Booking a Cruise while on a cruise

[Sulross]

Has anyone booked a cruise while actually sailing on one? If so, is it any cheaper or do they throw in anything extra, such as upgrades and such. Thanks

Never done it but they normally offer shipboard credit. I think on our last cruise, if you booked while on board it was $100 for shorter cruises (3-4 night) and $200 for 7 night+.

[Kuki]

You can book onboard and get a shipboard credit for the cruise you book. When you get back, you can shop for the best deal you can find on that particular cruise, and still receive your shipboard credit.

Kuki's advice is spot on. RCCL onboard prices aren't the best. They're not bad, but you can beat them with other TAs. The price is the same you get from RCCL'sr web site. For a 7 day cruise, you get a $100 shipboard credit per cabin. You can later transfer the reservation to another agency with a cheaper price and still keep the shipboard credit, but be sure the "cheaper" agent knows this. The on board agents are very busy though, so it is best if you know what you want for your next cruise before you sail and then arrange an appt with the on board agent when you get on the ship. Don't delay, as the agents appts do fill up.

[Rick]

Deb and I always book future cruises on board...primarily for the shipboard credit. We research prices and normally always find the (in our case Celebrity) cruise line price competitive with TA's.

I think they do that so they don't have to pay a Travel Agent commission.
Bunni

[robbie]

Have done it on my last three cruises and I (almost *) always make sure my T/A gets credit for the booking. The Loyalty Ambassadors I have dealt with treat this as routine but "RCI" has to make a few bucks on the folks who don't use a T/A. As noted by other posters, my T/A then hunts down a lower price or an air special (sometimes both) to sweeten the deal.

*The only time I did not use a T/A was post 9-11, there was an onboard special for those of us who were cruising right after the event. They made it too good to pass up for those of us who could travel again anytime within 6 months. It was $50 a day p.p inside cabin/$60 a day p.p outside/ $70 for a balcony. At those prices I can understand them cutting out the T/A. Surprisingly, even though we could not get an air/sea package with that promotion, we got home and "RCI" was the cheapest air deal also. Point being, research, research and more research. There is rarely one broadbrush answer as to when where and what is the best anything!

<getting off my soapbox>

I am a travel agent and sailed with my family on the Navgiator on 11/1. My husband and I treat the children and grandchildren once a year to a family cruise.
We booked the Mariner for next year, while on board, in order to get the $100.00 per cabin shipboard credit. It's a substantial sum for us, as we have 5 cabins booked. I had the booking transfered to our agency, and checked on the booking upon my return. It's a good thing I did, as I noticed the on board agent (he was not an agent, but was in the ice show, he told me) had neglected to put one of the cabins under deposit. I immediately called RCI and gave them my credit card again to secure this cabin. Had I done so one day later, the option would have expired, and one of our connecting cabin s may not have been available at a future date.
So please transfer the booking to a trusted agent, who does his/her homework, checking on the booking to make sure all is OK.
Ginnie

I liked talking with the sales guy on board. He had been on the cruise we wanted to go on, and he had some excellent advice. So even if you don't book - you can pick up some excellent tips on future trips. He also did not try any hard sell tactics which was very nice.

[Rick]

Ginnie.....when you booked onboard, did'nt you get paperwork showing what you booked.....shipboard credits,,,etc?

Rick,
The on board agent spent about 1/2 hour with us. His next appointment was waiting, before he could finish our paper work on the booking. I knew that the reservation had been made , because we had a confirmation number. He told us that he would complete the booking later on, and asked me for our credit card number to make a deposit for $2750.00, representing 11 passengers.
The paper work on the 5 cabins booked was sent to our cabin a day later. It simply indicated the ship, sailing date, cabin numbers and $100.00 p. cabin shipboard credit. There was no payment information on the paper work, other than a total price.
He called the cabin a day later, saying that he didn't copy the credit card number correctly, as Miami rejected payment for deposit (it's a platinum Visa card with a $25,000 limit).I gave him the credit card information again, and he assured me that all would be taken care of. We received no additional paper work from him about deposit .made.
My point about on board booking simply was, that not all future cruise consultants on board are knowledgable. They also had a young lady cruise consultant on board, who had no appointments open, and this young man, a dancer from the ice show, helped her out.
Ginnie