Ken the cruiser

FWIW both my DW and I downloaded the app to our iPads. Maybe someone following this thread has successfully downloaded the app to their iPhone.

If I might ask, what type of device and operating system are you using? There was a gentleman that was using an iPhone 6 with an outdated iOS operating system that was having issues with the app.

My interpretation is this is sort of an evolving beta version test being offered to see if it’s possibly a more advantageous approach from NCL’s perspective for folks to submit their a shareholder benefits requests. It will be interesting to see if/how this application will evolve over the months to come. Right now it appears it’s being implemented via word of mouth by CVPs.

We just got finished applying for Princess shareholder benefits using the online StockPerks app and noticed that Norwegian Cruise Lines was list on the app's applicable Companies list. Has anyone tried using this App yet to get SOBC posted to one or more of your existing NCL bookings? For a little more information with regards to using this app, here's a Princess Forum link that initially got us researching its details, and then subsequently applying online for the PCL shareholder benefits OBC for two cruises that sail prior to July 31, 2024 (based on PCL SHB rules).

I can't wait to follow your adventures around the Galapagos! We'll be on the Flora on a similar Northern Loop track in early December. I know from prior experience, you're going to have a great time on the Xpedition!!

This is for those interested, especially if HAL is included as an applicable Carnival cruise line, in the next week or two, on the StockPerks app. I just loaded at post #119 on page 5 the various screens we encountered while successfully applying for PCL Shareholder benefits. It's really quite easy once you've figured out which links to click and which ones to avoid.

For those interested, here's the various screens we're seeing on the StockPerks App, once we were registered and initially attempting to manually upload our Brokerage Statement. First, I selected the Carnival Corp. & plc option. Then the Princess Cruises option Then the "Validate your portfolio to check eligibility" option Notice the Plaid option is set as the default. This is where I changed the option to Alina, which allowed us to manually upload a photo (or file copy) of your brokerage statement. I initially clicked Next with the default Plaid option set, which takes you to a screen with some Brokerages listed. I then clicked ours, which took me to our Broker's login screen. That's when we said "heck no" to this, until we found out about the Alinea option. We then clicked on the "Add File" option, which allowed us to upload the document. We subsequently received approval of the document we uploaded about 3 hours later. We are now in the process of submitting SOBC requests for 2 bookings that sail within the current authorized timeframe. Here's a fun fact. NCL was also listed on our brokerage form, which was also recorded in our account, and we can now also request SOBC for NCL cruises. Just as a side note. On the initial Companies screen where I selected the Carnival option, I later went to the bottom of that screen and I look what I found, RC and NCL links. The interesting thing is that there has been no mention on any of the applicable CC Forums that Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines are also being listed here. 🤔

Interesting. In any event, I'm just glad we found out about the StockPerks "Alivea" option after clicking on the Princess option, which allowed us to manually upload a picture of our brokerage statement.

Since this will be the OP's first time cruising with Princess, I just thought I'd point out that annoying fact just in case they made the assumption there would be at least two places to sit in a regular balcony cabin. A pleasure we have come to take for granted on every other cruise line we've sailed with.

I take it you used the Alivea option, which allows you to manually upload your brokerage statement, rather than the default Plaid option which requires you to log onto your brokerage account?

OK, we just completed the initial process to upload our current brokerage statement. Now we wait for up to 2 days for the manual "approval process" to take place before we can actually request SOBC to be reapplied to 2 of the 3 cruises we have booked that sail prior to July 31, 2024.

Doing the math, $100 pp/day, plus $60 pp/day for the Princess Plus package, sounds like a pretty good deal to me, especially if it's an itinerary that interests you. But here's my question for you. How much more is a Premium Deluxe aft-facing cabin that include a sofa? I believe the regular balcony only includes one desk chair to sit in.

You are definitely correct. In fact, for cruiseaholics like us, getting the best bang for our $$$ has definitely become a part of our cruising "way of life". The key is to keep up with each cruise line's "rules of engagement", as they continue to be modified based on supply and demand. That's where CC has definitely become a viable asset when changes are made on each cruise line we sail with. I still remember when we didn't realize for our first 5 cruises that we could refare a HAL cruise. That is until I joined CC back in 2016. What a huge difference that made!

True. Day trading is a whole different thing. I believe @Blackduck59 was referring to the comment made by @richwmn in post #13, at least that's how I took it, rather than applying it to a professional day trader. In any event with the discovery of the StockPerks "Alivea" option, providing login credentials is no longer an issue.

The "traditional" route accepted by the "old cruisers" used to be counterclockwise. However, unless a ship decides to actually post directional arrows, like Crystal and HAL used to do on some of their ships, either direction is acceptable.

We agree. For us we purchased the stock back when it was at $48 a share. But since then we’ve gotten almost $2000 back in SOBC and set to get another $1500 in SOBC from the current cruises we have booked through 2025. Just imagine the return over the next 10 years in you were to only have to pay $1300 for 100 CCL shares. Why would someone even think of buying 100 shares for such a short term gain in SOBC from only 1 cruise? 🤔

OK, I’m going to go against the grain and put a vote in for the Caribbean Princess (CB). Why you ask? We were in a covered aft-facing vista suite on our Panama Canal cruise from LA to Ft Lauderdale in the spring of 2022 and had a blast! You can check out my Live From thread from that cruise in my below expanded signature area. The CB also has fully covered aft-facing premium balconies, with the largest being on the Dolphin Deck. But I might add there is no better place to sit going through the locks than in a covered aft-facing cabin! 😁 And it appears both are currently available on Deck 9 (Dolphin) on the CB on the cruise you were looking it. We would also book the cruise with the Plus package, but that’s just us.

Not sure about the 90 days, but here is what it currently says on the Carnival Corp Shareholder Benefit form as well as on the StockPerks link: The benefit is available on sailings through July 31, 2024. Applications to receive this benefit should be made at least three weeks prior to cruise departure date. https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/bc1b7f04-a3e8-4176-91ac-a529290fe45d https://www.stockperks.com/carnivalcorp

Thank you so much for letting us know about the "Alinea" option!! That definitely made happy campers of both my DW and myself!! 😊

OK. Panic time over. I'm now a believer in the StockPerks method. The key is to select the Alinea option, as it takes you to the "Upload brokerage statement" option. Whatever you do, don't select the Plaid option where they start asking for your Broker's information, etc.

OK, I just tried the Alina option, and we can definitely live with this option. 😊

One more question. When you used the Alina option, you provided no login information. How was the StockPerk App able to access your specific stockbroker account to confirm you had the 100 CCL shares?

OK, that's really weird. So here's my question someone mentioned over on a similar HAL thread. Will StockPerk have the means to access your stockbroker account whenever they feel like it. For example, when you're on the cruise just to make sure you didn't buy the CCL shares to simply get the SOBC and then sell them just before you boarded the cruise?

This is all "beta testing" right now using the applicable cruise line's CVPs and, of course, StockPerk. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out in 3-6 months. On a similar note, this past June PCL implemented a new policy that said a person couldn't apply for both Military OBC and Shareholder OBC. Just one or the other. That lasted for about 3 months until they rescinded that policy, under probably a lot of pressure from various guests. That's in fact why we will be reapplying for SHB on 3 upcoming PCL cruises, since both my DW and I are retired military and lost our SHB when we refared those bookings in July and August, after the new policy had been implemented. But that policy has been subsequently rescinded. The only change now is that the MOBC is nonrefundable.

I know you're only hypothesizing, but that's an even worse scenario. Just the fact that StockPerk will be able to search your brokerage account anytime they feel the urge is just wrong. Sorry.