Could balance of shipboard credit be given to staff?

[sashas_mom]

We have a pretty generous shipboard credit. Just wondering if I could arrange to give it to the crew pool as an additional tip at the end of our cruise?

[hansi]

You have credit left over at the end of the cruise?:eek: Spend it:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Pam in CA]

We have a pretty generous shipboard credit. Just wondering if I could arrange to give it to the crew pool as an additional tip at the end of our cruise?

I think you can ask to have the auto-tip increased. Not sure if it can be done at the end but it's worth asking when you get onboard.

 

I sometimes have leftover OBC even though I've done my best to spend it. :)

[Happy2cruise]

Don't know if it can be done or not, but personally think it is a very nice gesture on your part:):)

[skynight]

I agree with Pam. You may be able to add additional Hotel Charges to your folio. If you do these charges will just be deducted from your credits with a simple debit/credit system. You will need to speak with Customer Service early in the cruise.

[jagoffee]

I agree with Pam. You may be able to add additional Hotel Charges to your folio. If you do these charges will just be deducted from your credits with a simple debit/credit system. You will need to speak with Customer Service early in the cruise.

 

I am not sure why you would need to decide this early in your cruise. But you could ask about the process for leaving extra gratuities for selected staff members at the end of the cruise. I find it hard to imagine that you would not be allowed to do so.

[kendon]

Several years ago I received the remainder of my shipboard credit in cash on the last day. If they still do that, of course you can do what you want with it. BTW, the reason I had leftover was that I didn't realize I had that much to begin with. Had I known, I would have found a way to spend it! Anyway, as a previous poster stated, it is a very nice gesture to want to tip extra.

[Coral]

I have cashed out any left over OBC from the Customer Service Desk. You can leave additional cash tips if you want.

[PunkiC]

We usually plan how to spend our OBC pretty carefully. Last year, however, on a Northern European cruise we had such a long and busy port day that one late afternoon we just returned to the ship, had a snack and decided to take a nap before dinner. It turned out to be about a 12 hours nap and we missed dinner.

 

So, when we were disembarking, they stopped us at the gangway and sent us back to the purser's office to collect the left over money which we forgot that we hadn't spent on wine for dinner one night. That made us smile. :)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

As a extra tip

[skynight]

I am not sure why you would need to decide this early in your cruise. But you could ask about the process for leaving extra gratuities for selected staff members at the end of the cruise. I find it hard to imagine that you would not be allowed to do so.

 

So that you know how to proceed early on. Some onboard credits can not be converted to cash, some can.

[sminfiddle]

Start with the amount you want to give to the pool. Divide by the number of days in your cruise. Walk to the Passenger Services Desk the first day and ask that your ($11.50 or $12) Daily Hotel Charge be increased by this amount.

This works if you know your "overage" in advance. It's the easiest way.

(I just increase my Daily by a set number of dollars.)

Since it's charged every day, I do so on my first day onboard.

 

Rick

[Coral]

Start with the amount you want to give to the pool. Divide by the number of days in your cruise. Walk to the Passenger Services Desk the first day and ask that your ($11.50 or $12) Daily Hotel Charge be increased by this amount.

This works if you know your "overage" in advance. It's the easiest way.

(I just increase my Daily by a set number of dollars.)

Since it's charged every day, I do so on my first day onboard.

 

Rick

 

You probably surprise the Customer Service people by doing so. They are probably used to people removing their auto-tip, they probably smile at you when you ask to increase it x percentage or dollar amount :)

[sashas_mom]

I have cashed out any left over OBC from the Customer Service Desk. You can leave additional cash tips if you want.

 

This is so helpful to know. I'm assuming you've done this recently. I've read that people have lost any credit they had left. When do you domthis? I would imagine they would want to wait to see if there are any last minute charges before they give me cash..

 

I remember you well, Coral. Although we never met, you were so helpful to me when we started cruising years ago. I believe it was our Alaska cruise and I was new to cruise critic and cruising. Thanks for posting here.

 

Regards,

Eileen

[Coral]

This is so helpful to know. I'm assuming you've done this recently. I've read that people have lost any credit they had left. When do you domthis? I would imagine they would want to wait to see if there are any last minute charges before they give me cash..

 

I remember you well' date=' Coral. Although we never met, you were so helpful to me when we started cruising years ago. I believe it was our Alaska cruise and I was new to cruise critic and cruising. Thanks for posting here.

 

Regards,

Eileen[/quote']

 

I did it last June in Alaska. I did it the afternoon before we disembarked. We had a combination of loyalty credit, FCC, Group space and stock credit (no military). They did give me the credit balance but that evening, the automatic tip hit my account so I did owe something like $12 per person when my bill arrived and that was charged to my credit card. Not a big deal. We did use the money to tip our waiters and room steward as we had been on the ship for 3 weeks and had the same crew for most of the 3 weeks (wait staff was 2 weeks, but same room steward, head waiter and Matride).

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[nukesubsailor]

I did it last June in Alaska. I did it the afternoon before we disembarked. We had a combination of loyalty credit, FCC, Group space and stock credit (no military). They did give me the credit balance but that evening, the automatic tip hit my account so I did owe something like $12 per person when my bill arrived and that was charged to my credit card. Not a big deal. We did use the money to tip our waiters and room steward as we had been on the ship for 3 weeks and had the same crew for most of the 3 weeks (wait staff was 2 weeks, but same room steward, head waiter and Matride).

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Could I ask you to educate me about Group space credit? I have not heard of that before. Thanks

[Coral]

Could I ask you to educate me about Group space credit? I have not heard of that before. Thanks

 

Travel agents (especially those who specialize in cruises) book group space on several sailings. When they do that, they often have amenities for those who book into the group. The amenities often include On Board Credit (OBC), or a bottle of wine, photos, dinner at a speciality restaurant, etc...

 

I know when I book with my agent, she will often say "I have group space on the week of the 7th and 14th but not this date and that date".

 

Some agents will book a group if they have a large number of clients going on a sailing as there are some benefits such as for every 8 cabins/16 births, there is often 1 birth free. My agent does this also but her agency also books group space on a variety of sailings and if you happen to book that specific sailing, you benefit from some amenities and OBC is one of the more popular amenities.

 

Hope this makes sense. Some people will just say "My TA gave me $50 OBC for booking". When they say that, it is often group space or maybe the agent is rebating their commission in OBC. My agent rebates her commission off of the cost of the cruise.

[nukesubsailor]

Travel agents (especially those who specialize in cruises) book group space on several sailings. When they do that, they often have amenities for those who book into the group. The amenities often include On Board Credit (OBC), or a bottle of wine, photos, dinner at a speciality restaurant, etc...

 

I know when I book with my agent, she will often say "I have group space on the week of the 7th and 14th but not this date and that date".

 

Some agents will book a group if they have a large number of clients going on a sailing as there are some benefits such as for every 8 cabins/16 births, there is often 1 birth free. My agent does this also but her agency also books group space on a variety of sailings and if you happen to book that specific sailing, you benefit from some amenities and OBC is one of the more popular amenities.

 

Hope this makes sense. Some people will just say "My TA gave me $50 OBC for booking". When they say that, it is often group space or maybe the agent is rebating their commission in OBC. My agent rebates her commission off of the cost of the cruise.

 

Thank you for the explanation. It iterests me because I have organized a group for an Alaskan cruise. So far we have 9 cabins booked. 6 of the 9 couples will be doing an 8 day land tour before the cruise. I will be interested to see if our TA does anything like you mentioned. Once before I organized a Caribbean cruise for some of my Navy friends and used this agent. For that cruise she joined us and we got an OBC and a cocktail party from her.

[Coral]

Thank you for the explanation. It iterests me because I have organized a group for an Alaskan cruise. So far we have 9 cabins booked. 6 of the 9 couples will be doing an 8 day land tour before the cruise. I will be interested to see if our TA does anything like you mentioned. Once before I organized a Caribbean cruise for some of my Navy friends and used this agent. For that cruise she joined us and we got an OBC and a cocktail party from her.

 

Speak to your agent now about this (as opposed to waiting). See if they can setup a group and move all of your bookings into the group. You possibly can receive one free birth (still need to pay port fees and taxes). You can either give one person a free cruise or spread it out amongst everyone in the cruise. Definitely speak up. She may have you in a group already and may pocket the cost of the free birth herself. I would just bring it up that you heard that if you book 8 cabins/16 people, one person may be able to go free and there may be other group options. If it was a booking for this December, it may be too late to get a group but she may still be able to get one for next summer.

 

You have a very good size group on your trip. She should be doing something for you!

[Jodieg]

Hi Carol, have you ever had the bottle of wine group space deal? If so, when is it delevered to your cabin? Or is there a note in your cabin?

[Coral]

Hi Carol, have you ever had the bottle of wine group space deal? If so, when is it delevered to your cabin? Or is there a note in your cabin?

 

Yes. A card is delivered to the cabin and it is for the most basic bottle of wine (there were 2 choices or we could apply the amount towards a more expensive bottle). I have used it once before when dining with CC group at Sterling Steakhouse (older version of Crown Grill). Other times, I have just turned it in for OBC as I don't drink wine.

 

You take the card to dinner with you and give the wait staff the card and then they will explain which wine it is for.