Paying for OBC in advance.

Thought this might be a good idea. Wouldn't need to register a credit card on embarkation, maybe. Then I read the small print (which to be fair is actually large print), "Please note that any unused amount is non refundable."

What is that all about? So I deposit $1000, spend $500, and Cunard keep the rest. How would I possibly know exactly how much I am going to spend before I leave?

So, if I elect to deposit cash on board instead of using a credit card, do I get unused funds refunded?

Thought this might be a good idea. Wouldn't need to register a credit card on embarkation, maybe. Then I read the small print (which to be fair is actually large print), "Please note that any unused amount is non refundable."

What is that all about? So I deposit $1000, spend $500, and Cunard keep the rest. How would I possibly know exactly how much I am going to spend before I leave?

So, if I elect to deposit cash on board instead of using a credit card, do I get unused funds refunded?

I understand some people ( i.e. myself) will still register some sort of card at check-in (to get through the check-in formalities) however, the day before disembarkation visit the front desk and pay off their balance in $ cash. No need to deposit a huge lump sum on day one.

Thought this might be a good idea. Wouldn't need to register a credit card on embarkation, maybe. Then I read the small print (which to be fair is actually large print), "Please note that any unused amount is non refundable."

What is that all about? So I deposit $1000, spend $500, and Cunard keep the rest. How would I possibly know exactly how much I am going to spend before I leave?

So, if I elect to deposit cash on board instead of using a credit card, do I get unused funds refunded?

Good morning Trevor.

I may be wrong but I suspect this is Cunard covering their backs, quite rightly so in my opinion, following a spate of passengers abusing the pre-purchase of OBC.

Basically Cunard offered a very favourable rate for pre-purchasing OBC by card denominated in GBP. Some passengers then (deliberately?) failed to spend the full amount and Cunard refunded the original card in US Dollars, the conversion being loaded in the passengers favour.

As Bell Boy quite rightly points out, it's easy to use cash after registering a credit card: though why one would want to carry all that cash which one presumably exchanged prior to the cruise, defies logic.

Does anyone know if Cunard are still offering a favourable rate for future OBC....if so what is the rate?

As Bell Boy quite rightly points out, it's easy to use cash after registering a credit card: though why one would want to carry all that cash which one presumably exchanged prior to the cruise, defies logic.

And the exchange rate you'd get in the UK for buying dollars is far worse than you'd get using your credit/debit card. So unless you have a pile of dollars under your bed I can't see why you'd just not use a card to pay ?

And the exchange rate you'd get in the UK for buying dollars is far worse than you'd get using your credit/debit card. So unless you have a pile of dollars under your bed I can't see why you'd just not use a card to pay ?

Couldn't agree more Toad.

Any cruise line denominated in Dollars ($) I use my Halifax Clarity - best bank interchange rate while any GBP denominated cruise line its American Express cashback.

PS.

I read in the papers this morning that from January 2018 companies are to be banned from adding fees for Credit card usage.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/18/end-rip-off-credit-card-fees-government-announces-major-crackdown/

A few UK Travel Agents and the likes of Fred Olsen will be affected.

Couldn't agree more Toad.

 

Any cruise line denominated in Dollars ($) I use my Halifax Clarity - best bank interchange rate while any GBP denominated cruise line its American Express cashback.

 

PS.

 

I read in the papers this morning that from January 2018 companies are to be banned from adding fees for Credit card usage.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/18/end-rip-off-credit-card-fees-government-announces-major-crackdown/

 

A few UK Travel Agents and the likes of Fred Olsen will be affected.

and Cunard and P&O plus the others that charge .

Just mean an increase in price for all.

Debit Card was always the best way to go when booking, unless booking on the ship then it was free anyway or even when returning home to pay the final balance.

OBC is normally regarded as given to the cruiser to spend on board, i.e. spend it on board or lose it which is fair enough. Cunard, being Cunard seems to ignore the difference between given and deposited and the contract makes no distinction between the two. So if you buy OBC and don't spend it during the cruise it's confiscated. There is a word for this but I won't use it here and possibly the contract has been changed since I last looked, but I would never deposit cash with Cunard. Caviat Emptor as Franky Howard probably said.

David

Good morning Trevor.

 

I may be wrong but I suspect this is Cunard covering their backs, quite rightly so in my opinion, following a spate of passengers abusing the pre-purchase of OBC.

 

Basically Cunard offered a very favourable rate for pre-purchasing OBC by card denominated in GBP. Some passengers then (deliberately?) failed to spend the full amount and Cunard refunded the original card in US Dollars, the conversion being loaded in the passengers favour.

As Bell Boy quite rightly points out, it's easy to use cash after registering a credit card: though why one would want to carry all that cash which one presumably exchanged prior to the cruise, defies logic.

Nothing wrong in using the companies system to your advantage as long as its legal.

The other good one was last year or year before , Pre Purchasing dollars at the £ to the $ rate determined by Cunard prior to the fall in the exchange rate . Cunard allowed it for a month or two then stopped it. Now you can only by obc at the exchange rate of the Card issuer you use.

Many, on these and other forums achieved an exceptional rate.

At one time you could also use the Casino to get your obc back in your own pocket without gambling.

Nothing wrong in using the companies system to your advantage as long as its legal.

The other good one was last year or year before , Pre Purchasing dollars at the £ to the $ rate determined by Cunard prior to the fall in the exchange rate . Cunard allowed it for a month or two then stopped it. Now you can only by obc at the exchange rate of the Card issuer you use.

Many, on these and other forums achieved an exceptional rate.

At one time you could also use the Casino to get your obc back in your own pocket without gambling.

Good morning Pennbank.

I would normally agree however, as you are aware, the system was abused and well you know it.

And who was affected really?

The genuine passengers who saw this a s genuine Cunard offer, spent all their OBC and a few dollars more.

Couldn't agree more Toad.

 

Any cruise line denominated in Dollars ($) I use my Halifax Clarity - best bank interchange rate while any GBP denominated cruise line its American Express cashback.

 

PS.

 

I read in the papers this morning that from January 2018 companies are to be banned from adding fees for Credit card usage.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/18/end-rip-off-credit-card-fees-government-announces-major-crackdown/

 

A few UK Travel Agents and the likes of Fred Olsen will be affected.

and Cunard and P&O plus the others that charge .

Just mean an increase in price for all.

 

Debit Card was always the best way to go when booking, unless booking on the ship then it was free anyway or even when returning home to pay the final balance.

Let me just point out that, in the context that I wrote the reference to Fred Olsen, it was to highlight the fact that Fred Olsen icluded adding a credit card fee for 'Onboard' spend.

By the way, I always insist on paying a deposit by credit card ( this affords me section 75 protection should anything untoward happen) and more often than not the TA is so grateful for my business that the fee is waived.

Nothing wrong in using the companies system to your advantage as long as its legal.

The other good one was last year or year before , Pre Purchasing dollars at the £ to the $ rate determined by Cunard prior to the fall in the exchange rate . Cunard allowed it for a month or two then stopped it. Now you can only by obc at the exchange rate of the Card issuer you use.

Many, on these and other forums achieved an exceptional rate.

At one time you could also use the Casino to get your obc back in your own pocket without gambling.

Yes I remember that deal being posted on CC and Cunard got overwhelmed and quickly axed it. Not before I took advantage, though I made sure I spent it before disembarkation.

David.

Good morning Pennbank.

 

I would normally agree however, as you are aware, the system was abused and well you know it.

 

And who was affected really?

 

The genuine passengers who saw this a s genuine Cunard offer, spent all their OBC and a few dollars more.

If you have given OBC and other OBC that you have self financed how does reception know the difference if you haven't spent it all. They lump all OBC together. I seem to remember a post from someone who got a county court judgment to get his cash refunded.

David.

I'm confused. We are on our first Cunard cruise this fall. We have obc from our TA. On most cruise lines this is considered refundable if you don't spend it all. The obc from the cruise line was nonrefundable. Since our gratuities are included we might actually not spend all the obc we have from our TA. If there is any left over is it lost? Thanks for your help.

Good morning Pennbank.

 

I would normally agree however, as you are aware, the system was abused and well you know it.

 

And who was affected really?

 

The genuine passengers who saw this a s genuine Cunard offer, spent all their OBC and a few dollars more.

Yes I do know it and thoroughly enjoyed using that option on more than one Booking. As other forum members on here did.

What does it matter whether its abused or not?

Either its allowed or not.

It was allowed and Cunard found that it was no longer to their advantage. So they stopped it unfortunately.

I'm confused. We are on our first Cunard cruise this fall. We have obc from our TA. On most cruise lines this is considered refundable if you don't spend it all. The obc from the cruise line was nonrefundable. Since our gratuities are included we might actually not spend all the obc we have from our TA. If there is any left over is it lost? Thanks for your help.

With Cunard it is not refundable, You can always spend whats left in the shops or increase the amount of Gratuity, which could end up with it going back to Cunard. As no one is 100% certain how the automatic gratuity system works.

Yes Cunard probably do put all the money from the gratuity into Staff wages, but when guests withdraw the auto gratuity now called "Service Charge". Do Cunard make up the difference from other sources ?. It really has never been explained.

But please do not alter this thread in to a tipping thread .

But the Answer to your Question is a Yes.

I'm confused. We are on our first Cunard cruise this fall. We have obc from our TA. On most cruise lines this is considered refundable if you don't spend it all. The obc from the cruise line was nonrefundable. Since our gratuities are included we might actually not spend all the obc we have from our TA. If there is any left over is it lost? Thanks for your help.

I suppose it all depends on how much OBC you have: you don't mention the breakdown vis-a-vis the TA and Cunard.

Personally if I was over endowed with OBC I'd treat myself with whatever took my fancy, including a few bottles of Grand Cru.

If there's OBC from Cunard, TA or self bought after you leave the ship it's lost.

David

Good morning Trevor.

 

I may be wrong but I suspect this is Cunard covering their backs, quite rightly so in my opinion, following a spate of passengers abusing the pre-purchase of OBC.

 

Basically Cunard offered a very favourable rate for pre-purchasing OBC by card denominated in GBP. Some passengers then (deliberately?) failed to spend the full amount and Cunard refunded the original card in US Dollars, the conversion being loaded in the passengers favour.

 

As Bell Boy quite rightly points out, it's easy to use cash after registering a credit card: though why one would want to carry all that cash which one presumably exchanged prior to the cruise, defies logic.

Good Evening Richard,

Once again, thank you for giving a clear and comprehensive answer. I realise that both yourself and Bell Boy can't see any good reason for wanting to deposit cash, rather than use a card.

Well I can tell you my reasoning. One of our party (we are a party of four in same room) has a bit of a passion for the casino, and as I am the lead, and would be using my Card, I didn't want to run the risk of breaching my or indeed the cards limit. This particular person does not posses a card of their own, so I figured the cash option would be better.

I suppose it all depends on how much OBC you have: you don't mention the breakdown vis-a-vis the TA and Cunard.

 

Personally if I was over endowed with OBC I'd treat myself with whatever took my fancy, including a few bottles of Grand Cru.

Thanks everyone. On other lines the OBC from your TA is refundable. When we booked Cunard gave us complimentary gratuities and if we want to give additional it will be in cash directly to the crew member. I guess I need to plan on spending all my obc. I'm sure i'll find a way!

Good Evening Richard,

Once again, thank you for giving a clear and comprehensive answer. I realise that both yourself and Bell Boy can't see any good reason for wanting to deposit cash, rather than use a card.

Well I can tell you my reasoning. One of our party (we are a party of four in same room) has a bit of a passion for the casino, and as I am the lead, and would be using my Card, I didn't want to run the risk of breaching my or indeed the cards limit. This particular person does not posses a card of their own, so I figured the cash option would be better.

Fair comment Trevor.

You have an unusual problem.

Good Evening Richard,

Once again, thank you for giving a clear and comprehensive answer. I realise that both yourself and Bell Boy can't see any good reason for wanting to deposit cash, rather than use a card.

Well I can tell you my reasoning. One of our party (we are a party of four in same room) has a bit of a passion for the casino, and as I am the lead, and would be using my Card, I didn't want to run the risk of breaching my or indeed the cards limit. This particular person does not posses a card of their own, so I figured the cash option would be better.

Your friend wants cash to use in the casino, so simply take the cash and put it in the cabin safe. That way Cunard won't get its hands anywhere near it, and hopefully you will leave with more than you brought.

David.

Good Evening Richard,

Once again, thank you for giving a clear and comprehensive answer. I realise that both yourself and Bell Boy can't see any good reason for wanting to deposit cash, rather than use a card.

Well I can tell you my reasoning. One of our party (we are a party of four in same room) has a bit of a passion for the casino, and as I am the lead, and would be using my Card, I didn't want to run the risk of breaching my or indeed the cards limit. This particular person does not posses a card of their own, so I figured the cash option would be better.

An alternative solution would be to request at check in that each of the four passengers has their own account rather than having them linked into one. The three who have a debit or credit card can each register their respective card for their own account and the person without a card can run a cash account. That way he/she can gamble to their heart's content until of course they run out of credit on their own account.

Your friend wants cash to use in the casino, so simply take the cash and put it in the cabin safe. That way Cunard won't get its hands anywhere near it, and hopefully you will leave with more than you brought.

 

David.

I think Trevor's concern is that Trevor's friend may obtain casino chips by charging them to his room and, therefore, Trevor's credit card.

I think Trevor's concern is that Trevor's friend may obtain casino chips by charging them to his room and, therefore, Trevor's credit card.

I agree, but if all 4 guests have their own account upon check in as I outlined in my post #23 then Trevor's friend would be charging the casino chips to his own account and not Trevor's or indeed the other 2 travelling companions.