Booking on board

[steelhead1]

We will be on the Sapphire Jan 24th 4 night and will have the cruise fare to apply to another cruise this year . What are the benefits or perks to booking during the cruise?

[paul929207]

Booking while on board or purchasing a Future Cruise Credit will offer the same perks.

[steelhead1]

Booking while on board or purchasing a Future Cruise Credit will offer the same perks.

We booked this 4 night cruise during the 100% back promotion so we have that to apply to a future cruise this year and just wanting to know if booking while on board gives us any other perks such as OBCs, reduced deposit etc...

[Pia1913]

We booked this 4 night cruise during the 100% back promotion so we have that to apply to a future cruise this year and just wanting to know if booking while on board gives us any other perks such as OBCs, reduced deposit etc...

 

You get the reduced deposit only if you purchase FCC's or if there's a special reduced deposit going on for what you want to book. No other perks other than IF your chosen cruise has a bonus offer. Just buy your FCC's unless there's something you can't live without at that moment, go home, make your decision and book it. Then apply your promotional credits and turn it over to a TA for further savings.

[AE_Collector]

What about the cabin credit associated with the FCC Pia? That doesn't go away just because the FCC is purchased while onboard a potentially "free cruise" from that promo does it?

 

You get cabin credits associated with using your FCC as a down payment when booking your next cruise. The amount of the cabin credit Gary's depending on the type of room you book and the length of the cruise you book. As Pia says, you don't have to actually book your next cruise onboard but be sure to each do a $100 Future Cruise deposit while onboard. We usually have 3 or 4 FCC's each at any given time as we like to book B2B cruises. We recently had 4 each and just booked 3 B2B's so will get the cabin credits associated with them on each of the three cruises.

 

Terry

Edited January 9, 2014 by AE_Collector
Additional info

[Colo Cruiser]

52 Princess cruises and we have never booked onboard.

We just purchase the FCC's and book when we get home.

Never seen a better deal onboard, and we have looked.

[beg3yrs]

The only advantage I see for booking onboard is getting the cabin you want reserved right away. This might be important to some for a popular or recently announced cruise.

 

Otherwise with your FCC you can get the same perks booking at home with your favorite TA. Pricing onboard versus pricing with TAs had already been discussed.

[AE_Collector]

Celebrity has recently changed their Future Cruise program so that if you just do the $100 deposit rather than book a cruise on board, your Future Cruise Credit is MUCH less than it used to be.

 

I hope Princess leaves their program alone as we have never been able to figure out what we want to do next while we are aboard but the reality of being home again usually helps us make a decision real quick!

 

Terry

[dorisis]

I have never booked a cruise while onboard. But I do buy FCCs and apply them to any Princess cruise I book after I get home. $100 REFUNDABLE deposit and $100 OBC. If not used within 2 years the deposit can be refunded. Win win for us.

[satxdiver]

Celebrity has recently changed their Future Cruise program so that if you just do the $100 deposit rather than book a cruise on board, your Future Cruise Credit is MUCH less than it used to be.

 

I hope Princess leaves their program alone as we have never been able to figure out what we want to do next while we are aboard but the reality of being home again usually helps us make a decision real quick!

 

Terry

 

Celebrity belongs to RCI and RCI seems to be on the hunt for more profits which is a turn off for me. So I am not surprised.

 

Princess on the other hand is a Carnival Corp cruise line and I would doubt they would follow that example.

 

I have booked on board many times because I had already decided before boarding what I wanted to book. I have also always bought FCC while on board for future use and usually have several in my possession at any time for new cruises that suit my fancy.

[caribill]

Celebrity has recently changed their Future Cruise program so that if you just do the $100 deposit rather than book a cruise on board, your Future Cruise Credit is MUCH less than it used to be.

 

 

RCCL (which is a sister company to Celebrity) also gives a higher oBC if booked on board.

 

Several other differences between RCCL and Princess future cruise deposits.

 

o You only need to buy one. If you then book for two in the same cabin, just put down the $100 deposit for the second person and both will get the OBC. (Princess used to also have this, but not for several years now.)

 

o The deposit is non-refundable but never expires. Non-refundable also means that if you book a cruise and later need to cancel the cruise, the deposit is lost.

 

o The deposit can be transferred to anyone you want. Effectively, that means you can purchase deposits that can be used by friends and relatives who are not on the cruise when you purchase them.

[ne1travel]

I have never booked a cruise while onboard. But I do buy FCCs and apply them to any Princess cruise I book after I get home. $100 REFUNDABLE deposit and $100 OBC. If not used within 2 years the deposit can be refunded. Win win for us.

 

Win win for us too. Did our first ever cruise last year on the Caribbean and purchases FCCs for the next cruise which we are doing in two weeks. At the end we most likely will do the same for a future cruise next year or 2015. If not, it's refunded.

[AE_Collector]

I asked onboard about the new 2 year rather than the old 4 year expiry of FCC's. they seemed to indicate that if you keep close track and call in before they are about to expire you can probably convince them to renew them for two more years. This was very soon after the change though so they didn't seem to know all of the ins and outs then.

 

Since you have to be onboard to book FCC's one might be very upset to discover that they had just been refunded to your credit card when you were planning on using them soon.

 

Terry

[Thrak]

You get the reduced deposit only if you purchase FCC's or if there's a special reduced deposit going on for what you want to book. No other perks other than IF your chosen cruise has a bonus offer. Just buy your FCC's unless there's something you can't live without at that moment, go home, make your decision and book it. Then apply your promotional credits and turn it over to a TA for further savings.

 

Pia:

 

It sounds like you suggest booking directly with Princess first and then handing it over to a TA. Do you find this to be the best way to go? Is there a special reason you advocate this method?

 

Inquiring minds (and n00bs) want to know... :D

[geoherb]

I do this if I'm booking before final payment date in order to control my booking. My TA, while great, isn't always available. I'm able to take advantage of any price changes immediately by calling the cruise line. Once the final payment date nears, I'll switch the booking over to him. I call him and let him know what my current price is and ask if he can do better. He generally can.

 

If it's after the final payment date, however, you can't switch the booking from Princess to a TA. I found this out a few years ago when I booked a cruise on a weekend and then tried to switch it. The good news, however, was the price went up by the following Monday.

[Pia1913]

Pia:

 

It sounds like you suggest booking directly with Princess first and then handing it over to a TA. Do you find this to be the best way to go? Is there a special reason you advocate this method?

 

Inquiring minds (and n00bs) want to know... :D

 

LOL. It's called control. Mine. Perhaps I might miss out on a group booking price, but generally not. And in the long run I find it easier keeping track on my bookings and deciding when it's going to go to a (and which) TA. They all go eventually.