Booking next cruise while on board

[cdn.cruiser]

Could someone tell me the percentage off, if you book a cruise while on board.

someone told me it is 10 to 15% off. However that person is at the top loyalty level.

doubt if that is true for someone at the lowest loyalty level.

another question, what is the gratuity per person per day for a regular balcony cabin?

thank you.

[Harters]

We recently booked on board. As I recall, the discount was limited to 250USD, together with a similar amount offered as onboard credit (which we used on that cruise, rather than the future one). So, quite a small amount in itself. 

 

If you choose to do so, you can reallocate the cruise to a travel agent of your choice, so long as  you do that within 14 days of the cruise ending. That's what we did, negotiating further discount. Taking both the onboard deal and the TA's deal together, the saving on the website "promotional fare" was about 12%

 

As regards gratuities, these are now included in the cruise fare  for British customers (and, I think, other Europeans),as they have been for Australia and New Zealand customers for some time. 

[1985rz1]

20 minutes ago, cdn.cruiser said:

Could someone tell me the percentage off, if you book a cruise while on board.

someone told me it is 10 to 15% off. However that person is at the top loyalty level.

doubt if that is true for someone at the lowest loyalty level.

another question, what is the gratuity per person per day for a regular balcony cabin?

thank you.

The benefits for onboard booking are not tied to loyalty level.  They are tied to the stateroom category booked. 

 

I've never seen onboard discounts anywhere near 10 or 15%.

 

Gratuity for a standard stateroom is $18 per dayper person.

Edited May 11 by 1985rz1

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, 1985rz1 said:

The benefits for onboard booking are not tied to loyalty level.  They are tied to the stateroom category booked. 

 

I've never seen onboard discounts anywhere near 10 or 15%.

 

Gratuity for a standard stateroom is $18 per dayper person.

Correct. The BoB discount is approx. 5%+\-. The value of BoB is the price drop match guarantee and the cabin-dependent bonus SBC on current or future cruise.

[Astro Flyer]

29 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Correct. The BoB discount is approx. 5%+\-. The value of BoB is the price drop match guarantee and the cabin-dependent bonus SBC on current or future cruise.

Do those benefits remain if transferring a BoB booking to my TA within 14 days of the cruise’s end?

 

[1985rz1]

4 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Do those benefits remain if transferring a BoB booking to my TA within 14 days of the cruise’s end?

 

Yes.

[kahuna21]

2 hours ago, cdn.cruiser said:

Could someone tell me the percentage off, if you book a cruise while on board.

someone told me it is 10 to 15% off. However that person is at the top loyalty level.

doubt if that is true for someone at the lowest loyalty level.

another question, what is the gratuity per person per day for a regular balcony cabin?

thank you.

Last year we received a $300 pp discount, which was about 5% of the cost. Plus probably a small obc for the current cruise. 

[osandomir]

3 hours ago, cdn.cruiser said:

Could someone tell me the percentage off, if you book a cruise while on board.

someone told me it is 10 to 15% off. However that person is at the top loyalty level.

doubt if that is true for someone at the lowest loyalty level.

another question, what is the gratuity per person per day for a regular balcony cabin?

thank you.

Booking onboard discount is a fix amount which is scaled based on the length of the cruise and the cabin category. If I remember correctly it could be something between $150 and $1,500 per cabin and normally is about 5% discount of the total cost of the cruise depending upon whether it’s more or less expensive based on the per day price of the particular cruise.

 

There's also a not cabin related ship board credit which varies from $100 to $300 depending on the current promotion in our experience.

Edited May 12 by osandomir

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Astro Flyer said:

Do those benefits remain if transferring a BoB booking to my TA within 14 days of the cruise’s end?

 

Yes

[AMHuntFerry]

From September 2023:

[Vineyard View]

Aren’t you also able to transfer to a different cruise without being charged the $150/pp  penalty one time?

[osandomir]

51 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Aren’t you also able to transfer to a different cruise without being charged the $150/pp  penalty one time?

One time change free of charge.

[golfguyhhi]

Is the BoB benefit still available when booking either 30 days before or after the BoB cruise?

I ask because the Ambassador has always been very busy on my last 3 or 4 cruises, and I'd just as soon book it thru my TA before actually boarding my upcoming cruise.

[ORV]

25 minutes ago, golfguyhhi said:

Is the BoB benefit still available when booking either 30 days before or after the BoB cruise?

I ask because the Ambassador has always been very busy on my last 3 or 4 cruises, and I'd just as soon book it thru my TA before actually boarding my upcoming cruise.

I believe it's 30 days before, but not after. 

[golfguyhhi]

Orv,

 

Thanks!!

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, golfguyhhi said:

Is the BoB benefit still available when booking either 30 days before or after the BoB cruise?

I ask because the Ambassador has always been very busy on my last 3 or 4 cruises, and I'd just as soon book it thru my TA before actually boarding my upcoming cruise.

 

3 hours ago, ORV said:

I believe it's 30 days before, but not after. 

It’s not 30 days after. As for a month prior, that was/is(?) the case. But since O changed the TA transfer window from 30 to 14 days, I’d suggest calling O for the latest time limits for BoB pre-cruise.

[golfguyhhi]

FF,

 

I'll do that tomorrow.  Thanks for your advice.

[golfguyhhi]

FF,

 

Talked to O just now, and BoB benefits are still available for up to 30 days before your cruise.

[molemaui]

Unless you absolutely know what future cruise you want and when you want to do it, BEWARE of doing anything on board. For years, I would make token down payments for a future cruise to be named later. I've done this on Oceania, Celebrity, Windstar and Silversea previously. 

 

With Oceania, I was not aware that the deposit had a one year limit for use or you would forfeit it. That was not the case the first time I did this. I booked a cruise for June 2024 (in October 2023) and was told my on board deposit had expired and "there was nothing they could do". I went up the ladder with no success. (in the past, I've always booked with an Oceania "travel executive" and transferred it to my agent) The Oceania representative was totally ineffectual. 

 

Fortunately my travel agent had the pull needed and my deposit was reinstated. 

 

Moral of the story-don't play the game of booking with O and transferring to an agent. The extra benefits aren't worth it especially if you have a good agent. AND, while you're enjoying your cruise, cruise operators know that is the best time to sell you another one. A paltry $200 credit or whatever isn't worth it as it locks you into a time period as well as a brand. Keep your flexibility and book when you see a cruise you want on a ship you want to take at a time you want to take it. 

 

 

[ronrick1943]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:56 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

It’s not 30 days after. As for a month prior, that was/is(?) the case. But since O changed the TA transfer window from 30 to 14 days, I’d suggest calling O for the latest time limits for BoB pre-cruise.

When we booked on board the cruise, they transfer the booking when we booked (the agency was our agency off record).

[ronrick1943]

5 hours ago, molemaui said:

Unless you absolutely know what future cruise you want and when you want to do it, BEWARE of doing anything on board. For years, I would make token down payments for a future cruise to be named later. I've done this on Oceania, Celebrity, Windstar and Silversea previously. 

 

With Oceania, I was not aware that the deposit had a one year limit for use or you would forfeit it. That was not the case the first time I did this. I booked a cruise for June 2024 (in October 2023) and was told my on board deposit had expired and "there was nothing they could do". I went up the ladder with no success. (in the past, I've always booked with an Oceania "travel executive" and transferred it to my agent) The Oceania representative was totally ineffectual. 

 

Fortunately my travel agent had the pull needed and my deposit was reinstated. 

 

Moral of the story-don't play the game of booking with O and transferring to an agent. The extra benefits aren't worth it especially if you have a good agent. AND, while you're enjoying your cruise, cruise operators know that is the best time to sell you another one. A paltry $200 credit or whatever isn't worth it as it locks you into a time period as well as a brand. Keep your flexibility and book when you see a cruise you want on a ship you want to take at a time you want to take it. 

 

 

I agree when booking on the ship, always know what you want before booking.  Booking on the ship thinking you'll change it when you find what you want--just may not happen during the period granted.  I like to book early myself to get the suite I want before it sells out.

[molemaui]

34 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

I agree when booking on the ship, always know what you want before booking.  Booking on the ship thinking you'll change it when you find what you want--just may not happen during the period granted.  I like to book early myself to get the suite I want before it sells out.

It used to be you could also just put down the money in advance and get the "benefits". When you decided what cruise you wanted, you simply booked it and the deposit was in. I usually book 3 or 4 at a time so I'm really not thinking about booking a new cruise when I'm on board. As I mentioned earlier, the $250 onboard credit and reduced deposit isn't enough for me to through the hassle. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

18 hours ago, molemaui said:

…..With Oceania, I was not aware that the deposit had a one year limit for use or you would forfeit it.…..

 

…..Moral of the story-don't play the game of booking with O and transferring to an agent. The extra benefits aren't worth it especially if you have a good agent….

 

 

Better advice is: “Read your paperwork.”

If one pays attention, the BoB option with TA transfer (now within 14 days) is the most efficacious way to benefit from the deal (for ways even beyond the stated benefits).

[Flatbush Flyer]

12 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

When we booked on board the cruise, they transfer the booking when we booked (the agency was our agency off record).

You can assign your BoB to yourself (instead of the TA you used for the current cruise) and then choose whatever TA you want for the transfer.

[Harters]

14 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You can assign your BoB to yourself (instead of the TA you used for the current cruise) and then choose whatever TA you want for the transfer.

That's exactly what I did recently. I think O's booking system records it as a direct booking with them unless you reassign it within the 14 days.. We had booked the cruise we were on, using a TA, but wanted to shop around for a possible replacement. In the event our existing TA proved to be the best bet for us, so we then assigned it to them. All within the 14 days. 

Edited May 15 by Harters