Widows of Veterans

[pamwinn]

Does anyone know if widows of retired military veterans are eligible for the Military OBC?

[caribill]

Others have posted on other threads that the answer is no.

[MicCanberra]

I would think not.:D

[pamwinn]

They took many cruises together, mostly Carnival, and they both received a discounted price. She did participate as an Army wife. She lived in Japan and Germany and half the states in the US. She is granted some benefits on some other cruise lines. This Princess military benefit is new and different. Thanks for the replies.

[shepp]

Clearly not: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/additional_faq/military_program.jsp

 

A berth (of one or two) must actually be occupied by military personnel, not merely his/her spouse, widow, sibling, or child.

[pamwinn]

Thanks again.

[TracieABD]

I am going to submit the paper work to Princess in my mother's behalf just to see what happens. If she hears a "no", it was merely a wasted 10 minutes for us and (maybe) 5 minutes for Princess...

 

Let's call it an experiment!:)

[pamwinn]

Great experiment. Let me hear the result. When I submitted my husbands, it showed up in his circle savings as a future credit good through 2021. I never heard back from Princess at all. I just checked his Captains Circle account a few days later and noticed it. Are you just sending in the DD214 and filling out the form in your mother's name?

[TracieABD]

Great experiment. Let me hear the result. When I submitted my husbands, it showed up in his circle savings as a future credit good through 2021. I never heard back from Princess at all. I just checked his Captains Circle account a few days later and noticed it. Are you just sending in the DD214 and filling out the form in your mother's name?

I am. For her. We are going to SA in January. I would love for her to have this extra money... It would (combined with her OBC) pay for the gratuities on her shipboard account!

[MicCanberra]

I am. For her. We are going to SA in January. I would love for her to have this extra money... It would (combined with her OBC) pay for the gratuities on her shipboard account!

 

Good luck, hope it works out for you and your mum.:D

[april47]

I'm also interested to find out if widows of veterans get an OBC. My late husband was a veteran, buried in a VA cemetery. It never occurred to me that I would qualify. I would think there are way too many of us for them to offer it.

[TracieABD]

I'm also interested to find out if widows of veterans get an OBC. My late husband was a veteran, buried in a VA cemetery. It never occurred to me that I would qualify. I would think there are way too many of us for them to offer it.

I strongly suspect that you are correct, but I am going to go ahead and fax the info in. The worst that can happen is Princess says no. It will have taken me all of 10-15 minutes total to do this task... I am faxing on Monday. I will let you know how it works out!

[shepp]

With all due respect...where do we draw the line here?

 

I'm the child of a WWII veteran...shouldn't I get the discount, too? Why not? What about the parents of someone who was killed in Iraq? Don't they deserve consideration at least as much as someone whose late husband pushed pencils on the home front and came home in one piece? Should there be a requirement that a widow actually have been married to the veteran when he served, and how would that be documented? Not even the spouse of someone who's on active duty but booking the cruise would be covered under the terms of the OBC.

 

Princess is being generous here. I think that should be respected without stretching this to the breaking point.

[MicCanberra]

With all due respect...where do we draw the line here?

 

I'm the child of a WWII veteran...shouldn't I get the discount, too? Why not? What about the parents of someone who was killed in Iraq? Don't they deserve consideration at least as much as someone whose late husband pushed pencils on the home front and came home in one piece? Should there be a requirement that a widow actually have been married to the veteran when he served, and how would that be documented? Not even the spouse of someone who's on active duty but booking the cruise would be covered under the terms of the OBC.

 

Princess is being generous here. I think that should be respected without stretching this to the breaking point.

If Princess will give the discount to widows then that is their decision. I have no problems with discounts being awarded for service men and women or their respective partners.:D

[TracieABD]

If Princess will give the discount to widows then that is their decision. I have no problems with discounts being awarded for service men and women or their respective partners.:D

 

Thank you for your kind words.

 

The difference between widows and widowers and all of the other examples mentioned is that widows retain their spouses benefits (unless they remarry, of course). As a child of retired military, I have no claim to my father's benefits. My mother, however, does and will continue to until her death.

[MicCanberra]

Thank you for your kind words.

 

The difference between widows and widowers and all of the other examples mentioned is that widows retain their spouses benefits (unless they remarry, of course). As a child of retired military, I have no claim to my father's benefits. My mother, however, does and will continue to until her death.

 

like I said previously, I hope your mum can get the discount, it will make her trip that little bit more pleasant.:D

[shepp]

Thank you for your kind words.

 

The difference between widows and widowers and all of the other examples mentioned is that widows retain their spouses benefits (unless they remarry, of course). As a child of retired military, I have no claim to my father's benefits. My mother, however, does and will continue to until her death.

 

I didn't mean to be unkind, and I didn't think of the federal benefits angle...but Princess is not the federal government, and an OBC not retirement pay. The OBC is a gift, not an entitlement.

 

I think it's fine that the line honors veterans. (As far as I'm concerned, PCL should also honor firefighters and public school teachers. Conscientious objectors who performed alternative public service, too.) But to use an example close to home, my partner's father served (in fact, he was at Pearl Harbor) and then, back in civilian life, died young over 40 years ago. It just seems odd to think that his widow should somehow be entitled to an OBC when even the spouse of someone currently on active duty in a war zone doesn't get an OBC if said soldier isn't booked on the cruise. Neither does the spouse of a retired soldier who's living but hates cruising and stays home playing golf.

 

The offer already seems generous without stretching it. (Though a more compelling case could be made if a widow's spouse died in the line of duty.)

[MCC retired]

Many, many veterans eligable for this Princess OBC , like

myself , never retired from a military career .

Just met the active duty or war zone minimums.

Would my spouse (who didn't even know me then) expect

a veterans OBC once I die ? Doubt it .

[CI66774]

I guess the bottom line is it's not about "fairness" - it's about who the cruise line wants to give a discount to - for whatever reason. But if anyone from Princess is reading this - I think tall, blonde, female lawyers with green eyes should get a discount.:D

[DrivesLikeMario]

LOL Yes, they have to draw the line somewhere. Those that were reservists but didn't see active duty also don't qualify.

[MicCanberra]

I guess the bottom line is it's not about "fairness" - it's about who the cruise line wants to give a discount to - for whatever reason. But if anyone from Princess is reading this - I think tall, blonde, female lawyers with green eyes should get a discount.:D

 

I am going to hazzard a guess that you are tall, blonde, have green eyes and practice law.:D

[cruise77]

My Grandson's widow received discount, but he was KIA, that might make the difference. I don't know.

[TracieABD]

My Grandson's widow received discount, but he was KIA, that might make the difference. I don't know.

 

I am so sorry for yours and your family's loss. :(

[cruise77]

Thank you Tracie

[PescadoAmarillo]

LOL Yes, they have to draw the line somewhere. Those that were reservists but didn't see active duty also don't qualify.

 

They do if they retired with 20 years of service.