Booking next cruise onboard.

[TravMagic1]

We are looking to do a Med cruise next May.

Will be sailing on Princess in 3 weeks.

I have been told they offer really good discounts on board. 

Is there a general percentage off doing it that way or are there too many variables?

TIA

[waltd]

Sorry to say but no amazing deals on board.   Very rare that they will have a special cruise that they will offer some additional on board credit.   Very rare.

If you find something you like book it then transfer to a travel agent when you get home.

Most travel agents will give you some additional on board credit or discount the fare slightly depending on the cabin category. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

We tend to buy Future Cruise Deposits and book when we get home with those rather than actually book on board. It is rarely worthwhile IMO.

[LACruiser88]

 

Ships are now sailing at full or close to full capacity.  No need to discount them when they are selling at non-discounted prices.

[Cruise Raider]

12 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

 

Ships are now sailing at full or close to full capacity.  No need to discount them when they are selling at non-discounted prices.

We had gotten some half off cruises that had to be booked while you are onboard.  Now, they seem very secretive or even a little angry when you ask about the list of those sailings.  While they are really not any good sales left onboard, I know there are some from time to time.  
 

[LeeW]

We used to buy Future Cruise Deposits onboard for the $100 deposit per person.  Don't remember any special discounts that were not available online.  

[skynight]

Generally no additional benefit to book on board vs purchasing Future Cruise Deposits (FCDs). I always purchase the FCDs then book once I return home and have had time to research while not under the cruise high. FCDs are charged directly to your credit card. They are $100 each and individual. If a couple each person must have one in their name. The $100 will be the full amount of the deposit (world cruises excepted) when booking a cruise and you will receive some OBC depending on the length of the cruise and the cabin category. They expire in one year and are fully refundable.

If you know exactly what you want you can book on board. You will receive the same benefit as if you are using an FCD. You can also assign the booking to a T.A. if you have one. 

[JordanF]

All of the people selling things on the ship are under pressure to meet sales quotas and/or earn commissions (for example--the workers in the spa are under intense pressure to sell product, in case you haven't noticed!).  There is nothing wrong with this, but for example, we were sold a future cruise (not on Princess) once with statements made to us about it that did not prove to be fully accurate, but which did help convince us to buy (it all worked out in the end, but still...).  So I agree with the other posters, better to book when you have the time and separation and lack of any pressure.

[memoak]

2 hours ago, JordanF said:

All of the people selling things on the ship are under pressure to meet sales quotas and/or earn commissions (for example--the workers in the spa are under intense pressure to sell product, in case you haven't noticed!).  There is nothing wrong with this, but for example, we were sold a future cruise (not on Princess) once with statements made to us about it that did not prove to be fully accurate, but which did help convince us to buy (it all worked out in the end, but still...).  So I agree with the other posters, better to book when you have the time and separation and lack of any pressure.

Remember future cruise sales agents are not Princess employees they are contractors. They have been known to screw up many a reservation. I won’t go near them anymore. FCD’s are good but they only last for a year and we are booked through 2025

[akaCruiser]

Last August 2023, while we were on the Crown Princess, we originally asked for FCD, but when we asked about bookings in 2025, we got an offer on the Star Princess for a good discount when we added the plus package (20% off) and passengers 3 and 4 were free and $50 OBC.

 

After that booking, I would walk by the Future Cruise desk a few days later and then spotted some last minute deals that seems to be interesting, but it didn't fit my vacation schedule, so I didn't inquire about them.

 

I'm hoping when I'm on my New Years cruise, that they might have so deals for 2026...

[wallyj]

Currently on the Sapphire, the on board booking discounted cruises will vary as demand has increased. Currently, they do have a one page list of selected cruises ranging from an additional 25-50% the current Princess rate. The furthest out are some sailings on the Emerald, Diamond and Enchanted in August 2024. @ 25% off. The majority of sailings listed are sailings in the next 90-100 days.

 

@TravMagic1, are you looking at May 2024 or May 2025? If 2025, most likely these will not be on the board promo listing and then maybe not till Feb 2025 if that sailing is not selling well.

 

 

[JimmyVWine]

A couple of things to consider.

1.  If you are being told that the cruise you are interested in is a lower price than anything offered elsewhere, when convenient, email or text someone back home and ask them to run a mock booking for you to see what price they are seeing.  "Hey Judy; can you check the Princess website to see what the price of a balcony cabin is on Ruby Princess for the September 23 sailing out of Los Angeles"?  If you have a friend or relative back home who can help you out, they will be able to give you an answer 5 minutes after accessing the Princess website.

 

2.  It was noted above the Future Cruise Credits expire in a year and are refundable.  But what that means is that you have a year to select a cruise and use the FCC as your deposit.  But the cruise that you select can be as far out into the future as Princess is currently booking.  So if you buy an FCC today, you have until April, 2025 to use it.  And by then, you would probably be able to book a cruise in 2027.  And if you don't use the FCC, the money gets refunded to the same credit card used to purchase it.  So it is a no-risk option and easy to get your money back as long as you still have that credit card.  

[travmagic]

Thanks everyone.

Guess we will just see what’s being offered.

Med is for 2025.

[dog]

I won’t deal with them on board a ship anymore. Very poor customer service, rude attitudes, misinformation given, and many errors made to my bookings on Regal in February.

[MudderBear]

What is the benefit of buying Future Cruise Credit?  Are they discounted?  I'm pretty new to this and this is the first I'm hearing about them.  Thanks.

[JimmyVWine]

33 minutes ago, MudderBear said:

What is the benefit of buying Future Cruise Credit?  Are they discounted?  I'm pretty new to this and this is the first I'm hearing about them.  Thanks.

The benefits are waning, but there is still value.  First, the FCC is used to satisfy the entirety of your deposit.  So if a deposit might otherwise cost $500, your $100 FCC is used to hold your reservation.  Now, you will still owe the full balance of the cost of the cruise so you aren't getting $400 off the price.  You are just committing less money up front.  So if the total is $4,000 with a deposit of $500, others will put down $500 and owe $3,500 but you would put down your FCC and owe $3,900.

 

Second, when using an FCC, you get a certain portion of that back in On Board Credit, depending on what level cabin you book. It used to be that the OBC was up to a dollar-for-dollar return, so a $100 FCC would be used to hold your reservation AND you would get that full amount back in OBC. So the FCC was essentially free money.  Princess has since reduced the amount of the OBC.  I think it is as low as $25.  I actually haven't purchased an FCC since before COVID so I am not completely sure of what the value of OBC is any more, but I know it is less than before.  Still, it is more than $0. 

[dog]

1 hour ago, MudderBear said:

What is the benefit of buying Future Cruise Credit?  Are they discounted?  I'm pretty new to this and this is the first I'm hearing about them.  Thanks.

Future Cruise Deposits cost $100 US and can be used to book a future cruise in place of a larger deposit. They also come with some On-board Credit. Must be purchased on board.

 

Beware of a recent glitch for Canadians.

We pay $100 US which our credit card converts to $135 CAD.

But

On my last cruise I was charged $100 CAD. yep—- they are after me again for their incompetence!