Staying Aboard... Booking The Next Voyage?

[M.S JAZO]

So... I've heard of people doing this. You're on your cruise, and you don't want to leave, so you decide to book the following voyage. Is it actually possible? How does it work?  Do you get a better rate if cabins are available for the next sailing? 

[jondfk]

I can’t speak for Seabourn as our first sailing is 9 weeks away, however, we have done this on other lines.  The process is quite easy, though you would need quite extraordinary luck to avoid a change of cabins.

 

As to whether you’ll manage a good deal by doing so, I think every situation is different with differing policies line to line.  One thing that’s clear is a cabin that’s unbooked a few days before sailing is about to make $0 in revenue.  In our experience on other lines a discount of ~35% from what might have been available 60 days earlier is in the range.  Premium cabins are both less available and less discounted than mainline rooms.

 

[cruiseej]

Yes, we've met people on Seabourn cruises who have done this. I'd guess it happens all the time. (We have never had the flexibility to just decide to stay aboard.) If the next cruise isn't sold out, they'd be delighted to offer you a deal to stay aboard in what would otherwise be an unoccupied cabin. How much of a deal, and whether you perceive it as a good enough deal, will obviously vary. (And you have to factor in how much your return airfare might cost to change to another date and possibly to a different point of origin.)

[johng75370]

We did this in Sept 2021, when we went on Odyssey and there were only 80 passengers on board, and decided to stay on for the next cruise.  The Seabourn Club/future cruise consultant onboard made all the arrangements, coordinated with our TA, offered a good fare comparable to what we booked originally, and got added OBC through the Amex Platinum and shareholder offers.  It was an easy process and provided fair (but not super-discount) pricing.

Edited April 2, 2023 by johng75370