OBC Promised... BUT, Not Showing on Invoice!

[mikjr]

I have an issue...

 

I am dealing with a new travel agent. I booked a cruise through them and he promised a very nice OBC for booking with them.

 

I am not new to cruising, and understand... that if Celebrity isn't showing it on their books, it won't be on my account when I board the ship!

 

I have called the TA and asked him for an invoice from Celebrity SHOWING the OBC... he said it hasn't been added yet. He promised it would be added once the final payment was made, which was TWO months ago.

 

I am now one week away from our cruise... and still NO OBC!! I called last week and he said he just spoke with his Celebrity Rep... and it would be added this week... but I still have nothing in writing!

 

I have all of his email correspondence, including his commitment for the OBC.

 

Any suggestions? I assume Small Claims Court is always an option after the fact!! But, I would like to have it for our cruise.

[Christine Frances]

My TA's OBC never shows on Celebrity's invoice but does show on the TA's invoice. Always shows on my account 2-3 days into the cruise.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[mikjr]

My TA's OBC never shows on Celebrity's invoice but does show on the TA's invoice. Always shows on my account 2-3 days into the cruise.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Problem is... it's not even showing on the invoice from my TA... Last invoice I received from him showed the Celebrity 123 Go special, but that's it.

[gimletgal]

Unfortunately, this is strictly between you and your TA. If he does not communicate the OBC $$ to Celebrity - along with payment - then Celebrity cannot honor the TA's commitment to you. A TA's OBC never shows up on a Celebrity Booking Confirmation, as Celebrity does not control it.

 

If the TA does, in fact, settle with Celebrity prior to your cruise, the OBC should show up on your on board account within 2 - 3 days of the beginning of your cruise. (as Christine Frances said)

 

I hope your concerns are unfounded and everything turns out as promised.

Have a wonderful cruise to Hawaii!

[Fblack]

And on a few of my cruises, it took the ships front desk several days to post an OBC to my account. But I always had some sort of invoice or statement that reflected the OBC was coming. So get something from your TA in writing.

[MizDemeanor]

Do you have the OBC in written form from your TA? If so here is what the workflow is:

 

1.TA issued OBC credit amount.

 

2. During the on-boarding your cabin steward will come to you and indicate that you will need to sign off on acknowlegment that your OB account is going to reflect an OBC in the amount X-Y-Z of which is a gift for A-B-C Travel Agent.

 

3. Then check your account for that amount to be dropped in as a credit in the next day or so.

 

If you don't see the cabin steward with this sort of procedure, then go to guest relations and inquire if they see an OBC on your account. If they don't they will check with Miami and get back to you once they have done so. If no luck then...

 

If by the end of the cruise there is still no OBC, you will have to take this up with your TA. Of course you can inquire of them while on board, but having had the issue myself, I'd reach out pre-cruise with a Hello, we are boarding on dot dot dot and want to ask you what the timing is for the OBC that was offered to be delviered to our account.

 

That should do the trick. We waited until post cruise once and our TA sent us a check. We did not like the uncertainty, and that is why I suggest to ask in a very neutral way before you cruise so you can track it as I have noted above.

 

They buy the gift for you, and sometimes they forget. But try not to worry. It will not be on your account until you actually sail, and its probably in case you don't.

[Baseball fan]

My TA's OBC never shows on Celebrity's invoice but does show on the TA's invoice. Always shows on my account 2-3 days into the cruise.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

This is how it works for me too.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[jelayne]

Have OBC in the past from 2 different TA's, never had to sign anything & room steward never said anything to us, but the OBC has always showed up by about day 3.

[Algebralovr]

I've never had to sign anything. Twice, we received a card in our room that we had a gift of OBC from "TA name".

 

The third time, it just appeared on the account a couple of days in.

[CI66774]

I use a TA whose OBC, etc. do appear on its invoice the moment I book the trip. However, there are other TAs that don't add it until final payment.

[RickT]

As others have said this is between you and your TA.

 

It's important that any offer of an OBC be listed on your quote/invoice from the TA and/or in other written communication.

 

Hopefully your TA will honour the offer.

 

Normally we have an envelope in our cabin stating an OBC has been applied to our account. On our last cruise there was no OBC letter and we could not see it on our stateroom account. We waited a couple days before asking about it and the front desk said they had no record of it. A quick e-mail to our TA was followed up with a quick apology and an immediate confirmation that they had put the OBC on our account. Was done in less than 24 hrs.

 

Good luck, hope your OBC makes it on board with you.

[Lsimon]

Problem is... it's not even showing on the invoice from my TA... Last invoice I received from him showed the Celebrity 123 Go special, but that's it.

 

I think you're biggest problem is that you paid for your cruise without anything in writing from the TA confirming you had the OBC. Our TA always lists it on our confirm/invoice email. We've never had anything from Celebrity in advance of the cruise showing this - just the TA's email invoice.

 

...I assume Small Claims Court is always an option after the fact!!...

Well, I guess you can sue anyone for anything but I don't think you have much of a chance of winning if it is just your word against theirs. What you need in court is EVIDENCE. A simple confirm or invoice from the TA showing the OBC would be enough.

 

Hopefully it will all work out fine. At this point I'd at least ask your TA to send you an email confirming you have the OBC coming.

[elena7seas]

I've never had to sign anything. Twice, we received a card in our room that we had a gift of OBC from "TA name".

 

The third time, it just appeared on the account a couple of days in.

 

Recently, we have had to sign a receipt (the form is in triplicate) to confirm that we had received our OBC. We also have had cards in our cabin that informed us that the OBC had been given to us. Our cabin steward presented the forms for our signature a couple of days after we boarded.

 

On our September 13/2013 Solstice cruise, we also had to sign the same type of receipt to confirm that we had received the gift of a bottle of wine. This form was given to us in the dining room by our sommelier, a few days into the cruise, although the wine was in our cabin when we arrived. I think this is the first time we were asked to sign a receipt for wine.

[dodger1964]

Recently, we have had to sign a receipt (the form is in triplicate) to confirm that we had received our OBC. We also have had cards in our cabin that informed us that the OBC had been given to us. Our cabin steward presented the forms for our signature a couple of days after we boarded..

 

That was same experience we had last winter.

[mickey89]

I have obc from the Travel Agent, I assume this is refundable if there is a balance at the end of the cruise. Am I correct in this assumption ?

[mikjr]

I think you're biggest problem is that you paid for your cruise without anything in writing from the TA confirming you had the OBC. Our TA always lists it on our confirm/invoice email. We've never had anything from Celebrity in advance of the cruise showing this - just the TA's email invoice.

 

 

I do have an email from HIM stating... "and as promised I will add $XXX in an OBC once final payment is made".

 

SO, I do have it in writing from him and his office!! And, if necessary, will use it as evidence in court if the OBC doesn't show up on our account.

[sabookkeeper]

I do have an email from HIM stating... "and as promised I will add $XXX in an OBC once final payment is made".

 

SO, I do have it in writing from him and his office!! And, if necessary, will use it as evidence in court if the OBC doesn't show up on our account.

Last year our TA offer included prepaid gratuities. We were told it would show up on our on board account as a credit. Midway through the cruise we checked and it still was not there. Went to guest services and they had nothing on record. We called our TA and they said that they had sent it to Celebrity but would send it again. We never did receive the credit. When we returned home, I contacted them and they issued a cheque for the amount of the gratuities. Our invoice showed that we were to receive prepaid gratuities. If your credit does not show up, you should be able to settle it after the cruise.

[Sunshine81]

On our last cruise with our family some of us had the OBC showing on the TV when checking our accounts but others didn't and the amounts were all incorrect. We just went to guest relations and they had the main office check with the TA. We had the correct amounts on all the accounts within 48 hours. Celebrity has never acknowledged our TA's OBC until we are on board.

 

As long as you have the emails I think you will be fine.

[Careyoakie]

I have obc from the Travel Agent, I assume this is refundable if there is a balance at the end of the cruise. Am I correct in this assumption ?

 

Sorry, any OBC's that I've ever received had to be used while I was on board. No refunds are ever issued for any credits left.:cool:

[bob278]

You may see two types of OBC on your account. One will have a code OBR (or something like that) and the other will have OBN. The OBN is non-refundable and comes from the cruiseline in some fashion and may or may not be able to be used in the casino or for gratuities if you did not pre-pay them. Some of the non-refundable OBCs have different restrictions. Refundable OBC comes from your TA or possibly because you pre-paid or someone sent you a gift.

 

The OBR amounts ARE refundable. Any spending on board should come from the non-refundable amounts first (if eligible). I almost always have both on a cruise and watch the account closely. If there is any refundable amount left, you can go to guest relations on the last night and get cash without paying the 5% fee you would in the casino. I did this as recently as last month on the Infinity.

 

I have seen many posts that unused refundable OBC would be refunded to your credit card, but I would never take that chance. Once you leave the ship, you have no leverage and working with shore-side accounting is never easy or pleasant.