I'm Thinking Booking with a TA is Still Better Than Booking Onboard - Am I right?

I understand that if I book onboard I will get my deposit credited as OBC. However since I can get more OBC booking through a big box TA this seems like the better choice. Am I missing something?

Check with the TA (big box store) and see if they will sweeten the deal if you book onboard.

I understand that if I book onboard I will get my deposit credited as OBC. However since I can get more OBC booking through a big box TA this seems like the better choice. Am I missing something?

I got $500 OBC booking on board and then another $350 when I transferred to a ta. Worked for me. YMMV

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Book onboard and then you have 60 days to transfer the booking to an agent

Book onboard and then you have 60 days to transfer the booking to an agent

Do this and then shop around for an agency that will add MORE to the ship's perks offerings.

When I booked on board this past Feb. they assigned it to the TA I had on record. (Which was who transferred to from an onboard booking the summer before) We got $300 OBC for booking on board and then another $640 in the form of a store gift card from the big box TA. I think I like that even more then OBC.

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No question it is better to book on board than you shop for a T.A. with extra perks when you get back !

I'm curious... I received an email ad for cruises recently from one of those BIG box stores whose name is spelled with red letters, but I didn't see any Aqua class offers. Do they not offer AQ?

They do but perhaps they just don’t lead with them.

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They do but perhaps they just don’t lead with them.

 

 

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I just booked with the big box-- compared it to online with X, and AARP. Big box had the better deal.

We'll look into this booking online and then transfer to the TA thing....

Have always wondered when the best rates apply;p

Fogfog you miss the point. The best deal is to book onboard, not online. You book onboard and within 60 days transfer to the big box stores and benefit from both Celebrity and the travel agent extras.

I find booking a cruise is like booking an airline...or auto insurance... or travel insurance... or life insurance....

I think your problem is you look for a big box TA. Instead, find a singular person to handle all your travel. Then, when you book on board and transfer the booking to your travel agent, she (or he) can work their own magic and score you things like additional OBC, less expensive travel insurance and other little goodies.

Book while onboard - and ask that the newly booked cruise is NOT transferred to a TA (if you used one to book the cruise you are currently enjoying). You have 60 days from the date the new reservation was made to transfer it to a TA of your choice. I did just that when I was on a cruise in May. One I returned home, I contacted a number of TA's and chose the one that gave me the best offer. In my case, it was the hot dog selling big box store's travel agency. The cash back card proved to be the best offer - and they don't charge any fees. They have been very helpful too, making calls to Celebrity when I found fare reductions and wanted to upgrade my cabin. Nice that they can be reached by phone on the weekends too.

I have now transferred a second cruise to them that I booked directly with Celebrity.

Extra OBC for booking while onboard is a definite incentive to book a cruise, even if it is just a placeholder. You can move the OBC to another cruise if you decide to replace the cruise you booked onboard with a different one.

I understand that if I book onboard I will get my deposit credited as OBC. However since I can get more OBC booking through a big box TA this seems like the better choice. Am I missing something?

You are definitely missing something. You can have your cake and eat it too!

Booking on board and with a TA are NOT mutually exclusive. As others have said: 1- book on board to get the on-board-booking bonus OBC, 2- shop around for the best deal with a TA, 3- have the reservation transferred to the TA within 60 days of the on-board booking.

Note: if your current cruise was booked through a TA, then the on-board booking will be automatically transferred to that TA unless you request otherwise. Ask them for the form that prevents this.

Thanks for the tips. I've never transferred a booking before, but it sounds like that's the way to go.

We book a lot of cruises (sometimes more then 100 days a year) on many cruise lines including Celebrity. When we talk about booking strategies we have always suggested that its not a one size fits all thing. How one books can have a major impact on cost....cabin selection....or even getting on a specific cruise. But we do have a few basic rules...that have served us well. We never book a cruise directly with a cruise line and leave that booking with the cruise line for more then a few weeks. The reality is that you can always save money (usually 7-10%) by booking with a decent reputable cruise agency....or by moving a booking to a cruise agency.

We have infrequently booked aboard a cruise....but only for cruises that we thought were near selling out, if there was a good promotion at the time, or if we wanted a specific cabin (such as a hump cabin) which was available. When we do this our norm is to not immediately transfer the booking to an agency..but leave it with the cruise line until we get home. We will then contact 2 or 3 of our favorite cruise agencies, tell them we have a booking (and fax them the details) and ask them what they will offer if we transfer the booking. We then transfer to whoever gives us the best deal. Recently (late August) we did one of these onboard bookings (on a HAL cruise) which involved an expensive cruise (about a $12,000 booking) on a small ship (likely to sell out) during a HAL onboard promotion ($200 per person OBC). When we got home we shopped the booking around...and were offered another $1050 of OBC from our favorite agency...and quickly authorized the transfer. For us, it was a win-win because we got the cruise we wanted, got a nice OBC from the cruise line (only available by booking onboard) and also got a hefty OBC from our cruise agency.

But on other lines we use different strategies. For example, on Princess it makes sense to do an Open On Board Booking (where you do not even specify the cruise) which gets you a future reduced deposit plus an onboard credit...for simply doing this undefined booking. The only downside is that you do have to make a small deposit (onboard)...but you do get that applied to your future cruise (or refunded if you never book a cruise). But this type strategy might (or might not) work on Celebrity because of the Celebrity rule of generally not allowing the "stacking" of credits. This means that an OBC you might get from Celebrity....will later reduce other OBCs (one needs to ask about this at the time).

Hank

We book a lot of cruises (sometimes more then 100 days a year) on many cruise lines including Celebrity. When we talk about booking strategies we have always suggested that its not a one size fits all thing. How one books can have a major impact on cost....cabin selection....or even getting on a specific cruise. But we do have a few basic rules...that have served us well. We never book a cruise directly with a cruise line and leave that booking with the cruise line for more then a few weeks. The reality is that you can always save money (usually 7-10%) by booking with a decent reputable cruise agency....or by moving a booking to a cruise agency.

 

We have infrequently booked aboard a cruise....but only for cruises that we thought were near selling out, if there was a good promotion at the time, or if we wanted a specific cabin (such as a hump cabin) which was available. When we do this our norm is to not immediately transfer the booking to an agency..but leave it with the cruise line until we get home. We will then contact 2 or 3 of our favorite cruise agencies, tell them we have a booking (and fax them the details) and ask them what they will offer if we transfer the booking. We then transfer to whoever gives us the best deal. Recently (late August) we did one of these onboard bookings (on a HAL cruise) which involved an expensive cruise (about a $12,000 booking) on a small ship (likely to sell out) during a HAL onboard promotion ($200 per person OBC). When we got home we shopped the booking around...and were offered another $1050 of OBC from our favorite agency...and quickly authorized the transfer. For us, it was a win-win because we got the cruise we wanted, got a nice OBC from the cruise line (only available by booking onboard) and also got a hefty OBC from our cruise agency.

 

But on other lines we use different strategies. For example, on Princess it makes sense to do an Open On Board Booking (where you do not even specify the cruise) which gets you a future reduced deposit plus an onboard credit...for simply doing this undefined booking. The only downside is that you do have to make a small deposit (onboard)...but you do get that applied to your future cruise (or refunded if you never book a cruise). But this type strategy might (or might not) work on Celebrity because of the Celebrity rule of generally not allowing the "stacking" of credits. This means that an OBC you might get from Celebrity....will later reduce other OBCs (one needs to ask about this at the time).

 

Hank

Thanks for a very informative post! Will use your strategies in the future!

Islandfan

No question it is better to book on board than you shop for a T.A. with extra perks when you get back !

How are you doing that shopping?

- Joel

Do you have to be a member of said big box store to use their travel agency? I could give the store perk card they are offering to my parents who are members.

Do you have to be a member of said big box store to use their travel agency? I could give the store perk card they are offering to my parents who are members.

Yes, you do need to be a member.

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This is all so new to me :S . After you book on board you go home and just call a bunch of travel agencies and say "Hey I booked this cruise. Do you have any perks if I transfer this to you?"

Sorry for the ignorance. I have never travelled much and so, I don't really understand the whole using a travel agent.

This is all so new to me :S . After you book on board you go home and just call a bunch of travel agencies and say "Hey I booked this cruise. Do you have any perks if I transfer this to you?"

 

Sorry for the ignorance. I have never travelled much and so, I don't really understand the whole using a travel agent.

That still seems to be the case, but I would have a few lined up like a big box agency, another one and maybe someone you know that a friend has used...

This is all so new to me :S . After you book on board you go home and just call a bunch of travel agencies and say "Hey I booked this cruise. Do you have any perks if I transfer this to you?"

 

Sorry for the ignorance. I have never travelled much and so, I don't really understand the whole using a travel agent.

Yes, but you also need to ask their policies on fees for cancellations or booking changes (either for a different cabin on the currently booked cruise or for a transfer of the reservation to an entirely different cruise.) Even if they have a small cancellation or change fee, their additional perks or discounted prices may still be worthwhile, but you need to be able to make an informed decision.

You should also make sure that all of the perks Celebrity has included in your on-board booking (the regular ones available with any off-ship Celebrity booking plus the bonus OBC for the on-board booking) are still available with the TA's proposed booking - if they are offering you a lower price it could be due to a group fare which may or may not include all of your Celebrity perks.

I was not aware of any 60 day rule to transfer a booking made on the ship to a travel agent. I usually book on board to get the OBC deal along with reduced deposit. I then will transfer to a travel agent offering additional perks and OBC. Since travel agents add a small cancellation fee I make the transfer right before final payment when I know I am going.

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