Benefits of booking onboard.

[Son of Bare]

I'm sure this will have been raised before so apologies for asking again.

We are considering a two week cruise on Arvia next year, on a saver fare. What, if any, are the advantages of booking whilst onboard another cruise.

[Fionboard]

1 hour ago, Son of Bare said:

I'm sure this will have been raised before so apologies for asking again.

We are considering a two week cruise on Arvia next year, on a saver fare. What, if any, are the advantages of booking whilst onboard another cruise.

Used to be £50 deposit. Think they may have increased that now so more to lose if you decide not to go. 

[FangedRose]

They are offering a lot of extra obc at the moment.

[terrierjohn]

22 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

They are offering a lot of extra obc at the moment.

But is that exclusively for booking on board, or is everyone getting extra OBC?

[FangedRose]

8 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But is that exclusively for booking on board, or is everyone getting extra OBC?

I booked on board and got an amount of OBC plus coach. Just got a leaflet from my travel agent with the same cruise this morning, and the amount of OBC is lower. They were advertising it on board that the OBC was more than if you booked at home.

[tring]

If you want to book a saver fare, it is possible some benefits are not combinable with that, but others will know better than me. Sometimes the advantages of select fare override the lower price of saver fares.  Possibly depends on what the offers are at the time.

[TigerB]

8 hours ago, Son of Bare said:

I'm sure this will have been raised before so apologies for asking again.

We are considering a two week cruise on Arvia next year, on a saver fare. What, if any, are the advantages of booking whilst onboard another cruise.

 

To be clear, although some replies mention the extra OBC, that is only for select fares.

 

This year we have booked four future cruises whilst onboard. All were select fares, so we only paid a deposit of £50 each. Three of them benefitted from a huge amount of OBC, which hasn't been matched from current online prices. The fourth didn't have that much OBC, and I saw it advertised today with a few quid more OBC albeit the base price was more.

The main benefit for us is the low deposit, which isn't a great loss if we have to cancel before the balance is due. In fact, we have recently cancelled one for September.

You are also allowed one change of cruise without losing your deposit. It though has to be on a select fare of an equal or higher amount, and must be taken within a year of the original cruise.

The downside of booking a select fare onboard is that you don't get the extra Blue Light Card OBC.  You can though get the additional shareholder OBC at a later date.

 

I may be wrong but, if you book a saver fare, I don't think the deposit is £50; it may be about 10%.  I'm sure someone that has booked one will correct me if I'm wrong.

Just like if you book from home, you can't change your cruise at a later date. Use it or lose it, your deposit that is.

[FangedRose]

9 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

To be clear, although some replies mention the extra OBC, that is only for select fares.

 

This year we have booked four future cruises whilst onboard. All were select fares, so we only paid a deposit of £50 each. Three of them benefitted from a huge amount of OBC, which hasn't been matched from current online prices. The fourth didn't have that much OBC, and I saw it advertised today with a few quid more OBC albeit the base price was more.

The main benefit for us is the low deposit, which isn't a great loss if we have to cancel before the balance is due. In fact, we have recently cancelled one for September.

You are also allowed one change of cruise without losing your deposit. It though has to be on a select fare of an equal or higher amount, and must be taken within a year of the original cruise.

The downside of booking a select fare onboard is that you don't get the extra Blue Light Card OBC.  You can though get the additional shareholder OBC at a later date.

 

I may be wrong but, if you book a saver fare, I don't think the deposit is £50; it may be about 10%.  I'm sure someone that has booked one will correct me if I'm wrong.

Just like if you book from home, you can't change your cruise at a later date. Use it or lose it, your deposit that is.

I've just returned from a cruise. Booked two cruises, select fare, and the deposit was £150 each. They are 19 days and 21 days, if that makes a difference. 

[Lucysnan]

24 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

I've just returned from a cruise. Booked two cruises, select fare, and the deposit was £150 each. They are 19 days and 21 days, if that makes a difference. 

We booked two cruises on board, select fare, one 7 days and one 14 days and the deposit was £50 each for the 7 days and £100 each for the 14

[Bin man]

Did you get any extra obc for doing that onboard

[FangedRose]

12 minutes ago, Lucysnan said:

We booked two cruises on board, select fare, one 7 days and one 14 days and the deposit was £50 each for the 7 days and £100 each for the 14

So it looks like the deposit required does depend on the length of the cruise.

[Gettingwarmer]

4 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

So it looks like the deposit required does depend on the length of the cruise.

Yes it has recently changed. 

[Son of Bare]

Thanks for the replies.

We usually choose a saver fare once we have identified a cruise and grade of cabin that suits. The cruise in question is two weeks on Arvia next spring but the balcony cabins (which we would normally choose) preventsme from doing this.

I think we will try an outside cabin. Not had one on any ship before and on Arvia they are 50% larger than a standard balcony and well placed for the public areas.

The select fare is currently £700 dearer than a saver but has £320 obs. The amount of deposit required doesn't bother me nor does specific cabin selection, so it comes down to sheer economics...Will I pay less in 3 weeks time when I'm onboard Aurora if there's additional OBS available? My own feeling is there will not be an additional £400 offered, so i will not. There's also the chance that the fares will have risen by then.

Its a lot of vacillation on my part for £400!

[Son of Bare]

That should read, the balcony cabins that front onto the prom deck prevents me...

[Gettingwarmer]

49 minutes ago, Son of Bare said:

Thanks for the replies.

We usually choose a saver fare once we have identified a cruise and grade of cabin that suits. The cruise in question is two weeks on Arvia next spring but the balcony cabins (which we would normally choose) preventsme from doing this.

I think we will try an outside cabin. Not had one on any ship before and on Arvia they are 50% larger than a standard balcony and well placed for the public areas.

The select fare is currently £700 dearer than a saver but has £320 obs. The amount of deposit required doesn't bother me nor does specific cabin selection, so it comes down to sheer economics...Will I pay less in 3 weeks time when I'm onboard Aurora if there's additional OBS available? My own feeling is there will not be an additional £400 offered, so i will not. There's also the chance that the fares will have risen by then.

Its a lot of vacillation on my part for £400!

 

47 minutes ago, Son of Bare said:

That should read, the balcony cabins that front onto the prom deck prevents me...

If you have a saver fare is it not correct that you cannot pick your cabin and state “No upgrade”. In that case even if you have an inside cabin grade they can upgrade to any cabin. 

[tring]

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

So it looks like the deposit required does depend on the length of the cruise.

 

Yes, that has been mentioned on a previous thread recently.

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by tring

[FangedRose]

21 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

 

If you have a saver fare is it not correct that you cannot pick your cabin and state “No upgrade”. In that case even if you have an inside cabin grade they can upgrade to any cabin. 

Saver fare means you cannot choose your cabin. If you want to choose your cabin you need to have select fare. That's why saver fare is cheaper.

[TigerB]

17 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

I've just returned from a cruise. Booked two cruises, select fare, and the deposit was £150 each. They are 19 days and 21 days, if that makes a difference. 

 

So it appears to have gone up since we last booked, in April.  At that time we booked a 14 day Mediterranean cruise on Arvia and 19 day Mediterranean cruise on Aurora, both for 2025. The deposit for each was £50. I think it, at the time we booked, it was only for cruises of 21 days and above that they were charging more for the deposit.

[Megabear2]

24 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

Saver fare means you cannot choose your cabin. If you want to choose your cabin you need to have select fare. That's why saver fare is cheaper.

With the Early Saver you can choose an area rather than a cabin. There is a small price increase depending on the section, ie fwd, mid, aft and the areas inbetween. Theoretically by choosing an area you may be able to avoid the dodgy cabins, particularly now there are bids to fill up the other cabins rather than you being auto upgraded.  It's a gamble but with some ships not such a high one.

 

Ironically my noisy Arvia cabin was actually a free upgrade from the very cheapest select inside cabin and those on savers got a far better location and deal.

 

A straight saver, ie bought after the cut off date, normally final payment date, you have absolutely no control, take what you're given and no argument.

 

With Arvia it's difficult because of the known 100 odd noise affected cabins and the promenade.  Incidentally I noticed the other day if you book a select fare on Arvia the deck 5 balcony cabins seem to be the ones with a bigger fare uplift, £150 difference to the base fare compared with £30-£50 for other decks.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Megabear2

[FangedRose]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

With the Early Saver you can choose an area rather than a cabin. There is a small price increase depending on the section, ie fwd, mid, aft and the areas inbetween. Theoretically by choosing an area you may be able to avoid the dodgy cabins, particularly now there are bids to fill up the other cabins rather than you being auto upgraded.  It's a gamble but with some ships not such a high one.

 

Ironically my noisy Arvia cabin was actually a free upgrade from the very cheapest select inside cabin and those on savers got a far better location and deal.

 

A straight saver, ie bought after the cut off date, normally final payment date, you have absolutely no control, take what you're given and no argument.

 

With Arvia it's difficult because of the known 100 odd noise affected cabins and the promenade.  Incidentally I noticed the other day if you book a select fare on Arvia the deck 5 balcony cabins seem to be the ones with a bigger fare uplift, £150 difference to the base fare compared with £30-£50 for other decks.

I may be wrong (never book saver fares) but I seem to recall that early saver fares no longer existed? I think that I read it on here?

[TigerB]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

With Arvia it's difficult because of the known 100 odd noise affected cabins and the promenade.  Incidentally I noticed the other day if you book a select fare on Arvia the deck 5 balcony cabins seem to be the ones with a bigger fare uplift, £150 difference to the base fare compared with £30-£50 for other decks.

 

And yet it's those deck 5 ones that you won't get the full benefit from if the weather and/or sea is rough.

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

I may be wrong (never book saver fares) but I seem to recall that early saver fares no longer existed? I think that I read it on here?

They do still exist, there's lots of confusion about what a saver is.

 

https://www.pocruises.com/our-prices-explained

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

So it appears to have gone up since we last booked, in April.  At that time we booked a 14 day Mediterranean cruise on Arvia and 19 day Mediterranean cruise on Aurora, both for 2025. The deposit for each was £50. I think it, at the time we booked, it was only for cruises of 21 days and above that they were charging more for the deposit.

We managed to book a 35 night cruise on board on 1st Nov for only £50pp deposit,  however it was during the brochure launch so that might have been a special deal at the time.

[Gettingwarmer]

43 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

We managed to book a 35 night cruise on board on 1st Nov for only £50pp deposit,  however it was during the brochure launch so that might have been a special deal at the time.

Yes so did we but as I previously said this has only changed recently. 

[Cruiseferret]

Does anyone have examples of how much the additional OBC is provided for booking Select fares onboard recently ? It would be great to see the specifics.