Book Later Onboard - Transfer To TA

[HBDave]

I booked a Book Later onboard the Millenium last week. I contact Celebrity today to use it and made a reservation for a Transatlantic in October. It's my understanding I have 30 days from the time I use the Book Later and make a reservation with Celebrity. Therefore the 30 day count down would start today versus last week when I booked the Book Later onboard.  

 

Questions

 

Am I correct in assuming I have 30 days from now to transfer the booking?

 

What is the process for transferring the booking?

 

Also I'm eligible for $250 OBC from the Book Later Reservation. I understand it takes a couple of weeks to post that to my new reservation. Should I wait for that to be completed, before doing the transfer?

 

Thanks In Advance!

[granddutchess]

We have always booked future cruises onboard and give our TA's information as part of the reservation.  Never have had an issue.

[jelayne]

I believe you have 30 days from the date of the Book Later Certificate to transfer to a TA.  You do not have to have used it to book a cruise.  I transferred 1 last fall to my TA and 2 months later decided what we wanted to use it for.

[HBDave]

16 hours ago, jelayne said:

I believe you have 30 days from the date of the Book Later Certificate to transfer to a TA.  You do not have to have used it to book a cruise.  I transferred 1 last fall to my TA and 2 months later decided what we wanted to use it for.

I believe you may be right. I checked my new reservation that I made with the Book Later Certificate, and it has a booking date the same as the certificate date, not the date I called in to make the reservation. That's unfortunate, since the onboard Future Cruise Rep told me differently. I purchased two of the certificates while on board and if I want to assign it to a travel agent after I make the reservation. It appears I only have 30 days to make the reservation versus 90 days.

 

PS: What the Future Cruise Rep told me was. "You have 90 days to make a reservation to retain the OBC offer and then 30 days after that to transfer". 

 

[Jim_Iain]

I did the same but make sure you don't do what I did.    I had a TA I was dropping that had booked the cruise I was on.   I ordered 2 Future Travel Certificates and when I went to us I was denied saying it was attached to my Travel Agent.     I had to contact her and have her release them back to me before I could have them released to may new agent.  

 

It worked out well but a little uncomfortable when you fire a travel agent and then have to call and ask them to transfer. 

[DrKoob]

20 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I did the same but make sure you don't do what I did.    I had a TA I was dropping that had booked the cruise I was on.   I ordered 2 Future Travel Certificates and when I went to us I was denied saying it was attached to my Travel Agent.     I had to contact her and have her release them back to me before I could have them released to may new agent.  

 

It worked out well but a little uncomfortable when you fire a travel agent and then have to call and ask them to transfer. 

I bet it was. Did you explain to the old TA why you were moving on? They would really like to know so they can use that to improve. An e-mail when all is said and done is a nice way as opposed to just ghosting them. 

[HBDave]

13 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I did the same but make sure you don't do what I did.    I had a TA I was dropping that had booked the cruise I was on.   I ordered 2 Future Travel Certificates and when I went to us I was denied saying it was attached to my Travel Agent.     I had to contact her and have her release them back to me before I could have them released to may new agent.  

 

It worked out well but a little uncomfortable when you fire a travel agent and then have to call and ask them to transfer. 

Hi Jim,

 

Let's see if I understand this now. 🙂 

 

I can transfer the Future Travel Certificates from Celebrity to a Travel Agent within 30 days of the Certificate Issue Date and then would have 90 days from the issue date for the Travel Agent to book the cruise using the Future Travel Certificate / Reservation. By doing the reservation within 90 days it would retain the OBC offer.

 

PS: The cruise I purchased the Future Travel Certificates was on a booking done directly with Celebrity, therefore the Certificates are currently assigned to Celebrity. Also I purchased the Future Travel Certificates with the option to Book Later.

 

Thanks! 

[Jim_Iain]

1 minute ago, DrKoob said:

I bet it was. Did you explain to the old TA why you were moving on? They would really like to know so they can use that to improve. An e-mail when all is said and done is a nice way as opposed to just ghosting them. 

She knows for sure.   She stiffed me on both cruises of a B2B on the On Boadr Credit she promised in writing.   Shallow sighted after a 8 years relationship.   Both Celebrity and I contacted her multiple times over 3 weeks of the cruises and she said she was out of town and didn't have the documents with her. 

 

[jagoffee]

Not a very smart TA considering the level of your business.
  My TA made a mistake once with my OBC.  I contacted her during the cruise, she apologized, promised to send me a check, and  then send me a check.  I had it when I arrived home.  

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Not a very smart TA considering the level of your business.
  My TA made a mistake once with my OBC.  I contacted her during the cruise, she apologized, promised to send me a check, and  then send me a check.  I had it when I arrived home.  

I have to agree, she still just ignores the issue.   My new agent now has 13 cruises booked for us.   I have just chalked it up to the way it is and moving on. 

 

Celebrity was really good to me and issued me a credit in the amount she stiffed me for but had to apply it as a Non-Refundable on 2 future cruises.   On those cruises I now have over $3,000 in non-refundable to spend.   Iain keeps wiggling his finger and saying diamonds are forever.   LOL

Edited March 13, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[wrk2cruise]

I still don't understand the allure of these Book Later certificates.   If you just book a placeholder cruise with a refundable deposit as far out as the booking schedule is open then you aren't constrained by the 90 days to select a sailing or lose the OBC.

 

In the case of the placeholder sailing you can again move the sail date a year from now (or later) and still keep the OBC.  Of course the OBC is adjusted to the cabin category/cruise length you eventually sail.

 

Am I missing some advantage of the Book Later certificate?  It seems so many people select that option.  To me they seem much more restrictive.

[jagoffee]

9 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

I still don't understand the allure of these Book Later certificates.   If you just book a placeholder cruise with a refundable deposit as far out as the booking schedule is open then you aren't constrained by the 90 days to select a sailing or lose the OBC.

 

In the case of the placeholder sailing you can again move the sail date a year from now (or later) and still keep the OBC.  Of course the OBC is adjusted to the cabin category/cruise length you eventually sail.

 

Am I missing some advantage of the Book Later certificate?  It seems so many people select that option.  To me they seem much more restrictive.

Sorry, I had my cruise lines mixed up.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by jagoffee