Question about rebooking a NextCruise

[BobbyD]

One year ago, while on the Anthem I booked a NextCruise on the Freedom out of San Juan for March 2020.  Air fare from the northeast for that time period is out of control, more than the cost of the cruise.  If I cancel the booking, losing $100pp because it was a non-refundable rate, and rebook another cruise with a different travel agent, will I still be able to keep the OBC, etc. from the NextCruise booking?  Any thoughts or input will be appreciated.  I've never had to cancel a cruise before!

[GUEST71919]

I know more about the delayed version where there is a $200 deposit and 60 days to make a final decision without consequence. In that case, by my understanding, you definitely could. Although we haven’t booked while onboard, I would think that the policy would be very similar (where hopefully you wouldn’t lose the $100 and could make the change). Good luck!

Edited July 6, 2019 by 2Beeze

[dswallow]

Within 2 months of making the reservation with NextCruise, there are no change fees. After that, the non-refundable deposit you made of $100 per person is forfeited each time you make a change. You keep the OBC and it may readjust based on the new cruise you select, or if there's just a different offer in place currently for NextCruise bookings (i.e., whatever offer exists at the time you make a change is what you get, not the original offer).

 

Full terms and conditions: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/next-cruise-booking-terms-and-conditions.pdf

 

I don't know if you were looking at travel from Connecticut, but if so, you should look at the cost from a NYC-area airport. Much different to San Juan (about half the price from what I see). But also look at Air2Sea from RCCL. They can sometimes actually be cheaper. I used it myself for JFK-SJU in Sept/Oct this year and got a price about $60 cheaper than I could direct, but it was also a first class ticket, so still about $800 r/t. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/plan-a-cruise/transportation

 

A friend swears by using the Hopper app to find good airfares; it provides info about likely lowest prices and when they'll occur based on historical info, and monitors it for you giving you regular updates, and it worked for her going to San Juan actually this October... prices were pretty high when she started looking but the app said she'd eventually see some specific range and sure enough it happened. http://www.hopper.com.

 

 

 

[blackshirt]

Not if you cancel that booking and then book another. To keep the OBC, you need to change that booking from the Freedom cruise to the one you want.

[Clarea]

26 minutes ago, BobbyD said:

One year ago, while on the Anthem I booked a NextCruise on the Freedom out of San Juan for March 2020.  Air fare from the northeast for that time period is out of control, more than the cost of the cruise.  If I cancel the booking, losing $100pp because it was a non-refundable rate, and rebook another cruise with a different travel agent, will I still be able to keep the OBC, etc. from the NextCruise booking?  Any thoughts or input will be appreciated.  I've never had to cancel a cruise before!

 

If you cancel the booking, you lose the OBC from booking on board.

[dswallow]

15 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

If you cancel the booking, you lose the OBC from booking on board.

 

Just to clarify a bit, yes, true if you cancel and don't book a new date. But if you change your booking to a new ship/sail date, you do keep it (well, you get it, at whatever offer/rate is applicable to your new ship/sailing date). Some people will consider that "cancel and rebook" but the important thing is doing it all at the same time, of course. 🙂

 

From the terms & conditions, section 4 (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/next-cruise-booking-terms-and-conditions.pdf):

 

Guests who make a NDN Booking will remain eligible for our NextCruise dollars off promotion or Future Onboard Credit (up to $600 per stateroom depending on length of voyage and type of stateroom or suite). The amount of the Future Onboard Credit shall be adjusted to reflect the new stateroom category booked.

 

 

[molly361]

You would only keep that OBC if you did not cancel the booking but just change the ship and sail date. 

[dodgestang]

I booked a next cruise once to get OBC....then 3 weeks later called to reprice it with a casino discount applied.  I didn't get to keep my OBC 😞

[BobbyD]

Thank you all.  This information helps.

[Jimbo]

Just make it clear when re-booking , tell the agent you want to keep the same booking number............Booking number is what has the OBC attached to. Simple as that.

[Ourusualbeach]

21 minutes ago, BobbyD said:

Thank you all.  This information helps.

 

You would have to get your original travel agent to release the reservation in order to move it to a new travel agent.  Changing the ship and sail date to retain the OBC for booking on board will not allow you to change TA’s.  

 

If if you want to change TA’s Then you should cancel, lose the OBC and then rebook with a new TA.

[monctonguy]

DO they offer OBC for your current cruise as well when you book, or just for the future cruise?

Edited July 22, 2019 by monctonguy

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, monctonguy said:

DO they over OBC for your current cruise as well when you book, or just for the future cruise?

 

No more immediate OBC, they discontinued that after some found ways to exploit that.

[monctonguy]

crappy...but thanks for the answer.

[monctonguy]

SO I guess it begs the question...what is the benefit of booking with them??...I mean, a reduced deposit is simply delaying what you owe them.....is there any financial incentive?...$75 OBC is nothing imho. I can get that from pretty much ANY TA or travel site to be honest....

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

SO I guess it begs the question...what is the benefit of booking with them??...I mean, a reduced deposit is simply delaying what you owe them.....is there any financial incentive?...$75 OBC is nothing imho. I can get that from pretty much ANY TA or travel site to be honest....

 

Just OBC, and you need to book non-refundable to get reduced deposit and the most OBC.

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

...$75 OBC is nothing imho. I can get that from pretty much ANY TA or travel site to be honest....

That $75 would be in top of whatever you can get for a TA. 

[SuiteLady]

On ‎7‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 1:36 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

If you cancel the booking, you lose the OBC from booking on board.

Yep....just did this.  Booked NextCruise while on the Anthem....saw a better deal and called RCI.  I kept the same reservation #, cabin, sail date, and ship....just had to re-book to get an $800 savings and.....lost my $100 OBC for booking NextCruise since it was "a new booking"....it still was a $700 savings, so well worth it....but depending on how much OBC, for some it may not be!

[molly361]

18 minutes ago, SuiteLady said:

Yep....just did this.  Booked NextCruise while on the Anthem....saw a better deal and called RCI.  I kept the same reservation #, cabin, sail date, and ship....just had to re-book to get an $800 savings and.....lost my $100 OBC for booking NextCruise since it was "a new booking"....it still was a $700 savings, so well worth it....but depending on how much OBC, for some it may not be!

If you kept the same booking number it should not be a new reservation and you should have kept the OBC from booking onboard

[johnjen]

On 7/6/2019 at 1:09 PM, BobbyD said:

One year ago, while on the Anthem I booked a NextCruise on the Freedom out of San Juan for March 2020.  Air fare from the northeast for that time period is out of control, more than the cost of the cruise.  If I cancel the booking, losing $100pp because it was a non-refundable rate, and rebook another cruise with a different travel agent, will I still be able to keep the OBC, etc. from the NextCruise booking?  Any thoughts or input will be appreciated.  I've never had to cancel a cruise before!

A rather good question I don't have an answer to (regarding the OBC) - but hold off a bit before even investigating air fare for March 2020. Wait until after the end of September as (right now) air fares are mainly very high because even though you're looking for flights for March, you're looking right now during "current" peak season. We are in two similar situations - we're flying to the UK this November and again next June to Amsterdam for another cruise, but after seeing the current rates - we will hold off until first week in Oct to look again.

Edited July 22, 2019 by johnjen

[SuiteLady]

18 hours ago, molly361 said:

If you kept the same booking number it should not be a new reservation and you should have kept the OBC from booking onboard

I was wondering about that, but thought that it was considered a new booking and, therefore, I forfeited the OBC that I got for booking NextCruise.....I will call and inquire about this- thanks for the info

[dswallow]

6 hours ago, SuiteLady said:

I was wondering about that, but thought that it was considered a new booking and, therefore, I forfeited the OBC that I got for booking NextCruise.....I will call and inquire about this- thanks for the info

 

It's my understanding that you don't keep the OBC so much as remain eligible for the OBC that would be offered at that time of change if you made the reservation at NextCruise based on the cabin type and sailing to which you've changed your reservation. It's described in the NextCruise terms & conditions that way.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/next-cruise-booking-terms-and-conditions.pdf

[SuiteLady]

44 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

It's my understanding that you don't keep the OBC so much as remain eligible for the OBC that would be offered at that time of change if you made the reservation at NextCruise based on the cabin type and sailing to which you've changed your reservation. It's described in the NextCruise terms & conditions that way.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/next-cruise-booking-terms-and-conditions.pdf

Yes, I will call and question this.....first time that I have booked NextCruise, but my thinking is that when I made a change (even if it was just saving money on the fare), I lost any promotional offers that I got from booking NextCruise.  Like I said, it was $100, to save $800....def. worth it.  Thanks for the link and easy reference!