On Board Booking

ACDSNY

Let the countdown begin!
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Are we still able to take an existing booking and convert it to an On Board Booking? If so, what are the rules or limits? I'd like to know what's possible before we board our April cruise.
 
Sort of / not really. We've done this a couple of times when we wanted to get specific rooms and weren't cruising soon enough to guarantee that. What you'll need to do is give the future cruise agent your reservation number(s) and they'll look it up. If space is available, they'll book another cruise for you with the OB discount and credits. Here's the catch - you have to pay for another deposit, since future cruises can't alter your existing reservation.

What you'll do is as soon as you get home, you'll call DCL and tell them you want to keep the OB discount and cancel the other one, returning your first deposit. If you want to keep the room you booked first, they'll pull up 2 windows and quickly cancel and re-assign the room to your OB booking. There is a tiny, minuscule chance that someone will poach your room during the 5-10 seconds it takes them to do this, but it's very, very small.

When you're done, you'll have the room you want, on the cruise you want with the discounts you want!

Best of luck!
 
Sort of / not really. We've done this a couple of times when we wanted to get specific rooms and weren't cruising soon enough to guarantee that. What you'll need to do is give the future cruise agent your reservation number(s) and they'll look it up. If space is available, they'll book another cruise for you with the OB discount and credits. Here's the catch - you have to pay for another deposit, since future cruises can't alter your existing reservation.

What you'll do is as soon as you get home, you'll call DCL and tell them you want to keep the OB discount and cancel the other one, returning your first deposit. If you want to keep the room you booked first, they'll pull up 2 windows and quickly cancel and re-assign the room to your OB booking. There is a tiny, minuscule chance that someone will poach your room during the 5-10 seconds it takes them to do this, but it's very, very small.

When you're done, you'll have the room you want, on the cruise you want with the discounts you want!

Best of luck!

They have always done this set up right on board for me. I've never had to call back and change it - though I've never used a TA before, so I'll have to go this route if I book on board on my next cruise. This is the method if you used a TA to book the cruise - then yes, you have to wait until you get home (or in contact with the TA) and the TA is able to change it via that procedure. When I've booked on my own, the future cruise agent has ALWAYS been able to do the process right then and there.

But yes, you do have to pay the new deposit and the other one will be refunded to you. (I turn around and put it right on the account since I hadn't had it anyway.)
 
I've booked the three cruises myself so no TA. It sounds like the only change is we have to pay the deposit again. Does this take up our two bookings so we wouldn't be able to have any placeholders? Not a big deal since we're cruising again in September. We're making the most of our first year of retirement.
 


I've booked the three cruises myself so no TA. It sounds like the only change is we have to pay the deposit again. Does this take up our two bookings so we wouldn't be able to have any placeholders? Not a big deal since we're cruising again in September. We're making the most of our first year of retirement.

Correct. I have read a report or two where the agent was able to move the deposit, but they have never been able to do that for me or anyone but those one or two reports.

As far as limits, I believe so - I think it is 2 per address cruising. So unless you're cruising with someone who lives at a different address, only 2.
 
Thanks, it's just the two of us. The two I want to re-price are the Norwegian Fjords/Northern Europe B2B for 2019 as it should be a significant amount.
 
Thanks, it's just the two of us. The two I want to re-price are the Norwegian Fjords/Northern Europe B2B for 2019 as it should be a significant amount.

Good luck! :) It will just depend on how much the cruise has increased since you booked.
 


Good luck! :) It will just depend on how much the cruise has increased since you booked.

Keeping my fingers crossed for some pixie dust to hold them down for the next month. One is still the same and the other has gone up $140, so still worth doing.
 
Thanks, it's just the two of us. The two I want to re-price are the Norwegian Fjords/Northern Europe B2B for 2019 as it should be a significant amount.

Just be aware, last I heard B2B wasn’t an exception to the “2 rooms 1 cruise” rule, last I knew. It used to be but apparently now you will need to check the pricing on both legs and use OBB for just 1 leg. if you are cruising in both April and Sept., you can look into rebooking the other leg in Sept.

Happy retirement and enjoy your cruises!
 
Also, in order to reshop your cruise, there has to be availability in the room category that you booked already. For instance, if you booked 11B, there would have to be availability in 11B at the time you reshop.
 
Also, in order to reshop your cruise, there has to be availability in the room category that you booked already. For instance, if you booked 11B, there would have to be availability in 11B at the time you reshop.

Unless you are wanting/willing to change categories I'd think.
 
Just be aware, last I heard B2B wasn’t an exception to the “2 rooms 1 cruise” rule, last I knew. It used to be but apparently now you will need to check the pricing on both legs and use OBB for just 1 leg. if you are cruising in both April and Sept., you can look into rebooking the other leg in Sept.

Happy retirement and enjoy your cruises!
Yes I was figuring each leg counted as a room. Originally I planned on using the 2 room limit for the B2B and then rebooking the third cruise in September. In looking at current pricing I may change my plan.

Does the discount apply to kids too if they are in your cabin?
 
Also, in order to reshop your cruise, there has to be availability in the room category that you booked already. For instance, if you booked 11B, there would have to be availability in 11B at the time you reshop.
Yes I knew that part, thanks for mentioning though so others will understand the limitation.
 
One thing that's confusing to me is the 2 room/1 cruise rule. This doesn't seem to get applied when you book placeholders so why do they limit you when booking a specific date on board? Looks like I'll be better off booking two placeholders and then applying the discount to my existing bookings, is that correct?
 
Well, yes, but there has to be availability in the room category you are shopping, not guaranteed.

Yes, obviously. :)

But if you had booked in say a 7A but wanted to change to a 5E and there was availability in 5E, you could price the 5E. Since technically you're making a new reservation even if you "reshopped" a 7A.
 
Yes, obviously. :)

But if you had booked in say a 7A but wanted to change to a 5E and there was availability in 5E, you could price the 5E. Since technically you're making a new reservation even if you "reshopped" a 7A.
:thumbsup2
 
One thing that's confusing to me is the 2 room/1 cruise rule. This doesn't seem to get applied when you book placeholders so why do they limit you when booking a specific date on board? Looks like I'll be better off booking two placeholders and then applying the discount to my existing bookings, is that correct?

I’ve been under the impression (never tried it) that if you book 2 placeholders, those are somehow linked and must be used for 2 rooms on the same cruise. A B2B used to be allowed with each leg considered 1 room. Those rules changed a few years ago.

A placeholder cannot be “applied” to an existing booking. Re-shop means cancel and rebook with the OBB discount if it’s a better deal than your original reservation. It is 10% off current fares, not the fare originally booked.

The discount will apply to anyone you book into the stateroom - kids, other adults, even if not on the prior cruise when the OBB was made.

Enjoy your cruises!
 
I’ve been under the impression (never tried it) that if you book 2 placeholders, those are somehow linked and must be used for 2 rooms on the same cruise. A B2B used to be allowed with each leg considered 1 room. Those rules changed a few years ago.

A placeholder cannot be “applied” to an existing booking. Re-shop means cancel and rebook with the OBB discount if it’s a better deal than your original reservation. It is 10% off current fares, not the fare originally booked.

The discount will apply to anyone you book into the stateroom - kids, other adults, even if not on the prior cruise when the OBB was made.

Enjoy your cruises!

Interesting, when the couple decided not to cruise with us in September we changed the OBB to April. The original reservation started as a placeholder.

All of these are before the PIF date so cancelling and rebooking can be done if needed. In the past DCL used the placeholder and transferred over the cabin number and deposit already paid from the existing reservation.
 

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