My experience with Shareholder Benefit request

[nugent]

Wife and I are sailing in January.  I emailed my benefit request form and proof of share ownership on December 3rd, asking for an acknowledgement of receipt.  No response, nada, nothing.  Nothing on the Oceania website for my account.

 

Sent a follow-up on December 16th. Radio silence, black hole.  Nothing on the website.

 

Sent yet another follow-up on December 20th, copying InvestorRelations@nclcorp.com, NCL shareholder benefit email, and my guess at the ship's concierge and purser emails.  This morning (21st) received an email stating only "Benefit was added to your booking on December 6  as a SBC."  Still nothing on the website or any evidence of a credit.

 

My darling wife was somehow able to get Oceania on the phone.  The person said that they would process the request and that the credit would be applied as a "gift".  Wife managed to get them to send an email with a Guest Statement attachment, showing the correct gift amount.

 

Subsequent to this, the website this afternoon shows a "COMPLIMENTARY SHIPBOARD CREDIT - NCLH Shareholder" under Credits.  So the claim that the benefit was added on December 6th seems bogus.

 

Overall, a frustrating experience, and not the first time.  Surely this can be handled better?

 

What are your thoughts and experiences?

[FetaCheese]

On last O, Regatta Sept 2023, SH Credit was applied about 1 hour after submission, into My O account SBC's, but not ID'd as SH Credit.

[AMHuntFerry]

Use a full service TA instead of booking directly or using a booking-agent type TA; they will handle these types of issues (and many others that may arise). Booking cruises is the only travel product where I find a TA's services useful since I am experienced with booking airfare, hotels, cars, etc. and typically don't get any added value from my TA with respect to price/amenities on non-cruise products.

[Snaefell3]

Oceania newbie, but 2-for2, both in 2023:

• Downloaded the request form via https://www.nclhltd.com/investors/shareholder-benefits

• Scanned the filled-out request form as .PDF file

• Waited for last broker statement before Final Payment date

  - It shows 100 or more NCLH shares, right?  😉

• Scanned the page with NCLH position from that statement as .BMP file.

• Edited BMP with a "paint" program, placing grey block over account number.

  - I also redact other stock positions, realized gains/losses, etc.

• Printed the file using "Microsoft Print to PDF" pseudo-printer (sorry Apple folks)

• Emailed to ShareholderBenefit@oceaniacruises.com, attaching both PDFs

• Received immediate auto-reply acknowledging receipt of request, but no other reply

• Found SBC in booking at https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ by end of next business day

  - SBC had different description each time, making me think it was manually typed in.

• Emailed TA that SBC was in place and that no action about it was needed by them.

  - They don't really need to know even who my broker is.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Snaefell3

[mauibabes]

Ditto Feta, had SBC applied in less than an hour.  I was luckier than my son and friends that took a  number of days. Since the application process does not generate an automatic electronic response, it does appear in your Statement but not on the front page. Friends have had to request assistance from their TA but in every case, it was already on their Statement. 
Enjoy your cruise,

Mauibabes

[JRIH]

Never taken more than 48 hours for me.

[edgee]

My travel agent gets a revised invoice when SH credit is applied and e mails it to me. Usually shows it as a gift. Why O does not follow Regent's practice of sending a polite welcoming e mail from their shareholder services department confirming the credit is beyond me.

[davencl]

Always applied within 24 hours but it does not show up on the website. It shows up on the invoice if you have them email you a new one.  Also generally no email.  Never had a problem.

[Snaefell3]

3 hours ago, davencl said:

but it does not show up on the website

www.oceaniacruises.com →My Account/Reservation → (logon) → Manage This Booking → View Credits

will show this popup with the SBC.  In this case it was $50 each and labeled "COMPLIMENTARY SHIPBOARD CREDIT", but I've seen other labeling.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Snaefell3

[davencl]

4 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

www.oceaniacruises.com →My Account/Reservation → (logon) → Manage This Booking → View Credits

will show this popup with the SBC.  In this case it was $50 each and labeled "COMPLIMENTARY SHIPBOARD CREDIT", but I've seen other labeling.

 

 

Interesting as it's on my invoice but doesn't show on this page.  

[jonthomas]

18 hours ago, nugent said:

Wife and I are sailing in January.  I emailed my benefit request form and proof of share ownership on December 3rd, asking for an acknowledgement of receipt.  No response, nada, nothing.  Nothing on the Oceania website for my account.

 

Sent a follow-up on December 16th. Radio silence, black hole.  Nothing on the website.

 

Sent yet another follow-up on December 20th, copying InvestorRelations@nclcorp.com, NCL shareholder benefit email, and my guess at the ship's concierge and purser emails.  This morning (21st) received an email stating only "Benefit was added to your booking on December 6  as a SBC."  Still nothing on the website or any evidence of a credit.

 

My darling wife was somehow able to get Oceania on the phone.  The person said that they would process the request and that the credit would be applied as a "gift".  Wife managed to get them to send an email with a Guest Statement attachment, showing the correct gift amount.

 

Subsequent to this, the website this afternoon shows a "COMPLIMENTARY SHIPBOARD CREDIT - NCLH Shareholder" under Credits.  So the claim that the benefit was added on December 6th seems bogus.

 

Overall, a frustrating experience, and not the first time.  Surely this can be handled better?

 

What are your thoughts and experiences?

 always have issues with this...

 

where did the O email come from, will send them an email to the address they gave you...thanks...

[nugent]

5 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

 always have issues with this...

 

where did the O email come from, will send them an email to the address they gave you...thanks...

ShareHolderBenefit@oceaniacruises.com and noreply@oceaniacruises.com

Edited December 22, 2023 by nugent

[jonthomas]

thank you so much...

 

we have RCI stock, they immediately send confirmation of OBCs....

[shank63]

We have requested the credit on several cruises, the response time varies but we have always received it.  Patience and perseverance are required.

[jonthomas]

yes lots of patience....and lots of perseverance...

[ORV]

8 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

www.oceaniacruises.com →My Account/Reservation → (logon) → Manage This Booking → View Credits

will show this popup with the SBC.  In this case it was $50 each and labeled "COMPLIMENTARY SHIPBOARD CREDIT", but I've seen other labeling.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, davencl said:

Interesting as it's on my invoice but doesn't show on this page.  

Are you both using TA's or going directly with Oceania?

[davencl]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

 

Are you both using TA's or going directly with Oceania?

Direct .  It shows as gift on my invoice.

Edited December 22, 2023 by davencl

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

 

Are you both using TA's or going directly with Oceania?

Interesting thought.

 

Booked aboard, transferred to TA.

[haptrav]

On 12/21/2023 at 3:55 PM, nugent said:

Wife and I are sailing in January.  I emailed my benefit request form and proof of share ownership on December 3rd, asking for an acknowledgement of receipt.  No response, nada, nothing.  Nothing on the Oceania website for my account.

 

Sent a follow-up on December 16th. Radio silence, black hole.  Nothing on the website.

 

Sent yet another follow-up on December 20th, copying InvestorRelations@nclcorp.com, NCL shareholder benefit email, and my guess at the ship's concierge and purser emails.  This morning (21st) received an email stating only "Benefit was added to your booking on December 6  as a SBC."  Still nothing on the website or any evidence of a credit.

 

My darling wife was somehow able to get Oceania on the phone.  The person said that they would process the request and that the credit would be applied as a "gift".  Wife managed to get them to send an email with a Guest Statement attachment, showing the correct gift amount.

 

Subsequent to this, the website this afternoon shows a "COMPLIMENTARY SHIPBOARD CREDIT - NCLH Shareholder" under Credits.  So the claim that the benefit was added on December 6th seems bogus.

 

Overall, a frustrating experience, and not the first time.  Surely this can be handled better?

 

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Mine was denied saying because I booked my cruise during their Summer Sale, it was ineligible.  Anyone manage to get the credit with a sale booking?

[edgee]

16 minutes ago, haptrav said:

Mine was denied saying because I booked my cruise during their Summer Sale, it was ineligible.  Anyone manage to get the credit with a sale booking?

180 degrees in the wrong direction, I got Regent to match a sale price and cut my fare by 30%...several thousand dollars.. for an already booked cruise but had to agree to lose the shareholder credit, the Amex Platinum credit and the on board booking savings...still a great deal but annoying.

[Snaefell3]

I've received SBC on sales.

 

It appears that the better a deal you get, the more "combinability" restrictions get imposed.  I infer from stray sales staff comments that SBC is actually NCLH's money and so gets barred only on the sweetest deals.

 

I'm jealous. 😉

[davencl]

2 hours ago, haptrav said:

Mine was denied saying because I booked my cruise during their Summer Sale, it was ineligible.  Anyone manage to get the credit with a sale booking?

Yes I received the credit on the summer sale.

[edgee]

19 minutes ago, davencl said:

Yes I received the credit on the summer sale.

The confusing rules and their inconsistent application is frustrating. Almost seems to be in the culture of the company. Not a good look for the shoreside part of the company and on board crew that must enforce.

[FetaCheese]

5 hours ago, haptrav said:

Mine was denied saying because I booked my cruise during their Summer Sale, it was ineligible.  Anyone manage to get the credit with a sale booking?

Booked a voyage on ESS, applied for SH credit, and received it.

[msn123]

Last Friday I got an automatic email saying the request had been received and it showed up as a credit on my invoice about and hour later.  Maybe the elves were working overtime!  (I know some credits  cannot be combined with some of their sale pricing but have never been denied the shareholder credit.)