Booking a future cruise when on a ship

[shanni-shanni]

Do you get a really good deal booking a future cruise when on a ship?

 

Or do you just get some SBC for booking under the 'welcome back' promotion, which you can get if you are booking within a certain time period after the last day?

 

Tom

[MISTER 67]

We had some great deals booking on board with HAL and then on some we were quoted prices that were so bad that we said thank you and walked out. Timing is everything.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I sure didn't get a good deal. Do the FCC staff get a commission or in some other way get credit for making a sale? And do they get more credit for hauling in more money? 

 

The only way the FCC guy could book the cruise I wanted was with an expensive promo. (promo added $4000 to the price of a 2-week cruise) Singles never profit from a promo--we pay for it twice but get it only once. So I knew that I wanted to book without the promo. He said he  couldn't get the system to show a no-promo fare, which is odd because my TA gave me a price before I left. The FCC guy said that my TA could refare me. What he didn't tell me was that the only way she could refare the cruise was to cancel and rebook. So the $500 OBC I should have had evaporated. 

 

Never going to waste my vacation time again.

 

[Sharon in AZ]

I don't book a future cruise but I always purchase a Future Cruise Deposit while on board for my husband and myself $100 each.  It gives us a bit on on board credit and we have up to two years to book a cruise.  All I do is fill out a form and drop it in the drop box, no need to see the FCC.

[DaveOKC]

9 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

I don't book a future cruise but I always purchase a Future Cruise Deposit while on board for my husband and myself $100 each.  It gives us a bit on on board credit and we have up to two years to book a cruise.  All I do is fill out a form and drop it in the drop box, no need to see the FCC.

Be careful on this.  We also use FCDs exclusively, but I understand that they have changed and are no longer as good a deal.

 

[GeriatricNurse]

20 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Be careful on this.  We also use FCDs exclusively, but I understand that they have changed and are no longer as good a deal.

 

I would be very interested in knowing how the FCD's have changed and why they are no longer as good a deal?

[puppycanducruise]

11 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

I don't book a future cruise but I always purchase a Future Cruise Deposit while on board for my husband and myself $100 each.  It gives us a bit on on board credit and we have up to two years to book a cruise.  All I do is fill out a form and drop it in the drop box, no need to see the FCC.

We do this too.

But, DaveOKC, what has changed and why is it no longer a good deal?

[Mary229]

I do book mine either at FCD or the cyber week sales almost exclusively.   If you are alert  you can always request the better prices offered up to your final payment date.   If final payment would be due immediately I would do my homework prior to booking on ship.     

[doone]

I got what I think is a good deal onboard the  Koningsdam last year, got the Signature Beverage package, some onboard credit and a decent price for the Nieuw Statendam 2021.  I watch the prices and when I see the price decreases at all, I call and ask what do I have to give up to get the lower price and then decide what is more important to me.

[DaveOKC]

9 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

We do this too.

But, DaveOKC, what has changed and why is it no longer a good deal?

I do not remember the exact details, but someone recently reported on this board that the OBC for the FCDs is now lower.  Further, rumors that Promotion ZPM may be going away.  It seems that HAL is trying to really push us to book onboard.

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by DaveOKC

[MAVIP]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

I do not remember the exact details, but someone recently reported on this board that the OBC for the FCDs is now lower.  Further, rumors that Promotion ZPM may be going away.  It seems that HAL is trying to really push us to book onboard.

 

@VMax1700 published them earlier January 18th,  see #16. I hope this link works.  

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by MAVIP
link

[aa7yy]

For me, one of the secrets to a great cruise is not owing money when I get off the ship. The secret to that is OBC. I always book while onboard and usually start out with a lot of OBC. Then when moved to my agent additional plus CCL. Promotions will change while onboard. But what ever, often a doubling of the normal promotion. Then monitoring the promotions until final payment. My goal is over $100 a day OBC + free drinks. Sometimes I make it. Go for the OBC !

[puppycanducruise]

2 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

I do not remember the exact details, but someone recently reported on this board that the OBC for the FCDs is now lower.  Further, rumors that Promotion ZPM may be going away.  It seems that HAL is trying to really push us to book onboard.

 

Thanks for the follow up. 

[VMax1700]

The old FCD form - note the different amounts of OBC depending on stateroom category.....

20200306_152724.jpg.pdf

Edited March 6, 2020 by VMax1700

[VMax1700]

and here is the new form.  Only one amount of OBC (equivalent of Interior/OV rooms). Nothing extra for veranda/suites.

[VMax1700]

14 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

and we have up to two years to book a cruise

FCD's are valid for 4 years.  No change in that element.

[Woofbite]

A couple of weeks ago, the Nieuw Statendam offered us $75 OBC in exchange for $100 deposit regardless of length of future cruise.  I didn't bother with it since plans change over time and many things onboard are cheaper if paid for in advance.

 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for posting pictures of the old and new forms VMax1700. 

[RuthC]

35 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

and here is the new form.  Only one amount of OBC (equivalent of Interior/OV rooms). Nothing extra for veranda/suites.

Plus, the amount has decreased for the 2 longer ranges. Those of us who book insides and take longer cruises have a decrease. 

[shanni-shanni]

I have asked about booking future cruises.

 

How did it get hi-jack to FCD?

 

Tom

[Mary229]

12 minutes ago, shanni-shanni said:

I have asked about booking future cruises.

 

How did it get hi-jack to FCD?

 

Tom

I guess we all assumed....  you get reduced, refundable, transferable  deposits And an OBC.  You may in some cases get first pick of cabins.  

[AncientWanderer]

20 hours ago, shanni-shanni said:

Do you get a really good deal booking a future cruise when on a ship?

 

Or do you just get some SBC for booking under the 'welcome back' promotion, which you can get if you are booking within a certain time period after the last day?

 

Tom

 

In our experience, there have been no good deals booking onboard.  In fact, prices have been quite high. We've done it with the understanding that we get first crack at cabins, get some OBC, and then can have the booking re-fared later on when prices drop.  YMMV