Military and shareholders OBC no longer combinable soon.

[dreams_of_travel]

I want to thank @HaveDogWillTravel for starting this thread.  I never would have submitted my SOBC requests for next year's cruises so early without this thread.   It would seem that acting early before the new rule was applied paid off for getting both SOBC and MOBC on my cruises.  I did take pics of each cruise's OBC list just in case their IT messes things up. 

[Ken the cruiser]

3 minutes ago, dreams_of_travel said:

I want to thank @HaveDogWillTravel for starting this thread.  I never would have submitted my SOBC requests for next year's cruises so early without this thread.   It would seem that acting early before the new rule was applied paid off for getting both SOBC and MOBC on my cruises.  I did take pics of each cruise's OBC list just in case their IT messes things up. 

Totally agree!! Thanks @HaveDogWillTravel!! 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

I did not get the same email from Princess that @Ken the cruiseror @Bwana Tom, @nasa1974and others did recently confirming what my CVP emailed me when I started this thread. 
 

My DH did have to email twice to get his SOBC applied with his MOBC before today’s deadline for a Dec sailing. He did get it after the second request. I’ve screen shot the Travel summary as I’m traveling and can’t print it at the moment. 
 

If his SOBC disappears I will definitely contact my CVP to get it reinstated. We hope to find time to spend it on shore excursions really soon as there actually are several we are interested in from Princess on that sailing! 
 

I’m glad there were at least a few folks (besides myself) who could take advantage of this early warning to get their SOBC applied while they could. 

Edited June 30, 2023 by HaveDogWillTravel

[HaveDogWillTravel]

22 minutes ago, dreams_of_travel said:

I want to thank @HaveDogWillTravel for starting this thread.  I never would have submitted my SOBC requests for next year's cruises so early without this thread.   It would seem that acting early before the new rule was applied paid off for getting both SOBC and MOBC on my cruises.  I did take pics of each cruise's OBC list just in case their IT messes things up. 

I have been helped tremendously by posts on CC. I am happy to contribute when I can. Very glad it worked out!

[HaveDogWillTravel]

17 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Totally agree!! Thanks @HaveDogWillTravel!! 

I love your posts and contributions!  I am so happy I could be helpful.  

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

I did not get the same email from Princess that @Ken the cruiseror @Bwana Tom, @nasa1974and others did recently confirming what my CVP emailed me when I started this thread. 
 

My DH did have to email twice to get his SOBC applied with his MOBC before today’s deadline for a Dec sailing. He did get it after the second request. I’ve screen shot the Travel summary as I’m traveling and can’t print it at the moment. 
 

If his SOBC disappears I will definitely contact my CVP to get it reinstated. We hope to find time to spend it on shore excursions really soon as there actually are several we are interested in from Princess on that sailing! 
 

I’m glad there were at least a few folks (besides myself) who could take advantage of this early warning to get their SOBC applied while they could. 

FWIW only my DW got the email. Has your DH checked his email today?

[HaveDogWillTravel]

3 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

FWIW only my DW got the email. Has your DH checked his email today?

Excellent point!  I’m not military. However he just checked and did not see it. Sometimes these things take a few days to get around. 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Princessfan20 said:

This is so unfair to couples like us who are both veterans and have served our country.  It makes no sense that Princess is not allowing couples who are both veterans and own CCL the benefit of the SOBC.  Does anyone have a recommendation or email address of someone at corporate that I could write to let them know how disappointed we are in Princess's lack of support for allowing all veterans's the same opportunity to use their CCL shares.

 

I cannot believe how many little benefits we have lost from Princess in the last year.  What is their end game?

Cruise lines are going to do what they need to do to remain profitable, or in more recent times, get profitable again. Thats just a given. That’s one of the many reasons why I enjoy following various CC threads, such as this one which gave us an “unofficial” heads-up to get our various bookings in order before June 29 got here!

 

There’s another recent Princess thread that made me aware of the huge benefits realized from purchasing discounted Princess Gift Cards on the AARP Rewards website. As they say when a window closes, another one opens (most of the time). 😁

[nasa1974]

4 hours ago, Princessfan20 said:

This is so unfair to couples like us who are both veterans and have served our country.  It makes no sense that Princess is not allowing couples who are both veterans and own CCL the benefit of the SOBC.  Does anyone have a recommendation or email address of someone at corporate that I could write to let them know how disappointed we are in Princess's lack of support for allowing all veterans's the same opportunity to use their CCL shares.

 

I cannot believe how many little benefits we have lost from Princess in the last year.  What is their end game?

It does seem unfair to those of us that get MOBC and also have Carnival stock. It is great that one can get MOBC the other partner can get SOBC.As it should be. But why punish those of us that qualify for both. I now cruise solo and qualify for both MOBC and SOBC, since my wife passed. I might as well sell my shares now that I can't get the OBC, and we don't receive dividends. Just not worth it.

[MissP22]

4 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

It does seem unfair to those of us that get MOBC and also have Carnival stock. It is great that one can get MOBC the other partner can get SOBC.As it should be. But why punish those of us that qualify for both. I now cruise solo and qualify for both MOBC and SOBC, since my wife passed. I might as well sell my shares now that I can't get the OBC, and we don't receive dividends. Just not worth it.

Have you applied for all of your future cruises already?

If so, were they approved?

[Steelers36]

15 hours ago, rosevew said:

Cunard is pleased to offer a special military personnel onboard credit programme. This programme is available to active military, retired military and disabled military veterans with proper identification in the following service divisions: United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserves, Canadian National Defence, United Kingdom Military Personnel, Royal Australian Navy, Army, Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Navy, Army or Air Force.

This is not directed at you, but Carnival and other companies need to update their language and include the US Space Force which is a new branch of the military.

[nasa1974]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Have you applied for all of your future cruises already?

If so, were they approved?

Yes, I applied for the SOBC for all 5 cruises. For the two October 2023 cruises and the one April 2024 cruise, I applied in February this year and had the SOBC in a day or two. For my two October 2024 cruises I applied for SOBC last week after all the chatter about SOBC and MOBC. Both of the October 2024 cruises had SOBC applied within a day of asking. Now that the new process has been implemented, on the 3 day October 2023 cruise I have MOBC but the SOBC is gone. The other 4 cruises have both SOBC and MOBC (I just checked again and made copies of the pages). I'm not going to worry about $50.00. I will follow up, however.

[Steelers36]

No email received here.  Perhaps it is held up in customs.

[Princessfan20]

8 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

It does seem unfair to those of us that get MOBC and also have Carnival stock. It is great that one can get MOBC the other partner can get SOBC.As it should be. But why punish those of us that qualify for both. I now cruise solo and qualify for both MOBC and SOBC, since my wife passed. I might as well sell my shares now that I can't get the OBC, and we don't receive dividends. Just not worth it.

 

We have decided to sale our shares of CCL and are seriously looking at going to another cruise line.  We usually do several long cruises a year so I hope Princess enjoys the extra $250 they are taking from us.  

 

It is just a matter of principle and makes no sense the way they have been peeling back benefits in the last year from Elites and others.  Why not just say OBC's cannot be combined and make everyone choose?

[Steelers36]

On 6/23/2023 at 4:04 PM, Tigrou said:

I know the reasons.  Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.

 

In the situation under discussion, it really feels like being kicked when I'm down.  If in cabins with 2 people one can claim military and the other shareholder, then if a solo traveller is paying for 2 people they should be able to claim both benefits if eligible.

 

 

 

On 6/23/2023 at 4:15 PM, whitecap said:

I, for one, do agree.  This new policy does, I'll say, diminish the benefits for a solo cruiser.  Something that the heads at Princess should discuss and rectify.  

 

On 6/23/2023 at 4:44 PM, ldtr said:

Lets see average CCL onboard revenue per passenger per day last quarter  was $77.38, the amount of food spend per passenger per day was $15.40 (and I believe that includes not only the passenger food but the crew food as well).  The rest is pretty much fixed labor, fuel, etc for a given itinerary.  The amount of other consumables such as soap and tp, might be a few cents per day but certainly not more than $1.  So the savings by not having a second passengers is pretty small to the potential revenue loss.

 

If they are not spending anything on board then even more of a reason for the cruise line to not really want to embrace them.

 

On 6/23/2023 at 4:51 PM, ldtr said:

On a 7 day cruise you lose $100.  On a 7 day cruise based upon last quarters numbers the cruise line loses a potential $541.66 by not having a second person in that cabin.  They might save 107.80 in food cost.  However the crew gives up $112 in gratuity amount, even though they clean the same number of bathrooms, change the same towels, make the same beds. etc.

 

 

Sorry, but I don't see the argument for a solo getting to double-dip on the OBC.  PCL policy is now one per person.  Any OBC earned/granted is spent on the ship.  I do not subscribe to a theory that a solo is going to spend as much as when they traveled with partner.  Excursion cost is per person not per cabin.  Drinks and SD charges are per person and doubt someone is going to drink for two people (okay, there will be one in every crowd).  A solo traveler only pays for one Plus/Premier package.  Only the cabin is up-charged and has nothing to do with what OBC covers.

 

I might be a minority, but IMO, a solo cruiser is being treated the same and fairly along with couples in terms of the SOBC and MOBC policy.  I believe I am in the same camp as @ldtr.

 

[Steelers36]

On 6/24/2023 at 6:48 AM, vjmatty said:

Why would anyone buy the package at over 77 per day when they can get Plus for 60?  I’m not a solo cruiser, but does buying Plus as a solo also increase the single supplement from what it would be without Plus, or just the base fare?

Whatever supplement might be added for a solo cruiser booking a cabin, it does not apply when including Plus/Premier cruise fare packages.  Only one charge.  Of course guest can now wait and order upon boarding the ship.

[kb4683]

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

No email received here.  Perhaps it is held up in customs.

None here (Florida), either.

[MissP22]

37 minutes ago, kb4683 said:

None here (Florida), either.

I received our notice this morning here in Florida.    Update to General Policies – Shareholder and Military Benefits Policy Update Dear XXXXXX, For guests eligible for both the Shareholder and Military OBCs, each guest must now choose which OBC they would like to book; these two OBC will not be combinable with each other. This will not affect your onboard credit on your current booking with us, only future bookings. Please note that effective today June 29, 2023, all voyages departing after September 12, 2023, will have the following policy changes to Shareholder and Military Onboard Credit: The Shareholder and Military OBC will no longer be combinable with each other. The Military OBC will be non-refundable. The Shareholder OBC will remain non-refundable.

Non-refundable Onboard Credit Amount: Cruise Length Shareholder Cruise Length Shareholder Amount Military Amount 6 days or less $50/stateroom $50/person 7 to 13 days $100/stateroom $100/person 14 days or longer $250/stateroom $250/person All other terms and conditions of usage remain the same.   Again, we will honor your combined onboard credit for your upcoming booked cruise. We look forward to welcoming you on board!

[Tedferg]

I have MOBC and have toyed with the idea of purchasing CCL stocks, simply for the SOBC. I now have no interest in CCL stocks. Odd that they would take away an incentive to buy their stock.

[kiwimum]

Check your email for the latest from Princess.   Military OBC is doubled for select voyages.    Offer is valid thru July 21.   

[bjkTX]

NEW MIlitary OBC!  We just got emails from Princess saying they appreciate the military and are doubling the OBC from $100 to $200 for 7-13 days and from $250 to $500 for 14 days or longer.  I did not see anything that says it has to be new bookings so I sent it to our TA to ask if this could be changed on our two current bookings.  I'm sure the reply will be new bookings only - but have to ask 🙂  It does say in the fine print of there are more than 1 military person in the cabin to call and get the rates  AND it says not combinable with Shareholder OBC since that rule changed yesterday.

[bjkTX]

You beat me kiwi :-)

[KLM3164]

We just got the email too! However we already have so much OBC for B2B cruises in November I’m not expecting Princess to give us this additional benefit too. 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, bjkTX said:

NEW MIlitary OBC!  We just got emails from Princess saying they appreciate the military and are doubling the OBC from $100 to $200 for 7-13 days and from $250 to $500 for 14 days or longer.  I did not see anything that says it has to be new bookings so I sent it to our TA to ask if this could be changed on our two current bookings.  I'm sure the reply will be new bookings only - but have to ask 🙂  It does say in the fine print of there are more than 1 military person in the cabin to call and get the rates  AND it says not combinable with Shareholder OBC since that rule changed yesterday.

Select sailing only. 

[RV Queen]

How do we know what sailings?