Ok, explain the NEXTCruise option

[Elizanessie]

This is quoted from the press release-

 

Enhancements to Future Booking Onboard Program

For the cruise line's loyal cruisers, Royal Caribbean has devised the NextCruise option to ease the planning of a guest's next cruise. The new program allows vacationers enjoying a Royal Caribbean cruise to book their next cruise vacation without having to commit to a specific date or itinerary. By paying a nominal, non-refundable deposit, guests are eligible to receive an onboard credit to use on their next cruise. Royal Caribbean will notify the guest's travel agent when a NextCruise booking has been made and once the guest has decided on a sail date and ship, they can work with their preferred travel partner to process the booking. Deposits have no expiration and travel agents will receive full commission and revenue credit for the reservation.

 

An additional enhancement to the future booking onboard program enables guests booking a future cruise while onboard a ship to retain their onboard credit for their next cruise vacation even if their travel agent applies their FIT reservation toward a group booking. Travel agents will be able to apply relevant group amenities to these guests.

[AFT_LOVER]

Got the Press Relase that RCI sends to stockholders via email over a month ago. So today I phoned C&A to ask about its progress. I speak with a stephanie who has no idea what I am talking about. I asked if they see press releases sent out to stockholders? She said no. SO I told her to ask her Supervisor about Next Cruise. So she was gone 10 minutes & returns & states that it isn't working as yet. Then she asked me how I heard of it since it hasn't been relesaed to the public as yet. I told her I am a stockholder & RCI emails us with their news weekly. Then she tells me to hold on. SO I guess she had to tell her Supervisor how I know.

 

Unreal how poor these phone folks are.....

[DCWeiler]

If you search NextCruise on the RCCL website it will show or here is the link.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/pressCenter/pressReleases/info.do;jsessionid=0000zREQ-TLt61gL1yeDpDzA36H:10ktmer4a?prDate=12-06-2006&prCode=A

 

It looks like you might need to us a TA to take part of the offer.

 

Dennis

[AFT_LOVER]

is what my TA was told when I emailed her the press release. She called her contact at RCCL to ask about deposit amount & OBC amount & she was told they are in talks & a new press release will go out when they have compiled the facts for it. So we wait.

 

Anyone cruising can try onboard to leave $100 deposit for a TA booked cruise since you do not need a cruise when you do this. So is it a computer connection that you sit down for free to book yourself the deposit & then your TA gets the notice to book you when we get home. Then if we book 2 week cruise we get $250 or whatever they now will do.

 

 

If you search NextCruise on the RCCL website it will show or here is the link.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/pressCenter/pressReleases/info.do;jsessionid=0000zREQ-TLt61gL1yeDpDzA36H:10ktmer4a?prDate=12-06-2006&prCode=A

 

It looks like you might need to us a TA to take part of the offer.

 

Dennis

[isujim]

In other words..........testing the water:)

 

Depending on the feedback they recieve, not just from cruisers but their world wide ta's as well..............like deposits, non refundable, OBC concerns, length of time etc.............that is when you will see the finished product.

 

As an educated guess, I think the program and it's final design will be implemented shortly before the April/May release of their new cruise releases..........maybe sooner............

 

But they are definetly "testing the feedback":)

[bubbadog]

i think 250$ is too much for a deposit,i think it should be 100$ like princess,guess we'll see:))):rolleyes:

[suzyluvs2cruise]

We'll be on the Monarch Feb 5.............I'll try to find our more about NextCruise then. Hopefully deposit will be $100. I think they'd get lot's more future cruise bookings if it is.

[cruisenfever]

We'll be on the Monarch Feb 5.............I'll try to find our more about NextCruise then. Hopefully deposit will be $100. I think they'd get lot's more future cruise bookings if it is.

Thanks Sue........we'll wait to hear from you. Maybe things will have been straightened out by then.

[AFT_LOVER]

from me & my TA who has plenty of folks asking her about it. Over a month since we were emailed the press release that I posted here, and it is taking them forever to get it in action.

 

When you have to make an appointment to talk with a clerk or the LA, that is so poor. They should have computers set up for folks to sit down, search a cruise & buy it. Or just put down a depsoit ($100) on a future cruise & get $100 OBC when they buy it, makes perfect sense to me.

 

So thank you again for being our volunteer to check out Next Cruise!

We'll be on the Monarch Feb 5.............I'll try to find our more about NextCruise then. Hopefully deposit will be $100. I think they'd get lot's more future cruise bookings if it is.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks Sue........we'll wait to hear from you. Maybe things will have been straightened out by then.

 

Let's hope so.

 

from me & my TA who has plenty of folks asking her about it. Over a month since we were emailed the press release that I posted here, and it is taking them forever to get it in action.

 

When you have to make an appointment to talk with a clerk or the LA, that is so poor. They should have computers set up for folks to sit down, search a cruise & buy it. Or just put down a depsoit ($100) on a future cruise & get $100 OBC when they buy it, makes perfect sense to me.

 

So thank you again for being our volunteer to check out Next Cruise!

 

You're welcome.

[Cahroozer]

We just got off the Legend where I tried to make a NextCruise deposit.

The assistant to the LA had never heard of it (duh?). However, the LA did, and said it's not in operation.

 

Their solution was to make a dummy booking farther out .. April 2008 ... which can be later changed, and then it qualifies me for the onboard credit. The deposit was $200 for two people. Sounds OK but I have a couple of problems:

 

1. I assume my TA will allow changes without new fees. They once refused to get me a new, lower posted price unless I paid a cancellation fee.

 

2. More importantly, this solution could prevent me from taking advantage of offers that are for new bookings only. Those can offer some very good savings.

[rsscaptain]

On our last Princess cruise we booked a future cruise on board, and was charged $100 Refundable pp for any future cruise within 5 years. For booking a mini-suite we were awarded $150 OBC. Not sure if that was per cabin or per-person.

 

We cancelled within the time frame, (booked with RCCL) and our Amex card was credited the $200.

[elleluv]

We just spoke with the LA on Jewel Thursday.... She said the NEXTCruise information is all set up in their computer system. They are just waiting for legal to final the language for the agreement between RCCL and the pax.

[elleluv]

We just spoke with the LA on Jewel Thursday.... She said the NEXTCruise information is all set up in their computer system. They are just waiting for legal to finalize the language for the agreement between RCCL and the pax.

[elleluv]

UGGGGHHHH!! These boards have been soooooo frustrating!!! Sorry about the double post.

[Lynnees]

So far I've not heard anything about implementation of this program. However, I have talked to numerous people about it and they (as well as I) don't think much of the program. Personally, I'm not willing to place a $100 non-refundable deposit on an unknown cruise. As a Canadian, I wonder if the deposit will be that much higher as well.

 

I think I'll stick to the regular deposit which is refundable and just move the cruise to another one if I change my mind on the cruise I originally booked.

 

The way Princess does it is much fairer.

[Lynnees]

Sorry - double post.

[mohavemommy]

So really all the NextCruise option gives you is an OBC on your future cruise with a $100/pp non-refundable deposit. There are no other benefits to it. Is this right?

[Lynnees]

Exactly.

[HFP]

Like Marilyn, I had been hoping RCCl would implement a program like the one at Princess. This is not a good copy. I have always thought the $450pp deposit for a cruise 9 days or longer was too much. It doesn't take long to add up to several thousand dollars in deposits if you have several cruises in the works..

[mohavemommy]

Like Marilyn, I had been hoping RCCl would implement a program like the one at Princess. This is not a good copy. I have always thought the $450pp deposit for a cruise 9 days or longer was too much. It doesn't take long to add up to several thousand dollars in deposits if you have several cruises in the works..

 

 

I too agree that $450 is way too much for a deposit for that long of cruise. I also feel that there should be reduced deposit amounts for the 3rd and 4th person in a cabin. As it is, on a 7 day cruise when you can get the 3/4 rate low, then you pay close to if not 100% of that fare up front as the deposit. It should also be at a reduced rate. :p

[beachbuddy]

Any more information on this new program? Seems it's popping up on boards at RCCL and Celebrity. I'm really curious to see if they changed the way the OBC is awarded.

 

Beachbuddy

[AFT_LOVER]

You put down a non-refundable $100 PP deposit, no cruise needed as it is tagged NEXTCRUISE. A fax goes to your TA on this, so you can receive the $100 OBC on the next cruise booked within 3 years. They can booked you with a Group Cruise rate, as I always lost out on the onboard booking OBC since I am always a Group Cruise rate. So this is another nice perk of it.

 

Then as my TA explained to me, you book a 2 week TA cruise, you will be charged the $900 per couple deposit less the $200 already paid & your OBC is $250. So this is great, we keep our money til we book the cruise!

 

We cruise TA on Brilliance 4/16 so I will try it. BUt what we don't know is if it is the appointment needed to talk to rep in the LA area, or is it computers that take the deposit to our C&A # and that is all the wait we need.

 

So anyone who has done it, clue us in since i truly hate the wait time to book a cruise & just a NextCruise depsoit should be loads quicker....

 

So really all the NextCruise option gives you is an OBC on your future cruise with a $100/pp non-refundable deposit. There are no other benefits to it. Is this right?

[donvets]

I just used this option. Onboard the Soverign the end of March, we put the $200 down on Next Cruise. The LA asked if we wanted to keep our same TA. Of course said yes. Well she booked it, sent an info copy to my TA, and we left.

 

Got back home and decided to do the same cruise all over again in Dec. I merely emailed my TA, she pulled up the Next Cruise deposit, applied it as the deposit for the cruise, RCCL gave me the $50 OBC, my TA comped the Gratuities, so for a $200 deposit, we got $200 as a downpayment on the cruise, $50 OBC and $ say 50 for prepaid gratuities. Not bad.

 

Obviously we are going to do it again in Dec for next years cruise.

[cruisenfever]

Then as my TA explained to me, you book a 2 week TA cruise, you will be charged the $900 per couple deposit less the $200 already paid & your OBC is $250. So this is great, we keep our money til we book the cruise!

The maximum OBC you can get from booking a cruise onboard regardless if you use the NextCruise option or just do a normal booking is $200 for a 12 night or longer cruise.