Booking while on board

[Onbec]

Is there any advantage (financial or otherwise) to booking your next cruise while on board using the future cruise personelle?

 

We had a good TA who has booked our last 5 cruises for us and we are very happy with her services.

 

One more factor, we are Canadians. Don't know if that would affect booking while on board.

 

I'd appreciate your experiences.

 

Thanks

Dick

[iceman93]

They will generally offer some (small) amount of shipboard credit (for the new reservation) when you book onboard. They make a point to say that they will happily transfer all the details to your travel agent so you can continue to get whatever other benefits you get from them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For the most part cruise consultants have disappeared from HAL ships. They were never on 7 day cruises. We used to have them on 10 day or longer cruises. But on our last 10 cruise on the Ryndam (November 2005) - no cruise consultant. Instead we got a cruise planner with a note giving us a toll free number to call if you wanted to book a future cruise.

[djallar]

On the Westerdam this past December, there wasn't a Cruise Consultant. We were having so much fun we would've booked a cruise right then and there. What we got, however, was a cruise brochure and instructions to call the 800 number.

[iceman93]

My understanding is that, even on cruises without a Future Cruise Consultant, that if you call the 800 number that you will still get the shipboard credit and be able to transfer the reservation to your own travel agent.

[FlorenceItaly]

They are losing revenue by not having a cruise consultant onboard. MANY people are having a great time, and would book AGAIN, on the spot, if there were a person there to make the arrangements. Btw, it can always be transferred to your TA when you get home.

 

Marie

[djallar]

They are losing revenue by not having a cruise consultant onboard. MANY people are having a great time, and would book AGAIN, on the spot, if there were a person there to make the arrangements. Btw, it can always be transferred to your TA when you get home.

 

Marie

I agree completely, Marie. That's the way it was for us.

 

I, personally, hate doing business on the telephone. I prefer to book my cruises either online (great "paper trail") or in person. Either way, I feel it's easier to make sure the person you're working with understands completely what you want. Speaking with someone at a call center is difficult for me as I always feel rushed.

[R&CCruisers]

We returned on Feb. 19th from a 14 day cruise on the Ryndam and Tina was the cruise consultant on board. She had just received the 2007 cruise planner which we picked and before the cruise was over we had booked for next year.

She was extremely busy--had a sign-up sheet for time and she was booking many cruises. We have an excellent TA at home but Tina assured us that the TA will get booking credit and will help with final arrangements. We never do any cruise shorter than 10 days and usually find a consultant on the ship.

[jhannah]

Your personal travel agent will get the booking if you tell the onboard consultant. Since we're in the HAL system, last time I didn't have to tell her. It came up on her screen. I just wish they'd go back to the more generous shipboard credit schedule.

[doone]

While I was on the Volendam, there was a sheet of paper with what the shipboard credits would be if we booked while onboard. Each year they go down and down. This time was no exception. I bet next year, you won't get the shipboard credits because if they go any lower, they'll be at 0.

[Dyziblonde]

We TOO booked with Tina but, she was a pain in the neck. We sent our letter to HAL with our complaint. She was in such a rush that she ignored our preference for dinner, we did not get the Port side that we requested, and we were sick of her easel "sign in " method! Passengers that wished to book, needed to sign her easel sheet. Fine! But, if Tina's DUTY was over. then it started all over the next day!

Tell me, who wants to spend their cruise in the Explorer's lounge for a crummy ship board credit. We were there to book a particular deck before it sold out. Which, I might add, she said was sold out the first go around and was NOT!!

Everything is fine now, we returned home and made our changes. We are all set BUT, it is no thanks to Tina!

[Winchester]

On the Maasdam over new years they had the same phone in option. But with an enginge going out, and passengers with their own air needing to re-do that 2x in the last several days of the trip, geiing the outside line was not in the cards.

 

The ship had given us a handout offering a deal to book the next holiday season, but no place on the ship did they have any listing of the ships available or the routes.

 

At least on Cunard, using their internet, you can visit the Cunard site for no charge.

 

On a brighter note, I did get a letter from the line after returning, offering a deal to go again next season. I am waiting for my travel agent to come back with the deal for a couple options.