Can Someone Explaine the "New" Next Cruise Program

[nomoreknothead]

Thanks Everyone for the comments & explanations .......

 

 

If I'm thinking correctly based on what you've all said it would be best for us to go ahead and book a specific cruise. Then change the date when we find the exact cruise we want! Should we take the OBC for the cruise we are on??? or leave it for the new cruise??? Still confused :confused::confused:

 

Example: We would like to go out of New Jersey and do a cruise up to Canada but we are not exactly sure what date or even if the bookings have been released yet for our time period ( thinking maybe 2017 )

[Clarea]

... Should we take the OBC for the cruise we are on??? or leave it for the new cruise??? ...

That's up to you. If you might change (and Royal allows the change) to a cruise with more OBC (better stateroom and/or longer), then I'd take the OBC on the future cruise. Otherwise, if you can use the OBC on the present cruise, I'd take it then.

[nomoreknothead]

That's up to you. If you might change (and Royal allows the change) to a cruise with more OBC (better stateroom and/or longer), then I'd take the OBC on the future cruise. Otherwise, if you can use the OBC on the present cruise, I'd take it then.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Clear as Mud :D I love Royal !!!!

[Josie2]

My brother is currently onboard and I got an email copy of confirmation of a future open booking. Looks like he paid $558 deposit per cabin ( yes we had agreed prior!) and its non refundable. I guess this means he took the obc for his current sailing on our future room ....hmmmmm. [emoji57]

[cruisenfever]

My brother is currently onboard and I got an email copy of confirmation of a future open booking. Looks like he paid $558 deposit per cabin ( yes we had agreed prior!) and its non refundable. I guess this means he took the obc for his current sailing on our future room ....hmmmmm. [emoji57]

$558 seems like a very odd deposit. Did he book a specific cruise? An Open Booking should have been $100pp with no OBC until it has been converted to a specific cruise.

 

Here is a breakdown of deposit and OBC when booking a specific cruise on board now. Deposit and OBC are per cabin and not per person:

 

•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

Edited October 26, 2015 by cruisenfever

[Josie2]

I guess this is OBC. I should have specified we are booked in CDN $$.

[EmpressofPurple]

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.

 

Yes, beware... I left my OBC on the "future cruise" which I had to change (just once, and I, too, had been assured by the LA when I purchased that I would be able to change it "without penalty")... but because I moved it to a low-rate solo booking, RCI dropped my OBC from $150 for the 11-14 nights for an interior to $60:eek: -- no amount of contact with C&A encouraged them to increase that at all... my only guess on this new amount was they dropped it to the "nextcruise" rate of $75 and then reduced that further because of my low solo rate... (frankly I'm still enraged about this).

 

My TA suggested that it might be wise to use the new "OBC now" option, because even though the deposit becomes non-refundable, at least I'm sure of what OBC I'm getting!!! And as others have noted, you can move and move that non-refundable, no-OBC booking as many times as you want.

 

Hmmm. This might be the new way to go with this. Book a longer specific cruise, take the larger OBC on the current cruise, then move the booking as needed.

[AndyT3]

I've read some differing information around the web, and I just want to make sure I understand this completely.

 

So lets say that next year on my Anthem cruise, I book another cruise for the following year while on board. Say, I choose a specific sailing, and a balcony cabin. Therefore, from what I understand, I would have to pay a $100 deposit on this room. Then I would have the choice of getting $100 OBC for my current sailing, or toward my future cruise.

 

Did I get that all right? Or, will it be a $200 deposit ($100pp) and only a $25 OBC under the new policy?

Edited October 26, 2015 by AndyT3

[Clarea]

I've read some differing information around the web, and I just want to make sure I understand this completely.

 

So lets say that next year on my Anthem cruise, I book another cruise for the following year while on board. Say, I choose a specific sailing, and a balcony cabin. Therefore, from what I understand, I would have to pay a $100 deposit on this room. Then I would have the choice of getting $100 OBC for my current sailing, or toward my future cruise.

 

Did I get that all right?

Correct.

[cruisenfever]

I've read some differing information around the web, and I just want to make sure I understand this completely.

 

So lets say that next year on my Anthem cruise, I book another cruise for the following year while on board. Say, I choose a specific sailing, and a balcony cabin. Therefore, from what I understand, I would have to pay a $100 deposit on this room. Then I would have the choice of getting $100 OBC for my current sailing, or toward my future cruise.

 

Did I get that all right?

Yes. By applying the OBC to the cruise you are on makes the deposit non-refundable, but you can move that booking umpteen times!! If you apply the OBC to the newly booked cruise, then your deposit is refundable, but you can only make one change to it.

[AndyT3]

Thank you!!

[kearney]

My husband and I have not taken advantage of this program. I am very frugal and I tend to track prices for an itinerary I am interested in and then book when I see the price below a certain target. We often book a cruise only a month or two before sailing. We are retired so we are flexible on time and tight on $. I do not see pricing discussed on this program. Is there a way I can take advantage of a sale I find now and when I get on board, somehow convert the booking on the new cruise to the next cruise deal? My fear is that I will miss a good deal (saving hundreds) if I wait with booking the next cruise until I am on the ship(saving $100). I hope you can follow my points....

[Clarea]

My husband and I have not taken advantage of this program. I am very frugal and I tend to track prices for an itinerary I am interested in and then book when I see the price below a certain target. We often book a cruise only a month or two before sailing. We are retired so we are flexible on time and tight on $. I do not see pricing discussed on this program. Is there a way I can take advantage of a sale I find now and when I get on board, somehow convert the booking on the new cruise to the next cruise deal? My fear is that I will miss a good deal (saving hundreds) if I wait with booking the next cruise until I am on the ship(saving $100). I hope you can follow my points....

The only way would be to cancel and rebook.

 

If you do this, you would be booking at current pricing and current promos.

[psupa]

What they don't tell you is that you cannot use your TAs group rate on an open booking and I get a much better price using my TA. I no longer purchase these even for the OBC because it's not worth the aggravation

[wowprincess]

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.

 

We have done the same thing - booked a cruise we knew we wouldn't take because the one we wanted was out yet. Once it was, we called, make one change to the right cruise sailing and we kept our OBC. We've done this twice now on two different cruises (and bookings). Both times reps confirmed we could make the one change.

[dd likes to cruise]

Last Dec we booked while on a cruise and received 300 OBC for the new cruise and OBC for the cruise we were on too. I believe it was 200.00. Can't locate that receipt right now. As soon as we got home we saw a small price difference and I called and received an OBC for that amount also. We had been on a 9 night cruise and our new one is 10 (7 day cruise and 3 land days Alaska), in case those things make a difference.

[gaylemh]

Yes, beware... I left my OBC on the "future cruise" which I had to change (just once, and I, too, had been assured by the LA when I purchased that I would be able to change it "without penalty")... but because I moved it to a low-rate solo booking, RCI dropped my OBC from $150 for the 11-14 nights for an interior to $60:eek: -- no amount of contact with C&A encouraged them to increase that at all... my only guess on this new amount was they dropped it to the "nextcruise" rate of $75 and then reduced that further because of my low solo rate... (frankly I'm still enraged about this).

 

My TA suggested that it might be wise to use the new "OBC now" option, because even though the deposit becomes non-refundable, at least I'm sure of what OBC I'm getting!!! And as others have noted, you can move and move that non-refundable, no-OBC booking as many times as you want.

 

Hmmm. This might be the new way to go with this. Book a longer specific cruise, take the larger OBC on the current cruise, then move the booking as needed.

 

The OBC for solo balcony cabins on Anthem is actually half. (only $100 for a 12 night balcony cabin) I have also booked a 12 night onboard and then switched it to a 7 night, the OBC was adjusted to the lower 7 night OBC.