Making the most of OBC

[Gymbod]

I've read that you will lose any obc between b2b cruises. We are doing 3 weeks on Britannia in Dec and have £480 obc on our first week and only £250 on the next 2 weeks.

We will never spend that amount in our first week and don't want to lose it so could I increase my gratuities on the first week to cover the following weeks and remove them on the next weeks? ;) also if we buy a wine package on the first week can it be carried over to the next 2 weeks? Thanks for any ideas that may help :D

[Bacardi..]

You are right in thing that you will use your obc. Do you have the same cabin for the second cruise? If so you can add extra to your tips, you could then explain to your cabin boy what you've done. If you have a different cabin your tips would not go to that cabin boy.

 

 

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[Bacardi..]

Re the wine package that may work, I would ask the wine waiter if they can bring the wine on the following cruise if you bought and paid

 

 

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Edited February 16, 2016 by Bacardi..

[Gymbod]

You are right in thing that you will use your obc. Do you have the same cabin for the second cruise? If so you can add extra to your tips, you could then explain to your cabin boy what you've done. If you have a different cabin your tips would not go to that cabin boy.

 

 

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Yes we are in the same cabin for the full 3 weeks so I presume it will be the same staff - as it's Xmas we'll probably give them extra in cash anyway but paying the full 3 weeks in the first week would certainly help.:D

[mkh999]

I've read that you will lose any obc between b2b cruises. We are doing 3 weeks on Britannia in Dec and have £480 obc on our first week and only £250 on the next 2 weeks.

We will never spend that amount in our first week and don't want to lose it so could I increase my gratuities on the first week to cover the following weeks and remove them on the next weeks? ;) also if we buy a wine package on the first week can it be carried over to the next 2 weeks? Thanks for any ideas that may help :D

 

I would think the answer is no. Although you are doing these as back to back, they will be treated as two separate bookings, and any OBC not used on the first cruise will be lost. The gratuities are calculated on a daily basis, so the same will apply. I would think the same would go for the wine package, who knows you may have more luck with that, good luck.

 

Regards

 

Martyn

[Bacardi..]

You could always buy your wife something extra for Xmas from the jewellers. She might then make yours xmas

 

 

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[Gymbod]

I would think the answer is no. Although you are doing these as back to back, they will be treated as two separate bookings, and any OBC not used on the first cruise will be lost. The gratuities are calculated on a daily basis, so the same will apply. I would think the same would go for the wine package, who knows you may have more luck with that, good luck.

 

Regards

 

Martyn

 

TBH I can't see how they can stop me. Many people seem to remove gratuities so they can pay as they please - the fact that I'm paying it in the first week should satisfy the cabin staff as long as they know? The wine package may be different but it's worth asking :D

[the english lady]

TBH I can't see how they can stop me. Many people seem to remove gratuities so they can pay as they please - the fact that I'm paying it in the first week should satisfy the cabin staff as long as they know? The wine package may be different but it's worth asking :D

We have done b2b in same cabin. You cannot carry wine package over. We asked.

Buy the package you know you will get through the first week.

Grats. Well if you leave them on, they will only take off for the first cruise. So from what you are saying you would then go down to reception and ask to increase the amount to the equivalent of the 2nd cruise auto grats. Then when you start the 2nd cruise you will go down to reception again, to have the 2nd cruises auto grats taken off.

Isn't it going to be less faff to just spend it in the shops.

They are treated as 2 different cruises, and you will have to go down to reception to collect your new card on the last day of the first cruise.

[Florry]

I would do exactly what you suggest with tips, assuming there are two of you that would use £210 leaving only £270, which I could use fairly easily as I love the speciality restaurants and hydropool. I think it's a bit tight of P&O to make you use the amounts separately, I can see that their accounting would work by cruise but to me it's an example of poor flexibility which results in customers experiencing the internal complexities of P&O. Let's hope that someone raises it as an improvement opportunity.

[Gymbod]

Isn't it going to be less faff to just spend it in the shops.

They are treated as 2 different cruises, and you will have to go down to reception to collect your new card on the last day of the first cruise.

 

Not really - I don't want to buy things just for the sake of it - we did this last cruise when we had over £1000 to spend in 2 weeks and still had some to spare - so we'll never spend £500 in a week but we will spend £250 in 2 weeks.

If I pay off both lots gratuities with obc in the first week it will mean I spend less of my own money in the last 2 weeks. I didn't realise I wouldn't be able to combine both cruises or that I had to get a new card! Is there anything else I need to know - do I have to leave the ship and register again through the immigration shed or is it done at reception? Thanks for your help English lady :)

[the english lady]

Not really - I don't want to buy things just for the sake of it - we did this last cruise when we had over £1000 to spend in 2 weeks and still had some to spare - so we'll never spend £500 in a week but we will spend £250 in 2 weeks.

If I pay off both lots gratuities with obc in the first week it will mean I spend less of my own money in the last 2 weeks. I didn't realise I wouldn't be able to combine both cruises or that I had to get a new card! Is there anything else I need to know - do I have to leave the ship and register again through the immigration shed or is it done at reception? Thanks for your help English lady :)

 

As you are staying in the same cabin it will make it a lot easier.

All you need to do is go down to reception and pick up your new card..thinking about it you do that on changeover day.

You bill /statement will be left outside your cabin on the last night of the first cruise as normal. You will then have a new statement started for the 2nd cruise using your new card.

You can stay on board should you wish. Just really enjoy having the ship almost to yourself.

I seem to spend change over days in the launderette...... Such is life.

I can't think of anything else, if I do I will post.

I think if you decide to leave the ship on changeover day,from what people have posted you use the crew entrance/exit, so you do not have to join the q of new boarders.

Why do they not combine the 2 OBS for the 2 cruises, I guess their computer software doesn't let them, for accounting purposes.

[cruisebore]

With the tips being pooled your waiter and cabin steward could lose out if you paid them all up front

[Florry]

With the tips being pooled your waiter and cabin steward could lose out if you paid them all up front

 

 

That's true, I didn't think of that. What an annoying situation, if I was on the same cruise you could pay my restaurant bill and I'd give you the cash [emoji6]

[cruisebore]

Do a deal with your table companions, buy their wine package giving them a 10& discount :)

[Florry]

I think if I was stuck with OBS at the end I would buy things that either a charity could auction or that I could sell on e-bay. The shop sells GHD hair straighteners and I feel sure they would hold a good price. I suppose it depends on whether you can be bothered.

[kersh]

Hi Gymbod,

Not sure about the tip situation but the wine one is fairly easy to solve.

 

Buy your wine package on the first cruise. On the last day ask your wine steward to bring all your unused wine and store it in your cabin. On the 2 nd cruise just take the wine with you into dinner. As you bought it on the ship there will not be a corkage fee. This is easier of course if you drink red but the White you will need to chill yourself although your wine steward will supply the bucket of ice at dinner.

 

Have a fab cruise.

 

Sue

[the english lady]

With the tips being pooled your waiter and cabin steward could lose out if you paid them all up front

 

I also did not think of that. I had thought of checking with both your mdr wait staff and room steward if they were on for both cruises before doing anything ,but with the above that will not come into it.

Me thinks you may have to spend it.sorry.

[the english lady]

Buy your wine package on the first cruise. On the last day ask your wine steward to bring all your unused wine and store it in your cabin. On the 2 nd cruise just take the wine with you into dinner. As you bought it on the ship there will not be a corkage fee.

 

Kersh now why oh why did we not think of that. We have a b2b coming up, so I will have to remember this tip. Thank you.

Does this mean you walk out of the MDR with 3/4 bottles of wine?

[balf]

 

Does this mean you walk out of the MDR with 3/4 bottles of wine?

 

 

No, they will deliver them to your cabin if you ask.

 

This all shows how OBC (so much that you can't easily spend it) can be a tainted gift. It would be nice if they offered to reduce the price by the value of the OBC, but it's so much in their favour that they won't do that.

 

This way they get it all back either by spending aboard or effective confiscation of amounts unspent.

 

Another nice little earner.

 

David

[Gymbod]

Hi everyone thanks for all the advice and ideas - especially great to hear I can use the wine package Sue 😊 that's brilliant news. I'll have to rethink the tip option if it means our stewards won't get it - not really sure how this works - are you saying that any extra gets pooled rather than going to specific people? I thought it was all pooled anyway? I've got over 9 months to think and welcome more ideas about how to get around it. It is annoying though that they can't combine both cruises!

[balf]

Hi everyone thanks for all the advice and ideas - especially great to hear I can use the wine package Sue [emoji4] that's brilliant news. I'll have to rethink the tip option if it means our stewards won't get it - not really sure how this works - are you saying that any extra gets pooled rather than going to specific people? I thought it was all pooled anyway? I've got over 9 months to think and welcome more ideas about how to get around it. It is annoying though that they can't combine both cruises!

 

 

It's said, though this has never been confirmed by P&O that as long as the full gratuities have been paid any extra is retained by the steward etc.

 

Being a believer in human nature I think it's likely that in reality all would be kept, but that's just me.

 

David.

[kruzseeka]

If you are thinking of doing any ship's excursions, wait until you're on board and don't book in advance. Only problem with that is if the trip you want gets fully booked.

It is a pity that they are giving so much obc, presumably as an incentive to book, that it becomes difficult to spend. It takes the shine off the 'perk'.

[Gymbod]

If you are thinking of doing any ship's excursions, wait until you're on board and don't book in advance. Only problem with that is if the trip you want gets fully booked.

It is a pity that they are giving so much obc, presumably as an incentive to book, that it becomes difficult to spend. It takes the shine off the 'perk'.

 

We rarely do the ships excursions on the Caribbean but that is an option and I'm keeping a note of all these ideas, thanks :thumbup: although we'd have to do them in the first week as I don't suppose they'd let us book excursions for the 2nd cruise with the first weeks spend?

Agree £480 is alot to spend in one week but could be comfortably spent over 3 weeks. :D

Edited February 17, 2016 by Gymbod

[Janet-]

Last year, we used the vouchers from the wine package which we bought on the first cruise on the second cruise on a b2b. I didn't know we couldn't!

[HELEN HENRY]

We also baught Costa Coffee card on our B2B on Britannia on the first week and carried it over to the second leg of our B2B. You are allowed to carry coffee cards over to next cruise. We also purchase some duty free drink from the duty free shop on the first leg of our B2B and picked it up on the Thursday evening before our second leg of the B2B started and took it to our cabin to use up on the next two weeks of our B2B cruise. You could think about that. See you onboard the Britannia in December . OR what about purchasing two Retreat/ spa packages for you and your husband they cost £200 each but you would only be paying for 1 week each Total £200 what a lovely treat .Pat

Edited February 18, 2016 by HELEN HENRY