OBC: Onboard credit, Getting into the Weeds/Details

[ohshin]

Hi, I have several specific questions about OBC, bolded below.

 

I will be receiving a small amount of 3 different types of OBC:

 - Shareholder credit

 - Booking credit

 - Travel Agent provided credit

 

I read an article from a UK web site that said each type of OBC has certain limitations:

 - Shareholder: Cannot be used for Gratuities or Casino

 - Booking: Cannot be used for Gratuities
 - Travel Agent: No limitations

 

Are these limitations true?  How does one tell the difference between their 3 types of OBC on their Online Invoice?

 

When does the Travel Agent credit appear?  On Day 2 of the cruise?

 

I have 2 cabins.  If I have 2 shareholder benefits of $50 each, can I use them both together towards 1 $110 Wi-Fi package?

 

Gratuities is going to increase by $1.50/guest/day in April.  If one has already booked the cruise but the cruise is in late 2023, are they grandfathered in to the old $14.50 rate? 

 

Thank you.

[nwcruiselover]

I can answer some of your questions.  I don’t use a TA so don’t know anything about OBC given by travel agents.

 

Both stockholder and booking credit can be used for gratuities and casino.  I have done that many times.

 

I don’t know about one person getting stockholder OBC on two different cabins on the same sailing.  Maybe someone else can answer that.  But I do know that OBC from two separate cabins can’t be combined to use towards purchasing wifi.

 

The daily gratuities are indeed being increased in April.  By booking a late 2023 cruise you are NOT grandfathered into the existing gratuity rate. However, if you choose to prepay gratuities before the price increase goes into effect, you will pay the existing rate.

[ngrund]

OP, unless there is a different shareholder in the second cabin (shares not in a joint account) you can only get one shareholder OBC.

 

The credit is per cabin, so even if you can get two credits they can't be combined to purchase one WIFI package

 

Once you have the shareholder credit added to a cabin, you should be able to buy the WIFI package and pay using all the  OBC  you have, and if not enough, pay the remainder

 

[groundloop]

4 hours ago, ohshin said:

 

 

When does the Travel Agent credit appear?  On Day 2 of the cruise?

 

 

 

I'm not sure if all travel agents handle this the same way, but there's always a note waiting for me in my mailbox when I get to my cabin on the first day indicating that my travel agent has given me a gift of xx dollars of cruise cash.  That shows up on my S&S account along with OBC from my shareholder benefits as well as any promotional OBC, but the cruise cash is used first for any expenses since that's "use it or lose it".

[Elaine5715]

OBC credits, regardless of the source is applied first to onboard charges until gone.  

[Eli_6]

No, you can't combine OBC from separate cabins to purchase 1 wifi

 

[ohshin]

On 2/12/2023 at 3:29 PM, ngrund said:

OP, unless there is a different shareholder in the second cabin (shares not in a joint account) you can only get one shareholder OBC.

 

Thank you all for the replies.

 

To ngrund:

 

There is a different shareholder in the 2nd cabin.  We both hold 100 shares total in a joint account.  I have previously received the Shareholder Benefit by submitting the same joint statement, twice separately to the Benefits Credit e-mail person.  Has this changed?

 

To others:

 

I was getting my information for "different OBC's have different use limtations" from this UK web site: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/carnival-onboard-credit/

She writes, "onboard credit that comes from being a Carnival shareholder can’t be applied to gratuities."  Is this incorrect (or at least incorrect for US cruises?)

[ngrund]

I didn't know for sure about the joint account, but if you've done it in the past, just do it the same way again. I thought the "only one onboard credit per shareholder" would be interpreted as meaning one credit per stock account

 

This from the actual terms of the credit, it does say it can't be used for gratuities charged to onboard account:

 

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/shareholder-information/shareholder-benefit

 

 

This benefit is available to shareholders holding a minimum of 100 shares of Carnival Corporation or Carnival plc. Employees, travel agents cruising at travel agent rates, interline rates, tour
conductors or anyone cruising on a reduced-rate or complimentary basis are excluded from this offer. This benefit is not transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash and, cannot be used for
casino credits/charges and gratuities charged to your onboard account. Only one onboard credit per shareholder-occupied stateroom. Reservations must be made by February 28, 2023.

 

[nwcruiselover]

For US cruises, the shareholder OBC can definitely be used for gratuities.  The OBC goes onto your sail and sign account and that amount is used first for any purchases onboard, and for the gratuities.

[ngrund]

Any OBC you receive will end up being in one of 2 categories-refundable and non-refundable.

 

That is what is going to matter-non-refundable will be used first and has to be spent on extras (wifi, dining, shore excursions, gift shop purchases, photos, drinks (if you don't have Cheers) etc), The shareholder and booking credit is non-refundable.

 

The OBC from your travel agent is likely to be refundable and that can be used for gratuities.

 

I always per-pay the daily service charges and buy Cheers so I have never had a problem using all my OBC

[ngrund]

25 minutes ago, ngrund said:

Any OBC you receive will end up being in one of 2 categories-refundable and non-refundable.

 

That is what is going to matter-non-refundable will be used first and has to be spent on extras (wifi, dining, shore excursions, gift shop purchases, photos, drinks (if you don't have Cheers) etc), The shareholder and booking credit is non-refundable.

 

The OBC from your travel agent is likely to be refundable and that can be used for gratuities.

 

I always per-pay the daily service charges and buy Cheers so I have never had a problem using all my OBC

People are saying the shareholder credit can be used for gratuities, the terms say differently, I always pre-pay the grats, with my booking so I can't really say.

 

I have added tips at bars but have also spent more than the shareholder credit on other things

[nwcruiselover]

I have used the shareholder non-refundable OBC for gratuities.  I have also used it to purchase Carnival gift cards at Cherry on Top.  That’s a way of carrying some of the OBC forward to another cruise or using it as a deposit or payment on another cruise.

Edited February 14, 2023 by nwcruiselover