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So, I've just pre-purchased OBC directly from RCI....

drummerdavebmth

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drummerdavebmth

drummerdavebmth

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I did this over the phone ahead of our 8 night Norway cruise on Indy which is in May.

The guy I spoke to said it might not be available for the first 24 hours after boarding!!

24 hours???!!!

Is this right? This seems a little strange, seeing as I’ve purchased this 3 months ahead of the sail date….

Has anyone else had to wait 24 hours before being able to use the OBC theypaid for months in advance?

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slvrbllt

slvrbllt

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It's all good... what they meant is that it won't show up onto your onboard account until after 24 hours or so. They tell you this so you don't go scream at Guest Services the first day. Make sure to take a copy of the confirmation you received.

 

Think of it like a payment on your credit card account. You're charging stuff on the first day and your payment gets "posted" on the second day. The payment will apply to your purchases from the first day.

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drummerdavebmth

drummerdavebmth

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Ahhh....ok, so the OBC will still actually be available to spend - but just won't appear on the account (say, if we checked on the interactive TV the first day/evening).

 

So if we bought a few drinks on the first night (which we surely will), the next day our OBC will show minus the cost of the previous nights drinks.

 

Is that right?

 

By the way, I haven't recieved a confirmation E-mail or anything from RCI....the guy I spoke to on the phone just said that my payment had gone through ok.

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molly361

molly361

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Ahhh....ok, so the OBC will still actually be available to spend - but just won't appear on the account (say, if we checked on the interactive TV the first day/evening).

 

So if we bought a few drinks on the first night (which we surely will), the next day our OBC will show minus the cost of the previous nights drinks.

 

Is that right?

 

By the way, I haven't recieved a confirmation E-mail or anything from RCI....the guy I spoke to on the phone just said that my payment had gone through ok.

 

 

That is correct. You can call RCL and request a copy of your booking invoice and it will show up on there.

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littlesteelo

littlesteelo

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I'm sorry but I really don't understand why anyone would purchase OBC. Just take the cash to the ship and give it to guest services when you board or better yet keep the cash in your safe and pay your bill at the end.

 

Some people, myself included, like to get as many payments out of the way before I board the ship so I don't have that large bill at the end. I don't buy OBC, as usually the free credit covers most if not all of my SeaPass bill. I do however pre-book excursions, drinks packages etc. months in advance so I don't have to think about it later.

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racnwdow

racnwdow

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We are a cash only type people. We have no credit cards. I don't want the ship bill on my debit card. And OBC helps cut back on how much actual cash we have to carry with us.

 

Same with prebooking drink packages and excursions and prepaying tip.

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lemonade-sails

lemonade-sails

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We also purchased OBC. Please call back and have some proof of your purchase emailed to you. It didn't show up on our booking invoice, but I recieved a seperate invoice with the OBC purchase. Print this out and bring it with you just in case. I think our OBC showed up by the third day but we were able to charge on it from the start.

 

I'm sorry but I really don't understand why anyone would purchase OBC. Just take the cash to the ship and give it to guest services when you board or better yet keep the cash in your safe and pay your bill at the end.

 

I did not want to carry hundreds of $$ cash with me as I drove into the city, parked and tried to navigate shuttles and crowded ports.

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dmackay46

dmackay46

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I did this over the phone ahead of our 8 night Norway cruise on Indy which is in May.

 

The guy I spoke to said it might not be available for the first 24 hours after boarding!!

 

24 hours???!!!

 

Is this right? This seems a little strange, seeing as I’ve purchased this 3 months ahead of the sail date….

 

Has anyone else had to wait 24 hours before being able to use the OBC theypaid for months in advance?

 

I would be quite interested in this for our IOS Med cruise in June. I take it was RCI in the UK you called?...and what sort of exchange rate were you offered, if you dont mind me asking?

 

I had done this before on a Princess cruise and received a very favourable rate for purchase of OBC upfront (ie the rate at that time was $1.70/£1, and the cruise line offered me $2/$1) !

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drummerdavebmth

drummerdavebmth

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I would be quite interested in this for our IOS Med cruise in June. I take it was RCI in the UK you called?...and what sort of exchange rate were you offered, if you dont mind me asking?

 

I had done this before on a Princess cruise and received a very favourable rate for purchase of OBC upfront (ie the rate at that time was $1.70/£1, and the cruise line offered me $2/$1) !

 

Hi

 

Yes it was RCI in the UK I called. I purchased $360 OBC, which was £252 in pound stirling.

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Clarea

Clarea

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This may be a dumb question but what happens if you buy more OBCs ahead of time then you actually spend on your cruise? I know when the cruise line/TA gives you an OBC it has no cash value if you don't spend it during the cruise.

Purchased OBC is fully refundable. You can get a refund in cash the last night of the cruise.

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blonde1981

blonde1981

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Purchased OBC is fully refundable. You can get a refund in cash the last night of the cruise.

That is what I was thinking but wanted to check first. I'll probably make a purchase in the next month or so. Anything to keep the credit card bill low and eliminate excess cash carried.

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helen haywood

helen haywood

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Really, DO make sure you print out a statement from RCI that shows the OBC. Because when people go to Guest Services complaining about not seeing OBC from a TA....that is not the cruise line's problem and they will not be of any help. If you have something from Royal then you can prove (if there were a problem) that this is OBC directly from Royal.

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dmackay46

dmackay46

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Why?:confused:

 

From a UK cruiser`s perspective, when joining a cruise from here, it does make sense to convert £s to $s if there is a possibility that the value of the £ will decrease in relation to the $ and so reduce the buying power of the £ equivalent onboard.

 

It may be that the OP wishes to protect themselves against any future decline in the £, and so buy OBC now. Also, as some posters point out, a lot of people like to pay up front for things to get them out of the way so there is less worry of a huge bill onboard.

 

In the US, you don`t have this worry as all the prices are in $s, but it is a consideration for us on the other side of the pond and elsewhere.

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nelblu

nelblu

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From a UK cruiser`s perspective, when joining a cruise from here, it does make sense to convert £s to $s if there is a possibility that the value of the £ will decrease in relation to the $ and so reduce the buying power of the £ equivalent onboard.

 

It may be that the OP wishes to protect themselves against any future decline in the £, and so buy OBC now. Also, as some posters point out, a lot of people like to pay up front for things to get them out of the way so there is less worry of a huge bill onboard.

 

In the US, you don`t have this worry as all the prices are in $s, but it is a consideration for us on the other side of the pond and elsewhere.

 

Conversely, if the pound or other currencies rise, you lose the purchasing power. Also, if I'm not mistaken, if you don't use the OBC's, you lose it. As an accountant, I never believe in advancing any monies pre-maturely.:D

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