How Princess bills the prepaid gratuity, i.e. what is the name shown on the credit card statement?

[nho9504]

Hi

 

For those of you who have done the prepaid gratuity at booking or before cruising, how the charge is billed, i.e. what is the merchant's name shown on your credit card statement?

 

I ask this because it seems unlike Royal Caribbean, Princess does not add the prepaid gratuity to the cruise fares plus taxes and fee amount, but a separate charge.  At least this is what my cruise agent said, it would be 2 charges.

 

Due to a generous AMEX Offer of getting $400 statement credit when making a reservation with Carnival brands for an amount $1500 and more,  I need to have a $1500 or more total invoiced amount from Princess Cruise.  Because of the FCCs from 2020 Xed cruise, our total amount payable for this booking would be short of $1500 unless I throw in some prepaid items.  The only prepaid item I could think of that makes sense to me is the prepaid gratuity.  And the charge must have the merchant's name being Princess Cruise, not the ship's name (like the final charge at disembarkation).

 

The name of the merchant is important.  If it is from something else, (like Carnival, prepaid activities would come from "Fun Store" name), then it would not work.

 

Therefore I would appreciate very much if anyone here has done the prepaid gratuity separately can provide info on what the merchant's name is when the charge shows up on your CC.

 

[Steelers36]

34 minutes ago, nho9504 said:

Hi

 

For those of you who have done the prepaid gratuity at booking or before cruising, how the charge is billed, i.e. what is the merchant's name shown on your credit card statement?

 

I ask this because it seems unlike Royal Caribbean, Princess does not add the prepaid gratuity to the cruise fares plus taxes and fee amount, but a separate charge.  At least this is what my cruise agent said, it would be 2 charges.

 

Due to a generous AMEX Offer of getting $400 statement credit when making a reservation with Carnival brands for an amount $1500 and more,  I need to have a $1500 or more total invoiced amount from Princess Cruise.  Because of the FCCs from 2020 Xed cruise, our total amount payable for this booking would be short of $1500 unless I throw in some prepaid items.  The only prepaid item I could think of that makes sense to me is the prepaid gratuity.  And the charge must have the merchant's name being Princess Cruise, not the ship's name (like the final charge at disembarkation).

 

The name of the merchant is important.  If it is from something else, (like Carnival, prepaid activities would come from "Fun Store" name), then it would not work.

 

Therefore I would appreciate very much if anyone here has done the prepaid gratuity separately can provide info on what the merchant's name is when the charge shows up on your CC.

 

Every charge I have had with PCL, whether for FCD's, water package, Grat's, etc, has all been posted as "Princess Cruises".  This includes refunds as well.  

 

How long do you need to wait for the statement credit?  You might consider pre-ordering an excursion which you could later cancel within the cancellation policy period.  I know it's tricking the system. 

 

ETA - Nope - just looked up our last cruise and the final folio amount states "CROWN PRINCESS".  All others state "PRINCESS CRUISE PASSAGE".

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by Steelers36

[nho9504]

I need the total of $1500 charged before end of December as the AMEX offer expires on Dec 31st.

On top of that my cruise agent is leaving in a few days for her Xmas markets Viking cruise which despite the ravage of covid new cases in the traditional Xmas markets areas Viking only cancelled the Danube cruises but keeps the Rhine cruises so hers remains on...  She is now nervous that if she got infected and unable to come home before Xmas! 

We ourselves are going on Odyssey of the Sea on Dec 4th for a b2b until Dec 18th.

So we want to get this done no later than tomorrow Wed.  The final payment is due on Dec 12th anyway on Sky's Transatlantic to Southampton. 

 

As long as it is billed as PRINCESS CRUISES it would work.  Not sure about the PRINCESS CRUISE PASSAGE  though.

 

Can you look again if you have prepaid gratuity in the past, was it coming from PRINCESS CRUISES?

 

Of all options only the prepaid gratuity makes sense though I have not thought about the excursion route because it is a Transatlantic sailing we have done the itinerary many times.  There is not any need for any excursion.  I do not mind at all on the tricking the system part - but AMEX would claw back the statement credit if a threshold amount is refunded.  What the threshold means is that transaction would put you at or above the minimum spend.  So I dont think the booked / refund later route would work.

 

We actually would have enough OBCs to cover both passengers' gratuity but I dont mind to prepay one passenger's - that the overage on OBC balance is only 1/2 the size to work it off.  We can always use casino to make it refundable if needed and in small amount. 

 

Currently my cruise agent and I think if removing one passenger's FCC from the booking, we will then have just over $1500 to pay - and that would work perfectly.

 

In order to remove the FCC she would need to call Princess.  She could not remove it from her end.  Princess system automatically applies the FCC available to the booking ... Sigh. 

 

Thank you Very Much for your help, especially your work on getting the Elite Internet discount issues that currently are Soooo Confusing!

 

[waltd]

The last time and only time I paid in advance for the gratuity it never showed up on my statement.   It was a wash.   Not sure if that is how it's done now.  

[nho9504]

20 minutes ago, waltd said:

The last time and only time I paid in advance for the gratuity it never showed up on my statement.   It was a wash.   Not sure if that is how it's done now.  

 

What do you mean it is a "wash"? 

 

The statement I am talking about is Credit Card statement, not a Princess daily folio. 

 

Did you not use your CC to pay in advance for the gratuity BEFORE your cruise?   I cannot imagine a charge to the CC would not show up on your CC statement and is a "wash".

 

 

[pms4104]

My head hurts.

[waltd]

lol.   yes I meant the Princess statement.    I miss understood.    Sorry.  

[nho9504]

6 minutes ago, waltd said:

lol.   yes I meant the Princess statement.    I miss understood.    Sorry.  

 

Not a problem.   Thanks for chiming in nonetheless.

 

But did you pay the gratuity in advance with a CC?  If so, do you remember what the merchant's name is for that transaction?

 

[waltd]

Just now, nho9504 said:

 

Not a problem.   Thanks for chiming in nonetheless.

 

But did you pay the gratuity in advance with a CC?  If so, do you remember what the merchant's name is for that transaction?

 

I wish I could help.   It was prior to the pandemic.   Too far back to remember.

 

[voljeep]

not sure about how it would appear on the credit card statement ... but how about buying REFUNDABLE OBC ?  If not used on board - won't you get a check back from Princess about a month after the cruise?

[nho9504]

@Steelers36

 

I forgot to add - the AMEX statement credits show up super fast if all conditions are met.

 

We booked a RCCL B2B Dec Caribbean sailings on Odyssey on Nov 6.  When the transactions were still pending, not posted yet as of Nov 9, I already saw a $500 and a $350 (2 different offers one on my card and the other on my husband's card) under the Savings tab of the AMEX offers.

The credits posted on Nov 11.  5 days after the payments were processed by RCL. 

 

AMEX always have cruise lines offers each year but in the past it is more like $100 on $500 spend.  This time after 2 years pausing, the offers are very generous, and  for all lines operating in US - from the mass market lines (CCL brands and RCL brands, as well as NCL) to the high end lines like Oceania, Regent 7 Seas, Silversea...  all are like 30% of the required spend, and a much higher spend amount threshold than in the past - which works much better for cruises.

 

Based on those generous offers I speculate that the initial rush to go on a cruise again has somewhat subsided.  The cruise lines see that therefore they come up with generous AMEX offers.  Never see those amounts before.

 

[Dnoetn]

I am thinking that perhaps if you try to obtain casino credit available on Onboard Services it will be charged on your cc when purchased.  Then you will receive cards in your cabin in amounts of $100.  You can cash that in and receive your $100 in cash.  It is like getting a cash advancement without a fee.  If you don't gamble, just use the cash on whatever.  I did this before in the amount needed and did not use it all in the casino.  Try that in the minimum amount of $100 for a test run and that should give you an answer.  Then you can purchase more in the amount needed to meet your goal.  I think it was charged to ""Princess Cruises" to the best of my recollection.  But this will be the minimal I can think of to receive an answer.   Do it prior to 14 days of sailing however.   Hope it works.

[emerald777]

I also looked into this AMEX offer, but according to the fine print it is only good on the reservation payment and not available for prepaid gratuities or other items unless booked at the same time as reservation.  I guess if you haven't made the reservation yet it might work.

 "Excludes if not booked at time of reservation: airfare booked through cruise line, excursions, prepaid food/beverage programs, prepaid gratuities, prepaid wi-fi packages, spa packages, photo & video packages, onboard celebrations, luggage valet services, travel insurance, vacation protection, motorcoach program, charters, meetings and incentive bookings."  

[Steelers36]

35 minutes ago, emerald777 said:

I also looked into this AMEX offer, but according to the fine print it is only good on the reservation payment and not available for prepaid gratuities or other items unless booked at the same time as reservation.  I guess if you haven't made the reservation yet it might work.

 "Excludes if not booked at time of reservation: airfare booked through cruise line, excursions, prepaid food/beverage programs, prepaid gratuities, prepaid wi-fi packages, spa packages, photo & video packages, onboard celebrations, luggage valet services, travel insurance, vacation protection, motorcoach program, charters, meetings and incentive bookings."  

@nho9504, I gather this is your definitive answer.  None of the rest of the above applies.

 

That said, there were very good ideas from  @voljeep and @Dnoetn about purchasing OBC.  I do think you were over-thinking the description on the CC statement.  It may vary a bit by CC (Visa, MC, AMEX, etc).  The first two words "PRINCESS CRUISES" should more than suffice.  But, it doesn't appear to matter as you clearly needed more expenses.  

 

I guess it isn't too hard to spend $1,500 on the original booking for two people.  But you wouldn't normally be booking airfare and excursions right away.

[nho9504]

2 hours ago, emerald777 said:

I also looked into this AMEX offer, but according to the fine print it is only good on the reservation payment and not available for prepaid gratuities or other items unless booked at the same time as reservation.  I guess if you haven't made the reservation yet it might work.

 "Excludes if not booked at time of reservation: airfare booked through cruise line, excursions, prepaid food/beverage programs, prepaid gratuities, prepaid wi-fi packages, spa packages, photo & video packages, onboard celebrations, luggage valet services, travel insurance, vacation protection, motorcoach program, charters, meetings and incentive bookings."  

 

That is WHY the merchant's name on the transaction matters.  My booking is on courtesy hold, and we are trying to figure out whether we could do a one lump sum payment instead of piece meal.

 

As long as it shows as PRINCESS CRUISES being the merchant, it will count, because the transaction does NOT show any details of what it is for.  In fact, even it shows but it is billed in the cruise line's name, and not in the individual ship's name, it will work.

 

Someone on Flyertalk AMEX forum said he has done similar offers with Holland America in the past, it always works because HAL bills everything in HAL's name.  Carnival would not because Carnival bills its auxi services from the name called "Fun Store" or something like that.

 

Therefore you need to do the transaction before getting on the ship, even though if the sailing is before the offer ends.

 

For this offer it ends on Dec 31st, therefore it has to be done before that date even though a cruise is months away. 

[nho9504]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

@nho9504, I gather this is your definitive answer.  None of the rest of the above applies.

 

That said, there were very good ideas from  @voljeep and @Dnoetn about purchasing OBC.  I do think you were over-thinking the description on the CC statement.  It may vary a bit by CC (Visa, MC, AMEX, etc).  The first two words "PRINCESS CRUISES" should more than suffice.  But, it doesn't appear to matter as you clearly needed more expenses.  

 

I guess it isn't too hard to spend $1,500 on the original booking for two people.  But you wouldn't normally be booking airfare and excursions right away.

 

The Transatlantic cruises always are much cheaper than the regular itineraries.  We always view it a cheap way to go across the pond. 

On top of that we hardly use any excursion offered by the ship.  Not to mention Transatlantic itinerary really does not have many ports to visit, plus we have done probably 10 Transatlantic if not more.  We have been in those ports multiple times, as there are just those same ports a Transatlantic itinerary can go - either the northern crossing or the southern crossing, with may be one or mostly two ports less visited.  I cannot remember how many times we have been at Azores / Meidera / Lisbon for example, as well as those ports along the Spanish coast.

 

If not for the FCC from the Xed Spring 2020 cruise, ironically was a Transatlantic on the same ship Sky Princess, but going to St. Petersburg then, and now she is sailing to Southampton,  our booking would be above the $1500.  The FCCs reduced the total amount.   If we can remove one FCC then we would be all set.  We are certain we would use the "saved" FCC before it expires in Dec 31 2022.

 

As for the air fare - we do not need airfare because it is a TATL, so to going to Europe part is the cruise.  The returning part inevitable would be award tickets (mileage tickets) because we always spend several weeks on land trip post cruise, either traveling in Europe or sometimes from Europe to the Pacific region before returning home.  Therefore they always are one-way tickets which using revenue tickets would be too expensive.  Our Air part usually is made up by several one-ways.+

 

Right now I have return tickets from Frankfurt issued already, though not on optimal date, nor not even for sure we would fly home from Frankfurt.  If by Apr 2022 Australia and Asia are fully open, we could very well going from Europe to Australia / Asia, then return from there.  The beauty of award ticket is, most programs are free to cancel without penalty, or with a manageable redeposit fee and you get your miles back.  Cant do this with revenue tickets which if you want that flexibility it is outrageously expensive.  Using award tickets affords plan change as we see fit.