Booking Future Cruises while onboard

[AZ Squirrel]

Hello all!  We have been on over 20 cruises but have never actually booked while onboard.  What are the benefits (if any) of booking Future Cruises while onboard?  Do you get anything special?  Can you ask for stuff?  Let me hear your recent experiences!.  I'm sure back in the day things were different. Thanks~

[Ourusualbeach]

11 minutes ago, AZ Squirrel said:

Hello all!  We have been on over 20 cruises but have never actually booked while onboard.  What are the benefits (if any) of booking Future Cruises while onboard?  Do you get anything special?  Can you ask for stuff?  Let me hear your recent experiences!.  I'm sure back in the day things were different. Thanks~

Reduced deposit of $100 per person regardless of length of cruise (suites require full deposit)

 

OBC based on cabin type and length of sailing from $25 to $600.  7 day balcony is $100 for example

[firefly333]

Above for nonrefundable deposits, of course ken is correct.

 

Fyi for refundable full deposit required and a little less obc, around $75 obc instead of the full $100. 

[AZ Squirrel]

10 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Above for nonrefundable deposits, of course ken is correct.

 

Fyi for refundable full deposit required and a little less obc, around $75 obc instead of the full $100. 

OK so other than OBC, no real benefit? No lower prices or upgrades? 

[firefly333]

4 minutes ago, AZ Squirrel said:

OK so other than OBC, no real benefit? No lower prices or upgrades? 

As ourusualbeach said reduced deposit if you are booking nonrefundable deposits. 

 

No lower prices or upgrades. Still I only did it once and a free $75 is a free $75 to spend on me. It's hard for me to be onboard a ship when new cruises are released .. maybe next time. Free obc is enough for me. I dont like those open ended ones where you book later. I'd only do it if I wanted the cruise anyway.

[Ourusualbeach]

8 minutes ago, AZ Squirrel said:

OK so other than OBC, no real benefit? No lower prices or upgrades? 

The only benefits areas I stated in the first post 

[wolfcathorse]

If you are the first to book you get some swag from the Next Cruise staff. We got a bottle of champagne, a nice tote bag, Trivia junk prizes, baseball cap, beach drawstring bag

[Jasukkie]

I've never done it either. I usually use one of two online travel agencies and they always have lower prices than Royal and at least $100 of OBC. I see they do a good business though. I guess people like sitting down and talking with an agent face to face.

[firefly333]

21 minutes ago, wolfcathorse said:

If you are the first to book you get some swag from the Next Cruise staff. We got a bottle of champagne, a nice tote bag, Trivia junk prizes, baseball cap, beach drawstring bag

There was a recent thread saying no more champagne from next cruise. Discontinued. 

[TheHawk1]

Just came back from a week on Symphony. It’s the first time in six cruises I didn’t bother booking my next cruise. I decided to wait to see if Black Friday sales are any better than current pricing. I didn’t really see much incentive to book onboard anymore.

[Mikamarii]

On our last cruise we booked on board. Got our obc. I emailed our TA that night and she moved it over to a group rate. Just had to pay the balance of full deposit  but then got the better rate, OBC from next cruise, and OBC from TA with a refundable deposit (minus the 200$ we put down at next cruise)

[firefly333]

41 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

Just came back from a week on Symphony. It’s the first time in six cruises I didn’t bother booking my next cruise. I decided to wait to see if Black Friday sales are any better than current pricing. I didn’t really see much incentive to book onboard anymore.

Typically black friday sales are planner items, not a sale on cruises. Maybe this year they will surprise.

[Ourusualbeach]

6 hours ago, Mikamarii said:

On our last cruise we booked on board. Got our obc. I emailed our TA that night and she moved it over to a group rate. Just had to pay the balance of full deposit  but then got the better rate, OBC from next cruise, and OBC from TA with a refundable deposit (minus the 200$ we put down at next cruise)

Sounds like you did book a non refundable deposit on board since you initially only paid the lower deposit.

 

Moving it into the group only gets you the better rate.  It does not change it to a refundable deposit.  Now instead of the $200 being non refundable the entire deposit is non refundable, even in the group.  It is the entire booking that is non refundable.  You cannot have a booking where part is non refundable and part is refundable.

 

If you wanted a refundable deposit you would have had to book refundable on board and pay the full deposit.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[nelblu]

7 hours ago, TheHawk1 said:

Just came back from a week on Symphony. It’s the first time in six cruises I didn’t bother booking my next cruise. I decided to wait to see if Black Friday sales are any better than current pricing. I didn’t really see much incentive to book onboard anymore.

Based on recent pricing you are locked to the pricing even if it goes up, which t has been the case lately.  If there's a price reduction, you can call CS and get it adjusted.

 

27 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Sounds like you did book a non refundable deposit on board since you initially only paid the lower deposit.

 

Moving it into the group only gets you the better rate.  It does not change it to a refundable deposit.  Now instead of the $200 being non refundable the entire deposit is non refundable, even in the group.  It is the entire booking that is non refundable.  You cannot have a booking where part is non refundable and part is refundable.

 

If you wanted a refundable deposit you would have had to book refundable on board and pay the full deposit.

When I transfer my on board booking to my TA, the deposit remains at $100pp.   

Edited October 24, 2023 by nelblu

[Cruise a holic]

We find that if you transfer to a TA, you get the benefits the TA offers in addition to any perk from the cruise line.  Always best to book as early as possible for a better rate.  Make sure you TA gives onboard credit and other perks-  Some do not.  We have used good TA's and some that don't even give you anything.

[Ourusualbeach]

27 minutes ago, nelblu said:

When I transfer my on board booking to my TA, the deposit remains at $100pp.

Yes that it correct except when transferring the booking to a group which is what I and the person I was replying to.  Group bookings do not accept the reduced on board deposit and require the full cabin deposit.

[orville99]

14 hours ago, AZ Squirrel said:

Hello all!  We have been on over 20 cruises but have never actually booked while onboard.  What are the benefits (if any) of booking Future Cruises while onboard?  Do you get anything special?  Can you ask for stuff?  Let me hear your recent experiences!.  I'm sure back in the day things were different. Thanks~

Disclaimer: We always book our future cruises while on board, and typically book 6-8 cruises while we are there. While the OBC is a nice benefit, as others have said it really isn't the reason we book on board. The only reason we do so is so we can secure the cabins and location we want. Since we always book B2B or longer consecutive cruises, being able to sit down with the Next Cruise rep and have them search inventory to find the best match for us makes it worthwhile. 

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, nelblu said:

Based on recent pricing you are locked to the pricing even if it goes up, which t has been the case lately.  If there's a price reduction, you can call CS and get it adjusted.

 

When I transfer my on board booking to my TA, the deposit remains at $100pp.   

 

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yes that it correct except when transferring the booking to a group which is what I and the person I was replying to.  Group bookings do not accept the reduced on board deposit and require the full cabin deposit.

So you are part of the group, but dont share the group pricing or being refundable like what I did, but I had to pay the full deposit for 2 people to get refundable group pricing. I paid a full $500 deposit to be able to get a refundable deposit to move to a refundable group rate. Even solo for group rates I do pay the full deposit or even when I just book direct with my TA.

 

Seems a lot of ways to do this. In my case last year I booked some kinda last minute legs on grandeur for some quick pts. The price was lower than group rates so my TA moved me to the groups on 3 out of 4 legs and I got the group obc, but nonrefundable rates. I added it up and 4 short legs plus last sept b2b gave me the 340 solo pts, so I pushed and did those last minute. Really just for some quick points. Seems like what you do. 

 

Im doing a b2b2b on harmony starting nov 26 and hoping to do some booked onboard. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, firefly333 said:

 

So you are part of the group, but dont share the group pricing or being refundable like what I did, but I had to pay the full deposit for 2 people to get refundable group pricing. I paid a full $500 deposit to be able to get a refundable deposit to move to a refundable group rate. Even solo for group rates I do pay the full deposit or even when I just book direct with my TA.

 

Seems a lot of ways to do this. In my case last year I booked some kinda last minute legs on grandeur for some quick pts. The price was lower than group rates so my TA moved me to the groups on 3 out of 4 legs and I got the group obc, but nonrefundable rates. I added it up and 4 short legs plus last sept b2b gave me the 340 solo pts, so I pushed and did those last minute. Really just for some quick points. Seems like what you do. 

 

Im doing a b2b2b on harmony starting nov 26 and hoping to do some booked onboard. 

If they did not have to pay the increased deposit they are not part of any group.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

Seems a lot of ways to do this

No there is not

[firefly333]

13 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If they did not have to pay the increased deposit they are not part of any group.

Ok mine on grandeur was so last minute I think I paid the whole total at once. I think I understand. Just want to get it right if I book onboard harmony.

[doghog]

Agree with all of what @Ourusualbeach has said.

 

We just booked two  RC cruises as a B2B while on Celebrity's Eclipse (8 October). $100.00 deposit per person, per cruise (leg). $400.00 total. Received $100.00 OBC per cruise (leg). When I got home I found a TA I decided to transfer the bookings to. The TA got us in a group rate (price reduction of  $1,175.00) with additional OBC from the TA. Plus we received a couple of gifts from Celebrity for booking the first day of the cruise. We've done this before and knew what to expect. I always do my homework before booking, no matter with who I book with. I use that as my check list when booking. 

[Ourusualbeach]

22 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Ok mine on grandeur was so last minute I think I paid the whole total at once. I think I understand. Just want to get it right if I book onboard harmony.

Depending on the OBC you are getting on board it may not be worth booking on board.

 

For example booking a 7 night sailing in an inside or OV only gets you $25 for booking on board.  If your TA has a group he can move you into the group for the cheaper rate and group OBC of $50 but because you never booked directly into the group you don't qualify for the early booking bonus (book 6 months in advance) of $50.  In that case booking direct with your TA would get you $50 instead of the $25 you get by booking on board.

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, doghog said:

Agree with all of what @Ourusualbeach has said.

 

We just booked two  RC cruises as a B2B while on Celebrity's Eclipse (8 October). $100.00 deposit per person, per cruise (leg). $400.00 total. Received $100.00 OBC per cruise (leg). When I got home I found a TA I decided to transfer the bookings to. The TA got us in a group rate (price reduction of  $1,175.00) with additional OBC from the TA. Plus we received a couple of gifts from Celebrity for booking the first day of the cruise. We've done this before and knew what to expect. I always do my homework before booking, no matter with who I book with. I use that as my check list when booking. 

 

 

Booking directly into the group as opposed to on board can get you $200 in on board credit if you are booking 10 months in advance on Celebrity.  For European sailings they even doubled that for bookings made this past summer.  Quite often you actually lose OBC by booking on board

[firefly333]

10 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Depending on the OBC you are getting on board it may not be worth booking on board.

 

For example booking a 7 night sailing in an inside or OV only gets you $25 for booking on board.  If your TA has a group he can move you into the group for the cheaper rate and group OBC of $50 but because you never booked directly into the group you don't qualify for the early booking bonus (book 6 months in advance) of $50.  In that case booking direct with your TA would get you $50 instead of the $25 you get by booking on board.

Since I get $75 solo refundable balcony for 7 day cruise.. its $25 more obc to book onboard, but a pretty big hassle for $25 is what I'm reading?