2009 and Beyond Cruising Game Plan

[SargassoPirate]

First of all, we are C&A Diamond and RCCL Shareholders.

 

Since the C&A balcony discount (A DISCOUNT) is essentially worthless nowadays if one is also a shareholder (AN OBC), we've revised our game plan for getting the most bang for our cruise buck. While it's true that you can choose between the two, one is a discount off your cruise price and the other is an OBC. However, they will still let you combine your shareholder OBC and your VISA points.

 

Here's my new cruising game plan.

 

(1) Either book early and get the cabin I want and wait for price drops OR wait until the final payment day passes and book when RCI is desperate to fill the ship and heavily discounts the price. Either way, forget about calling in for the balcony discount. A price drop or last-minute discounted fare will cover what the C&A balcony discount would've saved me up front. Use my RCCL VISA card for the deposit and final payment and get double points.

 

(2) Request my shareholder OBC.

 

(3) Request my RCCL VISA points certificate for another OBC.

 

Once I've done as well as I can on the cruise fare, I like the feel of getting to combine some OBCs.

 

Oh, BTW, I'm scheduling fewer cruises with RCCL since they pulled the rug out from under us on combinability of loyalty benefits that I had earned. They leveled the playing field, and this year alone our little cruise group of four friends have scheduled around $25,000 in bookings with Princess. PLUS, Princess awards benefits PER PERSON, not per stateroom. We booked a future cruise while on-board a Princess cruise and garnered $300.00 OBCs PER PERSON!

 

Up until last Fall, we cruised within the RCCL family exclusively. Not anymore! :D

[Demongear]

First of all, we are C&A Diamond and RCCL Shareholders.

 

Since the C&A balcony discount (A DISCOUNT) is essentially worthless nowadays if one is also a shareholder (AN OBC), we've revised our game plan for getting the most bang for our cruise buck. While it's true that you can choose between the two, one is a discount off your cruise price and the other is an OBC. However, they will still let you combine your shareholder OBC and your VISA points.

 

Here's my new cruising game plan.

 

(1) Either book early and get the cabin I want and wait for price drops OR wait until the final payment day passes and book when RCI is desperate to fill the ship and heavily discounts the price. Either way, forget about calling in for the balcony discount. A price drop or last-minute discounted fare will cover what the C&A balcony discount would've saved me up front. Use my RCCL VISA card for the deposit and final payment and get double points.

 

(2) Request my shareholder OBC.

 

(3) Request my RCCL VISA points certificate for another OBC.

 

Once I've done as well as I can on the cruise fare, I like the feel of getting to combine some OBCs.

 

Oh, BTW, I'm scheduling fewer cruises with RCCL since they pulled the rug out from under us on combinability of loyalty benefits that I had earned. They leveled the playing field, and this year alone our little cruise group of four friends have scheduled around $25,000 in bookings with Princess. PLUS, Princess awards benefits PER PERSON, not per stateroom. We booked a future cruise while on-board a Princess cruise and garnered $300.00 OBCs PER PERSON!

 

Up until last Fall, we cruised within the RCCL family exclusively. Not anymore! :D

 

What would happen if : 2 people share a cabin and 1 is diamond and 1 is a stockholder?

[gjkubel]

They'd probably hook up.

[pcur]

I would modify the balcony strategy a little. I always look at the balcony prices and compare them to the ocean view, because sometimes with the balcony discount you can get them for the same price. That's when I would use the C&A balcony discount instead of the OBC: you get a better cabin for the same price.

 

Example: I just booked a transatlantic for 4/2010, and the cost of my balcony cabin is exactly the same as an ocean view.

 

I was never a shareholder, and I use my Southwest Visa to get the air for free, so combinability isn't a priority for me. I also check the prices daily, and the coupons quarterly to see if there is any further discounts I can get. I got a C&A coupon after I booked a 2009 cruise and shaved an additional $225 for the cabin off the price. They also had a price drop on it that I also got.

 

I'm in the "book early and look for more" club!!:D

[Desertbelle]

Are people sure that these two things don't work together?

 

I am asking because we are about to leave on a cruise we booked just a few weeks ago and we got the balcony discount and our cruise receipt says (this is exactly what it says), " Pricing includes Diamond membership discount. $250 per cabin ship board credit for shareholders benefit."

 

This would seem to be the opposite of what people are thinking. What gives?

[crisndeefromde]

The only thing you can not use your stockholder benefit with is the next cruise obc that you get when you book on board. We just booked another cruise and not a problem with c and a discount as it has nothing to do with stockholder. you just do as previously done...fax the copy of your statement in.

[uksimonusa]

The only thing you can not use your stockholder benefit with is the next cruise obc that you get when you book on board. We just booked another cruise and not a problem with c and a discount as it has nothing to do with stockholder. you just do as previously done...fax the copy of your statement in.

 

Really, I was turned down for my share holder OBC as I was using the C&A balcony discount.:confused:

 

Here is what the RCL website says about it

 

Combinability?Please note that as of December 31, 2008, the Shareholder Onboard Credit is no longer combinable with other Onboard Booking Credits, Loyalty Programs and/or other Reduced Fare Offerings. For bookings made prior to December 31, 2008, the Shareholder Onboard Credit is combinable under certain conditions. Please direct queries to InvestorRelations@rccl.com, and a prompt response will be forthcoming.

[2VaCruzers]

The only thing you can not use your stockholder benefit with is the next cruise obc that you get when you book on board. We just booked another cruise and not a problem with c and a discount as it has nothing to do with stockholder. you just do as previously done...fax the copy of your statement in.

 

So are you saying that you booked a cruise after Jan. 2009, got a C&A balcony discount AND stockholders OBC? I was under the impression that you couldn't do that anymore. I hope I'm wrong, though.

[marci22]

They'd probably hook up.

 

Well you made me laugh.

[kkorman]

First of all, we are C&A Diamond and RCCL Shareholders.

 

Since the C&A balcony discount (A DISCOUNT) is essentially worthless nowadays if one is also a shareholder (AN OBC), we've revised our game plan for getting the most bang for our cruise buck. While it's true that you can choose between the two, one is a discount off your cruise price and the other is an OBC. However, they will still let you combine your shareholder OBC and your VISA points.

 

Here's my new cruising game plan.

 

(1) Either book early and get the cabin I want and wait for price drops OR wait until the final payment day passes and book when RCI is desperate to fill the ship and heavily discounts the price. Either way, forget about calling in for the balcony discount. A price drop or last-minute discounted fare will cover what the C&A balcony discount would've saved me up front. Use my RCCL VISA card for the deposit and final payment and get double points.

 

(2) Request my shareholder OBC.

 

(3) Request my RCCL VISA points certificate for another OBC.

 

Once I've done as well as I can on the cruise fare, I like the feel of getting to combine some OBCs.

 

Oh, BTW, I'm scheduling fewer cruises with RCCL since they pulled the rug out from under us on combinability of loyalty benefits that I had earned. They leveled the playing field, and this year alone our little cruise group of four friends have scheduled around $25,000 in bookings with Princess. PLUS, Princess awards benefits PER PERSON, not per stateroom. We booked a future cruise while on-board a Princess cruise and garnered $300.00 OBCs PER PERSON!

 

Up until last Fall, we cruised within the RCCL family exclusively. Not anymore! :D

 

While being as big a fan of RCCL as I am Princess... Princess does not combine credit either. Being Elite on Princess and Diamond ( I think ) on RCCL, they both have issues when applying more than one credit.

[pseudochicken]

They'd probably hook up.

 

Ha ha!