What is the benefit of booking while on a cruise?

[kr8z]

I've found some great military rates and I want to go ahead and book now, but we set sail next month. I know I can buy those vouchers onboard for $250 each and then we will get $100 each cabin OBC on next year's cruise if I mail in those certificates. We get that regardless if I book now or wait a month. Other than the friend and family certificate (we've already checked and no family can cruise with us next January), is there any other benefit for us to wait rather than book right now at these really fantastic rates? I'm afraid the rate might go up if I wait a month and would like to lock it in. It would be on the Splendor again (would love to do a different ship, but we have to drive from El Paso, so not as many options as there would be if we lived out east), but in January.

 

Right now we are booked on NCL Spirit out of NOLA (I'm an Indy girl and still pissed at that city and want to avoid it LOL) for the same dates. I've just been reading that the food isn't up to par on NCL, and I have noticed that with the freestyle, we have to pay for so many more options, plus I hate pepsi. I do like that they are so port intensive though. Without the OBC, on Carnival we would still be paying $200 less for oceanview rooms than we are for two interior rooms on NCL. Granted, the oceanview are on deck 2 vs deck 10 for NCL, but the ship has elevators.

 

I think we are definitely going to cancel NCL regardless and go with Carnival again. Just need to know if it will benefit us to wait a month before we book Carnival. I appreciate any input.

[bumbles]

I've found some great military rates and I want to go ahead and book now, but we set sail next month. I know I can buy those vouchers onboard for $250 each and then we will get $100 each cabin OBC on next year's cruise if I mail in those certificates. We get that regardless if I book now or wait a month. Other than the friend and family certificate (we've already checked and no family can cruise with us next January), is there any other benefit for us to wait rather than book right now at these really fantastic rates? I'm afraid the rate might go up if I wait a month and would like to lock it in. It would be on the Splendor again (would love to do a different ship, but we have to drive from El Paso, so not as many options as there would be if we lived out east), but in January.

 

Right now we are booked on NCL Spirit out of NOLA (I'm an Indy girl and still pissed at that city and want to avoid it LOL) for the same dates. I've just been reading that the food isn't up to par on NCL, and I have noticed that with the freestyle, we have to pay for so many more options, plus I hate pepsi. I do like that they are so port intensive though. Without the OBC, on Carnival we would still be paying $200 less for oceanview rooms than we are for two interior rooms on NCL. Granted, the oceanview are on deck 2 vs deck 10 for NCL, but the ship has elevators.

 

I think we are definitely going to cancel NCL regardless and go with Carnival again. Just need to know if it will benefit us to wait a month before we book Carnival. I appreciate any input.

 

No, and from what I understand you can't use those vouchers with the military rate.

[kr8z]

No, and from what I understand you can't use those vouchers with the military rate.

 

Oh, really? Well crap. We still save even if we don't do military rate. I have to figure out if the $100 OBC is more than the mil. savings though. Thanks for the heads up.

[scperk]

You can get good rates and still get $100 obc if you book onboard...but I don't know if they can give you military rates when you book onboard...I would check prices on the cruises you like and compare them to the rates you get while onboard......:)....Dennis

[kr8z]

I called my PVP and she thought you could use it with military rate, but she double checked. You cannot. I booked at ES and will be using the certificates. Really the only benefit for us with the military rate would have been if we receive PCS orders. If my husband is deployed again then Carnival will - per my PVP - automatically refund the entire amount or give us the Carnival dollars.

 

When I cancelled the NCL cruise the NCL PVP told me that they just hired Apollo to revamp their food service. I heard the food was not that great with them. She also cautioned me about Carnival being a "party ship" LOL I told her how many times we've sailed on Carnival and I am still looking to find the party.

 

Thanks for the responses.