On Board Credit Refund

[MissP22]

36 minutes ago, BigGuy25 said:

With all of the onboard credit deals that Princess offers along with travel agent OBC and the OBC you get from shareholder credits, future cruise credits, etc., you can often end up with so much OBC that spending it all is just wasteful!!  We’ve had two recent cruises with almost $2,000 of OBC (plus free gratuities) and after enjoying cocktails, spa services, specialty dining, and some shopping ... we still had a lot left over!

That's considerably more than we normally have but then again we only stay in balcony cabins at most & sometimes even inside. 

Even our credit from the credit card is applied to the cruise price & not OBC.

 

[Doug R.]

On 12/23/2019 at 2:35 PM, MissP22 said:

A better idea is to use it on the ship & not have to worry about getting anything back a month or so later. 

My wife totally agrees and is amazed that this is a question at all.

[Hlitner]

There is one other idea.  Use a decent cruise agency that offers various booking options including trading off OBC for a much lower price on the cruise.  One of our favored cruise agencies will often have several booking options (all less expensive then booking direct with Princess).  The lowest price option dispenses with many of the OBCs (the one's offered by Princess and many cruise agencies).  We still get our usual OBCs for stockholders and veterans....but trade off the remainder for a lower booking price.  As a friend likes to say, it is an option that gives you your OBC up front rather then at the back end.  We still get some OBC (stockholder, veteran, etc) but avoid the "problem" of what to do with hundreds or thousands of dollars in OBCs.

 

Hank

[wrongwaywatson]

We received our exactly 3 weeks post cruise.  The envelope does look like junk mail.

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

There is one other idea.  Use a decent cruise agency that offers various booking options including trading off OBC for a much lower price on the cruise.  One of our favored cruise agencies will often have several booking options (all less expensive then booking direct with Princess).  The lowest price option dispenses with many of the OBCs (the one's offered by Princess and many cruise agencies).  We still get our usual OBCs for stockholders and veterans....but trade off the remainder for a lower booking price.  As a friend likes to say, it is an option that gives you your OBC up front rather then at the back end.  We still get some OBC (stockholder, veteran, etc) but avoid the "problem" of what to do with hundreds or thousands of dollars in OBCs.

 

Hank

I am totally in favor of using a good discount TA, but just to be open, Princess does sell cruises with basic, stripped down fares.  In doing so, you accept a lower fare base and forego whatever OBC and other perks Princess is including in the current promotion.  (Princess has just very recently begun to show this price, alongside the latest promotion - The Best.Sale.Ever (B.S.E.).  This may be one situation you are referring to. 

 

The other is receiving a cash discount off the fare, and this can work for both the basic fare and the latest sales promo fare.

 

[capriccio]

31 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

The other is receiving a cash discount off the fare, and this can work for both the basic fare and the latest sales promo fare.

 

 

This is what our travel agent always offers.  On some cruises we also get a small OBC ($50 or $75 per person) and/or a specialty dinner. 

[MissP22]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

There is one other idea.  Use a decent cruise agency that offers various booking options including trading off OBC for a much lower price on the cruise.  One of our favored cruise agencies will often have several booking options (all less expensive then booking direct with Princess).  The lowest price option dispenses with many of the OBCs (the one's offered by Princess and many cruise agencies).  We still get our usual OBCs for stockholders and veterans....but trade off the remainder for a lower booking price.  As a friend likes to say, it is an option that gives you your OBC up front rather then at the back end.  We still get some OBC (stockholder, veteran, etc) but avoid the "problem" of what to do with hundreds or thousands of dollars in OBCs.

 

Hank

I think we're using the same TA. 

Mine lets you book with the promotions or without at a much better price.

They can keep their overpriced liquor package, gratuities & upgrades.

Show me the better price upfront.   

[Hlitner]

55 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I think we're using the same TA. 

Mine lets you book with the promotions or without at a much better price.

They can keep their overpriced liquor package, gratuities & upgrades.

Show me the better price upfront.   

Normally I would agree with you about overpriced packages.  But that all changed with the latest "Best Sale Ever."  When that sale started we had two Princess cruises booked for next year, a 16 day and a 28 day.  They were basic bookings with no promos, OK prices, and some OBC.  I sent an e-mail to my cruise agent and ask her to explore "repricing" both of those cruises with the promo benefits.  I did not expect much but thought we would take a look.  The following day (last week) my cruise agent shocked me with a return e-mail.  We could essentially keep our existing booking perks but add the Best Sale Ever perks (drink package, unlimited internet and pre paid gratuities) for about $25 per passenger day!  The drink package, alone, is worth about $40 per passenger day (based on our own drink habits) so this was a steal!   The included unlimited Internet is also nice although we would have had about the usual Elite Internet minutes.  We quickly authorized the change.  I think it is the first time (our of many Princess bookings) when one of these sales was actually a great deal.  

 

So there is a lesson here, which I have preached (on line) for many years.  Shop around (among reputable high volume cruise agencies) for the best deals.  Once booked, keep checking (at least once a week) your pricing to see if there are better deals.  We have often "repriced" or rebooked cruises (with many different lines) to grab better pricing.  And I am not talking about simply saving $100...as there are times when we have saved thousands of dollars.   It never hurts to look, but it sure can be painful if you become too lazy to look (and shop around) and later find you could have saved big bucks.

 

It is also the same with EZAIR.  We often book Business Class deals with EZAIR and they can be expensive but a good deal when compared to the usual ridiculous Business Class prices charged by the airline.  But EZAIR pricing can change so it really pays to keep exploring options...even after you have made a Flex Air booking.

 

Hank

[voljeep]

and on shorter cruises, you can do this yourself … like I/we did

 

had been following a little 5 day cruise on the SKY since it first came out … when the BSE was first announced here on CC, I looked again and the cruise had gone down $ 100 pp to a 'more reasonable' price, but still NO perks ( usually aren't on shorter cruises ) … the next day Friday 12/13 the cruise was showing as a "Getaway" with the 2nd passenger 50% off, so we put a courtesy hold on it until Monday ...

 

on Saturday 12/14 - after BSE had come out, and some great posters posted the codes , including BEST2DG , I called Princess and got a 'random' rep on that Saturday morning , and was able to add drinks and grats for $ 30 pd for me, and $ 15 pd ( 50% off ) for my wife … so $ 225 for 2 PBP's and grats for a 5 day cruise … all the while retaining our Getaway promotion ...

 

and I still look at prices most every day 🤑..🥃..🍸

[kywildcatfanone]

If you have refundable OBC, do they mail you the check automatically or do you have to request it?

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, kywildcatfanone said:

If you have refundable OBC, do they mail you the check automatically or do you have to request it?

 

It's automatic.  There is some detail about it being over $25, though.  Hopefully, someone will explain it better than I can.  The only thing that I am aware of is that if it is over $25, you can't get it from guest services ... it has to go through BottomLine Technologies.  

[Pierlesscruisers]

7 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

If you have refundable OBC, do they mail you the check automatically or do you have to request it?

 

As the previous message said, it's automatic. You can get it at Pass. Svc. if it's under $25 and if it's mailed, I've gotten it as quickly as 2 weeks but have had it take as long as 6-8 weeks. I suspect the wide range of time to get the refund is probably due to work load at Bottom Line Technologies. An example of the envelope that it comes in is attached so you'll know what to look for in the mail.

 

TomVet OBC refund envelope.pdf

[CallyCruzer]

As an update - It's now January 14 and I got off the ship November 18.  I have yet to receive my $1,200+ in OBC that we did not spend.  After many emails and calls, I finally spoke to someone that seemed to know what they were talking about.  I was told that she was monitoring it and that at EIGHT WEEKS she would make sure it was sent!  That is ridiculous!  On other cruise lines (Celebrity, a few days after getting off the ship your refundable OBC is put on your credit card that you registered with the ship.  Princess should not keep your money for that long.  Just more thing that they don't do right!

[greenie082756]

That is a lot of OBC left over. I know that the only OBC that we get (Veteran's OBC) is the only item in the

OBC list that is marked as refundable. Otherwise we try to use as much as we can on excursions and on board purchases.

Last cruise we had $1600 OBC but only $250 was refundable.

We are currently waiting for a check as well for over $50.00.

Hope you get an answer soon.

 

[birdiebill]

We have  an upcoming cruise with $1300.00 of OBC.  That includes $250 for shareholders and another $250 for Military/Veterans.  Of that $1300.00 only the $250 for military OBC is refundable.  

[Ombud]

I disembarked from my last downunder cruise December 3, 2019 and deposited my refundable OBC check December 31, 2019. Not bad for one over the holidays. (I almost ALWAYS owe so this was a new experience for me)

[TravelingEA]

On 12/23/2019 at 1:35 PM, MissP22 said:

A better idea is to use it on the ship & not have to worry about getting anything back a month or so later. 

If any extra the last night cash out at the casino - refundable or nonrefundable.

 

[kywildcatfanone]

We were on the Sky in December, got our refundable OBC today.

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, TravelingEA said:

If any extra the last night cash out at the casino - refundable or nonrefundable.

 

I've been criticized to many times for posting that.

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I've been criticized to many times for posting that.

For using OBC in the casino and turning it into cash?  Cannot imagine why anyone would criticize you as it is a valid strategy on Princess and several other lines.  The last time we did this (on another line) we doubled our money in less then 15 minutes (at the Black Jack table ) and cashed out.

 

Hank

[kywildcatfanone]

I don't see why this would be an issue if Princess allows it as an option.

[Expat Cruise]

On 12/25/2019 at 12:06 AM, MissP22 said:

That's the best way to ensure the person who you want to receive it gets it.

Otherwise it goes into the big pot & distributed to everyone.

I know they say if you have the autotips in place they'll receive it back after they confirm it, but I know who's hand I placed it in. 

The other OBC goes to the casino & I'm always the winner in that case. 😁

Sorry but even if you keep the tips in place all cash belongs to the cruise line and goes in the tip pool. The crew contracts clearly say this. The crew is told what to say if asked by a guests under the penalty of termination.  

 

For OP and other waiting for refunds: 6 weeks is crazy... I would never wait that long just open a credit can dispute with the card you used to pay for the cruise and it will be settled within a day or two.

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Expat Cruise

[BIG TIME CRUISER]

3 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Sorry but even if you keep the tips in place all cash belongs to the cruise line and goes in the tip pool. The crew contracts clearly say this. The crew is told what to say if asked by a guests under the penalty of termination.  

 

I specifically asked our waiter in Sabatini's on the Crown if he was allowed to keep all the tip if I gave him cash & his answer was YES. If I added it to the tab it goes into the pool.

It works the way you describe for other crew but not the waiters in specialty restaurants.