Booking new cruise while on cruise

[cruisejunkie]

What are the advantages of booking a cruise while on a cruise? We are sailing Alaska this August and want to book Hawaii for 2019. If the sip and sail is being offered at that time will it apply to a cruise booked while on board?

[-Lew-]

There's really no advantage to booking while onboard with Princess.

 

You can purchase Future Cruise Credits at $100US each only when onboard. You can then use them when booking a cruise for the deposit and you'll also receive and OBC based on the number of days you'll be cruising and the category of your cabin.

 

[Colo Cruiser]

What are the advantages of booking a cruise while on a cruise? We are sailing Alaska this August and want to book Hawaii for 2019. If the sip and sail is being offered at that time will it apply to a cruise booked while on board?

 

 

Nothing. We just buy FCD's and book when we get home.

Yes any promos will be the same or at least should be.

[waltd]

The only advantage to book on board MIGHT BE you get a knowledgeable cruise consultant you can talk with who can answer questions about your new cruise because they had already done the cruise. Some are willing .to take the time to talk with you and some are too busy.

[CapeCodFlyer]

Purchased a Future Cruise Credit on our last Princess cruise. Just used that $100 credit on the upcoming August 5 British Isles cruise and received a $100 shipboard credit! Pretty good return on investment in 9 months!

[jasbo49]

The only advantage to book on board MIGHT BE you get a knowledgeable cruise consultant you can talk with who can answer questions about your new cruise because they had already done the cruise. Some are willing .to take the time to talk with you and some are too busy.

We'd all LIKE to think there will be a knowledgeable consultant on board, but I've run into some pretty worthless "helpers."

 

One gave us bad info about cabin size, and we missed a chance to get a much better cabin on a future cruise. Another sat in his office talking to one person about his upcoming wedding for hours while everyone sat outside and wondered what he was there for. He was mysteriously replaced at the next port.

 

But the Future Cruise Deposits themselves are a great deal. No downside since they are refunded if you don't use them in two years. And the OBC is truly "free money."

 

Jim

[MCC retired]

We find the onboard Future Booking reps to be worthless on all the cruise lines that we have encountered . They can't offer any rate that isn't available to everyone ashore but that Reduced Deposit and OBC is hard to pass up .

We just fill out the Future Cruise Deposit form and drop it in the box .

 

 

 

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[JF - retired RRT]

It's always worth checking with the Future Cruise Dept.

One cruise we were on, there was extra OBC for one particular itinerary if booked on board. We weren't interested in the itinerary so didn't book.

As everyone else has said, just buy FCD and book when you get home (unless there's a special).

[Thrak]

What are the advantages of booking a cruise while on a cruise? We are sailing Alaska this August and want to book Hawaii for 2019. If the sip and sail is being offered at that time will it apply to a cruise booked while on board?

 

As you are planning future cruises I would suggest getting more than one FCD each while onboard. If you only get one each and then use them for deposit on your cruise to Hawaii you will be out and wont have any extra for that fantastic deal that may come along. My wife and I will definitely be buying multiples on our next cruise. We had 3 available but seem to have booked 3 more future cruises and are now out of FCD. Getting extras can't hurt as they are refundable if you don't end up using them. I love the free OBC from using the FCD. On our 3 booked cruises we will each receive $150, $100, and $150 simply for having booked using the FCD.

[canadarocks]

As you are planning future cruises I would suggest getting more than one FCD each while onboard.

 

Totally agree. I'm kicking myself for not getting more. Just booked today for a 2019 cruise and we'd used our only FCC for one in 2018. I'll be buying a few then for sure!

[karena1]

There's really no advantage to booking while onboard with Princess.

 

You can purchase Future Cruise Credits at $100US each only when onboard. You can then use them when booking a cruise for the deposit and you'll also receive and OBC based on the number of days you'll be cruising and the category of your cabin.

 

That is exactly what I do. Every time we cruise Princess, I get the FCC for both of us. Then when I see a cruise I want, I use the FCC to book. Then I watch for sales/specials, etc. I plan to check on the 20th when the Sip n Sale starts and see if it applies to either of the Princess cruises I have booked.

[Buckeye10640]

New to Princess but cruising to Alaska in 2018. So i would buy FCC and it comes with OBC for the cruise I use it on....can you use only one FCC per person per cruise?

 

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[NavyVeteran]

New to Princess but cruising to Alaska in 2018. So i would buy FCC and it comes with OBC for the cruise I use it on....can you use only one FCC per person per cruise?

 

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You can use as many Future Cruise Deposits (FCDs) per person as you want. However, you only receive the OBC for one FCD per person, and one FCD per person serves as the full requirement for the cruise. So there is really no reason to use more (unless you have some you want to redeem early because you know you won't be needing them).

[Lucky TGO]

There's really no advantage to booking while onboard with Princess.

 

You can purchase Future Cruise Credits at $100US each only when onboard. You can then use them when booking a cruise for the deposit and you'll also receive and OBC based on the number of days you'll be cruising and the category of your cabin.

 

[/quote

]

Hi Lew,

Keep an eye open on the January 26, 2019 cruise on the Caribbean Princess 14 day cruise. Some of my friends already booked it I think I will to. Hope to see you again for the Super Bowl. Go Patriots!!!!

Tony

[nbsjcruiser]

We'd all LIKE to think there will be a knowledgeable consultant on board, but I've run into some pretty worthless "helpers."

 

One gave us bad info about cabin size, and we missed a chance to get a much better cabin on a future cruise. Another sat in his office talking to one person about his upcoming wedding for hours while everyone sat outside and wondered what he was there for. He was mysteriously replaced at the next port.

 

But the Future Cruise Deposits themselves are a great deal. No downside since they are refunded if you don't use them in two years. And the OBC is truly "free money."

 

Jim

 

Nowadays, anyone who has cruised more than a handful of times will likely know more than any cruise consultant. We learned the hard way over the years when dealing with TAs or Travel Consultants that the best thing to do is to do your own research and follow your instincts.

[floridalover5623]

It's always worth checking with the Future Cruise Dept.

One cruise we were on, there was extra OBC for one particular itinerary if booked on board. We weren't interested in the itinerary so didn't book.

As everyone else has said, just buy FCD and book when you get home (unless there's a special).

Like you mentioned, occasionally they'll be some extra OBC for booking while still on board :) but it's become very rare in recent years. I always check to just make sure there aren't any deals happening, which there usually aren't. :(

[skynight]

New to Princess but cruising to Alaska in 2018. So i would buy FCC and it comes with OBC for the cruise I use it on....can you use only one FCC per person per cruise?

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If you are a couple purchase one in each name so each person can receive the reduced deposit and the related OBC on a future cruise. We generally have a number of FCD's each in reserve. They are fully refundable when they expire in two years. There is no benefit to apply more than one $100 deposit to a booking since 1st & 2nd berth passengers can only receive the OBC once. For cruises up to 44 days the $100 Future Cruise Deposit is all that is required.

[robbi5]

I always get future cruise credits. Only once were they refunded as I didn't use them all. I did book once while on the ship. 8 of us had a fantastic Alaska RT cruise from San Francisco. While sitting on the deck on a sunny San Francisco morning, we called our travel agent and booked for a full transit of the Panama Canal. We had 8 months to look forward to our next cruise!

[Thrak]

If you are a couple purchase one in each name so each person can receive the reduced deposit and the related OBC on a future cruise. We generally have a number of FCD's each in reserve. They are fully refundable when they expire in two years. There is no benefit to apply more than one $100 deposit to a booking since 1st & 2nd berth passengers can only receive the OBC once. For cruises up to 44 days the $100 Future Cruise Deposit is all that is required.

 

I thought having 3 each was overkill but somehow I have managed to book 3 cruises. I never would have thought that would happen. On our next cruise I'm sure my wife will say that 2 each is plenty to purchase but I will go ahead and get 3 more each "just in case".

 

I was wondering what the cutoff was for number of days. We're booked for a 49 day cruise in early 2019 and everybody else is saying that they were told, "NO" when trying to use their FCD as deposit but, for some reason, the person at Princess took ours. I booked the cruise and then called and said I wanted to use our FCD as the deposit and they said it was no problem. The deposit and the OBC both show in my personalizer. Very strange. Everybody else got a reduced deposit and (I think) a slight fare reduction. The fare reduction might be better than the OBC we are getting but I figure I'll just leave things as they are at the moment and see if Princess freaks out and decides I need to pay a larger deposit.

[tailspintom]

I thought having 3 each was overkill but somehow I have managed to book 3 cruises. I never would have thought that would happen. On our next cruise I'm sure my wife will say that 2 each is plenty to purchase but I will go ahead and get 3 more each "just in case".

 

I was wondering what the cutoff was for number of days. We're booked for a 49 day cruise in early 2019 and everybody else is saying that they were told, "NO" when trying to use their FCD as deposit but, for some reason, the person at Princess took ours. I booked the cruise and then called and said I wanted to use our FCD as the deposit and they said it was no problem. The deposit and the OBC both show in my personalizer. Very strange. Everybody else got a reduced deposit and (I think) a slight fare reduction. The fare reduction might be better than the OBC we are getting but I figure I'll just leave things as they are at the moment and see if Princess freaks out and decides I need to pay a larger deposit.

I rather doubt that there will be an issue. Princess has a deposit which was placed by a good customer through a promise to cruise with them in the future.

We have found the FCD folks to be pretty principled about their bookings; once restoring a FCD when we had to delay our cruise due to medical issues and another time suggesting that we not book through them because our TA had superior cabins at better pricing.

I would wager a very small bet that you will be fine.

[Thrak]

They will be taking another look at my booking though as I have read that the cruise will be included in the Sip and Sail and I will definitely be trying to move my booking to that promo. I am hoping to keep the same cabin and same booking price and simply add on the Sip and Sail package. I am guessing though that if i am successful in doing that I will lose the perks I already have (which are pretty substantial).