Booking on board

[dvrdude]

Is there any benefit to booking your next cruise while on board? DW and I are cruising on the Westerdam in May and are interested in another HAL cruise in November. Do they offer any deals while on board or will we be better off waiting for the inevitable price drop a couple months out?? Advice from CCs experienced in this department greatly appreciated. :)

[jtl513]

Is there any benefit to booking your next cruise while on board? DW and I are cruising on the Westerdam in May and are interested in another HAL cruise in November. Do they offer any deals while on board or will we be better off waiting for the inevitable price drop a couple months out?? Advice from CCs experienced in this department greatly appreciated. :)

You can put down just a $100 pp deposit, get an OBC, and yet not book any specific cruise. You can wait and watch if the price changes. However, if you're thinking of a popular cruise, the price may not go down, and your selection of cabins will.

[skf]

Is there any benefit to booking your next cruise while on board? DW and I are cruising on the Westerdam in May and are interested in another HAL cruise in November. Do they offer any deals while on board or will we be better off waiting for the inevitable price drop a couple months out?? Advice from CCs experienced in this department greatly appreciated. :)

JTL513 is right. We were on Princess & booked onboard. The deposit is good for 3 years, & if you change plans, you are free to do so. Remember to keep checking the cruise line's pricing...if there is a reduction you can call & pay less; even though you agreed to a higher price you can get an adjustment.

Steve

[jodster]

I'm no expert but we just sailed the Oosterdam in March and booked two future cruises (one date specific and one open booking) while on board the ship. We did get some flyers while on our sailing with some great deals so if you have flexibility you could take advantage of them.

 

One benefit is that you only have to put down $100 per person deposit and there is usually an OBC depending on the length of the cruise you decide to go on. You can book a specific cruise or an "open" booking. You must sail within 4 years and there is no refund of your deposit if you change your mind.

 

We could have booked a specific cabin right at the time if we wanted but we went with a guarantee hoping to get an upgrade of some sort. The onboard cruise specialist said that if the price drops before final payment HAL would adjust the pricing accordingly.

 

Jodi

[dvrdude]

Thanks, all. Hadn't thought about a deposit on an open booking. That sounds like just the ticket. I knew NCL did that ('cause we had to listen to them hawking it over the PA system ad nauseam) but didn't know HAL had that option.