FCC Future Cruise Certificate info *Disappointed*

[westcruzer]

On 1 of the many threads about the future cruise certificate someone posted that even after you book a cruise if you purchase a future cruise certificate you could apply it towards that booking. I booked my cruise a couple months ago and purchased my future cruise certificate 2 weeks ago. I went online and submitted the proper information. I just received an email from carnival saying that it was not valid because I purchased the future cruise certificate after I booked my cruise.

 

If anyone has done this where they purchased the future cruise certificate after they booked the cruise and were allowed to apply the future cruise certificate please let me know what you did to make it happen.

 

My main purpose of this posting is to let others know what someone else posted on here about being able to apply a FCC purchase after the booking is already done is not guaranteed to work.

 

I'm sure I will still use the certificate before it expires (or get a refund) but I was looking forward to getting an extra $100.

 

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[Oskial]

Good to know.

[TXSAIL]

It can only be applied when you book..not later..

[Brendarudd28]

I'm not sure if this is possible for you based on how you booked and it is a tiny bit sneaky, but... can you cancel it and re-book it? I mean, that's no guarantee that you can use your FCC, but it might be worth a shot. That is, unless you booked ES or the price has gone up more than $100. :)

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Kind of makes sense to me since it is called a Future Cruise Certificate.

 

Vinnie

[sylvis]

You can apply them anytime before your cruise is paid off but it must have been purchased before the cruise was booked.

[tylerdad]

It can only be applied when you book..not later..

 

 

Not true, we applied ours after we booked

[marimojo]

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but don't want to start a new thread, How much do FCC cost? Can you use OBC to buy?

 

I appreciate the knowledge that you cannot book first, that is good to know.

 

Thank you... now back to your regularly scheduled program

[jaded99]

The official policy is that you must purchase the certificate before the cruise. You can try to sneak it through anyway, but you have to accept it's a gamble. We have tried twice - once it went through (the cruise we were applying it to was ~8 months away) and once it was declined for the same reason yours was (on a cruise <2 months away) so maybe they look at them more carefully if the cruise is coming up sooner?

[cuyahoga11]

On 1 of the many threads about the future cruise certificate someone posted that even after you book a cruise if you purchase a future cruise certificate you could apply it towards that booking. I booked my cruise a couple months ago and purchased my future cruise certificate 2 weeks ago. I went online and submitted the proper information. I just received an email from carnival saying that it was not valid because I purchased the future cruise certificate after I booked my cruise.

 

If anyone has done this where they purchased the future cruise certificate after they booked the cruise and were allowed to apply the future cruise certificate please let me know what you did to make it happen.

 

My main purpose of this posting is to let others know what someone else posted on here about being able to apply a FCC purchase after the booking is already done is not guaranteed to work.

 

I'm sure I will still use the certificate before it expires (or get a refund) but I was looking forward to getting an extra $100.

 

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

 

Sorry this happened to you. Yes, I have seen posts that say it can be done but I know it is a no no. I have seen so much false info posted on these boards it makes my head spin. For general info these boards can be invaluable but for exact rules (IMO) cruise websites will give you the correct info.

[Miller_KC]

Not true, we applied ours after we booked

 

This was once allowed but all the new certificates state on them they are only good for new bookings. Carnival allowed a grace period for people to get accustom to the new rule but is now beginning to enforce it.

[Irishlinny]

I booked my cruise on the Breeze for Nov back in May of last year (and it was booked as a CC group cruise through Cru Con). When we went on the Freedom last Nov, I purchased an FCC. About a month ago I applied it to my Breeze cruise...no issues whatsoever. Purchased AND applied after the cruise was booked. You need to call and talk to a supervisor.

I did purchase $100 certificates through my rewards credit card once, and those DID need to be applied AT the time of booking and could not be used toward group cruises. So there are differences if you use other types of certificates...just FYI...

[truchattycathy]

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but don't want to start a new thread, How much do FCC cost? Can you use OBC to buy?

 

I appreciate the knowledge that you cannot book first, that is good to know.

 

Thank you... now back to your regularly scheduled program

 

No, you cannot purchase them with OBC. FCC's are not even applied to your S&S. Carnival charges the credit card that you used to set up your S&S with and it is a completely separate charge.

 

They can only be used on a future cruise (not one already booked) and they can be used anytime before you cruise. Before or after final payment. If you have made final payment, they will refund you the credit however you pd.

[tncap]

We bought a couple of FCCs on the Spirit a few weeks ago and applied one to the Legend for next summer that we already had booked. It works!

[Miller_KC]

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but don't want to start a new thread, How much do FCC cost? Can you use OBC to buy?

 

I appreciate the knowledge that you cannot book first, that is good to know.

 

Thank you... now back to your regularly scheduled program

 

 

They cost $100. After you make a booking and put down a deposit you register or send in your FCC and $100 gets credited to your booking reducing your final payment.

 

Then when you board you get $50, $100, or (I think) $150 depending on the length of the cruise you book as OBC.

[tylerdad]

This was once allowed but all the new certificates state on them they are only good for new bookings. Carnival allowed a grace period for people to get accustom to the new rule but is now beginning to enforce it.

 

 

This was a new booking, we bought the cert. 2 years ago.Our TA didn't even know what this certificate was so after we booked I used the Carnival online form form to apply the credit(3weeks ago)

Credit showed up within 5 days

[girlscruise2011]

My PVP told me that they are starting to crack down on them. I already had one I bought that I applied to my Thanksgiving cruise and was hoping to buy one on my Destiny cruise for my 2nd room. Not sure now if I will since they are obviously paying more attention.

[tncap]

Then when you board you get $50, $100, or (I think) $150 depending on the length of the cruise you book as OBC.

 

We received $200 OBC for the 12 night cruise.

 

Besides, how can it really be for a future cruise when you must have a booking number to utilize it?

[Miller_KC]

This was a new booking, we bought the cert. 2 years ago.Our TA didn't even know what this certificate was so after we booked I used the Carnival online form form to apply the credit(3weeks ago)

Credit showed up within 5 days

 

 

Sorry, I thought you were saying you bought your FCC after you booked. Right, the only way you can use it is to apply it after you book.

 

We did the on-board booking once. You get your OBC without hassling with the FCC. They gave us free certificates for OBC good for anyone else that wanted to go on the same cruise with us so we ended up with $100 OBC each for 3 cabins.

[Alliezona09]

Only way I know around it is to have a really really good PVP~

[BeccaBecca1713]

This was a new booking, we bought the cert. 2 years ago.Our TA didn't even know what this certificate was so after we booked I used the Carnival online form form to apply the credit(3weeks ago)

Credit showed up within 5 days

 

I think you were confused. What you explain above is indeed allowed. As long as you bought the FCC first, then later down the road you can book a cruise, then even a little later you can "remember" to apply the FCC. That's totally legit. Carnival has a record of when the FCC was bought.

 

What's NOT legit, is this: Let's say you've booked 2 cruises this year. Last month you booked one for April and one for November. Then, when on your April cruise, you buy a FCC. You can NOT then come home and try to apply that FCC to the November cruise you already booked a month ago.

[pauleydm]

We were on the Freedom when we purchased the Future Cruise Certificate. We were told that it could only be applied to a new, un-booked cruise. Sorry that you got the wrong information. I would call Carnival directly and see if they will accomodate your request.:)

[Sparky2]

Sorry this happened to you. Yes, I have seen posts that say it can be done but I know it is a no no. I have seen so much false info posted on these boards it makes my head spin. For general info these boards can be invaluable but for exact rules (IMO) cruise websites will give you the correct info.

 

 

I was able to use one when they first came out (bought Jan. 2009 & had already booked Feb. 2010 cruise). The FCC did say not to be used on already booked cruises. However, the gal I bought it from said it would be OK if we hadn't paid final payment yet.

 

However, I think they were letting people use them because they were new and you may have already booked your next cruises before you went on a cruise where you could buy one.

 

The next year I bought 2 of them to always be 1 ahead. Glad I did because we decided to do B2B in 2013 and had to use them both.

 

In 2013 I'll have to buy 2 to keep ahead of the game.

[ajhunt2]

The post I have read stated that it was a gamble as to if it could be applied to a cruise you had booked before purchasing.

 

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, but at least you know you will be able to either use it in the future, or get your $100 back.

[tncap]

What's NOT legit, is this: Let's say you've booked 2 cruises this year. Last month you booked one for April and one for November. Then, when on your April cruise, you buy a FCC. You can NOT then come home and try to apply that FCC to the November cruise you already booked a month ago.

 

And yet, that's exactly what we did with no issue.