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What is this on board credit account thing?


Santa2ya

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It's a credit on your account that can be used for any expenses on the ship including excursions. If you don't use it (I can't imagine how you couldn't), it just vanishes.

 

An OBC is a bonus given for special sales - not many people actually have one.

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We've gotten one once from NCL as a promo. I think it was $50 OBC when you booked via the website.

 

Tropicana also has an OBC offer for NCL. There are threads about it in the NCL section.

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You apparently don't have one. You don't pay for it, it's a gift from the agent/agency usually.

 

 

Probably not since I have never been on a cruise yet. Just thought maybe I could learn about the details of cruising here on CC.

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I have read posts asking about the funds in their "on board credit" account.

 

What is this?.........

There appears to be some confusion between the terms "onboard account" and "onboard credit".

 

Onboard account:

 

An onboard account is the method passengers use to pay for purchases they make on a cruise ship. The entire cruise is essentially cashless, (with a few exceptions). When you first board the ship, you establish an onboard account.

 

You may set up your account with a credit card and pay nothing up front (the easiest way, and the method that most people use), or else you may opt for a cash account, in which case you deposit some cash up front.

 

Then whenever you pay for anything on the ship, (e.g., drinks, jewelry, souvenirs, shore excursions, photos, spa treatments), you simply present your room key card and the purchase is automatically charged to your onboard account. On many cruises these days, tips are charged to your onboard account as well.

 

At the end of the cruise, you receive a printout of all your charges for the cruise.

If the statement is correct and you used a credit card to set up your onboard account, you need to do nothing. After you get home, the charges will appear on your next credit card billing statement (depending on your billing date) and you will then have the usual float period until you need to pay for it.

 

If you set up your onboard account with cash instead of using a credit card, you will need to go down to the appropriate place (purser or guest relations) at the end of the cruise to settle your account and immediately pay whatever money you owe, or request a refund if you did not spend all of the money you previously placed in your account.

 

Onboard credit:

 

Onboard credit is the term used for additional money received in your onboard account that is available for you to spend on the cruise. Even though you will have an onboard account, you may or may not receive onboard credit.

 

There are many different methods of obtaining onboard credit that have been discussed in other threads. (Common are onboard credits given by the cruise line or travel agent as an incentive to book a cruise, or as reimbursement for a price reduction, but there are other sources as well.)

Each potential source of onboard credit can generate a lengthy discussion in itself.

 

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Onboard credit is the term used for additional money received in your onboard account that is available for you to spend on the cruise. Even though you will have an onboard account, you may or may not receive onboard credit.

 

 

An excellent explanation! To clarify even more ... all your expenses, including the "hotel fee" or "automatic tips" go on the on board account, and the on board credit is simply subtracted from that account! Since the hotel fee is usually about $10 a day, your OBC is unlikely to go to waste. OTOH if you prefer to think of your OBC as having gone to cover your bar tab, casino chips, boutique purchases or shore excursions, you can certainly do that!:D

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As pointed out above you may receive an OBC as part of the cruise package you have purchased, in the case of Princess cruisers can receive an OBC by using a future cruise credit that they have purchased on a previous cruise, shareholders holding as few as 100 shares in the cruise line will often receive an OBC. An other example is one year our sons not knowing what to give us for Christmas purchased some OBCs as a Christmas present.

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An excellent explanation! To clarify even more ... all your expenses, including the "hotel fee" or "automatic tips" go on the on board account, and the on board credit is simply subtracted from that account! Since the hotel fee is usually about $10 a day, your OBC is unlikely to go to waste. OTOH if you prefer to think of your OBC as having gone to cover your bar tab, casino chips, boutique purchases or shore excursions, you can certainly do that!:D

 

Thanks fleckle & Mike. I thought On Board Credit was what the Onboard account was called. My mistake. Apologies go out to Yukon for my confusion.

 

Is this "hotel fee / automatic tips" the same as gratuities or something totally different?

 

What is a sign & sail card (I have seen reference elsewhere)? Is this also the cabin key card?

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Is this "hotel fee / automatic tips" the same as gratuities or something totally different?

 

The different terminologies can be confusing - hotel fee, automatic tips, gratuities are all the same thing at the end of the day (though the exact allocation may be different, that doesn't change the way it shows on your bill).

 

 

What is a sign & sail card (I have seen reference elsewhere)? Is this also the cabin key card?

 

That's the main thing makes cruising so simple - it's your "credit card", room key, and your ID to get back on board.

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Thanks fleckle & Mike. I thought On Board Credit was what the Onboard account was called. My mistake. Apologies go out to Yukon for my confusion.

 

Is this "hotel fee / automatic tips" the same as gratuities or something totally different?

 

What is a sign & sail card (I have seen reference elsewhere)? Is this also the cabin key card?

 

"hotel fee/ automatic tips" are basically synonymous with gratuities. On some lines you will automatically be charged a set fee for each night you are on board which represents your suggested gratuities. Some lines, like RCI leave this matter to your discretion and,only if you specifically authorize them to do so, will they add the gratuities to your onboard account. If you choose My Time Dining they will require you to pay your tips in advance. Otherwise you can authorize them to add the tips to your account or you can pay the tips in cash at the end of the cruise. Your "sign and sail card" or "sea pass" is the ID card you will be issued when you check in at the pier. It will serve as your room key, ID card for getting on and off the ship, and your charge card for any onboard purchases or expenses.

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Well, in the "Grand Old Days" of cruising, we sat at one table for three meals a day and really got to know our waiter. At the end of the trip, we handed him an envelope, and left one in the stateroom for our cabin steward. I normally was very impressed with the wonderful service and gave a generous tip.

 

In the last few years, almost all lines have gone to "hotel fees" or"automatic tipping" in which a set amount is added to your bill. In theory, you can ask to have it removed. Go ahead, try that.

 

IMAO, this is tantamount to an addition to the fare that is not published. It is close to fraudulent. However, it is the norm these days.

 

I assure you that nobody on the ship gets a single nickel extra from me. The total amount that they charge me is probably less than I would have given to stewards that provided excellent service. Sadly, as the tipping has disappeared, so has the excellent service. It is now routine, as befits a routine tip.

 

In any case, expect it to be on your bill.

 

[OMG there he goes again! Can't we ever shut that guy up about tipping???];)

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We have only been on two cruises, but each time we gave additional tips for service we considered exceptional.

 

You see -- exactly my point! The cruise lines set this "automatic" amount, and then they encourage people to tip extra for "exceptional" service. Bulletin -- you should EXPECT the service to be exceptional!! That is what cruising has been about for many years. Now we are in a situation where the service is declining and they are telling us we should tip EXTRA!

 

If the line sets the tip amount, then that is what the stewards are going to get from me. If I am allowed to tip those who give excellent service well, and those who give service that is only very good poorly, then I will do so and my good tips will be much more than the automatic tip. But I never add to an "automatic" tip. Automatic is automatic.

 

What I do, very often, is to mention the names of exceptionally good servers on the comment card at the end of the trip. This is extremely important to them as it counts toward all sorts of little perks like time off and is especially important in promotions.

 

Please, people, do not allow them to distort the tip situation further by feeling you need to tip AFTER the automatic tip! Automatic tipping, or traditional tipping, but not both!!

 

[OMG this guy has said this soooo many times on this board! Doesn't he ever shut up?]:D

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Please, people, do not allow them to distort the tip situation further by feeling you need to tip AFTER the automatic tip! Automatic tipping, or traditional tipping, but not both!!

 

I agree completely - we do not tip beyond the "standard", which I think is plenty and we expect will get us exceptional service.

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Please, people, do not allow them to distort the tip situation further by feeling you need to tip AFTER the automatic tip! Automatic tipping, or traditional tipping, but not both!!

 

 

I have seen several calculators as far as gratuities go. From what I have read and according to the calculators I should tip (for standard service) around $10.50 per day per person. If I do the pre-paid gratuities according to RCI website (for standard service) I should tip $15.50 per day per person. I don't understand why there is such a big difference.

 

I think the cruise lines are trying to create a standard gratuity rate for standard service. One that everyone will pay the same. Are there really that many people that pay very little or no gratuity?

My only concern is, what are the options if you get sub-standard service and have prepaid the gratuities? Who do you voice your concerns to?

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...what are the options if you get sub-standard service and have prepaid the gratuities? Who do you voice your concerns to?

 

Guest Relations is your first step for that sort of thing - they find the right person to correct the situation.

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I think the cruise lines are trying to create a standard gratuity rate for standard service.

 

BUT, the "standard" service is expected by most of us to be exceptional. On my last Celebrity it always was, on my last Princess it usually was.

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Guest Relations is your first step for that sort of thing - they find the right person to correct the situation.

 

First you voice your concern directly to the server. Sadly training is not what it once was. Many servers are from different cultures and do not understand American standards of service, and do not speak the language well. So the first thing is to make it very clear to the server. For example I always tell the room steward that I want our ice bucket filled everytime he makes up the room. (You are right, I should not have to do that. But these days we do.) I tell the dining room steward that I want extra dressing on my salad. If there are any little deficiencies the first day (I know, there shouldn't be ... but there are) I let the server know immediately.

 

On the second day, if things do not improve, I go to a supervisor. A word to the head waiter, or to the head housekeeper (their number is usually on the phone) will usually clear things up fast. A plate not placed properly, a chair left out of place, a water glass not filled ... the head steward will see that does not happen again.

 

I don't know that after that I would bother going to the passenger non-service desk ... they can't really do much besides sell stamps. I have never gotten much help there.

 

But your ultimate weapon -- and it should only be used AFTER trying the above -- is the end of cruise comment card. These cards ARE read, by the senior staff aboard and by the staff at Headquarters. Usually the on board staff holds a meeting BEFORE the next cruise! If a server has truly been deficient, slovenly, rude or unresponsive then mention it by name on the card and corrections will be made.

 

OTOH, after paying the standard service charge, if a server has been truly exceptional then also mention their name on the comment card. It is a big feather in their cap!

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BUT, the "standard" service is expected by most of us to be exceptional.

 

Standard service is what a service person is supposed to do under ordinary conditions.

 

Exceptional service is going above & beyond those ordinary conditions.

 

Is it exceptional to expect the cabin to be serviced with clean towels, trash hauled out, head cleaned, mirror cleaned & the bed made (we generally do the bed ourselves)? These are standard services in my opinion.

 

Now if I leave the room looking like a bomb went off I would consider that exceptional service. But that is my opinion.

 

As for food service workers I expect cooked food to be warm-hot, not sizzling hot and cold foods to feel refrigerated. My glass should be filled when it gets down to about 25%. I don't expect excuses as to why my chicken or fish is half raw when it should be completely cooked.

 

Are my expectations too high or pretty close to spot on?

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I agree completely - we do not tip beyond the "standard", which I think is plenty and we expect will get us exceptional service.

 

As I have stated in my previous post. There is a big difference between the web based gratuity calculators & RCI website.

 

Which should I base my "standard" gratuity on?

 

I am generally a good tipper for good service and I have even tipped exceptionally well if I hold a table up for an hour or so after finishing my meal to cover any tips the waitstaff may have missed.

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As I have stated in my previous post. There is a big difference between the web based gratuity calculators & RCI website.

 

Which should I base my "standard" gratuity on?

 

I think that you're mis-reading the RCI site, which says:

 

"Stateroom attendant: $3.50 USD a day per guest

Dining Room Waiter: $3.50 USD a day per guest

Assistant Waiter: $2.00 USD a day per guest

Headwaiter: $.75 USD a day per guest"

 

ie total $9.75 pp per day

 

If you have a suite, the first line aplies rather than the "Stateroom attendant":

 

"Suite attendant: $5.75 USD a day per guest"

 

ie total $12.00 pp per day

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I think that you're mis-reading the RCI site.....

 

 

Yukon, You are 100% correct. I thought the suite attendant & the stateroom attendant were like the waitstaff. I have 1 waiter & 1 assistant. Feeling a bit :o now. Thank you for clearing that up.

 

"A 15% gratuity will automatically be added to your bar bill or wine check when you are served."

If I am in the bar and get a soda or something non-alcoholic will the 15% be added?

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