OBC from TA

[Thrak]

I have a small amount of OBC that should be coming from my TA. How/when does that show up? It isn't in the cruise personalizer but I don't know that it would show there as it would probably come as a gift. I'm new to using a TA so I'm wondering how this works and I figured I'd just ask here since a person can find out pretty much anything cruise related on these forums. :)

 

I'm also wondering about the fact that - a couple of months after the TA had written on our info "$50 from me" - I contacted him and asked to have the cruise rebooked with a lower rate. Since I got a $600 saving by rebooking later when the price dropped should I expect to not get the small OBC from the TA as his commission probably went down? (Obviously the $600 fare saving is far better than the $50 OBC but I just don't know how this works.

 

Sooooooo.... How does TA OBC work?

 

(I'm sure this has likely been asked many times before but.. Stupid missing search function...)

Edited March 1, 2014 by Thrak

[Pam in CA]

Every cruise is different. How much OBC a TA is willing to give you depends on the cruise, the category, how many other customers on the cruise, etc. Just because you are offered an OBC for one cruise, don't expect the same OBC for another cruise.

 

Princess has recently changed their website so after booking, you go to your Cruise Personalizer and on the upper right is a link to Onboard Credits. Any TA, FCC, or shareholder OBC will be listed there.

 

Here's an example from my Sapphire cruise which I'm boarding tomorrow:

 

Edited March 1, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Thrak]

Thanks. The TA OBC isn't there so it likely was a casualty of rebooking at a lower rate. Not really a problem since the new booking saved $660. ;-)

Edited March 1, 2014 by Thrak

[caribill]

I'm also wondering about the fact that - a couple of months after the TA had written on our info "$50 from me" - I contacted him and asked to have the cruise rebooked with a lower rate. Since I got a $600 saving by rebooking later when the price dropped should I expect to not get the small OBC from the TA as his commission probably went down? (Obviously the $600 fare saving is far better than the $50 OBC but I just don't know how this works.

 

Sooooooo.... How does TA OBC work?

 

Sometimes the TA OBC is from the TA's commission, so if the price goes down and the commission is less, the TA OBC might become lower or even disappear.

 

Sometimes the TA OBC is really part of the amenities the TA can select from ones available* when the TA has a group booking (multiple cabins booked by the TA, not necessarily a group of people who know each other). In this case, the TA OBC should not disappear when the cruise is re-priced.**

 

In your case, I would ask the TA if the initial OBC still exists.

 

* The travel agent gets group amenity points which the TA can choose to use in a variety of ways. The TA gets to pick how the amenity points will be used, not the passenger. Examples:

$50 discount per stateroom of a voyage of 6-8 days -- 4 points

$50 discount per stateroom of a voyage of 9+ days -- 3 points

$50 OBC per stateroom of a voyage of 6-8 days -- 4 points

$50 OBC per stateroom of a voyage of 9+ days -- 3 points

1 bottle of wine per stateroom of a voyage of 6-8 days -- 2 points

1 bottle of wine per stateroom of a voyage of 9+ days -- 1 points

 

** The TA also has the ability to increase his/her commission instead of using the points for the passenger's benefit. For example:

$25 bonus commission per person on a voyage of 6-8 days -- 4 points

$25 bonus commission per person on a voyage of 9+ days -- 3 points

It is possible that when you repriced the TA chose to use the OBC amenity points to increase his/her commission instead of using them for OBC. Or the TA may have chosen to keep discounts from OBC instead of passing them on to the passenger.

[cruiserdru]

The OBC's from my TA have never shown up under the Personalizer and its new format.

 

However, my invoice from her shows the amount of the OBC and it is there even after a refare for a lower price. The invoice for my kids cabin did show a lower OBC after their refare.

 

When I get to my cabin, there has always been a card showing I have a gift from my TA and I print out my stateroom charges and it shows up there.

 

Only once has there been a problem and I emailed her from the ship. They would not let her fix it while I was onboard and her company cut me a check for the missing OBC.

[magandy]

On our recent cruise there was 3 x $100 vouchers from our TA in our cabin when we boarded, this was then automatically added to our account. :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

Since the TA gave you $50 OBC, I am assuming this is a Group perk and will not change regardless of the fact that the price of your cruise went down.

 

Princess allows us to discount the cruise price out of our commission (as long as we don't advertise this) and so most TAs will offer a lower cruise price vs. an OBC. With other cruise lines, this is not the case, but with Princess, it is generally the case with the OBC coming from Group perks. It should be very clearly printed on your TA's invoice that "if the price of the cruise goes down, so will my discount". Otherwise, you'll need to ask the TA what the deal is.

 

BTW, this is one of the things I love about Princess - the flexibility to decide how much of a discount can be given off the cruise price. The other cruise lines force us to give OBC which is rough when you have to pay out hundreds of dollars (or thousands depending on how many cruises you have booked) many months ahead of getting the commission.

Edited March 1, 2014 by DrivesLikeMario

[Times Prince]

I have a small amount of OBC that should be coming from my TA. How/when does that show up? It isn't in the cruise personalizer but I don't know that it would show there as it would probably come as a gift. I'm new to using a TA so I'm wondering how this works and I figured I'd just ask here since a person can find out pretty much anything cruise related on these forums. :)

 

I'm also wondering about the fact that - a couple of months after the TA had written on our info "$50 from me" - I contacted him and asked to have the cruise rebooked with a lower rate. Since I got a $600 saving by rebooking later when the price dropped should I expect to not get the small OBC from the TA as his commission probably went down? (Obviously the $600 fare saving is far better than the $50 OBC but I just don't know how this works.

 

Sooooooo.... How does TA OBC work?

 

(I'm sure this has likely been asked many times before but.. Stupid missing search function...)

We had one instance where rebooking at a rock bottom rate also resulted in the previously quoted TA OBC to go away, as there simply was not enough profit margin for her to be able to afford it. I understand this, and was thankful she told me about it.

 

I would suggest you contact your TA about the OBC, as she/he should have told you had the OBC changed.

[Paula_MacFan]

My TA OBC shows up under the personalizer, OBC tab, and is titled 'Travel Agent Promotion'. It's included along with the Princess OBC we received in the '3 for free' promotion, which is listed as 'Shore Excursion Credit'.

[Colo Cruiser]

Some OBC does not show up until after a couple of days onboard.

[tootsiescurly]

Anyone have experience with Travelocity credits?

[DrivesLikeMario]

My TA OBC shows up under the personalizer, OBC tab, and is titled 'Travel Agent Promotion'. It's included along with the Princess OBC we received in the '3 for free' promotion, which is listed as 'Shore Excursion Credit'.

 

That is probably a Group perk, not from the TA's commission.