Onboard booking offer

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, downsmead said:

Hi Jim

Do you mean a FCC as given by X when they or you have cancelled a sailing, or do you mean the Future Cruise Deposit which you can ‘book’ on board? The FCD has 90 days to be applied to keep the OBC.  We did this with our one bought back in October. Had to remember to apply it within the 3 months. 

 

I hope I didn't confuse at least when I called celebrity they called it a Future Cruise Certificate as oppose to a Future Cruise Credit.    I booked 2 on the second page "Book Later Form"  of what I posted.    They gave me two little Certificates and they also showed up with Reservation Numbers at the bottom of my Future Cruises.  

 

When I called the Celebrity person originally didn't know what I was talking about and said ohh.. you mean the Future Cruise Booking Certificate.   These Certificates have to be used within 3 months or you are refunded.    You have to have your agent or Celebrity book a cruise with them.    I found an almost sold out cruise we wanted to book so I put it on Hold and then called Celebrity and they booked it keeping the same reservation number as the original certificate.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Jeremiah1212]

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Can someone explain to me the reason why "Book Later" is a good idea.   From what I understand if you don't select the sailing within 90 days you lose the OBC and it just becomes a deposit when used in the future.  I at least hope that you retain the reduced deposit when eventually selecting a sailing.

 

I've never seen it as an option to me over booking a placeholder sailing with a refundable deposit as far in the future as I can.  Then when I find something I want I just change the ship/sail date and decide if I want to take the refundable or non-refundable fare.   I still get the OBC (which is adjusted to the value for the new sailing length/category) and the reduced deposit.  If I know I will not take the placeholder I select the most generic balcony cabin category and let the agent select the room to not tie up a "special" cabin.

 

I understand why the book later is better for Celebrity but I don't see any advantage to me.  Help me see the errors in my thinking.

 

Unless you are familiar with the ins and outs of the program, some of the Future Cruise reps aren't as forthcoming as others about the option to continually move a reservation and keep the reduced deposit and extra OBC. Some people also prefer the Certificate since you automatically get a refund after 12 months if you don't use them.

 

There are also group rates that will require full deposits when transferring the reservation. I think this is avoided if using a Certificate rather than a Book Now option but I may be wrong on that. It's been a long time since I've seen one used. 

[terrydtx]

On the Equinox last August the 2023 cruise we wanted on the Apex had not been released so we bought the Future Cruise certificate. The agent onboard told us that if we hadn't found the cruise we wanted to book within 90 days, we could either get a refund of the $200 or book another cruise and when the one we wanted showed up, we could cancel and move the deposit and OBC to the new cruise.  In October when the 2023 Europe season was released, we booked a Sky Suite, our deposit was the $200 we paid onboard, and we got $350 additional OBC so we have $1150 total OBC.  

 

BTW if you are in a suite, your Butler will set up an appointment in the Retreat Lounge to meet with an FC booking agent so that you do not have to wait in line in the Future Cruise booking office.

[Beachlover1989]

34 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Unless you are familiar with the ins and outs of the program, some of the Future Cruise reps aren't as forthcoming as others about the option to continually move a reservation and keep the reduced deposit and extra OBC.

Can you still move the reservation without penalty if you do a nonrefundable deposit?

[terrydtx]

6 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

Can you still move the reservation without penalty if you do a nonrefundable deposit?

We were told yes but have not had any experience doing it.

[wrk2cruise]

17 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

Can you still move the reservation without penalty if you do a nonrefundable deposit?

 

No   Per the T&C state that if you change Ship and/or Sail date there is a $100 pp admin fee.  When booking a NRD onboard they will make you sign a document acknowledging this.

 

However if you book a refundable fare you can always reprice with a NRD or move the reservation without penalty.  When moving the reservation you can select a NRD fare.  Of course this is all at the prevailing rates at the time.

[LBJB2009]

On 2/1/2022 at 7:45 PM, wrk2cruise said:

The plus 1 additional offer just means it's combinable with Always Included.

 

Thank you! I was hoping it’d be better like an upgrade to elevate…but this is still good. 

[Jeremiah1212]

52 minutes ago, Beachlover1989 said:

Can you still move the reservation without penalty if you do a nonrefundable deposit?

 

Official answer is no you cannot.

 

Can my client change their reservation later without any penalty?*

• Unless otherwise specified (like a non-refundable fare), or a booking in final payment, all Future Cruise Vacations bookings are fully flexible and refundable without penalty up to Final Payment.

 

Full T&C's:

*“Always Included” Pricing Packages apply to sailings booked and departing on or after November 17, 2020, excluding Galapagos cruises, in an inside through AquaClass stateroom (“Eligible Bookings”). All guests in an Eligible Booking who choose the “Always Included” pricing package will receive a Classic Beverage Package, Gratuities (“Tips”) Included and an unlimited Surf Internet package.

Additional Package Offers: For an additional charge, all guests in a stateroom may upgrade to the Premium Beverage Package, Tips Included, Onboard Credit (“OBC”) and an unlimited Surf or Stream Internet Package by booking the “Elevate” or “Indulge” pricing package respectively. OBC amount varies by package and length of sailing. All guests in a stateroom must choose the same pricing package. Guests in a qualifying Retreat booking are eligible to receive the Indulge Package at no additional charge.

Non-Refundable Deposit Offer: To qualify for the lowest available cruise fare, guest must choose a non-refundable deposit. Non-refundable deposit booking (“NRDB”) cancelled prior to final payment due date will receive a Future Cruise Credit (“FCC”) in the amount of the deposit minus a $100 per person service fee. FCC is non-transferable and expires after 12-months from issue date. $100 per person service fee applies to changes to NRDB ship or sail date. Applicable to groups at prevailing rates. Not applicable to incentive, contract, or charter groups. Nonrefundable deposit offers are applicable to sailings within final payment, however full deposit is due at time of booking

Additional Terms & Conditions: For Guests who make a CRUISENOW reservation and later Downgrade their CRUISENOW BOOKING, the amount of the future onboard credit shall be reduced. Downgrades may include booking a shorter duration cruise, a different destination or booking a lower class of staterooms. If you change your CRUISENOW reservations, your booking may no longer be eligible for the special pricing/promotional offer provided to you while onboard. A CRUISENOW BOOKING may be combined with certain groups but would now require a full deposit and possible loss of your promotional offer and/or Onboard Credit offer. Your reservation would then be booked at prevailing rates as of the date of your requested change. Visit your Cruise Sales Team onboard for full Terms and Conditions and/or visit the Celebrity Cruises website in your country of residence. Celebrity Cruises reserves the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions and to change or update fares, fees and surcharges at any time without prior notice. ©2019 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships registry: Malta

 

 

 

[Beachlover1989]

4 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

No   Per the T&C state that if you change Ship and/or Sail date there is a $100 pp admin fee.  When booking a NRD onboard they will make you sign a document acknowledging this.

 

However if you book a refundable fare you can always reprice with a NRD or move the reservation without penalty.  When moving the reservation you can select a NRD fare.  Of course this is all at the prevailing rates at the time.

Thank you for the clarifications!

[hiccups]

8 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Can someone explain to me the reason why "Book Later" is a good idea.   From what I understand if you don't select the sailing within 90 days you lose the OBC and it just becomes a deposit when used in the future.  I at least hope that you retain the reduced deposit when eventually selecting a sailing.

 

I've never seen it as an option to me over booking a placeholder sailing with a refundable deposit as far in the future as I can.  Then when I find something I want I just change the ship/sail date and decide if I want to take the refundable or non-refundable fare.   I still get the OBC (which is adjusted to the value for the new sailing length/category) and the reduced deposit.  If I know I will not take the placeholder I select the most generic balcony cabin category and let the agent select the room to not tie up a "special" cabin.

 

I understand why the book later is better for Celebrity but I don't see any advantage to me.  Help me see the errors in my thinking.

We've done the "Book Later" option on our last two cruises because we had to make sure we could get time off work, and that our pet sitter was available.  We priced out a couple cruises while onboard and then made our decision within the month.  We were lucky that the prices hadn't changed by the time we applied the certificate.

On our Thanksgiving cruise, we hadn't actually planned on getting a certificate, but the extra Black Friday OBC made it worth doing so.

Edited February 3, 2022 by hiccups

[downsmead]

We were told on board that if we hadn’t used the future cruise deposit within a year, it would be refunded to our credit card, though having since read the T&Cs , it seems this is not the case. As has been said above, the reps on board may embellish a bit. Originally since we couldn’t find a cruise that suited us, I was going to wait the year and get a refund, but then having discovered that this was not the case, used it as a deposit for a cruise on Edge around New Zealand in 2024. Now we just need to sort out touring Australia before the cruise.

In addition we do not have the luxury of refundable deposits here in the U.K., so a reduced deposit is useful. 

Edited February 3, 2022 by downsmead

[lilalila]

Are the onboard booking offers the same between Celebrity and Royal? I'll be on the Apex at the end of this month; I'm looking at an Harmony of the Seas sailing in May.  Can a Celebrity future cruise consultant book a Royal (placeholder) cruise?

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, lilalila said:

Are the onboard booking offers the same between Celebrity and Royal? I'll be on the Apex at the end of this month; I'm looking at an Harmony of the Seas sailing in May.  Can a Celebrity future cruise consultant book a Royal (placeholder) cruise?

Reduced deposits, OBC. Celebrity's OBC amounts are based on stateroom type and length of cruise(s).  We've also have received a bottle of wine for each cruise we book on embarkation day only with Celebrity. RC OBC amounts are based on stateroom type and length of cruise(s). No wine offer from RC even if booking a Celebrity cruise. 

 

Yes. We do it all the time both when with Celebrity and with RC. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by davekathy

[Ken the cruiser]

We just boarded the Reflection today and for those interested we just confirmed if you book a cruise at the Future Cruise Desk on embarkation day, you will still get a free bottle of wine delivered to your cabin.

[davekathy]

13 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We just boarded the Reflection today and for those interested we just confirmed if you book a cruise at the Future Cruise Desk on embarkation day, you will still get a free bottle of wine delivered to your cabin.

Thanks for confirming Celebrity is still offering the wine.  I (we) was hoping Celebrity was still doing that. 🍷

Edited February 6, 2022 by davekathy

[lilalila]

On 2/3/2022 at 7:05 AM, lilalila said:

Regarding the "Book Later" option:

 

If I choose a cruise within the 90 day window--in order to get the OBC offer--but the cruise is inside final payment does it have to be booked directly through Celebrity?  Or, can I reach out to a TA and book with them taking advantage of whatever their in-house OBC might be?  I ask because bookings can't be transferred to a TA inside of final payment.

I'm re-posting this because I looked through this thread and didn't see an answer.

[sbcs5390]

My scenario is this: 

I board Silhouette on February 25. I'm staying on Millennium for the next two cruises after and am considering adding a third. I'd love to take advantage of the $200 OBC although I accept that there's a risk my cabin could be sold out. The current CARIBOBC promo expires February 28 which would get me another $200 of OBC. My PVP at Celebrity has been great and if possible I'd like him to get credit for the booking. Is it best for me to go to the desk on Silhouette and buy a certificate then get my PVP to do the booking? Or should I just book with the onboard rep? Does "your" agent still get credit?

[davekathy]

38 minutes ago, sbcs5390 said:

My scenario is this: 

I board Silhouette on February 25. I'm staying on Millennium for the next two cruises after and am considering adding a third. I'd love to take advantage of the $200 OBC although I accept that there's a risk my cabin could be sold out. The current CARIBOBC promo expires February 28 which would get me another $200 of OBC. My PVP at Celebrity has been great and if possible I'd like him to get credit for the booking. Is it best for me to go to the desk on Silhouette and buy a certificate then get my PVP to do the booking? Or should I just book with the onboard rep? Does "your" agent still get credit?

If you have the Celebrity PVP contact info, why not contact that person and ask him. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

I hope there's someone onboard that can post a picture of the on-board booking offer flyer.   The terms and conditions of this Book Now / Later offer look a little different than the Book On-Board Offer that we had in October.  The Book On-Board offer reduced the OBC for repositioning and Transatlantic/Transpacific cruises by half and I don't see that restriction on the Book Now / Later offer.  We only received $100/leg OBC for a veranda on the Edge repositioning cruises in Fall 2023.   If this is still true, there appears to be an advantage to using the Book Now /Later offer for repositioning cruises.  

[Ken the cruiser]

7 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I hope there's someone onboard that can post a picture of the on-board booking offer flyer.   The terms and conditions of this Book Now / Later offer look a little different than the Book On-Board Offer that we had in October.  The Book On-Board offer reduced the OBC for repositioning and Transatlantic/Transpacific cruises by half and I don't see that restriction on the Book Now / Later offer.  We only received $100/leg OBC for a veranda on the Edge repositioning cruises in Fall 2023.   If this is still true, there appears to be an advantage to using the Book Now /Later offer for repositioning cruises.  

Here you go, fresh from the Reflection Future Cruise office.

 

 

 

 

[Froufie]

I just called to try and get the CARIBOBC $200 credit applied to my March cruise - but they said it was not applicable as I was past final payment?  😞

[HskrCrsr]

22 minutes ago, Froufie said:

I just called to try and get the CARIBOBC $200 credit applied to my March cruise - but they said it was not applicable as I was past final payment?  😞

Is that the offer that, per the terms, "only applies to select Celebrity Infinity sailings departing between June 25, 2022 – November 19, 2022"? I don't see other $200 OBC offers right now, but might be missing something.

[Froufie]

2 hours ago, HskrCrsr said:

Is that the offer that, per the terms, "only applies to select Celebrity Infinity sailings departing between June 25, 2022 – November 19, 2022"? I don't see other $200 OBC offers right now, but might be missing something.

I am not on any Infinity sailing - but I did see some postings on a Millennium roll call where others were able to get this OBC applied!  I may try and call again....

 

[keepsakefl]

It seems some are getting 1 year to decide when they sail.  We got 6 months and one image herein this thread has 90 days.  Is this just Celebrity getting greedy ?

We also signed up in February 2023 and nowhere in the contract do they or will they define the true benefit as far as obc goes.  This is deceptive.  Our signup even has conflicting timeframes in the fine print.  In one paragraph it says 6 months and next sentence still has year and year in print.  When a company says go to website for details ... that can easily be changed over time.  Just how is that legal ?

Edited April 18, 2023 by keepsakefl

[indy406]

We purchased the $200 on board future cruise credit in February and had until May 1 to book a cruise to get the benefit of the offer. The money would be refunded if we didn't book something by May 1. This week, we booked an 11-day April 2004 cruise. The $200 we spent was sufficient deposit until final payment is due January 2004. We did not need to pay an additional $700 on the deposit. We also received a $200 on-board credit for our April 2004 cruise. So the on-board future cruise payment worked out for us.