Shareholder credit DENIED! Hopping mad!

[lady_cruiser]

No I did not get a travel agent rate. I got a florida resident discount, that is all. I almost always get that and have never been denied before.

 

There's always a first time for everything. I guess your turn just came.

[Oneluckywoman]

how are you guys. hoping to cross paths on a future cruise. we are going march 29 on Indy.

 

Barb and Larry Bumb

 

Hi Good to see you here...we're doing great! I think I have this whole thing figured out, need to read the rest of the posts and then I will post how it gets resolved. We are booked on the Liberty Transatlantic leaving May 1, that's the only other cruise we have other than the back to backs we're getting ready to do on the Liberty!

[Oneluckywoman]

It is saying you booked under an interline rate, are you an airline or cruise employee? Interline rates can be deeply discounted especially after final payment. If you mistakenly booked an interline rate and get to the pier they will charge you the full fare. I would guess most other specials or obc aren't available with interline rates either.

 

Just saying....

 

Hi...no I'm not an airline or cruise employee...did not book any rate but the Florida resident rate.

 

Just heard from my travel agent...I e-mailed her and asked if I was booked under a "go cruise" rate. She said no, I was booked under a FL resident rate, but the $50 credit came from GOCRUISE OBC coupon code. Now, I need to say that I booked through a website I'm probably not supposed to mention, so I won't, but my confirmation says (and I was promised) that they gave me $25, not $50, OBC.

 

It has been my experience in the past that when a travel agent gives you OBC, it has nothing to do with OBC from royal Caribbean. So, I am trying to get hold of her on the phone (no luck so far but she will call me back) and tell her that I'd either like them to take the $25 "go cruise"OBC off, or make it $50. If they take it off, I can then qualify for the $50 shareholder credit. Very confusing but I am learning something here. Hope it helps someone else in the same position!

 

It sounds like penny pinching, but I do like to get what I am entitled to, and I will make a phone call or two to get it.

 

I do thank you ALL for your input! :)

[LBumb]

we were thinking of the liberty return cruise in the fall. is that on your radar.

[Clarea]

Hi...no I'm not an airline or cruise employee...did not book any rate but the Florida resident rate.

 

Just heard from my travel agent...I e-mailed her and asked if I was booked under a "go cruise" rate. She said no, I was booked under a FL resident rate, but the $50 credit came from GOCRUISE OBC coupon code. Now, I need to say that I booked through a website I'm probably not supposed to mention, so I won't, but my confirmation says (and I was promised) that they gave me $25, not $50, OBC.

 

It has been my experience in the past that when a travel agent gives you OBC, it has nothing to do with OBC from royal Caribbean. So, I am trying to get hold of her on the phone (no luck so far but she will call me back) and tell her that I'd either like them to take the $25 "go cruise"OBC off, or make it $50. If they take it off, I can then qualify for the $50 shareholder credit. Very confusing but I am learning something here. Hope it helps someone else in the same position!

 

It sounds like penny pinching, but I do like to get what I am entitled to, and I will make a phone call or two to get it.

 

I do thank you ALL for your input! :)

Thanks for explaining.

 

I just wanted to add that there are some OBCs that seem to come from travel agents that actually come from Royal. One I can think if is there is a group booking with enough GAP points to warrant OBC for all staterooms in the group. This type of OBC can cause combinability issues with other perks. I know this is not your issue, but you might have something similar in that the travel agent passed on some promo from Royal.

Edited January 17, 2014 by clarea

[Oneluckywoman]

Thanks for explaining.

 

I just wanted to add that there are some OBCs that seem to come from travel agents that actually come from Royal. One I can think if is there is a group booking with enough GAP points to warrant OBC for all staterooms in the group. This type of OBC can cause combinability issues with other perks. I know this is not your issue, but you might have something similar in that the travel agent passed on some promo from Royal.

 

Yes, Bob, I think that is exactly what happened. It must have come from Royal.

 

And Yes, the October crossing is on our radar, but we usually wait until it gets closer to book.

[cruiser1949]

I received the same email on a cruise to Europe this May. I sold the stock immediately.

[leahsdad]

With all the recent confusion on combinability ---I have begun having my TA stipulate that the onboard credit they are giving me comes from them and not a cruise line pass thru. Doesn"t get you any more credit but sure reduces frustration and adds clarity.

 

Paul

[edjny]

I received the same email on a cruise to Europe this May. I sold the stock immediately.

 

Not knocking your investing style, but the stockholder OBC is not a good reason to either buy or sell the RCL stock. It is a nice benefit sometimes, but only if you feel the stock is a good financial investment.

[Coochuck]

Put in for 3 stockholder credits for cruises we will take this year. 2 out of 3 were approved...as others have said...the important part is to hold the stock to make money with the company stock going up, and to take their dividend. The additional perk of the OBC's are nice when you can get them....but not enough to get upset about. Enjoy!!

[cruisinfanatic]

Put in for 3 stockholder credits for cruises we will take this year. 2 out of 3 were approved...as others have said...the important part is to hold the stock to make money with the company stock going up, and to take their dividend. The additional perk of the OBC's are nice when you can get them....but not enough to get upset about. Enjoy!!

Yup, the stock is almost up to where it was in 2000. How is that good? The only thing good is the OBC you get from owning.

[Janet524]

No I did not get a travel agent rate. I got a florida resident discount, that is all. I almost always get that and have never been denied before.

 

Just asking (please don't flame me), did you take a C&A balcony discount, or use a Future Cruise certificate to book? We found that we could rarely use the shareholder OBC since we almost always use the D+ balcony discount and/or book onboard.

[melbur]

This is the promo your TA booked you under, states in the fine print not combinable with Shareholder.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithGallery.do?icid=shrtcr_tctclp_35n_hm_cntntr_1880&pagename=short_cruises_janfeb2014

[knittinggirl]

I'm always leery of the promotional OBCs because I figure they raise the base rate of the cruise. On Celebrity, we got some OBC for booking online, and also prepaid gratuities, then they offered their so called "Give Thanks" promotion. We went for it assuming we'd be able to keep the gratuities and the OBC. We got the lower rate, and lost the gratuities and OBC. As it turns out, we're at a tiny loss.

[Clarea]

This is the promo your TA booked you under, states in the fine print not combinable with Shareholder.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithGallery.do?icid=shrtcr_tctclp_35n_hm_cntntr_1880&pagename=short_cruises_janfeb2014

Good catch!:)

[SeaWatch]

I sold my stock when I was denied the OBC because mt TA had given me an amenity.

 

In my opinion, it is not a stockholder benefit but a marketing strategy.

[orville99]

Yup, the stock is almost up to where it was in 2000. How is that good? The only thing good is the OBC you get from owning.

 

If you bought and held since 2000, then you have had 10+ years of dividend payments (there were about 4 years when they suspended dividend payments), and 8+ years of combinability ( I believe they changed that in 2008-2009), so unless you took your dividends in cash every quarter, you would still be quite a bit ahead financially. On the other hand, if you bought when the stock bottomed, re-invested your dividends, and held, you would be substantially ahead. Our RCL stock has more than tripled in price since we bought it, and we've added enough additional shares through re-investing dividends that when ever I feel the need for a bit of shareholder OBC, I simply sell a couple of shares:D