Book now or on board our Oct cruise?

[KKB]

I know ya'll aren't fortune tellers...but wondering what you would do.

We are looking at B2B (16+12) next April.

Should we book now or wait 3 1/2 months & book on board to get the 150+ OBC for each leg?

Decent chunk of OBC...but wondering if prices for this TA/British Isles cruise will just go up between now & then.

I'm just looking for other POV's before I decide.

Thanks!

 

[skynight]

You should check with a travel agent to determine what promotions are currently available and when they expire. I recently sat with my T.A. while she booked some 2024 cruises. She had an entire sheet of promos. Selected the one that was best. If you do wait to book on board have the bookings assigned to a travel agent so you can receive their OBC. It also depends on how particular you are with cabin selection. The earlier you book the more chance you have of getting what you like.

[Ken the cruiser]

4 minutes ago, KKB said:

I know ya'll aren't fortune tellers...but wondering what you would do.

We are looking at B2B (16+12) next April.

Should we book now or wait 3 1/2 months & book on board to get the 150+ OBC for each leg?

Decent chunk of OBC...but wondering if prices for this TA/British Isles cruise will just go up between now & then.

I'm just looking for other POV's before I decide.

Thanks!

 

Just so you know, each of your mentioned cruises won’t get you as much OBC as you’re thinking with the new FCD rates. The following is in Cruise Length and cabin categories: Balcony/Mini-Suite/Suite or Interior/Oceanview

 

17 – 44 days   $150 or $125

11 – 16 days   $100 or $75

7 – 10 days     $50 or $25

3 – 6 days       $25 or $15

 

The amounts of OBC are per person per FCD. Only one Future Cruise Deposit per person applied to a booking will provide onboard spending money.

 

[KKB]

4 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just so you know, each of your mentioned cruises won’t get you as much OBC as you’re thinking with the new FCD rates. The following is in Cruise Length and cabin categories: Balcony/Mini-Suite/Suite or Interior/Oceanview

 

17 – 44 days   $150 or $125

11 – 16 days   $100 or $75

7 – 10 days     $50 or $25

3 – 6 days       $25 or $15

 

The amounts of OBC are per person per FCD. Only one Future Cruise Deposit per person applied to a booking will provide onboard spending money.

 

75+75 for each person for each leg

[KKB]

6 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just so you know, each of your mentioned cruises won’t get you as much OBC as you’re thinking with the new FCD rates. The following is in Cruise Length and cabin categories: Balcony/Mini-Suite/Suite or Interior/Oceanview

 

17 – 44 days   $150 or $125

11 – 16 days   $100 or $75

7 – 10 days     $50 or $25

3 – 6 days       $25 or $15

 

The amounts of OBC are per person per FCD. Only one Future Cruise Deposit per person applied to a booking will provide onboard spending money.

 

One is 12 days, one is 16...so 75+75 each for each leg...150 for each leg.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, KKB said:

One is 12 days, one is 16...so 75+75 each for each leg...150 for each leg.

Cool! The changes caught us by surprise when we booked our 16 and 14 day Antarctica B2B last year when we booked a VS. We thought we were each going to get $150 OBC per leg, but later found out we were only getting $100 pp. No big deal. The change just caught us by surprise.

[LACruiser88]

18 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just so you know, each of your mentioned cruises won’t get you as much OBC as you’re thinking with the new FCD rates. The following is in Cruise Length and cabin categories: Balcony/Mini-Suite/Suite or Interior/Oceanview

 

17 – 44 days   $150 or $125

11 – 16 days   $100 or $75

7 – 10 days     $50 or $25

3 – 6 days       $25 or $15

 

The amounts of OBC are per person per FCD. Only one Future Cruise Deposit per person applied to a booking will provide onboard spending money.

 

If I'm not mistaken these amounts are not new, they have been in place for quite some time.  🤷‍♂️

[Ken the cruiser]

5 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

If I'm not mistaken these amounts are not new, they have been in place for quite some time.  🤷‍♂️

I’m sure you’re right. The 17 day limit is what caught me by surprise. But then over the past 4 years, this is the first time we had booked either a 14 or 16 day cruise rather than a 17, 21 or 25 day cruise. I guess I just made an ill-informed observation as we’ve gotten used to getting $150 pp with our MOBC and SHB when cruises are 14+ days. Thanks for keeping me straight. 

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

I know ya'll aren't fortune tellers...but wondering what you would do.

We are looking at B2B (16+12) next April.

Should we book now or wait 3 1/2 months & book on board to get the 150+ OBC for each leg?

Decent chunk of OBC...but wondering if prices for this TA/British Isles cruise will just go up between now & then.

I'm just looking for other POV's before I decide.

Thanks!

 

I would wait. In addition to the OBC you’ll get, they will have a sale sheet on board of slow selling cruises and yours may be on it. We just booked a cruise on board off of their salesheet and the price was almost half of the best price I had found before the cruise (resident rate, etc). Many of the cruises on the sheet were repositioning, one ways, etc.

Edited July 4, 2023 by sunviking90

[cr8tiv1]

Why couldn't you book now...and cancel if there is something better in October.  I don't trust Princess.  3 months is a "long" way off and they could raise base fares, change promotions, charge more crew appreciation (Celebrity just did), or any other sundry of expenses.  

[SCX22]

If you're referring to the 04/05/24 TA and British Isles cruise on the Regal Princess, this cruise is on the current 50% off list offered by Future Cruise onboard.  Can't combine this offer with the Future Cruise Deposit OBC bounce back offer.  Its $100 deposit while onboard, refundable depending on the category booked.  It's 50% off the base price you see on the Princess website per person, plus port.  The Princess Plus/Premium prices are also 50% off.  Not sure when this offer expires.

 

 

[KKB]

21 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

If you're referring to the 04/05/24 TA and British Isles cruise on the Regal Princess, this cruise is on the current 50% off list offered by Future Cruise onboard.  Can't combine this offer with the Future Cruise Deposit OBC bounce back offer.  Its $100 deposit while onboard, refundable depending on the category booked.  It's 50% off the base price you see on the Princess website per person, plus port.  The Princess Plus/Premium prices are also 50% off.  Not sure when this offer expires.

 

 

Prices online r showing about 50% off brochure price…

A certain online TA is having a 4th sail…priced the same but with significant OBC

[SCX22]

3 minutes ago, KKB said:

Prices online r showing about 50% off brochure price…

A certain online TA is having a 4th sail…priced the same but with significant OBC

 

Balconies, for example, on this sailing are showing $4198 pp, plus port.  On board it would be $2099 pp, plus port.  No OBC, though.

 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

Prices online r showing about 50% off brochure price…

A certain online TA is having a 4th sail…priced the same but with significant OBC

If you are on the ship prior to FP Date for the voyage you want to book, then just book it now with best deal you find and then see what the situation is once you are on the next cruise.  If there is a net better deal, just cancel and re-book - otherwise keep what you have.

 

In the meantime, keep watching for any price drops.  Waiting 3.5 mths is a fool's game IMO because if you really want to go, prices could be up, cabins sold that you want, etc.  Always book when you have the voyage you want at an acceptable price and then keep looking for better deals up to FP Date.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

BTW thanks for posting this thread. I’ve been learning a bunch following it! 😁

 

We’re getting ready to board the Diamond in a few days and wasn’t aware there are such great deals available onboard at the Future Cruise desk. If I might ask for those that know, do you just go to the FC desk and pick up a list of all the deals only available onboard, or do you have to make an appointment? 

[sunviking90]

19 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

BTW thanks for posting this thread. I’ve been learning a bunch following it! 😁

 

We’re getting ready to board the Diamond in a few days and wasn’t aware there are such great deals available onboard at the Future Cruise desk. If I might ask for those that know, do you just go to the FC desk and pick up a list of all the deals only available onboard, or do you have to make an appointment? 

They will have a pile of handouts with the cruises listed. You don’t need an appointment to get one. I didn’t know about this before either. I read about it on another thread a month or so ago.

[sunviking90]

2 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

Balconies, for example, on this sailing are showing $4198 pp, plus port.  On board it would be $2099 pp, plus port.  No OBC, though.

 

We just booked a short cruise from the list while on board and we DID get the OBC associated with the FCD purchase AND the OBC being offered as part of Princess’s current sale. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by sunviking90

[SCX22]

2 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

We just booked a short cruise from the list while on board and we DID get the OBC associated with the FCD purchase AND the OBC being offered as part of Princess’s current sale. 

 

Consider yourself lucky.  The FCD and associated OBC aren't supposed to be combined with any cruise booked under the 50% off rates given onboard.  Booked several cruises on different ships since ONE took over the onboard Future Cruise Department in January and started offering 50% off certain sailings.  Every time I've been told that the 50% off offer is non-combinable with the FCD.  It's fine with me because the rates I've been quoted under this promotion don't make me think twice.

 

Yes, the OBC Princess offers on sailings is combinable and will be credited to your booking.  Should have been more clear about that.  Meant to refer to the OBC given by using a FCD.

[SCX22]

37 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

BTW thanks for posting this thread. I’ve been learning a bunch following it! 😁

 

We’re getting ready to board the Diamond in a few days and wasn’t aware there are such great deals available onboard at the Future Cruise desk. If I might ask for those that know, do you just go to the FC desk and pick up a list of all the deals only available onboard, or do you have to make an appointment? 

 

Most of the sailings are on the longer side and are exotic (South America, Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic).  The notable exceptions are some Caribbean cruises from Galveston, Partial Transit Panama Canal cruises, and a few Med/Trans Atlantic sailings this Fall on the Enchanted Princess.  Ask to see the list of 50% off sailings that are outside of the 50 day mark.

 

The Go Princess Department Manager had a segment on The Wake Show, which is how I found out.  Didn't ask when this promotion ended.

[Justpackingmybags]

I’m from the UK & I have previously been told that the special on board rates weren’t available to UK residents, just guests from your side of the pond.  Then again, the rates I’m quoted by UK TAs and websites always include port taxes. So for me, it’s always book from home when I see a good deal.

[CynCyn]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

BTW thanks for posting this thread. I’ve been learning a bunch following it! 😁

 

We’re getting ready to board the Diamond in a few days and wasn’t aware there are such great deals available onboard at the Future Cruise desk. If I might ask for those that know, do you just go to the FC desk and pick up a list of all the deals only available onboard, or do you have to make an appointment? 

I sat with a future cruise consultant and she quoted me a fare that was $2100 over what I could see online.  Make sure you look before you leap!

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, CynCyn said:

I sat with a future cruise consultant and she quoted me a fare that was $2100 over what I could see online.  Make sure you look before you leap!

Thanks! We definitely will. 

[kiwimum]

50 minutes ago, CynCyn said:

I sat with a future cruise consultant and she quoted me a fare that was $2100 over what I could see online.  Make sure you look before you leap!

Definitely need to check your pricing.  Not the greatest offer.

[SCX22]

Agree with doing your research before pulling the trigger.  I go to the Future Cruise with my laptop and show the current prices on the Princess website and tell them give me a quote beating the price shown.  There's not hard feelings at the end if I don't book because they themselves can see what they're up against.  Usually, they are able to cut me a deal.

[CynCyn]

9 hours ago, SCX22 said:

Agree with doing your research before pulling the trigger.  I go to the Future Cruise with my laptop and show the current prices on the Princess website and tell them give me a quote beating the price shown.  There's not hard feelings at the end if I don't book because they themselves can see what they're up against.  Usually, they are able to cut me a deal.

That’s a really good idea.  I wish I had thought of that! Will do it next time.