Booking a Future Cruise

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

I have read many times that there is an advantage of booking while on board for a future cruise? How do you know? Do you do a search for various travel sites to see what the cabin rates are for a targeted cruise that your looking at?

 

My reason for asking is that my current booking for the K'dam in Feburary is MUCH cheaper for a Vista Suite than what can be found on the HAL website. I realize prices go up and down......thats how the market works. The promise for a couple hundred dollars OBC doesn't even come close to what the difference is between what I paid vs. what is currently the going offers.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

dave

[cabinluvn]

We booked two cruises during our Panama Canal cruise in January. I checked with my TA what deal she could give me and then checked with the FCC on board. We were able to get a cabin not available to my TA to book. Also got double OBC from our FCD and a price lower than the price thenTA gave us. We then transferred the booking to our TA and she gave us her deal on top of the discounted price the FCC gave us. We will be trying to do this for any future cruises

 

 

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[mef_57]

I have read many times that there is an advantage of booking while on board for a future cruise? How do you know? Do you do a search for various travel sites to see what the cabin rates are for a targeted cruise that your looking at?

 

My reason for asking is that my current booking for the K'dam in Feburary is MUCH cheaper for a Vista Suite than what can be found on the HAL website. I realize prices go up and down......thats how the market works. The promise for a couple hundred dollars OBC doesn't even come close to what the difference is between what I paid vs. what is currently the going offers.

 

Thanks for your input.

dave

Maybe I'm too new Dave, but it isn't clear to me. Where did you book your current K'dam cruise from? On board, or some 'other' site.

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Maybe I'm too new Dave, but it isn't clear to me. Where did you book your current K'dam cruise from? On board, or some 'other' site.

 

Hi Mef, I booked the K'dam in mid February before all the current "sales" that are being offered on a major warehouse travel site. I paid $1300/person for a Vista, ever since March its 2000/person. I got lucky I guess. But thats why I ask the question......how do I know I am getting a good deal for an on board booking? When I go on vacation, I don't buy the internet package.....I'm on vacation and the last thing I want to do is try to figure out whether or not a good deal is to be had.

 

dave

[mef_57]

Hi Mef, I booked the K'dam in mid February before all the current "sales" that are being offered on a major warehouse travel site. I paid $1300/person for a Vista, ever since March its 2000/person. I got lucky I guess. But thats why I ask the question......how do I know I am getting a good deal for an on board booking? When I go on vacation, I don't buy the internet package.....I'm on vacation and the last thing I want to do is try to figure out whether or not a good deal is to be had.

 

dave

Thanks for clarifying. I'm with you. No on board internet for me either. I guess you need to shop ahead of time for itinerary of interest and compare to what is offered on board.

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Thanks for clarifying. I'm with you. No on board internet for me either. I guess you need to shop ahead of time for itinerary of interest and compare to what is offered on board.

 

Mef - I am a planner. That is my one of my personality traits. Whether its shopping on line or planning a vacation.......I make a decision on the purchase and then I wait. And sometimes......wait and wait and wait. Sometimes I miss, but often I win. For example, I am planning my clothes for next February already......and yeah, thats crazy. But I am already looking for that steal that I can get on line. I consider it a challenge!

[alwaysfrantic]

Is it no longer possible to buy what I read here was "a future cruise credit?" I thought that deposit could be paid and the credits would apply for a future cruise to be booked later if you didn't have one in mind at the time

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Or at the least buy a F C D

[cbr663]

The advantage to booking on the ship is cabin location. The Future Cruise Consultant onboard has access to all cabins if you are looking for a specific cabin.

 

Price wise there is a disadvantage to booking while on the ship. Every time that we have checked the prices have always been the same as those posted on HAL's website.

 

In addition, within 2-3 weeks of returning from your cruise, you will generally receive an email with a promo code for OBC if you book another cruise within a specific time period. You can then use this promo code to book your next cruise.

 

We generally purchase a Future Cruise Deposit while onboard, which has with it OBC. Once we receive the promo email mentioned above, we go ahead and book a future cruise using it and the future cruise deposit. This means we receive two OBCs.

 

After the cruise is booked, we then transfer the booking to our TA who also gives us OBC.

[RocketMan275]

Hi Mef, I booked the K'dam in mid February before all the current "sales" that are being offered on a major warehouse travel site. I paid $1300/person for a Vista, ever since March its 2000/person. I got lucky I guess. But thats why I ask the question......how do I know I am getting a good deal for an on board booking? When I go on vacation, I don't buy the internet package.....I'm on vacation and the last thing I want to do is try to figure out whether or not a good deal is to be had.

 

dave

 

You don't have to figure anything out while you're on the cruise. Go ahead and book the cruise on board. Most TA will allow you to transfer the booking to themselves and usually will offer obc or a discount in addition to the on-board promo. (I've not tried to transfer a booking to the warehouse so I don't know if you can transfer the booking to them.) In any event, after your cruise you can compare the on-board booking with the warehouse offers. If the warehouse beats the on-board, transfer or cancel the on-board booking. If the on-board booking beats the warehouse, keep it.

 

It's a trivial process to transfer a booking to a TA. Just call the TA to verify they will take it, then call the cruise line and request a transfer. You'll need the name of the TA and their phone number to complete the transaction. I think you need to complete the process in 60 days after the booking date.

[cabinluvn]

When we booked onboard the FCC saw that we have used a certain TA and asked did we want the booking transferred to her. We said yes and it was done

 

 

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