Will cruise for the first time in Oct 2011.
I understand from reading forums that if cruisers book a future cruise before leaving the ship. Something like 10% of what the current prices are.
Except on Cat 12 and suites. Also you get $100 onboard credit (OBC) for 3-5 nt cruises, $200 for 7 nts or longer. This is in addition to what your TA might offer. Mine gives $200 for a 7 nt, plus $200 from DCL gives us $400. We are getting spoiled to have this much free $ every time.
My question is, if I would book a second cruise while aboard, would I lose that discount if a few months later I ended up needing to change the date or location of the cruise?
No, you can change your date as often as you like. If you're using a TA that gives onboard credits, you will get more credits (usually) if you name your TA at the time of booking onboard. If you transfer to a TA after you get home, it counts as a transferred ressie. Your TA then gets smaller commission therefore you get fewer OBCs. Be sure your TA doesn't charge a change or cancellation fee though. Mine doesn't but I've heard that some do. You can combine TA OBCs with DCL OBCs.
Also, what if I book and put a deposit down on a 2012 cruise before taking my first Oct 2011 one (see I am already thinking we'll love it and want to go again! LOL)...it seems like it would be better to wait until on the cruise, hope the room category I want is available and then book to get the discount.
Great idea! We've done this plenty. You have nothing to lose. When they release 2012 dates and you find something you def want, book it. When you sail, you can have the agent reprice it with discount and see if it will save you $. If it's still more $, then you know you got the best price and had best cabin selection. If it can save you $, it automatically cancels old ressie, reissues new res # and applies discount, OBC, deposit $, and same cabin. The only advantage to waiting until you board to book for 2012 is that when booking onboard, you only have to pay 1/2 the regular deposit. Doesn't change the total price though. Just in case some bizzaro thing happens and you decide after the 1st cruise that you don't want to cruise again, your deposit for 2012 is fully refundable.
I'm just trying to understand the pros/cons of rebooking onboard....it seems the best prices are when someone books very early when new cruises are announced.
Thanks for any input you can provide.