Carnival Corporation Shareholders Benefits thru 7/31/2013

[DaveOKC]

I agree with Windsailer - do one sailing at a time - less confusion for them IMO. Plus, I wait until after final payment date to send in.

 

If you book directly with HAL, you will see your OBC credit online with your reservation. Otherwise, you will need to check with your TA.

 

Bring a copy of the return email with you when you board ship.

 

DaveOKC

[Windsailer]

DaveOKC - great that you mentioned bringing a hard copy (not something on an ipad screen!) with you on the ship. If there is a problem with getting the OBC posted to your account, showing them the hard copy of the email - and allowing them to make a copy for their on-board files - should solve the problem then and there.

[OlsSalt]

Yikes! You are right, it's not worth it JUST for the OBC benefit. Thanks.

Now for those that already own the stock- how is it performing?

 

I think the CCL OBC is a great deal. I have already gotten back almost $1000 in OBC and will pick up $250 more in a few months, so I would say it is performing very well. Parking that same amount of money as a sure thing in a 0.1% CD these days would certainly not perform as well, and anything else is always subject to ups and downs like any other stock.

 

I don't consider the principal value the most critical part of this CCL investment - an under $4000 investment does not win or lose that much if the share value it goes up or down, but the OBC credits it generates are real, and significant.

 

For those who take frequent and longer trips the better the value. Only the you can decide if this works for your own investment plan. What has surprised me however is how steady the share value was over time, even after the perfectly awful string of events affecting CCL ships.

[OlsSalt]

DaveOKC - great that you mentioned bringing a hard copy (not something on an ipad screen!) with you on the ship. If there is a problem with getting the OBC posted to your account, showing them the hard copy of the email - and allowing them to make a copy for their on-board files - should solve the problem then and there.

 

I have never had a problem with this amount being posted to our account, but agree bringing a hard copy is good insurance just in case.

[serendipity1499]

Hello TwoSue,

 

Doesn't it make you feel really good that you may make a few bucks by violating the rules. You must be a great example for your kids.

 

Scott & Karen

 

Touche'

 

I was curious about this last year and emailed HAL. Following is the response I received from one of the people that handles the shareholder benefit requests:

 

"Thank you for your e-mail regarding the CCL benefit program for Holland America Line sailings. When applying for the CCL stock you must be a current owner of at least 100 shares of CCL stock at time of submission. If you choose to sell it before the sailing, Holland America Line does not check or monitor that you are a current share holder at time of sailing.

 

However, please keep in mind that if you sell the stock before sailing and something happens such as needing to rebook to another sailing or the promo falls off and we need to research the proof of what was received, if it’s outdated and requires a more current copy of stock ownership, obviously this would be an issue if the stock is no longer owned by the guest on the reservation and we would have to deny the benefit. While these circumstances would be rare, it is a possibility."

 

Per the response from HAL quoted above, buying/applyingfor OBC/selling is not a violation of the rules.

 

HAL may not check but I disagree that selling it prior to departure is in violation of Carnival Corps & PLC's . intent..In addition it is dishonest! This is a perk & people who take advantage of this type of perk, make it difficult for Corporations to continue to give perks..I know because one of the perks from my company was free travel for employees & 75% Interline discounts for other major airlines....

After 15 years or so, we stopped giving some major Airlines those discounts, only because there were some who took advantage by booking their Friends as Spouses etc..Then the rest of the employees suffered when those perks were rescinded..We also fired any one in our company who tried to take advantage of our perks & other carriers did the same..

I would be very upset if we lost this perk because of someone's dishonesty!

We purchased our 100 shares of stock @ $18.24 in 2009..So far we have received over $2,000 in OBC's & $340 in Dividends..I'm very happy to have this perk & applaud someone who makes a statement about dishonest usage of my perk!

Cheers..Betty

[pms4104]

Touche'

 

 

 

HAL may not check but I disagree that selling it prior to departure is in violation of Carnival Corps & PLC's . intent..In addition it is dishonest! This is a perk & people who take advantage of this type of perk, make it difficult for Corporations to continue to give perks..I know because one of the perks from my company was free travel for employees & 75% Interline discounts for other major airlines....

 

After 15 years or so, we stopped giving some major Airlines those discounts, only because there were some who took advantage by booking their Friends as Spouses etc..Then the rest of the employees suffered when those perks were rescinded..We also fired any one in our company who tried to take advantage of our perks & other carriers did the same..

 

I would be very upset if we lost this perk because of someone's dishonesty!

 

We purchased our 100 shares of stock @ $18.24 in 2009..So far we have received over $2,000 in OBC's & $340 in Dividends..I'm very happy to have this perk & applaud someone who makes a statement about dishonest usage of my perk!

 

Cheers..Betty

I agree, Betty, that buyng/getting the benefit/selling is not in keeping with the intention of the shareholder benefit.

 

The only reason I contacted HAL for clarification was because of comments I'd seen on these forums ... we bought back in 2009, we still own the stock, we continue to enjoy the benefit.

 

Heck, there are people who, in all areas of life, have turned "working the system" into a fine art ... but that's between them and their conscience.

[serendipity1499]

I agree, Betty, that buyng/getting the benefit/selling is not in keeping with the intention of the shareholder benefit.

 

The only reason I contacted HAL for clarification was because of comments I'd seen on these forums ... we bought back in 2009, we still own the stock, we continue to enjoy the benefit.

 

Heck, there are people who, in all areas of life, have turned "working the system" into a fine art ... but that's between them and their conscience.

 

Sorry didn't mean to come on so strong..& certainly did not mean to criticize your post..

Your right about those who work the system..But I wonder if they do have a conscience & can't get over the fact that they are teaching their kids to be dishonest & work the system..

But I'm perfectly happy to keep our CCL stock.. We've already gotten our investment back with interest..Can't beat that..When we stop cruising, we'll plan to sell the stock..

Last week I faxed HAL with our request for OBC for our 3 week cruise in Nov. They normally e-mail a confirmation to me but this time they notified our TA that $250 OBC is now credited to our account..That's great!

 

Cheers,..Betty

[Hlitner]

Yikes! You are right, it's not worth it JUST for the OBC benefit. Thanks.

Now for those that already own the stock- how is it performing?

 

Actually, for some of us who do a lot of cruising it can be a great investment. We own both CCL and RCI stock and have done very well :). But we do cruise a lot (over 10 weeks a year) and the stockholder credit is the gift that keeps on giving and giving. And you might want to consider that even at the current price ($3700 for 100 shares) even a couple of cruises per year can give you a good return. We have averaged about $1000 per year in OBCs from our stocks and have been doing this for over 10 years. And we have also received dividends the stock price is somewhat higher then our original investment.

 

Hank

[pms4104]

Sorry didn't mean to come on so strong..& certainly did not mean to criticize your post..

 

Your right about those who work the system..But I wonder if they do have a conscience & can't get over the fact that they are teaching their kids to be dishonest & work the system..

 

But I'm perfectly happy to keep our CCL stock.. We've already gotten our investment back with interest..Can't beat that..When we stop cruising, we'll plan to sell the stock..

 

Last week I faxed HAL with our request for OBC for our 3 week cruise in Nov. They normally e-mail a confirmation to me but this time they notified our TA that $250 OBC is now credited to our account..That's great!

 

Cheers,..Betty

No apoligies necessary ... we seem to be on the same page. And I think we share the same frustration about those who work the system helping their kids to learn the ropes ... the devolution is all around us, sadly.

[PunkiC]

We have recouped out investment several times over. :)

 

With any luck we will be able to continue to cruise and get even more Carnival OBC for years to come.

[mjrider]

I sent all my shareholder information to HAL a week ago, how long does it normally take to show up on your OBC account?

[ScriptOhio]

There are various factors that help determine whether buying CCL stock is/was a good investment -- like -- when it was purchased (some bought their shares when the price was in the teens :)); how often someone cruises, and for how long an itinerary (and therefore receives the benefit); CCL has resumed paying quarterly dividends ($25.00/quarter, for 100 shares).

So, in our case, it has been a VERY good investment. :cool:

Ray in NH

 

I bought 100 shares back in 2004 for $4,086.00 (i.e. $40.86 per share). The stock value has gone down a little since then; however, so far, I have gotten $5,725.00 in shipboard credits and still have more CCL cruises to take. So in our case, even though the stock price has gone down (hopefully only temporarily), it still has been a VERY good investment too.

 

Note: CCL shareholder benefits (i.e. the shipboard credit) are containable with other cruise line promotions and are even good for charter cruises. Royal Caribbean's shareholder benefits are not.

 

:)

[richwmn]

I bought 100 shares back in 2004 for $4,086.00 (i.e. $40.86 per share). The stock value has gone down a little since then; however, so far, I have gotten $5,725.00 in shipboard credits and still have more CCL cruises to take. So in our case, even though the stock price has gone down (hopefully only temporarily), it still has been a VERY good investment too.

 

Note: CCL shareholder benefits (i.e. the shipboard credit) are containable with other cruise line promotions and are even good for charter cruises. Royal Caribbean's shareholder benefits are not.

 

:)

Don't forget that CCL also paid over $800 in dividends since you purchased your shares!

[serendipity1499]

I sent all my shareholder information to HAL a week ago, how long does it normally take to show up on your OBC account?

 

I Faxed our shareholder info to HAL a week ago today & received confirmation yesterday from our Travel Agent that it had been applied to our booking..

Cheers...Betty

[slimknyzer]

I sent all my shareholder information to HAL a week ago, how long does it normally take to show up on your OBC account?

 

I sent in the shareholder information and the next day the credit was already applied. We think the investment is good and the OBC is a nice perk!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I think CCL stock is one of the better investments we own - between the dividends and the OBC, we do very well. Of course, we are at the time in our life when income is more important than making money on a stock.

[mjrider]

I Faxed our shareholder info to HAL a week ago today & received confirmation yesterday from our Travel Agent that it had been applied to our booking..

 

Cheers...Betty

 

Thanks, I will just be patient :D Not always my strong suit. :(

[RJ2002]

I am a new shareholder and plan to use the shareholder benefit for the first time early next year. It will be an 18 day cruise, so it looks like the OBC will be $250.

 

I noticed there is language that states the OBC can't be used for casino credits or gratuities. I don't patronize the casino, so no issues there.

 

Although I expect that my onboard spending on items like Pinnacle, spa, drinks, etc., will meet or exceed $250, I am curious if the ship will closely monitor this and not apply any of the $250 shareholder OBC toward gratuities?

 

Thanks for any input from those who have experience in this matter.

[RuthC]

I noticed there is language that states the OBC can't be used for casino credits or gratuities. I don't patronize the casino, so no issues there.

 

Although I expect that my onboard spending on items like Pinnacle, spa, drinks, etc., will meet or exceed $250, I am curious if the ship will closely monitor this and not apply any of the $250 shareholder OBC toward gratuities?

The reality of the accounting process is that all your on board credits are put in the pot at the top of your account sheet. Your charges are subtracted until the "pot" is gone. Then the charges due at the end of the cruise start accruing. You pay the amount on the bottom line.

[ScriptOhio]

I am a new shareholder and plan to use the shareholder benefit for the first time early next year. It will be an 18 day cruise, so it looks like the OBC will be $250.

 

I noticed there is language that states the OBC can't be used for casino credits or gratuities. I don't patronize the casino, so no issues there.

 

Although I expect that my onboard spending on items like Pinnacle, spa, drinks, etc., will meet or exceed $250, I am curious if the ship will closely monitor this and not apply any of the $250 shareholder OBC toward gratuities?

 

Thanks for any input from those who have experience in this matter.

 

I've always used my OBC for gratuities and never had a problem doing so on any of the CCL brands (i.e. Carnival, Costa, Princess, or HAL) that I went on.

[ScriptOhio]

I bought 100 shares back in 2004 for $4,086.00 (i.e. $40.86 per share). The stock value has gone down a little since then; however, so far, I have gotten $5,725.00 in shipboard credits and still have more CCL cruises to take. So in our case, even though the stock price has gone down (hopefully only temporarily), it still has been a VERY good investment too.

 

Note: CCL shareholder benefits (i.e. the shipboard credit) are containable with other cruise line promotions and are even good for charter cruises. Royal Caribbean's shareholder benefits are not.

 

:)

 

Don't forget that CCL also paid over $800 in dividends since you purchased your shares!

 

Good point; however the dividends are subject to paying income tax on it so I really didn't get to keep the entire amount. The OBC is not reported to the IRS and therefore not taxed.

 

If interested here is CCL's dividend history: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=140690&p=irol-dividends

 

As (undoubtedly) some people are skeptical about buying stock as they might be afraid they will lose money if the stock price goes down, I just wanted to point out that "an avid cruiser" can actually get enough OBCs to actually pay for the stock. I really don't care what price the stock is selling for as I'm not planning on selling it anytime soon.

 

Note: This investment strategy only works for 100 shares of CCL. You do not get double OBC if you own 200 shares nor can both people in a cabin get the OBC if they each own 100 shares. It is one OBC per cabin and/or booking number. I have booked back to back cruises and received the OBC for both cruises.

[Kenito]

Question... I presume there will be no problem if I call my Fidelity adviser and ask for 100 shares to be purchased within my IRA, that is okay?

 

I think the answer is obvious, and I plan on calling soon, but figured I'd ask here so we all can hear the answer.

 

Also... The reason I have not already bought my shares in CCL is that I am often on group cruises, and the stock OBC apparently is not applicable to group cruise bookings. Anyone have experience or knowledge with this?

 

Thanks all!:)

[LoveHAL]

Lets see: purchased 100 shares in 2004 @ $45 per share. Current price is just over $37 per share. My "paper loss is $850.

 

Dividends over 9 years = $90

On Board Credits (2 cruises per year) @ $250 per cruise over the same period of time has been approx $4,000!

 

Total GAIN = Well over $3,000 (and I still have my stock value) on an investment of $4,500! You do the numbers! I'll stick with my CCL stock decision as pretty darn wise.

[serendipity1499]

Question... I presume there will be no problem if I call my Fidelity adviser and ask for 100 shares to be purchased within my IRA, that is okay?

 

I think the answer is obvious, and I plan on calling soon, but figured I'd ask here so we all can hear the answer.

 

Also... The reason I have not already bought my shares in CCL is that I am often on group cruises, and the stock OBC apparently is not applicable to group cruise bookings. Anyone have experience or knowledge with this?

 

Thanks all!:)

 

Your IRA with Fidelity is fine & you can ask your adviser to purchase 100 shares of CCL stock & keep it in your IRA..

Who told you the OBC is not applicable to group cruise booking? Are you talking about Charters or are you talking about booking into a group on a regular cruise & then sending your Booking number to HAL to get the OBC..

We have a TA who often has group space on regular sailings (not charters) ..He books us into that group space..We still receive our CCL OBC..All we do is FAX a copy of our monthly statement with a letter giving HAL our booking number & we always receive the OBC..

 

Betty

[Kenito]

Your IRA with Fidelity is fine & you can ask your adviser to purchase 100 shares of CCL stock & keep it in your IRA..

Who told you the OBC is not applicable to group cruise booking? Are you talking about Charters or are you talking about booking into a group on a regular cruise & then sending your Booking number to HAL to get the OBC..

We have a TA who often has group space on regular sailings (not charters) ..He books us into that group space..We still receive our CCL OBC..All we do is FAX a copy of our monthly statement with a letter giving HAL our booking number & we always receive the OBC..

 

Betty

 

Who told me? That font of all knowledge, a Carnival agent! :rolleyes:

 

Okay... gonna buy my stock soon and try to not think about what I've left on the table. Gotta catch up!

 

Thanks for the information!