TA & Referral OBCs - My Recent Experience

While on board Legend last week, I noticed my account correctly reflected my $400 referral credit, but NOT my Virtuoso TA $300 credit. I asked to speak with the Chief Purser, who promptly informed me that two or more credits cannot be combined (no matter which they may be). He even produced the "fine print". Therefore, they gave me only the higher of the two. I respectfully disagreed with him, and proceeded to pursue the matter with my TA.

Thankfully, this was finally straightened out to my satisfaction after a few emails back and forth with my TA, and Reception posted the Virtuoso credit - on the last day before disembarkation.

Just giving you guys a head's up. Ask for a printout of your account early while on board, and check it for all credits that are due you. Staff (well, those on Legend, at least) are not necessarily knowledgeable about shipboard credit matters.

While on board Legend last week, I noticed my account correctly reflected my $400 referral credit, but NOT my Virtuoso TA $300 credit. I asked to speak with the Chief Purser, who promptly informed me that two or more credits cannot be combined (no matter which they may be). He even produced the "fine print". Therefore, they gave me only the higher of the two. I respectfully disagreed with him, and proceeded to pursue the matter with my TA.

 

Thankfully, this was finally straightened out to my satisfaction after a few emails back and forth with my TA, and Reception posted the Virtuoso credit - on the last day before disembarkation.

 

Just giving you guys a head's up. Ask for a printout of your account early while on board, and check it for all credits that are due you. Staff (well, those on Legend, at least) are not necessarily knowledgeable about shipboard credit matters.

I have had this come up before. My TA called Seabourn and they were very vague regarding their postion on this. They explained that they will elect to combine 2 SBC's, like your situation, depending on the length of the cruise and the itinerary... (In other words, maybe yes, maybe no!)

Host Dan

If your TA gives you an OBC as a gift there should be no problem combining it with the referral credit. It's only when there are two OBCs that Seabourn has to underwrite such as Amex Platinum when they refuse.

I have a referral credit and a SBC from my TA for our first Spirit cruise starting later this week. The TA knows me well enough to expect an inquiring email if they are both not there :)

If you pay by American express you get 300.00 credit. You will not get the

Virtuoso credit. If you turn down there special tour you will get the credit from American express. The reason being it's Seabourn giving the money. It an advertising gimmick. Making you believe American express or Virtuoso is giving you the deal. But if you own stock in the parent company that is a separate and you will get the credit. if you own 100 share you will get $100.00 credit if you own more shares I don't remember how many shares they will give up to 250.00

In my experience, the Carnival stockholders' credit is dependent on the length of the cruise, not the number of shares over 100. There is another thread tha covers this in more detail.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1218034&highlight=carnival+stock

If your TA gives you an OBC as a gift there should be no problem combining it with the referral credit. It's only when there are two OBCs that Seabourn has to underwrite such as Amex Platinum when they refuse.

My TA is giving me an OBC from their "consortium", and it's the non-redeemable kind, i.e. use-it-or-lose-it, no cash refund. Seabourn has told me this TA credit is not combinable with the referral credit. Should these 2 credits in fact be combinable?

Then I can assume that I cannot get the American Express Platinum and the referral credit? What a shame!!

Then I can assume that I cannot get the American Express Platinum and the referral credit? What a shame!!

No they are never combineable.

Host Dan

Take the referral OBC. It's a hundred dollars more.

My TA is giving me an OBC from their "consortium", and it's the non-redeemable kind, i.e. use-it-or-lose-it, no cash refund. Seabourn has told me this TA credit is not combinable with the referral credit. Should these 2 credits in fact be combinable?

This is the exact scenario as I described in my original post.

In the end, I had both the referral ($400) and the TA consortium ($300) credits applied. So, yes, both credits can be applied to one's account.

Hope this helps, sfvoyage.

This is the exact scenario as I described in my original post.

 

In the end, I had both the referral ($400) and the TA consortium ($300) credits applied. So, yes, both credits can be applied to one's account.

 

Hope this helps, sfvoyage.

Thanks, Constance331, this is helpful and hopeful, indeed. However, my TA had already checked with Seabourn and deferred to Seabourn's response that these 2 credits are not combinable. He also told me that the $500 consortium credit won't be posted to my account till 2 weeks prior to the sail date. Should I bring it up with Seabourn at that point? Did you deal with someone at Seabourn who approved your credit combination for you?

Thanks, Constance331, this is helpful and hopeful, indeed. However, my TA had already checked with Seabourn and deferred to Seabourn's response that these 2 credits are not combinable. He also told me that the $500 consortium credit won't be posted to my account till 2 weeks prior to the sail date. Should I bring it up with Seabourn at that point? Did you deal with someone at Seabourn who approved your credit combination for you?

I believe the posts that can best answer your concerns are Nos. 2 & 3 above. Host Dan makes an excellent point. And so does wripro, when he points out that the TA's credit is NOT coming out of SB's pocket, so to speak, like the referral credit does, and therefore an argument can be made that these two specific credits can, indeed, be applied simultaneously.

No, I did not deal with someone at Seabourn to resolve my situation. It was my Virtuoso travel agent who got me the OBC that was coming out of HER pocket (and not Seabourn's).

Sorry, but I don't know how to make it any clearer .... :(

And BTW, all shipboard credits post to your account while you're on your cruise - not prior to your sailing. My referral credit appeared on my account on Day #2 of my 7-day cruise, while my TA credit did not appear until the day before I disembarked.

Thanks, Constance331, this is helpful and hopeful, indeed. However, my TA had already checked with Seabourn and deferred to Seabourn's response that these 2 credits are not combinable. He also told me that the $500 consortium credit won't be posted to my account till 2 weeks prior to the sail date. Should I bring it up with Seabourn at that point? Did you deal with someone at Seabourn who approved your credit combination for you?

I believe the posts that can best answer your concerns are Nos. 2 & 3 above. Host Dan makes an excellent point. And so does wripro, when he points out that the TA's credit is NOT coming out of SB's pocket, so to speak, like the referral credit does, and therefore an argument can be made that these two specific credits can, indeed, be applied simultaneously.

 

No, I did not deal with someone at Seabourn to resolve my situation. It was my Virtuoso travel agent who got me the OBC that was coming out of HER pocket (and not Seabourn's).

 

Sorry, but I don't know how to make it any clearer .... :(

 

And BTW, all shipboard credits post to your account while you're on your cruise - not prior to your sailing. My referral credit appeared on my account on Day #2 of my 7-day cruise, while my TA credit did not appear until the day before I disembarked.

We are on the March Transatlantic and having read this post and replies I contacted our TA who had earlier confirmed with Seabourn that the referral credit would be forthcoming. I asked her to again confirm and attached a link to this thread and apparently Seabourn is now stating it will not honor the the $400.00 referral OBC because we are receiving a travel agent "consortium" credit of $500.00 which was offered instead of a private car and driver when we reach Funchal. Now a good many of these cruise offers have these extra consortium incentives so the questions now become, "If the purpose is to entice 1st timers to sample their cruise line, what good is the referral credit, why bother with the hassle to procure one, and what about the person who was the referrer, if they don't honor the referral credit, does that person still get a $400.00 referring credit, and can that credit only be used if there are not any other incentives offered? There is an old saying a Russian friend told me years ago, "A dead fish stinks at the head first". I think I just got a whiff. Maybe it has to do with the move of the headquarters.

Now a good many of these cruise offers have these extra consortium incentives so the questions now become, "If the purpose is to entice 1st timers to sample their cruise line, what good is the referral credit, why bother with the hassle to procure one, and what about the person who was the referrer, if they don't honor the referral credit, does that person still get a $400.00 referring credit, and can that credit only be used if there are not any other incentives offered? There is an old saying a Russian friend told me years ago, "A dead fish stinks at the head first". I think I just got a whiff...

Exactly! In my case, I'm the referrer, and I asked Seabourn why should I bother continuing to refer new Seabourn guests in the future, if I won't be able to use the $400 referral credits in conjunction with the TA credits?

Worse yet, they said that because I'm using my TA credit on my next cruise and that I don't have yet another cruise booked after that one, the referral credit will expire. They won't (or can't) keep the credit in my club account to be applied to a future, yet unbooked, cruise. I had to appeal to my inside contact for them to make an exception, and they're supposed to send me a credit certificate to be used in the future. It's been over 2 weeks, and I have not received that certificate yet.

It's a lot of work and run-arounds to be chasing after something that is supposed to be a "thank you" for our loyalty and to entice us to bring new business to Seabourn.

By the way, does anyone know exactly what these "consortium" credits are? I'm guessing these are deals that groups of TAs strike with Seabourn and are not coming out of the TA commissions. After all, I already got a small TA discount on the cruise pricing and can't see another $500 offered by the TA. Also, these are non-redeemable TA credits (i.e. no cash refund if unused). So ultimately these may be funded by Seabourn and therefore not combinable with the referral credit.

Whatever the case may be, Seabourn needs to look at their referral credit program and improve it, if they are serious about the concept.

Sad state of affairs, these last couple of posts. It seems I was very fortunate to have gotten both credits - something SB will be unwilling to do from here on.

I hope others will add to this thread in the future to let us know their own experiences going forward.

People still seem to be confusing a travel consortium credit with an individual TA credit. The latter can be combined with anything since the TA is paying for it. The former cannot because Seabourn would be paying for both and refuses to do that. Can't really blame them.

People still seem to be confusing a travel consortium credit with an individual TA credit. The latter can be combined with anything since the TA is paying for it. The former cannot because Seabourn would be paying for both and refuses to do that. Can't really blame them.

Well, Seabourn is also confused because I had my TA confirm I would get the $400 1st time referral credit from Seabourn on 12/15/10. They knew what cruise I had booked and that I was receiving the consortium credit and she was told I would receive the additional credit. If their own reservation staff don't know their own rules, is it reasonable to expect passengers and TAs will. Further, if the other OBC is represented to come from a consortium of travel agents, but is actually some marketing scheme that comes from Seabourn, then they need to at least clarify their referral rules to all affected. Additionally, a review of the threads on this site establishes that Seabourn bends the rules for some and not for others. There needs to be consistency, not vagueness and "It depends".

Well, Seabourn is also confused because I had my TA confirm I would get the $400 1st time referral credit from Seabourn on 12/15/10. They knew what cruise I had booked and that I was receiving the consortium credit and she was told I would receive the additional credit. If their own reservation staff don't know their own rules, is it reasonable to expect passengers and TAs will. Further, if the other OBC is represented to come from a consortium of travel agents, but is actually some marketing scheme that comes from Seabourn, then they need to at least clarify their referral rules to all affected. Additionally, a review of the threads on this site establishes that Seabourn bends the rules for some and not for others. There needs to be consistency, not vagueness and "It depends".

And now with HAL personnel handling the inquiries.....

Host Dan

And now with HAL personnel handling the inquiries.....

 

Host Dan

Hey, Dan. Just a bitter memory. Seabourn refused to combine a direct TA credit with an on board referral. The TA called Blue Lagoon and after much back and forth I was told (on the last day of our Sojourn cruise with you) that ONLY the referral credit was applicable. Too bad, as the TA credit--direct from the TA--was $500, versus the $400 referral. Though, of course, the shareholder benefit was allowed, as always.

I have to admit that it seems counterproductive for them to offer the referral credit ONLY if you are not getting any other credit. Why would that eliminate getting the Amex Platinum credit? Can't you refer someone and also pay for your cruise with your platinum card?

Hey, Dan. Just a bitter memory. Seabourn refused to combine a direct TA credit with an on board referral. The TA called Blue Lagoon and after much back and forth I was told (on the last day of our Sojourn cruise with you) that ONLY the referral credit was applicable. Too bad, as the TA credit--direct from the TA--was $500, versus the $400 referral. Though, of course, the shareholder benefit was allowed, as always.

Thats odd... I had the same situation, and they credited me with the higher $500 credit.

Host Dan

Wasn't sure if I should resurrect this thread again or just use the stickied thread... Well since I started typing I might as well continue.

We booked our cruise through a TA that is part of the Ensemble Consortium and booked using a Platinum Amex. This is our first Seabourn cruise so we should be eligble for the referral credit.

The couple that may be giving us their referral coupon (if it ever shows up...) had themselves just finished their first cruise with Seabourn earlier this year and had used the same company but a different TA. The Ensemble credit and Referral credit were both found in their account when they boarded.

My TA has asked Seabourn about the combining of credits and their response is that none will. Is it really crap shoot whether or not credits will combine? I know Ensemble is offering a special private exercursion on Rhodes in lieu of the obc. Would that be combinable with the referral credit? I've read many of the previous posts and realize that the Amex obc is not combinable with the referral obc. My TA has found out that it isn't combinable with the Ensemble obc either so we'll probably decline the Amex obc and bottle of wine...

Hey, Dan. Just a bitter memory. Seabourn refused to combine a direct TA credit with an on board referral. The TA called Blue Lagoon and after much back and forth I was told (on the last day of our Sojourn cruise with you) that ONLY the referral credit was applicable. Too bad, as the TA credit--direct from the TA--was $500, versus the $400 referral. Though, of course, the shareholder benefit was allowed, as always.

that pretty much stinks, I was also on that cruise, we had $400 referral, $100 shareholder and TA of $300, we spent it on the spa and in the shops

sorry you didn't fare as well

If your TA actually paid for that $500 OBC himself you have a serious case against Seabourn. This was his money that he gifted to you and SB had no right to disallow it. You could even have gone to the purser's desk and gotten the cash for it. I would not let it drop, nor should your TA.