Booking On Board

[Banjo]

Recommendations:

 

Any advantages on booking on-board?

 

My wife and I were looking at future cruises this past weekend and one in So America caught our interest. The cruise is not till 2017. Today in my emails Celebrity sent out the "Summer Sales" with the 4 usual options of perks. Should I book it now or wait till I am on the Silhouette next week for a trans-Atlantic? Maybe they be offering some additional perks on board? Will they still be offering the "Summer Sales" next week? I booked before several times on board and assigned to my TA for the additional OBC. So that's not an issue.

 

Thanks, Alan aka Banjo

[Iamthesea]

The Summer Sale is good through May 1st, so I say wait to book onboard.

 

You will get an additional OBC for booking a cruise while onboard. ;)

Edited April 4, 2016 by Iamthesea

[eandj]

You really never know for sure if you are getting the best deal booking onboard. We prefer to book at home. Our long time agent does well for us, better than onboard for our chosen cruises.

There are success stories and some not so much. And with the way X is pricing cruises with "free " perks, you should go in with your eyes open....and a crystal ball.:D Good luck and have fun on your cruise.

[simon stingray]

Does anyone know how much OBC you receive for each category & length of sailing. I recall seeing a flyer posted with this info but cannot recall the details.

[morbihan]

Never doing it again.

 

Not spending time watching new deals, special perks, summer offers etc., ruin my life:D

 

We lose our deposit if we cancel.

 

(Last time we booked on board we were told we had free gratuities as they were added to the price??? I told them they were a stingy bunch)

 

Last minute now. I don't mind if the balcony is a centimetre smaller, I will take the remaining cabin or use another line. Just need a bed, a bathroom and a drinks package.

[az_tchr]

You really never know for sure if you are getting the best deal booking onboard. We prefer to book at home. Our long time agent does well for us, better than onboard for our chosen cruises.

There are success stories and some not so much. And with the way X is pricing cruises with "free " perks, you should go in with your eyes open....and a crystal ball.:D Good luck and have fun on your cruise.

 

Your plan is great for you. The maximum "perk" is to book on board - there is always some additional OBC offered above anything anyplace else - and then transfer to your TA. Am sure your TA provides you extras - mine does too - but booking on board always adds a bit of something extra.

 

Also remember the best deals are always for people booking an unpopular cruise just after final payment date. Oh yeah, you never know if that will happen in the future.

[pete_coach]

You really never know for sure if you are getting the best deal booking onboard. We prefer to book at home. Our long time agent does well for us, better than onboard for our chosen cruises.

There are success stories and some not so much. And with the way X is pricing cruises with "free " perks, you should go in with your eyes open....and a crystal ball.:D Good luck and have fun on your cruise.

I agree with this.

We sat with an "agent" on board just recently and the pressure to book is quite high....sometime intense.

We were not sure whether the deal was good or not because you have nothing to compare it with.

I would not book onboard. I think the deals online or from a travel agent are equally as good, if not better, and not the pressure to buy right away.

[MR_T]

I think as long as you know what you want to book and have done your planning and know what all the deals available are then it makes sense to book onboard and get the extra OBC that comes with booking onboard!

 

If you use an agent then simple get it transferred to your agent and get the extras that come with doing that,

 

When we was onboard in March the offer was the same that was online but for a suite booking you got all 4 perks included for the price of one, and 2 perks for the price of one for other grades (except inside) up to April 2018 (only April 2017 online) so for anyone looking to book a suite this would be a great reason to book onboard, I believe it's been extended and still current!

 

 

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Edited April 4, 2016 by MR_T

[MR_T]

 

 

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[simon stingray]

 

 

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That's exactly what I was looking for-cheers.

[az_tchr]

I agree with this.

We sat with an "agent" on board just recently and the pressure to book is quite high....sometime intense.

We were not sure whether the deal was good or not because you have nothing to compare it with.

I would not book onboard. I think the deals online or from a travel agent are equally as good, if not better, and not the pressure to buy right away.

 

Isn't the "price" the same everywhere? If you do a tiny bit of research before boarding you will already know the best price. If you are unsure call your TA - I do before my cruise - and ask their "deal". A TA can offer additional perks, but cannot discount the cruise itself - not allowed as an agent. Ask your TA and am positive they will say they cannot offer the OBC for on board booking but everything else the same. Book on board, transfer and voila you have the best deal possible at that moment. deals, prices and promotions change as time moves on.

 

If this seems uncomfortable then try this. Go down and get a price and a 24 hour hold while on board. Then email your TA.

[Iamthesea]

Are those updated brochures? The date indicated says through March, 2016?

Things may have changed this month.

[MR_T]

Are those updated brochures? The date indicated says through March, 2016?

 

Things may have changed this month.

 

 

They are from our March cruise but someone onboard currently said the deal was still in place for April... I guess they have them and potentially change monthly...

 

 

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[heidikay]

My agent said the best deal is to book on board and then to transfer the booking.

 

I think book on board.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

We have booked the majority of our cruises while on board.

 

We like it because when you are cruising, you're full of cruising 'piss & vinegar' and your're in the mood to look at the big glossy brochures (that you never get in the mail anymore). Also, the agents can quickly find B2B itineraries that fit your schedule & budget.

 

Book appointments early so you are not caught up in the big rush towards the end of a cruise. Before we even go to the buffet for lunch on boarding day, we go and put our names on the sign-up list.

 

But...a good TA can probably score you maybe lower prices and better OBC.

[Banjo]

Mr T, what you posted I rec'd in a email from Celebrity this morning.

 

Thanks to all far all your responses. I plan to just wait a week and just book on-board.

 

Banjo

[Banjo]

Well this is making the decision easy.

 

Just got a Celebrity e-mail stating "Get up to $500 to spend on your cruise cruise by booking your next one on board".

 

Since only getting $100 OBC from the TA and no other perks on this trans-Atlantic cruise, this will come in handy.

[ThursdaysChild]

Well this is making the decision easy.

 

Just got a Celebrity e-mail stating "Get up to $500 to spend on your cruise cruise by booking your next one on board".

 

Since only getting $100 OBC from the TA and no other perks on this trans-Atlantic cruise, this will come in handy.

 

Hi, you do realize that the OBC you get back on this cruise is the amount of the deposit you put on a booked cruise, right? So you are not getting something for nothing as far as that "up to $500 to spend on this cruise". You still need to put an equivalent amount on your credit card as a deposit on an upcoming cruise. And if you cancel that cruise, there is no deposit to refund.

[Banjo]

Hi, you do realize that the OBC you get back on this cruise is the amount of the deposit you put on a booked cruise, right? So you are not getting something for nothing as far as that "up to $500 to spend on this cruise". You still need to put an equivalent amount on your credit card as a deposit on an upcoming cruise. And if you cancel that cruise, there is no deposit to refund.

 

That's a good point. I was talking with my wife about that and I wondered if folks would cancel a planned upcoming cruise and re-book on board just to get the OBC.

 

It does kind of bother me being that the cruise I am interested in is a year and half away. We could change our mind or something could come up. I wonder if it possible to transfer deposits to another cruise? I will have to ask that.

 

Concerning high or low deposits, I never see that as a deal maker or deal breaker. I always looked at it as 'pay me now' or 'pay me later'.

 

BTW Thursday Child, that's a great looking dog.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Banjo

[killsport]

Here's what I did last week when on the Silhouette...

Prior to boarding, had booked a single cabin on a cruise for 2017. We had a group rate, $300 OBC, bev package, plus $75 OBC from the TA.

Spoke to my TA about onboard booking (he spent 15 mins in the phone going over all the possibilities). When on board, I booked the same cruise (diff cabin just in case) with a second reservation. That required me to pay a non-group rate and got the $300 OBC, bev package, plus $150 OBC for booking on board. I then had my travel agent "convert the booking" so I got the original (lower) group rate, $300 OBC, $150 on board booking OBC, $75 TA OBC, and the bev package.

I strongly recommend talking to your TA before going so you know all the parameters. For example, I didn't do this for a Dec 2016 cruise I had booked because there was no more group space so the group rate would not have been able to be used. The higher rate did not make sense even with the additional $150 OBC.

[killsport]

I forget to mention, since I postponed the OBC for the future cruise, everything is fully cancellable and refundable. Note: US citizen, since squirrelly rules apply in other locales.

[two_n_six]

 

 

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I am in the UK and made 2 onboard bookings in October using this deal. Does anyone know if I can change one of the bookings to a different celebrity cruise without losing my OBC and drinks package. The drinks package would not matter as it is available on other cruises.

[Airportlimbo]

Does anyone know if the Panama Canal cruise from Valparaiso to Miami is considered a repositioning cruise? And thereby exclude it from some of the benefits of booking onboard?

[donaldsc]

Usually lower deposit and some OBC. The booking gets automatically transferred to our very excellent travel agent.

 

DON

[Newbury newbie]

I am in the UK and made 2 onboard bookings in October using this deal. Does anyone know if I can change one of the bookings to a different celebrity cruise without losing my OBC and drinks package. The drinks package would not matter as it is available on other cruises.

 

Yes you can definitely change to another X cruise itinerary and/or ship and retain your current perks.