No transfer of unused OBC

[westcoaster]

I recently took my first cruise on HAL. I had a $250 shareholder OBC, but since I didn't spend much on board except the autotips, there was still some credit at the end of the cruise. I've taken about 15 cruises on Princess and when there has been any leftover OBC on my shipboard account, it has always been credited to my partner's account (in the same cabin using the same credit card). In this case with HAL, this did not happen so I lost the unused amount.

 

I found this rather annoying. We ordered a couple of bottles of wine on the cruise, putting them on my partner's account. If I had known that the accounts would be treated separately we could easily have charged the wine to my account. In the end, the amount lost was less than $100, but still annoying.

 

Perhaps regular HAL cruisers are away of this policy, but I thought I'd post this as warning to those used to the policy on Princess and some other cruise lines.

[cruz chic]

I've never heard of a credit being transferred to the travelling partners account. I would assume some folks would not like that. I've found many of the obcs are not refundable although many folks say otherwise. Your post is a good one in that it may cause folks to ask about their obc balance.

[1of4]

I don't know what we have done differently, but we only have one account for the cabin. The charges go to the cabin and not the person. Maybe the shareholder credit is person - specific?

[Kamloops50]

If one credit card used the OBC is transferred . If separate credit cards they won't transfer . Princess has the same rules.

[Stratheden]

It depends on how many credit cards you give when checking in. We just use the same one for both of us. Everything is then on the same account.

[sail7seas]

I don't know what we have done differently, but we only have one account for the cabin. The charges go to the cabin and not the person. Maybe the shareholder credit is person - specific?

 

My DH always used one AmEx card for our OnBoard account.

We Always got the bill in two parts. One indicated those charges DH made using his Key Card and a separate piece of paper (which was attached and in same envelope) provided a list of the charges I made.

 

The two listings were totaled and one charge for that total was put against his credit card.

 

[westcoaster]

As I said in the original post, we did only use one credit card for both accounts. With Princess, this has always resulted in them combining the accounts at the end for the total bill (even when we used Shareholder OBC), but with HAL this did not occur.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I register my credit card for both of us for the ship.

But the last couple of years, we have had to check our ship board account as they were not combined onto one bill. Once that is done, all shipboard credit that we both get is one bill not two.

OP -- had you asked the front to combine the bills before the end of the cruise, then you would probably have used up all your shipboard credit.

[jaspersmycat]

The shareholder OBC is put on Guest 1. My DH was guest 1 but, since I used my own credit card, we always had the OBC transferred to my account at the beginning of the cruise. It is never automatically transferred. By the way, the stock was held in my name only so I always found it strange that it was applied to his account.

[westcoaster]

OP -- had you asked the front to combine the bills before the end of the cruise, then you would probably have used up all your shipboard credit.

 

No, I didn't specifically ask at the front desk for them to combine the bills. As I said, it's always happened automatically with Princess, so I didn't realize this was necessary.

 

Lesson learned, I suppose.

[serendipity1499]

I recently took my first cruise on HAL. I had a $250 shareholder OBC, but since I didn't spend much on board except the autotips, there was still some credit at the end of the cruise. I've taken about 15 cruises on Princess and when there has been any leftover OBC on my shipboard account, it has always been credited to my partner's account (in the same cabin using the same credit card). In this case with HAL, this did not happen so I lost the unused amount.

 

I found this rather annoying. We ordered a couple of bottles of wine on the cruise, putting them on my partner's account. If I had known that the accounts would be treated separately we could easily have charged the wine to my account. In the end, the amount lost was less than $100, but still annoying.

 

Perhaps regular HAL cruisers are away of this policy, but I thought I'd post this as warning to those used to the policy on Princess and some other cruise lines.

 

The Carnival rule specifically states:

 

QUOTE 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, 2015.Please provide by fax or by mail your name, reservation number, ship and sailing date, along with proof of ownership of Carnival Corporation or Carnival plc shares (for example, photocopy of shareholder proxy card, shares certificate, a dividend tax voucher or a current brokerage or nominee statement with your brokerage account number blacked out) to your travel agent or to the cruise line you have selected below.

UNQUOTE

 

I'm amazed that Princess is not following this rule.. It should make no difference who is paying for your partner's charges..

[dobiemom]

I don't know what we have done differently, but we only have one account for the cabin. The charges go to the cabin and not the person. Maybe the shareholder credit is person - specific?

In my case, it is person-specific. When my BFF and I share a cabin (we each register our own credit cards), my shareholder OBC is on my account. (She does not own CCL stock.) Don't know how HAL does it with those on the same credit card.

[Daisyloo]

I cruised on the Zaandam this past summer with my mother and sister in a Neptune suite. We each had a separate account. When we received our final statements mine had a credit of $48.00 as I hadn't used up all of my OBC. My mom and sister owed money. I went and talked to the concierge in the Neptune lounge and she told me that I couldn't receive that $48 back, but if I wanted she could apply it to one of the other statements. So my mom's account was given that credit. FYI, the OBC I had was partially from OBC given for booking, and also for owning Canival stock.

[sapper1]

I don't know what we have done differently, but we only have one account for the cabin. The charges go to the cabin and not the person. Maybe the shareholder credit is person - specific?

 

Last year on the Zuiderdam I asked for a printout mid cruise and discovered that my husband and I were on separate accounts. I had to fight to get them to combine the two into one bill. That has never happened before. We were both on the same registered credit card.

Edited February 6, 2015 by sapper1

[Hlitner]

Princess and HAL are like night and day when it comes to OBCs and how they are handled. The fact that both cruise lines are owned by the same holding company does not seem to have any bearing on their policies. Like the OP, we have found that Princess has very liberal policies when it comes to transferring OBCs, or even refunding unused OBCs. On HAL, we are always careful to watch our accounts (which is a pain since it means stopping at Guest Relations and requesting statements) to make sure our OBCs are being properly applied.

 

Hank

[sapper1]

I cruised on the Zaandam this past summer with my mother and sister in a Neptune suite. We each had a separate account. When we received our final statements mine had a credit of $48.00 as I hadn't used up all of my OBC. My mom and sister owed money. I went and talked to the concierge in the Neptune lounge and she told me that I couldn't receive that $48 back, but if I wanted she could apply it to one of the other statements. So my mom's account was given that credit. FYI, the OBC I had was partially from OBC given for booking, and also for owning Canival stock.

 

Our OBC have been from future cruise credit and Carnival stock and leftover credit has always been credited back.

There is an automatic credit on our card a few days after we get home. We don't have to ask. I find that since we pre book so much now, including drink cards and specialty dining, that having a credit is not unusual.

Edited February 6, 2015 by sapper1

[Krazy Kruizers]

Last year on the Zuiderdam I asked for a printout mid cruise and discovered that my husband and I were on separate accounts. I had to fight to get them to combine the two into one bill. That has never happened before. We were both on the same registered credit card.

 

 

As I mentioned before, this has been the case with us for the last couple of years. Never had a problem in previous years.

But we never had to fight to get them combined. We just asked for it to be done and it was.

[KirkNC]

If one credit card used the OBC is transferred . If separate credit cards they won't transfer . Princess has the same rules.

 

Thats what I thought as we have always had it apply to the total combined bills on both lines (all under one credit card).

[boards]

As I mentioned before, this has been the case with us for the last couple of years. Never had a problem in previous years.

But we never had to fight to get them combined. We just asked for it to be done and it was.

 

What difference does it make? All they are doing is listing the purchases each of you have made while on the ship and it will all be charged to the accompanying credit card. I like it because it makes it easier to check in the event of a wrong charge. We don't find that a problem.

[calteacher]

Does HAL keep all the on-board credit separate so as to not use the Shareholder credit to pay for the daily charge?

[cruz chic]

Does HAL keep all the on-board credit separate so as to not use the Shareholder credit to pay for the daily charge?

 

No, obc offset all charges on your account.

Edited February 18, 2015 by cruz chic

[Vict0riann]

On our most recent cruise, too, our accounts were separate, and we didn't notice it until around mid-way, when DH asked for a printout. He had to go to the Front Office and ask for them to be combined. I don't think that had happened before.

[Kamloops50]

On our most recent cruise, too, our accounts were separate, and we didn't notice it until around mid-way, when DH asked for a printout. He had to go to the Front Office and ask for them to be combined. I don't think that had happened before.

 

Ours where separate until the bill was being charged to the credit card. They were then combined . We did use one credit card for both . That might be the reason.

[Vict0riann]

Ours where separate until the bill was being charged to the credit card. They were then combined . We did use one credit card for both . That might be the reason.

 

We always use just one credit card, too. Do you mean the two accounts were billed as one single amount, or the printouts were combined?

[Kamloops50]

We always use just one credit card, too. Do you mean the two accounts were billed as one single amount, or the printouts were combined?

 

They ran two actual accounts with two bills at the end . Then my DW's account was transferred to my bill and billed to the same card as one entry.