Will I really lose my OBB credit?

[darsura]

While on the Edge a few weeks ago, I asked a Future Cruise representative about changing a reservation (moving the date and possibly to another ship) which I made onboard a year ago and which had a non-refundable deposit of $200.  She told me I would lose my deposit, which I expected, but she also said I would forfeit my OBB credit.  She said this would be a new reservation.  Since I would not be cancelling a cruise, I thought I would keep the reservation number and my onboard booking credit would transfer to the new cruise.  This has always been the case before when I have moved reservations, although this was the first time I had booked with a non-refundable deposit.  

[jelayne]

We have moved the deposit in the past and the Onboard booking credit was adjusted up or down depending upon the length of cruise and cabin category.

 

Having said that we have had price drops in the past couple of weeks for cruises booked onboard.  In both cases with no change to ship, sail date, cabin category just a straight price drop we lost the onboard booking OBC. Seems to be the new policy.  

[RTShaker]

This may be their way to thwart those who do placeholder bookings to keep the OBC.

[39august]

Yes, this has been happening lately. Of course, none of us were told that we would lose the OBC if we made any change to the reservation. and. in the past, no such penalty existed as long as the original reservation number remained the same.  I lost my OBC for just changing the cabin category.  Another change in policy for which no advance notice was given. 

[Dreamcruise27]

Is this a new policy?

 

It happened to me when I changed my booking to a new sail date and I called them and they reapplied it… this was about a month ago. 

[39august]

You got it back?! My TA says he's been trying to get it back for 2 months. No go so far. I called about 3 weeks ago and was told any change will lose OBC. 

[jelayne]

57 minutes ago, 39august said:

You got it back?! My TA says he's been trying to get it back for 2 months. No go so far. I called about 3 weeks ago and was told any change will lose OBC. 

Same here.  2 different TAs for 2 different sailings and neither have been successful in keeping the OBC.

[darsura]

6 hours ago, 39august said:

Yes, this has been happening lately. Of course, none of us were told that we would lose the OBC if we made any change to the reservation. and. in the past, no such penalty existed as long as the original reservation number remained the same.  I lost my OBC for just changing the cabin category.  Another change in policy for which no advance notice was given. 

I remember I had to sign a paper stating that I understood the deposit was non-refundable.  I do not recall any mention that the OBB bonus would be lost if the reservation was transferred as opposed to canceling.

[darsura]

3 hours ago, Dreamcruise27 said:

Is this a new policy?

 

It happened to me when I changed my booking to a new sail date and I called them and they reapplied it… this was about a month ago. 

I have a call in to my TA.  I will report back ☺️.

[horseymike]

6 hours ago, 39august said:

Yes, this has been happening lately. Of course, none of us were told that we would lose the OBC if we made any change to the reservation. and. in the past, no such penalty existed as long as the original reservation number remained the same.  I lost my OBC for just changing the cabin category.  Another change in policy for which no advance notice was given. 

If you change your socks , you better not let X know about it or they may charge you for that.

The ships are sailing at capacity right now so they are seizing the moment.

 

[jagoffee]

I am left wondering if in the last the FCC bookings were fully refundable.  I suspect today  if you make a booking with a fully refundable Fare, you will be able to change, keep your full deposit, and also keep your OBC for booking on board.  
 

I suspect that if the FCC is book with a non refundable fare, the $200 deposit is lost, the FCC is cancelled, and you do not receive the OBC.  
 

I am not sure what happens if you book a non refundable suite and pay a deposit greater than $200. Perhaps you get to keep the OBC?

 

 

[wrk2cruise]

Has anyone asked to see where the policy is documented in the T&C?  Was not the "policy" when I made the booking.

Edited August 7, 2023 by wrk2cruise

[darsura]

25 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

Has anyone asked to see where the policy is documented in the T&C?  Was not the "policy" when I made the booking.

Good idea.  I just checked and on my invoice (dated Oct 2022), the T&C state “When changing the ship, sail date or stateroom category of your CruiseNow Booking, please be sure to retain the same booking number in order to keep the qualifying onboard offers tied to your reservation.”  
 

[39august]

Yes, that has been the policy. But they are removing the OBC nevertheless. My TA got the OBC added back on to one cruise but not to the other two. Go figure. These were just cabin changes. 

[jagoffee]

31 minutes ago, 39august said:

Yes, that has been the policy. But they are removing the OBC nevertheless. My TA got the OBC added back on to one cruise but not to the other two. Go figure. These were just cabin changes. 

You just change your cabin number in the same category, everything remained the same, and you lost your OBC for booking on board?  Did you booking number change?

 

Does not  seem right to me.

[jelayne]

22 hours ago, darsura said:

Good idea.  I just checked and on my invoice (dated Oct 2022), the T&C state “When changing the ship, sail date or stateroom category of your CruiseNow Booking, please be sure to retain the same booking number in order to keep the qualifying onboard offers tied to your reservation.”  
 

For 1 sailing our booking number did not change.  There have been 2 price drops on the sailing and with the 1st they didn’t remove the OBC on the 2nd price drop they removed the OBC for booking onboard. 
 

Had another onboard booking, again no change to booking #, ship, sail, date or cabin category and they took the on board booking OBC. Ironically there was a $200 overlay OBC offered with the new lower price.  But in going back and forth about the onboard booking OBC the promotion changed and we were then the $200 overlay OBC was no longer offered.  We ended up just leaving the reservation as it was originally and TA offset some of the price difference.

[39august]

Yes, my reservation number(s), ship and sailing dates stayed the same. I did change categories. .It is not right. But that is what they are doing. 

[doghog]

We book most of our Celebrity cruises while onboard. Had no idea we would lose the OBC. Good to know if we were to make any changes. 

[chamima]

15 hours ago, 39august said:

Yes, that has been the policy. But they are removing the OBC nevertheless. My TA got the OBC added back on to one cruise but not to the other two. Go figure. These were just cabin changes. 

 

14 hours ago, jelayne said:

For 1 sailing our booking number did not change.  There have been 2 price drops on the sailing and with the 1st they didn’t remove the OBC on the 2nd price drop they removed the OBC for booking onboard. 
 

Had another onboard booking, again no change to booking #, ship, sail, date or cabin category and they took the on board booking OBC. Ironically there was a $200 overlay OBC offered with the new lower price.  But in going back and forth about the onboard booking OBC the promotion changed and we were then the $200 overlay OBC was no longer offered.  We ended up just leaving the reservation as it was originally and TA offset some of the price difference.

 

12 hours ago, 39august said:

Yes, my reservation number(s), ship and sailing dates stayed the same. I did change categories. .It is not right. But that is what they are doing. 

 

 

Has anyone had experience with changing REFUNDABLE  deposit bookings or were all of these bookings above done with non-refundable deposits?

Just wondered if that made a difference.

[darsura]

On 8/7/2023 at 5:21 PM, darsura said:

I have a call in to my TA.  I will report back ☺️.

 

On 8/7/2023 at 6:44 PM, darsura said:

Good idea.  I just checked and on my invoice (dated Oct 2022), the T&C state “When changing the ship, sail date or stateroom category of your CruiseNow Booking, please be sure to retain the same booking number in order to keep the qualifying onboard offers tied to your reservation.”  
 

Contrary to what the Future Cruise representative told me onboard the Edge 2 weeks ago with regard to my OBB credit, my TA successfully moved my reservation (booked with a non-refundable deposit) to another sailing on a different ship, kept my reservation number, and my OBB moved with the reservation.  My $200 deposit is still in place, but I was charged a $200 penalty change fee.  I did also lose the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions that were attached, but I expected that.  Hopefully Celebrity will offer these again this year and I can get them added if it makes sense to do so.