Next Cruise reduced deposits gone after August 1st

[Beachammo]

I was thinking of you and your corner aft addiction.;)

I think I may need an intervention...lol

 

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[skiiergirl]

There are a couple of reasons that come to mind:

 

 

Backup cruises with a highly desired stateroom for when Royal redeploys, charters, dry docks, or otherwise cancels a cruise one wants to take.

 

Getting perks for onboard booking so that one has dummy (placeholder) bookings to use when new itineraries are released in March/April each year. This problem was created by the cruise line when they decimated the OBC assigned to the Open Booking program. If they would once again allow Next Cruise/Open Booking with the same OBC as booking a specific cruise, much of this would go away.

 

Most of the cruises we book while onboard are with the intent of actually taking that ship and that sale date. However, we have done placeholder/dummy bookings to get the reduced deposit. I don't even care about the OBC....just like the reduced deposit. For the record, the "placeholders" we always chose category/location that was just "so-so" or "less desirable" to make sure we weren't holding a cabin that someone else might be seeking specifically!

[RoamingRetirees]

Most of the cruises we book while onboard are with the intent of actually taking that ship and that sale date. However, we have done placeholder/dummy bookings to get the reduced deposit. I don't even care about the OBC....just like the reduced deposit. For the record, the "placeholders" we always chose category/location that was just "so-so" or "less desirable" to make sure we weren't holding a cabin that someone else might be seeking specifically!

 

We're the same way. A couple of years ago we were planning to take our children and grandchildren on a cruise. We were on a ship in February--the itineraries we were interested in didn't come out until March. We booked 4 cabins close to the date we wanted and then moved the bookings as soon as the new itineraries came out. We only had to put down a total of $400 deposit and got $400 OBC. Like someone said earlier, we only did that because the Next Cruise Certificates no longer had any value.

[cruiselvr04]

Well we aren't too happy about this...we don't book dummy cruises. We almost always take the ones we book or sometimes switch to another date when life events happen ( grand baby now due during January 2018 cruise so I have to move it.).

We liked to have 2 to 3 booked a year and will not tie up that much money 2 years out. With what I've got on the books now it would be $2K of my money they'd be holding- no way. The DH always let me book on board because he knew it wasn't a lot to hold them.

So now we will wait till a wow sale to book. And if those go away we will have to be less picky about cabins and price and book later which is I guess what they want.

Kind of makes me want to start looking at all inclusive resorts and certainly will be looking at other lines more now too. The incentive to remain loyal keeps shrinking.

Only bright side is we get that 30-60 minutes of sitting on board booking cruises back to vacation time.

[Biker19]

Economic psychology is fascinating - the product price (nor the product itself) never changes, yet when the vendor wants a bit more of the product cost earlier, people are less inclined to buy it.

[dcgrumpy]

I guess I won't be booking anything on our February Oasis cruise. The only reason I book onboard is for the reduced deposit. We're a family of 5 that normally books our cruises more than a year in advance. I liked not having to lay out $1250 for a trip that's so far away.

[Cuizer2]

Economic psychology is fascinating - the product price (nor the product itself) never changes, yet when the vendor wants a bit more of the product cost earlier, people are less inclined to buy it.

 

Maybe Royal Caribbean should offer refundable deposits to those that have a history of taking the cruises that they booked, and non-refundable deposits to those that have a history of booking more cruises than they take.

 

 

Now, I hope Amazon delivers my new flameproof suit today as promised.

[Cuizer2]

I guess I won't be booking anything on our February Oasis cruise. The only reason I book onboard is for the reduced deposit. We're a family of 5 that normally books our cruises more than a year in advance. I liked not having to lay out $1250 for a trip that's so far away.

 

Then book cruises that are closer to home.

[dcgrumpy]

Then book cruises that are closer to home.

 

 

The problem is I can only sail during school breaks and we need cabins next to each other or family cabins. For our upcoming cruise I booked it a year in advance. I wanted to book Allure but they did not have any connecting balconies or family cabins left. So I had to book Oasis.

 

 

I can't wait until kids are out of school and my husband I can book last minute cruises.

[RoamingRetirees]

Maybe Royal Caribbean should offer refundable deposits to those that have a history of taking the cruises that they booked, and non-refundable deposits to those that have a history of booking more cruises than they take.

 

 

Now, I hope Amazon delivers my new flameproof suit today as promised.

 

I'd like their IT department to try dealing with that! :eek: :evilsmile:

[Cuizer2]

I'd like their IT department to try dealing with that! :eek: :evilsmile:

 

Good come back.

[John&LaLa]

It will effect mine as I often book B2B2B's. My Jewel cruise coming up would have required A $1850 deposit vs the $350 deposit I paid, a lot of money to tie up when booking more than a year ahead of time.

 

Late to the party, apologies if brought up already. I doubt you will be able to secure the same cabin on a B3B if you don't book early.

[RoamingRetirees]

Late to the party, apologies if brought up already. I doubt you will be able to secure the same cabin on a B3B if you don't book early.

 

There are always trade-offs, aren't there?

[John&LaLa]

Economic psychology is fascinating - the product price (nor the product itself) never changes, yet when the vendor wants a bit more of the product cost earlier, people are less inclined to buy it.

 

If Royal has my money, I'm less inclined to spend it. :halo:

Currently all of our deposits are in the $100 - $250 range with the exception of our Rhapsody TA which is a whopping $900. And it's the one furthest out. :eek:

[John Reid]

Then book cruises that are closer to home.

 

What if he lives in Kansas?

[John&LaLa]

There are always trade-offs, aren't there?

 

That would be a non starter to me. Especially on a B3B like the Mariner repo.

[dcgrumpy]

Then book cruises that are closer to home.

 

 

I didn't have enough coffee when I first read this :p

[Russ Lomas]

Only bright side is we get that 30-60 minutes of sitting on board booking cruises back to vacation time.

That is exactly what I was going to say. Thanks RCCL for providing me an extra hour each cruise I take to ride the Flowrider, because I won't be wasting that hour in the Next Cruise office ever again.

 

The only reason I book onboard is for the reduced deposit. We're a family of 5 that normally books our cruises more than a year in advance. I liked not having to lay out $1250 for a trip that's so far away.

Ditto, but for my family of 6. The reduced deposit for booking three cabins two years in advance was the reason I took time out of my cruise to make a future booking. Now I will be able to do so from the comfort of my own home, using internet that is 10 times faster than waiting for their rep. to look up info. Not only that, I will be able to look up cruise on other lines such as Celebrity, NCL, Princess, and MSC at the same time to see if there are better options than when RCCL had me in the hot seat in the Next Cruise desk with my kids begging me to book another cruise.

[silviaeaston]

This is disappointing! I was planning to book another cruise on the Vision. :(

Our family of 5 will be in the Liberty in 2 weeks and was hoping to book our 4th annual cruise for next year. No use in booking now.

[Clarea]

Our family of 5 will be in the Liberty in 2 weeks and was hoping to book our 4th annual cruise for next year. No use in booking now.

They are still giving on board credit for booking on board.

[ewenix]

Then book cruises that are closer to home.

 

I've thought about that before but my Midwest options are limited to Mississippi river cruises.

Those start around $2k per person for an inside.

[mabellcouple]

Looks like its time to switch cruise lines!!!!!!!!!

[mabellcouple]

BTW....are they going to pay interest on the deposits they are holding for a year or more????????

[RoamingRetirees]

BTW....are they going to pay interest on the deposits they are holding for a year or more????????

 

Do the airlines pay interest on your entire fare when you book a year in advance?

[John&LaLa]

BTW....are they going to pay interest on the deposits they are holding for a year or more????????

Interest? What is that. Maybe $1 on a $1,000 fare.

 

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