Booking Future Cruise Onboard vs Future Cruise Certificate?

[wcsdkqh]

Are there any advantages of booking future cruise onboard vs purchasing future cruise certificate onboard or vice versa?

Thx

[DaveFr]

Are there any advantages of booking future cruise onboard vs purchasing future cruise certificate onboard or vice versa?

Thx

I think booking a future cruise onboard may be better than purchasing a future cruise certificate given how far in the future Regent's schedule now extends. The deposit for a future cruise certificate is $2000 for two passengers while the deposit for booking a future cruise is $1000 for two. A future cruise certificate must be used or canceled within two years or it is forfeited. A booked future cruise may be canceled or transferred once to another cruise before the final payment date of the future cruise booked. If not transferred or canceled, you can always take the future cruise booked.

 

For example, in December I booked a future cruise of 11 days in May 2020. The deposit was $1000 and I have until a date in early February 2020 to cancel or transfer the future cruise. Had I purchased a future cruise certificate, the deposit would have been $2000 and the use it or lose it date would have been December 2019. In this case, booking a future cruise was a better deal for me. YMMV since booking the same future cruise in March of this year would favor the future cruise certificate in terms of the amount of time to use it vs. booking my future cruise.

 

If you can book a future cruise of less than 15 days that is scheduled more than two years and 90 days in the future, I would suggest doing it instead of buying a future cruise certificate.

[wcsdkqh]

Good Info. Thx, Dave

[RJ2002]

I happen to have a FCD handy, purchased in November. Here are the T&C's:

 

Terms & Conditions:

 

Certificate is redeemable for up to 2 years from date of purchase towards deposit of future voyage. Selected voyage may commence outside of 2 years.

Certificate cancellations are fully refundable up until expiration. After expiration date, the full value of the Certificate will be forfeited.

Once the voyage is selected and if you need to cancel, the standard booking terms and conditions will apply.

Onboard Booking Savings varies from $200 to $8,000 per suite based on sailing date and suite category selected, and is combinable with current savings offers at time of voyage selection. Onboard Savings is offered on all voyages initially and is subject to change closer-in due to popular demand.Guests are encouraged to select their preferred future sailing as early as possible to secure preferred pricing and suite availability. A $200 Shipboard Credit per suite will be offered in the event Onboard Savings is closed.

Certificate will satisfy the new booking deposit requirement and no further payments will be required up until the applicable final payment date on most sailings with the following exceptions Sailings 15 nights or longer will require additional deposit at time of voyage selection.

o Penthouse Category C and higher suite categories or Single/Triple/Quad occupancy suites of any voyage length may require additional deposit at time of voyage selection.

 

Certificate exclusively available for purchase by onboard guests only and is non-transferable.

One Certificate maximum may be applied to a reservation and is a one-time use only.

Certificate is non-transferrable once applied to a voyage.

Program applicable to new bookings only and is not applicable to reservations booked prior to Future CruiseDeposit certificate purchase date.

[WesW]

Dave, you’re spot on with preference of booking a future cruise. We booked our Alaska June 2020 following the reasoning u outline above. Plus, the sweetener was receiving a $100 ship board credit (the bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc tasted wonderful with seared scallops here on board the Mariner last night). Further, we use Bank of America travel Visa card to earn $200 off the $1K deposit.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[shemansl]

I wonder if I do an onboard booking, then don't have the cruise line transfer to myagent while on board, can I do so at a much later date if I decide to change my booking to another sailing? I know you normally have 30 days to transfer to an agent, but my agent charges a fee if I cancel a booking after I transfer to him.

[wcsdkqh]

I believe I would be looking for another TA. Never heard of such a thing.

[Travelcat2]

Agree - change travel agents. I suspect that your travel agent also does not give a percentage back of your cruise fare. They do not sound like luxury travel agents nor do they seem to know much about Regent.

[RachelG]

I wonder if I do an onboard booking, then don't have the cruise line transfer to myagent while on board, can I do so at a much later date if I decide to change my booking to another sailing? I know you normally have 30 days to transfer to an agent, but my agent charges a fee if I cancel a booking after I transfer to him.

 

Agree with the others. Get a different travel agent. I would look for one who specializes in luxury cruises. Easy to find online. They do not need to be in your town. You want a TA who books luxury cruises every day.