How TO Find Shipboard Credits

[kenandlaura06]

Just wanted to share that we are cruising on Carnival and I booked directly thru Carnival.. I checked again tonight and the price has gone down again and it is not completely paid yet.. Between the 15% discount I got from a letter from Bob Dickinson and all the price decreases we have saved a total of $2228 so far!!!! I check the website every week and once it goes down I call and have not had any problems...

 

Do you just directly call the cruise line back to get the price change???

[Mr_Cruise]

Hi,

 

I am a TA for an online cruise only agency. (not one of the "big ones").

 

Just an FYI: It is VERY difficult to have any reservations re-fared to a lower rate offered after final payment has already been received in full by the cruise line by their specified deadline.

 

Promotional offerings made by any cruise line after their final payment deadline are almost always declared as being "applicable to new reservations only".

 

Does this mean that you should hold out and only make your reservations after final payments are typically due? Absolutely not.

 

I will give you the same advice I give friends and family. ONLY do this if you really don't care if you go or not. (Depending on the ship and itinerary, sailings can be sold out in excess of 18 months prior to departure) And IF you can get on board, then don't complain about what accommodations were available to book last minute.

 

Hope this helps.

[kenandlaura06]

Thank you, Mr. Cruise.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Some cruise lines offer shipboard credit if you own stock in the company. It is considered a shareholder benefit. The amount of credit is dependent on the length of the trip.

 

 

Happy Sailing!

[Kenwoody]

When you book a new cruise while on board your ship, they will give you onboard credit for your next cruise.

Then it is sent to your TA, which can also have onboard credits. We just booked a 2006 cruise, 12 day and got $200.00 a stateroom,(would of been #100.00 for 7 day cruise)

Then when we talked to our TA when we returned, she gave us $150.00 more. So we get $200 + $150.00

[kenandlaura06]

I do know that RCCL offers shareholder credits---plus credits for a RCCL visa through MBNA.

[fodorspeter]

Hi,

 

I am a TA for an online cruise only agency. (not one of the "big ones").

 

Just an FYI: It is VERY difficult to have any reservations re-fared to a lower rate offered after final payment has already been received in full by the cruise line by their specified deadline.

 

Promotional offerings made by any cruise line after their final payment deadline are almost always declared as being "applicable to new reservations only".

 

Does this mean that you should hold out and only make your reservations after final payments are typically due? Absolutely not.

 

I will give you the same advice I give friends and family. ONLY do this if you really don't care if you go or not. (Depending on the ship and itinerary, sailings can be sold out in excess of 18 months prior to departure) And IF you can get on board, then don't complain about what accommodations were available to book last minute.

 

Hope this helps.

 

As for your FYI, it is very EASY to get a lower fare after final payment was made if you booked directly with the cruise line, especially RCCL. It has happened twice with us. Perhaps the reason Mr_Cruise (who, by the way, scored in the 95th percentile when he took his macro/micro economics course) and the other TA's find it difficult to refare when the price goes down is that their commission also goes down!!

 

Peter

[Langdak04]

As for your FYI, it is very EASY to get a lower fare after final payment was made if you booked directly with the cruise line, especially RCCL. It has happened twice with us. Perhaps the reason Mr_Cruise (who, by the way, scored in the 95th percentile when he took his macro/micro economics course) and the other TA's find it difficult to refare when the price goes down is that their commission also goes down!!

 

Peter

 

Peter,

 

Dont lie to yourself and the other people on the board because you hate TA's.

 

Again i will agree with Mr Cruise and state that it is VERY difficult to get fares lowered after final payment.

 

I am not sure what dreamworld you are living in, but in the real world what Mr Cruise states is 100% correct, peter, quit trying to lead people astray.

[fodorspeter]

Peter,

 

Dont lie to yourself and the other people on the board because you hate TA's.

 

Again i will agree with Mr Cruise and state that it is VERY difficult to get fares lowered after final payment.

 

I am not sure what dreamworld you are living in, but in the real world what Mr Cruise states is 100% correct, peter, quit trying to lead people astray.

 

Anybody else out there besides me who have booked direct and had their fare lowered after final payment (and by the way, one of mine was a call from NCL informing me that the price for my category had gone down and they would either refund the money or apply it to a very nice upsell, which I took)? I'm not sure how these TA's would know the answer as they don't book their cruises direct with the cruiselines, do you?

 

Peter

[Langdak04]

Anybody else out there besides me who have booked direct and had their fare lowered after final payment (and by the way, one of mine was a call from NCL informing me that the price for my category had gone down and they would either refund the money or apply it to a very nice upsell, which I took)? I'm not sure how these TA's would know the answer as they don't book their cruises direct with the cruiselines, do you?

 

Peter

 

Peter do you live in a cave?

 

I have read your response 15 times and it still doesnt make 100% sense to me as to what your trying to say.

 

But i will base my response on what i think you are trying to say.......:confused:

 

Are you telling me that i do not book my cruises for my clients directly with the cruise line?

 

If i dont book them with the cruise line, where do i book them? In a coloring book at a child's daycare?

 

Peter i am guessing you are either a disgruntled postal worker or a retired old man who has nothing better to do with his day then try and bring others down...

 

Have a nice day Peter

[fodorspeter]

Peter do you live in a cave?

 

I have read your response 15 times and it still doesnt make 100% sense to me as to what your trying to say.

 

But i will base my response on what i think you are trying to say.......:confused:

 

Are you telling me that i do not book my cruises for my clients directly with the cruise line?

 

If i dont book them with the cruise line, where do i book them? In a coloring book at a child's daycare?

 

Peter i am guessing you are either a disgruntled postal worker or a retired old man who has nothing better to do with his day then try and bring others down...

 

Have a nice day Peter

 

Live from my cave: I'm guessing that you don't book your personal cruises "direct" with the cruiseline. I also know that you don't book your clients "direct" with the cruiseline because you are a TA and that just doesn't meet the criteria of "booking direct". So my last post pondered how you know that it is or isn't difficult to refare a "direct" booking after final payment. You called me a liar for making the statement that it has happened to me twice. As you have never been in a position to try to refare a direct booking, how can you call me a liar. Get it now?

 

Peter

[Langdak04]

Live from my cave: I'm guessing that you don't book your personal cruises "direct" with the cruiseline. I also know that you don't book your clients "direct" with the cruiseline because you are a TA and that just doesn't meet the criteria of "booking direct". So my last post pondered how you know that it is or isn't difficult to refare a "direct" booking after final payment. You called me a liar for making the statement that it has happened to me twice. As you have never been in a position to try to refare a direct booking, how can you call me a liar. Get it now?

 

Peter

 

Again, what are you talking about?

 

Every booking i make for a client is booked "directly with the cruise line"

 

A TA acts on behalf of the client, which i am sure you are very aware of.

 

There is the odd time that i would book through a supplier which will book directly with the cruise line, but those instances are few and far between.

 

I still dont understand your arguement and why you dont understand that i book directly with the cruise line.

 

If i dont book directly with the cruise line, how do you figure i book things? through SOS? or morse code?

 

Peter i beleive your argument has come to an end and i am not quite sure if you understand how a TA goes about their business, because i think you are beating a dead horse here.

 

Give up while you only have one foot in your mouth, and not both.

[fodorspeter]

Again, what are you talking about?

 

Every booking i make for a client is booked "directly with the cruise line"

 

A TA acts on behalf of the client, which i am sure you are very aware of.

 

There is the odd time that i would book through a supplier which will book directly with the cruise line, but those instances are few and far between.

 

I still dont understand your arguement and why you dont understand that i book directly with the cruise line.

 

If i dont book directly with the cruise line, how do you figure i book things? through SOS? or morse code?

 

Peter i beleive your argument has come to an end and i am not quite sure if you understand how a TA goes about their business, because i think you are beating a dead horse here.

 

Give up while you only have one foot in your mouth, and not both.

 

One more time and I give up. I fully anticipate this thread will be closed anyway, but here goes. I call up NCL and book a cruise "direct" with them. This is a direct booking. I call you up and have you book a cruise with NCL. This is not a direct booking. In the first instance, the passenger is the one who booked the cruise. In the second, you (a travel agent) is the one who booked the cruise. Way back when, I stated that of the three cruises I booked direct with the cruise line, two of them allowed me to refare at a lower price than what I booked at. You called me a liar. I then posted what I was pondering which is: how would you personally know whether that could be true or not since you have never been part of a passenger direct booking with the cruise line. They do know when they (the cruise line) booked the cruise verses whether a travel agent did. I personally believe they take better care of "their" bookings than they do "yours". Get it??

 

Peter

[Mr_Cruise]

Mike, I feel your pain.

 

This Peter guy is way off base. I have no idea where he comes up with these arguments. I often wonder if even HE believes what he types, and if so, how he can possibly rationalize what he says.

 

At any rate, I agree with Mike. Regardless of what topic is being dicussed, Peter insists on making negative unfounded comments.

 

It's just not necessary.

[fodorspeter]

Mr. Cruise - I have a new macro economics principle for you: When the cruise line gets the commission, the passenger wins. When the travel agent gets the commission, the travel agent wins.

 

Peter

[mellowgirl]

This is almost comical - well actualy it is comical. I am actually laughing as I read these posts - in a children's coloring book, morse code, disgruntled postal worker. HAHA HAHA :D

 

If he is a disgruntled postal worker you better be careful - you may disappear from these boards. :)

 

By the way, the cave issue was settled on another thread with Peter. You guys really ought to go back and read some of the old ones between Peter and myself - then you would understand what you are dealing with.

[fodorspeter]

This is almost comical - well actualy it is comical. I am actually laughing as I read these posts - in a children's coloring book, morse code, disgruntled postal worker. HAHA HAHA :D

 

If he is a disgruntled postal worker you better be careful - you may disappear from these boards. :)

 

By the way, the cave issue was settled on another thread with Peter. You guys really ought to go back and read some of the old ones between Peter and myself - then you would understand what you are dealing with.

 

I suppose it would be idiotic to ask if you wanted to be my interpreter with "Mike" (and they said they didn't know each other)??? I still don't think he gets this direct booking concept.

 

Peter

[mellowgirl]

I understand what both of you are saying. You say it is not a direct booking because the client is not booking the trip directly with the cruise line. He says it is a direct booking because he is booking directly with the cruise line on behalf of the clients. It is ridiculous to argue over this non-issue.I am staying out of this one. Must save my energy for the biggie's that actually involve me! :)

[chrismch]

I have been researching prices for are next cruise.

I'm curious how people get a TA that offers shipboard credits?

I feel I will need hand holding , will an online TA work for me?

 

Ready to cruise !:)

I find shipboard credits by searching the cruiselines and the mass market online cruise sites. Just google cruising or cruises and see which sites come up. After a while you'll find the ones you are comfortable with. Never respond to any sites that don't have real addresses and phone numbers. And if you see something that is too good to be true - it's probably a scam. I search my favorite sites weekly for deals. When I see a deal on one of these sites, I call my regular travel agent (who deals primarily with cruises)and he will usually match it for me. :p

[mellowgirl]

How refreshing - a post that actually answers the original question. I love it!!!!!:) Thank you chrismch!

 

 

 

I find shipboard credits by searching the cruiselines and the mass market online cruise sites. Just google cruising or cruises and see which sites come up. After a while you'll find the ones you are comfortable with. Never respond to any sites that don't have real addresses and phone numbers. And if you see something that is too good to be true - it's probably a scam. I search my favorite sites weekly for deals. When I see a deal on one of these sites, I call my regular travel agent (who deals primarily with cruises)and he will usually match it for me. :p

[ShamrockFL]

I What about for instance, if the price of a D1 cabin goes down and I'm in a D3 cabin? Are they the same in price comparison or would it have to be a D3 cabin to get the credit? Kim

 

What sites is anyone using to check specific prices on cabin categories. Anywhere I have looked I only get generic pricing e.g. inside, balcony etc. How do I check for a price reduction on a specific category without having to phone.:confused:

 

I hope the fight is over!!:D

[serene56]

What sites is anyone using to check specific prices on cabin categories. Anywhere I have looked I only get generic pricing e.g. inside, balcony etc. How do I check for a price reduction on a specific category without having to phone.:confused:

 

 

You check the cruise lines web site to check for your cruise for your date in the category for the amount of people you booked.

 

Make belive you are buying a cruise. If that price is lower then what you paid--then you ask for a refund. But it depends on what cruiseline we are talking here. ROyal Caribbean doe snot discount any cruise at all. If you find a lower price-- I think they give it to you automatically.

[ShamrockFL]

But it depends on what cruiseline we are talking here. ROyal Caribbean does not discount any cruise at all. If you find a lower price-- I think they give it to you automatically.

 

As luck would have it, it is Royal Caribbean!! Now where can I get the information with which to go back to them or my TA?

[fodorspeter]

As luck would have it, it is Royal Caribbean!! Now where can I get the information with which to go back to them or my TA?

 

Actually, you are lucky. There aren't any agencies out there with cheaper prices. You might get a bottle of wine or a Christmas card, but not a lower fare.

 

Peter

[ShamrockFL]

Actually, you are lucky. There aren't any agencies out there with cheaper prices. You might get a bottle of wine or a Christmas card, but not a lower fare.Peter

So are you saying there is no point in me checking any further, that I'm not going to come up with any cheaper rate than I already have. Or isn't it possible that RCL may decrease the fare themselves sometime in the future (we're not going until December) and then that rate would be available through any TA and/or RCL?