How Do People Get So Much OBC?

You can also get OBC with the Princess credit card.

How does one receive the Military Credit after you have booked and paid for the cruise in full? I was not aware of this credit when I booked our cruise.

Here's a link to the Military Credit info -

http://www.princess.com/military_benefit_program/

No need to call.

How does one receive the Military Credit after you have booked and paid for the cruise in full? I was not aware of this credit when I booked our cruise.

Make sure you have a copy of your DD214 in order to get the military credit.

 

The other factor that influences use of OBC include how one spends the money onboard. If you don't take Princess excursions, don't drink or gamble much, and have pre-paid gratuities, then it can be an interesting exercise using OBC under the "use it or lose it" rules. But, as my wife says: "they have a jewelry store onboard, don't they?" ;)

We had lots of 'leftover' OBC this past winter with our cruising. I had someone show me how to play the slots. I put all of my OBC into the 'bank,' played for a little bit, then cashed out and took all the non-refundable OBC home. The refundable was then sent to our credit card we used onboard. A great way to cruise!

We have never had leftover OBC and I truly doubt we ever will. I had a good shot at a lot of OBC recently by changing to a different TA but my current TA cut me a deal (not OBC) and I stayed with him. Had I taken the other offer I would have definitely had refundable OBC left but I am now paying significantly less up front. I still come out a little behind but I believe in loyalty to someone who has given us excellent service and is always available by phone - even when he is across the country.

The shareholder OBC is awesome. We always book using FCC so we do get that. I don't get the military OBC but, then again, I don't deserve it so I have absolutely no complaint there at all. Our next cruise I think I have $625 in OBC. Not really a lot. Not even enough to cover the gratuities. Ah, well. I still see it as essentially free money and that is good enough for me.

For those who can pile up a giant bundle of OBC - good for you. Enjoy the heck out of it. :D

And of course, unlike some of the other lines out there, Princess does let you stack all the various sources of credit. So you can end up with quite a bit. I know for a cruise this summer we're going to end up with far more than we've had in the past because of the promotion that was running, and on that cruise gratuities are covered too.

Weirdest for me was actually on a cruise that didn't have much credit - $50 shareholder on a one night cruise. Even with a few drinks I never used all of it, but because it was even back then listed as non-refundable, I didn't think anything of it until I tried to get off the ship. They actually stopped me leaving and made me go to the pursers desk. That was definitely a weird situation. (Probably wouldn't happen nowadays since they do a better job of tracking what the non-refundable credits are).

And of course, unlike some of the other lines out there, Princess does let you stack all the various sources of credit.

And that's a big factor for me...a cruise experience we enjoy with combinable OBCs to lower our net cruise fare including the great military OBC implemented during Vietnam vet & former Princess president's watch in 2011...Alan Buckelew! :D

Thanks...hopefully your experience will be implemented fleetwide because I've always thought it should be per qualified passenger & not per room. Both of us have reached those levels so to me it would be equitable to issue it per person.

 

Would it be possible to have your TA give you a copy of the written policy you received from the Captain's Circle hostess? It would be greatly appreciated if you could post it here so other passengers could benefit by having a written Princess statement that Loyalty credit is per person & not per cabin.

Will try. She is now 1200 mile from me now. And I don't know how to post, or get it into my computer. I am backwards when it come to the computer. Will try.

You can get extra on board credit if you book a cruise while on board a ship. We always thought that this would be more expensive in the fare but to date it has been the cheapest way to book, we have done this a number of times now.

Princess offers to transfer our booking to our TA (they have this on record for us) which we accept and the TA then discounts the fare and adds extra OBC.

Worth checking out what specials are available while on board.

Will try. She is now 1200 mile from me now. And I don't know how to post, or get it into my computer. I am backwards when it come to the computer. Will try.

Thanks...and appreciate your efforts to get it to share with us.

This is the first time I've read of anyone having the Loyalty credit information in writing & if you could share it that would be great! :)

You can get extra on board credit if you book a cruise while on board a ship. We always thought that this would be more expensive in the fare but to date it has been the cheapest way to book, we have done this a number of times now.

 

Princess offers to transfer our booking to our TA (they have this on record for us) which we accept and the TA then discounts the fare and adds extra OBC.

 

Worth checking out what specials are available while on board.

That extra credit you receive onboard is also available by purchasing a Future Cruise Deposit & using it within 2 years for a cruise booking.

It was on our 21 or 22 cruise that we received it when on board. I did go down to the Captain Circle hostess to get a copy of it to give to my TA. I could not find it on Princess's web site. The credit goes from $25. to $100. according to how many cruise you have over 21 cruises.

Copy of what?

That extra credit you receive onboard is also available by purchasing a Future Cruise Deposit & using it within 2 years for a cruise booking.

We always book with a FCC this is extra OBC over and above that amount. Princess will give you extra OBC for booking while on a ship.

Thanks...and appreciate your efforts to get it to share with us.

 

This is the first time I've read of anyone having the Loyalty credit information in writing & if you could share it that would be great! :)

What I found in my papers is a copy of our on board account. We both got a $25. credit and next to it is says "Gift credit". I think there may have been a card in our cabin showing the amount. I will keep looking.

Copy of what?

She gave me a flyer. It was printed on both sides and folded in three, made of nice shiny thick paper. It had all the CC perks on it. Including the OBC amounts.

We always book with a FCC this is extra OBC over and above that amount. Princess will give you extra OBC for booking while on a ship.

FWIW....

Any OBC for booking onboard is available booking at home as well.

We never book onboard. Just purchase FCD's and book when we return home.

She gave me a flyer. It was printed on both sides and folded in three, made of nice shiny thick paper. It had all the CC perks on it. Including the OBC amounts.

Was this something she had printed up herself for reference?

It seems to me that I remember in the past on CC someone posted a link to the Princess website that showed the levels of the Loyalty Gift Credit. It seems it may be buried there somewhere. :rolleyes:

Princess search function is worthless.

Thanks...and appreciate your efforts to get it to share with us.

 

This is the first time I've read of anyone having the Loyalty credit information in writing & if you could share it that would be great! :)

I must be misunderstanding something. The free mini-bar set up is one of the benefits of reaching Elite which, in my eyes, is a loyalty credit, together with extra OBC, free laundry, priority tender service, etc. The various benefits of different levels of loyalty are easy to find on the Princess site. The same with the amounts of OBC you get for 21, 31, etc. cruises. A lot of long-time members are saying they've never seen it in writing, which is why I think I'm misunderstanding.

Maureen

FWIW....

Any OBC for booking onboard is available booking at home as well.

We never book onboard. Just purchase FCD's and book when we return home.

No this is extra OBC. Just check next time you are on board it is not available if you book after leaving the ship.

No this is extra OBC. Just check next time you are on board it is not available if you book after leaving the ship.

I just did on the Ruby. ;)

The same with the amounts of OBC you get for 21, 31, etc. cruises.

Where are you seeing this in writing on the Princess website?

I must be misunderstanding something. The free mini-bar set up is one of the benefits of reaching Elite which, in my eyes, is a loyalty credit, together with extra OBC, free laundry, priority tender service, etc. The various benefits of different levels of loyalty are easy to find on the Princess site. The same with the amounts of OBC you get for 21, 31, etc. cruises. A lot of long-time members are saying they've never seen it in writing, which is why I think I'm misunderstanding.

 

Maureen

Where did you easily find Loyalty credit on the Princess website? We're discussing the Loyalty OBC ($25, $50, $75, $100) with the required cruise credits already listed in other posts in this thread.

I rechecked the Princess website including the Captain's Circle benefits & questions that clarify benefits (such as the contents of the elite minibar) but there's no mention of the Loyalty credits. If you could provide a link to where the conditions are listed on a Princess webpage that would be appreciated.

Several years ago there was a link to a Princess Loyalty credit webpage (I believe it was called "most traveled OBC" at that time) however that site is no longer valid. We're not looking for unofficial posts but actual Princess written statements stating whether it's per person or per cabin which seems to be the consensus based on posts. My wife & I both qualify for it & have received Loyalty credit 15 times but it's always been per cabin.

to the op, thank you, great question!

i get the loyalty obc and the fcc/fcd obc and that's it. i'm kicking myself for not buying stock when it was in the tank after your market crash! but i was in no position to buy it then and at almost 60.00 i certainly can't now. bummer.

my t.a. gives me a reduced rate but no obc because i book in $cad. do your ta's give you obc as well as a reduced price?

My best one ever was last December, I booked as a solo with a promo offering up to $600 per cabin in OBC, so as a solo in a balcony, I received the full $600. Added to that was $150 for using a FCC to book, $250 for shareholder benefit, as well as $50 Loyalty credit. Total $1050!!

It covered 100% of my onboard expenses including all of my auto gratuities, excursions, a bit of onboard shopping, and a wine package, with almost $80 left over that was refundable, and for which I received a check about 6 weeks after getting home.

I expect that was probably a once in a cruise-lifetime experience, but I DO love cruising with Princess!

Was this something she had printed up herself for reference?

 

It seems to me that I remember in the past on CC someone posted a link to the Princess website that showed the levels of the Loyalty Gift Credit. It seems it may be buried there somewhere. :rolleyes:

 

Princess search function is worthless.

It was from Princess. Not something she had made up. I am still looking for a copy. I might have brought the copy with me, but it could be in one of the many boxes that I have. Will keep looking.

I just E-mailed my TA and ask her for a copy. I know I made myself a copy but I think I left it 1,22 miles behind!