Why is everyone obsessed with OBC'S

[susie8862]

Don't get me wrong....I am sure they are great, but I would much rather know that I was able to get the best price for my cruise.

 

Example....15 Day Hawaii ...paid $1999 for Balcony

Today..(although sold out) $2769 (this was the ending figure and the cruise is still NINE MONTHS AWAY)

THAT IS A $768 difference per person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

8 day Caribbian premium balcony

now this is for 4/14 $969

I know darn well that this will go up hundreds of dollars between now and then.

 

So, my question is...(truly trying to understand)

Why are so many people obsessed with OBC'S as opposed to saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars by booking early? Thank you for any insight you may have.:)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Don't get me wrong....I am sure they are great, but I would much rather know that I was able to get the best price for my cruise.

 

Example....15 Day Hawaii ...paid $1999 for Balcony

Today..(although sold out) $2769 (this was the ending figure and the cruise is still NINE MONTHS AWAY)

THAT IS A $768 difference per person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

8 day Caribbian premium balcony

now this is for 4/14 $969

I know darn well that this will go up hundreds of dollars between now and then.

 

So, my question is...(truly trying to understand)

Why are so many people obsessed with OBC'S as opposed to saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars by booking early? Thank you for any insight you may have.:)

 

 

If you book ES and your catergory goes down, you get OBC. It can rack up into the hundreds. As you get closer to sailing date, the price often goes down as they try to fill the ship. With ES rate, those reductions translate to OBC (if your category of cabin is reduced).

 

I have two cruises that I booked 14 and 17 months out. I'm very happy with the price I paid for both cabins and am hopeful that in addtion to that I'll get some OBC. :D I'm not obesessed with it, but I'm most definitely hopeful.

 

For some of us, watching for rate deductions is a fun game. :p

[gail811]

I book ES and hope to get some OBC, but appears that on my July cruise that will not happen! Our prices have steadily gone up! I am looking to book a cruise today for next February and will book ES; hard to beat!

[firefly333]

Im on the Hawaii 15 day cruise Sept 2013, cant wait.

 

I cant get price drops the way I booked, so no obsession here, but I will get my stockholders $250 OBC. :D

 

Hey, my tips will be paid at least.

[susie8862]

If you book ES and your catergory goes down, you get OBC. It can rack up into the hundreds. As you get closer to sailing date, the price often goes down as they try to fill the ship. With ES rate, those reductions translate to OBC (if your category of cabin is reduced).

 

I have two cruises that I booked 14 and 17 months out. I'm very happy with the price I paid for both cabins and am hopeful that in addtion to that I'll get some OBC. :D I'm not obesessed with it, but I'm most definitely hopeful.

 

For some of us, watching for rate deductions is a fun game. :p

 

 

Yes I knew how it works, I just did not understand why so many

people ask questions as to why they did not get one, or will they get one, etc. It is just that I would think everyone would rather get the best price for the cruise.

 

BUT....okay, I can understand it becoming a game. "let's see how much more I can get..lol"

[susie8862]

I book ES and hope to get some OBC, but appears that on my July cruise that will not happen! Our prices have steadily gone up! I am looking to book a cruise today for next February and will book ES; hard to beat!

 

Amen to that:o

[Jeffd218]

I agree with the OP. We booked Conquest for $759 per person for a balcony next Sunday and the price never went down. I even contacted Carnival about being open to a upsell and they told me I would have to pay big time to upgrade from that price.

[Room Service!]

I book ES. Am not "obsessed" with OBC, but heck, if they're offering .... Why wouldn't you?

[elcuchio24]

That's why we book ES, so we know we are booking at the pest possible price. Period.;)

[elcuchio24]

Don't get me wrong....I am sure they are great, but I would much rather know that I was able to get the best price for my cruise.

 

Example....15 Day Hawaii ...paid $1999 for Balcony

Today..(although sold out) $2769 (this was the ending figure and the cruise is still NINE MONTHS AWAY)

THAT IS A $768 difference per person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

8 day Caribbian premium balcony

now this is for 4/14 $969

I know darn well that this will go up hundreds of dollars between now and then.

 

So, my question is...(truly trying to understand)

Why are so many people obsessed with OBC'S as opposed to saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars by booking early? Thank you for any insight you may have.:)

 

Do you know how ES works? If the cruise price goes down before final payment date you get the difference credited back to you (ES or otherwise). If you book ES any drops after final payment you get back in OBC (if you don't use it all, or any of it for that matter, they cut you a check at the end of the cruise). Eeither way, you pay the lowest price....

 

Other OBC's, such as shareholder and FCC, are applied as a bonus, no matter what the cost of the cruise is. Everyone loves getting money back!;)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Yes I knew how it works, I just did not understand why so many

people ask questions as to why they did not get one, or will they get one, etc. It is just that I would think everyone would rather get the best price for the cruise.

 

BUT....okay, I can understand it becoming a game. "let's see how much more I can get..lol"

 

 

Sorry, it sounded like you didn't know how it worked--my mistake. I was saying that the last couple (and next couple) of cruises I've booked well in advance and been happy with what I paid--I felt I got a great deal. But, I still got OBC, so it worked great.

 

It sounded to me like you were saying you can't get a good price and OBC. But, you can! I had about $400 OBC on my last cruise that I'd booked more than a year in advance. I got what I felt was a good price to begin with and $400 OBC. I don't know how I would have gotten a better price. :D

 

I guess I don't understand why you're saying it's an either/or situtaion: either you get a good price OR your get OBC...I've booked early, gotten a great price and then gotten OBC when rates were reduced as they tried to fill the ship...

[elcuchio24]

Yes I knew how it works, I just did not understand why so many

people ask questions as to why they did not get one, or will they get one, etc. It is just that I would think everyone would rather get the best price for the cruise.

 

BUT....okay, I can understand it becoming a game. "let's see how much more I can get..lol"

 

That's exactly what ES is made for, predicated on the fact that you file for price reductions.

[susie8862]

Sorry, it sounded like you didn't know how it worked--my mistake. I was saying that the last couple (and next couple) of cruises I've booked well in advance and been happy with what I paid--I felt I got a great deal. But, I still got OBC, so it worked great.

 

It sounded to me like you were saying you can't get a good price and OBC. But, you can! I had about $400 OBC on my last cruise that I'd booked more than a year in advance. I got what I felt was a good price to begin with and $400 OBC. I don't know how I would have gotten a better price. :D

 

I guess I don't understand why you're saying it's an either/or situtaion: either you get a good price OR your get OBC...I've booked early, gotten a great price and then gotten OBC when rates were reduced as they tried to fill the ship...

No...my fault. I just went back and re-read what I was trying to say. You and a couple of other people thought I did not know what it meant to get an OBC.

 

LOL...I do. Been cruising for manymanymany years. Oh, Geezzz, I'm old. No...what I REALLY was trying to say:

I see soooo many posts about OBC and hardly any about ES, which to ME is much more worth asking and talking about. Yes, I understand you can get both and I have. $50 here...$50 there. And yes, I will take anything I can get.

IMO, teaching newbies about saving sooooo much money by booking early is so much more important.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

No...my fault. I just went back and re-read what I was trying to say. You and a couple of other people thought I did not know what it meant to get an OBC.

 

LOL...I do. Been cruising for manymanymany years. Oh, Geezzz, I'm old. No...what I REALLY was trying to say:

I see soooo many posts about OBC and hardly any about ES, which to ME is much more worth asking and talking about. Yes, I understand you can get both and I have. $50 here...$50 there. And yes, I will take anything I can get.

IMO, teaching newbies about saving sooooo much money by booking early is so much more important.

 

Gotcha. :D

 

I love having a couple cruises booked so far out. Just wish I had one coming up this year! Now that's the problem with booking early--you get a good price, but you have a LONG wait!

 

:o

[susie8862]

Gotcha. :D

 

I love having a couple cruises booked so far out. Just wish I had one coming up this year! Now that's the problem with booking early--you get a good price, but you have a LONG wait!

 

:o

But this is why you book constantly and always have one coming up:D

Ahhhh...life at sea....nothing like it.

[purplekisses]

It free money. We book early and use FCC. We are glad we got a great price by booking early, but if we can get some free money, then it just gravy.:D

[larkz]

One thing does not negate the other: I go for OBC -- and -- lower prices -- and -- saving money by not buyin the overpriced Carnival extras -- and shopping ahead for modestly priced and mostly privately operated port activities.

[fishtaco]

It becomes an obsession when so many keep posting threads and so often about a price drop and how much OBC they got and how many times they have got "more" months weeks days or even hours before.

 

Sometimes it seems like some with an initial very low cruise fare are getting more OBC than they paid for the cruise in the first place!

 

I was very happy with my ES booking until I joined the OBC chase game:mad: and that is when I found out that my ES booking was in actual fact not the lowest comparable fare available and just by being ES doesn't give you the right to claim against a lower fare.

 

Obsessed? yes I am,why I have no Idea? possibly because I have not got any OBC for my cruise even though there are fares being offered for the same cruise,ship,sail date and cabin as my ES that are cheaper than what I paid.

 

Not as obsessed though as some who are over the moon about getting $10 or only just booked a cruise for more than a year out and are asking when they will get some or why they haven't got some yet:D

[susie8862]

It becomes an obsession when so many keep posting threads and so often about a price drop and how much OBC they got and how many times they have got "more" months weeks days or even hours before.

 

Sometimes it seems like some with an initial very low cruise fare are getting more OBC than they paid for the cruise in the first place!

 

I was very happy with my ES booking until I joined the OBC chase game:mad: and that is when I found out that my ES booking was in actual fact not the lowest comparable fare available and just by being ES doesn't give you the right to claim against a lower fare.

 

Obsessed? yes I am,why I have no Idea? possibly because I have not got any OBC for my cruise even though there are fares being offered for the same cruise,ship,sail date and cabin as my ES that are cheaper than what I paid.

 

Not as obsessed though as some who are over the moon about getting $10 or only just booked a cruise for more than a year out and are asking when they will get some or why they haven't got some yet:D

BINGO....you have stated what I was TRYING to say. I really must stop drinking.....

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I have not got any OBC for my cruise even though there are fares being offered for the same cruise,ship,sail date and cabin as my ES that are cheaper than what I paid.

 

 

 

If this is the case, take a screenshot of the price being offered (just so you can proof it if there's a question) and submit the form. If the price is indeed lower for the same cruise, ship, date, and cabin as yours, you'll get OBC for the difference.

[CRUISE4JANE]

Sorry, it sounded like you didn't know how it worked--my mistake. I was saying that the last couple (and next couple) of cruises I've booked well in advance and been happy with what I paid--I felt I got a great deal. But, I still got OBC, so it worked great.

 

It sounded to me like you were saying you can't get a good price and OBC. But, you can! I had about $400 OBC on my last cruise that I'd booked more than a year in advance. I got what I felt was a good price to begin with and $400 OBC. I don't know how I would have gotten a better price. :D

 

I guess I don't understand why you're saying it's an either/or situtaion: either you get a good price OR your get OBC...I've booked early, gotten a great price and then gotten OBC when rates were reduced as they tried to fill the ship...

 

I agree with your reply. I booked a year in advance and got the best price I could. I booked ES (never did before). My PVP said that if the price drops, I am protected. Well my first price drop was March 19 and through April 27, got more, plus OBCs (as final payment was made April 17). Price drops equaled $470 and I have $180 in OBCs. That equaled 7 price drops in 5 1/2 weeks. Now who wouldn't want to get that? Yes, it is a fun game too. :):D:cool:

[fishtaco]

If this is the case, take a screenshot of the price being offered (just so you can proof it if there's a question) and submit the form. If the price is indeed lower for the same cruise, ship, date, and cabin as yours, you'll get OBC for the difference.

 

Wouldnt that be great!

 

I could start a thread "I just got OBC":D:D:D

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Wouldnt that be great!

 

I could start a thread "I just got OBC":D:D:D

 

 

Oh, please do! I'll subscribe to it! Just like I read all the threads about doing the single-digit dance. :rolleyes:

[H82seaUgo]

Do you know how ES works? If the cruise price goes down before final payment date you get the difference credited back to you (ES or otherwise). If you book ES any drops after final payment you get back in OBC (if you don't use it all, or any of it for that matter, they cut you a check at the end of the cruise). Eeither way, you pay the lowest price....

 

Other OBC's, such as shareholder and FCC, are applied as a bonus, no matter what the cost of the cruise is. Everyone loves getting money back!;)

 

and carnival loves that people are "buying" into this. obc costs them a fraction of a real dollar value. nice gimmick.

[astropilot]

Don't get me wrong....I am sure they are great, but I would much rather know that I was able to get the best price for my cruise.

 

Example....15 Day Hawaii ...paid $1999 for Balcony

Today..(although sold out) $2769 (this was the ending figure and the cruise is still NINE MONTHS AWAY)

THAT IS A $768 difference per person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

8 day Caribbian premium balcony

now this is for 4/14 $969

I know darn well that this will go up hundreds of dollars between now and then.

 

So, my question is...(truly trying to understand)

Why are so many people obsessed with OBC'S as opposed to saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars by booking early? Thank you for any insight you may have.:)

 

 

In a couple of words... my money. if the price goes down, I get the difference back.:rolleyes: