Onboard Future Cruise Booking Policies by Cruise Line

Getting your cruise clients to book their next cruise while onboard their current sailing is a surefire way to ensure repeat business. It’s a win/win for everyone, with your clients getting special perks for booking while onboard, and you getting the commission that comes with the booking.

Not all onboard future cruise booking programs are the same. Some require your clients to choose a specific sailing. Others are simply placeholder deposits, giving clients more time to choose the sailing they want. And still others give your clients both choices.

To help you help your cruising clients, here’s all the onboard future cruise booking policies by line with information about the deposit required, the perks offered, whether they need to pick a sail date, and whether or not you get automatic ownership of the booking. (Note: some cruise lines either don’t give advisors credit or require the cruiser to opt in to letting their advisor know.)

AmaWaterways
Deposit amount: $200 per person.

Savings: 5% future cruise credit toward whichever itinerary they select. (Amount is determined after specific sailing is chosen and after all applicable promotions, savings, and future cruise credits have been applied.)

Is sailing date required? No.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Only if the guest opts in to having their deposit disclosed.

Other related rules: Guests have two years from deposit to choose their sailing. They can cancel their deposit within 30 days for a full refund. Combinable with current offers, and can be applied to new FIT and Group bookings. Cannot be used for FAMs, interline, part/full charter, or special-fare bookings.

Guest may purchase multiple Future Cruise Benefit rewards up to 30 days after disembarkation with a limit of five per guest.

American Cruise Lines
Deposit amount: $500 for cruises of nine nights or less; $900 on cruises of 10 nights or more.

Savings: 15%

Is sailing date required? Guests must choose a date but have up until 91 days before their cruise departure to change their cruise itinerary or date without penalty.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Onboard savings cannot be combined with any other savings and are only valid on new bookings made and confirmed with a deposit while onboard.

Atlas Ocean Voyages
Deposit amount: $1,000.

Savings: ­­5% savings

Is sailing date required? No. Guests can either select a specific date onboard or they can take up to 12 months to select sailing.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Can be combined with up to 15% in additional past guest loyalty savings. Cruisers may also place a deposit down for a friend or family member who is not currently onboard and receive the same 5% in savings.

Avalon Waterways
Avalon is currently in the process of updating their onboard booking program and details are still being worked out.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: The new process will connect clients’ booking with advisors to make the booking one that is easily tracked while providing advisors commission opportunities. 

Azamara
Deposit amount: 50% of the normal required deposit, except for suite bookings, which require a normal full deposit.

Savings: ­­5% or 6% for Azamara Circle Members who have reached Discoverer level, 7% for Discoverer Plus level, and 10% for Discoverer Platinum level. Future cruise bookings also earn an onboard credit of up to $300.

Is sailing date required? Yes. Guests must choose specific sail date and ship.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Changes (excluding cancellation of the booking) may be made to the ship or sail date of a confirmed booking once and only prior to the final payment date without incurring a change fee, and without losing the “Onboard Booking Offer.”

Carnival Cruise Line
Deposit amount: 50% of normally required deposit.

Savings: Receive onboard credit of $12.50 per person up to $25 per stateroom for two-five days sailings; onboard credit of $25 per person up to $50 per stateroom for six-plus say sailings; or $50 per person up to $100 per stateroom for suite accommodations. Also includes price protection and two category upgrade (excluding suites).

Is sailing date required? Yes.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Guests must ask for bookings to be transferred to their advisor. 

Other related rules: The Future Cruise Program is available for up to four weeks after the current cruise and is not combinable with any other offers or promotions. It can be used to book into group reservations. If booked with an advisor after the cruise, the advisor must use Rate Code OFW (or OFZ for suites) to guarantee the perks.

Celebrity Cruises
Deposit amount: Deposits for Book Now bookings are $100 per person up to and including Aqua Class staterooms or 10% of the total cost for bookings in The Retreat. Deposit for Book Later bookings are $100 per person.

Savings: Up to $500 in onboard credit, determined by destination, cabin category, and sailing length.

Is sailing date required? No. If you don’t know the exact date of your next cruise, you can make a Book Later deposit and take up to six months to choose a specific sailing. If you do know exactly which sailing you want to book, you can make a Book Now deposit.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Combinable with one other offer unless it’s a restricted fare such as Exciting Deals, TA Rates, Net Rates, Friends & Family Rates, etc. In general, onboard bookings are transferable into groups, but the OBC might not be combinable with certain group rates/promotions. Guests may book up to four staterooms total on the same Book Now or Book Later booking and receive the onboard credit offer for each stateroom.

Celestyal Cruises
No onboard future booking program is offered.

Crystal
Deposit amount: 25% of cruise fare for booking or $500 for Floating Deposit.

Savings: 2.5% off cruise fare.

Is sailing date required? No. Guests can choose either a specific sailing or put down a Floating Deposit that must be used for a new booking within three months.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Combinable with all other applicable savings and promotions. Guests can change their booked sailing outside of the cancellation period without losing the 2.5% savings.

Cunard
Deposit amount: $300 for cruises of six to 24 nights; 10% of total fare for cruises of 25 nights or longer

Savings: 3% discount on cruises of 25 nights or longer OR $100 to $400 of onboard credit depending on length of voyage and stateroom category.

Is sailing date required? No, the deposit can be applied to a specific sailing later on, but it does expire four years from the date of issue.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Future Cruise deposits expire four years from date of issue and are fully refundable. Not combinable with custom group quotes, Cruise Night, Net/Net Fares, Flash, Travel Advisor, Interline, Incentive, Negotiated, Friends & Family, Lowest/Value Fares, Short Sales promotions with promo RG*, Sailing Soon savings, and other fares offered inside final payment.

Disney Cruise Line
Deposit amount: $250.

Savings: 10% off prevailing rates.  

Is sailing date required? No. You can select a “placeholder” reservation and you’ll have 24 months to select and sail a specific date.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: No. The future cruise offer is a placeholder reservation. Cruisers must then book the specific cruise with their advisor for advisor to “own” the booking.

Other related rules: Blackout dates apply. Offer is valid for up to two staterooms on one sail date per household. Deposit is fully refundable up until specific sailing is chosen. The offer cannot be combined with Florida Resident Rates, U.S. Military Rates, or with any other special offer or discount.

Holland America Line
Deposit amount: $100 per person for cruises up to 21 days; $300 for cruises of 22 to 50 days; and $1,000 of cruises of 51+ days.

Savings: Up to $500 in onboard credit, depending on sailing length and stateroom type.

Is sailing date required? No.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Guest must specify advisor when booking onboard.

Other related rules: Guests have four years to use the Future Cruise Deposit and the cruise booked must depart within four years of deposit date.

If an open-ended deposit is chosen, rather than a specific sailing, and then not applied to a specific cruise within four years, the deposit amount will be refunded. If guest needs to cancel a specific sailing booked while onboard, the deposit can be applied to another sailing, but the onboard credit will be forfeit.

Onboard booking offer does not apply to cruises shorter than three days, World Cruises, Grand Voyages, or segments World Cruises and Grand Voyages.

Hurtigruten Expeditions
Deposit amount: 10% of the total booking cost.

Savings: Up to 10% off. (This is a combination of up to 5% onboard sales discount and the 5% loyalty discount.)

Is sailing date required? Yes.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes, unless guest specifies not to.

Other related rules: The 5% onboard sales discount is applicable for onboard bookings or any bookings made within 30 days after disembarkation. The 10% deposit requirement only applies when booking onboard the ship.

Lindblad Expeditions
Deposit amount: Standard deposit.

Savings: $500 per person in savings.

Is sailing date required? Yes.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Not combinable with any other shipboard savings offer. Offers are non-transferable and subject to availability on voyage fares only.

MSC Cruises
Deposit amount: $100 per person for most cabin types (excludes Suites and Yacht Club bookings)

Savings: Up to $200 in shipboard credit, double points for the line’s loyalty program MSC Voyagers Club, and a Best Price Guarantee.

Is sailing date required? No. Guests have up to 12 months to choose their specific itinerary, ship, and sail date. However, those who book within 60 days of putting their deposit down onboard will recieve higher onboard credit. 

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Norwegian Cruise Line
Deposit amount: $250 per stateroom (Studio, Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, and Club Balcony) or $500 per stateroom (Suites and The Haven).

Savings: Up to $500 in instant onboard credit to spend on cruise. Onboard credit depends on how many CruiseNext deposits are purchased. For instance, one CruiseNext deposit (of either amount) earns $100 onboard credit, while three CruiseNext deposits earns $375 onboard credit.

Is sailing date required? No.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes. The CruiseNext deposit booking is automatically transferred to the travel advisor within 10 days post-cruise.

Other related rules: CruiseNext deposits are valid for four years and a maximum of eight can be purchased per person. Cruisers may cancel a CruiseNext deposit for a refund (minus the amount of the instant shipboard credit) within 30 days. CruiseNext deposits may be transferred to another guest at no charge.

CruiseNext deposits cannot be combined with chartered cruises (excluding Sixthman events), incentive cruises, barter cruises, Bingo winners, or employee, friends and family, interline, or travel partner rates.

Oceania Cruises
Deposit amount: Reduced deposits as low as $250 for specific sailing; $750 per person for Future Deposit Certificate.

Savings: $100 onboard credit on voyage for they select a sailing within two months of putting down a deposit. You can also save up to 10% off future Shore Excursions when you pre-plan them while onboard your current ship.

Is sailing date required? No. If you don’t know the exact date of your next cruise, you can make a Book Later deposit and take up to one year to choose a specific sailing. (Only those who book a specific sailing within two months of deposit will receive any savings.) If you know exactly which sailing you want to book, you can make a Book Now deposit.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: If Book Later deposit is not converted into a sailing within a year, the deposit is forfeit. Guests can book up to three staterooms with the same Book Now or Book Later benefit. Combinable with Crown & Anchor Society savings.

Changes to a Next Cruise booking made during first two months after debarkation of the current cruise are not subject to a change fee. Changes made after two months are subject to a change fee of $100 (as of July 2023, but subject to change).

Scenic/Emerald
Deposit amount: $2,000 per person for Scenic Eclipse I & II; $500 per person deposit for Scenic and Emerald river cruises.

Savings: 5% to 10% (cruise only) depending on when the chosen sailing is scheduled for.

Is sailing date required? Yes.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Guests may take advantage of the onboard Future Cruise promotion onboard or within 14 days of disembarking from their current cruise. There is a 60-day grace period within which guests can cancel without penalty.

Silversea Cruises
Deposit amount: Normal deposit amount required for booking; $1,000 per person for Floating Deposit.

Savings: 5% onboard savings.

Is sailing date required? No. Guests may either book a specific sailing or purchase a Floating Deposit that must be used for a new booking within six months from the date of creation.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: 5% onboard savings is combinable with most promotions available, is applicable only to FIT bookings, and applies to all guests in the booking. Guests may apply up to two additional bookings for friends and family not onboard at the time of the booking. Sailing date cannot be rebooked or canceled without normal penalties.

If the Floating Deposit is not used within six months of creation date, the guest forfeits the 5% onboard savings and the deposit is refunded in full.

Tauck
No onboard future booking program is offered.

Uncruise Adventures
Deposit amount: $750 per person.

Savings: ­­$750 per person.

Is sailing date required? No. Guests have up to three years to apply their Next Adventure deposit to a future sailing.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes.

Other related rules: Combinable with loyalty savings.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Deposit amount: $500

Savings: 3% off.

Is sailing date required? No. Guests can choose either a specific sailing or purchase a Floating Deposit.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Guests will be asked if they want the booking to go to their current travel advisor. If yes, Uniworld books them under the advisor, contacts the advisor, and has them complete the quoting and payment process on their end. (Payment must be processed within 10 day post departure.)

Other related rules: Combinable with all current promotions including Early Booking Savings of 10% and River Heritage Club savings. The 3% onboard booking discount is applied after the River Heritage Club savings are applied.

The onboard Floating Deposit has no expiration date, and can be canceled and refunded at any time, as long as it has not been applied to a new reservation. 

Viking
Deposit amount: Standard deposit applies

Savings: Onboard booking discount varies by cruise length booked + $100 in onboard credit for cruise per person, per cruise booked.

Is sailing date required? Yes for ocean and expedition cruises. On river cruises, future bookings are not available but guests can purchase a cruise certificates for $100, which are good for $200 off their next booking (river, ocean, expedition, or pre- or post-cruise extension package).

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Guest will be asked if they would like to continue working with their current advisor.

Other related rules: Combinable with current promotions.

Virgin Voyages
Deposit amount: $300 + 20% of fare at time of selecting specific voyage.

Savings: Cruisers who purchase a “My Next Virgin Voyage” (either Ship & Sail or Placeholder) onboard their current cruise will receive $600 in onboard credit and $300 off the price of their next sailing.

Is sailing date required? No. Cruisers can either book a specific sailing (Ship & Sail) or a Placeholder, after which they have up to two years from purchase of Placeholder to book and sail their future cruise. Once cruiser has chosen a specific sailing, they may only change the date of their voyage one time.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes. Commissionable voyage fare is reduced by $300, as the $300 discount on the final voyage fare from this offer is non-commissionable.

Other related rules: Offer is valid for Sea Terrace staterooms and above. Cruisers can make up to four “My Next Virgin Voyage” bookings while onboard. Any cruiser that places a “My Next Virgin Voyage” deposit will receive access to a microsite via which they can purchase additional “My Next Virgin Voyage” offers for up to 14 days after disembarkation (up to 10 “My Next Virgin Voyage” purchases per person). Purchasers may transfer their “My Next Virgin Voyage” offer one time to another person.

Cruisers who fail to book and sail within two years of purchasing the offer forfeit the $300 deposit, the onboard credit, and the future fare discount. Cruisers have up to seven days from purchase to cancel their deposit and receive a refund. Those who wish to cancel their deposit after seven days are eligible to receive a Future Voyage Credit equivalent to the amount of the deposit, which is valid for one year from the date of cancellation. Cancellation after seven days forfeits the future voyage discount and onboard credit.

The “My Next Virgin Voyage” offer is combinable with most other offers, programs, and promotions (not including deeply discount rates) but only once a specific sailing has been chosen.

Windstar
Deposit amount: Reduced deposits on a tier-based system, depending on the value of the cruise.

Savings: 10% off fare plus $100 per person shipboard credit.

Is sailing date required? Yes.

Automatic transfer to travel advisor: Yes, unless cruiser asks for it not to be.

Other related rules: Can be combined with any currently available promotions (excluding industry, vendor, corporate, and groups rates). Some theme sailings do not apply. Guest may also book another cabin for a family member that is not currently onboard.