Beginning 1/1/09, Shareholder OBC will be combinable with............

[land lover]

I may be totally incorrect here but I thought we had until Dec. 31, 2008 to book with our FC certificates to get the combination of FC & stock holder OBC. Can anyone enlighten me if this has changed? Thanks!

 

You are correct, you can still combine them, until Dec. 31, 2008.

[land lover]

Can't they make of their minds? I am not complaining just whining:D

 

FL Cruiser 64..........I agree, don't change your chart yet.

 

Thanks for the most recent update, Patti.

[montekat]

Thanks to what I have read on these boards, we didn't buy any NC certificates. We have been on 2 cruises since Sept. and there was definitely the temptation! We are shareholders and Diamond, so will be satisfied with what we get.

[crazy 4 cruising]

Thanks Patti. This is in deed good news. We have already used all of our NC--we hurried up before Dec 31st!!! NOW we need to decide what we are going to do about Oasis inaugural date change BEFORE DEc 31st, so we can keep all the OBC as we booked that on board & want to be able to keep the OBC.

[seasearider]

Can't they make of their minds? I am not complaining just whining:D

 

FL Cruiser 64..........I agree, don't change your chart yet.

 

Thanks for the most recent update, Patti.

 

Patti is great.

 

Regarding the chart, other than FL Cruiser 64 and his inside source at RCI, I haven't spoken to anyone other than the LA of the Navigator who agreed with the chart. All others have been firm that after the first of the year, C&A balcony discounts will be combinable with either a NC OBC or a SH OBC, but not both. (I've been on the Jewel, Independence and the Majesty since the chart was published.)

[CVU]

If this is true that you can combine your shareholder OBC, & P,D,D+, then I for one am very happy as I am a share holder & a diamond member.

 

We still have 2 NC to use up this month.

Canada doesn't have the Royal Visa card.:(

 

But we are happy to be able to combine Share Holder and Diamond benefits.:)

[Demongear]

I see everybody ringing in on the NC OBC combinability with shareholder and plat/diamond balcony discounts. Nobody is commenting on the OBC for booking onboard a sailing and being able to combine that with shareholder and balcony discounts. Is that still available or is that disallowed now too?

[TexCruise371]

Thanks for posting this Patti!

 

I had 3 NCs. So, I went ahead and booked 3 cruises before the Dec 31st deadline so we could take advantage of all the OBCs and discounts that we qualified for. I kinda felt "forced" (OUCH...my arm hurts) to do that or lose the value of the NCs that were combinable with the other perks. On the bright side....we're goin' cruisin' ;)

 

I'm really glad to see that we can still take advantage of our stockholders benefits and diamond discounts :D

[rubrrick]

Email Goldstein's office and tell him you want your deposits back. The rules have changed so you want to turn them in.

 

That is an excellent idea. I, too, am sitting with 2 useless Next Cruise certificates. I'll see if the money can be turned into an OBC for our next cruise that is already booked and paid for!!

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Rick

[rubrrick]

So.........the next question........will RCCL be doing away with Loyalty Ambassadors onboard.........as NC/FC's are no longer combinable??

 

What would be the purpose of booking future cruises onboard??:rolleyes:

 

Could be another cost cutting measure.

 

That already have cut the salaries of the Concierges......and expect that their tips will make up the balance of pay........but have not added concierge tipping to suite and Diamond and plus members.:eek:

 

Rick

[crazy 4 cruising]

I see everybody ringing in on the NC OBC combinability with shareholder and plat/diamond balcony discounts. Nobody is commenting on the OBC for booking onboard a sailing and being able to combine that with shareholder and balcony discounts. Is that still available or is that disallowed now too?

 

it is for both FC (future cruise--booked on board) AND NC:(. we did like TexCruise371 & booked---our arms hurt too---;)---yeah for about, uhhh 1 second.

[seasearider]

So.........the next question........will RCCL be doing away with Loyalty Ambassadors onboard.........as NC/FC's are no longer combinable??

 

What would be the purpose of booking future cruises onboard??:rolleyes:

 

Could be another cost cutting measure.

 

That already have cut the salaries of the Concierges......and expect that their tips will make up the balance of pay........but have not added concierge tipping to suite and Diamond and plus members.:eek:

 

Rick

 

Keep in mind, not all cruisers are stockholders so NC/FC would still apply.

[ruskatab]

Ive been doing other traveling and not cruising lately and im way out of the loop. Last I heard the shareholders OBC was not combineable with the platinum balcony discount, it was one or the other. OF course they implemented this a week after I bought stock...lol! So have they changed their minds again and we can use both? I emailed RC but never got a response back. Also, whats this chart? Im so out of the loop!

[Janice M]

Today (12/19/08) I received an email from Linda Buchanan from Investor Relations and beginning January 1, if you are a Shareholder you will be able to combine your Shareholder OBC and P/D/D+ balcony discount along with cashing in any VISA points.

 

So I guess this means that being a shareholder now will be more beneficial than booking a NC/FC while on a cruise.........since, if I understand how things will be after December 31, you can not combine an OBC from a NC/FC with a P/D/D+ balcony discount.

 

I see a war brewing between Investor Relations and C&A...........since IR is giving us two benefits and C&A is only allowing us one!!:(

 

Patti, I have a dumb question, what is NC/FC? I like all the deals we can get. We will be on the South America cruise with you and I am sure my DH will want to discuss this with you.

 

Thanks

Jan

[cruisenfever]

Some folks post guesses and speculation here. Sometimes they even claim it is fact. But if you have followed Patti's posts you will see that the info she post is always backed up with confirmed facts and actual conversation with someone at RCCL. (not trying to embarrass her - just trying to explain how I knew you could trust what she has posted)

Gee Fred...........I don't know what to say after your response. But I do thank you for the compliment.:)

 

Patti, I have a dumb question, what is NC/FC? I like all the deals we can get. We will be on the South America cruise with you and I am sure my DH will want to discuss this with you.

 

Thanks

Jan

Jan.........NC = NextCruise bookings have a non-refundable deposit, good forever and you are not booking a specific cruise. FC = Future Cruise bookings which is a specific cruise booked. To obtain an OBC you must book either a NC or an FC while on board.

[cruisenfever]

Patti is great.

 

Regarding the chart, other than FL Cruiser 64 and his inside source at RCI, I haven't spoken to anyone other than the LA of the Navigator who agreed with the chart. All others have been firm that after the first of the year, C&A balcony discounts will be combinable with either a NC OBC or a SH OBC, but not both. (I've been on the Jewel, Independence and the Majesty since the chart was published.)

I guess there won't be a war brewing between IR and C&A if C&A is going to allow an OBC and the P/D/D+ Discount also. This is the way it should be and I personally think that this is very fair.

[cruisenfever]

Ive been doing other traveling and not cruising lately and im way out of the loop. Last I heard the shareholders OBC was not combineable with the platinum balcony discount, it was one or the other. OF course they implemented this a week after I bought stock...lol! So have they changed their minds again and we can use both? I emailed RC but never got a response back. Also, whats this chart? Im so out of the loop!

Here is the link to the chart that Oliver did some time ago on what is going to be combinable and what is not after December 31.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=870594

 

It now appears that Investor Relations is going to allow the combining of the shareholder OBC with P/D/D+ balcony discounts instead of just selecting one benefit.

 

It also appears that C&A will be doing the same and allowing the combination of an OBC with the P/D/D+ balcony discounts.

 

In my opinion......if you cruise 14+ days the OBC from being a shareholder ($250) is a much better benefit than an OBC from booking a cruise while on a cruise ($200).

[Oville]

Patty, thanks for the info. Sounds good!!:)

[cruisenfever]

Patty, thanks for the info. Sounds good!!:)

Your welcome. Now, let's see how long it takes for them to change the rules again.:(

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Thanks for the info Patti. At least it's something. I still feel that OBC for owning stock should stand alone and any and all other perks including C&A should be in addition to it. JMHO:)

[Oville]

Your welcome. Now, let's see how long it takes for them to change the rules again.:(

 

What has been frustrating until you received your email is there has been nothing in writing from RCI so the "rules" changed in accordance with who talked to whom on any given day; then, even with that, how any of us have interpreted the meaning of what we've heard. Not sure why the company has been dragging their feet to get a policy in place, and more importantly have their employees onboard with what the policy is.:eek: Oh well, hopefully it will all be sorted out come Jan 1.

 

Thanks again for the info.

[hunnypot1]

I may be totally incorrect here but I thought we had until Dec. 31, 2008 to book with our FC certificates to get the combination of FC & stock holder OBC. Can anyone enlighten me if this has changed? Thanks!

 

 

While this is true, I have not found a cruise I want to book yet. I am just not ready to use this NC right now.

Is it true we can not change ships/dates after booking if we wish to keep the benefits of booking before 12/31/08?

I may try to email RCCL and make my case about the "bait and switch". It is not fair to change the terms after selling us the NC.

[Oville]

While this is true, I have not found a cruise I want to book yet. I am just not ready to use this NC right now.

 

Is it true we can not change ships/dates after booking if we wish to keep the benefits of booking before 12/31/08?

 

I may try to email RCCL and make my case about the "bait and switch". It is not fair to change the terms after selling us the NC.

 

One caution, make sure you read the terms and conditions of the NC cert. It may say it can't be combined with other offers.

[Ladylouwho]

Thank you so much for the update Patti!

 

That is great news for those of us who are Platinum/Diamond and Stockholders and use Visa points.

 

Never could figure out why RCL would want to tee off loyal, long term customers who are also shareholders. Never made any sense to me.

 

Well, I leave on the Voyager of the Seas for a New Years Eve cruise in one week and I will toast RCL then for coming (back) to their senses!

 

Happy Holidays, folks!

 

Colleen

[dfishner]

Thank you so much for the update Patti!

 

That is great news for those of us who are Platinum/Diamond and Stockholders and use Visa points.

 

Never could figure out why RCL would want to tee off loyal, long term customers who are also shareholders. Never made any sense to me.

 

Well, I leave on the Voyager of the Seas for a New Years Eve cruise in one week and I will toast RCL then for coming (back) to their senses!

 

Happy Holidays, folks!

 

Colleen

 

In my converstation with Adam Goldstien office on Friday I asked the same thing Colleen. I was told that these offers were never suppose to be combinable and that they never enforced it but because of the economic situation they are now going to. I totally understand that and I also told who I was talking with that taking away something from royal repeat customers is sending a message to all of us that we are no longer of value to RCL. He told me that they do value their repeat customer and I do have to agree with them if they did not they would of not called me per my email I sent. So I do understand the reasoning why just do not agree how they did it and who they did it to.

 

I do have a feeling that RCL will change their minds I know the C&A are getting many calls about this and they are trying to build a case to take to upper mgt. You have to let RCL know how you feel about this decision.