Have you seen this? OBC. What is it? How do you get it?

Getting and spending On Board Credit on your cruise!

 

Laura

When you book a cruise sometimes the cruise line will integrate into the cruise fare an element of On Board Credit. This can effectively make your trip less expensive. That is if you spend the OBC on things you were going to purchase anyway. Travel Agents sometimes add additional OBC if you book through them or you can pre-purchase OBC yourself through the cruise line.

You need to make sure if you have got some OBC you spend it where it might otherwise disappear at the end of the cruise, most OBC falls under this category. OBC is put on your cruise card account and in some cases two people in a cabin are considered independent so both parties need to spend their personal amount.

The exact status needs to be confirmed at reception particularly if you are not travelling as a couple settling on a single credit card.

Regards John

It is seldom I quibble with a board mod/editor or a CC article, but this one is just wrong. Why? Because although it might apply to less expensive typical 7 day (or shorter cruises) it has little to do with more expensive or longer cruises. The talk about a $100 booking bonus, while true, is only a very small part of the story. For example, we recently booked a 41 day HAL cruise, while aboard, with a future cruise counselor. Once we were home we contacted several of our favorite cruise agencies and asked them what they would give us if we transferred the reservation. The winner offered us another $1050 (yes, that is over a thousand dollars). On other bookings we have gotten OBCs in excess of $2000. We often post here on CC that by shopping around (among reputable cruise/travel agencies) you should usually be able to save 7 - 10% (of the cruise fare) when factoring in OBCs and other amenities.

So my problem with the CC article referenced by Laura S. is that it oversimplifies what can be a more complex process.....with much higher savings.

Hank

Of course nothing happens in a vacuum. On board credit is only of value if the base fare of the cruise is essentially reasonable .

Even if it is a low cost cruise and there is generous OBC offered, you want to consider the cruise itself: will you enjoy the ship and the itinerary?

Cheapest deal does not always mean best deal.