Cruise Planner FCC - quandry

[vithibee]

I have 125% cruise planner FCC from a cancelled cruise. I have two cruises booked before the FCC expiration date (Sept 2022); however, I already booked my main CP purchases (drink packages, CocoCay) via credit card as I saw good prices before the FCC was processed.  I assume RCL won't let me apply the FCC to the existing purchases and just refund my money. Is there any other way to effectively cash out the FCC?  The casino maybe?  (If it matters, I am booked on Symphony this October and Harmony next March.)

[AshleyDillo]

The only way to use the OBC on items already purchased is to cancel and rebuy them.  Keep an eye on prices, because we always advise that you can always cancel if the price drops and take advantage of it.  In that case if the OBC is loaded and available you can use it then.  Otherwise, OBC can cover the gratuities that get charged daily.  You can use it in the casino, but if you go through the cashier they charge 5% if you don't have Casino Royale status.  Sometimes they have it set up that you can use it at the slot machines with no added charge, but that's been hit or miss for me.

[vithibee]

14 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

The only way to use the OBC on items already purchased is to cancel and rebuy them.  Keep an eye on prices, because we always advise that you can always cancel if the price drops and take advantage of it.  In that case if the OBC is loaded and available you can use it then.  Otherwise, OBC can cover the gratuities that get charged daily.  You can use it in the casino, but if you go through the cashier they charge 5% if you don't have Casino Royale status.  Sometimes they have it set up that you can use it at the slot machines with no added charge, but that's been hit or miss for me.

Any data points on the timing or process to cancel and rebook CP items when you use FCC?  I have done the cancel and repurchase thing via credit card and it is instant. In the case of FCC, I worry the cancel/reissue FCC process would take weeks (as it did for cruise fare FCC). Hard to believe it is instantly available (after the CP item is cancelled). 

With the casino, the 5% price to turn my 125% FCC into cash seems tolerable as a last alternative. 

[AshleyDillo]

Actually if you purchased items with OBC and cancel,  the OBC is available immediately for use.  Meanwhile you have to wait several business days at a minimum to see the credit card refund show on your credit card account statememt.

[vithibee]

2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Actually if you purchased items with OBC and cancel,  the OBC is available immediately for use.  Meanwhile you have to wait several business days at a minimum to see the credit card refund show on your credit card account statememt.

I understand that is how it works when the OBC was purchased or offered in a promotion. Is that how FCC credit would work?  I ask because the cruise fare FCC process was not quick - getting the FCCs issued took several months, then it took weeks for a partial FCC to be reissued.  I realize they were possibly short staffed last winter but no one can claim RCL is administratively superior when it comes to issuing refunds and FCCs.  I just worry I will see a sale on the drink package and end up trying to cancel a package previously bought with FCC and they will say "please wait for your FCCs to be reissued" - has anyone already seen these cruise planner FCC process in the real world? 

[Linda R]

I didn't realize you can use FCC's for OBC?   I thought only to pay or book another cruise?  Am I missing something?

[twangster]

17 minutes ago, Linda R said:

I didn't realize you can use FCC's for OBC?   I thought only to pay or book another cruise?  Am I missing something?

For some cancellations they offered 125% on cruise planner purchases that came in the form of FCC specific to cruise planner and OBC.  It is not the same as cruise fare FCC and the two can't be mixed.

For example if you had booked an excursion that cost $100 then they cancelled the cruise, they provided $125 in OBC future credit for use on another sailing either on board or in the cruise planner.

[Linda R]

10 hours ago, twangster said:

For some cancellations they offered 125% on cruise planner purchases that came in the form of FCC specific to cruise planner and OBC.  It is not the same as cruise fare FCC and the two can't be mixed.

For example if you had booked an excursion that cost $100 then they cancelled the cruise, they provided $125 in OBC future credit for use on another sailing either on board or in the cruise planner.

 

10 hours ago, twangster said:

For some cancellations they offered 125% on cruise planner purchases that came in the form of FCC specific to cruise planner and OBC.  It is not the same as cruise fare FCC and the two can't be mixed.

For example if you had booked an excursion that cost $100 then they cancelled the cruise, they provided $125 in OBC future credit for use on another sailing either on board or in the cruise planner.

Thanks for explaining

[vithibee]

On 7/6/2021 at 12:54 PM, vithibee said:

With the casino, the 5% price to turn my 125% FCC into cash seems tolerable as a last alternative. 

Churning this question for another minute.  Is my logic copied above correct?  I picked up 125% FCC but I had already purchased my drinks package, etc. via credit card as I spotted a good sale.  So I'd lose almost all of the 25% bonus in the now higher cost. Of course I am watching for future sales.  If the sale does not click, can I just pay 5% to get casino chips and then cash them out.  I am still ahead, right?