Considering shareholder benefit?

[Bimmer babe]

Thinfool,

How did you get your Princess status on your signature?

[SoCalTraveler]

I wrote a letter years ago to get the shareholder benefit. I simply edit that letter, print it out, attach one page from my current broker statement, and fax it in. For our upcoming cruise, it took three days to post from submission.

 

The only time I had a problem was doing it more than 90 days in advance. I just resubmitted within 90 days.

 

The credit applies to pretty much anything. (We don't use the casino, so you are on your own there.)

 

My hundred share investment has made a decent, but not great return over the years. Add in the credit, and it has done OK. Better than the S&L.

[antsp]

If you don't use the obc can you get it back as cash

[Astro Flyer]

If you don't use the obc can you get it back as cash

No...in the Cruise Personalizer under Payments & Credits the Shareholders Benefits has an asterisk next to it: *Please enjoy using these credits onboard as they are not refundable

[CruiseAndRepeat]

Make sure you feel it is a good investment for you. Carnival can change the stockholder benefit tomorrow.

 

What Royal Caribbean did was change their promotions so that you cannot double dip. So since the change the only time I've used the benefit is for cruises that I booked a month out in an inside cabin since that was the only cabin grade priced without an included package.

 

I agree that you should by the stock as an investment first. The shareholder benefit is just a kicker.

 

That said, if you have 100 shares of Carnival, you should keep in mind the benefit when comparing prices

 

Carnival brands (HAL, Princess, etc) have always allowed me to combine the shareholder benefit with any fare or other source of OBC. RCCL, in contrast, has so many exceptions so broadly stated that you shouldn't factor in the benefit. If you get it, be happy, but assume you won't.

[cruise2rejuve]

Make sure you use the most up to date Shareholder Benefit form when applying for the on board credit as a shareholder of Carnival Cruise Line stock (CCL). Some past forms have outdated instructions and outdated terms. You can call CCL to have them email you the most recent form.

[cruise2rejuve]

Make sure you use the most up to date Shareholder Benefit form when applying for the on board credit as a shareholder of Carnival Cruise Line stock (CCL). Some past forms have outdated instructions and outdated terms. You can call CCL to have them email you the most recent form.

 

Here is the form good into 2019.

2018 Shareholder Benefit Request Form.pdf

[cruise2rejuve]

BTW, it is a good time to buy CCL stock after a nice pull back in share price. Rising Gen Y demographics apparently like cruising as do the Baby Boomers. And don't forget China is embracing cruising too. Costa Cruise line (a brand of CCL) just completed a cruise ship specifically for the China market. CCL stock has some tailwinds after the drop in share price.

[caribill]

Make sure you use the most up to date Shareholder Benefit form when applying for the on board credit as a shareholder of Carnival Cruise Line stock (CCL). Some past forms have outdated instructions and outdated terms. You can call CCL to have them email you the most recent form.

 

You do not even have to use the form. Just send (FAX, snail-mail) your proof of stock ownership with a cover letter that has the needed information: your name, your booking number, ship, sail date

[cruise2rejuve]

BTW, it is a good time to buy CCL stock after a nice pull back in share price. Rising Gen Y demographics apparently like cruising as do the Baby Boomers. And don't forget China is embracing cruising too. Costa Cruise line (a brand of CCL) just completed a cruise ship specifically for the China market. CCL stock has some tailwinds after the drop in share price.

 

Nice 3% dividend while you hold the shares at current cost basis.

[Lyndonn]

Can the Shareholders OBC be applied to gratuities?

[Astro Flyer]

Can the Shareholders OBC be applied to gratuities?

 

Yes... it’s a simple credit to your onboard folio account from which any debits including gratuities are deducted.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Astro Flyer

[Haboob]

Yes... it’s a simple credit to your onboard folio account from which any debits including gratuities are deducted.

 

Not quite true, last I heard. They have begun labeling what type of OBC each was, but had not yet

 

begun enforcing the no-cash, no-gratuities, no-casino restrictions on SOBC. (Possibly because

the systems afloat weren't programmed to charge against most restrictive but applicable OBC yet)

[Bimmer babe]

No gratuity use for OBCs--oh, no!! Now with having to pay in advance for excursions, that is another place that the OBCs can't be used.:eek::eek:

[JudithLynne]

We had this dilemma two years ago with HAL. We boarded the Masdam with $1100 OBC! We waited to book excursions until we got onboard. We got everything we wanted.

[cruise2rejuve]

No gratuity use for OBCs--oh, no!! Now with having to pay in advance for excursions, that is another place that the OBCs can't be used.:eek::eek:

 

I'm not well versed on excursions. What did you mean by "Now with having to pay in advance for excursions..."? I thought we bought them after getting on board, thus can use the OBC. Are you implying there is a greater savings to buy shore excursions in advance of boarding?

[Astro Flyer]

Not quite true, last I heard. They have begun labeling what type of OBC each was, but had not yet begun enforcing the no-cash, no-gratuities, no-casino restrictions on SOBC. (Possibly because the systems afloat weren't programmed to charge against most restrictive but applicable OBC yet)

 

They have been labeling several types of OBC for many years but thankfully the restrictions have never been enforced.

 

However those restrictions can be enforced if they modify their onboard accounting system to enforce their stated limitations.

 

Until then, it’s a simple credit from which debits are deducted & thankful they’re not enforcing the limitations. [emoji4]

[kywildcatfanone]

I bought my 100 shares in 2010, price was right at $30. I've gone on 16 cruises since then and so I'm more than 1/2 way to paying for it. Not to mention the stock has doubled, which is a nice benefit.

[JudithLynne]

I'm not well versed on excursions. What did you mean by "Now with having to pay in advance for excursions..."? I thought we bought them after getting on board, thus can use the OBC. Are you implying there is a greater savings to buy shore excursions in advance of boarding?

 

The advantage to buying before boarding is that you cut the risk of your choice being sold out when you get on board. The price is the same either way you book.

[Bimmer babe]

I'm not well versed on excursions. What did you mean by "Now with having to pay in advance for excursions..."? I thought we bought them after getting on board, thus can use the OBC. Are you implying there is a greater savings to buy shore excursions in advance of boarding?

 

You have the choice of reserving excursions in advance online or getting them on the ship. Used to be if you reserved them in advance, you didn't have to pay for them until you got on the ship. Now, if you want to reserve excursions in advance (to make sure you get the ones you want and not be wait-listed), you have to pay for them in advance. NCL has been doing this for a while, so I guess Princess thought "a bird in the hand..." It was nice since you could change excursions, but now it will involve getting a refund of one excursion in order to book a new one.

[shof515]

Wow o wow..this change is unnoticed. Last week, i was able to view shore excursions and it said it will be use my onboard credit. Now, i just check and it says payment required. I wished princess sent out some kind of notification to me in advance so i could of booked all of my excursions.

 

 

 

Now i have to book everything onboard or try using the app. not fun :(

[Astro Flyer]

Wow o wow..this change is unnoticed. Last week, i was able to view shore excursions and it said it will be use my onboard credit. Now, i just check and it says payment required. I wished princess sent out some kind of notification to me in advance so i could of booked all of my excursions.

 

Now i have to book everything onboard or try using the app. not fun :(

 

In the Cruise Personalizer it adds tours we want to purchase & mine clearly states that we have 24 hours to pay for them using either OBC or a creditcard.

 

If you haven’t paid, you can follow this procedure. Paying either way is a hedge against future price increases which are routinely made particularly for popular tours. Hopefully the procedure works to book your tours.

[RRFan]

Currently on a Princess ship (8th this year). OBC is still being handled as it always has been.

 

Note to Elites, if you change your mini bar for coffee cards, it’s put on your card and you swipe for every purchase. Still free but they are not using paper cards any more. I am assuming you use it or lose it by the end if the cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Astro Flyer]

Currently on a Princess ship (8th this year). OBC is still being handled as it always has been.

 

Note to Elites, if you change your mini bar for coffee cards, it’s put on your card and you swipe for every purchase. Still free but they are not using paper cards any more. I am assuming you use it or lose it by the end if the cruise.

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences & based on other discussions unused specialty coffees are lost after a cruise.

 

It’s been posted that passengers who exchange their elite minibar have been able to get a coffee program for both passengers...was that your experience? Were the coffee programs attached to cruise cards for 15 specialty coffees for both of you?

 

Princess has stated that the number of specialty coffees will be based on length of the cruise. That hasn’t happened yet for my future cruises where the coffee program was for 15 whether on a 14 day or 7 day cruise. That could be a result of the changes being slowly implemented & could eventually be correctly based on cruise length.

[caribill]

I'm not well versed on excursions. What did you mean by "Now with having to pay in advance for excursions..."? I thought we bought them after getting on board, thus can use the OBC. Are you implying there is a greater savings to buy shore excursions in advance of boarding?

 

The price is the same either way you book.

 

Not always true. I have seen excursion prices increased on board compared to booking in advance. Some times just $5 or $10 more, other times up to $30 more. Of course, some excursions do remain at the pre-cruise price.