Future booking on board

[HawaiianShirtDay]

I'm looking for some advice from folks who have managed to get good deals on future bookings.

 

I put a deposit down on an Edge sailing for 2019 using the Celebrity website and we're sailing on Summit next month. I'm wondering if I can get some OBC or perks if I inquire about the Edge sailing when I'm on the Summit next month, but I don't want to be "handcuffed" because I already have a reservation. Should I keep the deposit from the Celebrity website for the 2019 sailing or should I cancel it before I board next month?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

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[CHEZMARYLOU]

Booking on board gives you some additional OBC, based on the length of the cruise and the category of cabin you book. For example, our 7 day cruise in a RS gave us $350 in OBC, for a 12 day cruise in a RS we got $400. Lower categories the OBC ranges from $50 to $200.

 

Don't know when you booked Edge but prices went up considerably after the 1st 2 days and rebooking could result in a higher price. The on board sales agents cannot cancel your reservation for you and re book you in the same cabin so if you have a cabin you like you could lose it.

 

If it was me, I would hold onto the booking I have and inquire once on board about prices, availability and perks before making a decision.

 

BTW, you can have two bookings for the same sailing, just remember to cancel the original when you get home,

[NantahalaCruiser]

I'm looking for some advice from folks who have managed to get good deals on future bookings.

 

The on board future cruise booking in my experience only adds some more OBC as chezmarylou said. All other pricing and perks from Celebrity are the same as those that you would receive had you made the booking on land on the same day.

 

I put a deposit down on an Edge sailing for 2019 using the Celebrity website and we're sailing on Summit next month. I'm wondering if I can get some OBC or perks if I inquire about the Edge sailing when I'm on the Summit next month, but I don't want to be "handcuffed" because I already have a reservation. Should I keep the deposit from the Celebrity website for the 2019 sailing or should I cancel it before I board next month?

 

Do not cancel your existing reservation. You will want to compare the pricing and perks of your current reservation with the pricing and perks that are available at the time of your meeting with the on board future cruise service person. If prices have risen or there are less perks, then the on board booking might be a bad deal even with the additional OBC. If the on board booking turns out to be a better deal, but you wish to keep your current cabin, just make the additional on board booking in the same cabin class and then have your TA or Celebrity transfer the new booking to your existing cabin after you arrive home from your cruise.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

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Have a wonderful cruise.

[keesar]

You have gotten some very good advice. By booking on board, you will get a special OBC depending on the particular class of room. That is about it. We received $300 ($150 each) for an Aqua Class cabin on a 7 day cruise. Be aware that prices can fluctuate greatly. Ours went up $800 a month after we booked. So you have to do your homework.

[HawaiianShirtDay]

Thank you all for taking the time out of your weekend to pass along this info. Cheers!

 

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[tbmrt]

We booked onboard last December for our December 2017 cruise, and received $200 OBC from Celebrity. Transferred this reservation to my TA when I got home a day or two after we returned home and he gave us a big reduction in cost of cruise plus we got to keep the Celebrity OBC and the included gratuities and drink package.

 

Glad we booked it then. Checked recently and the cost of the December, 2017 cruise is up substantially.

[cruisin lady ca]

A good reason to book a cruise while onboard is that you can transfer the OBC you receive for the future cruise (assuming you don't use it for the cruise you are currently on) to a different cruise if you decide to cancel the one you booked while onboard. We have been able to move the "bonus" OBC forward to another cruise when our plans changed. You can think of it as creating a "placeholder" and book a cruise even if you are not certain you will take it. For that reason, I tend to book a cruise at least a year in the future. When new itineraries are announced, I can cancel the old reservation and move the OBC to the new reservation.

 

However, the type of cruise and cabin category must be the same. I recently tried to move OBC from a reservation to a new one for a cruise that Celebrity calls a repositioning cruise. Since I had $200 OBC tied to the reservation that I was going to cancel and they would only give me $100 OBC for a repositioning cruise, I stood to lose $100 OBC. So, I made the new reservation - and kept the other one. Once the new itineraries are announced later this year, I will find another cruise and move the OBC at that time.

 

Another advantage of booking onboard is reduced deposits, typically $100 pp and an extra perk is also frequently offered, depending on the promotion they are running at the time. The promotion for future cruise bookings (http://celebrityonboardcruisesales.com/) changes from month to month. The current flyer is found at the bottom of the page so scroll all the way down and click on the link to the flyer.

 

Finally, you can either let Celebrity assign the reservation for the future cruise to the TA (if applicable) that booked your current cruise or ask them to not do that. If you keep the reservation with Celebrity, you can transfer it to a TA once you are home; you have 60 days in which to transfer the reservation. It seems that lots of people do that in order to have time to "shop" for the best deal with a TA - extra OBC, other perks etc.

[jelayne]

We booked tge Edge on the day booking opened. The category we booked has been sold out on our sailing for a couple of months and the sailing that have availability are going for $1,000 more:o.

 

You should check while you are on Summit but I'm thinking you will find the current much price higher than what you have booked.

[southernbreezes]

We booked onboard last December for our December 2017 cruise, and received $200 OBC from Celebrity. Transferred this reservation to my TA when I got home a day or two after we returned home and he gave us a big reduction in cost of cruise plus we got to keep the Celebrity OBC and the included gratuities and drink package.

 

Glad we booked it then. Checked recently and the cost of the December, 2017 cruise is up substantially.

 

So you are saying after booking on board you can have your travel agent re-price and get group rates? We never booked on board because of Celebrity's price is always hundreds of dollars more even with the added OBC. I usually book a big sale such as 4th of July sale then watch for the next sale Labor day, then usually find the best price in October. My last two cruises I canceled and re-booked 3 times saving several hundred dollars. I just booked my TA's sale the Reflection on 3/12/18 a C2 cabin was $4,280.00 with Classic liquor package, pre-paid gratuities, and a $450.00 on board credit. On Celebrity's web -site the price is $6,028.00:( with only two perks, Classic and $300.00 on board credit. This is over $2,000.00 difference.

[theriac]

So you are saying after booking on board you can have your travel agent re-price and get group rates? We never booked on board because of Celebrity's price is always hundreds of dollars more even with the added OBC. I usually book a big sale such as 4th of July sale then watch for the next sale Labor day, then usually find the best price in October. My last two cruises I canceled and re-booked 3 times saving several hundred dollars. I just booked my TA's sale the Reflection on 3/12/18 a C2 cabin was $4,280.00 with Classic liquor package, pre-paid gratuities, and a $450.00 on board credit. On Celebrity's web -site the price is $6,028.00:( with only two perks, Classic and $300.00 on board credit. This is over $2,000.00 difference.

I've done this before.

 

Booked on board and transferred to a TA with a group rate. Got to keep the onboard booking OBC, reduced deposit, and they gave an extra perk. It was definitely worth it.

 

whatever will bewilder me

[NantahalaCruiser]

A good reason to book a cruise while onboard is that you can transfer the OBC you receive for the future cruise (assuming you don't use it for the cruise you are currently on) to a different cruise if you decide to cancel the one you booked while onboard.

 

However' date=' the type of cruise and cabin category must be the same. I recently tried to move OBC from a reservation to a new one for a cruise that Celebrity calls a repositioning cruise. Since I had $200 OBC tied to the reservation that I was going to cancel and they would only give me $100 OBC for a repositioning cruise, I stood to lose $100 OBC. So, I made the new reservation - and kept the other one. Once the new itineraries are announced later this year, I will find another cruise and move the OBC at that time.[/quote']

It does not have to be the same type of cruise, duration or cabin. However, if the new cruise would have given you a lower OBC bonus for booking onboard, then your bonus will be reduced. Not sure if the bonus would increase if you transfer to a new cruise that would have generated a higher bonus if booked on board, but it will certainly not decrease.

[tbmrt]

So you are saying after booking on board you can have your travel agent re-price and get group rates? We never booked on board because of Celebrity's price is always hundreds of dollars more even with the added OBC. I usually book a big sale such as 4th of July sale then watch for the next sale Labor day, then usually find the best price in October. My last two cruises I canceled and re-booked 3 times saving several hundred dollars. I just booked my TA's sale the Reflection on 3/12/18 a C2 cabin was $4,280.00 with Classic liquor package, pre-paid gratuities, and a $450.00 on board credit. On Celebrity's web -site the price is $6,028.00:( with only two perks, Classic and $300.00 on board credit. This is over $2,000.00 difference.

 

Yes, I booked onboard getting a $200 OBC from Celebrity last December. Came home shopped and got price for transferring cruise to my TA at about $300 less. dollars, keeping my $200 Celebrity OBC, paid gratuities and Classic package. Price for same cruise now from Celebrity and also from my credit card travel agency about $1,500 more now. for same cabin/perks.

[iancal]

We don't book on board with Celebrity. We typically book inside the final payment window. We have been advised by the on board person who handles this that we cannot use this program if booking a cruise at a discounted rate inside the final payment window. Don't like it but there it is. We did put down $100. each on our Feb. Princess cruise because we can apparently get the benefit even if we book inside the final payment window.

 

This increases our chances of going Princess instead of Celebrity on our next cruise.

[theriac]

We don't book on board with Celebrity. We typically book inside the final payment window. We have been advised by the on board person who handles this that we cannot use this program if booking a cruise at a discounted rate inside the final payment window. Don't like it but there it is.

 

This isn't how it worked for me at all. Last November I went on the Constellation and booked another cruise for later 2018. When I got home I felt exhausted and needed a quick Caribbean cruise to unwind and rest so I called Celebrity to book a cruise. I just transferred the onboard booking to the new reservation and still got the on board OBC bonus. I booked that cruise about 2 weeks before the sail date so it was well within final payment.

 

No problems whatsoever doing what you said can't be done.

 

As a matter of fact, people in the future cruise office on my last cruise were trying booking the following cruise to make it a back to back and had no problem either.

 

whatever will bewilder me

[WeLuv2Cruz13]

Just off ship and have to say the deals were not that great to book while on board. We did better just watching for our deal and booking. Only offered one "perk."