Shareholder Credit Denied

[ghstudio]

Rule #1: If you own 100 shares or more of RCL stock, apply for the shareholder credit for every cruise.

Rule #2: Ignore the terms and conditions, the posts here and anything you hear from a celebrity rep, captain's club rep, your frequent cruising friend, you mailman.....and follow Rule #1

Rule #3: If your request is rejected, just accept it and enjoy your cruise.

Rule #4: If you do get the credit, don't brag about it on CC until well after your cruise.

 

 

It is amazing how many times we have received the stockholder credit in combination with other programs/benefits/fares offered by Celebrity.

[Orator]

I wonder how many dividend paying stocks give their shareholders anything more than dividends? Never received a discount on an Apple product or an admission to a Disney park. I purchase a stock because it meets my investment strategy, not a specific perk. In fact, extra perks or a high dividend might be a negative for investors. RCL and the other cruise lines appear to be using shareholder credit as a marketing strategy. They adjust the use, or non use as they feel necessary. I've received it, I've been denied. My rule is to apply even when I believe I will be denied. I let them make the call and sometimes have been surprised. Wish I had a dime every time I've seen a post" I will not cruise this line again" only to see the poster return to the boards praising the cruise they threatened not to take.

[Desertbelle]

We bought RCI shares when they were around $19 and we were able to get Shareholder Benefits several times before the rules changed. It's a bummer we no longer get free money, but I understand their responsibility to their shareholders to not give away profits just for using the product they produce.

 

We have a TA coming up in April and we booked through a travel agent and I am pretty sure we didn't get any Celebrity perks, so I submitted our request for OBC on Friday. Maybe we will get it....$250 would pay for a few drinks and the Hot Stone Massage I plan on having!! :D

 

It's been so long since we even bothered to submit for the benefits, I have forgotten if they notify you if you do or don't get it, or do you simply see it on your account once onboard the ship??

[The_Big_M]

I have forgotten if they notify you if you do or don't get it, or do you simply see it on your account once onboard the ship??

 

It's variable. I usually ask them to please confirm and they reply, but sometimes you don't get a reply.

[Desertbelle]

It's variable. I usually ask them to please confirm and they reply, but sometimes you don't get a reply.

Thanks.

[ischeer]

 

It's been so long since we even bothered to submit for the benefits, I have forgotten if they notify you if you do or don't get it, or do you simply see it on your account once onboard the ship??

 

My recent experience has been that you get two replies: An immediate reply indicating that your request has been received, followed (a day or two later) by a reply granting (or refusing) the request.

[Desertbelle]

My recent experience has been that you get two replies: An immediate reply indicating that your request has been received, followed (a day or two later) by a reply granting (or refusing) the request.

I faxed it Friday night but didn't receive anything today. Maybe tomorrow. :)

[OBX-Cruisers]

Only on a repo or TA or TP is the shareholder credit any good. buy shares because they are a good buy, not because of a cruise discount!

 

Carnival is the direct opposite of RCL. On our 16 day Mediteranean + TA in 2015 we were in a Verandah cabin on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam and got $500 from HAL, $250 shareholder credit from CCL and an extra $100 OBC from the travel company for booking during a promotion of theirs.

 

CCL DOES allow you to combine shareholder credit with other credits on their ships and associated cruise lines like HAL.

 

THAT was the most OBC we have ever had and we did not need a drink package or "free" gratuities and did just fine and dandy using the OBCs for the Pinnacle restaurant, coffees, gratuities, etc. etc.

[WALKER1313]

The best response rate comes from emailing your info. In my experience.

[LabGuy64]

you had 10 prior cruises with them....and I had to assume they were pretty good or you would not have kept coming back. so, chalk it up to an unknown policy snafu, and in the future just ask if there will be a conflict with your shareholder credit.

 

 

 

 

Celebrity, Royal Carribbean Inc., denied my request for shareholder credit for my B2B2B cruises in February. This was first denial in 10 cruises. I had no idea that my cruise rate was one of their "special" rates which was not combinable with the credit. It frankly was not that special and certainly was not a bargain. I complained to a number of departments and they said too bad! At the least it should be clearer which rates they consider not combinable but also be sure to ask your travel agent what the rate is called so you can check. This was worth $750 to me and I am now a totally disgruntled customer who will not be sailing with these lines in the future. Not that they care at all!!!!! I was already booked so I am now stuck.

[suzyed]

So I applied for the Shareholders OBC and as expected, it was denied!

[ShawninFL]

I have never been able to use my stockholder credit on Celebrity. They package most of their bookings with a credit, drink package, or free gratuities, thus preventing the usage of the stockholder credit. Now on my Royal Caribbean cruises I've been able to use it on all of my cruises except 1 since owning the stock over the last 3 years. And the only one they denied it on was a 7 night southern Caribbean itinerary out of Colon, Panama that we only paid $600 total for 2 of us.

[CruisingChick]

Again, the only way to use Shareholder OBC is if you don't have any OBC, gratuities, drink packages, Balcony Discount (RCCL) applied to your reservation from the cruise line itself.

 

It is combinable with Senior and Resident Discount Rate. I'm not sure about Tuesday specials.

 

Since we 99% of the time book inside cabins after final payment and don't get any perks we are always awarded our shareholder OBC.

[DT25]

My Celebrity Cruise last week was the first time that I did not receive the shareholder OBC benefit. The reason given was it could not be used with my discounted fare. I normally always look for a discounted fare, so I suspect they changed their policy. Not surprised that others were rejected occasionally, but very surprised that some people were almost always rejected in the past while others (like me) always or almost always received it. I suspect a policy change at RCL but wonder if the submission method, submission timing, or cabin selection is a factor in grating the OBC. In any event both RCL and CCL stocks have performed well for me - so not really disappointed.

[teecee60]

 

My Celebrity Cruise last week was the first time that I did not receive the shareholder OBC benefit. The reason given was it could not be used with my discounted fare. I normally always look for a discounted fare, so I suspect they changed their policy.

 

Not surprised that others were rejected occasionally, but very surprised that some people were almost always rejected in the past while others (like me) always or almost always received it. I suspect a policy change at RCL

 

but wonder if the submission method, submission timing, or cabin selection is a factor in grating the OBC.

 

I am curious as to what TYPE of fare, and whether you booked with the cruise line... or through a travel agent? :confused:

 

Again, the only way to use Shareholder OBC is if you don't have any OBC, gratuities, drink packages, Balcony Discount (RCCL) applied to your reservation from the cruise line itself.

 

It is combinable with Senior and Resident Discount Rate. I'm not sure about Tuesday specials.

 

Since we 99% of the time book inside cabins after final payment and don't get any perks we are always awarded our shareholder OBC.

 

I'm in the same boat with you... (;) :D :rolleyes:) I almost always book a discounted fare (military, over 55, and even Tuesday Specials) and have ALWAYS been awarded the shareholder benefit.

 

There are MANY other people who report being denied the shareholder benefit when booking a discounted fare.

 

I am wondering if booking a discount through Celebrity allows them to deny the benefit... while booking the same rate but though an agency allows it. I'd be interested in hearing from people who have booked either of those two ways and have been either granted or denied.

Edited February 26, 2016 by teecee60

[suzyed]

My Celebrity Cruise last week was the first time that I did not receive the shareholder OBC benefit. The reason given was it could not be used with my discounted fare. I normally always look for a discounted fare, so I suspect they changed their policy. Not surprised that others were rejected occasionally, but very surprised that some people were almost always rejected in the past while others (like me) always or almost always received it. I suspect a policy change at RCL but wonder if the submission method, submission timing, or cabin selection is a factor in grating the OBC. In any event both RCL and CCL stocks have performed well for me - so not really disappointed.

 

CCL gave it to us every time, regardless of what deal, special, etc that we already had!

[suzyed]

I am curious as to what TYPE of fare, and whether you booked with the cruise line... or through a travel agent? :confused:

 

 

 

I'm in the same boat with you... (;) :D :rolleyes:) I almost always book a discounted fare (military, over 55, and even Tuesday Specials) and have ALWAYS been awarded the shareholder benefit.

 

There are MANY other people who report being denied the shareholder benefit when booking a discounted fare.

 

I am wondering if booking a discount through Celebrity allows them to deny the benefit... while booking the same rate but though an agency allows it. I'd be interested in hearing from people who have booked either of those two ways and have been either granted or denied.

 

Mine was denied and I booked through a TA.

With that said, I have never ever booked a cruise that did not include some kind of special fare, discount, or perk.

[Wine-O]

Mine was denied and I booked through a TA.

With that said, I have never ever booked a cruise that did not include some kind of special fare, discount, or perk.

 

I just booked a Transatlantic on Constellation last month for $499pp ($600 Military discount) for an Oceanview cabin and was given the Shareholder credit.

[OBX-Cruisers]

CCL gave it to us every time, regardless of what deal, special, etc that we already had!

 

Same with us. CCL is a lot more generous (and fares are also cheaper) compared to RCL and Celebrity

[suzyed]

I just booked a Transatlantic on Constellation last month for $499pp ($600 Military discount) for an Oceanview cabin and was given the Shareholder credit.

 

Well mine was denied on a 5 day Caribbean sailing in a balcony cabin. It isn't even all that much in the way of obc..

Edited February 27, 2016 by suzyed

[TeaBag]

Again, the only way to use Shareholder OBC is if you don't have any OBC, gratuities, drink packages, Balcony Discount (RCCL) applied to your reservation from the cruise line itself.

 

It is combinable with Senior and Resident Discount Rate. I'm not sure about Tuesday specials.

 

Since we 99% of the time book inside cabins after final payment and don't get any perks we are always awarded our shareholder OBC.

We were denied last Oct on Eclipse TA. We bought it through that large on-line TA and there was no mention of the price being a Tuesday Special from them, but Celebrity denied it because they called it a Tuesday Sp. It was the same price from the TA as the Tues sp.

[suzyed]

We were denied last Oct on Eclipse TA. We bought it through that large on-line TA and there was no mention of the price being a Tuesday Special from them, but Celebrity denied it because they called it a Tuesday Sp. It was the same price from the TA as the Tues sp.

 

Ours was not a Tuesday special either, it was the "go big" or something like that, as well as a resident or senior special (but actually not THAT special)

Bottomline is that they really just don't want to pay it, IMHO, and they will find a reason not to.

I would think it would be a good will gesture, but I guess they don't see it that way.

Edited February 27, 2016 by suzyed

[BBsails]

Score! Just received the shareholder credit for our April transatlantic booked with the military discount plus OBC from the travel agent. With the exact scenario two years ago, we were denied the shareholder credit. Go figure.

 

suzyed, I don't think the shareholder credit ever combines with any of the GO specials.

 

Betsy

Edited March 17, 2016 by BBsails
Added info

[Wine-O]

Score! Just received the shareholder credit for our April transatlantic booked with the military discount plus OBC from the travel agent. With the exact scenario two years ago, we were denied the shareholder credit. Go figure.

 

suzyed, I don't think the shareholder credit ever combines with any of the GO specials.

 

Betsy

 

Me too.

[Grimsby]

Celebrity, Royal Carribbean Inc., denied my request for shareholder credit for my B2B2B cruises in February. This was first denial in 10 cruises.....................

 

We held RCCL shares for many years. Purchased them at $35. - watched them plummet to $5. in 2008, and then recover to about $80. a year or so ago.

 

Prior to our last cruise on Royal Carribean I applied for the Shareholder Credit and much to my surprise, I was denied. After jumping through more hoops than a circus dog, I was finally granted this credit. However, it just wasn't worth the aggravation to hold these shares just to get a few $$$ in my on-board account. So I sold them, and at a fairly decent profit. As an investor, I don't purchase a stock because of possible perks. I do so to make money, and I won't let the "bean counters" at RCCL dissuade me from cruising on one of their ships if the price and conditions are right.