RCCL- Poor next cruise policy!

[beba]

[/b]I was on The Anthem of the Seas - 2/21 Cruise shorten by 2 days. We had a wonderful cruise. Nice ship! Great weather![/b]

 

However greatly disappointed with next cruise policy!

 

It was great of RCCL to give the 50% discount. If you left a deposit for your next cruise you would have received on board credit of up to $500. However you had to book a specific cruise and make that decision while on board. To take advantage of this offer many people had to wait on long lines for hours to meet a representative. This was unfair to people on vacation to wait on these lines. Finally, RCCL after a few days handed out forms. This allowed people to select a cruise and simply hand in these forms, avoiding standing in lines for hours. Other cruise lines like Princess and Norwegian allow you to leave a deposit, get the same onboard credit and allow you four years to book your cruise.

 

I refused to wait on line and felt it was unfair to force me to make an immediate decision. Thus I elected to lose the on board credit.

 

Poor policy by RCCL

Edited March 5, 2016 by beba
wanted to make an addition

[cruisenfever]

I was on The Anthem of the Seas - 2/21 Cruise shorten by 2 days. We had a wonderful cruise. Nice ship! Great weather!

 

However greatly disappointed with next cruise policy!

 

It was great of RCCL to give the 50% discount. If you left a deposit for your next cruise you would have received on board credit of up to $500. However you had to book a specific cruise and make that decision while on board. To take advantage of this offer many people had to wait on long lines for hours to meet a representative. This was unfair to people on vacation to wait on these lines. Finally, RCCL after a few days handed out forms. This allowed people to select a cruise and simply hand in these forms, avoiding standing in lines for hours. Other cruise lines like Princess and Norwegian allow you to leave a deposit, get the same onboard credit and allow you four years to book your cruise.

 

I refused to wait on line and felt it was unfair to force me to make an immediate decision. Thus I elected to lose the on board credit.

 

Poor policy by RCCL

RCI has the same policy and it's called an Open Booking. You pay a reduced deposit of $100pp but your OBC is only $25 to $100 depending on length of the cruise. This type of booking is good indefinitely.

 

Length ofCruise

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

 

The NextCruise booking is more attractive in that you can book a specific cruise while on a cruise, with the deposit and OBC being the same depending on length of cruise. You can elect to have the OBC added to the cruise you are on which would then make your deposit non-refundable but you can change the itinerary/date/ship as many times as you want.

 

Or you can take the OBC on the newly booked cruise, your deposit is now refundable, but you only get to make 1 change without losing all the benefits.

•5-7 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $50

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $100

◦Grand Suite and above: $200

 

•8-10 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $100

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $150

◦Grand Suite and above: $300

 

•11-14 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $150

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $200

◦Grand Suite and above: $400

 

•15 nights or longer cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $200

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $250

◦Grand Suite and above: $500

Edited March 5, 2016 by cruisenfever

[dcgrumpy]

RCI has the same policy and it's called an Open Booking. You pay a reduced deposit of $100pp but your OBC is only $25 to $100 depending on length of the cruise. This type of booking is good indefinitely.

 

Length ofCruise

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

 

The NextCruise booking is more attractive in that you can book a specific cruise while on a cruise, with the deposit and OBC being the same depending on length of cruise. You can elect to have the OBC added to the cruise you are on which would then make your deposit non-refundable but you can change the itinerary/date/ship as many times as you want.

 

Or you can take the OBC on the newly booked cruise, your deposit is now refundable, but you only get to make 1 change without losing all the benefits.

•5-7 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $50

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $100

◦Grand Suite and above: $200

 

•8-10 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $100

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $150

◦Grand Suite and above: $300

 

•11-14 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $150

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $200

◦Grand Suite and above: $400

 

•15 nights or longer cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $200

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $250

◦Grand Suite and above: $500

 

For some reason I thought they did away with open bookings last year.

 

But you can book a cruise and then change it later on.

 

On Indy last year there was an appointment book where you signed up so you didn't have to wait on line.

Edited March 5, 2016 by dcgrumpy

[cruisenfever]

For some reason I thought they did away with open bookings last year.

 

But you can book a cruise and then change it later on.

 

On Indy last year there was an appointment book where you signed up so you didn't have to wait on line.

They still have Open Bookings with the reduced deposit but low OBC.

 

Yes, you can make a NC Booking and change it once without losing your OBC. However, when changing it, it may be repriced at the higher cruise fare for the new cruise.

[beba]

I was told on The Anthem that this open booking policy no longer exists !

[beba]

All the appointment spots were taken. Don't forget because of the 50% discount every passenger was trying to take advantage of getting the onboard credit. RCCL was unable to accommodate all the passengers

[Merion_Mom]

I was on The Anthem of the Seas - 2/21 Cruise shorten by 2 days. We had a wonderful cruise. Nice ship! Great weather!

 

However greatly disappointed with next cruise policy!

 

It was great of RCCL to give the 50% discount. If you left a deposit for your next cruise you would have received on board credit of up to $500. However you had to book a specific cruise and make that decision while on board. To take advantage of this offer many people had to wait on long lines for hours to meet a representative. This was unfair to people on vacation to wait on these lines. Finally, RCCL after a few days handed out forms. This allowed people to select a cruise and simply hand in these forms, avoiding standing in lines for hours. Other cruise lines like Princess and Norwegian allow you to leave a deposit, get the same onboard credit and allow you four years to book your cruise.

 

I refused to wait on line and felt it was unfair to force me to make an immediate decision. Thus I elected to lose the on board credit.

 

Poor policy by RCCL

 

I am sorry that you were unable to get some time with one of the several Future Cruise Consultants, aka, FCC.

 

Why didn't you fill out one of the forms?

[steveru621]

[/b]I was on The Anthem of the Seas - 2/21 Cruise shorten by 2 days. We had a wonderful cruise. Nice ship! Great weather![/b]

 

However greatly disappointed with next cruise policy!

 

It was great of RCCL to give the 50% discount. If you left a deposit for your next cruise you would have received on board credit of up to $500. However you had to book a specific cruise and make that decision while on board. To take advantage of this offer many people had to wait on long lines for hours to meet a representative. This was unfair to people on vacation to wait on these lines. Finally, RCCL after a few days handed out forms. This allowed people to select a cruise and simply hand in these forms, avoiding standing in lines for hours. Other cruise lines like Princess and Norwegian allow you to leave a deposit, get the same onboard credit and allow you four years to book your cruise.

 

I refused to wait on line and felt it was unfair to force me to make an immediate decision. Thus I elected to lose the on board credit.

 

Poor policy by RCCL

 

I'm not sure, did you think RCI was offering something special by giving you OBC for booking a cruise onboard?

 

OBC is standard if you book your next cruise onboard.

 

I really sucks the way they handled it, but they weren't giving you something you would not have gotten anyway.

[ptf2009]

They still have Open Bookings with the reduced deposit but low OBC.

 

Yes, you can make a NC Booking and change it once without losing your OBC. However, when changing it, it may be repriced at the higher cruise fare for the new cruise.

 

Is this combinable with with your C and A ranking? (balcony discount, etc.)

[cruisenfever]

Is this combinable with with your C and A ranking? (balcony discount, etc.)

Yes.

[pjnj40]

The deposit is reduced upon booking. You can lower the prices on cruise you booking for. You can change it if needed as long you know when the cut off date that forces you to pay full deposit and fare.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[mentor1000]

 

The NextCruise booking is more attractive in that you can book a specific cruise while on a cruise, with the deposit and OBC being the same depending on length of cruise...

 

•5-7 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $50

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $100

◦Grand Suite and above: $200

 

 

I read this before but wanted to double check about the deposit and OBC being the same...

 

The deposit is per person but OBC is per cabin, right?

 

So if we book 2 people into an OV cabin for 7 days, we'll have to pay $100 deposit and get $50 OBC.

 

Just checking if I understand it correctly.

[firegal2539]

Hoping someone will answer this, because I don't understand the NextCruise bookings. I have done this on Princess, NCL and Carnival but never on RCCL. I have read posts that state RCCL pays the lowest on NextCruise bookings.

 

I always get a Ocean View cabin and usually book 7 to 10 days cruises, so if I booked a 7 day Pacific Coastal on my next RCCL cruise on May 14, 2016 and wanted an Ocean View cabin I would only get $50 OBC and a deposit rate of $50. That is crazy if that is correct. It isn't worth booking on the ship. I booked another RCCL and I am a solo cruiser but with the specials being advertised I got $300 OBC.

 

Can anyone tell me if I am correct with the $50 OBC and $50 deposit?

 

Thanks, Candie

[George C]

When we cruised last year they had a book and you could make a appointment so there was very little waiting, we most likely will book 1 or 2 cruises next month when we sail on Liberty

[knittinggirl]

I booked a 7-Day JS and they're only giving me $25 for my open booking. I originally paid $100.

 

The real kicker, is that I also had an open booking under the old system, and they're trying to give me only $25 for that, instead of the $100 they promised. Still trying to get the TA to fix that one.

 

I'm torn between getting another open booking, and trying to find a good deal w/ OBC on a promotion. We're also looking to see if other lines offer better OBC w/ their open bookings.

 

Personally, I thought they'd change the open bookings back to the original model by now. But I guess not enough people boycotted them.

[Clarea]

... I'm torn between getting another open booking, and trying to find a good deal w/ OBC on a promotion. We're also looking to see if other lines offer better OBC w/ their open bookings.... .

I think the current open bookings are not worth it anymore.

 

I would book some specific future cruise. Supposedly (I know this because Ellen told me), you can change this once and still keep the higher OBC associated with booking a specific cruise. So it sort of works like the old Next Cruise.

[shipshape sam]

We had an early booking we just wasted as to get the better OBC, we had to pay the full deposit. So much for that promotion. Guess it is good if you are booking way out (like years). If not, the return for paying the full deposit is much better for us on this sailing/booking.

Edited March 25, 2016 by shipshape sam

[Lynn1179]

I read this before but wanted to double check about the deposit and OBC being the same...

 

The deposit is per person but OBC is per cabin, right?

 

So if we book 2 people into an OV cabin for 7 days, we'll have to pay $100 deposit and get $50 OBC.

 

Just checking if I understand it correctly.

 

No when you book on board, it's a per cabin deposit

[cruisenfever]

Hoping someone will answer this, because I don't understand the NextCruise bookings. I have done this on Princess, NCL and Carnival but never on RCCL. I have read posts that state RCCL pays the lowest on NextCruise bookings.

 

I always get a Ocean View cabin and usually book 7 to 10 days cruises, so if I booked a 7 day Pacific Coastal on my next RCCL cruise on May 14, 2016 and wanted an Ocean View cabin I would only get $50 OBC and a deposit rate of $50. That is crazy if that is correct. It isn't worth booking on the ship. I booked another RCCL and I am a solo cruiser but with the specials being advertised I got $300 OBC.

 

Can anyone tell me if I am correct with the $50 OBC and $50 deposit?

 

Thanks, Candie

Candie, you are correct. It would be a $50 deposit for the cabin (not per person) and $50 OBC per cabin. The figures below are effective as of March 6, 2015.

 

•5-7 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $50

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $100

◦Grand Suite and above: $200

 

•8-10 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $100

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $150

◦Grand Suite and above: $300

 

•11-14 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $150

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $200

◦Grand Suite and above: $400

 

•15 nights or longer cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $200

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $250

◦Grand Suite and above: $500

Edited March 25, 2016 by cruisenfever

[cruisenfever]

I booked a 7-Day JS and they're only giving me $25 for my open booking. I originally paid $100.

 

The real kicker, is that I also had an open booking under the old system, and they're trying to give me only $25 for that, instead of the $100 they promised. Still trying to get the TA to fix that one.

 

I'm torn between getting another open booking, and trying to find a good deal w/ OBC on a promotion. We're also looking to see if other lines offer better OBC w/ their open bookings.

 

Personally, I thought they'd change the open bookings back to the original model by now. But I guess not enough people boycotted them.

If you created that NC Booking after March 15, 2014 then the OBC is

 

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

Prior to that it was

 

$25 for sailings of 3-5 nights

$100 for sailings of 6-9 nights

$150 for sailings of 10-14 nights

$200 for sailings of 15+ nights

[Keith1010]

Sorry to hear about the long lines.

 

Keith

[tserface]

One thing I really like about RCI's booking policy as compared to Princess is RCI allows you to change the cruise and even the ship without losing the OBC or special that you got when booking on board. With Princess you have to redo it with whatever the current offers are for the other sailing.

 

We often book a cruise while on board and then change our minds to another cruise by the time we get home.

 

We haven't been able to switch it to Celebrity without losing the OBC. I think they draw the line there.

 

The FCC on our last cruise even made a point to say this at every event. If you book a cruise while on board you can transfer it to a TA, pick a different sailing, or a even a different ship. And, it fully refundable up until the must pay date.

 

The caveat, of course, is you have to make the $100 each deposit, but you even get that back if you cancel so there's really not much to lose except a few cents interest.

 

On ships we've been on we've been able to make an appointment to see the FCC.

 

Tom