Booking future cruise while on board?

[CruisinGrandpa]

Sorry if this duplicates another thread - I have been searching but could not find this info

 

We depart in a week for our first Oceania cruise.

Looking at future cruises with them. Are there benefits (ie OBC, reduced deposit, etc) to

booking a future Oceania cruise while on board our current cruise?

Thanks for any info

[Classiccruiser777]

The immediate benefit is $100 OBC while on your current cruise. The are other “claimed” benefits (low price guarantee, a small discount on the cruise booked, reduced deposit) but I suggest reading the fine print including what is involved if you make changes to the booking.

Edited April 15, 2019 by Classiccruiser777

[Paulchili]

Consult with the Oceania ambassador while onboard about the benefits BUT ask questions.

[Rob the Cruiser]

Besides booking a future cruise, you have the option of purchasing a future cruise deposit. You have two years to book a cruise that sails up to two years beyond that. Your deposit is refundable 100% up to the time that the deposit expires. We purchased a future cruise deposit recently for $700.00 and got $100 OBC for the cruise we were on. I'm looking at the certificate right now because we will use it on the 17th. It's a great deal because of the reduced deposit.

Edited April 16, 2019 by Rob the Cruiser

[edgee]

13 hours ago, Rob the Cruiser said:

Besides booking a future cruise, you have the option of purchasing a future cruise deposit. You have two years to book a cruise that sails up to two years beyond that. Your deposit is refundable 100% up to the time that the deposit expires. We purchased a future cruise deposit recently for $700.00 and got $100 OBC for the cruise we were on. I'm looking at the certificate right now because we will use it on the 17th. It's a great deal because of the reduced deposit.

Recent change: We purchased  a future cruise deposit last month under recently changed rules. You now have one year (instead of two)to book the future cruise but there is increased flexibility to change that cruise to another.

[pinotlover]

Future Cruise Credits ( FCC) are the way to go unless one has a specific cruise picked out. One gets all the perks and doesn’t mess the system up with a place holder reservation they later cancel. Especially great when a new cruise release is a couple months away. We are sailing the Nautica in August. Buy a FCC while aboard, then pick out a cruise when the 2nd half of 2021 cruises are released in late September or October ! Deposit already made, and it’s a $375 deposit instead of a $750 one, TA just has to wire it in!

Edited April 17, 2019 by pinotlover

[Classiccruiser777]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Future Cruise Credits ( FCC) are the way to go unless one has a specific cruise picked out. One gets all the perks...

 

We did save a couple of hundred dollars off a fare we booked a few months after our cruise by using a FCC.

 

I advise getting the “best price guarantee” in writing, too.

[Hawaiidan]

Your playing with the house making your bets....  In vegas  would you let the dealer  do that?  First , a negative  your excited about being on a cruise,  maybe you have a few drinks too... Your trying to negotiate with a person who does this for a living.  Do you?     Who is better equipped to come out better in that situation....??????  Like buying a car at a car show...  They know they have you.

After many  many cruises, and a lot of cruise consultants,  I never ever did as good as when I started the selection with my  personal  long term agent.  True you can transfer, but at that point you have showed your hand to O.   An agent would thus have a harder getting O to give  you something..     Just my experience.      Last cruise O ffered me $100 to book.    I declined  My  Agent went in and came back with $1900 in discounts and credits.....      You see my point?

[Paulchili]

To be fair, no travel agent can “discount” the cruise fare. They have to charge you exactly what Oceania quote is. Then they decide how much of their pie they are willing to share with you in one way or another (OBC, rebate, etc)

Whether you book the cruise onboard or at home the math from your agent should be the same as the starting price is EXACTLY the same.

Onboard booking gives you $100 OBC and “lowest price guarantee” (caveat emptor with this one) - agent cannot give you either one of those.

That said, I seldom book onboard as I am not sure of the future plans and don’t really need the $100 OBC.

As always, YMMV

[Paulchili]

On 4/17/2019 at 3:24 PM, Classiccruiser777 said:

We did save a couple of hundred dollars off a fare we booked a few months after our cruise by using a FCC.

Was this because the price went down few months after your cruise and you booked then or because of your best price guarantee with the original price?

Edited April 21, 2019 by Paulchili

[Hawaiidan]

4 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Was this because the price went down few months after your cruise and you booked then or because of your best price guarantee with the original price?

I suspect so..... the consultant is working for the company  , not you....................... End of sentence.

As W.C fiields said. " never give a sucker an even break"

[Classiccruiser777]

14 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Was this because the price went down few months after your cruise and you booked then or because of your best price guarantee with the original price?

 

I don’t believe the price dropped after booking. I booked the cruise a couple of months after purchasing the FCC while on the Insignia. By our TA’s summary, following, the price was lowered by $300 pp.

 

 

[keithm]

On ‎4‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 7:09 PM, CruisinGrandpa said:

Sorry if this duplicates another thread - I have been searching but could not find this info

 

We depart in a week for our first Oceania cruise.

Looking at future cruises with them. Are there benefits (ie OBC, reduced deposit, etc) to

booking a future Oceania cruise while on board our current cruise?

Thanks for any info

We did this on our recent Riviera cruise. You get some reduced deposit($400) & some OBC(not much)We actually cancelled the cruise as a Celebrity cruise has the same itinerary. We stopped  Celebrity after 2017 when the food quality dropped too much. This trip next Jan. is a Celebrity make or break. We usually cruise for about 14 days. It's our big vacation of the year. I doubt the standards on celebrity have gotten better, but the price was less than half what the same cruise would be on Riviera. There's a 2021 Riviera cruise that we'll likely take.

[CruisinGrandpa]

Thanks to everyone for the info. We head out in two days for our first cruise

on Oceania. We are looking forward to the experience after 30+ cruises on Princess,

Celebrity, HAL, etc.

If it's as good as we are hearing then likely will book one of the 2021 Cuba itineraries while

on board the Nautica. Understand all the comments about agents, etc. Spouse worked as

a T/A for over 25 years, so we ALWAYS use a T/A and don't rely on the lines' staff.

[Hawaiidan]

On 4/15/2019 at 4:09 PM, CruisinGrandpa said:

Sorry if this duplicates another thread - I have been searching but could not find this info

 

We depart in a week for our first Oceania cruise.

Looking at future cruises with them. Are there benefits (ie OBC, reduced deposit, etc) to

booking a future Oceania cruise while on board our current cruise?

Thanks for any info

They make it appear so... they know your excited by a cruise, maybe had a few martinis...  and they offer you a WHOPPING $100 .  you can book a future  cruise credit too... but the catch is you have 12 months to use it..   

You may get a reduced deposit  but your  not really saving because that is what your going to have to pay anyway !1    I faux discount that really  a delay.   

    However, its my experience using a top quality travel agent back home,  he will get perks and discounts, even rebates , on board credits that can add up to 9-12% discount.         Remember, the O cruise rep on the ship is working for O, not you.... 

 

Example on an $8000 cruise total....on the ship  I got offered $100.  $750 deposit.        At home,  same cruise   $1000 obc, 550 in gratuites, and a $500 rebate  plus $1000 off the cruise fare......  thats over $2050  ot $ 1950 better thay the  O rep would have given !!!

[pinotlover]

To clarify a point above. The 1 Year time limit is for booking a cruise. The cruise then booked can be the full two years out. That actually gives one up to 3 years to book and take a cruise with a FCC. One still has the benefit of one cancellation and rebooking.

 

For the vast majority of us, if a cruise we want to take can’t be found in that time frame we’re probably not sailing Oceania any more. If one doesn’t want to use the FCC, they cancel it and get back the $750 ($350x2) minus the $100 OBC used on the cruise.

[Hawaiidan]

On 4/21/2019 at 8:39 AM, Classiccruiser777 said:

 

I don’t believe the price dropped after booking. I booked the cruise a couple of months after purchasing the FCC while on the Insignia. By our TA’s summary, following, the price was lowered by $300 pp.

 

 

 Its actualy more of a saving than you quoted..... you need to include the rebate !    We use the same agent

[Hawaiidan]

[Classiccruiser777]

1 hour ago, Hawaiidan said:

 Its actualy more of a saving than you quoted..... you need to include the rebate !    We use the same agent

 

True, our post cruise rebate is about $1,300. Excellent TA.

[Paulchili]

23 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

 

True, our post cruise rebate is about $1,300. Excellent TA.

While that is outstanding I assume that this amount is not related to onboard booking -i.e. you would get the same rebate whether you booked onboard or not?

[Hawaiidan]

48 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

 

True, our post cruise rebate is about $1,300. Excellent TA.

 no lie   is the Pope Catholic!....  vais bien mon amis......   Had him for 15 years

[Hawaiidan]

35 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

While that is outstanding I assume that this amount is not related to onboard booking -i.e. you would get the same rebate whether you booked onboard or not?

Not sure... because  in negotiating you dont tell  the other side  you cards.  It seems  very un wise.  

I  dont look at  a cruise as a vacation... I look at it as a business deal.  When your laying out close to 5 figures or better   I think one needs to treat it seriously.   I do research what the company is offering ,anonymously, however .  THEN work with my negotiator.  Only he and I know what  I want  and my budget. etc.    Working that way  He has gotten me astounding deals...  even getting O to give a free cruise and extra OBC.s..    As  of late, I had sworn off O.  However, my agent got  O  to offer a large incentive $$ to try them again and to make amends.   And I am just a regular cabin guy..no PH or such.  .   No, I will keep my game plan it seems for the past decade to be fruitful...

Edited April 22, 2019 by Hawaiidan

[Classiccruiser777]

3 hours ago, Paulchili said:

While that is outstanding I assume that this amount is not related to onboard booking -i.e. you would get the same rebate whether you booked onboard or not?

 

Correct, not related to onboard booking. I was just answering a poster’s question.

[palakika]

I have a question about booking on board.  If you are booking a cruise for which the final payment date has passed, do you just pay the deposit or the entire amount at that time?  I'm wondering if you make the final payment when back in touch with TA.  Also how would travel insurance be booked on board  if  you have a pre existing condition.  Ordinarily it would be paid at time of booking.  Thanks.

[azam71209]

I checked onboard my last cruise. The perks only apply to higher level cabins. So if you are traveling steerage, be sure to check whether any of the perks apply to the cabin you plan to reserve in the future.

 

Mary