Future Cruise Credit excess available as onboard credit?

[publicpersona]

I have excess future cruise credit after applying much of it to an upcoming cruise and upgrading the drinks package. My assumption (and you know how assumptions go) is that the remainder will show as a non-refundable onboard credit once onboard. But it could be those enhancements must be added prior to the cruise. The information on MSC's website seems clear, but doesn't say whether any action needs to be taken pre-cruise to convert some FCC to OBC.

 

if the new value is lower than the FCC’s value, the remaining balance can be used towards upgraded accommodations, enhancements to your onboard experience, shore excursions, shipboard credits and more. 

 

The reason for my concern is that my cruise documents reference other OBC I have, but nothing mentioned about the FCC excess. Does anyone have firsthand experience with this?

[dexddd]

Are you booked direct or TA?  Us via TA, TA holding extra.  Just like all other lines, any bonus fcc seems to match increase in fares.

[publicpersona]

52 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Are you booked direct or TA?  Us via TA, TA holding extra.  Just like all other lines, any bonus fcc seems to match increase in fares.

 

Booked direct. According to what I've read from MSC about FCC, it all must be applied to a single cruise. If there's a way to "hold" some FCC for another future cruise, that's news to me.

[dexddd]

On 9/12/2021 at 9:25 AM, publicpersona said:

 

Booked direct. According to what I've read from MSC about FCC, it all must be applied to a single cruise. If there's a way to "hold" some FCC for another future cruise, that's news to me.

We were in the "...March (2020) Refunds stuck in Hxll..." situation.  Finally this June, MSC started to partially issue our FCC.  When we wanted to rebook (including the 25% bonus FCC) MSC was difficult to deal with.  

 

We had three on the original booking with paxs 1 & 2 paying a high fare and pax 3 a lower fare.  When we wanted to rebook, if just pax 1 & 2 went, we'd only get 2/3 of the original fare (plus bonus FCC) vs. what we had originally paid.  If we wanted to have all 3 go on one sailing, we all had to go in same room (was thinking about DD bringing a friend and in a second room).  No splitting of the 1/3 fare for DD to go in a different room or different cruise.  It would be all go or we would have lost 1/3 of what we had paid.

 

Our TA had a portion of our FCC for whatever reason.  It is as if whatever portion we paid them was on their books plus the 25% bonus FCC.  So when we rebooked, they applied MSC monies first then what they had on their books.  TA has a whopping $14 on their end that they are letting us use on a future booking.   Of course with anything MSC, YMMV.

[diver0311]

On 9/11/2021 at 11:31 AM, publicpersona said:

I have excess future cruise credit after applying much of it to an upcoming cruise and upgrading the drinks package. My assumption (and you know how assumptions go) is that the remainder will show as a non-refundable onboard credit once onboard. But it could be those enhancements must be added prior to the cruise. The information on MSC's website seems clear, but doesn't say whether any action needs to be taken pre-cruise to convert some FCC to OBC.

 

if the new value is lower than the FCC’s value, the remaining balance can be used towards upgraded accommodations, enhancements to your onboard experience, shore excursions, shipboard credits and more. 

 

The reason for my concern is that my cruise documents reference other OBC I have, but nothing mentioned about the FCC excess. Does anyone have firsthand experience with this?

I am in the same boat when I found a deal that got me the same room with tips, drinks, wifi, laundry, and OBC......and still left me with a credit balance.

On 9/12/2021 at 10:25 AM, publicpersona said:

 

Booked direct. According to what I've read from MSC about FCC, it all must be applied to a single cruise. If there's a way to "hold" some FCC for another future cruise, that's news to me.

I asked this very question to the agent at MSC when booking with my FCC+25%bonus and the MSC rep said (may or may not be true, lol) I could not use the excess on another booking (existing or new) and that the negative balance you see under the payment details on the reservation would be posted as OBC once onboard. 

 

I intend on printing the payment details out which shows that there was a negative balance if it winds up being an issue to show on board.  I also have promotional OBC on this reservation too, which shows up on the cruise docs, so between the cruise docs and payment details screen print I think I will be ok.  

Edited September 15, 2021 by diver0311

[publicpersona]

13 minutes ago, diver0311 said:

I asked this very question to the agent at MSC when booking with my FCC+25%bonus and the MSC rep said (may or may not be true, lol) I could not use the excess on another booking (existing or new) and that the negative balance you see under the payment details on the reservation would be posted as OBC once onboard. 

 

Yes, I also ask and was told the same by an MSC rep. Trusting that for now, but also taking the payments details printout just in case.