Can you add money ahead to account for spending??

[Lily2006]

Hi,

Wondering if you can add money to your account before the cruise? This would allow me to start building up the account for spending when on board. So I have a few questions:

• can you call and add money on account for spending
  
• would you get it back if you didn't spend it all
  
• how much money can you get in cash from ship or casino per day
  

Being we would have to bring a lot of cash for a 8 day cruise for the casino etc, I'm trying to think of creative ways so it doesn't feel like a landslide of spending.

 

thanks for any advice. We are on the Explorer going to Bermuda.;)

[jmf123]

You can purchase OBC by calling Gifts & Gear at (800) 722-5443. Have your booking number and credit card handy. The item number for OBC is 651, if needed. I suggest getting a receipt for your purchase emailed to you, and take a copy with you on the cruise- just in case. The OBC is fully refundable should you have any remaining at the end of your cruise. Enjoy Bermuda! :)

[Lily2006]

Great thanks so much! :o

[jmf123]

You're very welcome!

[Daghis]

• how much money can you get in cash from ship or casino per day
  

Being we would have to bring a lot of cash for a 8 day cruise for the casino etc, I'm trying to think of creative ways so it doesn't feel like a landslide of spending.

I think there's a $2,000/day limit for getting money from your SeaPass account, but I can't say this for certain.

 

The downside to prepaying OBC for use in the casino is that they'll charge you a 3% fee to take money from your SeaPass account.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Daghis

[sandy toes]

I was just told in May that IF you had OBC there was not a 3% surcharge but if linked to a CC/debit card there was the surcharge. Please, someone else with more current info, let me know as we will be cruising w/friends and family and there are some that want to know for certain.

[Lily2006]

Yes I would like to know that too!

thanks so much -Wendy

[Icruzthere4Iam]

You can purchase OBC by calling Gifts & Gear at (800) 722-5443. Have your booking number and credit card handy. The item number for OBC is 651, if needed. I suggest getting a receipt for your purchase emailed to you, and take a copy with you on the cruise- just in case. The OBC is fully refundable should you have any remaining at the end of your cruise. Enjoy Bermuda! :)

 

Can I call this number and put an OBC on someone else's account? Like to surprise a family member with some funds for their cruise.

[rednancy1]

Can I call this number and put an OBC on someone else's account? Like to surprise a family member with some funds for their cruise.

 

Yes you can, as long as you have their reservation number. What a great gift! :)

[Icruzthere4Iam]

Yes you can, as long as you have their reservation number. What a great gift! :)

 

Thanks Nancy!

[eel]

I had heard that if you have refundable OBC (such as the kind you would get from buying OBC) you can go to guest services and withdraw as cash anytime you want. There may be a daily limit on how much you can take out per day as someone else indicated.

 

Note this is not the same as withdrawing from the casino where you pay a 3% fee. There would be no fee with this method.

 

Does anyone have experience with this? We have several long cruises planned for next year and we would like to put some OBC on account for each one so we don't have to carry so much cash with us.

Edited August 19, 2013 by eel

[Let'sGo!]

Our last cruise on Oasis was the first cruise we ever opted to secure as a "cash" account, rather than with a credit card. I prepaid $250 OBC before the cruise, I had an additional $100 OBC from my TA, and although we had pre-paid gratuties so we could do MTD, my TA also gifted those to us, so that showed up as additional OBC. Since we had purchased the Premium Alcohol Beverage pkg, I really didn't see what in the world we would be spending a lot of $$$ on, so that's why I decided to do the cash account option.

 

Sure enough, I checked at GS about two days later to ask about it... and was told we would get absolutely everything on our account back, if we wanted it, since it was all either "gifted" from the TA or our own money. They told us the only $$$ you can't get back is any OBC you get from RCCL, (such as $100 OBC for booking on board, etc). Their systems are set up in a way that they use the "non-refundable" credit first.

 

We opted to just let our credit ride, until the night before disembarking, in which they refunded about $90 back. If you know its your money, rather than something being charged to your credit card, I definitely wouldn't go to the casino and pay the 3% penalty. Just get it from GS.

 

Ann

[Lily2006]

Yes that is what I want to do. Put money head on the OBC so I can go to GG and take some each day. Don't want to have a lot of cash on me for 8 plus days. anyone else have any experiences? thanks

[copi2boys]

Why would you want too? OK, I really get why you would... but they are getting your money you could be earning interest on in your own savings acct. I just earmark my own "OBC deposits" in my Quicken register future -dated so it's subtracted from the balance, then when the bill comes in pay it off. Guess I'm reading too much Dave Ramsey...:D

[jmf123]

Yes you can, as long as you have their reservation number. What a great gift! :)

 

Just want to mention that at least with other items from Gifts & Gear (wine, logo items, etc.) you very likely don't need the reservation number to send a gift. It certainly expedites the order, but the rep should be able to find it with ship, sailing date, and passenger name. I would think it would also work for OBC purchases.

 

I recently ordered a surprise bon voyage gift for friends on the Oasis- without their reservation number. The rep located them, and it all worked out great. :)

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

Why would you want too? OK, I really get why you would... but they are getting your money you could be earning interest on in your own savings acct. I just earmark my own "OBC deposits" in my Quicken register future -dated so it's subtracted from the balance, then when the bill comes in pay it off. Guess I'm reading too much Dave Ramsey...:D

 

I just put $200 on my acct. how much interest would I really be earning on that in 4.5 weeks?

 

 

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[ryano]

I just put $200 on my acct. how much interest would I really be earning on that in 4.5 weeks?

 

 

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3 or 4 cents at most :p

 

I prepurchased 500.00 worth of OBC on my last cruise and will do the same from here on out. I like knowing ahead of time that I have as MUCh as my trip paid for in advance as possible.

 

I also pay my cruises off a few months before final payment date as well :)

 

The peace of mind is MUCH greater than the few pennies that money would earn in savings.

[molly361]

If you have credit on your account you can only get it back from GS on the last day of the cruise. They will not let your take it out daily.

 

You can take money out at the casino but there is a 3% service charge.

[believer33323]

Why not just prepay on your credit card you are using for your on-board account. whatever is left either you will spend after the cruise as usual or they will send you a refund check automatically after a month or so anyway. Why deal with RCCL getting it refunded. To many rules to play by for me. Just like the Royal visa. Just cannot deal with all the rules and processes to the get the credit you have earned.

Edited August 20, 2013 by believer33323

[RevSmith]

Why not just prepay on your credit card .

 

Now there is someone who is thinking.

[matj2000]

If you need cash for the casino,

why not just bring a lot of cash?

Also do you really fool yourself into thinking you are spending less if you prepay for something that you haven't purchased yet?

[ContessaK]

I'm thinking of paying for OBC ahead of time. I know when you go on the ship they want a cc to secure any charges you may have. Do you know how much they hold on it while you're on the ship? Can I just prepay that balance so they leave my card alone? Also, I'm on a b2b, does my OBC carry over if I want it to? Can I leave it with RCCL as a downpayment for a future cruise?

 

This inquiring mind wants to know. :D

[cruisegirl1]

I'm thinking of paying for OBC ahead of time. I know when you go on the ship they want a cc to secure any charges you may have. Do you know how much they hold on it while you're on the ship? Can I just prepay that balance so they leave my card alone? Also, I'm on a b2b, does my OBC carry over if I want it to? Can I leave it with RCCL as a downpayment for a future cruise?

 

This inquiring mind wants to know. :D

 

OBC will NOT carry over on a B2B. The cruises are treated as two separate cruises. You will have different folio numbers etc.

OBC cannot be used as a future cruise deposit, any deposit will be charged to a credit card.

 

Enjoy

[believer33323]

Again, Why not just prepay on your credit card. You CAN over pay your balance and that way it will also be on the B2B cruise since it is on the card and not affiliated with the cruise itself. SO EASY!! On my visa, if I run a positive balance more than a month I get a check sent to me right away.

Edited August 21, 2013 by believer33323

[JosieCat-MN]

If you have credit on your account you can only get it back from GS on the last day of the cruise. They will not let your take it out daily.

 

You can take money out at the casino but there is a 3% service charge.

 

I read on another thread that the casino service charge for getting cash is now 5%.