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Future Cruise Deposit


Igggy
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Third strike here.  That isn't going to happen.  Best to buy extras when on board as you never know what might develop.  We have been fortunate to have more than normal and I was going to cash some in, but held off and now have four voyages booked ( a mere pittance compared to some folks on this board 😉 )

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We usually have 7-10 on hand to make sure we can book what we need.   We temporarily lost our original 4 when the first pause took place.  Lost 1 for our April 2020 cruise which was paid in full refunded as FCC and requested the 3 following be reinstated as FCD.  No problems.

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2 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

No, you can only buy them on board.

Princess has in the past offered some passengers a second chance to buy a FCD after they have disembarked, you had  a very limited time to take advantage of this offer and the benefit(on board credit) was reduced.  

 

With sailings postponed for so long, would not be surprised if Princess introduced again to get more bookings?

 

NCL introduced last year 'cruisefirst' deposits you could purchase now off ship, which work similiar to thier 'cruise next' deposits which are similar to Princess FCD's you have to purchase on board, but are not refundable, are good for 4 years, but are transferable .

 

 

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9 hours ago, wallyj said:

Princess has in the past offered some passengers a second chance to buy a FCD after they have disembarked, you had  a very limited time to take advantage of this offer and the benefit(on board credit) was reduced.  

 

I didn't bother to mention this since none of us have been on a ship for over a year.

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13 hours ago, Igggy said:

Is it possible to pay for one now since there are no sailings? If so, how would you do it? Can this deposit be used for the booking deposit?

Thanks.

Actually, I have another idea for you. 

 

The advantage of the FCD is the OBC you get back when using it as a deposit on a booking.  The OBC amount varies, depending on length of cruise and cabin category.

 

Princess also sells Gift Cards.  Recently, when special days come up, such as Valentines, they offer bonus amounts and have been pretty generous during the Covid pauses.  I can guarantee you they will soon have a nice offer on for Mother's Day.  You might get as much as 10% ($100 on $1000). 

 

Some folks can also obtain gift cards via other providers that also run bonus promotions.

 

This plan might require more cash outlay, but the Gift Card balances can be used to pay your cruise off and the Gift Bonus can help make up for lost OBC.

 

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16 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

Same here, we always maintained 5 to 8 FCD's.  But we used them up and they were either refunded to us or came back as FCC's.  Can't wait to get onboard to reload them!

 

FCDs coming back as FCCs can still get the FCD OBC value when applied to a new cruise. You (or your TA) may have to call Princess to make that happen.

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4 hours ago, paradiselivin1 said:

I tried a few months ago. No dice. Unfortunately; when things were looking extremely bleak, I cashed in 6 FCD's and couldn't get them reinstated. My mistake...

This might fall into the depends on what agent you get when you call.

 

i have been assured at least twice, by a customers relations rep, not your random call center agent when calling 800 Princess, when you book your next cruise, and you had a FCD from a cancelled cruise converted to FCC, they will add the OBC you have 'lost' from not having a FCD. This has to be done manually.

 

Not sure if it is still there, but when cancellations first started, in the FAQ's, there was a question regarding the 'lost' OBC from using a FCD. The answer was a little vague and said something like call customer relations, but gave you the impression it was protected. 

 

You have to decide if you want to 'work' to get your OBC, depending on the length and cabin choice, it can be a decent amount. Will require conversation with customer relations, 800 Princess agent might be able to transfer you to that department.

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I just went to Princess dot com and clicked on link for cancelled cruises. Scroll down to bottom for FAQ's. Number 9 says you should get back your 'lost' OBC. but you have to call, it is not automatic.

 

They did change the wording from the original answer as it previously said contact customer relations, but the impression was still you would get your OBC.

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On 4/23/2021 at 8:15 AM, Steelers36 said:

The advantage of the FCD is the OBC you get back when using it as a deposit on a booking. 

I also like that it covered the deposit in full

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On 4/23/2021 at 10:15 AM, Steelers36 said:

Actually, I have another idea for you. 

 

The advantage of the FCD is the OBC you get back when using it as a deposit on a booking.  The OBC amount varies, depending on length of cruise and cabin category.

 

Princess also sells Gift Cards.  Recently, when special days come up, such as Valentines, they offer bonus amounts and have been pretty generous during the Covid pauses.  I can guarantee you they will soon have a nice offer on for Mother's Day.  You might get as much as 10% ($100 on $1000). 

 

Some folks can also obtain gift cards via other providers that also run bonus promotions.

 

This plan might require more cash outlay, but the Gift Card balances can be used to pay your cruise off and the Gift Bonus can help make up for lost OBC.

 

 

Another advantage of the FCD is it is good for deposit in full on a cruise.  With Princess' latest deposit inflation, that could save you some  money if you ever lose the deposit due to future circumstances. 

 

Also concerning gift cards and bonuses.   If you follow SEC filings, you might conclude that Carnival Corporation is in miserable financial condition.  It appears the only reason they have not been forced into bankruptcy is the lenders' waiving of loan covenants.  They have no more  assets to encumber to facilitate new borrowing.  So... if bankruptcy is forced or declared any outstanding gift cards will be at end of the collection line.  You will be at the end of the line of non-secured creditors and the odds are good you will never see that cash again.

 

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10 minutes ago, as400guy said:

 

Another advantage of the FCD is it is good for deposit in full on a cruise.  With Princess' latest deposit inflation, that could save you some  money if you ever lose the deposit due to future circumstances. 

 

Also concerning gift cards and bonuses.   If you follow SEC filings, you might conclude that Carnival Corporation is in miserable financial condition.  It appears the only reason they have not been forced into bankruptcy is the lenders' waiving of loan covenants.  They have no more  assets to encumber to facilitate new borrowing.  So... if bankruptcy is forced or declared any outstanding gift cards will be at end of the collection line.  You will be at the end of the line of non-secured creditors and the odds are good you will never see that cash again.

 

I know all this, but FCD's would be just as much at risk and gift card balances, right?  It was just an idea for some alternative strategy to earn a bonus, but does require more cash outlay than the FCD route.  Options are limited when off the ships.

 

(As a good deposit vehicle, that seems obvious, but the objective of the postings was the bonus OBC and potential loss as a way of explanation).

 

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