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Can Someone Explaine the "New" Next Cruise Program

nomoreknothead

By nomoreknothead,
in Royal Caribbean International

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cruisenfever

cruisenfever

Posted
Posted
I have purchased the old "NEXT" cruise certificates in the past while onboard a cruise, If I didn't know exactly what cruise or when I was going to cruise. I've been told that the whole program has changed and not for the better.

 

Can someone explain how it works now????

Effective March 6, 2015, Royal Caribbean has changed its onboard re-booking program, NextCruise, once again to offer the bonus on the cruise you are currently on instead of the future cruise.

 

Under the new terms of NextCruise, when you book a specific sailing while onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, the onboard credit amount you are entitled to will be added to your SeaPass account on the sailing you are on. Under the old program, the bonus was applied to your onboard account when you took the upcoming cruise.

 

This change only affects cruises you book that have a specific sail date. The open booking option will not change with this program.

 

The deposit will be nonrefundable and will be equal to the amount of onboard credit you get. However, if you elect to have the OBC applied to the new booking, it makes your deposit completely refundable

 

The amount of onboard credit you will receive is as follows:

 

•5-7 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $50

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $100

◦Grand Suite and above: $200

 

•8-10 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $100

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $150

◦Grand Suite and above: $300

 

•11-14 night cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $150

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $200

◦Grand Suite and above: $400

 

•15 nights or longer cruises

◦Interior/Oceanview: $200

◦Balcony/Junior Suite: $250

◦Grand Suite and above: $500

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effective March 15, 2014, the new OBC amounts when creating an Open Booking on board (formerly known as a NextCruise booking). OBC is per cabin. Deposit is still $100pp.

 

Length of Cruise

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

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whitshel "Live from...." Rare

whitshel

Posted
Posted

We took the OBC on the current cruise and we're told that we could switch sailing dates or ships as much as we wanted before final payment. And we have switched once, plus it was too celebrity and they allowed it. I love the new program. I used to have to plunk down $1000 for 2 cabins for a deposit, booking on board cost me $200 total for 4 people in 2 cabins. Plus $200 in obc, no brainer for me, especially if I have a balance on my seapass card. It's like booking for no deposit.

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Big_G

Big_G

Posted
Posted
So not worth it! It has become a disappointing program in my eyes. I will hold my own money until I am ready to book.

 

We don't do open bookings anymore because of the changes but we usually have an idea what our next cruise will be so the next cruise works for us.

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BobbyD

BobbyD

Posted
Posted
So it sounds like you can have the OBC applied to either the current sailing that you're on or the cruise that you've booked. Is that right?

 

Correct. If you apply the OBC to a future cruise, you may cancel that cruise at no penalty prior to final payment. $100 deposit for a balcony and $100 OBC. I think it is a great deal. Plus, your booking can be transferred to a TA for any additional perks your TA might offer. I can't think of any negative for us. I'm sure that others may!

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CVU

CVU

Posted
Posted (edited)
So not worth it! It has become a disappointing program in my eyes. I will hold my own money until I am ready to book.

But you only pay $100 deposit each-- for those like us that book year or more in advance, with more than one booking, having that amount is a lot better than the required larger Deposit.:) Sometimes we are waiting for a new itinerary or ship and this is perfect when not on board to book from home.

Edited by CVU
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cruisenfever

cruisenfever

Posted
Posted (edited)
Correct. If you apply the OBC to a future cruise, you may cancel that cruise at no penalty prior to final payment. $100 deposit for a balcony and $100 OBC. I think it is a great deal. Plus, your booking can be transferred to a TA for any additional perks your TA might offer. I can't think of any negative for us. I'm sure that others may!

When creating an Open Booking (no ship/sail date/itinerary and good indefinitely) your deposit is $100pp but the OBC is less and your deposit is non-refundable.

 

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

If you book a NextCruise (specific ship/date/itinerary) the deposit will depend on the type of cabin plus number of days (See my Post #4 above). Your OBC will be the same as your deposit and you have the option of using the OBC on the cruise you are currently on or applying the OBC to the newly booked cruise.

 

If you take the OBC on the cruise you are on, then your deposit becomes non-refundable, but you can change your booking as many times as you want prior to final payment. If you elect to have the OBC applied to the newly booked cruise, then your deposit is completely refundable, but you can only make 1 change prior to final payment.

Edited by cruisenfever
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molly361

molly361

Posted
Posted
When creating an Open Booking (no ship/sail date/itinerary and good indefinitely) your deposit is $100pp but the OBC is less and your deposit is non-refundable.

 

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

If you book a NextCruise (specific ship/date/itinerary) the deposit will depend on the type of cabin plus number of days (See my Post #4 above). Your OBC will be the same as your deposit and you have the option of using the OBC on the cruise you are currently on or applying the OBC to the newly booked cruise.

 

If you take the OBC on the cruise you are on, then your deposit becomes non-refundable, but you can change your booking as many times as you want prior to final payment. If you elect to have the OBC applied to the newly booked cruise, then your deposit is completely refundable, but you can only make 1 change prior to final payment.

 

I was just coming to post that if you pick the OBC later the jury is still out on how many times you can change it. I have made 2 changes without penalty but the first agent I spoke with did not want to make the second one without downgrading my OBC

 

I was told onboard that you can change the OBC later bookings as many times as you want but according to their website that is not the case. I think I was given incorrect info (I know, hard to believe, right:rolleyes:)

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garnetpalmetto

garnetpalmetto

Posted
Posted
When creating an Open Booking (no ship/sail date/itinerary and good indefinitely) your deposit is $100pp but the OBC is less and your deposit is non-refundable.

 

5-7 days ........... $25

8-10 days ......... $50

11-14 days........ $75

15 + days...........$100

If you book a NextCruise (specific ship/date/itinerary) the deposit will depend on the type of cabin plus number of days (See my Post #4 above). Your OBC will be the same as your deposit and you have the option of using the OBC on the cruise you are currently on or applying the OBC to the newly booked cruise.

 

If you take the OBC on the cruise you are on, then your deposit becomes non-refundable, but you can change your booking as many times as you want prior to final payment. If you elect to have the OBC applied to the newly booked cruise, then your deposit is completely refundable, but you can only make 1 change prior to final payment.

 

But if you book that open sailing and then take it back to your travel agent to create a specific reservation, isn't that OBC amount from Royal combinable with whatever onboard credit they might have for you?

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cruisenfever

cruisenfever

Posted
Posted
But if you book that open sailing and then take it back to your travel agent to create a specific reservation, isn't that OBC amount from Royal combinable with whatever onboard credit they might have for you?

Yes it is. I was just pointing out that the amount of OBC earned when booking a non-specific cruise has deceased since March of 2014. OBC used to be:

 

$25 for sailings of 3-5 nights

$100 for sailings of 6-9 nights

$150 for sailings of 10-14 nights

$200 for sailings of 15+ nights

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whitshel "Live from...." Rare

whitshel

Posted
Posted
But you only pay $100 deposit each-- for those like us that book year or more in advance, with more than one booking, having that amount is a lot better than the required larger Deposit.:) Sometimes we are waiting for a new itinerary or ship and this is perfect when not on board to book from home.

 

Yay! somebody finally gets me! I dont have to tie up a ton of money and can change the cruise as many times as I want! Absolutely a no brainer! :D

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Big_G

Big_G

Posted
Posted
Yes it is. I was just pointing out that the amount of OBC earned when booking a non-specific cruise has deceased since March of 2014. OBC used to be:

 

$25 for sailings of 3-5 nights

$100 for sailings of 6-9 nights

$150 for sailings of 10-14 nights

$200 for sailings of 15+ nights

 

Freudian slip? ;)

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Clarea

Clarea

Posted
Posted
...I was told onboard that you can change the OBC later bookings as many times as you want but according to their website that is not the case. I think I was given incorrect info (I know, hard to believe, right:rolleyes:)

It's so frustrating trying to get correct info. Yesterday I was on Oasis and was that if I made one change to a booking with the OBC on the future cruise, the OBC would be reduced to that of an open booking.

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molly361

molly361

Posted
Posted (edited)
It's so frustrating trying to get correct info. Yesterday I was on Oasis and was that if I made one change to a booking with the OBC on the future cruise, the OBC would be reduced to that of an open booking.

 

Welcome back!! Yes it is. I even booked a couple of cruises knowing I was not going to take them as the LA was encouraging that telling me that they could be changed with no limits (OBC taken cruise cruise).

 

Guess I will see what happens next year when the new sailings come out and I try to move them.

Edited by molly361
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