Changing an onboard booking

[metter]

I booked a cruise whilst on-board and was told that if my plans change can phone and change the cruise.

I tried to do this yesterday and was told that I would lose the OBC and Bev pack perk. I could however cancel and book a new cruise and get any current offers.

 

Is this correct advice? Seems a shame I can't keep my perks.

[neverbeenhere]

yup. Use it or lose it.

[metter]

Thanks Neverbeenhere,

 

I will book a new cruise then and cancel the old.

[Iamthesea]

We have also been told that an onboard booking can be transferred and will be able to keep the perks. In fact, we have done so in the past without any problems.

 

Has this rule changed?

Edited May 12, 2015 by Iamthesea

[Oxo]

We have also been told that an onboard booking can be transferred and will be able to keep the perks. In fact, we have done so in the past without any problems.

 

Has this rule changed?

 

I was told that if you book a specific cruise and date, you must transfer to your TA within 60 days. If you just do an open booking, then the 60 days does not apply and you can transfer to your TA at anytime.

[Algebralovr]

We have been told, repeatedly, that you can transfer an on-board booking to a new date and ship without any loss of perks. I can't imagine that changing.

 

Does a travel agent hold your booking? If so, maybe they need assistance in learning how to simply choose a new date?

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've always been told by our CVP and the staff on the ship that we can transfer an onboard booking & keep the perks for booking on board.

[ORV]

I was told that if you book a specific cruise and date, you must transfer to your TA within 60 days. If you just do an open booking, then the 60 days does not apply and you can transfer to your TA at anytime.

 

I don't think transferring to a TA is what this is about, it's about changing cruise dates.

[happicruzer]

The OBC should transfer with your booking.

 

The additional selection should also transfer with your booking; sometimes it depends on what the offer at time of booking stated. If you currently transfer under the 123GO (or latest term) then you should still be able to transfer all your on-board booking selections.

 

If you cancel - and you received cash at the time of booking as on-board credit, you will not be reimbursed that cash deposit. If you didn't take cash while on board, then the deposit will be refunded if you cancel.

 

I highly recommend you transfer, not cancel, your current booking.

 

As everyone says, if you don't like the information given on the first call, call back for another operator.

[melsdt]

The perks for booking onboard should retain. It is any additional perks (like 123 GO) that may be lost if they are not the current promotion. You would be eligible for whatever the current promotional offer is at the time of the switch. That is my experience anyway.

[Mom-rules]

Not to steal your discussion but we are about to sail on our first Celebrity cruise.

Can you tell me the rules and perks for an on board booking of a future cruise?

[Junebug1]

We recently changed the date of our onboard booking & not only kepted all the perks, we got additional OBC (from TA) & reduced price.

[ORV]

The perks for booking onboard should retain. It is any additional perks (like 123 GO) that may be lost if they are not the current promotion. You would be eligible for whatever the current promotional offer is at the time of the switch. That is my experience anyway.

 

Unless it's changed, 123 go is a permanent perk of booking onboard, regardless of what the current promo is, so it should always retain unless you are switching to a sailing that it is excluded on.

[jelayne]

Unless it's changed, 123 go is a permanent perk of booking onboard, regardless of what the current promo is, so it should always retain unless you are switching to a sailing that it is excluded on.

 

Not for all changes. We did an onboard booking for a Fall cruise on the Summit, got OBC & the beverage package for booking on board. Plans changed and we transferred the booking to a transatlantic cruise. We lost the beverage package and the OBC was reduced because the beverage package is not a perk on transatlantic bookings and the OBC for TAs is less.

 

I think the OP is from Australia so there may be different regulations covering that booking.

[RickT]

The perks for booking onboard should retain. It is any additional perks (like 123 GO) that may be lost if they are not the current promotion. You would be eligible for whatever the current promotional offer is at the time of the switch. That is my experience anyway.

 

That was my experience. If additional perks are not available on the cruise I am looking to switch to, then the ones that I currently have on the booking I wish to change will not carry over to the new booking.

 

I too thought the perks would carry over and that was a reason for booking onboard, but I either misunderstood or was mislead.

[jerseygirl3]

I booked a cruise whilst on-board and was told that if my plans change can phone and change the cruise.

I tried to do this yesterday and was told that I would lose the OBC and Bev pack perk. I could however cancel and book a new cruise and get any current offers.

 

Is this correct advice? Seems a shame I can't keep my perks.

 

My understanding is that the only perk you will keep is the OBC for doing an onboard booking. If there are any perks offered for the new cruise you select, you should be entitled to them.

 

If you think about it, let's say you book onboard and get all 3 perks plus the add'l onboard credit for booking onboard. Then you want to switch it to a Transatlantic. You definitely won't get the 123 for a TA.

[ORV]

Not for all changes. We did an onboard booking for a Fall cruise on the Summit, got OBC & the beverage package for booking on board. Plans changed and we transferred the booking to a transatlantic cruise. We lost the beverage package and the OBC was reduced because the beverage package is not a perk on transatlantic bookings and the OBC for TAs is less.

 

I think the OP is from Australia so there may be different regulations covering that booking.

 

See the last sentence I bolded. Which your cruise was one of.

 

Unless it's changed, 123 go is a permanent perk of booking onboard, regardless of what the current promo is, so it should always retain unless you are switching to a sailing that it is excluded on.

[Iamthesea]

I was told that if you book a specific cruise and date, you must transfer to your TA within 60 days. If you just do an open booking, then the 60 days does not apply and you can transfer to your TA at anytime.

 

I don't think transferring to a TA is what this is about, it's about changing cruise dates.

 

Correct! "Transferring" the cruise meant that I picked another date/ship/trip, while keeping the same booking number (this is important.)

 

And like someone else mentioned, on a couple of our onboard bookings, the Evergreen promo (same as 123 Go) was also given as an incentive for booking onboard ,and should carry on with a new cruise.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Iamthesea

[Oxo]

I don't think transferring to a TA is what this is about, it's about changing cruise dates.

 

I fully understand. The reason I posted on this thread was that many will be reading this. I almost got caught in a Transfer to a TA because it was a day over 60 and they gave me a hard time on transferring to the TA.

 

RCI gave me a hard time last month when I tried to transfer an open booking (no ship and date) to a TA because they said it was over 60 days. So, be careful on any booking.

 

As for the main subject, I did loose some of my On-board booking perks when I did change from 1 ship and date to another ship and date. So, I found that there is no set rule. I spent hours with my TA and Celebrity before Celebrity finally gave in and allowed me the perks I originally had. Customer Service personnel all have different answers to this, too.

[Oxo]

Correct! "Transferring" the cruise meant that I picked another date/ship/trip, while keeping the same booking number (this is important.)

 

And like someone else mentioned, on a couple of our onboard bookings, the Evergreen promo (same as 123 Go) was also given as an incentive for booking onboard ,and should carry on with a new cruise.

 

I did understand what you meant by Transfering from 1 ship/date to another.

 

That is always not true. It really depends on Celebrity, who you talk to, etc. Been there and done that and won some and lost some. There is no set rule.

[Iamthesea]

I fully understand. The reason I posted on this thread was that many will be reading this. I almost got caught in a Transfer to a TA because it was a day over 60 and they gave me a hard time on transferring to the TA.

 

RCI gave me a hard time last month when I tried to transfer an open booking (no ship and date) to a TA because they said it was over 60 days. So, be careful on any booking.

 

As for the main subject, I did loose some of my On-board booking perks when I did change from 1 ship and date to another ship and date. So, I found that there is no set rule. I spent hours with my TA and Celebrity before Celebrity finally gave in and allowed me the perks I originally had. Customer Service personnel all have different answers to this, too.

 

So far, I have not had a problem changing the cruise, but you bring up a good point about losing some OBC. Seems that I read that from either you, or another passenger. Since the onboard booking credit amounts have changed and are now less, if one changes ships, the OBC amounts could change. Thank for pointing that out.

 

We've got a cruise coming up next February that we will more than likely not be taking. We will have to weigh the odds on if we cancel all together or transfer to another cruise. We have the 123 drink package, but not the gratuities or extra $300 OBC. We have a $200 OBC for booking onboard. I think we will wait until the last minute to cancel and hope that another promo will be available if we decide to transfer the booking to another cruise.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Iamthesea

[Cruise Raider]

Correct! "Transferring" the cruise meant that I picked another date/ship/trip, while keeping the same booking number (this is important.)

 

And like someone else mentioned, on a couple of our onboard bookings, the Evergreen promo (same as 123 Go) was also given as an incentive for booking onboard ,and should carry on with a new cruise.

 

So, I had to change my booking (I started a post about this) and when I first called, my TA spoke with someone down at Celebrity and stated I could move my booking to a different sail date. I would get my invoice stating I would be moved over into the TA's group by Wednesday, but as of Friday, no invoice so I called back.

Now, the whole story changed....they got in touch with someone down at Celebrity that was just awful. I tried to move my room to a lower category -- they charged me $700 more. Ok....will take my original room back. Then, they took away my free perk for booking onboard -- argh!!

I knew there was a promo code to mention while reading these boards...so this might help. I finally got the right pricing but not the room I had wanted and not the perk for booking onboard. At least my TA records all calls -- so they can hopefully get me what I was originally promised.

 

:mad:

[Iamthesea]

Hope it works out for you. I am currently in a similar situation and hope we do not have any problems. ;)

 

I got the biggest deal EVER on an existing booking yesterday! The cruise is for this October. Final payment not due until August 7th. We already had the All Inclusive (Beverage Package, Gratuities and $300 OBC from Celebrity.) Price for our AQ2 for 11 nights was $3314 pp. We had booked directly with Celebrity back in the fall of 2014. This is not an onboard booking. We were pleased with the rates and the perks.

 

Fast forward to a few days ago when I received an email from this TA that I have heard others talk about on this board. It's a well known online agency who's initials are the same as CC. In fact, CC sends out emails from them occasionally. In the email, our cruise was being advertised for $2809 pp PLUS the All Inclusive and an extra $100 in OBC. I couldn't believe it and thought it too good to be true because Celebrity was selling the same cabin category for $3499!

 

I called this TA to see if the deal was real. They said that it was. I told them that I already had the cruise booked thru Celebrity and that I would cancel with Celebrity and rebook with them (CC) because it was passed the 60 day mark. They told me that I didn't need to cancel and they would have the reservation transferred over. BUT, just in case, they would make me a new booking until Celebrity transferred over the them.

 

So, we are saving $1010 over our original rate, getting the Beverage package and Gratuities, plus getting another $100 ($400 total) in OBC. That extra savings will pay for a couple of excursions in London pre-cruise. If all goes well with the booking, I will be looking to transfer some other bookings to this TA.

 

 

I have received a confirmation of the new booking both from the TA and from Celebrity. I also received a notice from Celebrity that the transfer request is in the works and would take 5-7 days. On MY CELEBRITY, both reservations are showing. The old being the same while the new booking has a 24 hour hold message on the top of the page. It's been 96 hours since the booking was made. :rolleyes:

Edited June 27, 2015 by Iamthesea

[maxsales]

Unless it's changed, 123 go is a permanent perk of booking onboard, regardless of what the current promo is, so it should always retain unless you are switching to a sailing that it is excluded on.

 

123 does not apply to transatlantic or trans pacific cruises.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've always been able to transfer my onboard bookings and keep the bennies attached. Recently I tried to transfer a Canada/New England booking to a different sail date and Celebrity refused to transfer my onboard booking benefits. My travel agent talked to 3 different people at Celebrity and they all said no. I sent them my paperwork from booking on board which said that the booking was transferable and they still said no.

 

So do not assume that you can do this even if you have been able to do so in the past. Needless to say, this has left a very bad taste in my mouth after all my Celebrity cruises and I will be cancelling this particular cruise. Way to go, Celebrity! NOT!