Booking next cruise onboard

[agracia1]

We have been sailing in mid March (spring break) last few years , as we get ready for upcoming trip we started to look at next year's cruise. We have booked twice while onboard to take advantage of $100pp deposit but both times we found better deals before final payment..2016 cruise was cheaper by $1000 total and 2017 free HSC for 2, beverage card and OBC.

In your experience is it better to book the next cruise onboard or wait for a sale?

Thanks

Adriana

 

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[POA1]

We buy a future cruise credit onboard and then book the cruise later. You'll still get the OBC. You'll also get an offer with more OBC if you book within a month or two of getting home. HAL will send you an email with the offer code.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In all the years that we have sailed with HAL, years ago we got the "welcome home" e-mail -- put no promo codes.

Then for several years we didn't even get the "welcome home" e-mail.

About 2 years ago we suddenly got the "welcome home" e-mail and there was a promo code.

So you never know if you will get one or not.

[RocketMan275]

We have been sailing in mid March (spring break) last few years , as we get ready for upcoming trip we started to look at next year's cruise. We have booked twice while onboard to take advantage of $100pp deposit but both times we found better deals before final payment..2016 cruise was cheaper by $1000 total and 2017 free HSC for 2, beverage card and OBC.

In your experience is it better to book the next cruise onboard or wait for a sale?

Thanks

Adriana

 

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It's been my experience that it doesn't matter too much. After all, if a sale comes along, you can always get the better price by calling your TA or PCC or even Holland.

[DaveOKC]

We buy a future cruise credit onboard and then book the cruise later. You'll still get the OBC. You'll also get an offer with more OBC if you book within a month or two of getting home. HAL will send you an email with the offer code.

 

 

This is our approach as well. Even if you do not get the "Thank you for sailing with us" email which doubles your OBC from the future cruise deposit, just tell your TA to use promo code ZPM and you will get the OBC. You have to book with 2 months of returning from your last cruise however (of course if you book onboard you will already have done this and gotten the same total amount of OBC.

 

This way we do not waste time while onboard worrying about booking a cruise and have plenty of time after we get home to find and book a deal.

[agracia1]

Thank you guys! Sounds like a better option to buy future cruise credit and booked later..

 

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[POA1]

Thank you guys! Sounds like a better option to buy future cruise credit and booked later..

 

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We avoided buying future cruises for years until some other passengers, whom we met at the Lido pool bar told us that we could just buy credits. Apparently we weren't paying attention for the first 20 years of cruising. Everyone laments the loss of librarians, but we found that the bars are the best sources for learning. ;)

[kazu]

LOL on the bars being the best source of learning POA1.

 

That, and CC members on board.

 

I have heard of too many misinformation/incorrect information on board from some Future Cruise Consultants. I actually got some incorrect info once and that settled it for me long ago.

 

I go the Future Cruise Deposit way. We get the credit and the ZPM if we book in the allotted time and we can choose our cruise in our own time when it suits. ;)

[Skipper's Mom]

We booked on board last December 2016. The nitwit future cruise consultant failed to inform us that our deposit was nonrefundable(!) or that we needed to purchase insurance at that time!!

 

Lesson learned. We will only purchase FCC on board and book another cruise after we get home.

 

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[cabinluvn]

We don't waste our time waiting to talk to the FCC onboard. We drop off a future cruise deposit form off and then call our HAL PCC. We get the welcome back and the best deal available. Can always transfer to a big box agency before final payment

 

 

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[POA1]

We use a travel agent. We send him the FCC confirmation email from HAL and he books it from there. We get a better rate, all the OBC and we don't have to buy our insurance until final payment.

[easyboy]

We avoided buying future cruises for years until some other passengers, whom we met at the Lido pool bar told us that we could just buy credits. Apparently we weren't paying attention for the first 20 years of cruising. Everyone laments the loss of librarians, but we found that the bars are the best sources for learning. ;)

 

 

Absolutely agree!

 

We just buy FCDs and book later.

[doone]

We use a travel agent. We send him the FCC confirmation email from HAL and he books it from there. We get a better rate, all the OBC and we don't have to buy our insurance until final payment.

 

 

I have a group of 15-20 cruising in 2019, my cruise next month I am planning to purchase a future cruise credit for everyone. My question if anyone knows is can I purchase these future cruise credit for everyone in my party? I am thinking I can but thought I would throw the question out......thanks.

[kazu]

I have a group of 15-20 cruising in 2019, my cruise next month I am planning to purchase a future cruise credit for everyone. My question if anyone knows is can I purchase these future cruise credit for everyone in my party? I am thinking I can but thought I would throw the question out......thanks.

 

My understanding is as long as you have their names (as registered with HAL) and their Mariner numbers, you can purchase them. I know people have purchased for others in the past.

 

I don't know what they would say about 15-20 but it has certainly been done and I have asked on board on behalf of others in the past ;)

[doone]

Great thanks so much, that's very helpful.

[DaveOKC]

Looks like many of us purchase the FCD instead of booking onboard!

 

A note to anyone who is new to these Future Cruise Deposits - lately the onboard cruise consultants have been trying to discourage people from buying them in two ways:

 

1) putting out a flyer showing how you get a better deal (more OBC) by booking through them. This is partially true, but if you use promo ZPM and book within 60 days of arriving home it is not true as you end up with the same amount of OBC. Lets just say that they are not telling you the whole story.....

 

2) some (not all) of them refuse to give you the FCD form when you ask them for it. They tell you that it will be sent to your cabin later in the cruise. They do send it out, but normally this is very late in the cruise and thus if you have a problem or question, it is difficult to get it resolved in time. This happened to me about a year ago - I wanted TWO FCDs for each of us and they only gave us one. So, I had to run down the consultant on the last day (hard to do) and get it fixed.

 

Just a heads up.

[RocketMan275]

Looks like many of us purchase the FCD instead of booking onboard!

 

A note to anyone who is new to these Future Cruise Deposits - lately the onboard cruise consultants have been trying to discourage people from buying them in two ways:

 

1) putting out a flyer showing how you get a better deal (more OBC) by booking through them. This is partially true, but if you use promo ZPM and book within 60 days of arriving home it is not true as you end up with the same amount of OBC. Lets just say that they are not telling you the whole story.....

 

2) some (not all) of them refuse to give you the FCD form when you ask them for it. They tell you that it will be sent to your cabin later in the cruise. They do send it out, but normally this is very late in the cruise and thus if you have a problem or question, it is difficult to get it resolved in time. This happened to me about a year ago - I wanted TWO FCDs for each of us and they only gave us one. So, I had to run down the consultant on the last day (hard to do) and get it fixed.

 

Just a heads up.

 

 

Interesting. Last March on Westy, there was a large stack of those forms available for pick up. You didn't even have to talk to the consultant. Just grab one/two, fill them out, and turn them in. We got a confirmation the next day.

 

We did get the flyer and you correctly point out that it didn't, IIRC, mention the ZPM.

 

I have 'heard' that some PCC will add the ZPM regardless of whether it is in the 60 day window. It certainly pays to ask.

[DaveOKC]

Interesting. Last March on Westy, there was a large stack of those forms available for pick up. You didn't even have to talk to the consultant. Just grab one/two, fill them out, and turn them in. We got a confirmation the next day.

 

We did get the flyer and you correctly point out that it didn't, IIRC, mention the ZPM.

 

I have 'heard' that some PCC will add the ZPM regardless of whether it is in the 60 day window. It certainly pays to ask.

 

 

Of our last 4 cruises (2 years) three we had to ask for the forms and were given a polite "brush off". On one cruise the forms were out on the desk and handled just like in the past (processed immediately).

 

I have reported this situation to HAL through my PCC, but it does not seem to do much good. Now if others were to complain as well, perhaps they would pay attention.

[Appalachian Mountain Mama]

The Mariner number is required? I had hoped to purchase FCD as a gift for my daughter and son in law. Daughter and I have decided that might be the only way to pry the man away from work! If it's a gift he'll feel obligated to use it... we are sure that once we actually get him on a ship he'll be hooked, it's getting him on the first one that is proving tricky![emoji14]

 

 

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[RocketMan275]

Of our last 4 cruises (2 years) three we had to ask for the forms and were given a polite "brush off". On one cruise the forms were out on the desk and handled just like in the past (processed immediately).

 

I have reported this situation to HAL through my PCC, but it does not seem to do much good. Now if others were to complain as well, perhaps they would pay attention.

 

 

Just my impression but I don't think there is a lot of 'good will' between the on board consultants and the PCCs. I'm pretty sure there is some competition there.

[bluesplayer]

Have never done either.. what is the amount of the deposit?? and the amount of the OBC?? much thanks!!

[RocketMan275]

The Mariner number is required? I had hoped to purchase FCD as a gift for my daughter and son in law. Daughter and I have decided that might be the only way to pry the man away from work! If it's a gift he'll feel obligated to use it... we are sure that once we actually get him on a ship he'll be hooked, it's getting him on the first one that is proving tricky![emoji14]

 

 

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All is not lost. Just book a cruise for them while on board and pay the minimum deposit. You won't need a mariner's number for them to do that. It would still be a gift so there would still be an 'obligation'.

 

If they choose not to use it, then it can be cancelled and there will be a refund back to your credit card. They can always switch the reservation to a different one if necessary.

 

Too many people tend to think that a reservation is written in stone. You can change it. You can cancel it. Not a big deal.

[agracia1]

The other question will be if I buy FCC and book later will it require larger deposit? We have booked onboard with $400 deposit ($100pp) and trips I booked online or PCC have been $700 deposit...I just looked at Hal for 10 cruise March 2018 and is asking for $1200 deposit ..Never really paid attention to it but is about 1/3 of total cost

 

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[konyagiqueen]

Having seen on board, the cruise we really wanted, just available, we booked through the FCC and are happy with the deal we got, but we would never take their advice again regarding which cabin to choose. They recommended verandah deck ( on Westerdam) which we discovered on returning home had the most ridiculously small balconies. We were luckily able to change it at once to one with a sensible size balcony.

[jtl513]

The Mariner number is required?

When I booked a first cruise for my DB and DSiL on board, Mariner numbers were created for them within 24 hours. I think you can go to the HAL site today and ask for Mariner numbers to be created for them. Edited February 26, 2017 by jtl513