On Board Booking

[Richard M]

Hey, has anyone booked a future cruise while onboard? Curious if it really is discounted, or if that is just a sales scam?

[FionaMG]

17 hours ago, Richard M said:

Hey, has anyone booked a future cruise while onboard? Curious if it really is discounted, or if that is just a sales scam?

It's not a sales scam and the benefits can be real and worthwhile but you need to do your homework before you book. Sometimes the price they give you will be higher than you are expecting because they are quoting for a higher category cabin. If you've checked your prices beforehand and know it should be cheaper, insist on a quote for the specific cabin category you're interested in.

[smokeybandit]

There are no discounted rates for booking on board, nor do they advertise that. They advertise a discounted deposit and some OBC.

[bcarney]

And if you do want to do this, make your appointment and get it done at the beginning of the cruise. Towards the end of the cruise the lines get longer.

[Traveling Mike]

I almost always book on bord unless I see great prices.  What i get is a deposit of $100 a person and on board credit.  The $100 deposit is low enough where I can cancel a cruise and not worry about losing lots of money.  The OBC is a few hundred dollars that pay for my next deposit and an excursion or two.

[BrianB]

I always try to book onboard. The prices are exactly the same as they are online before I go to their desk. The benefit for me is the $100 deposit as most of my cruises are solo. Plus the $100 OBC for the majority of my cruises as they are typically seven nights. Add the Shareholder Benefit and I usually sail with a $200 OBC. If you transfer the booking to a TA, you may get even more OBC…and the TA can monitor the booking for price drops and handle any issues that may pop up.
Also, I do b2bs so it’s easier to have them find me the same cabin on each leg…rather than me going back and forth between dates. 
Lastly, as indicated above, it’s only a hundred dollar deposit…so if something comes up on one of the weeks I booked, it’s not that big of a deal to cancel. What I usually do is (if it’s pre-final payment) is lift and shift. There’s still a hundred dollar change fee but it transfers my hundred dollar deposit.

Even cruises booked through NextCruise are eligible for re-pricing prior to final payment. There is no additional deposit or fee required and repricing is easy.

NextCruise is a convenient way to feed my cruise addiction!

[Mike n Ky]

Along with reasons already mentioned above I have also found that on Next Cruise I have been able to book a guarantee balcony specifying ocean view. Online it is a broad category of every balcony including the neighborhoods.

[Sharla]

52 minutes ago, Mike n Ky said:

Along with reasons already mentioned above I have also found that on Next Cruise I have been able to book a guarantee balcony specifying ocean view. Online it is a broad category of every balcony including the neighborhoods.

Not with a TA but on the consumer site the balcony categories are all together. TAs can specify CP, BW, or OV balcony GTY.

[Mike n Ky]

On 12/16/2024 at 8:24 AM, Sharla said:

Not with a TA but on the consumer site the balcony categories are all together. TAs can specify CP, BW, or OV balcony GTY.

Right on the site lumping them together...perhaps it has changed but my TA tried to get a balc ov guarantee and it wasn't available.

[Sharla]

2 hours ago, Mike n Ky said:

Right on the site lumping them together...perhaps it has changed but my TA tried to get a balc ov guarantee and it wasn't available.

I can do it on the TA site. They are labeled as XB and XN

[ScottD]

On 12/14/2024 at 4:54 PM, bcarney said:

And if you do want to do this, make your appointment and get it done at the beginning of the cruise. Towards the end of the cruise the lines get longer.

I don't even go to the NextCruise desk anymore, you can place the reduced deposit right through a link on the app, now.  I do that, then work with my TA when I get home to pick a date. 

[LTR]

1 hour ago, ScottD said:

I don't even go to the NextCruise desk anymore, you can place the reduced deposit right through a link on the app, now.  I do that, then work with my TA when I get home to pick a date. 

This is the way. 

[Richard M]

Thanks to all.

[CrimsonCruiser]

Since we always book suites and suites don't have a reduced deposit, we like to book on board solely for the OBC. It's the only place you are promised OBC without having to pay extra on the  base fare for the free money.