Watch for this when redeeming FCC

[GottaKnowWhen]

Let's say you are John Q Smith and you are traveling with Mary Smith. You have a cruise cancelled (bummer!) and opt for the 125% FCC.

Eventually you receive notification of your FCC certificate numbers. You look at your bookings for next year and decide to apply the FCC to a cruise in October 2021.

So, you go online, follow the Celebrity instructions. Get to the form for applying FCC to a current booking, fill in last name, res#, ship name, date of sailing. Up pops up the next page showing you (John Q Smith) and your travel partner (Mary X Smith). You enter your cert # against your name, her cert number against her name, hit Enter. Oops!

 

Very soon (about 5 minutes in my case) you will receive two emails from Celebrity. One is the typical Welcome you get every time you make a payment, with a pdf updated invoice/confirmation attached showing your fare after application of the FCC. But the second item is a Sorry, You Can't Do That note telling you that her cert# can't be used by a passenger with a different name.

 

I.e., Mary Smith's cert cannot be used for Mary X Smith's fare. The names gotta match.

 

I called and left a message for my Celebrity Vacation Planner to ask him to do away with the middle initial on the second reservation, the change soon showed up online in Manage Your Reservation, but later I still couldn't link her FCC to the 2021 reservation. Tried several times. Eventually I forwarded one of the Sorry, You Can't Do That notes to my CVP,  he went through his supervisor, problem resolved, new Confirmation issued showing 2021 cruise now almost totally paid for.

 

So the system works, but it is good to remember that automated processes can be quite literal minded (simple minded) when it comes to application of company rules such as e.g. "the FCC from one passenger can only be used by that same passenger..."  And so Mary Smith and Mary X Smith are "different" persons with different names.

 

Stan

[ipeeinthepool]

You can change one person from a reservation, so maybe Mary X Smith should cancel and then Mary  Smith should book the cruise in her place.  Then apply the FCC.  Hopefully Mary X Smith did not opt for the non-refundable deposit.  

Edited July 9, 2020 by ipeeinthepool

[GottaKnowWhen]

7 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

You can change one person from a reservation, so maybe Mary X Smith should cancel and then Mary  Smith should book the cruise in her place.  Then apply the FCC.  Hopefully Mary X Smith did not opt for the non-refundable deposit.  

Cancel-and-rebook has other complications when perks are involved. And there is the NRD potential issue.

What should be the most straightforward way to deal with this would be to go to Manage My Reservation, expand the details, elect the option to Edit the 2nd passenger's information, and then add or delete the middle initial (or make whatever other spelling correction is needed to bring the two reservations into synch.) Tried that, the edit was not allowed.

 

Stan

[wrk2cruise]

Or simpler yet, call Celebrity or your TA and get them to apply it.  They have ways to get around their terrible IT.

 

[jelayne]

I don’t think this can be blamed on IT.  The instruction for applying a FCC to an existing booking say

” Enter the code for each applicable guest making sure each guest’s name exactly match the foil name on the voucher“.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I have a 1st and middle name that I always go by, Mary Lou, never just Mary. This creates numerous problems with Celebrity so I know where the OP is coming from. Since my passport and drivers license both have both names I just go with the flow.  Wish the flow was on the ocean right now.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Well, lucky those who got FCCs with the promised expiration dates of December 31, 2021.  Mine came with a March 2021 expiration date, making them useless to me.  My TA is currently duking this out with Celebrity.  

[Fouremco]

53 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Well, lucky those who got FCCs with the promised expiration dates of December 31, 2021.  Mine came with a March 2021 expiration date, making them useless to me.  My TA is currently duking this out with Celebrity.  

Are you referring to the "book by" or "cruise by" expiry date? Also, was this a cancellation under the Cruise With Confidence policy?

 

If it's of any help, here's my email exchange with Celebrity One Touch 

 

My email dated May 11, 2020:

On March 16, 2020, I was issued an FCC under the initial terms of the Cruise with Confidence policy, to be used on sailings on or before December 31, 2021. The policy has since been modified and FCCs can now be used for sailing up to April 30, 2022. Can you please verify whether this applies to all FCCs issued under the Cruise with Confidence policy, or only to those issued after the change in policy.

 

Celebrity reply dated May 27, 2020:

Thank you for reaching out to us.

The original FCC you received is in fact extended its book by date until April 30, 2022.

If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out to our Engagement Center Representatives at 844-418-6824.

 

Based on this reply, it appears that there is some flexibility in the application of the policy. Whether your particular circumstances will allow for a similarly positive response remains to be seen, but there is some hope.
 

 

 

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

They were used as payment on a cruise which Celebrity cancelled.  The cruise was to have been in May this year.  So there is no rhyme or reason to the March date. 

[bubbachief]

We will each be getting a FCC for a cancelled cruise..  Can one person take the FCC, the other person take the refund?

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, bubbachief said:

We will each be getting a FCC for a cancelled cruise..  Can one person take the FCC, the other person take the refund?

No, all parties included in the booking receive the same, either all FCC or all refund.

[runnerswife]

:Question:    If I use FCC's for a cruise do I still have to make a cash deposit or if the fccs are more than or

a little less than the total price can the fccs cover the deposit?  Thanks for any responses.  Don't really

undestand how fccs work.   Mary

[wrk2cruise]

No FCC can't be used for deposit.   If your FCC is more than cruise fare minus deposit they will issue a new FCC for the difference.

[Fouremco]

20 minutes ago, runnerswife said:

:Question:    If I use FCC's for a cruise do I still have to make a cash deposit or if the fccs are more than or

a little less than the total price can the fccs cover the deposit?  Thanks for any responses.  Don't really

undestand how fccs work.   Mary

Think of it as a gift card. Other than the deposit (Celebrity wants your $$$), you can use it to pay for your cruise. If your FCC doesn't cover it, you pay the balance with your credit card; if your FCC amount is higher than your final payment, you'll get a new FCC for the balance.

 

Theoretically, you could have an FCC in the exact amount of your deposit + final payment, but you would still have to pay the deposit and get a new FCC back in the same amount.

 

The only scenario I'm not sure of is if you make a booking after the final payment due date. As there is no deposit per se, I don't know if you could apply the total FCC should it equal the amount due, or whether Celebrity would still insist on you paying the equivalent of the deposit fee separately and issuing a new FCC in that amount.

[flifish64]

On 7/10/2020 at 12:21 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Well, lucky those who got FCCs with the promised expiration dates of December 31, 2021.  Mine came with a March 2021 expiration date, making them useless to me.  My TA is currently duking this out with Celebrity.  

 

I was able to apply a FCC yesterday that said it expired March 2021 to an October 2021 cruise.   That was the good news.

I had 2 FCCs for each of us and was only allowed to use one.   e-mail back said only one FCC per person per cruise.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

9 hours ago, flifish64 said:

 

I was able to apply a FCC yesterday that said it expired March 2021 to an October 2021 cruise.   That was the good news.

I had 2 FCCs for each of us and was only allowed to use one.   e-mail back said only one FCC per person per cruise.

 

 

How did you achieve that?  Do tell, as I suffer from the same problem.  And, yes, I'm aware that the "rules" say one FCC/person/cruise, although they seem to have bent those for me as I used them both on a 2020 cruise that got cancelled.  But I have 3 booked for 2021, so three opportunities to use them if I can just get the expiration dates fixed.

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

How did you achieve that?  Do tell, as I suffer from the same problem.  And, yes, I'm aware that the "rules" say one FCC/person/cruise, although they seem to have bent those for me as I used them both on a 2020 cruise that got cancelled.  But I have 3 booked for 2021, so three opportunities to use them if I can just get the expiration dates fixed.

Are your "book by" and "cruise by" dates the same? In our case, our FCCs originally had December 31, 2021 expiry date: we had to apply them to a booking by that date on a cruise starting on or before that date. Celebrity's Cruise with Confidence policy later changed, allowing us to book a cruise sailing as late as April 30, 2022. You may still need to book and apply the FCC by your March 2021 date, but perhaps you can do so for a a cruise up to the end of April 2022. 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

31 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Are your "book by" and "cruise by" dates the same? In our case, our FCCs originally had December 31, 2021 expiry date: we had to apply them to a booking by that date on a cruise starting on or before that date. Celebrity's Cruise with Confidence policy later changed, allowing us to book a cruise sailing as late as April 30, 2022. You may still need to book and apply the FCC by your March 2021 date, but perhaps you can do so for a a cruise up to the end of April 2022. 

 

Nope, says the cruise has to sail by March 2021.  Different date on each one.

[flifish64]

16 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

How did you achieve that?  Do tell, as I suffer from the same problem.  And, yes, I'm aware that the "rules" say one FCC/person/cruise, although they seem to have bent those for me as I used them both on a 2020 cruise that got cancelled.  But I have 3 booked for 2021, so three opportunities to use them if I can just get the expiration dates fixed.

Our certificates only had "Expiration Date"   no book by or sail by date   Both certificates were issued March 12, 2020 for cruises they cancelled.  We received full refund for what we had paid plus these certificates for 25% of the fare.

I went to Celebrity.com and followed the directions for redeeming an FCC.   Next day I received both the confirmation on using the one and the notice that I could not use the other due to the one certificate per cruise limitation.

FYI   we are booked with a Travel Agent but I  used the certificate directly with Celebrity on the Web.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

10 hours ago, flifish64 said:

Our certificates only had "Expiration Date"   no book by or sail by date   Both certificates were issued March 12, 2020 for cruises they cancelled.  We received full refund for what we had paid plus these certificates for 25% of the fare.

I went to Celebrity.com and followed the directions for redeeming an FCC.   Next day I received both the confirmation on using the one and the notice that I could not use the other due to the one certificate per cruise limitation.

FYI   we are booked with a Travel Agent but I  used the certificate directly with Celebrity on the Web.

 

 

Mine says:  "Cruise must be taken by 03/05/2021 and not redeemable for inaugural or holiday sailings. or on reservations made within a new ship’s designated inaugural booking window"

[Jim_Iain]

I'm thinking of just cashing in all of my FCC's and the heck with the 25%  bonus.  I have had so many cancelled cruises I don't think it will be possible to use them before expiration.

 

[Oville]

32 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I'm thinking of just cashing in all of my FCC's and the heck with the 25%  bonus.  I have had so many cancelled cruises I don't think it will be possible to use them before expiration.

 

So glad you posted.  I missed seeing you here and started getting worried.  Katie

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 7/16/2020 at 9:32 PM, Jim_Iain said:

I'm thinking of just cashing in all of my FCC's and the heck with the 25%  bonus.  I have had so many cancelled cruises I don't think it will be possible to use them before expiration.

 

 

You're lucky you have that option and I think it's a good idea.  I wish I had that option.

[Fouremco]

27 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

You're lucky you have that option and I think it's a good idea.  I wish I had that option.

Potentially, we will be able to use ours, but I wish that we had the option of cashing them in.