Booking a future cruise while on board?!?

Can someone tell me the pros and cons of booking a future cruise while on board. I am cruising in February and thought about going ahead and researching and finding another cruise. I like to cruise every other year or so just usually hard to book so far in advance because of school schedules. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

I can't really think of any cons because if you're looking to book anyway you might as well do it while on the ship.

A pro is you will receive on-board credit for the future cruise of up to $200 per stateroom and a pair of "Friends and Family" vouchers which will afford the same on-board credit to the holder who books the same cruise within 60 days of your booking.

Another pro is the Future Cruise Consultant has the entire booking engine at their fingertips and can provide a lot of face-to-face guidance and advice that may be helpful. A different experience from online booking, telephone calls or working with a travel agent (whether in person or not).

Some may view the latter as less of a pro but I found it extremely helpful when I booked my future cruise while still on the one I was taking. And who doesn't like free onboard credit?

I can't really think of any cons because if you're looking to book anyway you might as well do it while on the ship.

 

A pro is you will receive on-board credit for the future cruise of up to $200 per stateroom and a pair of "Friends and Family" vouchers which will afford the same on-board credit to the holder who books the same cruise within 60 days of your booking.

 

Another pro is the Future Cruise Consultant has the entire booking engine at their fingertips and can provide a lot of face-to-face guidance and advice that may be helpful. A different experience from online booking, telephone calls or working with a travel agent (whether in person or not).

 

Some may view the latter as less of a pro but I found it extremely helpful when I booked my future cruise while still on the one I was taking. And who doesn't like free onboard credit?

Re. OBC - On a 6 day cruise the OBC is $75 and a 7 or 8 day cruise is $100. The $200 is for a 14 day cruise. I think it's $50 OBC for 5 days and under, but I'm not sure.

The Future Cruise Consultant is not always accurate, so please check your paperwork if you book onboard. This past January I booked our B2B and decided to use Military with the idea I'd change to ES when I got home. She was very busy (2nd day of our cruise before she even had the talk about booking onboard) and asked if she could finish the paperwork later & send it to our cabin. It was going to take time to get the same cabin for both cruises. When I got home, I called to change to ES and she had booked one of the cruises as Military and the other ES. I would have been in trouble if I'd wanted to make changes to the ES booking. So be aware!

Yes the OBC is the best reason to book while on board.

If you are booking far in advance and are not sure about the dates don't book Early Saver because of the penalty applied if changed. You should book the Past Guest rate becasue you can change the booking without penalty and the OBC stays with the changed booking. The OBC will adjust if you change the number of days of the cruise let say from a 7 day to a 4 day the OBC will go from $100 to $50.

The Past Guest rate can also be changed to Early Saver once you confirm your dates.

I booked while on board the Past Guest rate 3 times and I have always wound up changing the booking to a lower rate and the OBC went to the new booking without a problem because they use the same booking number from your onboard booking. Give it a try.:cool:

So, if we book the past guest and get the $100 OBC and then change to early saver, if there is a promotion, do we receive that as well? Cruising in January and then five couple of us plan to book in Feb. of 2015. Just have not gotten them to fully commit to the exact ship and dates yet. Basically, I want to book while we are on our upcoming January cruise until we finalize in the next couple of months. Also, if we book early saver later and casino offer comes up, how does that work? thanks for all the helpful info.

I have booked a cruise while on a cruise twice and will be doing a 3rd purchase while cruising in January. It's an easy $100 OBC. My suggestions and comments are: Determine the actual cruise before you sail. It can get quite busy at the Future Cruise Desk. 2) If the cruise price changes and you booked ES or Military, YOU DO NOT LOSE THE CREDIT regardless of what some Carnival Reps say. You may have to go to a Supervisor level but you will win because that is the Carnival rule. 3) As for pricing, as long as you can accept the price at the time of purchase, it really does not matter much what the price is since you can always get the future lowest price with ES and Military. 4) The voucher system is very easy to work with. 5) The $100 credit appears on your Booking INVOICE very soon after a purchase and it is very easy check to verify that it is still valid.

What is the deposit for booking as a past guest on board? I have not figured out what a normal deposit is as there are so many different ways/programs to book. Taking my first Carnival cruise in Feb. and may want to book our family's summer cruise while on board, if prices are right.

Thanks!

What is the deposit for booking as a past guest on board? I have not figured out what a normal deposit is as there are so many different ways/programs to book. Taking my first Carnival cruise in Feb. and may want to book our family's summer cruise while on board, if prices are right.

 

Thanks!

$250 pp unless they have a special of $50 pp at the time that you book.

Can you use OBC as part of your down payment if you book a future cruise on board?

Can you use OBC as part of your down payment if you book a future cruise on board?

No. It gets charged to your CC. No idea how it works if you do a cash account.

*****

You cannot transfer a booked onboard cruise into a group booking. Voice of Experience :(

$250 pp unless they have a special of $50 pp at the time that you book.

Some of the longer cruises are more. Just want you to be prepared. If my memory serves me the 12 day we booked was $400 per person deposit.

Some of the longer cruises are more. Just want you to be prepared. If my memory serves me the 12 day we booked was $400 per person deposit.

Ok, thanks for the info. I didn't know that since I have never booked anything over an 8 day.

No. It gets charged to your CC. No idea how it works if you do a cash account.

 

*****

You cannot transfer a booked onboard cruise into a group booking. Voice of Experience :(

Thanks.

The wife and I tried booking while on board last week, but since we have to wait almost 2 years for our next cruise (GASP!), we couldn't. The farthest ahead you can book was around March/April of 2016. That's probably more than enough for most people.

I would recommend doing your research ahead of time. Know what you want to book and the price you are willing to pay. If you have a PVP, call them the day or so before to have them double check what the best pricing is and any pricing codes to take with you. My PVP tends to look out for me way more than a "stranger" onboard does.

I would recommend doing your research ahead of time. Know what you want to book and the price you are willing to pay. If you have a PVP, call them the day or so before to have them double check what the best pricing is and any pricing codes to take with you. My PVP tends to look out for me way more than a "stranger" onboard does.

We access carnival.com onboard (free) before we go to the FC desk.

We access carnival.com onboard (free) before we go to the FC desk.

Where do you access carnival.com onboard for free. That is a great idea.

Where do you access carnival.com onboard for free. That is a great idea.

You can use the internet center or your own device.

If you don't know which cruise you want, book a short 3 day cruise as far out as you can using a past guest rate. Do not book ES or any non-refundable rate. The deposit will be $100 per person unless there is a special sale. Just remember to either book a cruise or cancel before final payment is due so you don't lose the deposit. You, or your TA, have to call Carnival to change the cruise.

Where do you access carnival.com onboard for free. That is a great idea.

You can access carnival.com at the fun hubs. It is slower than slow but you will have accurate prices. (Utopia gal I grew up in Hondo.)

This may be a dumb question.. Say I'm already booked on a future cruise. A friend that tagged along wants to book that future cruise while we are on our current. Could I receive any OBC also?

I assume you can use gift certificates to pay the deposit if you book onboard? I'm thinking about getting Verizon smart rewards and booking a b2b. OBC, 10% off, any savings I will take!! :o

I just booked my first future cruise while on my last cruise. Hey, an extra $50 to spend is always nice. I was told my regular PVP gets credit for the sale and will handle anything I may need. Sounds like a good deal for everyone.

This may be a dumb question.. Say I'm already booked on a future cruise. A friend that tagged along wants to book that future cruise while we are on our current. Could I receive any OBC also?

The question is a bit confusing. You may want to review the voucher program which is part of buying a cruise on a cruise. You also get 2 vouchers to give away if those buying a cruise do so within 60 days from the time of your purchase. You would not get any more additional OBG but they would.

Can someone tell me the pros and cons of booking a future cruise while on board. I am cruising in February and thought about going ahead and researching and finding another cruise. I like to cruise every other year or so just usually hard to book so far in advance because of school schedules. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

We did it once years ago before they started with the OBC and certificates.

And found that the price wasn't much better than if we did it at a later date.

The question is a bit confusing. You may want to review the voucher program which is part of buying a cruise on a cruise. You also get 2 vouchers to give away if those buying a cruise do so within 60 days from the time of your purchase. You would not get any more additional OBG but they would.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, can I use one of the vouchers my friend would receive to give to family and friends.. And apply that to the already booked cruise?