Booking your next cruise onboard?

[missingyou]

We have a cruise in Jan 2025 with Celebrity and we thinking of trying to book another cruise while we are onboard.  Do you get better deals on certain days of the cruise when booking onboard (i.e. is it better to book later in the week)?  Do you get a better deal by making a true booking vs just making a downpayment on a future cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips!

[leaveitallbehind]

There are no better deals anytime on board.  The fares offered on board are the same as those offered at the time to the general public.  On board bookings only offer a lower deposit amount (with restrictions) and typically some amount of OBC that would essentially be the on board booking bonus.  

 

I would suggest talking with the future cruise desk when on board for details.

Edited August 15 by leaveitallbehind

[39august]

No on board break in prices. Reduced deposit and some OBC depending on type of cabin and length of cruise. 

[dctravel]

Several day in the Celebrity Today (the schedule they put in your cabin each evening), there were advertisements for various up-coming cruises. The only specials I really see in them (just reviewed) were for "up to $500 onboard credit" and "save up to $200 when you book two consecutive cruises". They phrased it in several different ways, but there were never prices for the actual cruise cost, just the extras.

 

It seems to me, and we didn't book our next cruise onboard, that the main advantage is the potential extra onboard credit. Otherwise, the deal seemed to be the same as on the website when we cruised, which was 75% off the second guest + onboard credit. If it would be useful, I can scan and post the three inserts we got on our recent Solstice cruise.

[leaveitallbehind]

5 minutes ago, dctravel said:

It seems to me, and we didn't book our next cruise onboard, that the main advantage is the potential extra onboard credit. Otherwise, the deal seemed to be the same as on the website when we cruised, which was 75% off the second guest + onboard credit.

That would be correct.  The OBC with a reduced deposit are the only benefits with on board bookings.  And the offer you indicate would have been the offer in place at that time with the cruise line for all bookings.  That will vary by sailing based on the published program currently in place but would not be just for on board bookings.

Edited August 15 by leaveitallbehind

[deepcman]

Here's the OBC they offer.

[doghog]

40 minutes ago, missingyou said:

We have a cruise in Jan 2025 with Celebrity and we thinking of trying to book another cruise while we are onboard.  Do you get better deals on certain days of the cruise when booking onboard (i.e. is it better to book later in the week)?  Do you get a better deal by making a true booking vs just making a downpayment on a future cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Agree with what others have posted. We book our future cruises as soon as the Future Cruise office opens on embarkation day. We have always received a bottle of wine for each cruise booked and other small gifts. Early bird booking promos. We will be booking a B2B when we board the Edge in September. Another thing is I tell the FC agent I'm dealing with not to transfer the  bookings to the TA on record. When I get home I contact the TA to see if they can sweeten the deal. Not just going to hand over the bookings. Unfortunately I no longer have a  local TA I do business with. She shut down in 2008. 

[Pennstatedj]

Agree with all. We have also booked when there were raffles. One cruise it was for an iPad and numerous gifts like spa, speciality, and other stuff. So look at first nights paper and see if there are any raffles. 

[cruzzzinma]

Deposits “starting” at $100 is important because the deposit for suites is 10%. I think the bookings are non refundable to get the incentives.

[thebutlerdidit]

3 hours ago, missingyou said:

We have a cruise in Jan 2025 with Celebrity and we thinking of trying to book another cruise while we are onboard.  Do you get better deals on certain days of the cruise when booking onboard (i.e. is it better to book later in the week)?  Do you get a better deal by making a true booking vs just making a downpayment on a future cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Yes, on my last cruise there was a special where you got a free bottle of wine if you booked on the first or second day of the cruise. I saw it listed in the app, and it was also mentioned in the daily. It wasn’t an expensive bottle, and I just planned on bringing it home with me,  but I saw it listed in the MDR and asked for it. Several in my group tasted mine and also asked for a glass during dinner. 

[Andy_P]

Note that you can book an "Open" booking that can be changed to the specific cruise you want and you don't have to select it for 12 months (I think).  That allows you to secure the deal for cruises you migth want to take even two years later.  As mentioned the small deposit is non-refundable, and that even after you book you can still change the booking but a change fee will apply - $200 as I recall.  We usually have decided which cruise we want before we board and are able to choose the stateroom while we're at it and secure a good price in most cases.  I don't think there's a limit to how many bookings you can make.

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, Andy_P said:

Note that you can book an "Open" booking that can be changed to the specific cruise you want and you don't have to select it for 12 months (I think).

 

You have to select the sailing within 6 months to get the bonus OBC.  After 12 months the reservation will automatically cancel and you lose the deposit.  Any sailing you select the deposit will be non-refundable (even if you select a refundable fare).

 

If I'm not sure what sailing to take I make a placeholder reservation as far out as I can with a refundable deposit.  Once I decide what I really want to do I move that reservation to the desired sailing (no charge) and can at that time select a non refundable fare if I desire (at that point the $100 pp becomes non refundable and any subsequent ship/sail date change will be subject to $100 pp admin fee).   I prefer this strategy as it is more flexible for me.

 

Either way you have 30 days to transfer the booking  to a TA.   If your current booking was via a TA it will automatically be assigned to the same TA unless you specify differently.

 

Also remember the Celebrity Promo changes often.  Lately Friday - Monday generally has the best promo with "upto $200 off"  other times is nothing $100, $150.  It seems to rotate thru all each week.

 

Edited August 15 by wrk2cruise

[missingyou]

This is all great information!  Greatly appreciated!  We will definitely be looking into this once we board in January!

 

Much thanks for all the great information!

 

[daybrake]

16 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

If I'm not sure what sailing to take I make a placeholder reservation as far out as I can with a refundable deposit.  Once I decide what I really want to do I move that reservation to the desired sailing (no charge) and can at that time select a non refundable fare if I desire (at that point the $100 pp becomes non refundable and any subsequent ship/sail date change will be subject to $100 pp admin fee).  

 

 

The TA I used for my current booking (recommended by a friend) has not really done much for me other than be an "order taker" and make the reservation -- so I am trying to learn the in's and out's on my own. 

1)  What is a "placeholder" reservation? 

2)  Is this done with the future cruise desk while onboard or via the website? The website only lets me "hold" a reservation for 3 days.

3) Is the placeholder reservation made with the $100 pp deposit and this deposit can be made refundable until you assign it to your desired sailing?

4)  Do you pick a cabin for the placeholder reservation?

 

Thanks for the info.

[wrk2cruise]

@daybrake Placeholder reservation is my term.   It's a book now (Celebrity's term) reservation made onboard for a future sailing which I don't intend to take, but only "holds" the onboard booking benefits (low deposit and bonus OBC) on the booking number.  Yes you pick a cabin.  I pick a generic oceanview or balcony cabin category with lots of cabins so I'm not taking highly desirable cabin from someone else.

 

So if I was onboard today I might make a reservation for a January 2026 Caribbean sailing with a refundable deposit.   Then if I find something next summer for December 2025 I would just change the reservation to the desired ship and sail date.  At that time I can keep the deposit refundable or choose a non refundable deposit rate.  The booking number remains the same and if you choose a different category or length of sailing the bonus OBC will be adjusted accordingly.

 

Edited August 16 by wrk2cruise

[daybrake]

@wrk2cruise  Thank you so much for your detailed explanation and sharing your strategy. Sounds like a good plan.