Questions about open booking

[seacrystal]

I will be on my first Princess cruise to Alaska on the Coral Princess in June 2005. I understand from other posts that when you are on a cruise you can arrange for an open booking. Can someone please explain how this is done? I need to know - do you sit down with someone on the ship and go over everything, do I fill out a form? Also, how is it applied? Do I need to tell them exactly which cruise I am interested in? If I do an open booking do I give them my TA information?

 

I am new to this and there is so much to learn! I have already picked up valuable information and am really glad I started checking out the boards so far ahead of my cruise.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[srphnx]

All you do is go to the future cruise desk, book an open cruise, they will automatically give the TA you used on this time a notification, you can still choose to us anohter if you wish. It is good for 4 years, fully refundable and offers booking credits of between $50 and $300 depending on the length of cruise and type of cabin. i.e. 16 plus days outside cabin $300, inside cabin one week $50. Deposit is $100 per person and you can use just one name and deposit only $100.

I will be on my first Princess cruise to Alaska on the Coral Princess in June 2005. I understand from other posts that when you are on a cruise you can arrange for an open booking. Can someone please explain how this is done? I need to know - do you sit down with someone on the ship and go over everything, do I fill out a form? Also, how is it applied? Do I need to tell them exactly which cruise I am interested in? If I do an open booking do I give them my TA information?

 

I am new to this and there is so much to learn! I have already picked up valuable information and am really glad I started checking out the boards so far ahead of my cruise.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[GloriaF]

all you need to do is meet with the Future Travel Consultant onboard, pay $100 pp to hold the booking, and then later when you know when & where you want to go next, call your TA with the confirmation # of your open booking.

 

The advantages are that it only takes $100pp instead of $250pp until final payment, and there is shipboard credit involved.

[GloriaF]

I didn't know that -- so does the second person have to pay $250 at time of booking ri $100, and do they receive the same shipboard credit?

 

The reason I ask is that my niece wants to cruise with me sometime and I would like to have the sbc for her, but if she never makes the commitment to save her share of the cost, I didn't want to have to cancel the booking.

 

So that brings me to another question, can one person's name be substituted on the fcb?

[seacrystal]

Thanks a bunch Srphnx and GloriaF.

 

It is great to get the straight scoop from other board members. I have only posted a few threads but have always gotten very informative answers.

[sue d. miller]

Welcome to Princess!!!! :) I would suggest going early in the week to the "future cruise desk". It should be on the same deck as the pursers desk. There should be a clip board there, if it is closed, and you put a time you would like an appt. If it is open, sign in on same clip board, and you will be in line. Booking an open cruise is $100pp for the first two passengers in a cabin. You can pay, by CC, either, $100 only on that day in one name, and when you transfer the booking, pay the other $100, or pay the $200 that day. You do not have to give a ship, date, cabin, nothing on that date. They will ask if you want the booking to go to the TA that booked this cruise, but you can say no, and look for the best deal when you get home. You will receive from Princess, when you transfer booking to a TA, cabin credits, depending on cabin choice, inside or outside, and length of cruise. You will receive a letter in your cabin in a couple of days, with confirmation, and booking #, that you will transfer to the TA that you choose. Any discounts and/or cabin credts the TA may be offering, are applicable with the booking. You have 4 years to book, and have nothing more to pay until final payment. If you decide not to cruise, the money is totally refundable. :)

[seacrystal]

Thanks for the welcome sue d. miller!

 

I have become an absolute fanatic since booking my Alaska cruise. When my boss schedules a conference call I sneak on cruisecritic to find out the latest. When I get home I hit the internet again.

 

My Alaska cruise is too far away so I came up with the ruse for my husband of a weekend cruise. He was worried about being seasick for Alaska. Since we live about 20 miles from Long Beach, I suggested a cruise to Ensenada to "test for seasickness." I am bringing along items suggested on these boards (ginger pills, Bonine and accupressure wristband). Now I have two cruises to look forward to. If none of these work I am finding someone new to take with me!

[sue d. miller]

LOL!!! Have a wonderful time!! You will become addicted just like the rest of us!! :eek: But you can hang out here and join the fun, and learn all kinds of info. You will find great people here, more than happy to answer questions. then the time till your Alaska cruise will fly!!! We are happy to have you!!! :D

[cactusrose]

If you don't want to book a specific cruise at the time of booking and the desk isn't open or too many people waiting you can just fill out the form that's there and drop it in the box. They will deliver your confirmation to your stateroom. You can also ask for a Share the Wealth card which allows you to add more people later at the same low deposit rate and they would also get the on board credit. Only two people per cabin can get the credit so you can't book a cabin for four and get a credit for all four.

[seacrystal]

Wow! More great information. Thanks cactusrose.

 

I know they want to make it easy for you to keep coming back. I am interested in a New England/Canada cruise in October 2006. If I can swing it maybe 2005!