On Board Credits - How much to build up?

Okay I realize there are a good number of factors here but figured I’d give it a try and see what responses I get.

My wife and I are going on our first cruise with Princess on a seven day trip to Alaska. I’ve prepaid for a number of things such as drinks, specialty dinning, flowers, and our excursions. So now I’m putting money down for added OBC.

What I’m not sure about is how many OBC I should get in advance?

Trying to more or less get money saved up so I don’t have to worry about it. I know they will refund unused credits but I want to try and keep it close to what I would actually need, vs an over abundance. We are not heavy drinkers but do plan on enjoying ourselves. So any advice or examples would be appreciated.

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Gratuities can be prepaid if not included in promo.

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Honestly, I'd pre-pay the gratuities and then let the "extra" accumulate in your bank account rather than paying it to Princess in advance With everything you've pre-paid, your final bill could be next to nothing or could be thousands depending on what you do. Spa? Photos? Shopping? or none of the above. Bottom line is that I'd rather have it in my bank account and have it paid at the end of the cruise rather than waiting for a refund from Princess.

Since you are prepaying so much I would only buy just enough OBC for your cruise cards to make it through the first one or two day's purchases, and then replenish with cash as necessary. Really doesn't seem logical to me to have be concentrating on reconciling onboard purchases against the pre-cruise guesstimate when there are much easier ways to pay. (Though why you eschew using a credit card is strictly your business)

The other downside of buying obc is that if unused it takes many weeks 6-10 to return to you. I am with everyone else pre-pay gratuities but you seem to have covered the high spends, drinks and excursions.

Any balance due on your onboard account will be charged to your linked credit card at the end of the cruise. So you do not have to use your own funds to purchase OBC, even if these funds are refundable if not used. We just use whatever OBC we have and let the credit card be charged for any balance due if we make more onboard purchases than the OBC covers.

One thing to realize though is that daily charges in excess of the OBC will appear on your credit card as daily pending charges, but at the end of the cruise, the pending charges are removed and replaced with the total balance due.

Seems like you have most things taken care of, but i would look at the wine list if you are wine drinkers. Get a handle on how much you might spend on bottles and include that in OBC.

OBC can be used in the casino, despite what you read elsewhere, so whether or not you gamble is a big deciding factor on how much you'll need.

The automatic gratuities add up to $27 per couple per day in a regular cabin, $29 in a mini suite, and $31 in a suite. So a 7-day cruise in a regular cabin would total $189. Since you say you've prepaid excursions, drinks, and flowers, another couple of hundred dollars could be sufficient for incidentals.

Okay I realize there are a good number of factors here but figured I’d give it a try and see what responses I get.

 

My wife and I are going on our first cruise with Princess on a seven day trip to Alaska. I’ve prepaid for a number of things such as drinks, specialty dinning, flowers, and our excursions. So now I’m putting money down for added OBC.

 

What I’m not sure about is how many OBC I should get in advance?

 

Trying to more or less get money saved up so I don’t have to worry about it. I know they will refund unused credits but I want to try and keep it close to what I would actually need, vs an over abundance. We are not heavy drinkers but do plan on enjoying ourselves. So any advice or examples would be appreciated.

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If you've never taken an Ultimate Ship's Tour or experienced The Chef's Table I recommend doing both.

Howard

Thank you all for replying with good advice. Before booking I did a good deal of homework and paid the gratuities up front, so that is out of the way. The onboard credits I have now will cover; a couples massage, ultimate ship tour for two, the crab shack (if they open it), $200 in casino credits, and another $200 of regular OBC.

When it comes to wine we already pre-purchased two bottles which should cover us and I have one bucket of beer. Although I wish they had a bucket of Stella, then I would buy several buckets of that. When it comes to the Chef's table we are holding out on that one for our 25th anniversary cruise to Hawaii in 2020. We do plan on getting the $200 photo package in advance as well.

So from all of your responses, I think I'll leave it as is and simply keep adding money to the bank account. I'll have around $4K available on the credit card and the idea is whatever we have left on the credit card, we'll put towards our next cruise in 2019. Still deciding on which one to pick. My wife wants an October 2019 sail in the New England / Canada area, I wound'n't mind a sail through the Panama Canal -or- an Eastern Caribbean around the Halloween time frame.

When it comes to wine we already pre-purchased two bottles which should cover us and I have one bucket of beer. Although I wish they had a bucket of Stella, then I would buy several buckets of that.

Personally I prefer to see the money in my bank account and not having the extra OBC is a damper on spending it because it is there. A couple of times due to promotions and our multiple OBC (and not telling DW how much we have left!) I have been given refunds. It has always appeared within about 3 weeks. If you are in that situation, just remember it comes in a nondescript envelope that looks a lot like junk mail. The first time I almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail.

I have a question about extra on board credits... hope you don't mind me asking here. I'm going on the Royal on 3/30 for my honeymoon. I've taken advantage of the Princess Honeymoon Registry for my bridal shower and for wedding presents. If we happen to have any extra on board credits at the end of our cruise would we get them refunded to us as well? Even though we didn't pay for them and we got them as gifts off of a registry? Can you use OBC as a future cruise deposit? Thanks in advance!

I don't think that you can use OBC as a future cruise deposit but a FC deposit is only $100pp and I would strongly urge you to leave one prior to the end of your honeymoon. You have two years to use it and that can be extended or it can be refunded to you. The big advantage is that FC credit serves as your entire deposit prior to the final payment date instead of 10% if you don't have FCC

If you or your other have been in the military fax a copy of your DD214 to Princess to receive the military OBC

If you can afford to purchase 100 shares of Carnival CCL you will receive OBC for every cruise that you take as a shareholder and CCL pays a dividend.

You can also earn OBC with a Princess Visa Rewards card.

When our daughter and son in law went on their honeymoon in January seven years ago we were greeted with our first grandson in November

We now have three and they just enjoyed their first cruise on the Regal last October.

Happy Honeymoon

Howard

When you buy an FCD it is a separate transaction to your credit card, not a purchase charged to your onboard folio. So impossible to use existing OBC.

I don't think that you can use OBC as a future cruise deposit but a FC deposit is only $100pp and I would strongly urge you to leave one prior to the end of your honeymoon.................... When our daughter and son in law went on their honeymoon in January seven years ago we were greeted with our first grandson in November

We now have three and they just enjoyed their first cruise on the Regal last October.

 

 

Happy Honeymoon

 

Howard

Thank you for the info Howard. We will definitely purchase a FCD while on board. Do you know what happens if we have extra OBC from a honeymoon registry?

Your grandchildren are precious! I bet they loved their first cruise, their smiles are huge! :D

One note I would like to add for the anyone who is Canadian reading this thread. If you booked your cruise at a time when the exchange rate was lower, but are sailing when the exchange is higher then buying OBC is a great idea.

When I booked my last cruise, the exchange was 1.20 but by the time we sailed it was 1.35. I was able to buy all my OBC at the 1.20 rate, which saved me tons of money.

Also, I understand why buying OBC when you have the cash is easier for some people. Not everyone is able to not use money they have sitting in the bank. Everyone budgets differently so if it would make you fell better to do it that way then do what is easier for you.

I would call Princess and ask. We took our first cruise on our honeymoon 46 years ago on the Oceanic which was owned by Home Lines. The ice sculptures were huge outside the dining room every night as were the six shrimp cocktail that I ordered for every lunch and dinner. The midnight buffet was also huge and impressive but that is gone along with flaming baked Alaska in the dining room.

Despite all of the cutbacks you'll still have a wonderful time. Use any extra OBC for the Chef's Table. Did it for the first time on the Royal last November and will sign up again on our next cruise. You have to sign up in the dining room as soon as you board as it is limited to five couples. It was one of the best meals that I've ever had and the entire meal lasted three and a half hours with all the Hors d'oeuvres, wine, champagne, food, and deserts.

Deserts

Chefs Table

Howard

Thank you for the info Howard. We will definitely purchase a FCD while on board. Do you know what happens if we have extra OBC from a honeymoon registry?

 

Your grandchildren are precious! I bet they loved their first cruise, their smiles are huge! :D

If the remaining OBC is from OBC bought by you or someone else and is not obtained from a TA or Princess, then you will get a refund check in the mail in about 3 or so weeks after the cruise. It will come in a nondescript envelope that looks like junk mail so watch for it. All Princess granted OBC excluding military OBC is not refundable as is most TA OBC.

If you are a military veteran with a DD214 (US military) or similar document for Canadians, Princess will give you an OBC of $50 to $250 depending on the length of the cruise which is refundable. Once you have provided the information to Princess, it will be on your record and automatically granted for every cruise afterward. Thank you Princess from all the military veterans.

If the remaining OBC is from OBC bought by you or someone else and is not obtained from a TA or Princess, then you will get a refund check in the mail in about 3 or so weeks after the cruise. It will come in a nondescript envelope that looks like junk mail so watch for it. All Princess granted OBC excluding military OBC is not refundable as is most TA OBC.

 

If you are a military veteran with a DD214 (US military) or similar document for Canadians, Princess will give you an OBC of $50 to $250 depending on the length of the cruise which is refundable. Once you have provided the information to Princess, it will be on your record and automatically granted for every cruise afterward. Thank you Princess from all the military veterans.

Thank you so much for the info! This is exactly what I was hoping for. We were able to pre-purchase all of our excursions with OBC we received when we booked the cruise and TA given OBC and I have a feeling we will get quite a bit of money from the registry. I know there are gratuities and spa packages, boozy beverages, etc to purchase but I was just curious what would happen since most of the OBC weren't purchased by us, but by our family/friends. We are wanting to book an Alaskan cruise for 2019 so if we have any extra, I will save that check and put it towards our next cruise.

We are not military so that does not apply to us. We are very thankful for our military though and think it's great that Princess does that for military/veterans.

Thank you again :)

Thank you for the info Howard. We will definitely purchase a FCD while on board. Do you know what happens if we have extra OBC from a honeymoon registry?

 

Your grandchildren are precious! I bet they loved their first cruise, their smiles are huge! :D

So are their appetites!

The almost six year old thought he could down an entire bowel of spaghetti in one bite.

Hungry Man

Howard