Who doesn’t love free upgrades and onboard credit when taking a cruise? I know I do!
So what is the best way to get these extra bonuses when you travel? Well, there are a few ways. Obviously, the most straightforward way is to wait for a sale. Cruise lines advertise these on and off all the time, and promotions always vary. Sometimes there’s a reduced deposit. Sometimes there’s a free upgrade. And sometimes they offer varying amounts of onboard credit based on the type of room you choose. After that (and many times, in conjunction with a sale), a great way to secure extra spending money on your ship is to contact a travel agent. Obviously, I’m happiest if you contact Sunshine Travel, but generally travel agents are able to secure additional onboard credit or perks on most sailings (that’s just one perk of using a travel agent, but that’s a story for another time!). These extra bonuses are only available by booking with a travel agent. (And remember, Sunshine Travel never charges any additional fees, so you are always guaranteed the best price!) But now, I’m about to fill you in on a third way to add extra perks to your cruise booking… Have you ever been on a cruise before, and passed the “Future Cruise Sales” desk? I have. And to be honest, I always found it a little bit annoying. I mean, I’m already sailing on the ship, and I’m already spending additional money on shore excursions, drinks, and other fun things. And then they’re asking me for more money to take another cruise, before this one is even over? But you know what? If you like to cruise, that Future Cruise Consultant should be your new best friend! By making a deposit for your next cruise while you are still onboard, you stand to score some great discounts, upgrades, and/or onboard credits that you could not find otherwise! Your reservation will seamlessly transfer into the hands of the travel agent you booked your current cruise with (or another travel agent if you wish). And when your travel agent takes care of your reservation, you’ll be able to take advantage of all of the additional credits mentioned above, plus the personalized service of an agent! Specifics vary by cruise line when it comes to Future Cruise Sales, but in general, you can expect a reduced deposit for the future cruise of $100 per person. And for that next cruise that you choose, you can be eligible for an onboard credit that varies between $25 and $200. Some cruise lines also offer a free upgrade. Some cruise lines offer a discount on your next cruise. And one cruise line even lets you book up to 2 additional staterooms with the same reduced deposit/onboard credit perks so you can bring friends and family along! If you don’t have a specific future cruise in mind, or you’re not ready to make a decision, some cruise lines even offer an option that allows you to purchase cruise certificates for the same amount of the reduced deposit, so you can choose your specific cruise later, and still keep the bonus offers! (Of course, restrictions apply.) Let me give a brief example, based on a real life cruiser. Mr. Smith is sailing on a Celebrity Cruise. Mr. Smith loves Celebrity and knows he will sail on them again in the future. He goes to the Future Cruise Consultant and arranges to make a deposit on another cruise for next year. He pays a total of $200 deposit for him and his wife. He chooses a category 2C veranda room, but gets a free upgrade to a category 1C, which would have ordinarily cost him an additional $300. Furthermore, he receives a $200 onboard credit on the next cruise. Mr. Smith’s reservation automatically gets placed in the hands of his trusted travel agent. The travel agent then informs Mr. Smith that she has an additional $50 onboard credit available for his sailing! So for putting down $100 per person, Mr. Smith ended up with a savings over $300 for his cruise, and a total of $250 onboard credit! Not a bad deal! If he called the cruise line directly after he returned home, he would have received none of these benefits. And if he just called his travel agent, he would have only received the $50 onboard credit. Obviously, taking advantage of this benefit involves you getting on a cruise in the first place, but if you like to cruise, this is a great way to save money on your next sailing!
0 Comments
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to tour one of the newest Celebrity ships: the Equinox. While the ship is an amazing experience in it’s own right, I wanted to point out something interesting I learned onboard. The Equinox has a special bar, dedicated to the enjoyment of wine. It’s called Cellarmasters. The unique thing about Cellarmasters on the Equinox is that it contains three Enomatic wine dispensers. What’s an Enomatic wine dispenser, you ask? Well, have you ever wanted to try a $100 bottle of wine…but didn’t want to spend $100 on the entire bottle? Obviously, most restaurants and bars that serve wine by the glass would not open a very expensive bottle just to let you have a taste. Once the bottle is opened, it would need to be consumed pretty quickly, and there’s no telling when they might sell the contents of the entire bottle. Enter the Enomatic wine dispensers. These are specially designed wine- dispensing devices that preserve the wine once the bottle is opened…for up to 30 days. There is technology integrated into the machines so you can purchase the exact portion of wine you would like poured into your glass (i.e. 2oz, 5 oz, etc.) and you would just pay for that amount. According to Celebrity, all you have to do is “choose your wine, push a button, and pour a glass. Cheers!” So while a glass of wine from the $100 bottle will be more expensive than a regular standard glass of wine off of a menu, it’s a great value in that you’re able to experience a wine that you might not otherwise have access to!
Now consider the offering of these systems on Celebrity’s Solstice-class of ships for a minute. The first ship, the Solstice, has 2 Enomatic dispensers onboard. The second ship, the Equinox, has 3 Enomatic systems. The most recent ship, the Eclipse, which debuted in 2010, has 5 Enomatic systems. As you can see, this has been a very well received aspect of Celebrity’s Wine Experience on their ships! What’s nice about these systems is that the bottles of wine are often changed to reflect the area where the ship is visiting. So for example, if you’re cruising to Italy, you can choose from a variety of Italian wines that you might not be able to sample elsewhere. One person on my tour mentioned a friend who is an owner of a wine shop. The wine shop owner travels the world extensively, tasting and sampling all varieties of wine. Obviously, he was familiar with the Enomatic system aboard Celebrity, but the types of wines that were being offered via the system amazed him. By impressing this wine connoisseur, it spoke volumes to me about Celebrity’s commitment to creating special experiences for their guests that they cannot find anywhere else. You can visit Celebrity's website to find out more about Celebrity’s Wine Experiences. When my first child was born, I insisted that I wasn’t going to let a baby take over my life. Unhappy about images of a house taken over by toys and baby-proofed with all sorts of locks and padded corners, I naively set out to keep all of this in check. I kept driving my convertible, with her car seat safely secured in the back. And of course, we continued to travel.
By the time she took her first cruise (at age 4 months), she had already been to Disney World and a plane trip to Vermont and Montreal to see fall foliage. She obviously doesn’t remember any of it, and it was clearly more for us than for her, but it’s just a note to all parents that just because you have a baby doesn’t mean you have to stay home! With some advance planning and knowledge of what to expect, it’s entirely possible to have a very nice family vacation with a baby. Here are what I consider to be the top 5 points to consider before you cruise with a baby: How important is babysitting? If getting some mom-and-dad alone time is important to you, you’ll need to know if your cruise will offer any kind of babysitting for little ones and what the extent of it might be. Only a handful of cruises offer an actual nursery where you can leave your baby in good hands while you have a quiet meal or take part in other shipboard activities (this is a separate charge from your cruise fare, and space may be limited) . While some ships offer in-room private babysitting, they generally require children to be at least 1 year old. If you don’t need a babysitter, keep in mind that most ships will allow you to accompany your baby into the children’s facilities to play or borrow toys (although they may not always be suitable for infants); you just can’t leave your little one there while you head out for a spa treatment. Also, some cruise lines offer parent/child playgroups for babies and organized morning stroller walks, which is a nice way to socialize with other parents onboard. Where do you want to go on your cruise? If you just want to sail to the Caribbean or the Bahamas, then there shouldn’t be any problems, as long as everyone in the family has proper travel documents (such as a passport). Some lines allow babies as young as 12 weeks to sail. But if you want to go somewhere more far-flung, like Hawaii, South America, or a Transatlantic crossing, babies will generally need to be at least 12 months old. Does your baby like to swim? Keep in mind that public health regulations prohibit babies in diapers (any kind, including swim diapers and pullups) from using the pools onboard. However, there are some ships that have specially-designated water play areas just for babies. If your baby loves the water, you may want to consider one of the ships that will accommodate your little one. And please, whatever you do, do not think that is ok for your baby to swim in the regular pools just by removing their diaper! What is your budget? Your budget for the trip will determine what kind of room you will reserve. Most cabins can accommodate a baby as a 3rd guest in a room, and cribs or pack-n-plays are generally available. It is important to note that you will have the pay the going rate for a 3rd guest in a room, even though your tiny traveling companion won’t be eating or taking up much space in your room. Many families that travel with a baby prefer to choose a room with a balcony. This way, when the baby naps or goes to bed early at night, mom and dad can relax on the balcony without having to whisper in the dark. Sometimes, it can even be beneficial to opt for a mini-suite or a suite: not only do they come with extra pampering perks for mom and dad, but also the rooms are larger and they generally have a bathtub (instead of a small shower that is standard in most cruise cabins). Do you think your baby will be happy? An old adage in the life of a parent goes something like, “Happy Baby, Happy Parents”. Obviously, your baby isn’t going to have any idea that they are on vacation on this fabulous cruise ship. But around the age of 4-6 months, babies tend to fall into a regular routine, and with some luck, they might even be sleeping through the night. If you think you’ll be able to stick (somewhat) to your baby’s regular naptimes and feeding times, there’s no reason why you can’t take a cruise. Your baby will be coddled by all the staff on board, and will love getting rocked to sleep by the ocean waves. And best of all, you’ll be able to spend family time together, without the intrusion of having to do laundry, cook meals, and other household chores! There are several factors involved with planning a cruise with a baby – these are just a few. Contact Sunshine Travel today so we can help you get started! |
AuthorMarisa Bower Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|