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Princess OBC: Not “real” money?

Cruzer1001

By Cruzer1001,
in Princess Cruises

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konatyme

konatyme

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Posted

So do I understand from Navy Veteran's post that if I book a shore excursion ahead of time using some of my OBC, I will lose that OBC if the excursion is later cancelled? I somehow assumed that the OBC would be credited back to my account. If this isn't true, it might determine whether or not I make a shore ex reservation. (Particularly since we have almost never used Princess excursions anyway, but were thinking we might on in a particular port in a cruise next year.)

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LH25

LH25

Posted
Posted
So do I understand from Navy Veteran's post that if I book a shore excursion ahead of time using some of my OBC, I will lose that OBC if the excursion is later cancelled? I somehow assumed that the OBC would be credited back to my account. If this isn't true, it might determine whether or not I make a shore ex reservation. (Particularly since we have almost never used Princess excursions anyway, but were thinking we might on in a particular port in a cruise next year.)

 

I'm sure NavyVeteran will clarify, but I took the post as the charge just went away, like the reservation hadn't been made at all.

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AE_Collector

AE_Collector

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Why would you need an answer before booking your next Celebrity cruise?

 

Code for I’m already PO’d at Princess over this trivial little thing so I may be going Celebrity next time.

 

I think there was just once in our cruising history where we had more OBC than what was used just to cover gratuities and combined with some ships shore excursions and the occasional visit to Happy Hour this just has never been an issue worth creating all the negative vibes before even boarding the ship ... but that might be just us.

 

AE_Collector

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RDC1

RDC1

Posted
Posted
Obviously some of you don't understand the sarcasm involved

I.E.: as in taking ones business elsewhere

 

 

The funniest thing is he taking his business from Princess because they require prepayment of reservations, to Celebrity, which also requires prepayment of reservations.

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riclop

riclop

Posted
Posted
We are off on the Regal Princess for a few weeks in a couple of months and have a few hundred dollars of OnBoard Credit to use. But on their website this OBC is not good enough to make a restaurant reservation, and you must put an immediate, prepaid charge on a credit card (or PayPal?). So the $12K+ they took of my money plus my $300 OBC isn’t enough for a restaurant reservation?

I guess my question is: Is the Specialty Restaurant reservation charge on my credit card refundable once on board when I can then use Princess’ fake money?

I’d like to know this before I book my next Celebrity cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You can use it for grats and restaurants and shopping.

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NavyVeteran

NavyVeteran

Posted
Posted
So do I understand from Navy Veteran's post that if I book a shore excursion ahead of time using some of my OBC, I will lose that OBC if the excursion is later cancelled? I somehow assumed that the OBC would be credited back to my account. If this isn't true, it might determine whether or not I make a shore ex reservation. (Particularly since we have almost never used Princess excursions anyway, but were thinking we might on in a particular port in a cruise next year.)

If you prepay with OBC, you do not actually prepay. The charges for all of the booked excursions show on your folio, along with all of the OBC. The OBC is not actually charged until you are onboard.

 

If you cancel an excursion onboard before the deadline, the charge for the excursion disappears from your folio - as if you had never ordered it. The OBC is still there.

 

Another good thing about this policy: Since the charge is not actually made until onboard, it will use nonrefundable OBC first before using any refundable OBC - even if the nonrefundable OBC were not posted in advance and were not available to use for the "prepayment".

 

Simplified example: $250 military OBC (refundable) available in advance and $50 loyalty OBC not available until onboard. Book an excursion wor $60 and spend no other OBC onboard (prepaid gratuities before someone calls me out on not paying them:)). Cruise Personalizer shows $250 OBC less $60 spend with an available balance of $190. If they actually charged you in advance against that OBC, then you would lose the $50 nonrefundable OBC you got onboard. But they don't. Onboard folio shows $300 OBC ($250 refundable and $50 nonrefundable) and $60 charge with a balance of $240 - all refundable.

 

Note: This is personal experience - not speculation. I cancelled an excursion booked in advance with OBC and my brother cancelled an excursion booked and paid by credit card on our January 27th cruise.

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Cruzer1001

Cruzer1001

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If you prepay with OBC, you do not actually prepay. The charges for all of the booked excursions show on your folio, along with all of the OBC. The OBC is not actually charged until you are onboard.

 

If you cancel an excursion onboard before the deadline, the charge for the excursion disappears from your folio - as if you had never ordered it. The OBC is still there.

 

Another good thing about this policy: Since the charge is not actually made until onboard, it will use nonrefundable OBC first before using any refundable OBC - even if the nonrefundable OBC were not posted in advance and were not available to use for the "prepayment".

 

Simplified example: $250 military OBC (refundable) available in advance and $50 loyalty OBC not available until onboard. Book an excursion wor $60 and spend no other OBC onboard (prepaid gratuities before someone calls me out on not paying them:)). Cruise Personalizer shows $250 OBC less $60 spend with an available balance of $190. If they actually charged you in advance against that OBC, then you would lose the $50 nonrefundable OBC you got onboard. But they don't. Onboard folio shows $300 OBC ($250 refundable and $50 nonrefundable) and $60 charge with a balance of $240 - all refundable.

 

Note: This is personal experience - not speculation. I cancelled an excursion booked in advance with OBC and my brother cancelled an excursion booked and paid by credit card on our January 27th cruise.

 

 

 

An excellent and patient explanation of the process.

 

 

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caribill

caribill

Posted
Posted
So do I understand from Navy Veteran's post that if I book a shore excursion ahead of time using some of my OBC, I will lose that OBC if the excursion is later cancelled? I somehow assumed that the OBC would be credited back to my account. If this isn't true, it might determine whether or not I make a shore ex reservation. (Particularly since we have almost never used Princess excursions anyway, but were thinking we might on in a particular port in a cruise next year.)

 

No. If you cancel the excursion before the no-refund deadline then the refund will be put into your onboard account as OBC you can still use.

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Haboob

Haboob

Posted
Posted

Remember, too, there are three classes of OBC once you get onboard:

 

• Refundable

• Non-refundable, usable in the Casino

• Non-refundable, not usable in the Casino

 

If I recall correctly, they are used most-restrictive to least.

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Haboob

Haboob

Posted
Posted (edited)
I don't believe that [non-Casino OBC] is true.

 

Unfortunately, Princess does believe it.

 

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/faq_answer_legal/Military_Personnel_Benefit_US.pdf

 

That being said, if you have a DD214 or UK equivalent it's much better than nothing, and Princess

will remember having seen it from one cruise to the next.

 

 

Ooops! Forgot the Canadians. Their vets get lovin', too

Edited by Haboob
Forgot important detail.
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floridalover5623

floridalover5623

Posted
Posted
Unfortunately, Princess does believe it.

 

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/faq_answer_legal/Military_Personnel_Benefit_US.pdf

 

That being said, if you have a DD214 or UK equivalent it's much better than nothing, and Princess

will remember having seen it from one cruise to the next.

 

 

Ooops! Forgot the Canadians. Their vets get lovin', too

I know what it says, but again it's not actually true.

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Cruzer1001

Cruzer1001

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Just as an update, there has been no change so we can not make a reservation using the OBC Princess is holding. That is the good news. The bad news is that I can not use my credit card make a reservation for my wife’s birthday at all because we are not important enough.

Good to know.

 

 

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floridalover5623

floridalover5623

Posted
Posted
It is. It is a shame that Princess had to resort to this but many people (including me) tended to think of OBC as reducing the cost of a cruise. I now think of OBC as funny money. To spend frivolously.

It's still working for me....today anyway.

Who knows what will happen in the near future. Things seem to be changing every time I board lately.... gelato, excursion credit not being honored if you can't do the trip, no ordered drinks at the repeaters party, coffee card expiration dates. :(

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ggprincess2004

ggprincess2004

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Posted

I am not a fan of the changes Princess made in the way we have to prepay to book excursions, but at least we can use the OBC that has been posted in advance of the cruise to book them. Princess only relatively recently allowed pre-booking of specialty dining. We have never had a problem getting reservations when we are on board, at which point it is charged against your on-board account.

Even so-called non-refundable credit can be used in the casino, and cashed out that way. It is real money. We don't feel a need to "spend it" on board if we know there will be excess OBC, and it does add up. We just hit the casino and cash out. We resist the urge to actually gamble for more than a few minutes.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Cruzer1001

Cruzer1001

Posted
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Posted
I just deposited a check for $640.11 from Bottomline Technologies to my checking account today. This was the refundable OBC from my 10-night Panama Canal cruise (January 27 - February 6, 2018).

 

 

 

This was definitely real money.

 

 

No, it became real money sometime after your cruise. Princess did not consider it real money until after your cruise.

 

 

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