Booking onboard

[antsp]

Thinking of booking our October transatlantic on our next cruise, prices in the U.K. Are about 40% cheaper, am I correct in understanding if you book a 15 night cruise on board you get $75 pp obc. Also can you book onboard in £

[john watson]

Thinking of booking our October transatlantic on our next cruise, prices in the U.K. Are about 40% cheaper, am I correct in understanding if you book a 15 night cruise on board you get $75 pp obc. Also can you book onboard in £

 

If you book the next cruise deposit on board but do not connect it to a specific cruise you are offered different currencies including pounds sterling. This is what you are best with as when you actually book a specific cruise in the UK then you pay the Travel Agent or Princess in pounds sterling. I have found just putting a deposit or two like this the best system for me. I have never actually booked a specific cruise on board and do not know what happens then. With my system you get the benefits quoted and can shop around for prices later you can do as many deposits as you like.

 

Regards John

Edited December 24, 2016 by john watson

[antsp]

We have a transatlantic booked for April, all paid and we have the return flights booked, our return is timed to work with the Royal transatlantic in October so we know we want to sail that crossing. So if I'm happy with the price on the October sailing am I better booking it or buying a fcd

[shepp]

You get the same amount of OBC whether you buy a $100 Future Cruise Credit (good for 2 years and refundable) and use it to book onboard or and just get the FCC AND use it to book later, so there's generally no advantage to booking onboard. (Not sure how it works for UK pax, though.) The lines at the Future Cruise Consultant's office can be brutal, while you can just drop off the FCC purchase form any time. (I understand that other lines do give discounts for booking onboard, and I do seem to recall that being the case with Princess on a long-ago sailing.)

 

The only time I ever booked onboard was to take advantage of a limited time sale that took place during a cruise. Other than that, my TA alway gives me a better price than Princess, and sometimes additional OBCs too. But like I said, there's always a line to see the Future Cruise salesperson so somebody must be booking onboard.

 

If you lock in the price in April and the price goes down before final payment you can be re-fared. If you wait, the fare might go up and you'd be stuck. On the third hand, you could book now to be assured of getting what you want, then if the fare hasn't gone up, cancel and rebook using the FCCs...if you want to go to the trouble for $75.

Edited December 24, 2016 by shepp

[moswinner1]

Thinking of booking our October transatlantic on our next cruise, prices in the U.K. Are about 40% cheaper, am I correct in understanding if you book a 15 night cruise on board you get $75 pp obc. Also can you book onboard in £

 

Not sure how it works with Princess, but we made a big mistake with P&O, We purchased a future cruise certificate while on board thinking it was a good offer only to find that we could only use it for a "select fare" and not on any cruise that was a last minute offer. So as an example, a cruise may be advertised as £1599 on "select fare" but if two months before sailing there was an "early saver" fare of £999 you couldn't use the certificate. Put another way you can only use the certificate if you are paying full price. I have read so many posts on CC where people say they have got a "good deal" when booking on board, We have never yet seen a "good deal" while on board, if we see a cruise we would like to do we have always got a better deal on the same cruise once we are back at home. :confused::confused:

[shepp]

Not sure how it works with Princess, but we made a big mistake with P&O, We purchased a future cruise certificate while on board thinking it was a good offer only to find that we could only use it for a "select fare" and not on any cruise that was a last minute offer.

 

Not the case on Princess. Just used FCCs to book a heavily marked-down cruise after final payment date. However, I don't know whether if Princess is running a sale that features only a $100 deposit, you could use an FCC for that.

[JF - retired RRT]

We just got off the Star on Dec. 20. The FCD forms at the Future Cruise office had a blurb at the top that said something like "For a limited time only. If you book a TA on the ship you will receive XXX OBC extra". I didn't pay a lot of attention to the details, but apparently there are occasions when you can get a deal of some sort by booking on board.

[skynight]

You will receive a reduced deposit.

You will receive OBC according to the category cabin you booked.

You can transfer to any T.A. after you return home if you find one with better pricing.

If you see the cruise you like book it.

 

The alternative is that each person can purchase a Future Cruise Deposit and book using that FCD once you return home. You get the same benefits as mentioned above. Here is the fine print. Although not mentioned I do not beleive FCD's can be used for special T.A. fares, and employee fares.

 

* This letter has been issued from the Future Cruise Sales Department for a Future Cruise Deposit (“FCD”) in the amount specified above. The FCD is available to use on new future bookings only and is non-transferable. The FCD currency is non-changeable. The FCD will be automatically refunded if not applied to a new booking created within two years from the date of purchase. The FCD may be combined with most publically offered fares and promotions. Once applied to a booking, the FCD is considered money and is subject to the terms and conditions in the Passage contract. Shipboard credits will be applied at the time of booking and applies to the holder of the FCD only and is not applicable to 3rd and 4th berth guests. Shipboard credit may only be used on a single voyage and expires at the end of that voyage. FCDs are not applicable to Circle Pacific, World Cruises or any World Cruise Segment bookings. For those bookings a 3% cruise fare discount is given and reduced deposit requirements may vary based on booking date. To make your next booking, please contact your Travel Agent, or Princess Cruises at 1-800-PRINCESS.

 

I can't answer the question regarding currency.

Edited December 24, 2016 by sknight

[Colo Cruiser]

We never book onboard. Have not found an advantage. We buy FCD's and book when we get home.

[caribill]

Not the case on Princess. Just used FCCs to book a heavily marked-down cruise after final payment date. However, I don't know whether if Princess is running a sale that features only a $100 deposit, you could use an FCC for that.

 

Yes, you can.

[john watson]

We have a transatlantic booked for April, all paid and we have the return flights booked, our return is timed to work with the Royal transatlantic in October so we know we want to sail that crossing. So if I'm happy with the price on the October sailing am I better booking it or buying a fcd

 

You get the OBC extra credit with the future cruise deposit made in sterling, it's £50 I believe instead of $75, of course the OBC arrives in dollars. The deposit is about cruise purchase which is made in pounds if you book in the UK. If you buy more than you think you will use next year they are valid after that year too. On the other hand if an unexpectedly cheap Princess comes up, you have an FCD in hand to bring into play.

 

Another thing to do is buy Carnival stock and get shareholders benefit. It has a very high set up cost but people recently have found their portfolio increase in value at the same time as receiving even more OBC every voyage, which is all the brands including Princess, P&O, Cunard etc. You can buy the UK or the US registered stock it does not matter which.

 

Regards John

Edited December 25, 2016 by john watson

[antsp]

You get the OBC extra credit with the future cruise deposit made in sterling, it's £50 I believe instead of $75, of course the OBC arrives in dollars. The deposit is about cruise purchase which is made in pounds if you book in the UK. If you buy more than you think you will use next year they are valid after that year too. On the other hand if an unexpectedly cheap Princess comes up, you have an FCD in hand to bring into play.

 

Another thing to do is buy Carnival stock and get shareholders benefit. It has a very high set up cost but people recently have found their portfolio increase in value at the same time as receiving even more OBC every voyage, which is all the brands including Princess, P&O, Cunard etc. You can buy the UK or the US registered stock it does not matter which.

 

Regards John

 

I have recently bought ccl shares in the U.K., so I'm good there. Starting to think more about gaining obc now, with the pound so low against the usd I've changed the way I book and now obc is even more important

[shepp]

Another thing to do is buy Carnival stock and get shareholders benefit. It has a very high set up cost but people recently have found their portfolio increase in value at the same time as receiving even more OBC every voyage, which is all the brands including Princess, P&O, Cunard etc. You can buy the UK or the US registered stock it does not matter which.

 

 

Indeed. Even though I would have done even better if I'd bought in earlier, the value of my shares has increased by 505 and meanwhile spun off a goodly amount of tax-free OBCs as well as taxable dividends. And if you don't plan on having to sell your shares at a profit/loss and do plan on cruising a lot, CCL stock is a no-brainer.

[crochetcruise]

I have recently bought ccl shares in the U.K., so I'm good there. Starting to think more about gaining obc now, with the pound so low against the usd I've changed the way I book and now obc is even more important

 

I think you have to hold the shares for a certain length of time BEFORE applying for a shareholder's benefit.

 

I do not personally hold CCL shares so relying on reading something here on Cruise Critic. HTH.

[antsp]

I think you have to hold the shares for a certain length of time BEFORE applying for a shareholder's benefit.

 

I do not personally hold CCL shares so relying on reading something here on Cruise Critic. HTH.

 

Not at all, l bought mine and had the obvious applied to an existing booking, with 3 sailings planned we will gain $500 in once this year

[caribill]

I think you have to hold the shares for a certain length of time BEFORE applying for a shareholder's benefit.

 

 

You can apply for the stockholder OBC the same day you purchase the stock as long as:

 

a) You have proof of purchase

 

and

 

b) it is within 90 days of embarkation.

[antsp]

One more question, if you are UK based can you book onboard utilising UK standard prices and pay in £s