Advantage of booking another cruise while onboard?

We're booked on the Feb 9, Baja cruise. I see they have a cruise that interests me just a month after we return from Baja. It's one that stays a couple nights in New Orleans. First of all, just how crazy is that... Returning home for just a month only to head out and cruise again on the same ship????

The other question: it looks like there's A LOT of availability for that March cruise. What would be the advantage of booking it while aboard in February? Is there any advantage?

Thank you!

Caroline

Hello dcsam,

When you book and deposit a future cruise while onboard there's is a fare savings of between 3%-10%, depending upon your LCV tier level. There is an OBC, onboard spending credit, as well when you pick a specific voyage and date (rather than leave it open ended.)

Here's the page that explains this in more detail. https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/le-club-voyage/le-club-voyage-program/onboard-benefits

Be sure to click on the Terms and Conditions hyperlink for even more detail.

We often book our cruises while onboard for the reasons Bonnie gave above, in addition we are able to choose which stateroom we want, and we can still have the booking transferred to our usual Travel Agent in the UK. We very rarely find that offers from TA's better the price we get from booking on board with the loyalty discount which is usually in addition to current offers from AZ.

We're booked on the Feb 9, Baja cruise. I see they have a cruise that interests me just a month after we return from Baja. It's one that stays a couple nights in New Orleans. First of all, just how crazy is that... Returning home for just a month only to head out and cruise again on the same ship????

The other question: it looks like there's A LOT of availability for that March cruise. What would be the advantage of booking it while aboard in February? Is there any advantage?

Thank you!

Caroline

My worry in this case would be that Azamara could reduce the fares to fill up the ship, and there could possibly not be any cabins left a month out (or none in your wanted category).

Azamara veterans would better know how likely this is, but our recent cruise on the Quest had quite a few cabins available before final payment, but seemed to quickly fill up as the cruise approached.

We often book our cruises while onboard for the reasons Bonnie gave above, in addition we are able to choose which stateroom we want, and we can still have the booking transferred to our usual Travel Agent in the UK. We very rarely find that offers from TA's better the price we get from booking on board with the loyalty discount which is usually in addition to current offers from AZ.

Hi, interested in your post as also from UK. I know that booking direct then transferring to a TA is common in the US but did not know it was also done in the UK. I believe that the benefit is often an onboard credit, but not really sure.

We have booked both direct and with a TA. We thought we had a good deal with our TA for our May cruise but in fact it was subsequently bettered by the direct free flight offer. No big deal but a bit niggling.

We hope that new deals being offered before Christmas may encourage us to book another cruise. However can you let me know what the advantage of booking direct then transferring the booking to a TA is ? Unless of course this only applies to an on board booking for those in the UK.

Enjoyed the Waldorf tea and looking forward to more Azamara cruises !

Pam

Hi, interested in your post as also from UK. I know that booking direct then transferring to a TA is common in the US but did not know it was also done in the UK. I believe that the benefit is often an onboard credit, but not really sure.

We have booked both direct and with a TA. We thought we had a good deal with our TA for our May cruise but in fact it was subsequently bettered by the direct free flight offer. No big deal but a bit niggling.

We hope that new deals being offered before Christmas may encourage us to book another cruise. However can you let me know what the advantage of booking direct then transferring the booking to a TA is ? Unless of course this only applies to an on board booking for those in the UK.

Enjoyed the Waldorf tea and looking forward to more Azamara cruises !

Pam

I've done a few onboard bookings. I always assign them to my UK travel agent because he is able to reduce the overall fare by giving me a kick back on the commission. I just ring him when I'm back home to firm up all the figures. Yes, you do get an onboard credit of $200 per cabin for booking a specific cruise onboard plus a discount off the fare depending upon your LCV level (see Bonnie's post). The thing now is that Azamara are very hot on these special deals and it's worth keeping an eye on the fare you've paid prior to final payment because sometimes the deals are bettered. This part I find frustrating, but a fact of life with their pricing now.

Thanks for the information. However does this only apply to on board bookings or can you book direct with Azamara on one of their offers either online or through Guatemala and subsequently transfer this to a TA in order to reduce the price further by sharing commission?

In addition you mention keeping an eye on the new deal price before final payment. Does this mean that you can get that better price, or are you stuck with the price when first booked.

I did read about some sort of price promise in the US but really cannot recall its implications.

Dear ExitedofHarpenden, I did ask Richard if you were at the tea yesterday but he said no. I have been reading your interesting and informative posts for many years. Hopefully will meet you on a cruise sometime. Best wishes,

Pam

Dear ExitedofHarpenden, I did ask Richard if you were at the tea yesterday but he said no. I have been reading your interesting and informative posts for many years. Hopefully will meet you on a cruise sometime. Best wishes,

Pam

Of course I meant Excited and not Exited!

Dear ExitedofHarpenden, I did ask Richard if you were at the tea yesterday but he said no. I have been reading your interesting and informative posts for many years. Hopefully will meet you on a cruise sometime. Best wishes,

Pam

Phil - we also asked Richard if you were coming yesterday and were hoping to see you there.

Thanks for the information. However does this only apply to on board bookings or can you book direct with Azamara on one of their offers either online or through Guatemala and subsequently transfer this to a TA in order to reduce the price further by sharing commission?

 

In addition you mention keeping an eye on the new deal price before final payment. Does this mean that you can get that better price, or are you stuck with the price when first booked.

 

I did read about some sort of price promise in the US but really cannot recall its implications.

Pam, the way I do it when I'm booking from home if I spot a cruise I want to do is I ring my travel agent and he quotes me a price (which is invariably the price I've obtained via the website) and then he discounts it from his commission. I'm not sure that once you have booked directly via Guatemala or the website if you can then transfer it to a travel agent. I don't think you can. I haven't done it directly or via the website for some time. I don't like speaking to the team in Guatemala either as I've had some poor experiences in the past. If there is a deal which lowers the price of a booked cruise and it is worthwhile doing I'll rebook and lose my deposit. I did this for one of my cruises next year that I booked on Journey. I saved a lot of money and because I'd originally booked onboard the deposit was only 50% so I only lost £75, more than made up for by a huge saving.

I have posted about this before, but I often buy Open Passages certificates to use on future cruises. These are like booking onboard when you don't have a cruise in mind and come with the LCV saving, but no onboard credit. I can use them when I'm back home. They are worthwhile me doing because with my LCV status I get 10% discount in addition to any other offers at the time.

Sorry I rambled a bit. Hope that is clear. I don't live north of the Watford Gap, but didn't get an invite for tea. They don't love me! Lol. Hopefully we will get to meet on a cruise:)

I don't live north of the Watford Gap, but didn't get an invite for tea. They don't love me. Lol

You must have dropped off the mailing list Phil- or maybe they don't think they need to persuade you to book cruises.

( I wrote to Celebrity in the summer asking for a ship's visit when Silhouette was in Liverpool. The answer ,'we dont ask our own regular cruisers, we try to persuade those passengers who have never cruised with us')

I'm not sure that once you have booked directly via Guatemala or the website if you can then transfer it to a travel agent. I don't think you can. I haven't done it directly or via the website for some time. I don't like speaking to the team in Guatemala either as I've had some poor experiences in the past. If there is a deal which lowers the price of a booked cruise and it is worthwhile doing I'll rebook and lose my deposit. I did this for one of my cruises next year that I booked on Journey. I saved a lot of money and because I'd originally booked onboard the deposit was only 50% so I only lost £75, more than made up for by a huge saving. Phil, while we are in the US and policy may differ in the UK, we can book on board or direct and then transfer our booking to our TA. In fact, we booked on board in August and the booking was automatically transferred to our TA who then gave us the usual 10% + rebate. We also have the price guarantee which the onboard consultant explained we could get the BOGOHO promo if it became available within a year in lieu of our two free nites for change LCV level. We don't have to cancel and rebook losing our deposit due to the US low price guarantee.

No problem booking either on board or through the website and then transferring it to your TA as long as it is before final payment. I have done both.

Pam, the way I do it when I'm booking from home if I spot a cruise I want to do is I ring my travel agent and he quotes me a price (which is invariably the price I've obtained via the website) and then he discounts it from his commission. I'm not sure that once you have booked directly via Guatemala or the website if you can then transfer it to a travel agent. I don't think you can. I haven't done it directly or via the website for some time. I don't like speaking to the team in Guatemala either as I've had some poor experiences in the past. If there is a deal which lowers the price of a booked cruise and it is worthwhile doing I'll rebook and lose my deposit. I did this for one of my cruises next year that I booked on Journey. I saved a lot of money and because I'd originally booked onboard the deposit was only 50% so I only lost £75, more than made up for by a huge saving.

 

I have posted about this before, but I often buy Open Passages certificates to use on future cruises. These are like booking onboard when you don't have a cruise in mind and come with the LCV saving, but no onboard credit. I can use them when I'm back home. They are worthwhile me doing because with my LCV status I get 10% discount in addition to any other offers at the time.

 

Sorry I rambled a bit. Hope that is clear. I don't live north of the Watford Gap, but didn't get an invite for tea. They don't love me! Lol. Hopefully we will get to meet on a cruise:)

Thanks, I will certainly try to follow your lead when booking our next cruise. Is 10% the norm ? Looking at the 29th July Quest and if the offer on December 12th is tempting we will be on the same cruise as Lottie and Hazel !

When we were on Quest in May I asked Future Cruise lady about buying another Open Passage Certificate (we had one before and it was used, after some kerfuffle between Guatemala and London) but she said that she didn't think it was worth buying one. Obviously we are not on the same LCV level as you.

Arizona Sunshine and rallydave I think the rules in the UK are different and I do not know if the Price Guarantee operates here. Does anyone know anything about it ?

You only get 10% if you are Discoverer Platinum, or if you book one of the cruises that is one of the special LCV quarterly saving cruises that feature in the LCV newsletter. Bonnies link to the LCV member benefits above explain this.

Hope this helps explain the loyalty discounts clearly enough

Thanks, I will certainly try to follow your lead when booking our next cruise. Is 10% the norm ? Looking at the 29th July Quest and if the offer on December 12th is tempting we will be on the same cruise as Lottie and Hazel !

 

Pam, that would be so wonderful if you and Mr M could be on our July Quest cruise.

Maybe we could persuade our friends Louise and of course, Phil to come as well. He was recently telling me he could possibly be persuaded....it doesn't take much! :D However, we were talking about Journey, not Quest.

If you are on board X you can also book an AZ cruise...we have done this several times...in fact just did it 2 weeks ago for the fall T/A on Journey for '18...and received a $600 SBC. LuAnn

 

When we were on Quest in May I asked Future Cruise lady about buying another Open Passage Certificate (we had one before and it was used, after some kerfuffle between Guatemala and London) but she said that she didn't think it was worth buying one. Obviously we are not on the same LCV level as you.

Pam, not sure what level of LCV you are. It starts at 3% for Explorer, 4% for Adventurer, 5% for Discoverer, 7% for Discoverer Plus and 10% for Discoverer Platinum. I'm not sure if I agree with not worth it. Any discount you can apply to a cruise when you are back home in addition to price incentives at the time is better than a poke in the eye. I will say I too had a bit of difficulty using one, but this was sorted out by Richard Twynam at the UK office. I might have to use him again for in the future if my travel agent suffers the curse of Guatemala again!

Pam, not sure what level of LCV you are. It starts at 3% for Explorer, 4% for Adventurer, 5% for Discoverer, 7% for Discoverer Plus and 10% for Discoverer Platinum. I'm not sure if I agree with not worth it. Any discount you can apply to a cruise when you are back home in addition to price incentives at the time is better than a poke in the eye. I will say I too had a bit of difficulty using one, but this was sorted out by Richard Twynam at the UK office. I might have to use him again for in the future if my travel agent suffers the curse of Guatemala again!

Sorry Phil, a small typo in your list of discounts. It is Adventurer first at 3% then Explorer at 4%, you somehow reversed the levels. The rest are correct. Thanks,

Sorry Phil, a small typo in your list of discounts. It is Adventurer first at 3% then Explorer at 4%, you somehow reversed the levels. The rest are correct. Thanks,

Apologies. Thanks for the correction.