Booking a future cruise

[Fred C. Nelles]

Is there an advantage to booking a future cruise while on a current cruise?

[Shmoo here]

12 minutes ago, Fred C. Nelles said:

Is there an advantage to booking a future cruise while on a current cruise?

Generally, yes.  It depends on the specific cruise line's onboard booking policies.

 

 

[leaveitallbehind]

Frequently the benefits may include a reduced deposit required and some form of OBC that would be available only to on board bookings. It also can be convenient to do with the in person reps on board. But generally the fare structure is the same as would be published at the time.  This of course could vary by cruise line.

Edited December 17, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[Ashland]

I can't get a discount on deposits because I book only suites....OBC...MEH !!!

I used to love the old Next Booking vouchers...no expiration. Those are a thing of the past.

[leaveitallbehind]

37 minutes ago, Ashland said:

I can't get a discount on deposits because I book only suites....OBC...MEH !!!

I used to love the old Next Booking vouchers...no expiration. Those are a thing of the past.

....not to mention that your deposit is also higher and non-refundable.  No real on board advantage there LOL.

 

Agree - used to love the old future cruise certificates!

[Ashland]

3 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

....not to mention that your deposit is also higher and non-refundable.  No real on board advantage there LOL.

 

Agree - used to love the old future cruise certificates!

Yes...We used to buy 3 pp when onboard.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, leaveitallbehind said:

....not to mention that your deposit is also higher and non-refundable.  No real on board advantage there LOL.

 

Agree - used to love the old future cruise certificates!

 

I don't know what a future cruise certificate is.  We used to be able to put a reduced deposit down and use it on a cruise to be determined later.   Maybe the same thing.  

[leaveitallbehind]

3 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I don't know what a future cruise certificate is.  We used to be able to put a reduced deposit down and use it on a cruise to be determined later.   Maybe the same thing.  

Yep.  Used to be able to purchase certificates that represented a reduced deposit that were flexible for use on a future cruise.  I believe you could buy up to three at a time.  A thing of the past.....

Edited December 17, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Yep.  Used to be able to purchase certificates that represented a reduced deposit that were flexible for use on a future cruise.  I believe you could buy up to three at a time.  A thing of the past.....

 

Yes, we used that a few times (Princess).  Thanks!  

[Kristelle]

We got $1000 p/p reduced cost when booking our next river cruise whilst on board the river cruise.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

Yes, we used that a few times (Princess).  Thanks!  

Ours were with RCCL, but sounds like a similar program.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

We used to be able to put a reduced deposit down and use it on a cruise to be determined later. 

Holland America still has Future Cruise Deposits in increment of $100, bought on board. I don't know if there is a limit of 3 per person, but they are used instead of the full deposit (!) according to the length of the cruise, one, two, or three (per person) to book a cruise.

[Honolulu Blue]

17 hours ago, Fred C. Nelles said:

Is there an advantage to booking a future cruise while on a current cruise?

It depends on which cruise line you're booking with.

 

Some cruise lines offer future cruise certificates, which have been described above.  I haven't personally used them.

 

Some offer OBC and perhaps a reduced deposit for booking online.  I've done this a few times on Carnival when they offered it.

 

And I've done this a couple of times on charters.  They don't offer space on regular cruises, but you get first dibs on your cabin for the next year's sailing.  They can also book cabins on other cruises from the same charter company.  They can offer OBC and other benefits.

[Hlitner]

18 hours ago, Ashland said:

I can't get a discount on deposits because I book only suites....OBC...MEH !!!

I used to love the old Next Booking vouchers...no expiration. Those are a thing of the past.

OBC MEH?  Why MEH?  OBCs are like money in the bank.  If refundable, one can put the money in their pocket by either getting the refund from Guest Relations or having it sent as a check (Princess does this for over $25) or a credit card refund.  On our recent Sky Princess cruise (just last week) we had over $1400 of OBC.  Much of it was non-refundable so we used it to pay for a few alternative restaurant meals and I also bought two liter bottles of Remy Martin XO (generally worth over $200 per bottle).  The approximate refundable remainder (about $500) will appear as a check in a few weeks.

 

I am still amazed at the number of cruisers that book directly with the cruise lines and forgo generous OBCs provided by many high volume discount cruise agencies.  OBCs or rebates equal to 7-10% of the cruise price is not uncommon.

 

As to booking onboard (or simply buying Future Cruise Credits) this varies depending on cruise lines.  On a line like Princess it is a pretty good deal (especially for frequent cruisers).  A $100 per person Future Cruise Credit (bought onboard during a cruise) can be used as a deposit on a future cruise (which now much be booked within a year...or the money is refunded).  But not only is that $100 per person used as a deposit (and pays part of the next cruise) but you will also get an OBC which varies from $50 - $150.  So consider that a $100 investment will get you a 150% return (on longer cruises).    Other cruise lines are much different.  We did a future booking for a Seabourn Cruise (while on Seabourn) that saved us about 20% over the normal price.  Given the cost of Seabourn bookings, our savings were in the multiple thousands of dollars.

 

Hank

[leaveitallbehind]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

OBC MEH?  Why MEH?  OBCs are like money in the bank.  If refundable, one can put the money in their pocket by either getting the refund from Guest Relations or having it sent as a check (Princess does this for over $25) or a credit card refund.  On our recent Sky Princess cruise (just last week) we had over $1400 of OBC.  Much of it was non-refundable so we used it to pay for a few alternative restaurant meals and I also bought two liter bottles of Remy Martin XO (generally worth over $200 per bottle).  The approximate refundable remainder (about $500) will appear as a check in a few weeks.

With most mass market cruise lines the OBC issued with on board bookings is non-refundable. Typically most refundable OBC's are third party issued.  But that can vary by cruise line.

 

But I agree completely that either way - refundable or non-refundable - there certainly is value to that benefit.  It can be used for all on board purchases, including recommended gratuities, and the non-refundable cruise line issued OBC's are typically applied first.  The refundable OBC's are applied last, allowing for a refund of any unused portion as you've described. 

 

Again, this can vary by cruise line, but along with the method you describe, the refund can also be issued as cash on board, or as a credit against the credit card used for your on board account.

Edited December 18, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[Hlitner]

46 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

With most mass market cruise lines the OBC issued with on board bookings is non-refundable. Typically most refundable OBC's are third party issued.  But that can vary by cruise line.

 

But I agree completely that either way - refundable or non-refundable - there certainly is value to that benefit.  It can be used for all on board purchases, including recommended gratuities, and the non-refundable cruise line issued OBC's are typically applied first.  The refundable OBC's are applied last, allowing for a refund of any unused portion as you've described. 

 

Again, this can vary by cruise line, but along with the method you describe, the refund can also be issued as cash on board, or as a credit against the credit card used for your on board account.

Having cruised on 17 different cruise lines (I kid you not) we are well aware of significant differences on how each line handles OBC.  But OBC is not to be scoffed at (which was why I was curious about Ashland's post).  I still smile at a conversation we once had while on a long HAL cruise.  We booked through one of our favored cruise agencies who gave us nearly $3000 in OBC!  During a discussion on the cruise a lady (who we had met previously) asked how we booked, and I said, "through a decent agency that we have used for many years."  She said, "I only book direct with HAL since I can keep control"  (whatever that means).  She then asked did I get a free bottle of wine from my cruise agency, and I said no, but we got enough OBC to buy a few cases!  She asked how much and we told her.  The reaction was, "we really like our PCC and would never book through an agency."  Kind of makes me think of the old "you can lead a horsem to water........." saying.

 

We have long advocated that folks should "shop around" among reputable high volume cruise/travel agencies and compare the offerings to what they can get by booking direct with a cruise line.  We have been doing that for nearly 50 years of cruising and have never found any cruise line that would match the deals we can get though our various favored agencies.  The only exception was Renaissance Cruise Lines (which went bankrupt in 2001).  That cruise line refused to deal with any travel/cruise agency and only accepted direct bookings.  They only survived 10 years!

 

Hank

[leaveitallbehind]

28 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The only exception was Renaissance Cruise Lines (which went bankrupt in 2001).  That cruise line refused to deal with any travel/cruise agency and only accepted direct bookings.  They only survived 10 years!

Agree with your full response, but just wanted to add that many people don't realize that 75% of all cruises are booked through travel agents, who act as the remote sales staff of the many cruise lines.  Their value should not be underestimated and is certainly realized by the cruise lines.

 

I would believe as you imply that (among other factors) there likely is a direct correlation between this and their lack of using TA's with the failure of Renaissance.

 

And I know you likely realize this but my comments describing how different OBC's are handled was intended as an addition to your comments primarily for those who may not recognize the distinctions. 

Edited December 18, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[Hlitner]

3 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Agree with your full response, but just wanted to add that many people don't realize that 75% of all cruises are booked through travel agents, who act as the remote sales staff of the many cruise lines.  Their value should not be underestimated and is certainly realized by the cruise lines.

 

I would believe as you imply that (among other factors) there likely is a direct correlation between this and their lack of using TA's with the failure of Renaissance.

 

And I know you likely realize this but my comments describing how different OBC's are handled was intended as an addition to your comments primarily for those who may not recognize the distinctions. 

We are both on the same page :).  Folks have often asked, how do I find a good cruise/travel agency and I often suggest they just socialize with folks on cruises and sometimes ask folks how they book their cruises.  Over the years we have received a lot of tips and agency suggestions.  We also suggest that folks need to use some degree of caution and conduct their own due diligence before using any agency.  And always read the agencies policies, FAQs, etc and call them if you have questions.  Any agency that does not politely respond to inquiries about their business, cancellation policies, etc, are best avoided.  

 

Hank

[Ashland]

I have always booked directly with RCI. The small amount of OBC I get to book onboard doesn't make that much difference to me personally. If I happen to get some non-refundable credit during the booking process...great if not...oh well. I also book only suites so the discount deposit doesn't apply.

 

Usually the bookings I make aren't even out yet and the limitations on these book onboard offers doesn't work out the best at the time.

 

Many years ago we used to purchase 3pp Future Cruise Certificates while onboard and those terms were great...those went away a long time ago.

 

My post certainly wasn't meant to be a debate....just my opinion.

 

Thanks for your response. 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Ashland

[Waltershipman]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We are both on the same page :).  Folks have often asked, how do I find a good cruise/travel agency and I often suggest they just socialize with folks on cruises and sometimes ask folks how they book their cruises.  Over the years we have received a lot of tips and agency suggestions.  We also suggest that folks need to use some degree of caution and conduct their own due diligence before using any agency.  And always read the agencies policies, FAQs, etc and call them if you have questions.  Any agency that does not politely respond to inquiries about their business, cancellation policies, etc, are best avoided.  

 

Hank

The That i have been booking with for over 20 years was reccomended to me from another passenger a long time ago been great all these years