Advantages to booking while on board

[jbhcw]

We’ll be doing our second HAL cruise in February on the Zuiderdam and are thinking about the Osterdam in October or November but have not booked yet. What are the advantages if any in booking while onboard and can you switch the booking to your TA when you get home? Is the deposit the same or less? I have read about people booking with a 100.00 deposit, is that for a specific ship and date? Thanks in advance for all replies:) :)

[jhannah]

Booking onboard requires only $100 per person. That's nice. And you get onboard credits starting at $25 per person and going up, depending on the length of cruise and category of cabin you book.

 

The booking can be for a specific cruise, or it can be "open" and decided upon later. You will have 4 years to use it.

 

Yes, you can then transfer the booking to the TA of your choice.

[hammybee]

There has been some noise on this board about Future Cruise Consutlants( FCC) telling passengers that they must book a specific cruise rather than float the deposit to take advantage of the $100 deposit deal and OBC.

 

Now I have no idea if FCCs are singing this song or not. In any event, one does not need to book a specific cruise to take advantage of this offer. There have been reports from posters in the know that say the FCC gets more personal income if passengers book a specific cruise rather than float, the deposit. In other words, there is personal motivation for them to sell you a cruise as opposed to a floating $100 deposit.

 

It bothers me, on some level, that passengers may make impulse bookings when there is no need to do so, even though such bookings are easily cancelled before final payment date and/or the deposit is applied to another cruise or put into a float status.

 

It's up to each passenger to book a cruise or float the deposit. If you have an idea of when and where you want to cruise next, by all means make an onboard booking. Just do not feel obligated to do so, when floating the deposit achieves the same goal for the consumer.

[mamaofami]

If you book on board for an open date, I assume you don't need to worry about insurance.

 

What if you book a particular cruise. Then do you have a certain window in which to purchase insurance?

 

Does anyone remember the name of the company that Sail mentioned that allows you to be airlifted to the hospital of your choice?

[jtl513]

... and can you switch the booking to your TA when you get home?

Unless you specify that you want to change TA's it automatically goes to the same one you used for the cruise you're on.

 

In our case, since we picked a specific cruise and need "pre-existing condition" cancellation insurance, I emailed my TA from the ship and by the next day he had set up that and all of our other "usual" cruise preferences.

[Aunty Pat]

Medjet Assist is one company that will transfer you to the hospital of your choice.

 

Aunty Pay

 

Barefoot Windjammer - Phantom ‘81

K&D German Rhine Line ‘84

NCL - Norway ’85, Pride of America ’05, Southward ’87, Star ’97 & ‘05, Starward ’92, Sun ’02 & Windward ’93

RCC - Song of America ‘89

American Hawaiian - Independence ‘98

HAL - Volendam ’99, Noordam ’01& ‘06, Oosterdam ’08, Statendam ’02, Prinsendam ’03 & ’06, Zuiderdam ’04, ’06 & ’07

Carnival - Spirit ‘05

Celebrity - Summit

Cruise West - Yorktown Clipper ‘06

Princess - Golden Princess ‘07

A & K - East Queen ‘07

Cunard – QM2 ‘08

[jbhcw]

Thanks everyone for your replies:) I'm pretty sure now I'll book the Oosterdam when were on the Zuiderdam in February, hoping it will turn out to be my retirement cruise:)

 

Another question I just thought of, wondering if you could do mulitiple cabins for others traveling on the next cruise with us?

[RuthC]

Another question I just thought of, wondering if you could do mulitiple cabins for others traveling on the next cruise with us?

My understanding is that yes, you can book for others at the same time. They will get the same rates and on-board credits, too.

The only thing is that you will need all their booking information---a deposit will be due for them. ;)

[2bout2c]

Thanks everyone for your replies:) I'm pretty sure now I'll book the Oosterdam when were on the Zuiderdam in February, hoping it will turn out to be my retirement cruise:)

 

Another question I just thought of, wondering if you could do mulitiple cabins for others traveling on the next cruise with us?

I've done the future cruse deposit on board twice. Once with a specific cruise and once with open booking. Now here's the rub. If you want to pay deposits for others, your cabin and another one you can. The deposit is then in their name and they are the only ones to use it. I paid for someone else on the specific cruise. The good news I paid the future one in Nov on the Amsterdam. I got home and found out about a 3day in conjunction with the inaugural Edam. The agent wanted a $500 deposit. I said to use the $100 I had just paid. So I have a little more $$$ thru the holidays. The total will still be the same but I'll have a little more time.