Booking next cruise onboard

[Smurf2017]

I have never been in a position to book ahead before but find that I could during our next cruise. I have a few questions :

 

What advantages are there to booking on board?

 

Is it possible to book fly-cruise or is it cruise only?

 

Will they honour current promotions? For instance, in Europe at the moment they are offering a free classic drinks package for Fantastica bookings.

 

TIA

[Beamafar]

Personally, I don't see too much advantage to booking onboard - the T&Cs seem quite restrictive to my mind, anyway - and I've never been tempted. You'll get some OBC as an incentive.

 

You would certainly be able to avail of any promotions running in your neck of the woods - the Cruise Consultant can only offer you the current prices (and promotions) from your region.

[dgakers]

I have never been in a position to book ahead before but find that I could during our next cruise. I have a few questions :

 

What advantages are there to booking on board?

 

Is it possible to book fly-cruise or is it cruise only?

 

Will they honour current promotions? For instance, in Europe at the moment they are offering a free classic drinks package for Fantastica bookings.

 

TIA

 

on our last cruise (MSC Divina Nov 2017) we booked a future cruise. We received 20% off the cost of the cruise, about $400 OBC, wi-fi package, and only had to put down $200 deposit. I think it's well worth it if you know you're going to take a future cruise.

[JPMoore]

I have never been in a position to book ahead before but find that I could during our next cruise. I have a few questions :

 

What advantages are there to booking on board?

 

Is it possible to book fly-cruise or is it cruise only?

 

Will they honour current promotions? For instance, in Europe at the moment they are offering a free classic drinks package for Fantastica bookings.

 

TIA

 

Partner and I booked our next cruise (MSC Seaside 11/18) when we were on Divina last November.

 

The CC gave us 20% off the fare for a YC inside, with $250 OBC. The discount was only on the fare itself without flights from UK to Miami, and we were quoted approx $1000 each for flights! The CC was very honest and upfront and agreed we would be best booking flights independently - which we subsequently did for £400 each :D

[Smurf2017]

Thank you everybody. We're checking out what is available locally before we weigh up our options.

[Into Cruising]

Just try to do it early in the cruise, so if you get OBC for your current cruise, you have time to spend it, as it is non, refundable if you do not. Hint, check out ways the Casino can help with this.

[sandpiper35]

I have never been in a position to book ahead before but find that I could during our next cruise. I have a few questions :

 

What advantages are there to booking on board?

 

Is it possible to book fly-cruise or is it cruise only?

 

Will they honour current promotions? For instance, in Europe at the moment they are offering a free classic drinks package for Fantastica bookings.

 

TIA

 

 

Some advantages may be discounts, perks or matching cash if you decide to pull the trigger right there and then. In other words they match the amount you place as down payment on the next cruise.

The disadvantage is that in the excitement of the moment you may not get to compare offers given by a TA for the same cruise or check with another cruise line.

It's a good marketing ploy that gives dividends to the cruise line making the pitch.

 

Cheers.

[Into Cruising]

If the cruise you are on is booked through a Travel agent, they will be credited with your future booking too. You are not actually committed to the sailing you choose, as you have a time frame to change it. In our case we received the exact same promotion that was currently being offered, plus we received $200 of OBC to be spent on the cruise you are currently on. We ended with $150 OBC on the future cruise, $200 OBC on the current cruise, plus Wifi program. We already had free drinks as we booked the Yacht Club. I believe you have the option to take the current cruise OBC and apply it to the future cruise, instead of the current cruise.

 

I did find that they had a different set of open for bookings dates and ships than we had from home. I did a test booking from home and wanted to book the same cruise on board, but they said it was not open yet. So we booked something, and immediately changed it when we got home.

 

We were on Divina, and I think the future cruise people were spread thin, and possibly did not have enough "office hours" They were hard to get to and had a line, and took no appointments. I did not find them very helpful and were just human booking engines. They are out in the open, in a high traffic area, so people just push through and interrupt you to get their attention. More a reflection on the people than on the Future Cruise Consultant. We were intrupted many times with peopel asking how to get to this bar or lounge.

[Smurf2017]

Thank you all for that very useful additional information.

 

A couple of points. Into Cruise, you say that any booking is credited to our current TA, so after booking do I deal with MSC or my TA? Hopefully not my TA as I wouldn't pay them in washers. They were useless with our current booking.

 

Also, you mentioned the possibility of changing the booking, but that does not work for us in the UK unless we forfeit our substantial ($650) deposit.

 

Thanks for the heads up with the situation regarding the future cruise staff. I was going to hit them on our first sea day but will wait for one of the port days when we plan to spend some of our day enjoying the calmness on board.

 

I'm not sure the casino would be any help. I gave up on the machines when they started paying out on more than the middle line and took the handles off the side! :confused:

[Smurf2017]

Personally, I don't see too much advantage to booking onboard - the T&Cs seem quite restrictive to my mind, anyway - and I've never been tempted. You'll get some OBC as an incentive.

 

You would certainly be able to avail of any promotions running in your neck of the woods - the Cruise Consultant can only offer you the current prices (and promotions) from your region.

 

Thanks for this. Can you explain what you consider are more restrictive T & Cs please.

[Into Cruising]

Smurf, You will need to let the consultant know that you do not want your agent to get the booking, or else they will automatically do it based on your current booking. You may be correct, we are from teh US and were told we could make the change, and had no trouble doing so.

 

You sound like my wife in regards to the slot machines, she is very much with you!