Book now or on board next week?

[Koz1]

We'll be on a cruise next week and are planning to book a Europe cruise for 2016 while on board.

 

I've just seen a cabin I'd really like available and am tossing up whether to book now to be sure we get it in case it's no longer available next week. It's a Veranda category so with the 123Go we'd get the choice of two offers because it's a Europe cruise. If we wait until we go on board and hope that cabin is still available I know we'd get the extra OBC and it says also your choice of one other offer. Does anyone know if you still get to choose two offers for Europe cruises when booking on board?

 

When we made a reserved passage booking while on board the Solstice in October 2013 the on board booking gave us a $200 OBC for a 10 - 13 night cruise in a Veranda category cabin. Is that still the amount we would get for an on board booking, in addition to the other offers we choose?

 

If we book now with the 123Go we will choose the drink package and either the $300 OBC or the Gratuities, which would cost us around $150 each for this cruise.

 

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Mr. Click]

There are some online TA's that will give you the free grats just for booking.. It worked for us when we booked our May 2015 Baltic cruise. TA gave us the grats, X gave us the bev packages and $300 OBC. We booked a 1A veranda cabin at the 1B price and captain's club covered the one class upgrade and a reduced deposit. So, look for a TA that gives rewards if you really want that cabin.

[swigso]

Book the cabin now, then book on board and transfer the cabin you have on hold

Cancel that booking, and allocate the new booking to your TA

I think someone did this

Maybe I'm wrong and you cannot do this

[MVPinBoynton]

Booking on board was very desirable for us. We paid a $200 deposit, which we got immediate OBC on the current cruise and then obtained two 123 items. If we had booked Aqua or above, we would have received I believe $300 OBC immediately and all three 123 items. Since it was immediately transferred to our TA, when we got home we found out how much OBC we got from our TA. If you are trying to get a good deal, wait.

[travlr21]

We booked a B2B on the Infinity for next year back in June. While on the Constellation recently we rebooked both cruises as the perks were great. We thought our TA may charge a cancellation fee, but we would still be way ahead. Turns out they 'merged' our two bookings with no penalty, so we are really pleased.

[Koz1]

We booked a B2B on the Infinity for next year back in June. While on the Constellation recently we rebooked both cruises as the perks were great. We thought our TA may charge a cancellation fee, but we would still be way ahead. Turns out they 'merged' our two bookings with no penalty, so we are really pleased.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. I decided to book now and I'll ask on board if they can transfer the booking to an on board booking. At least we have the cabin we wanted whereas if we had waited until next week it could have been taken by then.

 

Booking in Australia we don't seem to get the offers available through US online travel agencies. I have used a US travel agency before but at the moment the value of the Australian Dollar against the US Dollar is dropping and it's a few hundred dollars cheaper to book in Australia than through the USA when we allow for exchange rates, and if the Dollar keeps dropping the difference will be even higher.

[jerseygirl3]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I decided to book now and I'll ask on board if they can transfer the booking to an on board booking. At least we have the cabin we wanted whereas if we had waited until next week it could have been taken by then.

 

Booking in Australia we don't seem to get the offers available through US online travel agencies. I have used a US travel agency before but at the moment the value of the Australian Dollar against the US Dollar is dropping and it's a few hundred dollars cheaper to book in Australia than through the USA when we allow for exchange rates, and if the Dollar keeps dropping the difference will be even higher.

 

Worst case scenario, if you can't cancel the cabin you've already booked and book the same one onboard (I don't think can cancel a booking onboard), just go ahead and book another cabin (same category) while onboard. When you return home, cancel the original one and have your TA switch the cabin you booked onboard to the one you previously booked. Just make sure you keep the reservation number from the onboard booking when you switch cabins.

 

The only caveat is if someone has that particular cabin wait listed. If so, the minute it's released, it goes to the one who's waitlisted.

 

Good luck!

[Koz1]

Worst case scenario, if you can't cancel the cabin you've already booked and book the same one onboard (I don't think can cancel a booking onboard), just go ahead and book another cabin (same category) while onboard. When you return home, cancel the original one and have your TA switch the cabin you booked onboard to the one you previously booked. Just make sure you keep the reservation number from the onboard booking when you switch cabins.

 

The only caveat is if someone has that particular cabin wait listed. If so, the minute it's released, it goes to the one who's waitlisted.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks again everyone. We've just returned from our cruise on the Century today.

 

I went to the Future Cruise office on board on the first day, before we departed. I had booked with my travel agent a few days before this cruise but hadn't paid the deposit yet. I was able to keep the same cabin, which is a Family View aft cabin 7199 on the Constellation.

 

These are not usually released for two passengers until a few months out from the cruise, if no families with 4 or 5 people have booked them. However for this cruise in August 2016 they released 7199 and 7201 a couple of weeks ago. I guess the other FV cabins are still being held until later. I have had 7202 on previous cruises on the Constellation and Infinity by changing from my original cabin when 7202 became available and we love the large corner FV verandas on the M class ships.

 

I called my Travel Agent while I was with the consultant on board, who booked us into 7201 and he asked me to ask my Travel Agent to cancel the booking she had made for me with 7199 and as soon as she cancelled it he had his finger on the keyboard ready to go and he grabbed 7199 straight away for us. It all worked out thanks to the co-operation of both my Travel Agent and the On Board Consultant and I was able to get the extra OBC for booking on board as well as choose two of the three 123Go offers for Europe bookings and we took the beverage package and gratuities.

 

Someone else on the cruise we've just finished also booked a Europe cruise on the Constellation and was able to get 7199 on his cruise in May 2016 as well.