How does it work?

[imae39]

What is the advantage to making down payment for future cruise while on board? Is the amount $100 per person? Wondering if any onboard credit if booking a veranda?

[DaveOKC]

My standard reply to this issue - hope it helps:

 

Booking a future cruise while onboard can be a cost saving tool, but there are several things to consider:

 

First, you should do your homework and know what your future cruise pricing and current promotions are on Holland America’s (HAL) website. Its easy to do but be sure you know the exact cabin categories you are considering (and their prices/promotions). Be careful though, as promotions can vary in amount by cabin category.

 

Second, add to your pricing homework the on board credit (OBC) you would earn if you purchased a Future Cruise Deposit (FCD) while on board (you get this from the future cruise consultant). The FCD requires that you put $100 down (for cruises up to 21 days) as your deposit for a future cruise (good deal by itself), but this deposit is fully refundable if you do not use it in 4 years.

 

Further, the FCD earns you OBC, in an amount that depends on your cabin category and length of cruise as follows (example for 21 days or shorter cruises):

Interior & Oceanview Cabins - $25 for up to 10 days, $50 for 11-21 day cruises.

Veranda Cabins - $50 for up to 10 days, $75 for 11-21 day cruises.

Suites (Vista/Signature/Neptune) - $50 for up to 10 days, $100 for 11-21 days.

 

BONUS – HAL will normally send you a “Thank you for sailing with us” email within 2 weeks of your cruise ending. This email will offer to DOUBLE the above OBC if you book within 2 months of receiving the email. Even if you do not get this email, just tell your travel agent to use promotion ZPM and you will get the double amount, as sometimes emails do not get through, so everyone qualifies.

 

Third, add these two OBC amounts to HAL’s website pricing (or your own travel agent’s) and take it to the onboard future cruise consultant and see if he/she can beat that price/promotion. In most cases they cannot, so just thank them and book when you get home.

 

NOTE: when comparing prices, be sure to include all extras (free drink packages, free internet, free specialty dining, etc.) in your numbers

[SilvertoGold]

This is good!

 

If only HAL had people like you working for them! Have you considered a career as a FCC?

[imae39]

Thanks DaveOKC you answered my inquiry very well. Super helpful.

[DaveOKC]

This is good!

 

If only HAL had people like you working for them! Have you considered a career as a FCC?

 

Not a bad idea - maybe I will ask my friend at HAL about this! Based on my experiences with HAL's FCCs, I should be more than qualified!

[rkorchid]

We asked ourselves the same questions while on the Voyage of the Vikings last summer. Should we lock in a cabin for the 2016 cruise or hope for an upgrade?

 

We managed a Lanai cabin with a last minute upsell offer just before our 2015 cruise. We loved the room and the cruise and decided to book it again for 2016.

 

This meant paying full price for the Lanai cabin.

 

But by booking on the ship for 2016 we got:

 

guaranteed cabin of our choice

 

reduced deposit (refundable)

 

no payment until April for a July cruise

 

one dinner at the Pinnacle

 

the beverage package worth $45 pp/pd for a 35-day cruise

 

OBC of $200/pp (I think) and we got the aftercruise OBC of $200

 

While I would never purchase the beverage package for ourselves, this amounts to a significant savings since we do drink in the lounges, etc.

 

 

There is no guarantee that we would be offered the upsell again at a discount to the Lanai cabin for 2016 if we booked something lower. So I think the security of a known cabin and the extras were worth it.

[DaveOKC]

We asked ourselves the same questions while on the Voyage of the Vikings last summer. Should we lock in a cabin for the 2016 cruise or hope for an upgrade?

 

We managed a Lanai cabin with a last minute upsell offer just before our 2015 cruise. We loved the room and the cruise and decided to book it again for 2016.

 

This meant paying full price for the Lanai cabin.

 

But by booking on the ship for 2016 we got:

 

guaranteed cabin of our choice

 

reduced deposit (refundable)

 

no payment until April for a July cruise

 

one dinner at the Pinnacle

 

the beverage package worth $45 pp/pd for a 35-day cruise

 

OBC of $200/pp (I think) and we got the aftercruise OBC of $200

 

While I would never purchase the beverage package for ourselves, this amounts to a significant savings since we do drink in the lounges, etc.

 

 

There is no guarantee that we would be offered the upsell again at a discount to the Lanai cabin for 2016 if we booked something lower. So I think the security of a known cabin and the extras were worth it.

 

Did you compare the deal you got while onboard with what was on the HAL website when you got home (including the future cruise deposit OBC)? Often HAL gives away "perks" to everyone - on my last cruise I got $55 in free Internet, dinners in the Pinnacle and Canaletto restaurants, $100 in beverages and a total of $600 pp in OBC - and I booked from home. Plus I picked the exact cabin I wanted. Further, my deposit was only $100 pp, since I used my future cruise deposit certificate.

 

I would be very interested in hearing how your comparison worked out.

Edited January 14, 2016 by DaveOKC

[colonialinnkeeper]

We booked a future cruise on a cruise last year that included "extras" including an OBC, PG freebie and the drinks package. When we got home I was talking to our TA to confirm the onboard booking and she was able to give us a price that excluded the "drinks package" but had everything else. When we figured out our alcohol bill from our statement on the same number of nights trip, we found that we tallied up about half what the free drinks package cost. So, it wasn't really a free extra--we were paying for it. We had her rebook with the lower price and figure we are ahead of the game by hundreds of dollars.