working, so passengers were told check back later. Also, is the future cruise desk typically only open on sea days???? Have to way the pros and cons, if there are long lines to book and/if the Triumph would have internet challenges would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine Any experience with this would be welcome!!! 50 days... hey! We're on the same sailing! Please join our roll calls: San Juan to Galveston: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2087843 Galveston to San Juan to Galveston B2B: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2076897 On your questions, I booked a future cruise (not this one) on the Conquest in September. It was relatively painless and worth it for the OBC. I booked early in the cruise and recommend such. There was no line then. I also recommend, as others have mentioned, doing your research before you go to the desk. The Internet is always a little flaky at sea. Our loyalty cruise desk was open about two hours a day every day, including embarkation day. The exact times will be listed in the newsletter. It was open much longer on the last day. As for whether the Triumph will have a future cruise desk, that's an interesting question. I've been on the Valor, which went out of San Juan, and they didn't have a desk. Since this voyage is also starting from San Juan, perhaps they'll pull the one they have - if they have one. I hope this helps. Perhaps I'll see you on board? Edited January 1, 2015 by Honolulu Blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funinthesun1964 Posted January 1, 2015 #15 Share Posted January 1, 2015 One problem I have encountered with booking at the future cruise desk is your OBC shows up initially, but if you get a price drop later your OBC disappears. It wasn't a problem to get it reinstated but I had to call to get it back. I was told it was a glitch in their system. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Yes, this happened to our friends that were booked on the same cruise with us....and we were linked. But it didn't happen to me, personally. They had to call once or twice to get it straightened out. But they kept watching it to make sure they did get the correct amount, and in the end, they did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccruisequeen Posted January 1, 2015 #16 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Can you apply gift cards to the future cruise desk? I still cruise for warm chocolate melting cake (with two sugar free vanilla ice creams) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebears Posted January 2, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted January 2, 2015 50 days... hey! We're on the same sailing! Please join our roll calls: San Juan to Galveston: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2087843 Galveston to San Juan to Galveston B2B: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2076897 On your questions, I booked a future cruise (not this one) on the Conquest in September. It was relatively painless and worth it for the OBC. I booked early in the cruise and recommend such. There was no line then. I also recommend, as others have mentioned, doing your research before you go to the desk. The Internet is always a little flaky at sea. Our loyalty cruise desk was open about two hours a day every day, including embarkation day. The exact times will be listed in the newsletter. It was open much longer on the last day. As for whether the Triumph will have a future cruise desk, that's an interesting question. I've been on the Valor, which went out of San Juan, and they didn't have a desk. Since this voyage is also starting from San Juan, perhaps they'll pull the one they have - if they have one. I hope this helps. Perhaps I'll see you on board? Great info and I am on the roll all and so excited for the cruise on the Triumph. Any suggestion on how to find out if there is a future cruise desk on the leg coming out of San Juan????? Guess that is the million dollar question😄. If there is not one I will go ahead and book our fall cruise right now and not wait until we are onboard the Triumph. Afraid if I call Carnival, I will get different answers, shucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieN Posted January 2, 2015 #18 Share Posted January 2, 2015 One problem I have encountered with booking at the future cruise desk is your OBC shows up initially, but if you get a price drop later your OBC disappears. It wasn't a problem to get it reinstated but I had to call to get it back. I was told it was a glitch in their system. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Just had this happen to me BUT I was still on the phone with the gal. I have them wait on line with me until the paperwork comes thru. The bookings page updates lot quicker than receiving a confirming email. We had corrected the OBC before I received my first email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcatcruzer Posted January 2, 2015 #19 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I booked my next cruise on the Triumph. So, yes they have a booking desk and she is very sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebears Posted January 2, 2015 Author #20 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I booked my next cruise on the Triumph. So, yes they have a booking desk and she is very sweet. That's great....was your cruise on the Triumph out of SanJuan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcatcruzer Posted January 2, 2015 #21 Share Posted January 2, 2015 That's great....was your cruise on the Triumph out of SanJuan? We booked our upcoming Triumph 12 day cruise while on a 5 day on the Triumph this past Nov. The lady that runs the desk said she extended her contract so she could sail on the March 2nd cruise to Colombia/Panama..We are so looking forward to this sailing for these new ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebears Posted January 2, 2015 Author #22 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We booked our upcoming Triumph 12 day cruise while on a 5 day on the Triumph this past Nov. The lady that runs the desk said she extended her contract so she could sail on the March 2nd cruise to Colombia/Panama..We are so looking forward to this sailing for these new ports. I had read that it was possible that when the Triumph sails out of San Juan it might not have a future cruise desk. Thanks for sharing that the triumph out of San Juan DOES have a future cruise desk. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCLCruiser4321 Posted January 2, 2015 #23 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We do sometimes book onboard but make sure it's right once you get off. We always have some issue when they book it usually can be fixed but we did lose our room once which is not the biggest deal but we always book the same room sooo but def nice to get obc Sent from my LGLS990 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Honolulu Blue Posted January 2, 2015 #24 Share Posted January 2, 2015 It seems that all's well that ends well. Thanks for all the questions and answers. I might give the desk some business, but that depends on how desperate they are. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anyislandwilldo Posted January 2, 2015 #25 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We were planning on booking 2016 cruise while on our Valor cruise next month. So if they don't have a future cruise desk, as Honolulu Blue posted, will Carnival honor the OBC credit some other way? The 2016 cruise is for 13 days and that would be $200 OBC!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now