Another Next Cruise Certificate Question

I know you must call RCI to book using your Next Cruise Certificate. Can you go on line, do a courtesy hold on a particular cabin, then call RCI and have them finalize the held booking using the certificate?

I know you must call RCI to book using your Next Cruise Certificate. Can you go on line, do a courtesy hold on a particular cabin, then call RCI and have them finalize the held booking using the certificate?

You might have luck doing this, but remember that the NC is a booking. They would have to release the stateroom from the hold and then assign it to your NC. They can probably do that part OK, but if the price has changed while the stateroom has been on hold, they might not give you the same price.

I've done exactly that. As Bob mentions, though, the price wouldn't be locked down from the courtesy hold to the NextCruise booking, but at least you could save the cabin you want.

That's the only way we've ever done it. However, we always call C&A as soon as we make the hold, so only a few minutes elapse between holding the cabin and switching the booking to an NCC, so we've never had a pricing problem.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind replies. I was thinking about putting on a hold and then immediately calling RCI. I want to book an Alaska cruise for 2014 and I know cabins sell out quickly....that's why I was thinking about putting on a hold and then immediately calling to book that held cabin.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind replies. I was thinking about putting on a hold and then immediately calling RCI. I want to book an Alaska cruise for 2014 and I know cabins sell out quickly....that's why I was thinking about putting on a hold and then immediately calling to book that held cabin.

Why not go ahead and just book?

Why not go ahead and just book?

Two reasons that I can think of:

1) The dates are not open yet, and

2) an NCC gives you a reduced deposit ($100/pp) and OBC whereas a straight booking pays full deposit and gets no OBC.

Why not go ahead and just book?

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that you must book directly with an RCI rep in order to used an NCC. If that's not true, it would certainly simplify things for me!

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that you must book directly with an RCI rep in order to used an NCC. If that's not true, it would certainly simplify things for me!

Next Cruise certificates are bookings, and can be assigned to a travel agent. If you have an NC that has not been assigned to a travel agent, then you must call RCI to assign it to a cruise. If the NC is assigned to a travel agent, then you must call the travel agent to assign a cruise to the NC.

You also have the option of transferring the NC booking to a travel agent. You would have 60 days after first assigning a cruise to the NC to transfer the booking.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that you must book directly with an RCI rep in order to used an NCC. If that's not true, it would certainly simplify things for me!

No, you can transfer your NC to your TA if you want and you can do that either before you convert it or after. If you do it after then you have 60 days from the date of conversion to transfer. Here is the form to transfer to your TA.

What is the procedure for using the Friends and Family option?

We booked a December 2013 cruise on a Next Cruise certificate and gave our NC booking number to our friends. They called their TA and booked the same cruise and gave the TA the number. The TA told them they had to mail the "original certificate" to RCCL. The certificates that we were given when we did our onboard Next Cruise purchase were black and white copies. So how can anyone mail in an original? Our friends mailed in the copy a few weeks ago and have not heard back from RCCL. Shouldn't they get some kind of confirmation?

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that you must book directly with an RCI rep in order to used an NCC. If that's not true, it would certainly simplify things for me!

I'm sorry...I neglected to say that I will NOT be using a travel agent. That's why I will be calling RCI directly. But it's good to know the procedure for those who choose to use one.

I know you must call RCI to book using your Next Cruise Certificate. Can you go on line, do a courtesy hold on a particular cabin, then call RCI and have them finalize the held booking using the certificate?

What a great idea. I will do the same!

I need to book two reservations, each with a Next Cruise Certificate. One resrevation is for my partner & I, and the other for the in-laws. We want to try and get the cabins close to each other.

What is the procedure for using the Friends and Family option?

 

We booked a December 2013 cruise on a Next Cruise certificate and gave our NC booking number to our friends. They called their TA and booked the same cruise and gave the TA the number. The TA told them they had to mail the "original certificate" to RCCL. The certificates that we were given when we did our onboard Next Cruise purchase were black and white copies. So how can anyone mail in an original? Our friends mailed in the copy a few weeks ago and have not heard back from RCCL. Shouldn't they get some kind of confirmation?

Have your friends call C&A at 1-800-526-9723 and give the rep the booking number. As long as your friends booked the same cruise as you did within the 30 day window of when you booked, there should be no problem.