how to get OBC??

[vols_159]

Ive read in several threads where somepeople get ALOT of OBC Im just wondering what some of the tricks are?? I have been on 2 cruises with NCL..

[sdmike]

Shop travel agents

[STARFISH*4]

when you are onboard you can also purchase a Cruise Reward Deposit Certificate for $250 and instantly you are given $100 OBC out of that --you can do a search on here to read about these or check on ncl.com

these certificates which act as the deposit for your next cruise are good for 4 years from your purchase date...

[wittyfellow]

If you book 9 months in advance, PGOBC gives you $300.

--a

[psagui]

I got $300 by paying with my American express

[bklsmom]

If you book 9 months in advance, PGOBC gives you $300.

--a

 

REALLY???? We booked in January for Christmas 2011 on the Star,(11 months out) and didn't get $300 OBC???? How do you get this??? We booked a aft balcony and were given $25OBC our PCC at NCL said that was the promotion going on at the time:confused: Did I get ripped off????

[ghulett]

If you book 9 months in advance, PGOBC gives you $300.

--a

What is PGOBC?

[Army/Police Vet]

REALLY???? We booked in January for Christmas 2011 on the Star,(11 months out) and didn't get $300 OBC???? How do you get this??? We booked a aft balcony and were given $25OBC our PCC at NCL said that was the promotion going on at the time:confused: Did I get ripped off????

 

 

No you didn't. The $300 OBC is for booking a suite level room. (not a mini-suite)

[sparks1093]

Pay $10,000 for a suite;).

[98Charlie]

What is PGOBC?

Past Guest On Board Credit

 

Charlie

[jame_g]

I think the OBC phenomenon is one of the smartest marketing tools ever! Just read the way people on CC freak out over it. The way everyone comes across they would rather have a $100 OBC than $200 off the price of their cabin.

 

OBC is primarily a pricing gimmick. It's nothing to get worked up about. I'd rather have the $300 off the price of my cabin now, than $300 waiting for me to spend on board.

 

Sure, if you can get a travel agent to give up part of their commission as OBC go for it. Otherwise just look for the best price you can get taking everything into account, and don't worry about the OBC someone else says they got.

[Laszlo]

August of 2010 my wife and I booked a suite on the Gem for June of 2011. We received $300.00 OBC. The cruise came to a total of $4897.00

[Rileyz]

For my Nov 2011 cruise I received $150 obc, travel insurance and a bottle of wine from TA, $150 from NCL (sale promo), $300 from Amex and will get $100 from NCL mastercard points. So $700 and I am in a penthouse suite, 2 adults, one child for $3100.

[mnmkit]

We just booked a balcony stateroom for our second NCL cruise and received $125.00 OBC. To be honest, I have no clue how OBC works.

 

We received coupon books for our last NCL cruise and 90% of them went unused. Is OBC the same as the coupons? :confused:

[patseacruiser]

No obc is spendable 'cash' on board. coupon booklets are just about worthless. You usually have to buy something you don't want to get something you don't need.

 

The free wine from some TA's is 2011 La Terrible and be careful with the insurance because most of the time it's not purchased by the TA until final payment which means it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions and the benefit limits are low. I'm not saying that's always the case but if insurance is as important to you as it is to me (pre-existing conditions) then be very careful as it could not be worth the paper it's written on.

 

I purchased 8 cruise rewards on my last NCL cruise and got $800 in obc.

[billys mom]

We booked an oceanview cabin 18 months out from our cruise with a TA and didn't get an OBC. I think he depends on the catagory of your cabin because my sister booked a balcony with an online cruise site and received OBC. Also, my mother in law is going with us and she is a past NCL cruiser and all she got was a discount off the price, no OBC.

[myra711]

I got $300 by paying with my American express

 

Does it depend on what cabin you book? And is that through NCL or a private TA? Thanks for the info!

[Rileyz]

Does it depend on what cabin you book? And is that through NCL or a private TA? Thanks for the info!

 

$300 is for a suite, but I believe you get at least $100 for any other category. The Amex credit is thru NCL but you can book with a TA and have them coordinate it with NCL.

[canpass]

I think the OBC phenomenon is one of the smartest marketing tools ever! Just read the way people on CC freak out over it. The way everyone comes across they would rather have a $100 OBC than $200 off the price of their cabin.

 

OBC is primarily a pricing gimmick. It's nothing to get worked up about. I'd rather have the $300 off the price of my cabin now, than $300 waiting for me to spend on board.

 

Sure, if you can get a travel agent to give up part of their commission as OBC go for it. Otherwise just look for the best price you can get taking everything into account, and don't worry about the OBC someone else says they got.

 

Good reply. I always book as early as I can and normally by the time they are at the point of offering an OBC I am saving money anyways. I always write NCL a nice letter at the end of my cruise, I point out who went overboard to serve me, what I liked and what I didn't like. It is always done in a very positive manner and they have always responded positively, sometime in the form of an OBC and sometimes in the form of a welcome aboard treat.

[vols_159]

does the american express card work on every cruise no matter the cabin?

[johnql]

does the american express card work on every cruise no matter the cabin?

No, the current Amex promotion is good only for mini-suites and up. See details below.

 

Up to $300 OBC for American Express Card Members ONLY

 

Offer: Receive Up to $300 onboard credit per stateroom

*On-board credit amount based on category booked: 5+ day sailings - $100 OBC on Deluxe Balconies/Mini-Suites; $300 OBC on Suites and Villas

• Booking Window: 02/01/11 - 07/31/11
  
• Applicable Destination: fleet-wide
  
• Program Code: PGAXOC
  
• Manual select
  

Offer restrictions: Reservation(s) MUST be paid IN FULL with any American Express card (deposit & final payment). Offer shown in U.S. dollars. Offer applies to select sailing(s). 1-4 Day sailings are excluded. Fares are cruise only, per person, based on double occupancy. Inside, Oceanview, and Balcony categories are excluded form the offer. Onboard Credit may be spent on ANY onboard purchases. Offer is for New individual FIT Reservations and New Group Delegates (booking with names within a Group Block), booked within the booking window. Qualifying individual FIT reservations can be included into existing Group and count towards Tour Conductor Credits. Promotion can not be held as group block. Onboard Credit amount is per stateroom, based on category booked and will be applied to the 1st and 2nd guest in the stateroom. Onboard Credit has no cash value and is not transferable. Singles paying 200% of the rate are eligible to per stateroom onboard credit amount. Available on GDS booking source. Offer combinable with PGWAVE11, PG6, Latitudes, Residents, Seniors, Union & Military programs, and PGAARP program code. Standard air add-ons are available. Onboard service charges are additional and will be automatically added to onboard account. Guests, who cancel and rebook, must accept this promotion's Terms and Conditions. Cancellation Fees for cruise, air, land and other charges will follow Norwegian Cruise Line schedule listed in the brochure, website and it includes different schedules for Suites and Villas.. Cancellation Fees also apply based on the Booking/Sailing date; therefore, Norwegian strongly recommends the purchase of Travel Protection on all bookings. Government taxes and fees are additional. Ask your travel agent or go to www.ncl.com for further information. IMPORTANT NOTICE: NCL reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice should the closing price of West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65 per barrel on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index). In the event a fuel supplement is charged, NCL will have sole discretion to apply the supplementary charge to both existing and new bookings, regardless of whether such bookings have been paid in full. Such supplementary charges are not included in the cruise fare. The fuel supplement charge will not exceed $10.00 per passenger per day. Offers are based on availability, are capacity controlled, and combinability with other offers is subject to change or cancellation at any time per NCL discretion. Other restrictions may apply. "Promotion valid in U.S. and Canada, can be made through travel professionals in South America, Central America, Mexico, Caribbean Islands (including Puerto Rico), Bermuda, Asia/Pacific. " Promotion ends July 31, 2011 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time Norwegian is not responsible for typographical errors or omissions. Ships’ Registry: BAHAMAS and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ©2011 NCL Corporation

[nd53]

i booked 22 months out, and got zero OBC, and nothing yet with Amex either. i booked online, so did not use a travel agent. when we get onboard we will chk out the $250 future cruise for a $100 OBC, and see what happens.

[Hikini]

We came off the Star last September and within 2 weeks booked the same exact suite for next September. When the TA called with the details she said she had a surprise for us - NCL gave us $450 OBC. Our TA has been giving us great service for over 12 years and she didn't ask for anything special; this is what they offered. We also got a great price on the suite. Even "cheaper" than last year.:D

[patseacruiser]

A friend of mine booked a suite on the Jewel for the same time we are going in July. She got $450 obc. I am in an aft balcony and decided during one of NCL promos that I would move to an aft suite too. No more $450 obc. That was a short time and nothing more than $75 since. Boy was I p.o.'d about missing that. Took me too long to make up my mind and by the time I did - my mind was gone!

[Keithq]

I got $300 by paying with my American express

 

We booked with Costco Travel and got $170 OBC for a balcony cabin. (And paid with their AMEX so got another 3% rebated.)