Booking next cruise aboard ship

[bygoner]

Curious, but how much do you actually save by booking while on a cruise?

[Sue L]

You don't save anything, but you do recieved on board credit depending on the length of the cruise.

[Nanatravel]

You will earn a Cruise Credit of about $200 per cabin depending on the length of the new cruise. You would have to go home and compare pricing with an agency to see if you "saved" anything. You can also transfer the cruise to your agent of choice whom also may give your a little bonus "savings" of about 5%.

 

Bon Voyage neighbor.

[springtxbill]

Agencies must sell for the same price now so the difference is the onboard credit thatb you receive. $100 for 7 day cruise and $50 for less than 5.:)

[Sheffie]

$200 OBC is only given for the long cruises.

[dougp26364]

I believe, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, that it's $50 cabin credit (not per person) for up to 5 night cruises, $100 for 6-11 night cruises and $200 for 12 night and longer cruises.

 

We alsways try to book at least one cruise while onboard for the next year, even if they haven't announced the iteneraries we want yet. So long as you keep the same booking number, you can switch dates, ships or iteneraries as often as you need to and still keep the onboard credit. They will ask for the deposit when making the booking.

[Calicruisefamily]

I wish we would have booked our cruise for this December last year while on board Voyager we would of had a $200 credit. I am already looking for something to book for next year while onboard in December :)

Voyager W. Caribbean 12/16/06 "Our First AFT 1688"

Voyager E. Caribbean 11/05

S.S. Azure Seas Baja 11/90

[dougp26364]

I wish we would have booked our cruise for this December last year while on board Voyager we would of had a $200 credit. I am already looking for something to book for next year while onboard in December :)

Voyager W. Caribbean 12/16/06 "Our First AFT 1688"

Voyager E. Caribbean 11/05

S.S. Azure Seas Baja 11/90

 

Just book anything and then transfer the booking when you find what you like. As long as the booking number doesn't change, the onboard credit remains. Our Alaskan cruise was origninally booked as a Mexican Riviera cruise becuase RCI hadn't released the Alaskan iteneraries yet.

 

Just be curtious and don't book the best cabin location if you're plans are not to be on that cruise. I usuaslly book what I think would be the last desirable location if I'm not going to take the cruise.

[Calicruisefamily]

Just book anything and then transfer the booking when you find what you like. As long as the booking number doesn't change, the onboard credit remains. Our Alaskan cruise was origninally booked as a Mexican Riviera cruise becuase RCI hadn't released the Alaskan iteneraries yet.

 

Just be curtious and don't book the best cabin location if you're plans are not to be on that cruise. I usuaslly book what I think would be the last desirable location if I'm not going to take the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks ;) That sounds like a great idea .

Cali

[NisiNirvana]

We just booked our next cruise while onboard, and received only a $50 cabin credit for a 7 night cruise in a suite. The $200 credit was for 9+ night cruises only.

[kc320]

We just booked our next cruise while onboard, and received only a $50 cabin credit for a 7 night cruise in a suite. The $200 credit was for 9+ night cruises only.

 

You might want to call C&A and double check this, you should have gotten a $100 credit for a 7 night cruise. Category has nothing to do with the amount of credit, only the length of cruise.

[dougp26364]

We just booked our next cruise while onboard, and received only a $50 cabin credit for a 7 night cruise in a suite. The $200 credit was for 9+ night cruises only.

 

Then either they have recently lowered the amount or the loyalty ambassador didn't know what they were doing. In the past, 7 night cruises have always been $100. Our Vision of the Sea's cruise was a 7 night cruise that was booked while onboard another cruise and we recieved a $100 credit.

 

RCI does have a tendancy to change things without great fan fare so, it could have changed and your one of the first to find out first hand.

[NisiNirvana]

You might want to call C&A and double check this, you should have gotten a $100 credit for a 7 night cruise. Category has nothing to do with the amount of credit, only the length of cruise.

 

Then either they have recently lowered the amount or the loyalty ambassador didn't know what they were doing. In the past, 7 night cruises have always been $100. Our Vision of the Sea's cruise was a 7 night cruise that was booked while onboard another cruise and we recieved a $100 credit.

 

Thanks for the "heads up." The loyalty ambassador was an off-duty ice skater that didn't seem to care much for doing bookings, and I worried that it wasn't being done correctly. I will check into this further. Thank you!

[luvcruzen]

We always try to book at least one cruise while onboard for the next year, even if they haven't announced the iteneraries we want yet. So long as you keep the same booking number, you can switch dates, ships or iteneraries as often as you need to and still keep the onboard credit. They will ask for the deposit when making the booking.

 

If you transfer this booking to a TA, do you lose the OBC that you received from the Cruise line?

 

For my next cruise in March, I transferred our 2 rooms to a TA and received $750 OBC for the suite and $500 for the D1. It would be great to be able to get this in addition to OBC received by booking on a cruise.

[negc]

If you transfer this booking to a TA, do you lose the OBC that you received from the Cruise line?

 

For my next cruise in March, I transferred our 2 rooms to a TA and received $750 OBC for the suite and $500 for the D1. It would be great to be able to get this in addition to OBC received by booking on a cruise.

 

No you don't as long as you don't transfer it into a group booking. Have your travel agent keep your booking an individual one and you can keep the OBC and also get any subsequent discounts or price reductions that you are eligible for. :) If the credits you are getting from your TA are because you are part of a group, you cannot keep the OBC you receive from booking onboard. At that point you need to evaluate which way makes the most financial sense and act accordingly.

[luvcruzen]

No you don't as long as you don't transfer it into a group booking. Have your travel agent keep your booking an individual one and you can keep the OBC and also get any subsequent discounts or price reductions that you are eligible for. :) .

 

Have you done this? Our booking in March was not part of a group. Is the OBC credit that I received normal? It seemed pretty good to me !

[pmshirl]

The onboard credit for 9+ nites is $200.00. I just booked the Explorer 9 niter for June 8th, 2007 onboard in August and was given the $200.00 OBC for my cabin!

[negc]

Have you done this? Our booking in March was not part of a group. Is the OBC credit that I received normal? It seemed pretty good to me !

We have booked onboard for the credit and had the booking transferred to our travel agent without losing the credit. For the answer about the OBCs being offered by your TA, I'd suggest you contact him or her and ask your question directly. Sounds like a very good deal so I hope there isn't a catch to it.:)

[hayesktrm]

Can I do this? We booked 2 cabins for an Alaskan cruise because it was filling up. I am going on a cruise in December. If I find that I can get the same category of cabin, I would like to book the cabin then. Then, when I get home, cancel the other one and get my deposit back. Will that work?

[dougp26364]

Can I do this? We booked 2 cabins for an Alaskan cruise because it was filling up. I am going on a cruise in December. If I find that I can get the same category of cabin, I would like to book the cabin then. Then, when I get home, cancel the other one and get my deposit back. Will that work?

 

That would work but, in my experience with Alaskan cruises, the price doesn't go down or stay the same. In most cases it has gone up considerably. By the time December rolls around, you'll have to take into consideration any price increase that would offset the OBC you'd receive and if you'd be willing to accept a different cabin location.

 

If the price doesn't increase for you cabin catagory (or you're willing to accept a lower cabin catagory than originally booked) and you can find an acceptable cabin location, then what you propose should work just fine.

[Grumm]

Booked for Navigator next June whilst onboard Legend this summer. We received $200 on board credit, $200 Platinum discount and £200 early-booking fee. Transferred to a TA back home and got a further £100 discount each! This means that next year's cruise is costing about £400 less than last year's and we've got a Hump JS on Navigator......I love RCI. All we need now is for the upgrade fairy to visit....or is that just greed?:rolleyes:

 

Alan

[Tigergenesis]

My mom and I are looking at taking a cruise in Oct 2007. We want to go ahead and book it online right now (to lock in the current price and be sure to get the cabin we want), but we would also like to take advantage of the on board credit by having me book this cruise while on a cruise with my dad in April 2007. Can we book it online now and then I also book it onboard in April and then we cancel the original booking?

[negc]

My mom and I are looking at taking a cruise in Oct 2007. We want to go ahead and book it online right now (to lock in the current price and be sure to get the cabin we want), but we would also like to take advantage of the on board credit by having me book this cruise while on a cruise with my dad in April 2007. Can we book it online now and then I also book it onboard in April and then we cancel the original booking?

 

You can, but by next April the price may have risen so much that it more than wipes out the onboard credit. Book now and when you are onboard check and see if the price difference is in your favor or not. Cabin selection may not be as good at that point, but if you book while onboard and subsequently cancel the original booking, you may be able to snag your original room. A good travel agent would be invaluable to you in doing just that.

[bickee]

This is interesting...I didn't know you could switch the booking around or transfer it to a TA. Is it a difficult process? Unless you HATE the line how do you not take advantage of this? I'm angry I haven't used it in the past on Princess!!!

 

I'm sorry if this was asked already, but does the credit "expire"? How long can I transfer it until it disappears?

[Optifire]

We were on the Grandeur last week and had checked into booking another cruise on her for next September. They said that the 9 night would give us a $200.00 on board credit.

 

The 5 night cruise we checked on to Bermuda would have given us $50.00 on board credit.

 

We did book on another cruise, Alaska for next year. We took the 11 day land and sea tour. Even though our entire duration is for 11 days, the cruise part is only 7 days of that, so we will receive only $100.00 on board credit.

 

The best thing about booking it on board is the onboard credit. It is a bonus you would not have received if you would have booked it on your own with RC from home or online. Now once you do book it on board, when you go home, you should watch the price of your cruise, to see if there are any price drops from what you were charged on board, as if there are, then you call RC and they will adjust your "payment due amount". Sometimes going through a Travel agent, even when the price drops through RC, they will not honor the drop. Some do, but alot dont. So that is another benefit by booking it directly through RC. They will adjust the price as long as it is not a "happy hour" special price as they are only prices for new bookings.

 

I am sorry we didnt book the Grandeur while we were on board the Voyager last year. When we first booked the Grandeur on line, it was priced at $1080.00. Through out the year it dropped finally down to $499.00. If I would have booked it onboard instead of online, I would have had $200.00 to spend onboard waiting for me. So it is good to do your homework on line before you take your next cruise so this way while on board you can talk to them about where you want to go next and get the bonus for it.