125% OBC

[notmyrealnameoremail]

Good afternoon,

 

I suspect that our November 28, 2020 cruise may not happen.  We already made final payment.  I expect that if it is cancelled Royal will continue to offer both the 125% FCC and 125% OBC.

 

If this comes to pass, I understand how the FCC works and have a plan on how to use it.

 

The OBC not so much.  If you accept it, how do you use it? Can it only be applied to one cruise, or is it like the FCC where you can roll over the extra to another cruise?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Tom - who hopes the cruise in November actually happens.

 

P.S. Yes, I understand that taking FCC and OBC bonuses means taking a risk that Royal goes out of business or reorganizes in a way that reduces or eliminates their value.  I think that risk is negligible.  I would be happy to explain why on another thread, but for now I'm just looking for information on how the 125% OBC works.

[Coralc]

1 hour ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Good afternoon,

 

I suspect that our November 28, 2020 cruise may not happen.  We already made final payment.  I expect that if it is cancelled Royal will continue to offer both the 125% FCC and 125% OBC.

 

If this comes to pass, I understand how the FCC works and have a plan on how to use it.

 

The OBC not so much.  If you accept it, how do you use it? Can it only be applied to one cruise, or is it like the FCC where you can roll over the extra to another cruise?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Tom - who hopes the cruise in November actually happens.

 

P.S. Yes, I understand that taking FCC and OBC bonuses means taking a risk that Royal goes out of business or reorganizes in a way that reduces or eliminates their value.  I think that risk is negligible.  I would be happy to explain why on another thread, but for now I'm just looking for information on how the 125% OBC works.

 

There is no such thing as extra OBC. It will all roll onto whichever cruise you decide to book. You can't decide how much you wish to allocate to a certain cruise. The question is whether it is refundable or non -refundable OBC. If it is refundable you can request a refund of any leftover at the end of the cruise. But I suspect it becomes non-refundable if you take advantage of their 125% offer. 

[notmyrealnameoremail]

Thanks

[Ourusualbeach]

4 hours ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Good afternoon,

 

I suspect that our November 28, 2020 cruise may not happen.  We already made final payment.  I expect that if it is cancelled Royal will continue to offer both the 125% FCC and 125% OBC.

 

If this comes to pass, I understand how the FCC works and have a plan on how to use it.

 

The OBC not so much.  If you accept it, how do you use it? Can it only be applied to one cruise, or is it like the FCC where you can roll over the extra to another cruise?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Tom - who hopes the cruise in November actually happens.

 

P.S. Yes, I understand that taking FCC and OBC bonuses means taking a risk that Royal goes out of business or reorganizes in a way that reduces or eliminates their value.  I think that risk is negligible.  I would be happy to explain why on another thread, but for now I'm just looking for information on how the 125% OBC works.

Once you tell Royal you want the 125% OBC you can apply it to any cruise.  The OBC will be issued based on each guest and what they have for purchases and not who paid for them.  If you and your wife each bought the same things then you will get equal amounts of OBC.  You could apply your OBC to one cruise and your wife’s to a different cruise.  What you can’t do is apply your OBC to two different cruises. Once you ask for the 125% OBC it is non refundable (there are ways to take excess OBC out at the casino though). 

[torpeedo]

I think OBC is something different than the CREDIT of 125% offered for on board purchases on your cruise planner such as drink packages or dining packages if you keep those when cancelling a cancelled cruise.  We've cancelled all of our onboard purchases like ultimate dining packages or excursions a few days before we cancel a predicted cancelled cruise or L&S the cruise we predict will be cancelled. I would rather get the refund on those purchases instead of a125% credit.  Never know what we'll want on a new cruise.

[retiredgram]

So you are saying, if I have purchased a dining or drink package, I will get 125% on that besides the 125% FCC.?? I just thought you got 125% FCC and all pre-purchased items were refunded to original payment method..

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, retiredgram said:

So you are saying, if I have purchased a dining or drink package, I will get 125% on that besides the 125% FCC.?? I just thought you got 125% FCC and all pre-purchased items were refunded to original payment method..

You will get that option if Royal cancels. You can also elect for a refund. 

[retiredgram]

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You will get that option if Royal cancels. You can also elect for a refund. 

Thank you.  I did not know about the OBC for your pre purchases. 

[notmyrealnameoremail]

Ken,

 

As always, thanks for the information.

 

Tom

[LeeW]

We just got an OBC cancellation letter for a rescheduled cruise.  First cruise in April took 125% and once we got the credit email codes (look just like FCC codes and can be applied to new cruise with the link) we applied it to our September cruise.  That cruise is now cancelled and we received emails that the second set of purchases have been cancelled and the full 125% from the first cruise are now available to apply to a future cruise.  You don't get any additional percentage on the second cruise, but as Ken said a month or so ago, you don't lose it.  It was converted to a Promotional OBC (non-refundable).

[notmyrealnameoremail]

19 minutes ago, LeeW said:

We just got an OBC cancellation letter for a rescheduled cruise.  First cruise in April took 125% and once we got the credit email codes (look just like FCC codes and can be applied to new cruise with the link) we applied it to our September cruise.  That cruise is now cancelled and we received emails that the second set of purchases have been cancelled and the full 125% from the first cruise are now available to apply to a future cruise.  You don't get any additional percentage on the second cruise, but as Ken said a month or so ago, you don't lose it.  It was converted to a Promotional OBC (non-refundable).

Thanks.  Am I correct in assuming you don't have to apply the OBS to the same cruise you apply the FCC to?

[Ourusualbeach]

6 hours ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Thanks.  Am I correct in assuming you don't have to apply the OBS to the same cruise you apply the FCC to?

Correct

[LeeW]

When Royal offers 125% of Cruise Planner purchases back they call this a Cruise Planner Credit.  You get one code per person per cruise that you can apply to any future cruise.  You can only apply one code per person and the code can only be applied to one cruise but as Ken said this doesn't have to be the same cruise you used an FCC for.  This can be applied with the link on the web site just like an FCC.  Once it is applied, it becomes a Promotional OBC, non-refundable.  

 

However if the second cruise this was applied to is also cancelled by Royal, they notify you that you now have a new promotional credit that can be applied to a future cruise.  You do not get an extra 125% for this cruise, just the original 125% from the first cruise.  You get an email notifying you the purchases on the new cruise have been cancelled and ours showed the whole 125% from the first cruise even though we had not spent all of it on the second cruise.  Ours doesn't show an expiration date and it came back as a combined credit for both of us.  To apply this to a third cruise we will have to call.  

[notmyrealnameoremail]

Thanks, understanding the details of how these things work makes it easier to make good decisions.

[NthernLgts]

The problem with the 125% FCC is that you have to either spend 25% more on your next cruise to be able to use the entire benefit in one cruise..... or you have to book two cruises.  Also, If your new cruise has the same base rate (or lower) as your current one you wont be able to use ANY of the extra credit.  It cant be used for things like OBC, gratuities, or excursions either.  RCI has confirmed this to me.

[Ashland]

15 hours ago, NthernLgts said:

The problem with the 125% FCC is that you have to either spend 25% more on your next cruise to be able to use the entire benefit in one cruise..... or you have to book two cruises.  Also, If your new cruise has the same base rate (or lower) as your current one you wont be able to use ANY of the extra credit.  It cant be used for things like OBC, gratuities, or excursions either.  RCI has confirmed this to me.

We opted for the 125% FCC and easily used it to upgrade cabin categories a JS to GS one bedroom. 

Our OBC from cruise planner we were offered 125% on that also but we decided to have 100% refunded to our cc.

Many ways to consider what works best.

[NthernLgts]

On 8/13/2020 at 6:23 PM, LeeW said:

When Royal offers 125% of Cruise Planner purchases back they call this a Cruise Planner Credit.  You get one code per person per cruise that you can apply to any future cruise.  You can only apply one code per person and the code can only be applied to one cruise but as Ken said this doesn't have to be the same cruise you used an FCC for.  This can be applied with the link on the web site just like an FCC.  Once it is applied, it becomes a Promotional OBC, non-refundable.  

 

However if the second cruise this was applied to is also cancelled by Royal, they notify you that you now have a new promotional credit that can be applied to a future cruise.  You do not get an extra 125% for this cruise, just the original 125% from the first cruise.  You get an email notifying you the purchases on the new cruise have been cancelled and ours showed the whole 125% from the first cruise even though we had not spent all of it on the second cruise.  Ours doesn't show an expiration date and it came back as a combined credit for both of us.  To apply this to a third cruise we will have to call.  

 

Can the CPC (OBC) credit be applied to a new booking but be left as onboard credit for that cruise so it could be used for shipboard purchases or gratuities?

[notmyrealnameoremail]

On 8/11/2020 at 11:39 AM, LeeW said:

We just got an OBC cancellation letter for a rescheduled cruise.  First cruise in April took 125% and once we got the credit email codes (look just like FCC codes and can be applied to new cruise with the link) we applied it to our September cruise.  That cruise is now cancelled and we received emails that the second set of purchases have been cancelled and the full 125% from the first cruise are now available to apply to a future cruise.  You don't get any additional percentage on the second cruise, but as Ken said a month or so ago, you don't lose it.  It was converted to a Promotional OBC (non-refundable).

Ok,  we just had our first cancellation where this (125% OBC) was offered and filled out the online form to request it that day.  Does anyone have an idea of how long is it likely to take for the credit to be issued  (we had until October 16 to make the request)?

 

Tom

 

 

[notmyrealnameoremail]

On 8/19/2020 at 9:57 AM, NthernLgts said:

 

Can the CPC (OBC) credit be applied to a new booking but be left as onboard credit for that cruise so it could be used for shipboard purchases or gratuities?

Yes, but as Ken said above, it is non refundable.

 

 

[Ourusualbeach]

21 minutes ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Ok,  we just had our first cancellation where this (125% OBC) was offered and filled out the online form to request it that day.  Does anyone have an idea of how long is it likely to take for the credit to be issued  (we had until October 16 to make the request)?

 

Tom

 

 

It took 7 weeks for my OBC from our Alaska cruise to show up.  That was the early stages when they were backlogged.  Should be around 4 weeks now. 

Edited October 10, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[Ourusualbeach]

On 8/19/2020 at 9:57 AM, NthernLgts said:

 

Can the CPC (OBC) credit be applied to a new booking but be left as onboard credit for that cruise so it could be used for shipboard purchases or gratuities?

It will be applied to your cruise planner once you redeem it.  Whatever you don’t spend in the cruise planner will show up on your On Board Account.  Like Tom mentioned...non refundable although there are ways to get it out using the casino.

Edited October 10, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[lovelife]

On 8/10/2020 at 8:10 PM, retiredgram said:

So you are saying, if I have purchased a dining or drink package, I will get 125% on that besides the 125% FCC.?? I just thought you got 125% FCC and all pre-purchased items were refunded to original payment method..

 

On 8/10/2020 at 8:17 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

You will get that option if Royal cancels. You can also elect for a refund. 

 

I have not been offered 125% of my pre-purchased items on any of my 11 Royal-cancelled bookings.

[Ourusualbeach]

11 minutes ago, lovelife said:

 

 

I have not been offered 125% of my pre-purchased items on any of my 11 Royal-cancelled bookings.

The 125% offer on a Cruise planner purchases has been available on every sailing from April 11th onward.  
 

Not everyone has received the official notice and letter that explains it, not everyone reads the letter completely, not all travel agents have forwarded the letter with all the options to their clients.  It’s a simple link to click on Or a phone call to request it.

 

Heres the letter, it is explained after the FCC, Lift and Shift and refund options 

 

 

Dear Guest,

We hope that this email finds you healthy and safe and that with each passing day, we're closer to getting back to a more regular day-to-day. While this is like nothing any of us have ever experienced, we continue to evaluate how it impacts our upcoming sailings.

As you know, this pandemic has been, and still is, quite fluid. Our most recent plan was to resume operation on October 31^st, 2020. However, to ensure we have ample time to focus on our healthy return to service initiatives, our global suspension has been extended through November 30^th, 2020, with a plan to resume operation on December 1^st, 2020. As a result, your sailing will unfortunately be cancelled.

We're terribly sorry for the impact to your vacation. Despite the current circumstances, our primary goal continues to be a seamless healthy return to service. We're so focused on welcoming our guests back, we've teamed up with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., and assembled the "Healthy Sail Panel" - a multifaceted team of globally recognized experts. The panel will work alongside our new Public Health & Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Calvin Johnson, and with their help our vision is to pioneer innovative ways to guide the cruise industry's way forward in response to the pandemic. It goes without saying, we're all in this together.

While we all wish we were cruising, we do have some options for you, including an option that has been very well received by our guests, as it provides a little something extra to use once we all start cruising again! Here are your options:

• 125% Future Cruise Credit: We're providing you with a 125% Future Cruise Credit to book a new cruise by December 31, 2021for sailings on or before April 30^th, 2022.
  • This amount is based on your total cruise fare paid. And, we're giving you a little extra, knowing that this is such a unique circumstance.
  • We'll automatically send your Future Cruise Credit via email by November 4^th, 2020. So, there's nothing for you to do!
  • Taxes & fees and any RoyalUp upgrades will be automatically refunded. Current refund processing is around 45 days. We are working as quickly as possible, and we appreciate your patience.
  • Please note:
    • If you opted into the Cruise with Confidence 100% Future Cruise Credit, this offer does not apply.
    • And, if you previously used a Future Cruise Credit (including previous Global Suspension FCCs), you'll receive a new Future Cruise Credit. This will be for 125% of any new monies paid on this sailing, plus the value of your original credit at 100% of its value, with an expiration date of December 31, 2021 and a sail by date of April 30, 2022.
    • If you were already impacted by a sailing that was previously cancelled due to a global suspension and paid additional monies on a new booking within this extended suspension period, you are still able to opt in to refund one or both cancelled bookings via the process below.

• Lift and Shift: If you prefer to move your existing booking to a sailing next year - we're happy to move you! We will price protect the original pricing and/or promotion on the same itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category as your original sailing within 4 weeks (before or after) of the original sail date the following year. For example, if you are moving from a November 30, 2020 sailing, you can move to a sailing that is the same itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category, and the sail date between October 30, 2021 - December 30, 2021.
  • Please know, price protection covers your cruise fare/promotion on an applicable sailing only and excludes taxes and fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items, as these may change.
  • You must decide to move to a new sailing by October 16^th, 2020. If not, we will automatically issue you a Future Cruise Credit.
  • Complimentary Casino offers are not eligible for Lift & Shift.

• 100% Refund: Or, if you prefer a full refund, which is a lower value than the future cruise credit offer above, we're happy to process this for you. Given how fluid this situation is, and the opportunity to use the extra credit being offered, you have until December 31, 2020 to request a refund and deactivate your certificate.
  • Please contact us to start the refund process, forfeiting the higher value of your 125% Future Cruise Credit.
    • To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, click here and we will get the refund process started for you. Note:Please know, once we receive your refund request, we unfortunately won't be able to accept an FCC request if you change your mind.
  • We'll then deactivate your Future Cruise Credit and process your refund to your original form(s) of payment, which will include any non-refundable deposits.
  • You can expect to receive your refund 45 days after you submit your refund request.
  • Please note: If you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we'll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we'll reinstate your original Cruise with Confidence certificate.

And, a special option for those that also purchased Cruise Planner Items...

• You can opt-in to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Cruise Planner purchases on your reservation.
  • Click here by October 16^th, 2020 to request your higher value credit and we'll email you your credit by November 4^th, 2020.
• If we don't hear from you on or before October 16^th, 2020, your Cruise Planner purchases will be automatically refunded. You'll receive your refund within 45 days of your booking's cancellation. We are working as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience during these unprecedented times.
• Also, if you opt for a cruise fare refund or for Lift and Shift, you are not be eligible for this Cruise Planner Onboard Credit offer.
• Questions about how the Cruise Planner credit works? Click here for more details.

Edited October 10, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[lovelife]

32 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The 125% offer on a Cruise planner purchases has been available on every sailing from April 11th onward.

 

Thanks!  I pulled one of my e-mail notices and there it was at the bottom.  That'll "learn ya - durn ya" to take the word of others who said you can only get a refund back to your credit card for cruise planner purchases.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, lovelife said:

 

Thanks!  I pulled one of my e-mail notices and there it was at the bottom.  That'll "learn ya - durn ya" to take the word of others who said you can only get a refund back to your credit card for cruise planner purchases.

FYI, it’s only available if you choose the FCC.  Not available if you take a refund or the lift and shift.