Booking next cruise onboard?

[Cat4158]

Can someone please tell me if there’s any advantage to booking a future cruise while onboard? Is it cheaper? Do you get OBC? I’d appreciate any advice about booking now or waiting until May when I’m on Equinox. 
 

[jelayne]

Benefit is lower deposit and some OBC depending upon length of cruise and cabin category.

[Big_G]

Reduced deposit and extra OBC.

[Cat4158]

Thank you

[Denny01]

You can also have the reservation you make on line transferred to the Agent you booked the cruise you are on, or to another. You can also do that after you get off the cruise and have to transferred. 

 

You can also add ‘open’ reservations for booking in the future, ie agree to book a cruise within a set time, usually  yrs ahead, on board with the lower deposit and get the OBC. And even if you dont use them, you get reimbursed after the time runs out. 

 

Den

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, Cat4158 said:

Can someone please tell me if there’s any advantage to booking a future cruise while onboard? Is it cheaper? Do you get OBC? I’d appreciate any advice about booking now or waiting until May when I’m on Equinox. 
 

 

Here are the current flyers from Celebrity explaining the booking onboard process and benefits.

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/FCV_FAQsv7.pdf

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/2022_CruiseLater_TCCv2.pdf

 

Note that you have two options when you book onboard.  The first one is to book a cabin for a specific sailing (aka Book Now).  You pay a reduced deposit ($100 pp) and you get OBC depending on the cabin type and sailing length.  I have usually used this option.

 

The second option is to put a $100 pp deposit down to retain the right to choose a sailing date later (aka Book Later). You are given a specific length of time to exercise that option.  That time period used to be fairly short (1-2 months?) but now Celebrity has been changing recently from 6 months, 12 months, to even 18 months.  This extended length of time makes this option much more appealing.  Again, you will get OBC depending on the cabin category and sailing length.  The form in the links currently give you 6 months to make a choice.  During my last cruise, I actually used this option and purchased two separation Book Later options which I used a couple months later when the new 2024/25 sailings were released.  So when you get on Equinox, you will want to see what your specific paperwork says.

 

Here are the forms that were distributed during my Oct/Nov Constellation cruise. Back then we were given 18 months to decide on a sailing.  You can click or tap on the images to magnify them to read the fine print better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by mahdnc

[mrgabriel]

We have also found that the agents who do the bookings onboard are really good at finding discounts or OBC that we would have missed if we booked on our own. 

[Cat4158]

That’s really helpful - thank you so much.

[industrious95]

We just put a deposit on a future cruise while on Beyond last weekend (3/5-3/12 2023).

 

1) $100 per person with no specific cruise or itinerary.   Up to $500 OBC, depending upon length of cruise.  I believe a 7 day cruise would be a $350 OBC.

 

2) We have 6 months to book the cruise.  If we don't, they will refund us the $100 deposit.   So nothing gained, nothing lost if we don't book a cruise.

[mahdnc]

48 minutes ago, industrious95 said:

Up to $500 OBC, depending upon length of cruise.  I believe a 7 day cruise would be a $350 OBC.

 

 

OBC depends on cruise length and stateroom category.