On Board Credit for Ships excursions

Just wondering if anyone who picked up the OBC for ships excursions has cruised yet and are able to advise on whether the full amount had to be used towards excursions or whether it could be used towards other purchases?

Just wondering if anyone who picked up the OBC for ships excursions has cruised yet and are able to advise on whether the full amount had to be used towards excursions or whether it could be used towards other purchases?

I can't find the thread now, but there was a fairly long discussion wondering how this would work, and I think one person said the OBC turned out to be like any other OBC, you could use it for anything. Please note, I THINK that's what I read.

I hope someone who has cruised already with this credit will report back.

I can't find the thread now, but there was a fairly long discussion wondering how this would work, and I think one person said the OBC turned out to be like any other OBC, you could use it for anything. Please note, I THINK that's what I read.

 

I hope someone who has cruised already with this credit will report back.

That was the rumor discussed as a part of the earlier thread (also if my memory is correct)...

I'm also hoping for that report back as we are scheduled to sail in 2016 with this OBC and it would be lovely if we were able to use it for expenses other than excursions. However, I will add that if we have to use it on excursions only then that is what we shall do!

Our HAL PCC stated that the ship has no way of determining the source of any OBC and that it all goes into a single account on board. It can therefore be used for anything.

This was a mistake made by the HAL Marketing folks who didn't consider the lack of each ship's ability to tell the difference. Don't look for such a promotion again.

Our HAL PCC stated that the ship has no way of determining the source of any OBC and that it all goes into a single account on board. It can therefore be used for anything.

 

This was a mistake made by the HAL Marketing folks who didn't consider the lack of each ship's ability to tell the difference. Don't look for such a promotion again.

Crew News you've done it again! First with my drinks package question and now my OBC question - many thanks.

This is why I keep coming back to CC for advice.

Many thanks - again

And since HAL doesn't know where all your shipboard credit comes from, if you don't use it all up -- you will get anything left over credited back to your credit card.

And since HAL doesn't know where all your shipboard credit comes from, if you don't use it all up -- you will get anything left over credited back to your credit card.

My understanding is that only non-HAL provided OBC (from TA, pre-purchased, etc) gets returned to your credit card. For some reason, they can keep track of that very well. Lost a few dollars on a cruise least year as had a lot of HAL-provided OBC and they only refunded the TA-provided OBC.

And since HAL doesn't know where all your shipboard credit comes from, if you don't use it all up -- you will get anything left over credited back to your credit card.

Interesting info. I've never had any leftover on HAL, but with this shorex promo, the TA OBC, and the shareholder OBC, it might happen on our next cruise.

On Celebrity, the onboard credit is coded by type in their system for your account (which can be viewed on the cabin TV)...any given by the cruise line is not refundable if unused, and therefore used first for your charges. Only the OBC given by your travel agent can be credited back at the end of the cruse to your credit card.

We have had leftover OBC on several cruises and it has always appeared as a credit on our credit card within a few days. On our recent Bermuda cruise all our OBC was promotional and since we had Explore 4 and prepaid speciality dinners there was leftover. We still got a credit.

Also, I think that the refunding of prepaid excursions onboard must be situational to a certain extent. We were on a Med cruise on the NA in 2011 and the day before our rather pricey excursion to Rome we decided to cancel. I fully expected to lose the money and was amazed when the shorex desk person said we would get a full refund to our account----and we did! I suspect they must have had a waiting list for that one.

We had decided to cancel because it was going to be on Easter Sunday and we started to get an uneasy feeling about being in a huge crowd at the Vatican. It was the only time on the whole trip that we had misgivings and I don't think we would have enjoyed ourselves if we had gone.

Just curious, has anyone returned from a cruise with this credit?

Just wondering if anyone who picked up the OBC for ships excursions has cruised yet and are able to advise on whether the full amount had to be used towards excursions or whether it could be used towards other purchases?

We had the OBC with the Anniversary Sale...that was to be "used for shore excursions." The credit appeared on our statement as just OBC and could be used for anything, including the Hotel Service Charge. Nothing on the statement implied that it had to be used only for shore excursions.

We were on the July 27 sailing of the Statendam 14 day Alaska Cruise.

Karen

We had the OBC with the Anniversary Sale...that was to be "used for shore excursions." The credit appeared on our statement as just OBC and could be used for anything, including the Hotel Service Charge. Nothing on the statement implied that it had to be used only for shore excursions.

 

We were on the July 27 sailing of the Statendam 14 day Alaska Cruise.

 

Karen

Thanks for that advice Karen!

Very exciting news!

We had the OBC with the Anniversary Sale...that was to be "used for shore excursions." The credit appeared on our statement as just OBC and could be used for anything, including the Hotel Service Charge. Nothing on the statement implied that it had to be used only for shore excursions.

 

We were on the July 27 sailing of the Statendam 14 day Alaska Cruise.

 

Karen

Thanks for posting. This is what was predicted, but it's nice to see that it did turn out that way.

And since HAL doesn't know where all your shipboard credit comes from, if you don't use it all up -- you will get anything left over credited back to your credit card.

I had always read that the only way you could get HAL OBC refunded was to gamble with it and cash it in. (I.e., put in $100, bet a couple times and cash in). SIL and I went nuts trying to get rid of OBC, including buying two watches. It would be nice to just get it refunded.

I had always read that the only way you could get HAL OBC refunded was to gamble with it and cash it in. (I.e., put in $100, bet a couple times and cash in). SIL and I went nuts trying to get rid of OBC, including buying two watches. It would be nice to just get it refunded.

We had extra OBC refunded after our Baltic NA cruise this last May. It went back on the credit card we used to check in. This credit was the result of some refunds on port charges and a credit for a delay leaving port on the first day.