Booking next cruise while on a cruise

[Kharalew]

I am going on the fantasy cruise may 25th and heard that if you book another cruise while on the cruise you can get great deals. 1. What kind of deals can you get? 2. Are the deals only if you book the same ship 3. If you are V.I.P. do you get a better deal?

The reason I ask is because i'm working on saving up for the next cruise by the time we leave so that I can get a better deal booking onboard if this info. is true :)

Thanks!

P.S. Anyone else going on this same cruise??

[richkinkade]

I've never gotten a better deal booking a cruise while on a cruise, but you might consider a "future cruise certificate" you can buy only on a cruise. You pay $100 and, when you book a 7 day cruise later, you get $100 applied to your fare AND $100 onboard credit.

[mrpayroll]

No special deals for booking while on cruise. At least not on Carnival....Like stated, if you BUY FCC , you get OBC on your next cruise.

[Mich3]

There are not better pricing options while booking on a cruise; however, you receive the $100 OBC for booking on a cruise without having to buy a future cruise certificate. You also receive 2 friends & family OBC vouchers to share with others.

[firefly333]

$100 is your own money that is applied to your future cruise

 

You only get $100 OBC if you sign up for a 7 day cruise

$75 for a 6 day cruise

$50 for a 3, 4 or 5 day cruise

[BJAMINGIRL]

Heard yesterday that the Fantasy class ships do not have the space to have a future cruise desk so they are not offering the FCC certificates to purchase while you are sailing.

[okwriter]

ALSO, you said you are "saving up."

 

If you buy a future cruise certificate, you'll need a credit card to charge it to .instead of paying cash. I'm not sure about putting down a deposit on a cruise, but it's likely the same.

[bythehex]

I am going on the fantasy cruise may 25th and heard that if you book another cruise while on the cruise you can get great deals. 1. What kind of deals can you get? 2. Are the deals only if you book the same ship 3. If you are V.I.P. do you get a better deal?

The reason I ask is because i'm working on saving up for the next cruise by the time we leave so that I can get a better deal booking onboard if this info. is true :)

Thanks!

P.S. Anyone else going on this same cruise??

 

I have to disagree with the other posters.

 

We got a GREAT deal on our next cruise on the Pride, because we booked while we were on the Pride last September. I check the fareviewer almost every single day, and the price of the cruise is still higher than what we paid for it. Plus, we got onboard credit that we might not have gotten if we had booked elsewhere. And yes, they do offer special pricing on other ships than the one you're sailing on at the time. By the way, when we got home I priced our cruise online and that's when I knew exactly how big a bargain we got!

 

Just bear in mind that the best deals don't necessarily apply to every single Carnival cruise. They'll offer "specials" and those are where you benefit the most price wise. If one of those specials is for the ship, itinerary and sailing you want, you CAN save significantly. We did.

[firefly333]

I have to disagree with the other posters.

 

We got a GREAT deal on our next cruise on the Pride, because we booked while we were on the Pride last September. I check the fareviewer almost every single day, and the price of the cruise is still higher than what we paid for it. Plus, we got onboard credit that we might not have gotten if we had booked elsewhere. And yes, they do offer special pricing on other ships than the one you're sailing on at the time. By the way, when we got home I priced our cruise online and that's when I knew exactly how big a bargain we got!

 

Just bear in mind that the best deals don't necessarily apply to every single Carnival cruise. They'll offer "specials" and those are where you benefit the most price wise. If one of those specials is for the ship, itinerary and sailing you want, you CAN save significantly. We did.

 

The facts are you get exactly whatever the price is that you could have booked had you called Carnival to book. They cannot give any discounts.

 

The OBC is the only benefit to FCCs.

 

I am glad they found a great deal for you. Maybe you hit a good sale when you booked? But they cant give you a deal that is less than anyone not booking on the ship.

[Kharalew]

Thanks for the info. guys! I just can't wait to get on board!!

[Mich3]

The facts are you get exactly whatever the price is that you could have booked had you called Carnival to book. They cannot give any discounts.

 

The OBC is the only benefit to FCCs.

 

I am glad they found a great deal for you. Maybe you hit a good sale when you booked? But they cant give you a deal that is less than anyone not booking on the ship.

 

This is correct. We had 2 - 3 cruises and pricing picked out that I had researched prior to our cruise, and the prices were the same as what could be offered us for booking on the cruse.

 

I am lost with FCCs tho-what does that mean? You do receive the OBC as a bonus--no cost, whereas, it costs $100 up front to purchase the future certificate (which ends up being the same in the end).

[kujobie]

The $100 you put down is applied to your cruise balance, PLUS you get $100 obc for a 7 day cruise. So basically you're getting the OBC free for pre-paying $100 towards your next cruise.

[Mich3]

The $100 you put down is applied to your cruise balance, PLUS you get $100 obc for a 7 day cruise. So basically you're getting the OBC free for pre-paying $100 towards your next cruise.

 

For anyone not familiar with 2 topics going in this thread now--1) booking a cruise on board, 2) purchasing a future cruise certificate -

 

This is what you get when you purchase a future cruise certificate. When you book a cruise on board, you do not pay for a certificate; you receive the OBC just for booking on board.

[kujobie]

For anyone not familiar with 2 topics going in this thread now--1) booking a cruise on board, 2) purchasing a future cruise certificate -

 

This is what you get when you purchase a future cruise certificate. When you book a cruise on board, you do not pay for a certificate; you receive the OBC just for booking on board.

 

But the principle is the same, as well as the amount of obc. Just instead of pre-paying $100 to put towards a future cruise, you're pre-paying the full deposit. Only difference is that if you actually book a cruise you get 2 additional certificates that you can give to family or friends which, I believe, must be used on same ship/sail date as the cruise you just booked.

[alabamaprincess]

We bought a future cruise certificate when we sailed on the Elation back in November. They also had it on the Fascination when we cruised back last summer. So the fantasy class ships do have a small desk where you can book future cruises and purchase a FCC.

[ajhunt2]

I am lost with FCCs tho-what does that mean? You do receive the OBC as a bonus--no cost, whereas, it costs $100 up front to purchase the future certificate (which ends up being the same in the end).

 

Look at it this way. If you know what cruise you want to be on, then get your FCC for $100. When you get home, book your cruise.

 

Let's say the current fare is $300 a person so it would be $600 for double occupancy.

 

Then you send in your FCC once you have a booking #

 

this comes off your total fare

 

$600-$100=$500 total due

 

PLUS you would get the OBC as mentioned.

$200 for a 12 day or more sailing

$100 OBC if you sign up for a 7 day cruise

$75 for a 6 day cruise

$50 for a 3, 4 or 5 day cruise

 

Does that help?

[firefly333]

We bought a future cruise certificate when we sailed on the Elation back in November. They also had it on the Fascination when we cruised back last summer. So the fantasy class ships do have a small desk where you can book future cruises and purchase a FCC.

 

Except not all Fantasy class ships have a FCC desk yet. Someone posted the list of ships that dont have it yet. Paradise for one and its fantasy class.

[ajhunt2]

Except not all Fantasy class ships have a FCC desk yet. Someone posted the list of ships that dont have it yet. Paradise for one and its fantasy class.

 

But if you sail on those ships you can call once you get home and Carnival will allow you to correct?

[Mich3]

But the principle is the same, as well as the amount of obc. Just instead of pre-paying $100 to put towards a future cruise, you're pre-paying the full deposit. Only difference is that if you actually book a cruise you get 2 additional certificates that you can give to family or friends which, I believe, must be used on same ship/sail date as the cruise you just booked.

 

Yes, as I stated in my earlier post--the value of either credit is the same in the end (if booking a 7-day or longer cruise). However, I do not consider making my deposit when booking a cruise a "pre-payment." I'm going to be making a deposit regardless of when I book my cruise (unless I book it so last minute that I need to pay in full), so I consider that a down payment.

 

And yes, you also receive 2 friends and family OBCs (as I also stated in my very first reply) when booking a cruise on board. Yes, these are for the exact same cruise that is booked (as I neglected to mention earlier).

 

The only question I had about FCC, is that I did not initially understand that FCC meant "future cruise certificate."

[kujobie]

I was responding to this statement you made in which you seemed unclear on the concept, as many people are:

 

I am lost with FCCs tho-what does that mean? You do receive the OBC as a bonus--no cost, whereas, it costs $100 up front to purchase the future certificate (which ends up being the same in the end).

 

and then this statement where you, mistakenly, indicated that people are paying for the OBC:

 

This is what you get when you purchase a future cruise certificate. When you book a cruise on board, you do not pay for a certificate; you receive the OBC just for booking on board.

 

 

They are not paying for the OBC, they are making a down payment for their future cruise, and getting the OBC as a reward for doing so. I apologize if I misunderstood. But for everyone's benefit, if person 1 books a cruise while on a cruise, and person 2 buys a FCC, then books the same cruise at a later date, assuming the price of that cruise hasn't changed in the interim, both people will have the exact same out of pocket cost, and the exact same amount of OBC. So these aren't really mutually exclusive topics.

[bythehex]

The facts are you get exactly whatever the price is that you could have booked had you called Carnival to book. They cannot give any discounts.

 

The OBC is the only benefit to FCCs.

 

I am glad they found a great deal for you. Maybe you hit a good sale when you booked? But they cant give you a deal that is less than anyone not booking on the ship.

 

Well then the price magically went up significantly in the 24 hours from the time I booked till the time I went home and checked the price. I guess I did hit a good sale, as the price still hasn't gone down to what I originally booked it for.

[kujobie]

Well then the price magically went up significantly in the 24 hours from the time I booked till the time I went home and checked the price. I guess I did hit a good sale, as the price still hasn't gone down to what I originally booked it for.

 

I've seen prices change 3 times in one day.

[Mich3]

bythehex ~ Both of our cruises that we booked on board have been higher ever since we booked (I checked afterward too, and still am since we have ES); however, the rates we booked for were the same rates I had found online before the cruises. Since I had checked all the rates both times before our cruise, I knew we were not receiving a better rate.

 

kujobie ~ You were not the only one confused by my FCC question. ajhunt2 provided a detailed explanation too! :-)

[cdamion]

But if you sail on those ships you can call once you get home and Carnival will allow you to correct?

 

Yes. I verified this with Carnival when I was thinking about sailing on the Paradise.

 

As an aside, this is something Carnival does better than Princess. I have Princess future cruise certificates and you only get $50 OBC for Oceanview and $25 for inside cabins on 7-9 day sailings with them.

[ajhunt2]

Just be aware though that if you book onboard and and you get those friends and family vouchers, you only have 60 days for those to be used. so you more or less have to have people know they are wanting to cruise to use them