Princess Military Benefits

[Astro Flyer]

I take my 83 yr young dad on a cruise once a year. We have one planned in November. He was in the British Army and I never thought of asking for Military rate or OBC. He has no proof of this, do you think they would allow ?

If you click on this link you will get information which includes qualification for British military.

 

http://www.princess.com/military_benefit_program/#.VPn5bIY76rU

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/faq_answer_legal/Military_Personnel_Benefit_US.pdf

 

The benefits are shown in pounds & dollars but get converted onboard to the currency being used on the cruise.

 

6 days or less: £25

7-13: £50

14+: £75

Edited March 6, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[harryt8]

I am ex Royal Navy and I applied for the OBC with the appropriate documentation and received it without a problem for the 31 day Asian Cruise on Sapphire Princess ex Singapore 24 March.

 

Thank you Princess. HAL didn't offer anything. :)

[Astro Flyer]

I am ex Royal Navy and I applied for the OBC with the appropriate documentation and received it without a problem for the 31 day Asian Cruise on Sapphire Princess ex Singapore 24 March.

 

Thank you Princess. HAL didn't offer anything. :)

 

Now that you have been approved do you need to reapply in the UK which isn't necessary in the US. :)

Edited March 11, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[magandy]

Now that you have been approved do you need to reapply in the UK which isn't necessary in the US. :)

 

Yes you do need you reapply for every cruise booked in the UK.

Unfortunately that is how it is in the UK, hopefully one day it will fall in line with the US, there is no reason why it shouldn't.

[golfb4cruzing]

Geoherb- Sorry but both I and the wife are vets and enjoy the OBC. Every cruise !!

[Mrs.Gosse]

I didn't get through all the pages and I think someone might have touched on it but you will never have to submit that application or your DD 214 again. They just have it logged in to your account now so every future cruise you'll automatically get the same credit! It's a wonderful benefit!

Edited March 11, 2015 by Mrs.Gosse

[gowilk]

Just a general comment....those of us who had to put up with idiots spitting in your face and actual bullets flying over your head for your doing your legally required duty resent the lessening or granting of benefits to those who didn't perform the same duty....if u went to national guard drills or got a discharge because you hurt ur little knee or sat in an office in Kansas for a couple of years it just ain't the same PERIOD.

[Tedferg]

I take my 83 yr young dad on a cruise once a year. We have one planned in November. He was in the British Army and I never thought of asking for Military rate or OBC. He has no proof of this, do you think they would allow ?

 

When this was discussed previously several people gave a contact point in UK for proof of service. Try searching CC and Googling. I'll see what I can find.

 

Fortunately I had my Army Book and Discharge form.

[Tedferg]

OK I see someone has already responded with UK link. Good luck.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Just a general comment....those of us who had to put up with idiots spitting in your face and actual bullets flying over your head for your doing your legally required duty resent the lessening or granting of benefits to those who didn't perform the same duty....if u went to national guard drills or got a discharge because you hurt ur little knee or sat in an office in Kansas for a couple of years it just ain't the same PERIOD.

Seriously? Just like Elite benefits, someone getting something for doing less than you did doesn't detract from your benefit. I would think the people giving the benefit get to determine who should get it.

 

DH did 27 years in the military, and a few of them were in NG/ Reserves. But, no worries...now pretty much everyone doing the "weekend soldier" thing can count on being deployed two years out of every five (that's in writing, BTW). Try balancing a work life with THAT. Maybe in the old days Reservists could count on a weekend way from the family to play, but it hasn't been that way in years. We faced this full on when, after 17 years active duty, DH went to Reserves to finish out his 20, then stayed on. His last 4 years were all AD due to deployments after 9/11. As a Reservist, he used to get a lot of cr$p from AD-ers who thought the part-timers weren't good enough...until he pointed out he had about 15 more years of AD than most of them.

 

It makes you wonder who the enemy is.

[davekathy]

Just a general comment....those of us who had to put up with idiots spitting in your face and actual bullets flying over your head for your doing your legally required duty resent the lessening or granting of benefits to those who didn't perform the same duty....if u went to national guard drills or got a discharge because you hurt ur little knee or sat in an office in Kansas for a couple of years it just ain't the same PERIOD.

 

Obviously Alan Buckelew doesn’t agree with your opinion. Only his matters anyway. Kudos to Alan for thinking of all of us who have served.

[satxdiver]

My original intention was to encourage other vets who maybe don't neatly fit the guidelines to also try for the benefit. I don't understand why you're being kind of really rude about this.

 

Ignore the usual trolls that post on here. Those of us who wore the uniform all served our country. Some may have served longer, endured more hardships or been released with medical problems but we all wore the uniform with pride. I have been doing the same when I run into veterans to make them aware of the benefit Princess offers. This benefit can be combined with any other OBC Princess offers and is awarded to every veteran in the cabin. Thank you Princess.

 

As far as I know Princess is the only cruise line that offers this benefit. Carnival Corporation allows each of its many cruise lines to operate as separate companies with the Corporation acting as a holding company. Therefore there is not any pax benefits that pass from cruise line to cruise line. In some areas the different cruise lines actually compete against each other for pax.

 

Alan Buckelew was the CEO of Princess before being promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Carnival Corporation in 2013. Alan is a Viet Nam veteran having served in country as an enlisted army infantryman. He is active with several veterans organizations particularly those that concentrate on Viet Nam veterans. It is Alan we have to thank for this great benefit.

[PescadoAmarillo]

RC and Celebrity don't give military OBC but they do have some amazing military rates, even better than the Princess OBC on a few sailings. If you qualify, do check those out, too.

[AZbeachboy]

I can't help but think the two year period is so that it will be inclusive of people who were drafted while we had a draft. So thought lesser of those drafted and would not include them. I enlisted at 17 after graduating from HS. I was probably a worse solider that those drafter who were older and more mature.

 

However, I think the policy was meant to be inclusive so that people who fulfilled their military obligation honorably were abel to have the benefit. That included those who fulfilled their obligation by having a service related injury. A medical discharge is still an honorable discharge.

[Astro Flyer]

As has already been posted, for many being a "weekend warrior" is vastly different than it was decades ago including being deployed to active combat zones & they're included in the great Princess veteran credit program by having this qualification category..."6 months in an active war zone".

[geoherb]

Geoherb- Sorry but both I and the wife are vets and enjoy the OBC. Every cruise !!

Thanks for your service. My observation about the program was not a criticism of Princess offering veterans the OBC. I encourage everyone who qualifies to apply. It's just one small way a corporation can thank veterans.

 

The OP stated that she did not meet the qualifications. ("Veterans with an honorable discharge serving a minimum of 2 years or 6 months in an active war zone, or an educational discharge if within 90 days of their normal separation date....") Someone at Princess thought her case was compelling enough to award her the OBC. Or else someone at Princess totally ignored the requirements and went against policy in awarding her the OBC. The people working at Princess corporate offices aren't exactly known for consistency.

[Orlando Vic]

Princess should be the final arbiter of who qualifies and who does not.

[golfb4cruzing]

Thanks for your service. My observation about the program was not a criticism of Princess offering veterans the OBC. I encourage everyone who qualifies to apply. It's just one small way a corporation can thank veterans.

 

The OP stated that she did not meet the qualifications. ("Veterans with an honorable discharge serving a minimum of 2 years or 6 months in an active war zone, or an educational discharge if within 90 days of their normal separation date....") Someone at Princess thought her case was compelling enough to award her the OBC. Or else someone at Princess totally ignored the requirements and went against policy in awarding her the OBC. The people working at Princess corporate offices aren't exactly known for consistency.

 

I thought it was definitely outside your normal approach. Sometimes things don't translate in word well. It's all good.

[RDC1]

RC and Celebrity don't give military OBC but they do have some amazing military rates, even better than the Princess OBC on a few sailings. If you qualify, do check those out, too.

 

 

 

Those tend to be for those on active duty only or retired. Not for all Veterans like Princess.

[RDC1]

Just a general comment....those of us who had to put up with idiots spitting in your face and actual bullets flying over your head for your doing your legally required duty resent the lessening or granting of benefits to those who didn't perform the same duty....if u went to national guard drills or got a discharge because you hurt ur little knee or sat in an office in Kansas for a couple of years it just ain't the same PERIOD.

 

As a Vietnam veteran let me make this general comment. Before you get all high and mighty how your service is worthy and others is not, keep in mind that post Vietnam everyone serving in the US military is a volunteer. Not like Vietnam when most were drafted. At the time they volunteer they do not know what their service will include, but many have faced combat. Also many of the units that served in Afghanistan and Iraq were national guard units.

 

They have served, they have even volunteered to do so and as such they deserve respect.

[Astro Flyer]

As a Vietnam veteran let me make this general comment. Before you get all high and mighty how your service is worthy and others is not, keep in mind that post Vietnam everyone serving in the US military is a volunteer. Not like Vietnam when most were drafted. At the time they volunteer they do not know what their service will include, but many have faced combat. Also many of the units that served in Afghanistan and Iraq were national guard units.

 

They have served, they have even volunteered to do so and as such they deserve respect.

Thanks for posting what I was thinking & why it's so different than decades ago. It is probably why Princess added the "6 months active war zone" as a criteria for those reservists in harms way in the Middle East.

 

It's Princess' program & they can generously decide who qualifies & if they give staff some discretion to make decisions...good for Princess.

 

The OP happily shared her experience only to have the discussion evolve into whether Princess applies all things the same. We all know that standardization can be lacking (and also with other businesses) but that wasn't what the OP shared.

 

I would never question her eligibility & think it's embarrassing that some have questioned it...killjoy. :(

Edited March 12, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[timesurfer7]

I served in the AF for three years (resigned my commission as a Captain to pin on Mrs-and yes I made Captain in the three years I was in) and was able to get the military OBC. My husband, who just retired after 35 years in the AF, also receives the credit.

[judatt]

Just a couple of comments. First, it's Princess' program and they can do what they want. Personally, I am glad that they are generous and give it to just about anyone who has served. Thanks to everyone who chose to serve - some voluntarily and some maybe not as volunteers. My draft number in 1971 was 63 so when I didn't do so well in college I joined the AF and it was a good period for me. So many good things happened that prepared me for who I am today.

 

Second, Princess is really on the ball. I filled out the form on line, attached a scanned copy of my DD 214, and emailed it on Tuesday. This morning (Thursday) the OBC was in my account.

 

Thanks Princess - and thanks to everyone who served!

[pablo222]

Princess should be the final arbiter of who qualifies and who does not.

 

Of course you're right, but on Cruise Critic,

Cruise critic posters are the final arbiter of all issues.

Just ask any of them!

[AZbeachboy]

As a Vietnam veteran let me make this general comment. Before you get all high and mighty how your service is worthy and others is not, keep in mind that post Vietnam everyone serving in the US military is a volunteer. Not like Vietnam when most were drafted. At the time they volunteer they do not know what their service will include, but many have faced combat. Also many of the units that served in Afghanistan and Iraq were national guard units.

 

They have served, they have even volunteered to do so and as such they deserve respect.

 

Amen!!!