Benefits of booking another cruise while onboard?

[DuckTollerFans]

Are there any special discounts/perks etc if you book another cruise while you're onboard vs booking while at home? They promote it, but to me that's emotion-based marketing -- hey, don't you want to do this again! OF course you do - Sign right here.

 

If the benefits are real, I'd be looking at something about 5 months out from when we're onboard.

 

[RedwingHockeyFan]

You get stateroom upgrades within the same category.  I'm only familiar with Balconies but when we book on the ship we will get a balcony on a higher floor midship but pay the lowest fare which would be lower floor and front or rear.

 

[KeithJenner]

What they promote onboard more prominently are cruisenext vouchers, which can be used on future cruises however booked (onboard, online or via a travel agent).

 

These are half price (as long as you buy two or more, the discount for one is lower), so year there is a real advantage to getting them. Depending on the cabin you book you can use one or two of them (sometimes three if there is a promo running), which means a discount of between $125 and $375 on your cruise.

 

They do offer benefits with booking, as mentioned above, but those discounts often aren’t much as it is just moving up one level and they can’t be used on all cabin types. We have made a small saving a couple of times by using that, but have saved thousands over the years on cruise next.

Edited April 16 by KeithJenner

[DuckTollerFans]

OK, good to know.  Yes - we've purchased Cruise Next each time and have one left.  Upgrading within the category of stateroom and/or location isn't too important for us. 

Thanks for the info!

[KarenRB]

Just an FYI that the cabin category upgrade perk doesn't apply to solo cabins, i.e., studios or solo balconies don't qualify.  I tried last week when the only solo balconies on the cruise I wanted were right by Splash Academy.  Even gave a pouty face but the guy just laughed.

 

 

[MSUjohn]

i bought one cruise onboard & i did not see any benefit over buying from your TA/ncl's website on land; less in someways.

i will not do it again.

Edited April 16 by MSUjohn

[KeithJenner]

7 minutes ago, KarenRB said:

Just an FYI that the cabin category upgrade perk doesn't apply to solo cabins, i.e., studios or solo balconies don't qualify.  I tried last week when the only solo balconies on the cruise I wanted were right by Splash Academy.  Even gave a pouty face but the guy just laughed.

 

 

Yes, there are quite a few categories that don’t qualify. As well as studios, the offer excludes suites and ones like aft balconies or large balcony rooms.

 

I may be wrong, but I think that as a general rule categories that end with a number are excluded.

[ChiefMateJRK]

7 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Depending on the cabin you book you can use one or two of them (sometimes three if there is a promo running), which means a discount of between $125 and $375 on your cruise.

Just to clarify.  Even if they are NOT running a double-up promo when you book on the ship, you can still buy two, use one and then apply the second to that reservation during the next double-up promo.  Despite T&C language to the contrary, we've recently had confirmation that the second CN can be applied to an existing reservation.