Is it a bargain to book while onboard?

[Archie's Mom]

Does it pay to book your next cruise at the end of your current one? We are on the Noordam in January and would like to also go on Noordam to the Mediterrean next summer. I am itching to book now, but heard that the rates are the best if you book onboard. The other issue is missing a good SA or SB cabin if I wait till January 2010 for an August 2010 sailing. Any insights here?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Tough call.

Like you we always like the SA cabins -- and the ones around the Neptune Lounge go quickly.

If you wait until January -- there may or may not be SA or SB cabins left for your summer Noordam cruise. But considering the economics and watching many people getting upgrades even on Med cruises -- those cruises may not sell out quickly.

We do like to book while on board -- don;t get any cheaper price than what HAL has on their web site. We do get shipboard credit which can be combined with our AMEX Plat and Carnival shipboard credits.

Also you only have to put down $100 per person -- nice bonus -- you keep your money longer and hoprfully get a little interest on it.

[Archie's Mom]

That is a great deal on the deposit. I hate to let others earn interest on my money! What shipboard credits do you get from Amex Platinum? Guess I never looked into that...

[dandro]

.....you keep your money longer and hoprfully get a little interest on it.

 

 

 

Which would amount to pennies right now, unfortunately. :(

[Krazy Kruizers]

Which would amount to pennies right now, unfortunately. :(

 

Every penny helps!! :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

That is a great deal on the deposit. I hate to let others earn interest on my money! What shipboard credits do you get from Amex Platinum? Guess I never looked into that...

 

With our SA category we get $300 per cabin shipboard credit ($150 per person) no matter the length of the cruise -- AMEX Platinum Card -- the one that you get through AmEx -- not Costco' date=' etc. -- fee is over $500 a year. But since we take at least 3 cruises a year -- that amounts to $900 a year in shipboard credit which pays for the card. Well worth it for us.[/size']

[LAFFNVEGAS]

You do not necessarily get a good deal but you often can find out about newly released sailings. I prefer to just buy the future cruise deposit to get the additional ship board credit. Then use it when I find the right cruise I want to book.

But if you know you want to book a future cruise and that cabin is available then there is no harm in booking it while on board. I have done that as well and checked into the pricing when I got home to see what discounts I could get from my TA. In the case of booking far away from the sailing date I have done that too knowing I can get it adjusted if the prices drops before final payment.

[IRL_Joanie]

Does it pay to book your next cruise at the end of your current one? We are on the Noordam in January and would like to also go on Noordam to the Mediterrean next summer. I am itching to book now' date=' but heard that the rates are the best if you book onboard. The other issue is missing a good SA or SB cabin if I wait till January 2010 for an August 2010 sailing. Any insights here?[/quote']

 

 

YES!!! Book while onboard!! Instead of paying a percentage of the listed price for a cruise, you only pay $100.00 USD when you book while on board.

 

We booked our upcoming Caribbean B2B on the ms Westerdam for 21 February 2010. Cost us only $100.00 pp instead of over $700.00 off the ship using our HAL PCC (she still gets the credit for our booking the cruise)

 

Also we discovered while booking the cruise that we could change our destination and use the credit for any cruise HAL has within 4 years. So, we decided after getting back home and discovering that the week of the 21st of February is the beginning of College Spring Break to change to the 14th of February instead. Then decided that we wanted to do a 14 day instead of 1 week and wanted to do the first sailing for our ship on 7-21 February instead. No problems, no extra charge:D And best of all is that I only deal with my regular HAL PCC, who is an angel in disguise:D You will still be eligible for upgrades, upsells etc. AND the cabin selection is better (usually.)

 

All I would suggest is to take a print out of the Cruise you want to take with you and give it to the FCC (Future Cruise Consultant) on board when you book.

 

Have a Blast

 

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

With our SA category we get $300 per cabin shipboard credit ($150 per person) no matter the length of the cruise -- AMEX Platinum Card -- the one that you get through AmEx -- not Costco, etc. -- fee is over $500 a year. But since we take at least 3 cruises a year -- that amounts to $900 a year in shipboard credit which pays for the card. Well worth it for us.

 

 

Thanks Krazy Kruizers I had forgotten about the On Board Credits.... DUH Major Blond moment here.

 

Joanie

[SHERGIB]

I always book for the $100 deposit and OBC. I do not book the cruise having been told by the on board CC that the agency I deal with would definitely beat HAL's price.

[Archie's Mom]

I never looked at the benefits of DH's platinum Amex card. I just looked at the Amex website and it indicated I should book the cruise through them. But you can still get the credit and book through HAL on board if you pay deposit with plat. card? Might I get the shipboard credit for Jan. cruise I have already booked if I pay the balance with the platinum card? I booked through an internet site which offered at $200 shipborad creidt which I assume I will get as well. Hate to be so dense, but I am new to booking all my own travel although I love doing it!

[Krazy Kruizers]

On the ship we do use our AMEX Plat card to book future cruises -- and you must pay off the cruise when it is time with that card in order to get the extra AMEX Plat card.

When you made your deposit for your January cruise did you use your AMEX PLat card?

I am not certain if you can get the AMEX shpboard credit if you didn't use that card for the deposit but will pay off the cruise with the card.

We have used the same TA whose agency does pay the fee to AMEX so that we can use their card and get the benefits. We do not book through AMEX.

[kyriecat]

Something else to consider is rates are really good right now for some cruises. I don't know about Aug 2010 dates so those might be high. If you wait to book, you book at whatever the price is in January. If it's lower and you can still get the cabin you want, then everything is good. If the price goes up (prior to this year, EVERY cruise I booked went up), then you are stuck paying more.

[Kween Karen]

Do you know if this "future cruise credit" program is applicable to ALL cruises?? I want to LOOK (dreamer me!) at the Grand Asia fall of 2010 and the Grand World (Jan 2011) which isn't even out yet. Seems to me that I heard somewhere you couldn't do this for the Grand Voyages....but maybe that is just in my head somewhere.

[pms4104]

Do you know if this "future cruise credit" program is applicable to ALL cruises?? I want to LOOK (dreamer me!) at the Grand Asia fall of 2010 and the Grand World (Jan 2011) which isn't even out yet. Seems to me that I heard somewhere you couldn't do this for the Grand Voyages....but maybe that is just in my head somewhere.

Sorry ... not applicable for Grand Voyages or segments thereof.

[Kween Karen]

Bummer....I wonder why? Perhaps they just don't need to offer such a deal.

[iflyrc5]

Sorry ... not applicable for Grand Voyages or segments thereof.

 

As I recall the FCC on the Maasdam said it could only be used for cruises 35 days or shorter.

[pms4104]

Bummer....I wonder why? Perhaps they just don't need to offer such a deal.

I suspect that since those voyages are quite long and, therefore, pretty costly ... HAL would like a bigger committment than a mere $100 deposit. If, at final payment date, someone with a $100 deposit on a Grand Voyage (if that were permitted, and it is not) were to cancel ... HAL might have to jump thru some marketing or deep discount hoops to fill the vacancy at that point. For the cost and time involved with these cruises, I surmise most people plan further out than 3 or 4 months.

[serendipity1499]

Sorry ... not applicable for Grand Voyages or segments thereof.

 

As I recall the FCC on the Maasdam said it could only be used for cruises 35 days or shorter.

 

It's not combinable with the World Cruise, Grand Voyages or Segments thereof..

I'm looking at our future cruise credit deposit letter & it also states Quote "$100 reduced deposit is valid on any Holland America Line Cruise of 30 days or less.: Unquote..

When we pay the $100 deposit we always ask HAL to hold it & not assign it to any Agent..This way when we get home we can decide which Agent will handle our booking..

We are thinking about the "Voyage of the Vikings", on the Maasdam (TTL 35 days) BOS to BOS in 2010...It's comprised of two segments a 17 & 18 day..Looks like the two segments end & begin in Amsterdam...

Need advice from anyone, who has taken the full 35 days...Can we use the $100 deposit for the first half ending in Amsterdam & pay the full deposit only for the second half?:confused: The Voyage of the Vikings does not show that it's part of a World or Grand Voyage..Would rather have our deposit money in use for a few more months plus get our OBC....

Thanks..Betty

[Mary Ellen]

I suspect that since those voyages are quite long and, therefore, pretty costly ... HAL would like a bigger committment than a mere $100 deposit. If, at final payment date, someone with a $100 deposit on a Grand Voyage (if that were permitted, and it is not) were to cancel ... HAL might have to jump thru some marketing or deep discount hoops to fill the vacancy at that point. For the cost and time involved with these cruises, I surmise most people plan further out than 3 or 4 months.

Yes, the Grand Voyages do require a larger deposit. There is also a second deposit required prior to the final payment. The penalty phase started for us before the final payment was due. HAL does offer a savings (3% IIRC) to those who make payment in full about 6-7 months prior to sailing.

[RuthC]

 

We are thinking about the "Voyage of the Vikings", on the Maasdam (TTL 35 days) BOS to BOS in 2010...It's comprised of two segments a 17 & 18 day..Looks like the two segments end & begin in Amsterdam...

 

Need advice from anyone, who has taken the full 35 days...Can we use the $100 deposit for the first half ending in Amsterdam & pay the full deposit only for the second half?:confused:

The future cruise deposit is new since the last time I took the Voyage of the Vikings, but the situation is similar to my upcoming cruises, so my info my be comparable.

 

I booked my upcoming 32-day cruise while on the Noordam, and was able to use the $100 deposit. This is considered a "Collector's Voyage", and is a combination of 14 and 18-day cruises.

 

Remember, when you book the entire Voyage of the Vikings, the price is less than the two segments if purchased separately. This is the same on my Collector's Voyage.

If it worked that way for my cruise, it should work that way for yours. (One wouls think, anyway.)

[pms4104]

It's not combinable with the World Cruise, Grand Voyages or Segments thereof..

 

I'm looking at our future cruise credit deposit letter & it also states Quote "$100 reduced deposit is valid on any Holland America Line Cruise of 30 days or less.: Unquote..

 

 

 

Sorry, Betty, I'm not able to answer your question about the Voyage of the Viking.

 

However, the 30-day limit seems to be fairly new ... last December, when we bought the future cruise credits aboard the Statendam, the letter had the disclaimer about the Grand Voyages and segments thereof, and indicated the deposit could be applied to voyages of 36 days or less.

 

Seems HAL is making some changes based on the current economic climate and their experience in filling cancelled cabins for some of the longer sailings to which the $100 deposit was (in the past) applicable. Wouldn't be surprised to see further constraints introduced.

[serendipity1499]

The future cruise deposit is new since the last time I took the Voyage of the Vikings, but the situation is similar to my upcoming cruises, so my info my be comparable.

 

I booked my upcoming 32-day cruise while on the Noordam, and was able to use the $100 deposit. This is considered a "Collector's Voyage", and is a combination of 14 and 18-day cruises.

 

Remember, when you book the entire Voyage of the Vikings, the price is less than the two segments if purchased separately. This is the same on my Collector's Voyage.

If it worked that way for my cruise, it should work that way for yours. (One wouls think, anyway.)

 

Ruth...Thanks so much, I was hoping you would come into this thread..That's great:)..We're also counting on our TA to come up with a good price on two outside cabins for both segments..

A few more questions;

Were you able to get the same cabin for both segments?

Did you have two different booking numbers?

Did you actually book your Noordam 32 day, on-board or did you leave your $100 deposit open until you discussed it with your TA?.

Thanks Again..

Cheers..:)Betty

[RuthC]

 

A few more questions;

 

Were you able to get the same cabin for both segments?

 

Did you have two different booking numbers?

 

Did you actually book your Noordam 32 day, on-board or did you leave your $100 deposit open until you discussed it with your TA?.

I booked this as one cruise, with one booking number, and in the same cabin (remember, this was 10 months out). To book it as two separate cruises, with two booking numbers, would have cost significantly more.

I wasn't able to get my #1 preferred cabin, but did get my second choice. I booked the cruise, not an open booking, and had it assigned to the TA I used for the cruise I was on at the time. I'm happy with her, and want to stay with her.

[airlink diva]

You do not necessarily get a good deal but you often can find out about newly released sailings. I prefer to just buy the future cruise deposit to get the additional ship board credit. Then use it when I find the right cruise I want to book.

But if you know you want to book a future cruise and that cabin is available then there is no harm in booking it while on board. I have done that as well and checked into the pricing when I got home to see what discounts I could get from my TA. In the case of booking far away from the sailing date I have done that too knowing I can get it adjusted if the prices drops before final payment.

 

This is what I do also. I just purchase the $100 deposit and place them aside until I see a cruise that I want to sail on. Since you have up to four years to use the future cruise deposit there's no rush.

I know what cruise that I want to sail on next December. I use my deposit to book it so I can get the cabin I want and the dining time I want. My travel agent is good about adjusting the pricing if either I or she notice a price drop. My travel agent will also give me obc so I end up with double of the obc.

If you know what cabin and the sailing,go ahead and purchase a deposit and get with a good travel agent.

Happy sailing!!