Booking another cruise while on board??

[Joby]

Hi, could any one explain how or why one might want to book the next cruise while on your present cruise?

 

What "extras" do you get? What if you book for, say, next year and something happens and you can't go? Are you penalized or do you lose your money?

[chessbriar]

You get shipboard credit if you book on board. Make sure you give your travel agent credit. That way if price drops, they can rebook you and keep the credit. Or if you need to change cruises they can move your booking with the credit to a new date or ship. You lose nothing, the require a down payment, but if you cancel prior to 90 days before your cruise, it's fully refunded.

[Bugeye]

My husband and I are Celebrity travelors. We always book another boyage while we are onboard.

 

We usually select the one that is giving the most $ cabin credit and we have also not been disappointed with the fares given while onboard.

 

I have also found this to eleviate the severe depression that comes at the end of your cruise as you already have firm plans for another one.

 

Obviously, we are liked Celebrity, and believe it to be a good value for the money. Hope you enjoyed your trip!

 

Karen and Jim

[pvangordon]

Usually booking onboard gives you credits for the future cruise (like $100 pp), discounts, and/or reduced deposit fee. It's totally worth it to book onboard, IMO. Worst case scenario, you tie up some money on a deposit, but if you cancel, you get the money back. If you decide to reschedule, you can do so at a later date and still keep the credits. For example, DCL didn't have their 2006 schedule out when I was sailing last month, so I booked 12/05 and just moved it last week to 12/06 with no penalty.

 

Once you have a confirmation number, you can give it to your TA and have them transfer the res from the cruiseline.

 

Excluding pre-existing conditions, you don't have to sign up for travel insurance at the time of booking. I wait to buy when I make final payment. At that point, I'm committed and the insurance covers me in case I or any of my party can't go due to emergency.

[TWOFERTWO]

Another advantage, if you have a certain cabin number that you want, booking while on board gives you an edge. They have access to all available cabins for that cruise, something most TA's and the Celebrity web site, can't do. We booked a Hawaii cruise for 06 while on board. We wanted a cabin that our TA (preferred agency) couldn't get, the on board booking hostess could look up any cabin number and book it. One more point, if your TA has group prices for the cruise, the on board credit will still apply, but the reduced price from the TA, will not. Something to think about. Which is the better deal. :)

[tuggers]

I always book onboard. Book a long enough cruise to get the max, $200 onboard credit. You do not have to have or move your reservation to a ta (although I do because I have a terrific one). You can move the reservations yourself, you just have to be sure to maintain the original booking number in order to transfer the credit.

 

As for the group space prices I make that decision when she has to give the cabins back. Sometimes I keep the $200, sometimes I take the group space price. You just need to see which is the best deal. I think on my next cruise I saved $82 by paying the price and maintaining the credit where my friend took the group space price as he had no credit.

 

And I always keep a 'spare' booked. Something booked far out, right now it's '06

so if a good deal comes up I can transfer the number to it and take advantage of the deal plus get the credit. With my shareholders benefit it's sweet!:D

[Joby]

Do you get the shipboard credit on the NEXT cruise you book or on the CURRENT cruise you are on?

 

About pre-existing conditions-- if you book while on a cruise and buy the travel insurance after, when you are positive you are commited to that cruise, are pre-existing conditions still excluded or included? Reason for asking--my Mom has pre-exisiting conditions and if we book way in advance and she gets sick and we can't go, we don't want to loose our deposit.

 

We have travel insurance on this upcoming Century cruise that does include pre-existing conditions, so we felt safe.

 

Thanks for your information.

[CINDON]

Joby,

 

The credit is for the future cruise that you finally use the booking I.D. number on. If cruise lines would give you a shipboard credit for your current cruise, people would take the credit and cancel the cruise later. You have to actually take another cruise to get the shipboard credit.

 

In most cases for cruise/travel insurance to cover "pre-existing conditions" you have to obtain and pay for it within 7 days of the initial booking date.

[flagger]

Isn't one of the other advantages to booking on-board is the initial deposit is less than booking onshore? I paid $750 for three of us for a seven day cruise, I thought the onboard deposit was like $100 a person or something.

[tuggers]

I don't think that's X. I've booked over ten cruises while onboard and I've always paid the regular deposit. As far as I know the only perks are getting better access to cabins and the onboard credits.

 

It still blows me away that you would have to pay a deposit for the munchkin. Here cruise fare can't be much more than the deposit!

[flagger]

On X, it was just as much as a third person in the cabin. On RCCL, we are just paying port charges and taxes for our Jan. cruise.

[tuggers]

But isn't the whole 3rd person fare really cheap? I don't have any experience with that but I see like 3rd/4th person in cabin $299, $399. Is that still true with the new pricing?