Back to the "old" OBC leftover policy

[dickinson]

I just checked mine too. Both cruises… they are now non refundable. No problem though. We'll be able to spend them onboard even if it is just for internet minutes.

[billco]

Yesterday my OBC had no notations at all. Today it is marked as non-refundable. It looks like they are just working their way through the bookings and getting caught up. It's odd they don't have a batch process that can handle it more efficiently.

 

I'm showing Travel Agent Promotion, Onboard Sales Promotion, and Shareholders Benefits and all of them now have an asterisk and the notice below stating: *Please enjoy using these credits onboard as they are not refundable

 

It doesn't bother me a bit. As long as I get OBC - essentially free money - I don't mind having to spend it onboard.

Same here. All five bookings from this October to next September. All have had the asterisks added. I am still hopeful I'll be able to carry over on the B2Bs. Edited October 8, 2014 by billco

[PescadoAmarillo]

Yes, a change has just occurred for us too. We have paper confirmation that most OBCs were refundable but that's all changed now. Everything except military is non-refundable.

 

We don't have an issue with this, providing they carry over on B2B cruises. I'd rather 'save up' for a few splurges than feel I have to spend the same amount every cruise.

[caribill]

it appears they also can NOT be used any longer to pay your gratuities either. That is part of the new policy. Check the fine print on your Shareholder OBC application which is now apparently going to be enforced. "This offer cannot be used for casino credits/charges and gratuities."

 

In the past, all the OBC was listed as a positive balance on your onboard account at the start of a cruise. Any charges to the account would reduce the positive balance until (for most passengers) it would be a negative balance and you would owe Princess $$$ at the end of the cruise.

 

So, someone who is sailing under the "new" policy needs to look at their onboard account and post if the positive balance goes down with every charge or if somehow the system now only subtracts certain charges from the OBC balance and is able to keep track seperately of charges that will be owed even if there is positive OBC remaining.

 

My guess is that the software is not that sophisticated.

[caribill]

I also made some pre-cruise purchases such as coffee cards, wine, etc. They don't show either! Is this unusual?

 

These are considered gifts, even if you made them to yourself.

 

They do not show because many times gifts are made by others who want to surprise the recipients once they are on board and listing them in the personalizer would ruin the surprise.

[caribill]

Okay, I have read through all the posts but am a bit confused. I understand that our military obc is refundable, our TA obc is refundable but our promotional credits would not be refundable nor our FCC's obc.

 

 

Often what is listed as TA OBC is really OBC that came by applying "amenity points" that the TA has with group bookings.

 

OBC that came from amenity points is no longer refundable per an earlier post.

[cruisehappy001]

Yesterday my OBC had no notations at all. Today it is marked as non-refundable. It looks like they are just working their way through the bookings and getting caught up. It's odd they don't have a batch process that can handle it more efficiently.

 

I'm showing Travel Agent Promotion, Onboard Sales Promotion, and Shareholders Benefits and all of them now have an asterisk and the notice below stating: *Please enjoy using these credits onboard as they are not refundable

 

It doesn't bother me a bit. As long as I get OBC - essentially free money - I don't mind having to spend it onboard.

 

I suspect that if you do anything that makes a change to your booking that it updates automatically when it refreshes. I say this because I had looked at my booking and all of my OBC did not have an asterisk, and then I removed cruise transfers and after that the asterisks appeared right after that.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Mark

[boxztrs]

It appears that Princess has found a new marketing ploy to keep fares high and offset with large OBC's. I would prefer that Princess just give me the lowest fare possible, and forget about all these OBC games they have started.

 

We were going to do 6 B2B's on the Caribbean Princess in November, but it would generate $2,100 in OBC for the two of us. Normally I would use a large part of that in the Casino, but apparently that is now not allowed. Even in 28 days, I don't see how I can now spend all the credit.

 

Many of those posting here are naïve in thinking they are getting something for nothing. Princess does not give OBC out of the goodness of their hearts. If $1.00 of OBC was really worth a dollar, they wouldn't play these games and would just lower fares. The reality is that they give you a dollar to spend on their overpriced merchandise and services. That's why the majority of us veteran cruisers book our own excursions for example. I personally will not be held "hostage" to their new practices.

 

We will not cruise Princess again until they can adequately communicate their policies, and also go back to straight forward fare pricing.

[Wehwalt]

It appears that Princess has found a new marketing ploy to keep fares high and offset with large OBC's. I would prefer that Princess just give me the lowest fare possible, and forget about all these OBC games they have started.

 

We were going to do 6 B2B's on the Caribbean Princess in November, but it would generate $2,100 in OBC for the two of us. Normally I would use a large part of that in the Casino, but apparently that is now not allowed. Even in 28 days, I don't see how I can now spend all the credit.

 

Many of those posting here are naïve in thinking they are getting something for nothing. Princess does not give OBC out of the goodness of their hearts. If $1.00 of OBC was really worth a dollar, they wouldn't play these games and would just lower fares. The reality is that they give you a dollar to spend on their overpriced merchandise and services. That's why the majority of us veteran cruisers book our own excursions for example. I personally will not be held "hostage" to their new practices.

 

We will not cruise Princess again until they can adequately communicate their policies, and also go back to straight forward fare pricing.

 

I won't say I won't cruise them again. But anyone who says this is basically no change is unrealistic. Some of us don't spend money on cruise ships. On my current cruise, spent much less than the OBC, and had I not cashed it out at the end of the first leg, might be wondering how to spend the credit. For me, it was factored into the price of a cruise. Personally, I'd rather get a $10 bill than a $10 martini.

 

But this, along with some poor experiences on my present cruise which are outside this topic, has shaken my confidence in Princess. Sorry to be in the minority.

[ready2cruzagain]

Often what is listed as TA OBC is really OBC that came by applying "amenity points" that the TA has with group bookings.

 

OBC that came from amenity points is no longer refundable per an earlier post.

Our TA obc was showing refundable but as of this morning when I looked, it is like others are stating and showing nonrefundable. NP, we will spend it all plus some.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

In the past, all the OBC was listed as a positive balance on your onboard account at the start of a cruise. Any charges to the account would reduce the positive balance until (for most passengers) it would be a negative balance and you would owe Princess $$$ at the end of the cruise.

 

So, someone who is sailing under the "new" policy needs to look at their onboard account and post if the positive balance goes down with every charge or if somehow the system now only subtracts certain charges from the OBC balance and is able to keep track seperately of charges that will be owed even if there is positive OBC remaining.

 

My guess is that the software is not that sophisticated.

 

We've always had all of our onboard credit shown a negative, not positive as you say. (even last week on the CB it was this way)

All charges were then posted as a positive-ie, casino, gratuities, drinks, etc. Sort of the reverse that one would expect but I've become accustomed to it.

Either way it will be interesting to see if there is a new system installed which will keep track of which types of OB credit are first used.

My guess is also that their software isn't going to separate which OBC should be used first as it would lead to a nightmare in accounting.

[pablo222]

It appears that Princess has found a new marketing ploy to keep fares high and offset with large OBC's.

 

I agree it is a marketing ploy, but I don't see princess keeping fares high.

 

The short cruises on Caribbean this fall are really, really cheap.

 

I think even at those prices, princess couldn't fill the ship, and

had to add additional inducements.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I just checked my next two sailings which last week listed some as refundable and now they have all changed.

 

Again, I have no issues with it as it is OBC and it will be spent on board.

[hawkeyetlse]

My guess is also that their software isn't going to separate which OBC should be used first as it would lead to a nightmare in accounting.

It is really a very simple matter to set up two types of OBC and two types of charges. That is what accounting software is for. The nightmare would be having to explain this 6000 times on the last night of every single cruise to grumpy passengers… Also, dealing with all the alcohol poisoning when people realize they have to drink $500 of cocktails before disembarkation.

[whatcruiseisnext]

Have four cruises booked. All now show OBC as non-refundable. We are not upset. Never had a problem spending it onboard.:)

 

We would have never thought to try to take it out of the casino as "free' money and now be mad because a practice that should never have been allowed in the first place has been stopped.

 

I know of several who bragged at having taken off the auto tip and then pocketed the money for themselves never leaving a cash tip to the staff. Kudos to Princess for addressing this issue and making it all (or most of it) non-refundable.

[hawkeyetlse]

I know of several who bragged at having taken off the auto tip and then pocketed the money for themselves never leaving a cash tip to the staff. Kudos to Princess for addressing this issue and making it all (or most of it) non-refundable.

Unfortunately, those people will continue to remove the auto-tip. Instead of cashing out their OBC they will now be "forced" to spend it on board buying things for themselves. And they will complain about it.

[san diego sue]

If people are receiving huge OBC be thankful. So you don't get it refundable.

There are so many ways to spend it on board(a couple of tours can wipe some of it out).

There are other cruise lines that don't have Military credit(and they are Carnival Corp. product too). Royal Caribbean won't allow combining of credits.

When I compare similiar cruises on competing cruise lines, Princess seems to have the best prices.Recently after final payment there was a huge price drop on one of my cruises with Princess. Not only did they lower my price(and refund diff to credit card), but I received another $100.00 to spend on board as well. If you have a little left before end of cruise, treat yourself to a nice dinner at specialty restaurant, buy a Princess sweat shirt etc.And Princess is so generous with their loyalty program.When I cruise on other lines miss all those OBC, and loyalty(internet, laundry).

[pms4104]

I suspect that if you do anything that makes a change to your booking that it updates automatically when it refreshes. I say this because I had looked at my booking and all of my OBC did not have an asterisk, and then I removed cruise transfers and after that the asterisks appeared right after that.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Mark

I don't think that the asterisk appears after you make a change of any type to your booking ... I have made absolutely no changes since final payment mid-August, and the asterisks appeared magically a day or so ago. I had been watching routinely, and no OBC had been marked nonrefundable til this week. Doesn't matter to me, as we never have left over ... and I never considered cashing it out.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

With all the talk about refundable & non-refundable credit has anyone actually had them refuse to transfer the credit to their casino account? Seems strange that they would disallow it to be used for gambling on the ship.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

If people are receiving huge OBC be thankful. So you don't get it refundable.

There are so many ways to spend it on board(a couple of tours can wipe some of it out).

There are other cruise lines that don't have Military credit(and they are Carnival Corp. product too). Royal Caribbean won't allow combining of credits.

When I compare similiar cruises on competing cruise lines, Princess seems to have the best prices.Recently after final payment there was a huge price drop on one of my cruises with Princess. Not only did they lower my price(and refund diff to credit card), but I received another $100.00 to spend on board as well. If you have a little left before end of cruise, treat yourself to a nice dinner at specialty restaurant, buy a Princess sweat shirt etc.And Princess is so generous with their loyalty program.When I cruise on other lines miss all those OBC, and loyalty(internet, laundry).

 

I don't know how many cruises you take each year but spending large amounts of onboard credit isn't that easy when you're repeatedly on many cruises going to the ports you've seen many times before. There's only so many times that I can visit a rain forest, botanical garden, monkey jungle, or souvenir shop or buy an overpriced sweatshirt I don't need in a Princess store. Perhaps if they lowered their prices instead of playing all these discount games the problem of onboard credit wouldn't be so much of a problem.

[PescadoAmarillo]

With all the talk about refundable & non-refundable credit has anyone actually had them refuse to transfer the credit to their casino account? Seems strange that they would disallow it to be used for gambling on the ship.

 

Very strange.

 

It also seems strange it can't be rolled from one cruise to one directly following (B2B). We've had our onboard account roll forward from one cruise to the next for years, long before refundable or non-refundable OBC issues. If Princess implements what they're talking about, they're going to need to close every shipboard account at the end of every cruise and then start a new one fresh.

[san diego sue]

To : Lovetocruiseprincess

This year we(two yet to take) have cruised 8 cruises with Princess. (Europe, Transatlantic, coastals, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, caribbean, Panama Canal). Have never had OBC left over .Never took money out of Casino either.Total cruises with Princess is 34.

Edited October 8, 2014 by san diego sue

[hawkeyetlse]

Perhaps if they lowered their prices instead of playing all these discount games the problem of onboard credit wouldn't be so much of a problem.

They are specifically trying to attract the kinds of customers who don't consider it a problem to spend their OBC onboard. Experienced cruisers who have seen it all and done it all before and know how to get a great price and loyalty perks and money back at the end of the cruise: I don't think any cruise line is really concerned about making sure those customers keep coming back.

[Avalon35]

I don't know how many cruises you take each year but spending large amounts of onboard credit isn't that easy when you're repeatedly on many cruises going to the ports you've seen many times before. There's only so many times that I can visit a rain forest, botanical garden, monkey jungle, or souvenir shop or buy an overpriced sweatshirt I don't need in a Princess store. Perhaps if they lowered their prices instead of playing all these discount games the problem of onboard credit wouldn't be so much of a problem.

 

You can pay for gratuities, you can buy the drink package, specialty dining, a bottle of wine, some bubbly, flowers, spa, etc - live it up!!! Use it or lose it :D

As I am not wedded to Princess, I do check out many cruise lines. And I look at itinerary, ship and fares... they are still the best price performer out there with the allowable OBCs. Many of the other lines are throwing in the gratuities, drink packages, etc as perks up front and the fares are higher --- Check out Celebrity for example. I like this approach as I can decide what "perks" I want to spend my money on instead of their decision ahead of time of what they think I should want with limited choices.... like just drink package and gratuities.

[mom2tcdx2]

It seems odd that no on addresses the casino usage. If you have OBC left over, go to a slot machine withdraw against your account, then cash out your players bank.

 

Though I have never had left over credit. At most I have only received $200 which is easily covered by the gratuity.