Costco and OBB

[su_A_ve]

Does anyone that used Costco recently know if they are reducing the amount of the cash card for OBB? Or what about transferring the reservation to them after?

Also, is there a formula in calculating the Costco cash card amount?

My TA now reduced the OBC by half when I do a OBB so looking at other options for big cruises. Without the discount the one I'm looking at is over $100 more.

A Costco finally opened nearby. Currently have a sams memebrship but need to justify the new membership. Prices are actually higher than sams for most stuff from what I sampled today.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Does anyone that used Costco recently know if they are reducing the amount of the cash card for OBB? Or what about transferring the reservation to them after?

Also, is there a formula in calculating the Costco cash card amount?

My TA now reduced the OBC by half when I do a OBB so looking at other options for big cruises. Without the discount the one I'm looking at is over $100 more.

A Costco finally opened nearby. Currently have a sams memebrship but need to justify the new membership. Prices are actually higher than sams for most stuff from what I sampled today.

It's my understanding that, while most other TAs have reduced their OBC on transferred reservations (DCL has reduced their commission - so less to give you back), the COSTCO card is still what it was (I believe it's a cash card to use at COSTCO after you return - maybe 8-10% of the cruise fare?)

 

[Drusilla99]

I booked onboard last year for my July 2016 cruise. When I booked onboard in July for next year I named Costco as the ta and since both cruises were in the same price range the Costco card that I received after my July 2016 cruise is the same as I've been promised for my July 2017 cruise with all onboard credits being the same. I hope that made sense

 

[adamki]

The Costco cash card is based on the cruise fare, there appear to be several ranges. For example, they might be something like:

$190 cash card for $2000-$2499;
$210 cash card for $2500-$2999; etc.​

There is no reduction because of the OBB, however, the OBB discount may move you into a lower cash card range. This happened to me for an upcoming cruise. If I recall correctly, the advertised Cash card was $210, but once the discount was applied, it went down to $190. So, I lost $20 but I'll take the 10% discount over $20!!

 

[mocodis]

I just transferred three onboard bookings to Costco this afternoon. I reshopped the cruises on my recent B2B2B. It is as adamki said above, the new cruise fare may be in a lower range than without the discount so the Costco Cash Card is a little less. The reservations that I have, the range of the cash card is 7.5% to 8.5% of the cruise fare. It is worth the Costco membership to get the Costco Cash Card for a Disney cruise booking.

I have Sams and Costco membership and often compare prices of similar items. Sams is cheaper for the item but is often a smaller package. Ounce for ounce, Costco is usually cheaper here in SoCal.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Dang! Should have transferred my OBB to them. Is it too late now that I put my previous TA as the agent?

 

[fitnessmouse]

Can you use the costco cash card as payment towards a new booking? Or only for stuff in store?

 

[Corfam]

Can you use the costco cash card as payment towards a new booking? Or only for stuff in store?

Unfortunately, you cannot use the Costco Cash Card for future bookings. I've tried that in the past month. You need to use it online or in store. You don't need a Costco membership to use a Cash Card to purchase goods or services (at least in store) including buying gas, but I guess you couldn't book travel without membership...so that would only help if you gave / sold the cards to someone else who didn't have membership.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Dang! Should have transferred my OBB to them. Is it too late now that I put my previous TA as the agent?

Maybe. Your current TA would have to release the reservation before you can designate another. Be sure to ask if there is a charge for that. But it may be moot, if it's been more than 30 days since you made the reservation. That's how long you have to add a TA to your reservation.

 

[MSPeeler]

I believe our $6K cruise received a $400 Costco GC. But no OBC.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I believe our $6K cruise received a $400 Costco GC. But no OBC.

COSTCO doesn't do OBC, I think. Only the cash card.

 

[MSPeeler]

COSTCO doesn't do OBC, I think. Only the cash card.

Yes that is correct. A bummer for us though, we seem to spend more on board than Costco LOL

 

[MillauFr]

Yes that is correct. A bummer for us though, we seem to spend more on board than Costco LOL

Gee a $400 Cash card would only last us one maybe two trips to Costco.

 

[jlemieu1]

I have gotten 800 to 1000 back Costco GC. I also paid with their credit card which add another 3% cash back on this qualified travel

 

[squirk]

We have only recently gotten Costcos near where we live, so I am new to this deal and a little confused.

I just looked at the Costco travel site and saw some fine print stating that the cash card offer was not available for reservations made directly with DCL or onboard with the Disney "booking consultant" (or something like that).

Are you all saying that the cash card IS avaialable if you book onboard to get the OBB but list Costco as the travel agency at that time (or add Costco at a later time as TA)? And the cash card value of 8-10% of total fare isn't reduced due to the OBB?

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes it's available. Costco doesn't discount their cash card because you transfer a booking to them.

Costco gives the cash card, not obc, for DCL. (For Royal Caribbean they give obc, so it's not the same with all cruise lines)

 

[squirk]

Well, that is interesting because it seems like you could stack several discounts together to give yourself a 25-30% discount on your cruise. Would you knowledgeable folks please check my math?

$10,000 base cruise fare for two Cat 5 staterooms, 7-night E. Carib cruise.
OBB gives me 10% off so fare is now $9,000.
Costco gives me a 10% $900 cash card (which will be easily used), which moves my ledger down to $8,100.
I use Target gift cards to pay the $9000 fare. 5% discount there, so my hard-dollar cost goes to $8550
I use DVA as well and get another 2% $180 in Disney cash card.

I know the Costco card can't be applied to the cruise fare, but I will still treat it as a discount for the sake of easy math. The OBB can't be used toward the fare either, but it would replace the cash we would have spent on gratuities, so again, a discount, albeit after the fact.

$10,000 fare
- $1000 (OBB 10% discount)
- $400 (OBB OBC)
- $450 (Target 5% gift card discount against $9000 fare)
- $900 (Costco card)
- $180 (DVA gift card; 2% off $9000)

Total after all discounts = $7070. Is that right? If so, that's close to an impressive 30% discount off the base fare. Sounds too good to be true.

 

[Vicki106]

Well, that is interesting because it seems like you could stack several discounts together to give yourself a 25-30% discount on your cruise. Would you knowledgeable folks please check my math?

$10,000 base cruise fare for two Cat 5 staterooms, 7-night E. Carib cruise.
OBB gives me 10% off so fare is now $9,000.
Costco gives me a 10% $900 cash card (which will be easily used), which moves my ledger down to $8,900.
I use Target gift cards to pay the $9000 fare. 5% discount there, so my cost goes to $8550
I use DVA as well and get another 2% $180 in Disney cash card.

I know the Costco card can't be applied to the cruise fare, but I will still treat it as a discount for the sake of easy math. The OBB can't be used toward the fare either, but it would replace the cash we would have spent on gratuities, so again, a discount, albeit after the fact.

$10,000 fare
- $1000 (OBB 10% discount)
- $400 (OBB OBC)
- $450 (Target 5% gift card discount against $9000 fare)
- $900 (Costco card)
- $180 (DVA gift card; 2% off $9000)

Total after all discounts = $7070. Is that right? If so, that's close to an impressive 30% discount off the base fare. Sounds too good to be true.

We are doing exactly what you describe above! Our savings calculations work out about the same. (I believe that Costco gives you a 9% cash card, but close enough. . . ) Stacking these discounts really isn't that much work for us, and the savings is significant!

 

[adamki]

I've never gone as far as the DVA/Gift Card maneuver, but that should all work. My upcoming cruise is not nearly as expensive as yours but this is what I did:

• -10% - OBB Discount (Assigned to Costco on board)
• $100 - OBB OBC (only a 6 night cruise)
• $190 - Costco Cash Card
• -3% - Costco credit card cash back (all travel is 3%)

By my quick calculation that comes to about 24% off (it could be better with a 7 night sailing). For the OBB discount, taxes and fees are not discounted, so don't panic if your calculation is a little off.

 

[squirk]

I suppose I could squeeze out another 1%-2% by buying the 5% discounted gift cards at Sam's instead of Target, and using my Disney Visa to pay.......