Benefits of Booking on a Cruise versus Booking from Home

[sabrefan]

Have cruised once on a Transatlantic in 2018. Unfortunately, had a cruise get cancelled in May 2020. Currently, we are booked for Alaska Inside Passage this June. We are also booked for Viking Homelands in May 2023. We are currently considering a cruise from Bangkok to Tokyo in March 2024. What kind of promotions and or incentives could I expect to get if I book this Bangkok to Tokyo cruise while on board the cruise to Alaska this June? Also, could you still keep your travel agent on a new booking made on board?

[molymoo]

Not sure how it is now but pre-COVID you could book another cruise while onboard and (it varied but generally ... ) get an additional discount (not a ton but a couple of hundred), an OBC for the cruise you are currently sailing, and at one time the final payment was due six months pre-cruise (a substantial decrease from Viking's usual final payment date).  We booked a few while onboard but we only "waited" if the time for the cruise was close.  If we had a particular cruise with a particular cabin in mind and it was a popular one we just booked from home.  We generally didn't find the "perks" worth waiting and risking getting first choice of itinerary and accommodations.  The six month final pay is an attractive offer (if they still offer it) but as we pay in full up front when we book this was not an enticement for us.

 

Yes, you can transfer the booking to your TA after you book onboard ... there is a time limit but you can do it.  You'll love Viking Homelands!  

[Azulann]

On Viking Venus in Oct, we booked the Alaska Inside passage for June 2023. We got $400. pp off fare , OBC to use on the current ship per stateroom. $500. pp deposit and six month  before cruise for final payment, The cruise consultant had the name of our TA and booking was automatically sent to him.

Hope you post a trip review about your  inside passage cruise, we will follow  you the next year.   

[Moonlion]

35 minutes ago, Azulann said:

On Viking Venus in Oct, we booked the Alaska Inside passage for June 2023. We got $400. pp off fare , OBC to use on the current ship per stateroom. $500. pp deposit and six month  before cruise for final payment, The cruise consultant had the name of our TA and booking was automatically sent to him.

 

That was very generous.  On our January 24th Venus Northern Lights cruise, we booked two future cruises while onboard.  In addition to the available published Viking incentives (double past guest discount which for us came to $400 per person, and 2-for-1 deposit), the added onboard booking incentives were based on cruise length: $200 pp for the British Isle Explorer (14 nights) and $300 pp for the South America/Chilean Fjords (17 nights).  In addition, we received $200 OBC per statement per cruise to use on on the current cruise and final payment at 6 months before cruise departure.  Since we already knew we wanted to take these cruises, it was worth it for us to book while onboard. 

[CDNPolar]

Just don't wait until the last day to book on board, as with the OBC you cannot turn that into cash, but you can use it to pay for gratuities and spa treatments.  

 

Not realizing one time we booked and got the credit and it was more than what we owed in the end because we prepaid our gratuities.  We left money behind.

[Squawkman]

Viking also offers a “welcome home 14 day” credit. If you book within 14 days of disembarkation, you can get $200pp OBC on the new cruise regardless of the length of the cruise. So if you’re looking at a 7 night cruise, this would likely be a better deal as the OBC can be applied before or during the new cruise.

[Azulann]

5 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Not realizing one time we booked and got the credit and it was more than what we owed in the end because we prepaid our gratuities.  We left money behind.

We had same dilemma! Ran to the  Viking shop and bought nice wool knit hats for Christmas present for young adult grandchildren. 

[philw1776]

DANGER Will Robinson
Booking on board is great except when you do what I did. The cruise I wanted was not released yet but according to the onboard agent would be posted within 10 days, which it was. So we booked onboard to take advantage of the perks. He called LA for the costs & details & we were good to go.
When the cruise was posted, it was ~$500pp LESS than our onboard price (exact details forgotten). Contacting Viking their retort refrain was the price was a "promotion". Well with Viking each month there are "promotions". Again we were told by LA thru the onboard rep that our cost would be the posted cost but it was not. Viking DID after weeks of back & forth give us a couple hundred bucks credit. Lesson learned.

Edited February 12, 2022 by philw1776

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, Squawkman said:

Viking also offers a “welcome home 14 day” credit. If you book within 14 days of disembarkation, you can get $200pp OBC on the new cruise regardless of the length of the cruise. So if you’re looking at a 7 night cruise, this would likely be a better deal as the OBC can be applied before or during the new cruise.

Is this in addition to the $200 fare reduction as a past guest ($400 currently)?

[Squawkman]

46 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Is this in addition to the $200 fare reduction as a past guest ($400 currently)?

Absolutely. It’s in addition to any other offers, credits, etc.

[Squawkman]

Also good with $200 certificates purchased on river cruises. We did this in December.