Carnival Stock

[GAJE]

How long before a booked cruise must one purchase Carnival stock in order to receive the onboard credit?

Thank you for any assistance.

[Krazy Kruizers]

check out this thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1376699&highlight=carnival+stock

[GAJE]

Thank you. However, I had read that thread previously and my question is not addressed: how long before one's cruise does one have to purchase the stock?

[iriemon]

I usually do it as soon as my cruise is reserved. Why wait, they are not going to get any better, and could be eliminated.

[iflyrc5]

I remember reading on the website that it "should" be done and sent in 2 weeks prior to your cruise.

[DFD1]

My experience indicates that you should have proof of purchase well enough ahead so that you have time to fax it to Carnival/HAL in time for them to attach the credit to your shipboard account.

 

Proof of purchase is a copy of the transaction statement, showing the purchase, or of your brokerage statement....with unrelated items on the statement "blacked out".

 

I would expect a couple of weeks would be enough time. IMO

 

One other thing, I did not get a reply or confirmation from HAL once they were sent the proof of purchase. I called HAL and had them check the booking records and assure me on the phone that the credit was in place.

 

Hope this helps.

[GAJE]

Ted! Great to hear from you. Thanks for the info.

We booked this cruise about 8 months ago and now I am on an uphill climb, trying to get George to agree to buy it!

Say hello to Barb for us.

Betty (Amazon Explorer tablemate)

[POD49]

I sail at the end of the month.

 

I bought 100 shares of CCL last Thursday on line from Scottstrade (03/10/11) and sent the paperwork to CCL that day. I had an e-mail and OBC on Sunday (03/13/11).

[GAJE]

Great help. Thanks!!

[serendipity1499]

Thank you. However, I had read that thread previously and my question is not addressed: how long before one's cruise does one have to purchase the stock?

 

Actually no one has answered your question... You DO NOT have to purchase the Carnival Stock before booking...You can purchase it anytime prior to departure as long as you send HAL your proof of purchase two weeks be for departure..Your proof of purchase will be your brokerage statement or if you purchase it on-line your confirmation..Some one said you must also send it to Carnival which is not so..

We normally book our cruises about a year to 10 months ahead..In 2009 we waited until the stock was low enough & had our broker purchase it in March of 2009 for just under $19.00 a share ... After we made final payment in Aug. for our Nov. cruise we sent HAL our proof of purchase which was our brokerage account statement..

If you use a brokerage statement, be sure you block out your account number & all the other holdings on that statment..The only thing you should send HAL is the area showing your name & address, the brokerage company with their name & address & the line indicating that you own 100 shares of Carnival Corp & PLC stock, your booking Numbers & date of departure....

So far we've received $600 in OBC's & $65 in dividends...We stalled for several years before purchasing it & in hindsight realize we should have purchased it sooner..LOL

Cheers...:)Betty

[MadManOfBethesda]

I sail at the end of the month.

 

I bought 100 shares of CCL last Thursday on line from Scottstrade (03/10/11) and sent the paperwork to CCL that day. I had an e-mail and OBC on Sunday (03/13/11).

 

And on Friday Carnival announced that it's earnings will be lower than expected this year because of the rise in fuel prices.

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42029435

 

Since then, it has dropped over $200 per 100 shares. How much is the OBC that you'll be getting at the end of the month?

 

In point of fact, CCL has dropped almost $1,000 since hitting its high point a couple of months ago.

 

Now, CCL may turn out to be a great long-term investment. It certainly has been good to people who bought in the teens and twenties during the depths of the recession. But one should not be making investment decisions and spending $4k or $5k on a company's stock just because you're going to receive a $50, $100, or $250 credit. (Of course, this changes if you're an individual who sails on CCL brand lines several times a year, in which case one could treat the obc as a sort of dividend and factor that into the investment decision.)

[arzz]

We, too, purchased 100 shares less than a year ago -- but we have cruised three times since then and will cruise again in April. We will have realized some $950 in on board credits this year. Definitely a very large unofficial stock dividend.

 

I knew about this perk for a while but somehow it didn't penetrate my brain until recently. If we continue to cruise at the same rate we will have received a return of our original purchase price in just a few years and still own the stock. If you are a frequent cruiser this purchase may make sense for you. If, however, you are only an occasional cruiser it may not be the best place to put your dollars.