Future Booking Credit - on existing reservations?

[Jules1]

Can future booking credits ever be applied to exisiting reservations (to get the OBC)???? Or do you have to cancel and rebook?

[Pam in CA]

Can future booking credits ever be applied to exisiting reservations (to get the OBC)???? Or do you have to cancel and rebook?

It's my understanding that the OBC can only be used for cruises booked while onboard or as the deposit for a future cruise. If you've already booked, you've already made a deposit. The booking credits that come when you book using a OBC are applied only to the cruise booked with the OBC.

[Jules1]

Thanks - we're debating about nabbing the cabin we want (2 available) for a July 2007 cruise or waiting to book onboard our August Crown sailing. Trying to figure out if giving up $200 OBC is worth having the cabin we want.

[Colo Cruiser]

You don't have to book the actual cruise onboard, just the FCC.

But like it was said in the other posts if the FCC has not already been applied to the booking you will probably have to cancel and rebook to apply the credit unless you have a creative and hard working TA hat can pull some strings for you. Good Luck. :)

[Coral]

Jules - I have known some people who have gone to the Future Cruise person onboard and smoozed their way into getting the credit even though their cruise has been booked. It may be worth a try if you decide to book the cabins you want.

 

Or - what you can do is put just one person's name down on the cabin. When you are on the ship, get a future cruise credit and add the 2nd person's name with a future cruise credit. By doing this - both people in the cabin will get the credit... Though sometimes the onboard person doesn't understand this but this should work.

[Hulagirl]

It worked for us! Last year when the Tahitian Princess opened up the 2006 bookings in June 2005, all we had left was one FCC. (We are sailing on 2 b2b cruises and were frustrated that we hadn't bought another for this) Three weeks later, end of June 2005 we sailed on the Diamond Princess to Alaska and bought a couple more FCC's. When we got back, went to our TA, and she was able to apply one of them to the booking that we had to put the full down payment on, so it reduced our amount by that $100 and we got the full on board credit for it.

 

So in other words, we had no problem applying a FCC to a cruise that had already been booked. You will have to put down the full downpayment, but getting that onboard credit is so worth it. For us it will be a 12 day cruise, so we get quite a bit.

 

Hulagirl

[Commodore Suzy]

I've had success in the past of having a future cruise deposit applied to a booking already made. I've done it multiple times. Smoozing not required. ;)

 

I've just taken an "official" Princess training class on the future cruise program though, and it specifically lists on one of the training slides that the deposit is only for a new cruise and can't be applied to an existing booking.

 

I personally am wondering if they're changing the policy to disallow application of future cruise deposits onto cruises already booked.

 

I'll have to wait for the first situation to arise with one of my clients to put it to the test.

[Coral]

I've had success in the past of having a future cruise deposit applied to a booking already made. I've done it multiple times. Smoozing not required. ;)

.

 

I know that TAs can easily do this. Smoozing would need to be done if you are asking the Future Cruise Consultant onboard to do it - as they seem to follow a different set of rules sometimes.

[nho9504]

When onboard Star last Dec, we bought the FCC, $100 for each of us, so it is 2x$100. The FCC person at that time insisted we had to buy 2, instead of 1, saying the practice to allow only 1 person's FCC carrying over to both in the same cabin was no more.

 

However, when we booked CB Dec '06 sailing just a week ago, our TA asked if I wanted to apply both person's FCC to this sailing, as if you can choose to use only 1 and leave another 1 still on the book.

 

Since we would not have anytime to do cruise before this sailing, we decided to just use both and then buy another set of FCC when we sail in December.

 

Can you guys who are familiar with this subj clarify the above/

[Coral]

Technically, you can use just one of them and the other person needs to pay $100 at the time of deposit and you both get shipboard credit. So you can save one for later.

 

Though Future Cruise Consultants on Princess ships deny that you can do this.

[arlenemilt]

I did just that a few weeks ago; used one FCC for a December booking. I booked with Princess directly and then had my TA take over the booking. As far as applying on board FCC's to an already booked cruise, I've done this many times too. We usually have four to six FCC's on hand; you never know when you NEED a cruise! :) I usually have to tell the on board rep NOT to apply the credits to my next cruise.

Arlene

[Floflegs]

We had no joy getting an OBC to apply to a cruise we had already booked. TA tried and we emailed Princess but to no avail

[BJS]

When onboard Star last Dec, we bought the FCC, $100 for each of us, so it is 2x$100. The FCC person at that time insisted we had to buy 2, instead of 1, saying the practice to allow only 1 person's FCC carrying over to both in the same cabin was no more.

 

However, when we booked CB Dec '06 sailing just a week ago, our TA asked if I wanted to apply both person's FCC to this sailing, as if you can choose to use only 1 and leave another 1 still on the book.

 

Since we would not have anytime to do cruise before this sailing, we decided to just use both and then buy another set of FCC when we sail in December.

 

Can you guys who are familiar with this subj clarify the above/

You can use one FCC and asked for a "share the wealth" be applied to the second person who then pays the $100 deposit and gets the OBC also. "Share the wealth" is also available for friends or family who want to go on the same cruise with you. They have to have your booking number as a reference but they can also have the $100 pp deposit and OBC.

 

The FCC on board also told us we each needed a FCC but when I called Princess to book with them directly I found out only one was needed. She did give us a stack of "share the wealth" forms. Princess didn't even ask for them.

[nho9504]

I have a few of those "share the wealth" coupons also and not use any of them. From what Coral posted, you dont need the share the wealth coupon to only use 1 FCC and extend the other person in the same cabin the same OBC. I guess Share the Wealth would be more important if you have friends/families who also sail with you and in order for them to get the same benefit, you need to give them such coupon.

 

We would definitely make another future cruise booking when we sail in December - and it might be smart to use only 1 at a time, so we always have 1 left for the next last minute deal or great bargain!

[flamomo]

We each purchased 2 FCC's, and we booked a cruise for Feb. 2007 while onboard the Island in January. After we got home, we decided not to go on that cruise, and decided to replace it with a longer one in 2/07. We used a FCC apiece to book the original cruise, and I expected that Princess would just apply those FCC's to the new one we booked. But they used my 2nd FCC for the new cruise, making a total of $300 deposit paid. I thought they would just slide the first 2 FCC's over to the new booking.

Is this usual, or should I ask Princess to put my 2nd FCC back in my account?

It's not the cost, or the amount of the deposit that bothers me. I just hate to lose that 2nd FCC, in case some other cruise appeals to us and we want to book it (in addition to the one we have for 2/07). My cruising companion still has her 2nd FCC.

[azcruisingmom]

We usually buy two one in my husband's name and one in mine. They have different Future Cruise Credit ID numbers. That way if we find a cruise I can book it under mine and add him. If some really good deal comes up before our cruise we still have one to use.

[sashas_mom]

Or - what you can do is put just one person's name down on the cabin. When you are on the ship, get a future cruise credit and add the 2nd person's name with a future cruise credit. By doing this - both people in the cabin will get the credit... Though sometimes the onboard person doesn't understand this but this should work.

 

I just returned from Alaska and got future cruise credits onboard. I called my TA and asked to use them for a cruise I already had booked. They did, and now I have shipboard credits, when I didn't before. I did exactly what is mentioned above. In fact, we got two future credits and applied each to a future cruise we already had booked.

sasha'smom

[Lynda90]

"Share the wealth" is also available for friends or family who want to go on the same cruise with you. They have to have your booking number as a reference but they can also have the $100 pp deposit and OBC.

This is no longer the case. Friends and family using a "share the wealth" coupon will still get the onboard credit but they no longer get the $100 deposit. I believe this changed 6-8 months ago.

[Totally Addicted]

This is no longer the case. Friends and family using a "share the wealth" coupon will still get the onboard credit but they no longer get the $100 deposit. I believe this changed 6-8 months ago.

 

We had the same situation. I didn't know if the TA was incompetent or what was going on. Everyone at Princess said that the "share the wealth coupons" didn't exist. I didn't bother faxing them a copy as final payment was only a couple of weeks away and we'd be paying the whole amount anyway! I thought I'd just talk to the them onboard and see what the deal was for next time.

[redjoan]

Can you purchase more than 1 Future cruise credit while onboard?

[Host CJSKIDS]

Can future booking credits ever be applied to exisiting reservations (to get the OBC)???? Or do you have to cancel and rebook?

 

I've done it. I wanted a suite for our 11/4 sailing and didn't have a FCC banked. Princess suggested that I go ahead and book the specific cabin I wanted if it was important and then while on my 3/19 Star sailing to book FCC and apply it when I returned home to get the OBC. The only downside was that I would already have the $500 deposit down but I would at least get the OBC. I did exactly this and called after I returned home and no problems.

[Lynda90]

Can you purchase more than 1 Future cruise credit while onboard?

Yes, you may. I don't even think there is a limit.