Sandytoes Posted May 27, 2009 #26 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Okay, so I spend $100 for a FCC - that serves as my deposit for any cruise in the next 4 years, AND I get a $150 OBC? All for $100? CRUISE LENGTH 7-9 days Interior $25 Oceanview $50 10-15 days Interior $75 Oceanview $100 16+ days Interior $125 Oceanview $150 If Princess or your Travel Agent offers you OBC while booking your cruise - that's an added bonus. Both FCC and OBC can be combined. Pretty neat!!!!.... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toto2Kansas Posted May 27, 2009 #27 Share Posted May 27, 2009 this sounds too good to be true lol - bet it isn't available to us brits! I am sure I read where they are available to those in the UK. But I think the cost was even less, maybe $75? I would post this on a new thread and see if others from your area won't tell you the specifics. I know I have read where they were available for purchase for those from the UK in past messages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia1913 Posted May 27, 2009 #28 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I am sure I read where they are available to those in the UK. But I think the cost was even less, maybe $75? I would post this on a new thread and see if others from your area won't tell you the specifics. I know I have read where they were available for purchase for those from the UK in past messages. Shogun is in Scotland, right? I'm sure I've read that he buys them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newport dave Posted May 27, 2009 #29 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Yes, they are available to UK cruisers. Difference being is that we don't have to pay for them, (which means you're gaining interest on your money and not Princess) we just get a letter which you present to your TA and then just pay a reduced deposit of £75 pp. The OBC is exactly the same, and they are valid for four years aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toto2Kansas Posted May 27, 2009 #30 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Yes, they are available to UK cruisers. Difference being is that we don't have to pay for them, (which means you're gaining interest on your money and not Princess) we just get a letter which you present to your TA and then just pay a reduced deposit of £75 pp. The OBC is exactly the same, and they are valid for four years aswell. Thank You for answering the question. I knew I remembered something about the number 75, but then later on thought I also remembered that they didn't cost anything. So, the 75 is the deposit and the actual FCC is at no charge. Can't ask for much better than that. Again, appreciate you clearing up my memory. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandytoes Posted May 27, 2009 #31 Share Posted May 27, 2009 If you're planning on doing a B2B - book 2 each and keep them open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted May 27, 2009 #32 Share Posted May 27, 2009 And remember, that only ONE FCC is needed to book the cabin. The 2nd passenger pays the $100 U.S. (or in my case $115 Can.) deposit at time of booking. First 2 people in the cabin get the OBC each. Myself and several of my Princess cruise friends did not realize this until recently, thanks to Totoinkansas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepWaterMariner Posted May 28, 2009 #33 Share Posted May 28, 2009 On our last Princess cruise I made the mistake of only getting a FCC for one future cruise...should have purchased at least two. Anyway, it will keep me from being booked to far into the future. I'm not sure anyone mentioned this but the FCC is also refundable. There is no risk what so ever in purchasing FCC's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleptwell Posted May 29, 2009 #34 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Does the $100 FCC count as your first payment for purposes of buying trip insurance? If so, then once you've applied it to a cruise and want to buy trip insurance, wouldn't you have lost your eligibility for waiver of pre-existing conditions and cancel for any reason coverage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toto2Kansas Posted May 29, 2009 #35 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Does the $100 FCC count as your first payment for purposes of buying trip insurance? If so, then once you've applied it to a cruise and want to buy trip insurance, wouldn't you have lost your eligibility for waiver of pre-existing conditions and cancel for any reason coverage? When you apply the FCC to a cruise date, that date is considered the date you booked the cruise. They don't go by the day you purchased the FCC, but the date it is assigned to a booking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckyroot Posted May 29, 2009 #36 Share Posted May 29, 2009 If you have 2 FCC's per person (DH and I both bought them on our last cruise) can you use 2 of them for one cruise? We cruise on several different lines (depending on itinerary & price) and I don't know if we'll use them in the 4 years time frame (bought them in October of 2008 and can't use any this year.......not sure what next year holds either). Just curious, if we cannot, I am sure I could FIND a cruise!! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted May 29, 2009 #37 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Yes, you can use as many FCC as you wish (and have). But you only get one onboad credit per person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted May 29, 2009 #38 Share Posted May 29, 2009 If you have 2 FCC's per person (DH and I both bought them on our last cruise) can you use 2 of them for one cruise? We cruise on several different lines (depending on itinerary & price) and I don't know if we'll use them in the 4 years time frame (bought them in October of 2008 and can't use any this year.......not sure what next year holds either). Just curious, if we cannot, I am sure I could FIND a cruise!! :D You only need to use one FCC for your deposit and 2nd person in cabin pays deposit of $100US at time of booking. Each of you will get an onboard credit...with amount determined by cabin category and length of cruise. You can get the other FCC refunded to you without penalty, if you are not able to use it within 4 years of purchasing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathi Posted May 29, 2009 #39 Share Posted May 29, 2009 There's absolutely no downside to buying FCC's. Only win/win!!!! Hate when I run out and have to wait till I get on board to get more!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeMates Posted May 29, 2009 #40 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Your shipboard credit attached depends on the length of the voyage you book, and the type of stateroom. It runs from $25-$150. Apparently I've been losing out for the last few cruises. I thought I had to buy a FCC for each of us in the same cabin (husband and wife) in order to get the reduced deposit and the onboard credit. Let me be sure....according to you and others, I need only buy one FCC and we both get the same benefits since we are sharing a cabin? No one has ever told me this before (certainly not the Princess rep when booking). I'm doing a b2b this June and used four FCCs when if I understand you correctly I only needed to give them one. So basically we wasted two FCCs. Appreciate you and others for the information we get here on Cruise Critic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted May 29, 2009 #41 Share Posted May 29, 2009 [quote name='BridgeMates']Apparently I've been losing out for the last few cruises. I thought I had to buy a FCC for each of us in the same cabin (husband and wife) in order to get the reduced deposit and the onboard credit. Let me be sure....according to you and others, I need only buy one FCC and we both get the same benefits since we are sharing a cabin? No one has ever told me this before (certainly not the Princess rep when booking). I'm doing a b2b this June and used four FCCs when if I understand you correctly I only needed to give them one. So basically we wasted two FCCs. Appreciate you and others for the information we get here on Cruise Critic.[/QUOTE] Yes, you only need one FCC per cabin. You use one for one passenger and the other pays $100 deposit. Both get the appropriate onboard credit. For your b2b, I believe you needed two, one for each "B". At least with the interest rates so low, you are not losing a lot of float. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toto2Kansas Posted May 29, 2009 #42 Share Posted May 29, 2009 [quote name='BridgeMates']Apparently I've been losing out for the last few cruises. I thought I had to buy a FCC for each of us in the same cabin (husband and wife) in order to get the reduced deposit and the onboard credit. Let me be sure....according to you and others, I need only buy one FCC and we both get the same benefits since we are sharing a cabin? No one has ever told me this before (certainly not the Princess rep when booking). I'm doing a b2b this June and used four FCCs when if I understand you correctly I only needed to give them one. So basically we wasted two FCCs. Appreciate you and others for the information we get here on Cruise Critic.[/quote] Yes, exactly! The only thing I can add is that when you use only one FCC for your booking for two passengers in a stateroom, the second passenger must pay $100 for their deposit. So, you are using one FCC PLUS $100, and you BOTH will get the shipboard credit attached to your FCC. The shipboard credit is only available for the first TWO passengers in a stateroom. If you have three or four in the same stateroom, the first two passengers are all that will receive the shipboard credit, it is not available to the 3rd or 4th passenger booked in the same stateroom. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windsor26 Posted May 29, 2009 #43 Share Posted May 29, 2009 [quote name='newport dave']Yes, they are available to UK cruisers. Difference being is that we don't have to pay for them, (which means you're gaining interest on your money and not Princess) we just get a letter which you present to your TA and then just pay a reduced deposit of £75 pp. The OBC is exactly the same, and they are valid for four years aswell.[/quote] However as for australian cruisers they are ONLY AVAILABLE TO BE USED if you book through UK or Australian agents or the local Princess direct otherwise they will not honour them And of course as we all know Australians and UK cruisers pay a lot more for the same cruise as USA and Canadian cruisers and they do not get first look ins The cruises have been available to the Americas for a few weeks before they are available to UK and Australia so the chance of the best staterooms is gone:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeMates Posted May 30, 2009 #44 Share Posted May 30, 2009 [quote name='Toto2Kansas']Yes, exactly! The only thing I can add is that when you use only one FCC for your booking for two passengers in a stateroom, the second passenger must pay $100 for their deposit. So, you are using one FCC PLUS $100, and you BOTH will get the shipboard credit attached to your FCC. The shipboard credit is only available for the first TWO passengers in a stateroom. If you have three or four in the same stateroom, the first two passengers are all that will receive the shipboard credit, it is not available to the 3rd or 4th passenger booked in the same stateroom. ;)[/quote] Thanks, I've got it. No sense in buying (using) two FCCs for the same cabin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted May 30, 2009 #45 Share Posted May 30, 2009 [quote name='cathi']There's absolutely no downside to buying FCC's. Only win/win!!!![/QUOTE] Well, not exactly precisely. If you hold onto an FCC for the full four years and don't use it, you sacrifice whatever interest your hundred bucks might have earned and you gain nothing. As someone already pointed out, interest rates are low now. But if they creep back to, say, 5 or 6 percent, that would mean taking a 20% hit on your investment. Not a lot to lose, but not win/win, either. That having been said...I'm going to Peru for a month this fall, and don't have a lot of spare vacation money to spend. But I just booked a weeklong December cruise on the Crown where obstructed oceanviews are going for $549, so using an FCC gave me an OBC equal to nearly 10% off the base fare, and, combined with an $75 OBC from the TA, made the cruise too much of a bargain to resist. And, thanks to the great info I'd gotten on this very board, I only used one of my two FCCs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newport dave Posted May 30, 2009 #46 Share Posted May 30, 2009 [quote name='windsor26']However as for australian cruisers they are ONLY AVAILABLE TO BE USED if you book through UK or Australian agents or the local Princess direct otherwise they will not honour them And of course as we all know Australians and UK cruisers pay a lot more for the same cruise as USA and Canadian cruisers and they do not get first look ins The cruises have been available to the Americas for a few weeks before they are available to UK and Australia so the chance of the best staterooms is gone:([/quote] I think it's the same for us as well, can only be used through Princess UK or a local TA, but don't hold to me that............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLACRUISER99 Posted May 30, 2009 #47 Share Posted May 30, 2009 [quote name='newport dave']I think it's the same for us as well, can only be used through Princess UK or a local TA, but don't hold to me that.............[/quote] On the other hand if you are from the UK you do not have to pay anything for an open booking only 75L when you book a specific cruise, so stop whining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shogun Posted May 30, 2009 #48 Share Posted May 30, 2009 hi jtutak, Be grateful the next time you want to change a booking it does not cost you $200, to do anything, you see the price fall 50% and get told so what you are paying what you contracted to pay, you need cancel, and kiss bye bye to up to all your deposit, I wanted to cancel and rebook they were going to charge me $1000 but reduced it to $400, yours Shogun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.