On Board Booking Discount

[Citymom92]

I'd like to know more about the on board booking discount. We've only cruised one time before and I didn't really pay attention to the Next Cruise desk at all. Now I'm intrigued, because I do remember starting to look at cruises a little over a year in advance for our anniversary trip (which this is, now) but not going through with it at the time.

 

Do you have to have exact dates picked out? Or just a general idea? Can you put down a deposit with the discount and then add family members, pick cabins, settle on a date later? We have two in college and one in HS so our calendars for family vacations are always a bit up in the air until probably six months out. I'm okay with putting down a deposit and then figuring out the details later, but not sure if that's allowed and I'll lose those initial costs.

 

Also regarding a TA or RCI booking, will it matter that I don't have a TA lined up or should I do a little legwork with a TA before we go?

 

TIA for all your help. This board is always so helpful, but actually, only stokes the flames of full on cruise addiction! And it doesn't help that I'm in between contracts now with too much time on my hands! All I can think about is CRUISE VACATION!

[Biker19]

There's no discount to book onboard, just some OBC. With the NRD rules and your schedule uncertainly, you should book when sure about dates.

You may get some perks (from the TA) if you transfer to a TA afterwards.

[Husky1987]

If you know what you want, definitely check out pricing online before you go. In September on Adventure, I was able to get a $200 discount on a Jan 2019 cruise rather than take OBC.

[Citymom92]

Aha thanks for the info. So the only benefit to booking at the Next Cruise desk is getting some on board credit it appears. Is the deposit required the same as if I booked off ship?

[dnewscruiser]

Aha thanks for the info. So the only benefit to booking at the Next Cruise desk is getting some on board credit it appears. Is the deposit required the same as if I booked off ship?

 

 

Yes. That used to be not the case (used to be $100/person for open next cruise), but sadly deposit on board is now $250/person. Even "free" children. [emoji848]

 

 

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[SRF]

We booked a cruise on board in August.

 

We got an instant credit (discount) of $200 per person, and $100 (total) OBC.

 

Only Grand Suites and above require non-refundable deposit. Other classes may have NRD available, typically at a lower price.

 

So if you risk losing $100 per person (the NRD portion), but get $400 per person off the cruise price, it may still be a good idea.

 

If you book a refundable deposit price, if you change ships or sailing date, you may lose an instant credit and OBC that you got from booking onboard.

 

Typically, if you rebook on the same ship and sailing to get a lower price, you keep the perks, but not always.

[Citymom92]

Wow thanks for this update. I appreciate the info.

[HppyCamper]

From my one experience with "Next Cruise" on board the Explorer, I would NEVER book a cruise on board. We had to try and PRY information out of the young lady manning the "office." Asked for info on the Harmony and she couldn't tell us anything. She said they used to have books that had that info but no longer. All she could do is give us a quote on a cruise that would include a "$300 discount." The quote for the Harmony was almost $4,000. We said no thanks.

 

When we came home I got online and found it could book the same cruise for much less.

 

For us Next Cruise is a huge fail.

[Williamsburgcruiser]

I'm reading the posts and am surprised... I have ALWAYS booked onboard (after that first one) and have yet to find a lower price when booking off the ship - even today, with the current "sale" - the price I received onboard is still $30 less (in total) than booking off the ship... and yes, we got a little bit of onboard credit, but nothing big. When you book onboard, you are also given the price guarantee - so if you do find your cruise less expensive online - then the lowest price gets honored. I have yet to use that, because I have never found it less expensive.

 

So, go figure.... I'm happy booking onboard.

[dnewscruiser]

I'm reading the posts and am surprised... I have ALWAYS booked onboard (after that first one) and have yet to find a lower price when booking off the ship - even today, with the current "sale" - the price I received onboard is still $30 less (in total) than booking off the ship... and yes, we got a little bit of onboard credit, but nothing big. When you book onboard, you are also given the price guarantee - so if you do find your cruise less expensive online - then the lowest price gets honored. I have yet to use that, because I have never found it less expensive.

 

So, go figure.... I'm happy booking onboard.

 

 

In the past, I've always had good experiences using the next cruise office. Which we have used since our very first cruise in 2007. However, this most recent time two weeks ago on Oasis, was my worst experience to date. Two different next cruise staff members gave me completely inaccurate information about questions I asked regarding the nonrefundable deposit. I am still trying to work out some kinks with my travel agent currently. Unfortunately, I filled out my post cruise survey before I realized all the problems I was going to have with my next cruise booking, or I would've rated them much lower. It is hard to imagine that I will do next cruise again. They have taken away many of the perks of booking onboard that existed in the past.

 

 

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[pink845]

Been sailing with RCCL for a long time now and used to always visit the RCCL Future Desk on board and put down a deposit for a future cruise ($100); no date specified, no ship specified just the deposit. Would receive some OBC depending on the length of the cruise and the category when we finally made a booking at some point over a two year time period. Once home would see something interesting and apply the deposit to that ship; find something else better, transfer it to that ship, and on and on. NOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED. Now, when we were on board our last ship, the NEXT CRUISE people wanted to choose a ship and a sailing date, give us a discount which they said was 30% on the cruise we chose (it was there WOW sale) and give me $100 OBC for the cruise we chose. However, if we decided we want another cruise instead, and want to transfer to another cruise ship and date, we lose that $100 OBC. Based on this new fact, we see no incentive to give them our deposit in advance. The whole perk used to be pay RCCL a small deposit, then book when you want in the two year window, have your OBC transferred from ship to ship as you find a better itinerary as time goes on. I am done with NEXT CRUISE. No longer useful to me. It used to be great. I would find a cruise, let's say Radiance doing Hawaii where the deposit is $480 per person and I would call them up and say please apply my $100 deposit to that cruise. Done. and if something better came up, I would make the transfer, and I would keep OBC. No more, now they take it away. I believe the NEXT CRUISE will work for those people who know that they want to cruise in the next few months and are not going to change their minds as per itinerary. Still works for them as they get to put down a lower deposit and have OBC for their cruise.

[SRF]

Let's see, you can book onboard for a specific cruise, and get $100 OBC (we also got $200 per person instant credit on the fares). And lose that OBC if you change.

 

Or not book onboard, and not get the $100 OBC when you do pick a cruise.

 

Seems like the first choice gives you the best outcome, as you could get the OBC. The second option you never get that OBC.

[houlacruiser]

Yes. That used to be not the case (used to be $100/person for open next cruise), but sadly deposit on board is now $250/person. Even "free" children. [emoji848]

 

 

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Wow. I'm very sad to hear this. We have always used the $100 next cruise deposit and loved having a deposit "in the bank" so to speak. $300 is one thing, but if they now want us to pay $750 that's ridiculous and I see no benefit to it. How sad. The cruise we are going on next month we would have never even booked if we didn't have that next cruise deposit sitting there. This isn't a change for the better for us!

[molly361]

I knew that you now have to put down the full deposit but I did not know that if you pick the refundable far.e and change the ship and/or date that you will lose the future OBC

[dnewscruiser]

Wow. I'm very sad to hear this. We have always used the $100 next cruise deposit and loved having a deposit "in the bank" so to speak. $300 is one thing, but if they now want us to pay $750 that's ridiculous and I see no benefit to it. How sad. The cruise we are going on next month we would have never even booked if we didn't have that next cruise deposit sitting there. This isn't a change for the better for us!

 

 

Yeah, we just put down $1,000 on our next cruise, even when our girls' fares are $0, and they each only have port taxes and fees of $111. And we were told that we would lose their their $250 deposit if we take third and fourth passenger off the reservation in the future (well, $150 of each deposit would go to a FCC in each of their names). Tell me how that makes sense.

 

 

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[molly361]

Yeah, we just put down $1,000 on our next cruise, even when our girls' fares are $0, and they each only have port taxes and fees of $111. And we were told that we would lose their their $250 deposit if we take third and fourth passenger off the reservation in the future (well, $150 of each deposit would go to a FCC in each of their names). Tell me how that makes sense.

 

 

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You must have picked the non refundable rate then?? If you picked refundable you should be able to cancel before final payment date without penalty

[AlexanderBeetle]

I *think* if you use non-refundable deposit price you get a lower deposit of $100 p/p. I might be wrong there. We booked onboard Enchantment last week and it was $100 p/p.

 

That being said they have definitely changed the onboard booking perks. If you are ok with sticking to the itinerary you choose you will likely save some money (how much is debatable) but if you are thinking you want to be able to change the reservation I would just stick directly w/ your TA or do your own.

 

FWIW not all next cruise associates are equal. I spent a couple meetings with one on Enchantment and couldn't seem to get anywhere. The last night I sat down with another guy cause she was busy. Not only had her quotes been way off, he was able to find us what we were looking for in what seemed like a fraction of the time.

[dnewscruiser]

I *think* if you use non-refundable deposit price you get a lower deposit of $100 p/p. I might be wrong there. We booked onboard Enchantment last week and it was $100 p/p.

 

That being said they have definitely changed the onboard booking perks. If you are ok with sticking to the itinerary you choose you will likely save some money (how much is debatable) but if you are thinking you want to be able to change the reservation I would just stick directly w/ your TA or do your own.

 

FWIW not all next cruise associates are equal. I spent a couple meetings with one on Enchantment and couldn't seem to get anywhere. The last night I sat down with another guy cause she was busy. Not only had her quotes been way off, he was able to find us what we were looking for in what seemed like a fraction of the time.

 

 

We did the NRD on board, and it was $250 still deposit a person.

 

 

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[dnewscruiser]

You must have picked the non refundable rate then?? If you picked refundable you should be able to cancel before final payment date without penalty

 

 

Yep, it was NRD. Though neither Next Cruise agent we spoke with told us that's what we were booking at the time and both gave us incorrect information. It used to be you could cancel third and fourth passengers off a room w/o penalty up until a couple weeks before sailing. Not so with NRD anymore, though we were told differently by the Next Cruise staff on Oasis. :/ We would NOT have booked onboard if we had gotten accurate info. We were planning to go regardless; just weren't sure about taking the kids on this next one.

 

 

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[AlexanderBeetle]

We did the NRD on board, and it was $250 still deposit a person.

 

Interesting. Makes me wonder what is causing the difference.

[Sillysully2]

We booked 2 cruises on board Navigator in May for 2018. One had a $300 deposit (for 4 people) and one was $150 for 2 people. We received $100pp OBC for big too.

We were told when we booked that one of the perks of booking on board was that we could move the cruise to any date/category as many times as we like before final payment and transfer the deposit to the new booking and keep the OBC. We have actually moved both cruises, retained our deposits and obc and taken advantage of the new offers (we had 30% off on board). The second cruise I actually repriced this week for the second time, keeping all benefits and took advantage of the current uk BOGOHP + free drinks package saving over £1000.

[dnewscruiser]

We booked 2 cruises on board Navigator in May for 2018. One had a $300 deposit (for 4 people) and one was $150 for 2 people. We received $100pp OBC for big too.

We were told when we booked that one of the perks of booking on board was that we could move the cruise to any date/category as many times as we like before final payment and transfer the deposit to the new booking and keep the OBC. We have actually moved both cruises, retained our deposits and obc and taken advantage of the new offers (we had 30% off on board). The second cruise I actually repriced this week for the second time, keeping all benefits and took advantage of the current uk BOGOHP + free drinks package saving over £1000.

 

 

Man, this is SO different from when we booked onboard Oasis two weeks ago for next year. I wonder if things changed since May? We were given only 30 days to make changes under the NRD, after that it is $100/pp change fee every time PLUS you put some of your OBC at risk. We already moved from a 7D that we booked onboard to a J3 when prices dropped once we got home, and we already lost our $125 WOW sale OBC that we got while making the Next Cruise booking. Plus there are other ongoing/unresolved issues with the booking that our TA is currently working on w/Royal.

 

This has been the most challenging/least beneficial Next Cruise booking by far.

 

 

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[Snit13]

Booked while returning from Havana on Empress (10/20) for April 2018. Deposit was $100pp for 2 and received $250 OBC. I had selected the sailing prior to Cuba cruise and had copy of paperwork with me. It was a BOGO so DH was 1/2 price. I can live with my deal.

 

Hope they do put a Chops on Majesty so I have a way to spend my OBC.

[dnewscruiser]

Booked while returning from Havana on Empress (10/20) for April 2018. Deposit was $100pp for 2 and received $250 OBC. I had selected the sailing prior to Cuba cruise and had copy of paperwork with me. It was a BOGO so DH was 1/2 price. I can live with my deal.

 

 

 

Hope they do put a Chops on Majesty so I have a way to spend my OBC.

 

 

Was it NRD? Wonder why you got reduced deposit? Or is it based on total cruise cost to require the higher deposit? I am not understanding why it is so inconsistent.

 

 

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[tortoisegirl]

I've never considered making any booking while onboard as I'd rather spend my vacation on vacation. There would have to be a pretty huge financial incentive and no downside.