Are you forced to use FCC

[Loreni]

Hello,

 

I have a question and hope some of you can help. We are considering a short cruise next month on Caribbean Princess. OBC is being offered (for example, cruise costs $199 with 50$ OBC). When I looked at my FCCs in My Princess, it said they are not combinable with promotional OBCs (I guess the 50$ is a promotional OBC).

 

 

So, in this case, I would not want to use my FCC. Will Princess force me to apply the FCC and thus forgo the promotional OBC. Or can I save my FCC for a later cruise. Or do I need to ask to have my FCC refunded to my credit card first. Then, since no FCC shows in my account, I will recieve the OBC?

 

By the way, my shareholders OBC is combinable, I believe.

[VibeGuy]

If the FCC somehow tries to apply itself, my experience is it can be backed out and the deposit made by card payment.

[shepp]

You never have to use an existing FCC to book a cruise. It will never be applied unless you request it.

[Colo Cruiser]

When I looked at my FCCs in My Princess, it said they are not combinable with promotional OBCs (I guess the 50$ is a promotional OBC).

 

If that was the case then that would apply to all cruises, right?

[geoherb]

Have your travel agent double check. Mine told me originally that our FCCs would not give us any OBC on our upcoming short cruises on the CB. But after checking, it turned out that we are getting the OBC for them as well as the promotional OBC (and my shareholder credit). It's adding up to a nice chunk of change.

 

We are taking back-to-back cruises and were able to choose which cruise to apply the FCCs to.

Edited December 10, 2014 by geoherb

[Av8tor]

You'd have to determine exactly which "promotional OBCs" the FCCs can't be used with (if there actually are any they can't be used with).

 

I booked an Alaska cruise for this spring under the "3 For Free" promotion which included $50 shore ex credit and $25 OBC and I used FCCs for the deposits and also got the extra $50 OBC pp that came with each FCC.

 

YMMV

[Thrak]

Your FCC is fine. It is almost certainly usable with your cruise promotion. Unless you really don't want to use your FCC for reduced deposit and FREE OBC then you don't have to but I can't understand why you wouldn't use it.

 

I used FCC to book an upcoming cruise in February where I get a free bottle of wine and a free dinner at Sabatini's or Crown Grill. Nothing prevents me from getting the reduced deposit and the OBC.

 

The promotional stuff that is prohibited from combining is not stuff that MOST people will encounter. If you are concerned then simply ask your travel agent (TA) or call Princess and ask.

 

I say take the reduced deposit and the free OBC from the FCC. That's why we buy the things!

[hllwdcruiser]

We booked a last minute deal through Princess last February - the deal was so good I chose not to apply the FCC I bought in 2012. However, Princess automatically applied it and I had to call to get it removed.

 

20/20 hindsight - I realized that I should have applied the credits on that cruise and just bought another one onboard. Because the cruise was only 5 days I think it was a wash anyway because I don't think I would have got any additional OBC. On my confirmation letter it states that the OBCs start at 7-9 day cruises.

[geoherb]

We're getting on-board credit for our FCC on our upcoming 4-day cruise. It's $15 for an inside or outside cabin and $25 for a balcony or better. It's those amounts for cruises that are 3-6 days long. I think only the 1- and 2-day cruises don't give you any OBC for using your FCC.

[Thrak]

We booked a last minute deal through Princess last February - the deal was so good I chose not to apply the FCC I bought in 2012. However, Princess automatically applied it and I had to call to get it removed.

 

20/20 hindsight - I realized that I should have applied the credits on that cruise and just bought another one onboard. Because the cruise was only 5 days I think it was a wash anyway because I don't think I would have got any additional OBC. On my confirmation letter it states that the OBCs start at 7-9 day cruises.

 

You definitely would have gotten OBC from using the FCC. Not a lot on a 5 day cruise but you do get "free" money...

 

Future Cruise Length Per Person Shipboard Credit:

17 + Days $125 Inside, $125 Outside, $150 Balcony, $150 Suite

11 - 16 Days $75 Inside, $75 Outside, $100 Balcony, $100 Suite

7 - 10 Days $25 Inside, $25 Outside, $50 Balcony, $50 Suite

3 - 6 Days $15 Inside, $15 Outside, $25 Balcony, $25 Suite

[Nancyquilts]

Our adult son is sharing our mini through the canal, and as the third person he couldn't use either his FCC or stock credit.:( Those would have taken care of his shore excursions.

[IECalCruiser]

Our adult son is sharing our mini through the canal, and as the third person he couldn't use either his FCC or stock credit.:( Those would have taken care of his shore excursions.

There is only one Stock OBC per cabin. In addition, no deposit is required for 3rd or 4th passengers in a cabin.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[hllwdcruiser]

We're getting on-board credit for our FCC on our upcoming 4-day cruise. It's $15 for an inside or outside cabin and $25 for a balcony or better. It's those amounts for cruises that are 3-6 days long. I think only the 1- and 2-day cruises don't give you any OBC for using your FCC.

 

You definitely would have gotten OBC from using the FCC. Not a lot on a 5 day cruise but you do get "free" money...

 

Future Cruise Length Per Person Shipboard Credit:

17 + Days $125 Inside, $125 Outside, $150 Balcony, $150 Suite

11 - 16 Days $75 Inside, $75 Outside, $100 Balcony, $100 Suite

7 - 10 Days $25 Inside, $25 Outside, $50 Balcony, $50 Suite

3 - 6 Days $15 Inside, $15 Outside, $25 Balcony, $25 Suite

 

So now with even clearer 20/20 hindsight - I should've used the FCC!!! We did have a balcony so we lost the free $50 - almost enough to cover gratuities.

 

Ah well, lesson learned for next time.

[caribill]

On my confirmation letter it states that the OBCs start at 7-9 day cruises.

 

So now with even clearer 20/20 hindsight - I should've used the FCC!!! We did have a balcony so we lost the free $50 - almost enough to cover gratuities.

 

 

When your FCC was issued, Princess had not yet started their 3, 4, and 5 day cruises, so it was not on the letter. However, it would have been applied anyway if you had used the FCC.

[ricardin]

...

Edited December 11, 2014 by ricardin

[geoherb]

The lesson I should have learned last year is to buy two FCCs for each of us. We are using one apiece on the second leg of our back-to-back cruises this month. I wish we had bought two apiece back in August, but at the time I wasn't thinking of taking back-to-back cruises. I was hoping for a better price on a week-long cruise that fits DH's Christmas break from teaching.