Limit to OBC per cruise?

[sonomaphil]

Is there a limit to how much OBC you can have per cruise? In the Onboard Services section where you can purchase OBC it has a warning of "Onboard Credits cannot exceed $1,500 per booking."   I don't want to purchase OBC but between TA OBC, Princess OBC and CCL shareholder OBC I'll be over $1500 on my January Panama cruise.

[JF - retired RRT]

AFAIK there's no limit. We've never had $1500  (wowza!)...but we have had close to $1000.

The limit on purchased OBC might be a bookkeeping issue.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

22 minutes ago, sonomaphil said:

 I don't want to purchase OBC but between TA OBC, Princess OBC and CCL shareholder OBC I'll be over $1500 on my January Panama cruise.

wow. We once had $500 for the 5 of us... That's the most we've ever had.

Is yours refundable in any way?

[vjmatty]

53 minutes ago, sonomaphil said:

Is there a limit to how much OBC you can have per cruise? In the Onboard Services section where you can purchase OBC it has a warning of "Onboard Credits cannot exceed $1,500 per booking."   I don't want to purchase OBC but between TA OBC, Princess OBC and CCL shareholder OBC I'll be over $1500 on my January Panama cruise.

 

I think that is a limit on how much can be purchased.... something to do with money laundering, which sounds a bit silly but who knows.

[cruzsnooze]

I've had more then $1500 recently so it's possible. 

[sonomaphil]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

wow. We once had $500 for the 5 of us... That's the most we've ever had.

Is yours refundable in any way?

Not refundable but it's a 15 day full transit so a couples message once each week will do the trick.  

[geniesue]

We will have $1500 on our Canada cruisetour the end of the month.  Only $200 is non refundable, the rest is TA & Military, FCD.  Definitely pays to book with Travel Agent.

[teecee60]

6 hours ago, sonomaphil said:

between TA OBC, Princess OBC and CCL shareholder OBC I'll be over $1500 

 

5 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I've had more then $1500 recently so it's possible. 

 

6 minutes ago, geniesue said:

We will have $1500 on our Canada cruisetour the end of the month.  

 

You guys are my HEROES!  😃

[skynight]

1 hour ago, geniesue said:

We will have $1500 on our Canada cruisetour the end of the month.  Only $200 is non refundable, the rest is TA & Military, FCD.  Definitely pays to book with Travel Agent.

Look again. FCD OBC is non-refundable. TA OBC is probably non-refundable.  

[Steelers36]

To sum it up, a guest can purchase cash OBC via the Cruise Personalizer under Onboard Services.  That is limited to $1,500.   A guest may "earn" more than $1,500 in OBC's from Shareholder, Military, FCD, Princess, and TA.  I would say unless a TA is granting a large sum in lieu of a cash discount off the cruise fare, a guest is highly unlikely to get to $1,500 with the rest of the types. 

[HS2BS]

Just off Sky Princess(September 3) and had a very large obc - $350 was non refundable which we used up, the rest was refundable. We left the ship with over a thousand in refundable, and that was after going to guest services and withdrawing $250(Princess limit). Did receive final folio total via email showing refundable amount to be credited to credit card.

 

Hal

[Cruisen Elf]

Is Shareholder OBC refundable or non-refundable?

[HS2BS]

Shareholder obc is non refundable - your folio shows both refundable and non refundable. You can use the non refundable pre cruise to purchase excursions, specialty dining, etc.

 

Hal

 

[Cruisen Elf]

15 minutes ago, HS2BS said:

Shareholder obc is non refundable - your folio shows both refundable and non refundable. You can use the non refundable pre cruise to purchase excursions, specialty dining, etc.

 

Hal

 

 

Thanks!  I never noticed that it specified refundable & nonrefundable OBC right in the personalizer.  🥴 

[GloriaF]

Princess automatically uses non-refundable OBC first.  Between excursions, specialty dining, and spa it is quickly used up.  

 

With $1500 OBC it may be cost-effective to skip booking the Plus or Premiere package, and pay out of the OBC, depending on your preferences. That is what I would do since we would never get our money's worth in bar drinks.

Edited September 11, 2022 by GloriaF

[skynight]

46 minutes ago, HS2BS said:

Shareholder obc is non refundable - your folio shows both refundable and non refundable. You can use the non refundable pre cruise to purchase excursions, specialty dining, etc.

Hal

You can use OBC pre-cruise to purchase excursions. Unless things have changed recently you are not able to use OBC pre-cruise to purchase specialty dining. You must wait until you are on board. Some people have reported that they purchased specialty dining pre-cruise which was charged to their credit card, then once on board they visited passenger services to cancel the charge and have it charged to their on board account.

 

[madmacs]

Anyone know if the limit per booking relates to an individual or those booked together. Our booking of four with shareholders, current or past armed forces members, TA money plus gifts and purchases of obc mist total in excess of $2000 for all four but individually no one has more than $800 obc. So the key question is a booking perp person or all those booked together.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, madmacs said:

Anyone know if the limit per booking relates to an individual or those booked together. Our booking of four with shareholders, current or past armed forces members, TA money plus gifts and purchases of obc mist total in excess of $2000 for all four but individually no one has more than $800 obc. So the key question is a booking perp person or all those booked together.

It's per person, but I think you are misinterpreting things and has been answered.  There is no limit to the OBC you might get from booking a cruise.  If you purchase via Cruise Personalizer, the limit is $1,500.

[skynight]

2 hours ago, madmacs said:

Anyone know if the limit per booking relates to an individual or those booked together. Our booking of four with shareholders, current or past armed forces members, TA money plus gifts and purchases of obc mist total in excess of $2000 for all four but individually no one has more than $800 obc. So the key question is a booking perp person or all those booked together.

In addition to the previous posting each kind of OBC is be subject to certain rules. Military benefit is per qualified person up to two per cabin. Shareholder's benefit is one per cabin even if all occupants individually own Carnival stock. TA OBC is normally applied by the TA per person. Princess promo OBC is per qualified person per the terms and conditions of the offer.

Edited September 11, 2022 by skynight

[madmacs]

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

It's per person, but I think you are misinterpreting things and has been answered.  There is no limit to the OBC you might get from booking a cruise.  If you purchase via Cruise Personalizer, the limit is $1,500.

Thanks 

[geniesue]

On 9/9/2022 at 5:24 PM, skynight said:

Look again. FCD OBC is non-refundable. TA OBC is probably non-refundable.  

Travel Agent OBC is definitely refundable

[JF - retired RRT]

On 9/10/2022 at 2:43 PM, HS2BS said:

Just off Sky Princess(September 3) and had a very large obc - $350 was non refundable which we used up, the rest was refundable. We left the ship with over a thousand in refundable, and that was after going to guest services and withdrawing $250(Princess limit). Did receive final folio total via email showing refundable amount to be credited to credit card.

 

Hal

Unless they've changed since April (our most recent cruise), refundable is NOT sent to a credit card. You'll receive a check (pre-shutdown it took ~3-6 weeks) current posts on CC state it's taking 4-6 months. Watch your mail! The check comes in a plain envelope with the return address for a Princess contractor that process the checks (can't remember the name at the moment).

[skynight]

2 hours ago, geniesue said:

Travel Agent OBC is definitely refundable

Not always. Many times TAs form groups and with those groups comes OBC. This OBC is provided by Princess through the TA when they form the group. It is not refundable.

TAs may also use their points to provide benefits to certain customers from a menu of options. These benefits may include OBC which I believe is not refundable. 

[geniesue]

In our case we’ve done over 25 cruises and have always received refundable OBC.  Wise to thoroughly understand contract with travel agency before booking.  I stand corrected, that OBC always refundable.  Buyer beware!