What things are better to wait till onboard?

[CruiseMark]

Hi,

 

What things are better to wait until onboard to purchase or reserve?  I assume there are discounts while onboard, so I’m not sure what I should book/buy now vs wait. 
 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[cruzin4us]

Booking Specialty dining is much easier when booking early, otherwise you might not get the time slot or even the night you want once you board.

 

There is a discount on the beverage packages but I'm still not convinced it's a good discount because they include the day you sail and you might not even start using it until dinner time. 

 

Sometimes the spa has a special which are usually port days but if you want the day/time you want I'd book it before boarding.

 

Excursions can sell out so booking early is good.

 

[oakridger]

@cruzin4us- to clarify---

 

The beverage packages charge for all days of your cruise whether you buy ahead of time or onboard.  Prepurchase of the Signature package saves $11.08 per day over buying onboard on embarkation day.

 

From HAL website today:

"Prices are per day at $44.95 if pre-booked online compared to $54.95 if purchased on board. A 18% service charge will be automatically applied to your purchase."

 

Including the 18% gratuity it's $53.04 per day for Signature and $64.84 per day for Elite.

 

Of course, if you purchase online before the cruise you will pay up front for the package but don't need to pay until the end of the cruise if you wait until onboard.  This may make a difference to some people.

 

~Nancy

[RuthC]

If you want to purchase a wine (bottles) package, it is better to wait until you are onboard. That way you can determine if the package you are considering has the bottles you want in stock, or if suitable alternatives are available. 

Waiting also lets the person from whom you purchase the package get credit for the sale. This can be important to them. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have found for specialty restaurants, it is better to book on board.  We have had fewer problems getting our Mariner loyalty discount when we booked on board, and when we mentioned the discount upon arriving at the restaurant.  In November, we booked specialty restaurants before boarding and it was a huge hassle getting our discount.  When booking on line you have to pay full price in advance, which can make getting your discount even harder.

 

 

[john2003]

6 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

We have found for specialty restaurants, it is better to book on board.  We have had fewer problems getting our Mariner loyalty discount when we booked on board, and when we mentioned the discount upon arriving at the restaurant.  In November, we booked specialty restaurants before boarding and it was a huge hassle getting our discount.  When booking on line you have to pay full price in advance, which can make getting your discount even harder.

 

 

Interesting, getting the discount iùn obc on board has never been a problem for us when we prebooked. Is this a new emerging issue?

[Mary229]

The WiFi is usually discounted before boarding 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

4 hours ago, john2003 said:

Interesting, getting the discount iùn obc on board has never been a problem for us when we prebooked. Is this a new emerging issue?

Since the "pause" this has been an issue on some ships. On the NA last September, despite the Neptune Concierge promising all the discounts would be taken care of on the final night, it did not happen and I had to write the Mariner's Society after the cruise to get the problem resolved. 

 

I only pre-booked one dinner on my recent Konigsdam cruise and all the others once on board. Some restaurants immediately took care of the discount but the PG did not so had to challenge that one.

 

I wonder if this is a matter of training of restaurant managers, a new accounting system, or what? Because of this hassle, I am only pre-reserving the first night's speciality restuarant on my next cruise on the Zuiderdam and all others when I get onboard. As long as the ships are sailing at less than full capacity, hopefully it will not be a problem getting the time I like.

[RuthC]

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

The WiFi is usually discounted before boarding 

Only on the Premium (streaming) plan, as I understand it. The Social and Surf plans are the same price pre-cruise and onboard. 
Has this changed recently? 

[Mary229]

59 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Only on the Premium (streaming) plan, as I understand it. The Social and Surf plans are the same price pre-cruise and onboard. 
Has this changed recently? 

You get the premium for the price of surf

[RuthC]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

You get the premium for the price of surf

A few dollars more than, but close. 

However, to say that 'WiFi is usually discounted before cruising' is misleading when it is only one of the three levels that is. 
People who don't need or want Premium can wait until they are onboard to purchase with no difference in price. 

[MikeD4134]

11 hours ago, john2003 said:

Interesting, getting the discount iùn obc on board has never been a problem for us when we prebooked. Is this a new emerging issue?

No it is not an issue.  I was on Eurodam in October and pre bought 3 dinners in the Pinnacle and 1 in the Tarmerand.  Yes, up front I paid full price, and automaticcly they applied the credit to my onboard account, with no communication for me.

[jkrislc]

I opted to cancel my prepaid dining on the K'Dam this Sunday and will just book once onboard. I was concerned that with the Have It All and other promotions that include specialty dining, it might be difficult to get reservations. However, I checked availability before cancelling and all of our preferred times are still available. We also found out that HAL is honoring their Best Price Guarantee on one of our excursions, so we'll have about $150 in nonrefundable OBC to spend anyways.

[Sharon in AZ]

On 3/21/2022 at 5:49 PM, CruiseMark said:

Hi,

 

What things are better to wait until onboard to purchase or reserve?  I assume there are discounts while onboard, so I’m not sure what I should book/buy now vs wait. 
 

Thanks,

 

Mark

 

Book lunch at the Pinnacle Grill once onboard.  Make sure to do it ASAP.  And if you are not aware lunch at the Pinnacle Grill is only available on sea days or late port days.  Enjoy!!