OBC not applied until final payment?

[JERSEYGIRL1983]

Hi all

 

Question. I booked a Celebrity cruise, on the Reflection in December. Received a good rate (resident rate). I booked directly with Celebrity. Another popular cruise site was offering prepaid grats and OBC. In order to keep my reservation, Celebrity offered me prepaid grats in the form of OBC and matched the additional OBC offered by the other agency. However, the OBC does not appear on my reservation. I did get a confirmation email from a rep from Celebrity but when I called to inquire as to why it was not showing on my reservation, I was told that the OBC would NOT appear until final payment.

 

I am curious if anyone else has had the same experience. I am a little bothered that Celebrity is "holding the OBC hostage" so to speak until final payment. My only thought for this would be they want to prevent me from shopping other agencies and transferring my booking.

 

It is an excellent deal, don't get me wrong but I am a bit irked that the OBC I was promised is not being added to my reservation until final payment.

 

Any thoughts. Thank you for any input!

[jelayne]

It's too late to transfer the booking as that must be done within 14 days.

 

My bookings are either direct with a TA or transferred to one and I am never able to see my OBC on the website. As long as it is showing on the Celebrity Booking Confirmation I don't worry. Ask that they email that to you.

[JERSEYGIRL1983]

It's too late to transfer the booking as that must be done within 14 days.

 

My bookings are either direct with a TA or transferred to one and I am never able to see my OBC on the website. As long as it is showing on the Celebrity Booking Confirmation I don't worry. Ask that they email that to you.

 

Hi Jelayne

 

I have 60 days to transfer my booking. I saw this on Celebrity's website and spoke with several travel agents to confirm. Celebrity will not add it to my booking confirmation. Not until final payment. All I have is an email from a rep confirming i have the OBC.

[stevea36]

Hi all

 

Question. I booked a Celebrity cruise, on the Reflection in December. Received a good rate (resident rate). I booked directly with Celebrity. Another popular cruise site was offering prepaid grats and OBC. In order to keep my reservation, Celebrity offered me prepaid grats in the form of OBC and matched the additional OBC offered by the other agency. However, the OBC does not appear on my reservation. I did get a confirmation email from a rep from Celebrity but when I called to inquire as to why it was not showing on my reservation, I was told that the OBC would NOT appear until final payment.

 

I am curious if anyone else has had the same experience. I am a little bothered that Celebrity is "holding the OBC hostage" so to speak until final payment. My only thought for this would be they want to prevent me from shopping other agencies and transferring my booking.

 

It is an excellent deal, don't get me wrong but I am a bit irked that the OBC I was promised is not being added to my reservation until final payment.

 

Any thoughts. Thank you for any input!

 

OBC rarely shows up on the cruise line invoice. It will show up on your On Board Account by the second day of your cruise. Just bring whatever documentation that you have showing you are getting it. I was once on an RCI cruise and had OBC that didn't show up by day 2. The Bursar made a call to HQ on my behalf and while they were investigating provided me with the promised OBC, regardless of the outcome of the investigation. (btw, it did come through, but on the 3rd day).

 

So, the bottom line is "don't expect to see it on the invoice from X".

 

Steve

[Lois R]

I agree with the previous poster......if you look at your "booking

confirmation"....that is where the OBC's show up. Making final payment

has nothing to do with your OBC...not sure why you were told that....:eek:

I booked a cruise while I was on a cruise and there were perks given

to me......I transferred the booking to my TA and all my credits were

on the "Guest Confirmation".

I never thought anything was being held hostage.:confused:

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

 

So, the bottom line is "don't expect to see it on the invoice from X".

 

Steve

 

On the contrary, my OBC always shows up on my Celebrity booking confirmation.

 

Linda

 

[JERSEYGIRL1983]

Thank you for your replies. I called Celebrity and was on the phone for an hour. I told them the OBC was not appearing on the booking confirm that they emailed to me. (It usually shows on the right side of your booking confirm-not on website).

 

She looked at the notes and said she only saw a fraction of what I was promised. (This is why I want it on our booking confirm). I told her what the amount was actually supposed to be, after half an hour on hold as she tried to reach the resolutions department or a supervisor, she asked me to forward her the email we received originally. I did. She then asked me to send it to her supervisor. I did. Then she advised that they have "updated the notes on my account" to show the full amount. I told her that was not acceptable, that we wanted it included on our booking confirmation, where it's supposed to be listed. She stated that her supervisor informed her that it would not apply until final payment.

 

I explained that at no time prior were we informed of that. I also pointed out that the original email confirm of the OBC had no mention of that. She stated it was "policy") I explained that there exists no such policy online and that every human being who books a cruise with perks, gets it confirmed on their booking confirmation. After an hour of going back and forth (and her supervisor chatting with her on their internal server because she was too "busy" to take my call) I was told I would need to call Monday and speak with their escalations department.

 

I then get an email from the lazy supervisor who says that the OBC was a "goodwill gesture" and that it is not going to be applied u til final payment and is non transferable. The OBC was never a goodwill gesture. It was a promo they matched from another agency.

 

With the entire OBC not appearing I the "notes" this evening, I am not comfortable it will be in their "notes"later down the line.

[jelayne]

Hi Jelayne

 

I have 60 days to transfer my booking. I saw this on Celebrity's website and spoke with several travel agents to confirm. Celebrity will not add it to my booking confirmation. Not until final payment. All I have is an email from a rep confirming i have the OBC.

 

I must have misunderstood your post. I thought you made the onboard booking in December so the 60 day time to transfer would have expired in February.

[JERSEYGIRL1983]

Update: I emailed all the "higher ups" I could think of and cc'd the supervisor who was involved. I sent the email at 8:46 p.m. Exactly 20 minutes later, I received a phone call from that same supervisor apologizing. She stated she called her manager on his cell at home, read him my email and as a "one time courtesy" will add it to my booking. She was very polite and apologetic. She also confirmed that the reason they don't add it until final payment is so that it is not transferred to another agency that may offer an additional "perk".

 

She said it would take a couple of days at most to get the updated confirm but gave me her direct line in the event I do not receive it.

[JERSEYGIRL1983]

I must have misunderstood your post. I thought you made the onboard booking in December so the 60 day time to transfer would have expired in February.

 

It's ok. Sometimes I'm all over the place when I'm writing (typing) and I'm annoyed!! I probably wasn't very clear.