Future cruise credit?

I'm new to Princess and have been trying to find out if Princess offers any sort of future cruise credit that you can purchase similar to NCL's cruise reward where you pay for the reward (i.e. NCL you pay $250 for a cruise reward used to book a future cruise - after you get back home - and when you book your next cruise your Cruise Reward will hold the cabin for you at the time of booking.)

 

Does Princess offer anything like this?

 

Thanks!

Yes. Very similar. $100 as the deposit. Must be purchased onboard. Good for 4 years. Do not need to book a specific cruise. Provides on board credits based on the cruise days and cabin configuration

Oh this is helpful to know! Thanks!

 

We're specifically considering the 12 day British Isles for our next Princess cruise. We would book two cabins. So we would need to purchase 2 cruise rewards? Is that what they're called? And each Cruise Reward would hold the booking for the entire cabin?

 

Thanks for your help!

Yes. Very similar. $100 as the deposit. Must be purchased onboard. Good for 4 years. Do not need to book a specific cruise. Provides on board credits based on the cruise days and cabin configuration

 

Is this deposit per cabin or per person?

I am using my princess future credit for a cruise with my sister. My husband has one that will expire some time soon. We were told that if not used, the cruise line will credit back to our credit card. Is this correct? Thanks.

Oh this is helpful to know! Thanks!

 

We're specifically considering the 12 day British Isles for our next Princess cruise. We would book two cabins. So we would need to purchase 2 cruise rewards? Future Cruise Credit (FCC) Is that what they're called? And each Cruise Reward would hold the booking for the entire cabin? Only if it was booked as a single. If there are 2 or more folks per cabin, they each need their own FCC or else they will have to pay the full deposit.The FCC is only good for the person who's name it is in.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Hope that helps. :)

Yes, this is helpful. So for a family of 5 we would need to purchase 5 of the Future Cruise Credits.

 

What is the incentive for purchasing the FCC instead of simply booking and paying a per person deposit?

I am using my princess future credit for a cruise with my sister. My husband has one that will expire some time soon. We were told that if not used, the cruise line will credit back to our credit card. Is this correct? Thanks.

 

I've been told the same thing. However, I've always used ours:), so I haven't actually had one expire. This guarantee always pushes us to buy FCCs and then, of course, we use them!

Yes, this is helpful. So for a family of 5 we would need to purchase 5 of the Future Cruise Credits.

 

What is the incentive for purchasing the FCC instead of simply booking and paying a per person deposit?

You can only purchase an FCC for someone on the cruise on which you purchase them. For instance, if there are only two of you on your cruise, you can only purchase FCCs for the two of you, not children who would accompany you on a future cruise. They aren't transferable.

 

There are a couple of incentives for purchasing FCCs. One is that except for a world cruise or world cruise segment, your deposit on a cruise is only the $100 FCC. The other incentive is that you receive onboard credit for using the FCC. I get $100-$150 OBC for my FCCs, offsetting the cost of the FCC. The amount of OBC depends on your cabin category and length of the cruise.

You can only purchase an FCC for someone on the cruise on which you purchase them. For instance, if there are only two of you on your cruise, you can only purchase FCCs for the two of you, not children who would accompany you on a future cruise. They aren't transferable.

 

There are a couple of incentives for purchasing FCCs. One is that except for a world cruise or world cruise segment, your deposit on a cruise is only the $100 FCC. The other incentive is that you receive onboard credit for using the FCC. I get $100-$150 OBC for my FCCs, offsetting the cost of the FCC. The amount of OBC depends on your cabin category and length of the cruise.

 

Sounds like a good deal! I think we'll do this on our upcoming cruise.

 

Thanks you for your help!

Sounds like a good deal! I think we'll do this on our upcoming cruise.

Here's a link to the OBC you receive by booking an FCC: http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/during_cruise/board.jsp

I'm new to Princess and have been trying to find out if Princess offers any sort of future cruise credit that you can purchase similar to NCL's cruise reward where you pay for the reward (i.e. NCL you pay $250 for a cruise reward used to book a future cruise - after you get back home - and when you book your next cruise your Cruise Reward will hold the cabin for you at the time of booking.)

 

Does Princess offer anything like this?

 

Thanks!

Princess' is just a bit different than NCL.....NCL's cruise credit is transferrable, Princess' is not. And also on NCL they apply the OBC to the current cruise when you purchase the cruise credit, and Princess applies the OBC to the future cruise, not the one you are currently on. If you don't use Princess' credit in the 4 years, it is refunded to you.

 

Princess' is $100 instead of $250 like on NCL, but you must buy one for each person if you both want the OBC. If you only have 1 FCC on Princess, the second person in the cabin will have to pay their $100 deposit at the time of booking and will not get an OBC. On NCL, you only need to purchase 1 for the OBC and the full deposit.

You can only purchase an FCC for someone on the cruise on which you purchase them. For instance, if there are only two of you on your cruise, you can only purchase FCCs for the two of you, not children who would accompany you on a future cruise. They aren't transferable.

 

There are a couple of incentives for purchasing FCCs. One is that except for a world cruise or world cruise segment, your deposit on a cruise is only the $100 FCC. The other incentive is that you receive onboard credit for using the FCC. I get $100-$150 OBC for my FCCs, offsetting the cost of the FCC. The amount of OBC depends on your cabin category and length of the cruise.

 

Hi Pam-

But there really is no "cost" per se for the FCC, is there? The $100 you pay for the FCC is part of your ultimate cruise fare, right? So, my understanding is that it's not just an off-set, but a pure gain of an OBC. Or, am I misunderstanding how this works? Help :o

But there really is no "cost" per se for the FCC, is there? The $100 you pay for the FCC is part of your ultimate cruise fare, right? So, my understanding is that it's not just an off-set, but a pure gain of an OBC. Or, am I misunderstanding how this works? Help :o

 

Correct. The $100 is your deposit and lowers the cost of your future cruise by that amount.

 

The OBC is a "free cash" bonus.

Hi Pam-

But there really is no "cost" per se for the FCC, is there? The $100 you pay for the FCC is part of your ultimate cruise fare, right? So, my understanding is that it's not just an off-set, but a pure gain of an OBC. Or, am I misunderstanding how this works? Help :o

You're right. :) It's just semantics.

Here's a link to the OBC you receive by booking an FCC: http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/during_cruise/board.jsp

Princess has not updated their web site to reflect the recent changes in the amount of OBC.

 

Below I have listed the differences between the old and new OBC values. I have listed different time periods than the Princess form so that the OBC for the amount of days is an apples-to-apples comparison. I have listed the per person OBC.

When there is a difference, I have made the better OBC bold.

……………Length……………..Inside………….Oceanview…….Balcony/Mini/Suite

Old……..7-9 days…………..$25…………………..$50……………………..$50

New…..7-9 days……………$25…………………..$25……………………..$50

Old……..10 days……….…..$75…………………..$100…………………..$100

New…...10 days……………$25…………………..$25……………………..$50

Old……..11-15 days….…..$75…………………..$100…………………..$100

New…..11-15 days…..…..$75…………………..$75..…………………..$100

Old……..16 days……….…..$125………………..$150…………………..$150

New…...16 days……….…..$75…….…………..$75..…………………..$100

Old……..17+ days……….…..$125………………..$150…………………..$150

New…...17+ days……….…..$125…..…………..$125..………………..$150

All Future Cruise Deports made before the change will have the old OBC amounts.

 

Values on the forms below are per cabin which assumes that two people in the cabin have used Future Cruise Deposits to book the cruise.

 

 

 

 

Lots of great info here! Thank you!

 

I see above that one part says that a balcony OBC would be $100 and another then the printed form from Princess says $200? Which is more recent/accurate?

 

Thanks!

Yes, this is helpful. So for a family of 5 we would need to purchase 5 of the Future Cruise Credits.

 

What is the incentive for purchasing the FCC instead of simply booking and paying a per person deposit?

 

I'm not sure that this got answered. Sorry if it did and I missed it. The deposit per room is assessed as a double, so you need two FCCs per cabin. Otherwise, the second person in the cabin gets charged the full deposit. But if you have a third person in a cabin, you still only need two FCCs for that room. So you should buy 4 FCCs and make sure that when you book your next cruise that the 4 people are divided up so that there are two listed in each cabin. If you were to put three people with FCCs in one cabin, and one person with an FCC in the other cabin, you would get burned. Also, the OBC only accumulates for two people per cabin, so three people with FCCs in the same cabin would not cobble together $150 worth of OBC (assuming $50 OBC per credit). So there is no need to spend money for an FCC for the third person in a cabin.

 

None of this was very clear to me on my last crusie, but I spoke directly with the crew member in the Future Cruise Lounge who explained it exactly as I have typed it. Hopefully he was right!;)

Lots of great info here! Thank you!

 

I see above that one part says that a balcony OBC would be $100 and another then the printed form from Princess says $200? Which is more recent/accurate?

 

Thanks!

 

Both are accurate.

 

The $100 is per person.

 

The $200 is per cabin for two people.

Do I understand this correctly?

 

This August I'll be taking a Princess cruise with my Father; First time on Princess for us both. On the cruise I would like to purchase 2 FCCs; one for myself and one for my parter. As my partner will not be on the August cruise I'm not able to purchase 2 FCCs? Only one?

Do I understand this correctly?

 

This August I'll be taking a Princess cruise with my Father; First time on Princess for us both. On the cruise I would like to purchase 2 FCCs; one for myself and one for my parter. As my partner will not be on the August cruise I'm not able to purchase 2 FCCs? Only one?

You can purchase as many FCCs for yourself as you want but you cannot purchase an FCC for your partner if they are not on the August cruise with you. You cannot transfer an FCC from your Captain's Circle account to theirs. Your partner must be on a cruise in order to purchase an FCC. Also, the FCC is charged directly to your credit or debit card, not to your onboard account as it's a separate accounting system. The FCC is charged through the Princess booking system.

Pam....First of all let me say Thank You for all the great info you share. I follow your posts and appreciate the fact that you share your knowledge and opinions without rancor!!

 

Now...just to clarify...per your response I can purchase as many FCCs as I want and they would have to be in my name. So when I return from my August cruise and I'm prepping to book my next (with my partner) can I use more than one FCC?? (I'm thinking not)

 

So I'm wondering if it's even worth getting one to begin with. Other than the scant $50 obc. And if I do decide to purchase on the August trip I'm guessing I should only purchase 1.

Now...just to clarify...per your response I can purchase as many FCCs as I want and they would have to be in my name. So when I return from my August cruise and I'm prepping to book my next (with my partner) can I use more than one FCC?? (I'm thinking not)

 

So I'm wondering if it's even worth getting one to begin with. Other than the scant $50 obc. And if I do decide to purchase on the August trip I'm guessing I should only purchase 1.

When I was on the Star last month, I checked and had two FCC's. I canceled two cruises and booked two new cruises so I had, in effect, four FCCs. Two are still unassigned. You cannot use more than one FCC for yourself on a particular cruise. Even though $50 is "scant," it's still $50. :)

 

HOWEVER... some TA's have reduced deposit sales of $100/pp every now and then. Check with your TA to find out whether they offer one. If you are booking directly, find a TA who will discount your cruise. Sometimes, you can book for 10-20% less than directly with Princess.

So I'm wondering if it's even worth getting one to begin with. Other than the scant $50 obc. And if I do decide to purchase on the August trip I'm guessing I should only purchase 1.

 

It's really for you to decide. Since the $100 is fully refundable, and is possibly earning nothing in a bank, what's the downside, really? Losing a dollar in interest? Cruise before this last one, I bought three FCCs and promptly (and unexpectedly) used two of them, one of which will be giving me $125 in OBC. So this time out, I bought two more. Can't hurt.

HOWEVER... some TA's have reduced deposit sales of $100/pp every now and then. Check with your TA to find out whether they offer one. If you are booking directly, find a TA who will discount your cruise. Sometimes, you can book for 10-20% less than directly with Princess.

 

I know you know this, but for the benefit of newbies....

 

You can use the FCC with a TA for a discounted fare (even during a reduced deposit sale) and still get the OBC. And, if you're lucky, add the TA's own OBC to that.