Nextcruise worth it?

[honeymooner16]

My family is going on a cruise in a month (HAPPY DANCE!) and I know I want to book our anniversary cruise for next year very shortly. Is it worth waiting til we get on board for next cruise benefits? I've never used it. We would likely book a large inside or spacious oceanview  (traveling with little kids, space is more important), so I don't imagine we'd get much in the way of OBC. Getting the room is more important. Wait or book directly through RC's website? 

 

Thanks!

[Sobro]

Try this: Do a mock booking onboard and then compare that with the NextCruise offer.

 

If you don't use Voom the computer center computers will load the RCI website for free.

[outtoseacruise]

I am waiting 2 weeks to book Spring Break 2023 for my daughters while onboard Adventure. Whenever possible in the past I would book @ NextCruise for the OBC and reduced deposits since it is so far out. 

[mmcgann11]

We had a poor experience with Nextcruise, booking on Majesty for a future trip on Liberty. Many details were wrong and we basically had to rebuild the reservation once on shore. Benefits were not worth it to us -- we already get some C&A discount, with more to come after the next 2 cruises.

[NateUpNorth]

Mock book it beforehand, especially in a family situation with kids.
Last time we tried NextCruise the cost was about 2k higher than what I had printed before we sailed. 
(It was a KSF eligible cruise and I have no idea how/why they couldn't match, we just politely walked away when the rep said she couldn't see the price we had. It was on my vacation time after all)

[HicksRA]

I’ve only booked thru NextCruise twice, and both times, the agent acted disinterested, like I was a bother and wasting his time. I found no better pricing than I could pull up myself on the website. I don’t really care about a reduced deposit or a small obc, so I find better stuff to do onboard nowadays and book on my own. 

[broberts]

If desired cabins are limited, I would book sooner rather than later.

[karena1]

I only do Next Cruise for 7 days or more, since you get the $100 onboard credit if you book on the ship.  Short cruises, I just book from home

 

[Cherries Jubilee]

I appreciated the reduced deposit but their prices were too high on board so I took my certificate home and booked my cruise myself.

[Cigar King]

2 minutes ago, Cherries Jubilee said:

I appreciated the reduced deposit but their prices were too high on board so I took my certificate home and booked my cruise myself.

Are you saying that the onboard cruises are priced higher than those booked, at the same time, off the ship?

[smokeybandit]

Worth it only if you can get NextCruise OBC.

Prices aren't any different as what's advertised on their website.

[Norwich Cruiser]

52 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

Are you saying that the onboard cruises are priced higher than those booked, at the same time, off the ship?

That’s what we’ve found.

 

We generally do a mock booing then get a costing from future cruise.

 

Never found them to be any cheaper.

 

 

[Eddie Wilson]

2 hours ago, HicksRA said:

I’ve only booked thru NextCruise twice, and both times, the agent acted disinterested, like I was a bother and wasting his time. I found no better pricing than I could pull up myself on the website. I don’t really care about a reduced deposit or a small obc, so I find better stuff to do onboard nowadays and book on my own. 

 

I have also booked twice using nextcruise, and one was wonderful, the other a little on the.....going thru the motions.....bus.  Perhaps I just caught him on an off day.  After a bit of a mixup, I went back and another rep who was spot on wonderful fixed everything.

 

If you know you are booking, do the mock cruise ahead.  I did and they actually beat my mock price both times, plus only $100 pp deposit.

 

Eddie

Edited June 15, 2021 by Eddie Wilson

[cruisegus]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Worth it only if you can get NextCruise OBC.

Prices aren't any different as what's advertised on their website.

prices are the same as the web site, small OBC and if interested the biggest benefit i find is reduced deposit.  Also you can change the sailing for no charge within 30 days I belive

[Cherries Jubilee]

2 hours ago, Cigar King said:

Are you saying that the onboard cruises are priced higher than those booked, at the same time, off the ship?

Yes, I pre-picked several cruises that I would be interested in booking before I left on my cruise and every one of them was more expensive when pricing them on board. I honestly don’t think I ever even asked them to price match though. Maybe it wouldn’t have been a problem.
 

The representative I spoke with at Nextcruise was nice but it was a little more time consuming than I expected lol.

 

 I still have every intention upon getting a certificate the next time I cruise. 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Cherries Jubilee

[Another_Critic]

I never bothered with NextCruise in the past, since the OBC couldn't be combined with Shareholder OBC.

 

But that recently changed, so on my last cruise (late Feb. 2020), I booked 2 open bookings on the last night of my cruise.

 

The 1st booking I used, the cruise was canceled after final payment and I took the 125% FCC.

 

The 2nd booking I used on an Aug 2021 cruise that I L&S'ed to Sept 2022.  The reservation still only has the $100/person deposit from Feb 2020.

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Another_Critic

[smokeybandit]

That much is true. There should be no new info that you get at the NextCruise desk. Do your homework before you get there.

[Jingerwoppy]

it can be hit and miss. We have gotten some good deals and a few "cheap" upgrades to higher class cabins. On one cruise, upon boarding we immediately went to the library and used the computers to look up future cruises. We found one that had a very reasonable rate for a junior suite (about $1100 per person) and when we went to NextCruise it priced out at $1350 for both of us. And on another cruise we upgraded from a junior suite to a grand suite for about $300 per person.  

[Ourusualbeach]

Many people commenting on higher prices at next cruise.  It really doesn’t matter if you are before final payment.  Call Royal and have them adjust the price just like you would for a price drop.  One cruise I didn’t even wait until we returned to the US, I had an international plan and called from one of the islands and got the lower price.  
 

While prices should be the same on board as they are on the website it’s really not a big deal if they aren’t. 

[Ozark_Kid]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Many people commenting on higher prices at next cruise.  It really doesn’t matter if you are before final payment.  Call Royal and have them adjust the price just like you would for a price drop.  One cruise I didn’t even wait until we returned to the US, I had an international plan and called from one of the islands and got the lower price.  
 

While prices should be the same on board as they are on the website it’s really not a big deal if they aren’t. 

We have called and had them reduce our price before but I don’t think we ever had OBC when we had it adjusted.  Does OBC make a difference on adjustments?

[Ourusualbeach]

4 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

We have called and had them reduce our price before but I don’t think we ever had OBC when we had it adjusted.  Does OBC make a difference on adjustments?

The OBC from a next cruise remains on the reservation even with price adjustments.

[matj2000]

Booking on Board has become a Joke.

 

It is funny going by and looking in at the "next cruise" store on the ship.

 

All the saps waiting there turn to see the "exclusive on-board sales consultants", acting like they are getting some sort of insiders bargain on a piece of  high-end luxury real estate.

 

Just go through an good online TA if you want better price or extra perks..

[EllieinNJ]

If you book through Nextcruise is the deposit refundable and can you switch the booking to a TA in order to get their OBC?

[Cigar King]

3 hours ago, matj2000 said:

Just go through an good online TA if you want better price or extra perks..

Why not do both.  You can book onboard and then transfer your booking to a TA.

[cfabar1]

Has there been any change with this? From what I can tell NEXT Cruise really isn’t worth it.