Dumb question: how to "prove" OBC & waiver of service charge?

[maina]

After reading posts by Jimsgirl and others, I got paranoid about documentation that the deal when we booked included waiver of daily service charge and a certain amount of OBC. Nowhere in our original confirmation email or in the voyage personaliser is this mentioned. Once we board, how can we "prove" that we have these arrangements if it is not stated in writing anywhere and they say they have no record of this? We are relative newbies, with only one transatlantic so far on Cunard, and the small OBC through our TA was there in our file just fine then. I never dreamed we might have to document it. Should I be worried? And, where the heck are people checking to make sure that what they've been promised is in fact on record? :confused:

[alibabacruisers]

Did you get an email confirmation of your booking? It might say it there. I asked the same initially about our OBC and the only place it shows is on that email confirmation from Cunard.

[maina]

The OBC does show in our email confirmation, but not the waiver of the daily service charge/tip. May be worth a call to Cunard to verify and try to get something in writing about that. I'll definitely print the email and bring it with us. Thanks.

[MawganTr]

I'd get your TA to confirm it in writing. I have heard stories of it not being accurate on board. Once you are on board I'd ask for a print out of your account during the voyage to check. That way it gives you time to challenge any errors.

 

 

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[fantasy51]

I believe in documentation. I always take along an email copy of confirmation of my shareholders' credit. Early in the voyage, as Mawgan says, I go to the pursers desk and ask for a printout.

 

If it's not on the printout, don't worry. Above all, be polite! Explain that it should be there and you will go to your cabin to get the documentation to show them. On the last voyage my confirmation only came through while I was sailing, so I turned up with laptop in hand to show them the email. :D They said they didn't need to look. :p The pursers desk will do all they can to help you, so make it pleasant for both of you. Twice my onboard credit hasn't shown up (when I've booked a deal less than a week before sailing) and both times I have been told that they will send in a request to head office for me. On the latest occasion I actually received a phone call in my room to tell me when it was confirmed. ;)

Edited September 14, 2014 by fantasy51

[Dajo5601]

Past experience plus that of friends leads me to advise - sort these issues out BEFORE you board the ship. The staff at the pursers desk have little authority to alter or amend anything.

 

Good luck............

[maina]

Because we made arrangements directly through Cunard and not a TA, all I have is the email confirmation from Cunard. I'll give a call about the automatic tip/service charge waiver just to be on the safe side. If that is in our records "shoreside" now, presumably it should be in the computer system onboard as well.

[PunkiC]

By automatic tip waiver, do you mean that you are removing the auto tip?

 

Are you aware that all crew get a list of everyone who has removed the auto tip and then, if you should give them an individual tip, they are required to turn it in to be added to the pool?

 

Unless you absolutely cannot afford the auto tip and this cruise is your once-in-a-lifetime experience, there is never a good reason to remove it.

 

We do use a travel agent and always get a list of our OBC prior to our cruises. Upon embarkation we get a print out of our OBC and compare them with the information supplied by the TA. If there is a discrepancy, we call it to the attention of the purser's desk and they fix it. We have never had to supply any paper work to prove the amount.

[maina]

PunkiC--Sorry for my poor wording. We would never remove the automatic tips. We booked under a special Cunard deal where we got OBC (tiny, but better than nothing) and where the automatic tips were "paid" by Cunard and not charged to our onboard account. The tip was "waived" only in that it wasn't us paying it. I sure hope Cunard does in fact pay it to the staff!

 

Ann

[Camgirl]

On our very first cruise our OBC didn't show up on our account. We went to the outset office to sort it but we're told they had to contact head office. This was on a Friday and we were told that as it was a bank holiday weekend They could not call untill the Tuesday. It was a seven day cruise ending on the Wednesday!!

 

Luckily after a lot of panic on our part, they managed to sort it out on board on the Friday so we were able to enjoy spending the OBC.

 

I am now careful to always print out the original confirmation which mentions how much credit we have to take with us in case. I also check it is all showing on the computer on the first day at sea. We have never had another problem.

[fantasy51]

We went to the outset office to sort it

 

Camgirl, I love your autocorrect. :D However, I've seen better. I still prefer your email telling me of the new 'candles' you had bought to wear on your feet. I keep dreaming of your new footwear lighting a fire under your dancing.

Edited September 14, 2014 by fantasy51

[PunkiC]

Oh, I am confident that if they say they will pay the auto tip, they will do so. The staff would otherwise revolt.

 

We do have a couple of cruises coming up next spring where we have received "free" gratuities. It should be pretty easy to determine if they are paying them by simply checking your account statements on a regular basis. Interestingly we also have a huge amount of OBC on those two cruises. I wonder how we will spend it all. I am sure I will manage. :)

[fantasy51]

I wonder how we will spend it all. I am sure I will manage. :)

 

Excursions, cocktails, jewellery ... the list goes on. Unfortunately you won't find any of those wonderful bargain Armani jackets. ;) (Loved the account of how you get them.)

[Camgirl]

Camgirl, I love your autocorrect. :D However, I've seen better. I still prefer your email telling me of the new 'candles' you had bought to wear on your feet. I keep dreaming of your new footwear lighting a fire under your dancing.

 

Oh dear, and I checked it through!! For outset please read pursers!

 

I wore the 'candles' last night to a dance. I don't think there was much chance of them lighting any fires though!! :o

[Scrapnana]

Oh, I am confident that if they say they will pay the auto tip, they will do so. The staff would otherwise revolt.

 

We do have a couple of cruises coming up next spring where we have received "free" gratuities. It should be pretty easy to determine if they are paying them by simply checking your account statements on a regular basis. Interestingly we also have a huge amount of OBC on those two cruises. I wonder how we will spend it all. I am sure I will manage. :)

 

On your account statement you will see"Auto Gratuity Charge" and also "Company Prepaid Gratuities".

 

I asked our server if he actually received the company paid tips and he said yes.

[Captiveguru]

Because we made arrangements directly through Cunard and not a TA, all I have is the email confirmation from Cunard. I'll give a call about the automatic tip/service charge waiver just to be on the safe side. If that is in our records "shoreside" now, presumably it should be in the computer system onboard as well.

 

I had the same question. I purchased a voyage with substantial OBC and "Complimentary Gratuities." The OBC shows on our "Booking Confirmation," but there is no mention of the CGs.

 

No TA. Called Cunard. She confirmed we had CGs, but told me that their system did not print the CG on the Confirmation. I asked, politely, how I was supposed to prove this ($13.50 per person per day times 12 days is significant)? She gave me a code to use if necessary. "UL2"

 

I plan to confirm the CGs during check in tomorrow.

[SEFlyer]

If you look at the bottom of your Booking Confirmation page under Comments it should show up there. Mine says Bundled Gratuity and Complimentary Grat. in the Comments section.

 

My OBC is at the top in the Pricing Details section.

[PunkiC]

Excursions, cocktails, jewellery ... the list goes on. Unfortunately you won't find any of those wonderful bargain Armani jackets. ;) (Loved the account of how you get them.)

 

We don't really like organized excursions, preferring to wander about by ourselves, using public transportation and just walking around. I have far more jewelry than I will ever be able to wear in my lifetime, and usually drink only wine. I think in my last 40 cruises I have ordered maybe two martinis.

 

Our tastes run more to massages, specialty restaurants, to which we often treat friends, and buying crazy expensive duty-free liquor for gifts for friends and relatives back home.

 

I am sure I will find a way to spend it. ;)

[Captiveguru]

If you look at the bottom of your Booking Confirmation page under Comments it should show up there. Mine says Bundled Gratuity and Complimentary Grat. in the Comments section.

 

My OBC is at the top in the Pricing Details section.

 

Nothing on my Booking Confirmation... Should I be worried?

[maina]

Nothing about the "bundled gratuity" in the comments on our booking confirmation either.Will definitely call Cunard to verify.

[SEFlyer]

Nothing on my Booking Confirmation... Should I be worried?

 

I would be. I'd call Cunard or my TA and get written confirmation of the included grats. My experience with securing my shareholder OBC tells me not to trust them and make double sure I have evidence.

 

The Purser's desk on board is useless and had has no authority to resolve these kind of issues.

[Jimsgirl]

I have had problems "proving" payments or OBC in the past as well as recently.

 

In the past (as recent as July this year) a statement on an e mail was "ignored" by the staff on board, as though I had somehow "faked" the e mail . Getting in touch with HO can and does take days, especially at weekend or 'holidays", a passenger does not have days to squander in this way.

 

It is really a very good idea to take such proof on Cunard headed paper with you, and to check your account every couple of days when on board.

 

Never assume all will be well because the "girl on the phone " told you so.

 

Never assume that the Pursers office will get your account right, no I do not malign them and think they are "stealing", but a slip of the finger can "rob " your account .