Shareholders OBC is rejected if you use a travel agent

[schmoopie17]

42 minutes ago, LDEE said:

Indeed I did receive the SBC and used a TA.   

I bought the stock a few days ago at $12.90. It has improved since then to $14.50 as I type this.

But then again, I'm not planning to retire on my gains (if any) on NCL stock. I'm already retired...

[julig22]

2 hours ago, LDEE said:

Indeed I did receive the SBC and used a TA.   Now if only the stock value would improve. Remember when it paid dividends?

Um, no.  AFAIK, NCL has never paid dividends.

[marne-c]

Another voice noting full NCLH shareholder benefit while using a TA.

 

--Marne

[RocketMan275]

5 hours ago, LDEE said:

Indeed I did receive the SBC and used a TA.   Now if only the stock value would improve. Remember when it paid dividends?

Not quite the same thing but to me the SBC is a form of a dividend.

[ontheweb]

49 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Not quite the same thing but to me the SBC is a form of a dividend.

Carnival Corporation pre-Covid paid dividends and had the shareholder's OBC for all of its various brands.

[RocketMan275]

40 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Carnival Corporation pre-Covid paid dividends and had the shareholder's OBC for all of its various brands.

I realize that.  I owned CCL when I frequently cruised HAL.  

[nudistcruzer]

5 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Not quite the same thing but to me the SBC is a form of a dividend.

I probably wouldn't say that. You can't use the money for anything else.  Also, the actual cost to the line is very minimal, I'm pretty sure, the money cannot be used for anything that is cash equivalent like tips or the casino.  I think most people here that own NCL stock have only bought it for the Shareholder Benefit and also would think of it as a dividend.  I am very disappointed in the NCL Shareholder Benefit.  As far as Carnival, I would have bought the stock only for the OBC and would not have gotten the stock for any other reason. NCLs program offers so much less as far as I'm concerned. If I really understood the difference in the programs between NCL and Carnival I would have never bought the NCL stock. If you are on a charter NCL doesn't pay the benefit, even when the cost for your cruise is higher than if you paid more than booking with NCL. (I suspect those who say they didn't get the benefit because of using a travel agent was probably on a charter, whether they knew it or not.) On Carnival, if you are one the same ship for 20 days even if it is two cruises back to back under different booking numbers, they give you $250. On NCL one cruise under one booking number for 20 days they only give you $200 because they consider it two back to back 10 day cruises. This knowledge is from very recent personal experience and I have the documentation to prove what I am saying. On my NCL cruise for 14 days in February 2025 I am getting $50. Same cruise on Carnival I would get $250. Because 11 days of the cruise is a charter. If it wasn't a charter I would get $150, even a 3 day followed by a 14 day would still be $150. $50 for the first 3 days and $100 for the 14 days. On Carnival this would always be $250 even with a charter.

 

Because of the number of charters I'm on and the simple pain it is to fill out these forms and the fact that NCL doesn't even have a department for the Shareholder benefit that one can call, I will be selling my NCL stock after I get my $50 in February 2025.  

Edited November 17, 2023 by nudistcruzer

[IAcruising]

11 minutes ago, nudistcruzer said:

 I think most people here that own NCL stock have only bought it for the Shareholder Benefit and also would think of it as a dividend.  I am very disappointed in the NCL Shareholder Benefit. ... If I really understood the difference in the programs between NCL and Carnival I would have never bought the NCL stock.

 

I certainly consider it a dividend. And to be blunt, no amount of shareholder benefit would get me on a Carnival ship.

 

[nudistcruzer]

1 hour ago, IAcruising said:

 

I certainly consider it a dividend. And to be blunt, no amount of shareholder benefit would get me on a Carnival ship.

 

I am mostly on Charters on Carnival, most of my cruising is charters. Until now these charters have been on Carnival. NCL is doing their first charter with our group in 2025. My only point is, NCL's shareholder benefit is so minimal to me, it is not worth owning the stock. That said, I have preferred NCL cruises in general. Carnival's off ship service: website, customer service, different departments, excursions and shareholder benefits have excelled in those areas. My favorite ships and crews have been NCL's for a very long time. 

[dbrown84]

1 hour ago, nudistcruzer said:

 Also, the actual cost to the line is very minimal, I'm pretty sure, the money cannot be used for anything that is cash equivalent like tips or the casino.

Just wanted to point out that you can use the OBC for tips.  You can't use it on the DSC, but tips are allowed

[nudistcruzer]

2 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

Just wanted to point out that you can use the OBC for tips.  You can't use it on the DSC, but tips are allowed

👍

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

I certainly consider it a dividend. And to be blunt, no amount of shareholder benefit would get me on a Carnival ship.

 

The Carnival Corporation stock not only provides OBC for Carnival, but also all the other lines owned by the corporation, Princess, Holland America, etc.

[Candy Apple 12]

12 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

Just wanted to point out that you can use the OBC for tips.  You can't use it on the DSC, but tips are allowed

 

10 hours ago, nudistcruzer said:

👍

 

So if I add on a tip for the butler or concierge, I can use my shareholder OBC for this? If so, that’s a game changer.  

[IAcruising]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

The Carnival Corporation stock not only provides OBC for Carnival, but also all the other lines owned by the corporation, Princess, Holland America, etc.

 

Yes, just as NCL also applies to Oceania and Regent.  We're trying Holland next August, but I don't think it's worth investing just for a possible one-off.

 

[dbrown84]

4 hours ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

 

 

So if I add on a tip for the butler or concierge, I can use my shareholder OBC for this? If so, that’s a game changer.  

well, I don't know how you would do the butler or concierge.  Is there a way to tip them to your account?  I was talking about situations where you have to sign a receipt, like in the specialty restaurants.  You can add the tip to the receipt and it will be paid from your OBC, if non-refundable OBC

[Candy Apple 12]

1 minute ago, dbrown84 said:

well, I don't know how you would do the butler or concierge.  Is there a way to tip them to your account?  I was talking about situations where you have to sign a receipt, like in the specialty restaurants.  You can add the tip to the receipt and it will be paid from your OBC, if non-refundable OBC

I go to the concierge desk and ask them to add tips to my account. I have to have the full name of the person I’m tipping. We don’t drink, so no bar tab. I’m trying to figure out the best way to spend my OBC now that I finally went ahead and bought the stock. 

[nudistcruzer]

13 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Yes, just as NCL also applies to Oceania and Regent.  We're trying Holland next August, but I don't think it's worth investing just for a possible one-off.

 

I have found that each of the Carnival brands are completely different from each other. My favorite on ship experience is NCL.  I have even found people that say Carnival is their favorite.  It is a a very subjective thing.  Holland America is a step down from Cunard but still very upscale. I have friends going on a 5 week Holland America cruise in February out of San Diego. The older people are the more they prefer Holland America, generally.

[Indyopie]

On 10/21/2023 at 12:35 PM, Indyopie said:

We leave on the Bliss Oct 31st. Just went in to print our edocs showing our stock credit and it was gone.  It was not showing in the NCL app either and had previously.  Our amenity invoice from NCL for this cruise was received this past March.  I checked 2 other cruises where we had received our stock credit and they were gone too.  Those amenity invoices for Feb 2024 and May 2024 were received in April of 2023, so not recent requests.  Just got off the phone with NCL and she stated it was an issue with the TA using the "flex net" code on our reservations. We've used the same TA for all our cruises and have never had an issue getting our credit.  I asked if this was a recent NCL change and she said she hadn't heard of any changes, and this was the first call she's received about the issue.  She talked to the help desk since we are only 10 days out and they were able to credit our account.  I was told since the others are not until next year, I need to contact our TA and have them fix their code. When I asked the rep if the TA would know what needed to be done to correct the issue she said "yes, they'll know" so we'll see.  At least we got our credit for our Oct 31st cruise. Check your accounts if you previously submitted, and received, stock credits!

 

On 10/21/2023 at 5:11 PM, ontheweb said:

Does anyone have any idea what a "flex code"is?

Recent invoice from our TA has a new format and now includes a line for Rate Code, "FLEXNET".  Seems strange NCL has approved all our stockholder OBC requests if this is the way they come across. TA confirms no change. Obviously NCL IT just ran something and removed all stockholder OBC if this was the rate code, regardless of being approved in April. Will still take the ~$400 overall savings from my TA over the 100 stockholder OBC if I have to choose 😄. Going to take the paper amenity invoices with us on our Feb and May 2024 cruises and see if they honor when we board.

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by Indyopie
date incorrect

[nudistcruzer]

6 minutes ago, Indyopie said:

 

Recent invoice from our TA has a new format and now includes a line for Rate Code, "FLEXNET".  Seems strange NCL has approved all our stockholder OBC requests if this is the way they come across. TA confirms no change. Obviously NCL IT just ran something and removed all stockholder OBC if this was the rate code, regardless of being approved in June of 2022. Will still take the ~$400 overall savings from my TA over the 100 stockholder OBC if I have to choose 😄. Going to take the paper amenity invoices with us on our Feb and May 2024 cruises and see if they honor when we board.

 

Although I prefer NCL cruises generally over any of the Carnival lines, Carnival has always made the shareholder benefit easy and fair.  While NCL has credited me correctly based upon their draconian stipulations, they give me far less shareholder OBC's than Carnival. On first glance the programs look almost the same, when you look at the details, NCL's benefit is terrible in practice compared to Carnival's. Although, I have never booked a cruise though anyone but directly with a line, unless it was a charter or tour group, I have friends that always use their own travel agent, and with Carnival they have never been denied an OBC, ever, as long as they applied correctly. (Back to back cruises with different booking numbers totaling 14 or more days need to be submitted at the same time with Carnival brands to get the full $250. They divide the amount between the two bookings. NCL never gives you the full $250 credit for a 20 day booking even under one booking number if they consider it two back to back 10 day cruises.) 

[ontheweb]

58 minutes ago, Indyopie said:

 

Recent invoice from our TA has a new format and now includes a line for Rate Code, "FLEXNET".  Seems strange NCL has approved all our stockholder OBC requests if this is the way they come across. TA confirms no change. Obviously NCL IT just ran something and removed all stockholder OBC if this was the rate code, regardless of being approved in April. Will still take the ~$400 overall savings from my TA over the 100 stockholder OBC if I have to choose 😄. Going to take the paper amenity invoices with us on our Feb and May 2024 cruises and see if they honor when we board.

 

Wishing you good luck with that. Did you ask the TA what "FLEXNET"  meant?

[Indyopie]

50 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Wishing you good luck with that. Did you ask the TA what "FLEXNET"  meant?

It is their rate for NCL, cheaper than on NCL's site when I compare.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Indyopie said:

It is their rate for NCL, cheaper than on NCL's site when I compare.

That does not mean it is necessarily one of those special like for travel agents to sale rates that are specifically not allowed the shareholder OBC. They could either be rebating part of their commission or have reserved a block of cabins so they can give a discounted rate.

[WhiteRockMike]

I know this is an older thread but I suspect that over the past few months NCL's shareholder benefit policy has changed.  It certainly has for us.  We haven't had this problem before until our 2024 cruises. These are not on Norwegian Cruise Line but are on NCL's other two lines, Oceania and Regent.

 

Our two Regent cruises were in January and February 2024, and we have three upcoming Oceania cruises in March and November, 2024.  They are All booked through TA's.  All rejected with the reason given being that the fare was a "sale" fare.  For the two Regent cruises I applied to the listed shareholder benefit email and at least received a reply that they didn't qualify.  For the March Oceania, I have now sent the initial and two reminder emails and didn't receive the basic courtesy of any reply at all.  I Just got off the phone with Oceania customer service and the very helpful lady (on another issue) looked up all three cruises and said none of them will qualify as they are "sale" fares.  I said that the last two were exactly priced at the Oceania website fares, not some special TA fare and she said it doesn't matter, as the Oceania website fare is usually a sale fare!  I asked, so unless you are paying full fare you aren't getting the benefit, and she said yes.  Does anyone actually pay the "full fare"?  There is always some sale or other on a cruise.

 

I don't know if this suspected new policy will apply to Norwegian cruise line as well, but it does to the two sister cruise lines.

 

This was disappointing and I think a very poor corporate move.  We will be selling our NCL stock; at least it stock jumped about 20% today after their latest earnings report, which will make it easier to do.

 

Not looking to get into an argument, just wanted to report what happened to us.

 

[Seattle_Guy]

We book direct, got the benefit, also got the 20% today on NCLH - congrats fellow holders!

 

I'm no doubt some small part of their increasing profitability 🙂

[RocketMan275]

Have never encountered this. Always book through TA and always get the benefit.