Secret On Board Credit

Hi all, just to make everyone aware, there are additional on board credits available on most cruises that most people are unaware of.

I have just found out that as former military personel, my wife and I could have applied for an additional £125.00 each. Unfortunately we only told about this today and when speaking to P&O, you have to apply for it a minimum of seven days before departure. Bummer, £250 drinking tokens gone.

When speaking to them, in conversation, I was told that there are lots of OBC and discounts that can be applied to your account but you need to know what they are and ask prior to boarding.

The ones I know of are:

Current and former military personel.

NHS members

Blue card holders (police, fire and ambulance)

HMS

Amount vary on grade and length of cruise but anything is a bonus.

Please add any other qualifying personnel that you know.

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It is documented in the P&O website search section and is OBC form £15 for 2-6nts, £30 for 7-13nts, £75 for 14-21nts and £125 for 22+ nights if you book a Select or Early Saver but not Saver fare and only available for British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Reserves, Royal Marines and Merchant Navy. Never known it to be for any other i.e. Police, Fire, Ambulance or NHS employees.

Blue Light card - Police/Trumpton/Nurses etc qualify for 5% discount but no extra OBC.

I'm not eligible for any of them but I know about them. I use social media a lot and they're publicised there as well as on P&O website. I'm retired and was a public servant for 36 years so disappointed I can't apply whereas somebody who's been a nurse for a couple of years is eligible.

I'm not eligible for any of them but I know about them. I use social media a lot and they're publicised there as well as on P&O website. I'm retired and was a public servant for 36 years so disappointed I can't apply whereas somebody who's been a nurse for a couple of years is eligible.

I believe you can apply if you are a retired Civil Servant.

You can also gain OBC for owning 100 carnival corp shares.

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I believe you can apply if you are a retired Civil Servant.

I was a Civil servant out in Germany for 5 years but not eligible. I taught children for 31 years and get nothing

I worked for 34yrs in fire service and don't get nothing unless I use a Blue Light Card which gives a percentage discount when booking but not combinable with other discounts and get similar discount through Topcashback. Do not get any extra OBC like military do.

I believe you can apply if you are a retired Civil Servant.

Do you happen to know if you can apply if you are an nhs pensioner? I was a nurse for 42 years and only just took my pension this year booked our first P and O cruise while I was still employed.

As a matter of interest, why should these professions get a discount, whereas other equally deserving professions don't?

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As a matter of interest, why should these professions get a discount, whereas other equally deserving professions don't?

The arguments about whether the military are deserving or not have already been rehearsed in previous threads since P&O introduced the military benefit, but like it or not they're an easily identifiable group who a lot of the population feel deserve some gratitude for their service. Carnival Corp and Carnival UK are tapping into that feeling for a small cost in return for a certain amount of goodwill from the beneficiaries. If it encourages more serving and retired military to book Carnival cruises they'll end up ahead so it's good business, and since the total number of eligible people is reducing all the time between the factors of old age and reducing UK defence budgets the potential hit on their promotional budget is tiny in comparison to the reputational benefit.

Lots of occupational groups get 'secret' preferential rates for things to do with their industry sector or simply because there are enough of them to have purchasing power en bloc, i.e. airline cabin crew may get special deals in the tourism industry, food industry workers may get more-or-less free food from the factory shop, civil servants have historically got all sorts of discounts, council workers might get CostCo cards, NHS workers have their own schemes, blue light workers have discount schemes etc etc.

As a matter of interest, why should these professions get a discount, whereas other equally deserving professions don't?

 

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Agreed. I was a trolley boy at Sainsbury's for 3 years when I left school. Surely that's worth a few quid off:cool:

I work for ASDA, (Almost ) 13 Years and counting... Can I get long service OBC from P&O ?

Joking aside... Would you have to show something to PROVE you were ex military or NHS staff ?

Do you happen to know if you can apply if you are an nhs pensioner? I was a nurse for 42 years and only just took my pension this year booked our first P and O cruise while I was still employed.

I don't know,

Perhaps you classify as Retired NHS employee.

Why don't you e mail them and ask

https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk/

Agreed. I was a trolley boy at Sainsbury's for 3 years when I left school. Surely that's worth a few quid off:cool:

Most Food store employees will get a preferential discount on their shopping when they shop at the same company they work for.

I know Marks & Spencer and Waitrose do.

I work for ASDA, (Almost ) 13 Years and counting... Can I get long service OBC from P&O ?

 

Joking aside... Would you have to show something to PROVE you were ex military or NHS staff ?

But surely your get a discount off your Purchases at Asda ! which most people do not get

Swings and roundabouts eh.

There are so many ways of getting 5% off the advertised P&O price - using the right travel agent, using a cash-back site, having shares such as BT, belonging to a particular employer scheme, etc - that NOT getting it should be the exception!

I'm not eligible for any of them but I know about them. I use social media a lot and they're publicised there as well as on P&O website. I'm retired and was a public servant for 36 years so disappointed I can't apply whereas somebody who's been a nurse for a couple of years is eligible.

Same with us. Husband was a civil servant for for 45 years until he retired and he did not qualify. I worked for the court service for 13 years until I retired and no joy for me either ☹️

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Joking aside... Would you have to show something to PROVE you were ex military or NHS staff ?

Yes, they do random checks at reception. Not long ago I was asked to bring my ID along for verification.

Hope this helps.

Left out

125P&O cruises, 19 in the pipeline.

I work for ASDA, (Almost ) 13 Years and counting... Can I get long service OBC from P&O ?

 

Joking aside... Would you have to show something to PROVE you were ex military or NHS staff ?

If you get OBC for working for Asda, then I want more cos I have done 25 years this year lol I get an extra weeks holiday so I will book a cruise if I am going to get OBC haha

Thanks for the heads up on this. As ex Merchant Navy I have just managed to get some extra OBC, even though it is over 30 years since I was at sea.

Hmmm... my husband was in the British Army but left about 25 years ago. I suppose it might be worth asking, who do I get in touch with? Not sure how he'd prove it though!

Hmmm... my husband was in the British Army but left about 25 years ago. I suppose it might be worth asking, who do I get in touch with? Not sure how he'd prove it though!

He should be eligible. Does he have his discharge papers? Failing that, perhaps this site can help.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-your-own-records

Hmmm... my husband was in the British Army but left about 25 years ago. I suppose it might be worth asking, who do I get in touch with? Not sure how he'd prove it though!

military benefits are applicable to UK citizens only.

We are pleased to offer on board spending money to:

• retired and disabled veterans
  
• serving military
  

for the following service divisions:

• British Army
  
• Royal Navy
  
• Royal Air Force
  
• Reserves
  
• Royal Marines
  
• Merchant Navy
  

for bookings made from the 15 May 2014 when booking a P&O Cruises Select or Early Saver Fare.**

If you are eligible to receive these benefits please call our Customer Contact Centre on 0843 374 0111 (calls cost 5p per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge) quoting 'HMS'.

We do not require you to send any documentation prior to your departure but please make sure you take the below with you on board your cruise:

• Identification for serving personnel official military ID card
  
• Proof of service issued by the MOD for retired personnel (MOD will issue retired personnel with discharge papers which is fine for you to take as a form of ID)
  

The amount of on board spending money per person, is applicable for the 1st and 2nd passengers only and depends on the duration of the cruise:

2- 6 nights - £15 per person

7-13 nights - £30 per person

14-21 nights - £75 per person

22 nights + (including world cruise) - £125 per person

Please note the latest this benefit can be applied is 7 days before departure and it is not possible to apply the Military benefit once you are on board.

** Late Saver or other promotional fares are not combinable.

Here is the link for P&O

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/military

and Cunard

https://ask.cunard.com/help/before-you-sail/military

Hmmm... my husband was in the British Army but left about 25 years ago. I suppose it might be worth asking, who do I get in touch with? Not sure how he'd prove it though!

Yes as long as your husband has his discharge papers you can claim the OBC. We only recently found out we could claim and my husband as been out of the RAF for 20 years:)