Using Onboard Credit for Service charge

[LCat]

I’ve searched and searched, but I can’t find an answer to this question regarding service charges/tips and onboard credit, so I am hoping CCers can help me.

Can anyone tell me which cruise lines will allow onboard credit to be used for service charges/tips?

On previous cruises, we were able to use onboard credit toward the service charge/tips. On my most recent cruise, we found out that the policy had changed after we had made our reservation. Thus, the $200+ onboard credit could not be used toward tips.

Since we had already made our plans for shore excursions independently, we don’t drink on cruises, don’t do spas, and don’t find any reason to pay extra for specialty restaurants when we have so many wonderful 4* restaurants in our own city, we actually struggled to “spend” the onboard credit.

The amount of the additional tipping charges wasn’t in our original cruise budget. If we had

known about the change ahead of time, we would have booked a different cruise line.

So does anyone know which cruise lines will allow onboard credit to be used for service charges/tips?

FYI--No matter what you call the tips, according to the cruise line, they are a “service charge.”

Here is wording in the cruise contract from a recent cruise:

Service Charges: Certain members of Carrier’s crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest. The charge , which is automatically added to your onboard account and subject to adjustment at your discretion, is intended to reward service provided in all departments and job categories and is distributed to employees according to Carrier's evaluation of job performance. A portion of the service charge collected by Carrier is also used for fleet-wide crew welfare programs.

[CruiserBruce]

Holland America allows OBCs to be used for hotel service charges.

 

The issue of "tips" vs "hotel service charges" has been beaten to death on the boards. It is what it is. You will notice the key words in the material you quoted--- "and subject to adjustment at your discretion". Means it is not mandatory.

[Keith1010]

There are lots of cruise lines out there. Are there any in particular you want to know about?

 

Keith

[bob brown]

I've noticed this also....sometimes it depends on whether the on board credit is 'refundable' (allowed), or 'nonrefundable' (not allowed). You have to see each lines policies.

The cruiselines don't like to allow use of OBC in cases where you get full cash value for it such as tips or spending in casino. They would rather you spend it for merchandise or services where their large markup means you are only getting partial value for OBC....

[lady_cruiser]

If you have an OBC, Royal Caribbean will allow you to use it towards your gratitudes.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On Holland America, right now shipboard credit can be used for the Hotel Service Charges, spa, speciality restaurants, excursions, boutiques, etc. -- everything except the Casino.

[paul929207]

On Princess, OBC can be used to pay the Hotel Service Charge (autotip).

[marco]

Our experience has been that on all lines we've been on, the OBC has been applicable to anything posted to our on board account. But I'm curious..... which line did NOT allow you to apply your OBC towards service/gratuity charges?

[Gunner22aa]

We typically start the cruise with a large OBC as share holders and both ex military. The service charges are added daily, we book excursions and pay for things onboard and the OBC dwindles up to the point where I now have a balance owing. Princess allows the use of the OBC for anything that is charged to the stateroom account.

[LHT28]

OBC on Oceania can be used for anything charged to your S & S card

[smeyer418]

I’ve searched and searched, but I can’t find an answer to this question regarding service charges/tips and onboard credit, so I am hoping CCers can help me.

 

Can anyone tell me which cruise lines will allow onboard credit to be used for service charges/tips?

 

On previous cruises, we were able to use onboard credit toward the service charge/tips. On my most recent cruise, we found out that the policy had changed after we had made our reservation. Thus, the $200+ onboard credit could not be used toward tips.

 

Since we had already made our plans for shore excursions independently, we don’t drink on cruises, don’t do spas, and don’t find any reason to pay extra for specialty restaurants when we have so many wonderful 4* restaurants in our own city, we actually struggled to “spend” the onboard credit.

 

The amount of the additional tipping charges wasn’t in our original cruise budget. If we had

known about the change ahead of time, we would have booked a different cruise line.

So does anyone know which cruise lines will allow onboard credit to be used for service charges/tips?

 

 

 

FYI--No matter what you call the tips, according to the cruise line, they are a “service charge.”

 

Here is wording in the cruise contract from a recent cruise:

Service Charges: Certain members of Carrier’s crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest. The charge , which is automatically added to your onboard account and subject to adjustment at your discretion, is intended to reward service provided in all departments and job categories and is distributed to employees according to Carrier's evaluation of job performance. A portion of the service charge collected by Carrier is also used for fleet-wide crew welfare programs.

 

This is NCL language and NCL generally does NOT allow OBC to be used for the Daily Service Charge.

 

here is a thread on NCL board about the subject

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1555548&highlight=obc

 

BTW some of the language above comes from combining the Pride of America(American flagged ship) and the non-US flagged ships into one website. Hawaiian law prohibits mandatory sharing of tips. If you tip someone in cash on the POA they can keep what you give them.

If you remove the DSC on the non-Us flagged ships all you tip must be turned in.

The fact that you can adjust the DSC doesn't mean you should.(IMO)

[cruise30]

On Carnival; I use my on-board credit (from owning shares in Carnival) for the tips. On a 3,4, or 5 day cruise, if you own 100 shares or more and "apply" for the credit, you get a

$50 credit; for 7 days, you get a $100 credit. They "do" let you use it that way if you wish. I have done it many times!

[CPT Trips]

This is NCL language and NCL generally does NOT allow OBC to be used for the Daily Service Charge.

 

here is a thread on NCL board about the subject

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1555548&highlight=obc

 

BTW some of the language above comes from combining the Pride of America(American flagged ship) and the non-US flagged ships into one website. Hawaiian law prohibits mandatory sharing of tips. If you tip someone in cash on the POA they can keep what you give them.

If you remove the DSC on the non-Us flagged ships all you tip must be turned in.

The fact that you can adjust the DSC doesn't mean you should.(IMO)

 

I ran into that problem on my most recent NCL cruise. I had cruise line obc, TA obc, and obc from the NCL credit card. I would have lost money on my account because I could not use the obc for "tips."

 

I discovered this when I got a printout of my account partway through the cruise.

 

Fortunately, I had pre purchased shorexs . . . I cancelled them, rebooked them and used my obc to pay for them. Sure not the easiest way to go.