Booking Next Cruise Onboard

[destination_sun]

This summer we'll be travelling to Alaska on our 1st cruise. We've chosen Celebrity & would like to build loyalty. I'm looking into booking a second cruise for Feb 2017. I' m wondering, is it better to book it now or wait until I'm onboard? What are the perks of onboard booking?

[clojacks]

This summer we'll be travelling to Alaska on our 1st cruise. We've chosen Celebrity & would like to build loyalty. I'm looking into booking a second cruise for Feb 2017. I' m wondering, is it better to book it now or wait until I'm onboard? What are the perks of onboard booking?

 

Something to consider....we just completed a Celebrity cruise and they were running a deal on board where the down payment you made on a future cruise could be applied to your current cruise in the form of an equal OBC. HOWEVER, when you do that, your deposit becomes non-refundable if you need to cancel the cruise you book and are unable to transfer it to another booking. We are running into a situation right now where one of the back to back cruises we just booked and received an OBC to use onboard for, has now been taken off the books by Celebrity. It appears they may be considering chartering it or booking a large group on it. In which case, if we can't find an alternative, it appears we are going to lose our deposit if we cancel even though we didn't do anything.

[az_tchr]

This summer we'll be travelling to Alaska on our 1st cruise. We've chosen Celebrity & would like to build loyalty. I'm looking into booking a second cruise for Feb 2017. I' m wondering, is it better to book it now or wait until I'm onboard? What are the perks of onboard booking?

 

Reduced deposit and additional OBC based on the category of your cabin and the length of your cruise. Worth doing. remember you get whatever perks are in effect at the time you book in addition to the OBC. Also take the OBC on your future cruise or your discount it already spent and would need to be repaid if you cancelled.

[Ex-vogue model]

We were on the Equinox last July and booked the 12 night Asia cruise for this Christmas whilst on board and got free wifi, free premium drinks package and 600.00 OBC so well worth seeing what you can get. [emoji12]

[Lastdance]

Something to consider....we just completed a Celebrity cruise and they were running a deal on board where the down payment you made on a future cruise could be applied to your current cruise in the form of an equal OBC. HOWEVER, when you do that, your deposit becomes non-refundable if you need to cancel the cruise you book and are unable to transfer it to another booking. We are running into a situation right now where one of the back to back cruises we just booked and received an OBC to use onboard for, has now been taken off the books by Celebrity. It appears they may be considering chartering it or booking a large group on it. In which case, if we can't find an alternative, it appears we are going to lose our deposit if we cancel even though we didn't do anything.

 

That is definitely something to think about when booking onboard; things happen in people/s lives that can't be helped. i will be extremely cautious when or if I book onboard this May...you just have to have a game plan with everything nowadays.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

You can also request that the on board credit be applied to the future cruise. That way the deposit is refundable.

[jagoffee]

You can also request that the on board credit be applied to the future cruise. That way the deposit is refundable.

 

Something to consider....we just completed a Celebrity cruise and they were running a deal on board where the down payment you made on a future cruise could be applied to your current cruise in the form of an equal OBC. HOWEVER, when you do that, your deposit becomes non-refundable if you need to cancel the cruise you book and are unable to transfer it to another booking. We are running into a situation right now where one of the back to back cruises we just booked and received an OBC to use onboard for, has now been taken off the books by Celebrity. It appears they may be considering chartering it or booking a large group on it. In which case, if we can't find an alternative, it appears we are going to lose our deposit if we cancel even though we didn't do anything.

 

 

Just trying to make you feel better and make sure the OP Does not misunderstand.

You do know that are not really losing your deposit? You already spent at least the deposit (and perhaps more) on your last cruise, so you have not lost anything. It is the same or even better than getting your deposit refunded.

 

Can you imagine if Celebrity allowed you to put down a deposit for a future cruise and allow you to take the OBC that you would earn on the current cruise and then allowed you to get a refund on that deposit in the future? Boy would that be an opportunity for us all to make easy money. (Assuming we had a balance due on our shipboard account)

[clojacks]

Just trying to make you feel better and make sure the OP Does not misunderstand.

You do know that are not really losing your deposit? You already spent at least the deposit (and perhaps more) on your last cruise, so you have not lost anything. It is the same or even better than getting your deposit refunded.

 

Can you imagine if Celebrity allowed you to put down a deposit for a future cruise and allow you to take the OBC that you would earn on the current cruise and then allowed you to get a refund on that deposit in the future? Boy would that be an opportunity for us all to make easy money. (Assuming we had a balance due on our shipboard account)

 

I totally understand the premise behind making the deposit on board for a future cruise and either saving the OBC to use on that future cruise or the current one. What I don't think is totally fair is turning the cruise I have booked into a charter or large group sailing AFTER I have booked it and forcing me to find an alternative sailing that I don't prefer in order to not forfeit my deposit. I just wanted to point out that booking on board DOES have an occasional drawback.

[jagoffee]

This summer we'll be travelling to Alaska on our 1st cruise. We've chosen Celebrity & would like to build loyalty. I'm looking into booking a second cruise for Feb 2017. I' m wondering, is it better to book it now or wait until I'm onboard? What are the perks of onboard booking?

 

As others have mention the advantage of booking on board is the lower deposit and an OBC. The OBC amount varies depending on the category of cabin and the length of the cruise. Somethings Celebrity will offer something else, but as mentioned be careful not to get this confused with the offers that might apply to the cruise no matter where it is booked.

 

Whether it is worth it to wait is a tougher call because Celebrity price might go up or the offers with the cruise might change. If the price goes up and the offers have less a value you would probably lose. You also might not get your first choice of cabins or categories.

 

2/17 will not be too far away when you take your Alaska cruise. Therefore I would not wait. You can always consider booking a 2018 on board. I would be concerned that the price would go up. Before I booked my last cruise for 2018 I booked it as soon as it was released. When I got on board in January they were offering the OBC and an additional benefit. I booked the same cruise again and then when I got home I moved out my original booking on the same cruise to a future date (I could have just cancelled it), so that I could retain my cabin choice.

I am assuming you are US based.

I hope this is not too confusing. If it is ask any questions.

The bottom line is I would not wait until this summer to book a 2/17 cruise since I am US based.

 

Welcome to Celebrity and enjoy your cruise.

[diesel1973]

On a RCCL cruise past Feb. we booked a Feb. 2017 10 day X cruise. They gave us $200 extra obc and only $100 pp deposit for booking onboard. With the special going on we got free grats. and another $300 obc. Our TA also gave us a nice rebate. We always try to book next cruise OB.

[jagoffee]

I totally understand the premise behind making the deposit on board for a future cruise and either saving the OBC to use on that future cruise or the current one. What I don't think is totally fair is turning the cruise I have booked into a charter or large group sailing AFTER I have booked it and forcing me to find an alternative sailing that I don't prefer in order to not forfeit my deposit. I just wanted to point out that booking on board DOES have an occasional drawback.

 

Good point about the charter/cancelled cruise. Since you can move it to any cruise at anytime in the future it seems fair on the surface. It certainly is the downside of using the OBC on the current cruise which I would never do anyway. Since you do not except to ever cruise on Celebrity again and they cancelled the cruise you have a point.

 

Just in case you have not thought of it you should move your booking to a future date and keep moving it so as not to forfeit the deposit until you are 100% certain that you will never cruise on Celebrity again. I assume you can do this on the on board bookings when you already spent the benefit, but I am not certain because I have never taken that option. It does not cost you anything.

 

Enjoy the part of the b2b that was not cancelled.

[bill_carole]

If you book on board, realize that if you wanr/need travel insurance, that the 2 week window to avoid cancellation of numerous elements (example - preexisting medical conditions) starts when you put down the deposit. It doesn't matter how far away the sailing is the cruise. The insurance has to be paid within 2 weeks of booking.