How to maximize all of your On Board Cabin Credits (OBC's)

[Host Mike]

Sail on 20 or more Princess cruises (aka Loyalty level or "Super Elite") (posted only after you are on the ship)

Completion of 20 - 30 cruises $25 onboard cabin credit
Completion of 31 - 40 cruises $50 onboard cabin credit
Completion of 41 - 50 cruises $75 onboard cabin credit
Completion of 50+ cruises $100 onboard cabin credit

Military

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/additional_faq/military_program.jsp

Onboard cabin credit amount per stateroom*:

Cruise Length Amount
6 days or less $50 per stateroom
7–13 days $100 per stateroom
14 days or longer $250 per stateroom
(Normally you only have to file your DD-214 with Princess just one time)

Future Cruise Credit

http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/during_cruise/board.jsp

Future Cruise Cabin Credit for depositing $100 on board:
1st and 2nd Passenger Only

7-9 days Interior $25pp Oceanview $50pp
10-15 days Interior $75pp Oceanview $100pp
16+ days Interior $125pp Oceanview $150pp

        as of March 9, 2012

7 - 10 days $25 for inside and outside, $50 or balcony/mini/suite
11-16 days $75 inside and outside, $100 balcony/mini/suite
17 days plus $125 inside/outside, $150 for balcony/mini/suite

Princess Visa Card

Cruise Cabin Discounts - Points (reward may also be credited back to your Visa card)

http://www.princessvisa.com/

10,000 $100 off any cruise with Princess
20,000 $200 off any cruise with Princess
40,000 $500 off any cruise with Princess

(below is normally a reward credit back to your Visa card)
60,000 $750 off any cruise with Princess
80,000 $1,000 off any cruise with Princess
120,000 $1,500 off any cruise with Princess
160,000 $2,000 off any cruise with Princess
200,000 Free Cruise up to $3,000
265,000 Free Cruise up to $4,000
375,000 Free Cruise up to $7,500

Carnival Stock (see below)

Internet Minutes given as a per passenger OBC (Need more than 5 Princess cruises)

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/jsp/memberShipBenefitsForProspect.jsp

VOYAGE DURATION    MINUTES
7 days or less    150
8-20 days    250
21+ days    500


Remember that breaking a combo cruise into back to backs (B2B) may double your OBC's and get you an extra minibar setup.  Normally Princess will reward combo cruisers with extra Internet minutes at the B2B break so that should not be a decision factor.  Make triple sure that you get your cruise agent to go on Polar and disclose to you all of pending cabin credits before you sail and make a list.  Princess has been known to forget posting the credits to your account, especially on the second leg of a B2B.

[ccrain]

Mike,

don't forget the carnival stock OBC.

[f-mattox]

. . . . .and now would be a pretty good time to buy some Carnival stock:  $32.67 today vs. a 52 week high of $48.14.

[Host Mike]

Carnival Stock - On Board Cabin Credit - Minimum 100 shares

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=140690&p=irol-sharebenefit

U.S. Dollars:
Sailings 6 days or less $50
Sailings 7 to 13 days $100
Sailings 14 days or longer $250

Adjusted for Euro, Pound and AUD.

Good on Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Yachts of Seabourn, Cunard, Costa, Aida, Ibero, P&O, Ocean Village.

[f-mattox]

Not a bad return on a $3267.00 investment--especially the $250.00 on 14 days.

[ccrain]

Princess Visa vs. Airline Card -

I looked into the Princess Visa card, even ordered one, but they refused to increase the credit limit to cover even one cruise payment - so out came the scissors.

Instead I went with a United Visa card.  With yields on the Princess card ranging from 1 to 2 cents per dollar, the United card gives me anywhere between 3 and 12 cents per dollar (mile) depending on what kind of ticket I buy. For example in April Judy and I are flying FF business class to Singapore from SFO on 120,000 miles or, at today's prices, 6-9 cents per mile.  Our tickets to the UK last October were about 8 cents per mile.

Since we will always need airfare from CO to cruise, the yields on the airline cards just made much more sense...

[f-mattox]

Sounds like you made the best choice; Princess would probably have increases your limit after you had the card for a while--but of course that does you no good right away; that's a shame.

[Host Mike]

Princess Visa gave me a credit line of 20K without asking.  I'll never spend that much for a cruise.  I think.   

[Host Mike]

Refer your friends and relatives (aka Friends and Family) who have never cruised Princess reward  $25.

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/jsp/referralHelp.jsp

[Host Mike]

Suite Passengers and Solo Traveler benefits

"Passengers who pay for and occupy a full suite (mini-suites excluded), will receive two cruise credits.
Passengers who pay the single occupancy fare and travel alone in their cabin will receive two cruise credits.
Passengers who pay the single supplement to occupy a full suite on their own will receive three cruise credits. "

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na991

Each cruise credit is treated as a completed Princess Cruise for purposes of reaching Platinum (more than 5 cruises or 50 cruise days) and Elite (15 cruises or 150 cruise days) levels.  Cruise credits are also used for reaching the Princess Loyalty level (aka Super Elite level)(more than 20 cruises).