On Board Credit Questions

[Cru1ser]

we have $425 on board credit from our TA. i have some questions:

 

1. the only way for us to confirm the money is in our account before we purchae anything on board that we want to use the credit for is to go to the menu on our TV in our stateroom to check our onboard account. right? but i've heard it will not necessarily be there on the first day, and it could even take a few days before it shows up. my question is what if it doesn't show up by the end of the 7th day? i did ask our TA this question when i booked the ship, he said he would then write me a check:(. has this ever happened to someone before?

 

2. can we use the money to pay the $11.65 per person per day gratuities?

 

thanks.

[bajathree]

OBC should show up on the second day...depending where it's coming from your TA may be able to show you it on an invoice....however, if it's coming from the CL, most TA's wouldn't show you the CL's TA invoice that would show OBC as it will also show you the commission.

 

Yes....you could use it to pay your gratuities.....just have them add them them onto your sea-pass account.

[Cru1ser]

OBC should show up on the second day...depending where it's coming from your TA may be able to show you it on an invoice....however, if it's coming from the CL, most TA's wouldn't show you the CL's TA invoice that would show OBC as it will also show you the commission.

 

Yes....you could use it to pay your gratuities.....just have them add them them onto your sea-pass account.

 

what is CL?

 

right after booking the ship, our TA sent us an email(an invoice), there's a sentence saying: thank you for booking your cruise with me! i appreciate your business. please enjoy your $425.00 on board credit. Bon Voyage!

 

this is all i have to confirm this credit.

 

because we need to use this credit to book the specialty restaurants right after boarding, but if it doesn't show up on the first day, can we still use it to book the specialty restaurants?

[AlanAllyn]

what is CL?

 

right after booking the ship, our TA sent us an email(an invoice), there's a sentence saying: thank you for booking your cruise with me! i appreciate your business. please enjoy your $425.00 on board credit. Bon Voyage!

 

this is all i have to confirm this credit.

 

because we need to use this credit to book the specialty restaurants right after boarding, but if it doesn't show up on the first day, can we still use it to book the specialty restaurants?

No problem. Your onboard account is just like a credit card. They charge you for expenses and credit you for income. It doesn't matter which comes first. Most people give the cruise line (CL) a credit card. They charge your account at the end of the cruise (although many lines put a hold when you first sign in, which is later removed).

[Cru1ser]

No problem. Your onboard account is just like a credit card. They charge you for expenses and credit you for income. It doesn't matter which comes first. Most people give the cruise line (CL) a credit card. They charge your account at the end of the cruise (although many lines put a hold when you first sign in, which is later removed).

 

so we should book our specialty restaurants the first thing after boarding no matter if the credit shows up or not. just tell the ship stuff that we want to use this credit, not our credit card, to book these specialty restaurants. correct?

[AlanAllyn]

so we should book our specialty restaurants the first thing after boarding no matter if the credit shows up or not. just tell the ship stuff that we want to use this credit, not our credit card, to book these specialty restaurants. correct?

Correct. Once on board, you can't charge anything on your credit card other than a future cruise. By the way, if you book before the cruise, they charge your credit card and not your obc.

[Cru1ser]

Correct. Once on board, you can't charge anything on your credit card other than a future cruise. By the way, if you book before the cruise, they charge your credit card and not your obc.

thank you so much!

[bajathree]

CL = cruise line

[plazamom]

I don't think you have to specify that you want it deducted from your onboard credit. I believe you will still have to give a credit card when you check in. Then the OBC will go toward the first $425 in charges. The rest will be charged to your credit card. Your credit card is not charged until the end of the cruise. If you don't spend more than $425- nothing will be charged to your card- but you will "lose" any credit you don't spend. (ie you rack up $400 worth of charges- you "lose" the other $25). The tips can be added to your seapass account- just fill out the paperwork they provide. Personally, we like a few drinks/ spa treatments/ specialty restaurants/ excursions. With tips for my family of 5 our bill is usually $1000-$1500:eek:.

[Cru1ser]

CL = cruise line

 

thank you. sorry, my english is not very well.

[Cru1ser]

I believe you will still have to give a credit card when you check in. Then the OBC will go toward the first $425 in charges. The rest will be charged to your credit card. Your credit card is not charged until the end of the cruise. If you don't spend more than $425- nothing will be charged to your card- but you will "lose" any credit you don't spend. (ie you rack up $400 worth of charges- you "lose" the other $25).

i know.

 

 

 

The tips can be added to your seapass account- just fill out the paperwork they provide.

what paperwork? in order to add tips to our seapass account, ie. using the obc to pay the tips, we need to fill out some kind of paperwork?

[plazamom]

I believe that one day toward the end of the cruise, along with your daily cruise compass, you will recieve a form to fill out to indicate if you want your gratuities to be added to your on board account. They then leave you voucherd in your room you can put in the envelopes (instead of cash) to hand to your servers/ cabin stewards on the last evening.

[plazamom]

Sorry- vouchers!:o

[Karter]

I don't think you have to specify that you want it deducted from your onboard credit. I believe you will still have to give a credit card when you check in. Then the OBC will go toward the first $425 in charges. The rest will be charged to your credit card. Your credit card is not charged until the end of the cruise. If you don't spend more than $425- nothing will be charged to your card- but you will "lose" any credit you don't spend. (ie you rack up $400 worth of charges- you "lose" the other $25). The tips can be added to your seapass account- just fill out the paperwork they provide. Personally, we like a few drinks/ spa treatments/ specialty restaurants/ excursions. With tips for my family of 5 our bill is usually $1000-$1500:eek:.

 

There are two types of OBC. Cruise line OBC that is not refundable and TA OBC which is refundable. If you ask at the pursers desk they can tell you which kind you have. If you don't want to worry about it you can got to the casino and for 3% just get a cash advance then it doesen't matter if it's refundable or not you have the cash.

[Cru1ser]

I believe that one day toward the end of the cruise, along with your daily cruise compass, you will recieve a form to fill out to indicate if you want your gratuities to be added to your on board account. They then leave you voucherd in your room you can put in the envelopes (instead of cash) to hand to your servers/ cabin stewards on the last evening.

 

so, we have two options to pay the gratuities: cash or on board account. we need to fill out a form to indicate which way we want to pay. if we choose to pay it by cash, then put cash i the envelope; if we choose to pay it by on board account, then put the vouchers in the envelope. correct?

[Cru1ser]

There are two types of OBC. Cruise line OBC that is not refundable and TA OBC which is refundable. If you ask at the pursers desk they can tell you which kind you have. If you don't want to worry about it you can got to the casino and for 3% just get a cash advance then it doesen't matter if it's refundable or not you have the cash.

 

if it's TA OBC, and if we want a refund, who's gona give us the $425 cash? the CL? or the TA? and when?

[libertybelle41]

I wonder how the OBC works if it's coming from my RC visa card? I haven't called them about it yet.

 

Anyone familiar with this?

[TNT]

Call 6-8 weeks out and credit card co will send you a voucher. You then send those to RCCL. The credit will show up second day or so. We had $900 OBC last cruise and wondered how we would get remaining balance. Funny thing was we had only $150 left 30 mnutes after boarding. We booked scuba lessons, spa, etc. No worries about refund. ;)

 

Make copies before sending to RCCL and take with you.

[libertybelle41]

Call 6-8 weeks out and credit card co will send you a voucher. You then send those to RCCL. The credit will show up second day or so. We had $900 OBC last cruise and wondered how we would get remaining balance. Funny thing was we had only $150 left 30 mnutes after boarding. We booked scuba lessons, spa, etc. No worries about refund. ;)

 

Make copies before sending to RCCL and take with you.

 

 

Ohhh I'll get on that asap. Thanks for the info!