Question re: tipping

[KMB2014]

Do you know if you can use ship board credits towards the tip at the end of the cruise?

[taxmantoo]

Do you know if you can use ship board credits towards the tip at the end of the cruise?

 

You cannot.

[KMB2014]

Thanks! That's good to know!

[RJ2002]

If you are referring to the Hotel Service Charge, my experience has been that any OBC appears on your account as a credit, then everything else (service charge, bar charges, spa, etc) are posted... and you end up with a net amount due.

 

If you are referring to additional tips to give to your steward or servers at the end of the cruise, I am not familiar with being able to place those on your shipboard account. (BTW... on NCL, you can do that, but I've not heard of being able to do it on HAL).

[RuthC]

RJ2002 is correct the on-board credit can (and is) applied to your Hotel Service Charge. It can also be used if you wish to increase the HSC.

 

If you want to give out additional tips to select crew you would have to get the cash from your on-board credit via the casino, by charging gambling funds, spinning a round or two, then cashing out. But it can be done.

[Mary Ellen]

If you are referring to the Hotel Service Charge, my experience has been that any OBC appears on your account as a credit, then everything else (service charge, bar charges, spa, etc) are posted... and you end up with a net amount due.

This has been our experience too.

 

One cruise I had a lot of OBC, more than I spent. I'd figured it was 'use or lose' but I was paged to the Front Desk the last morning to receive the remainder of my OBC in cash. Nothing was charged to my credit card. So, obviously OBC can be used to pay the Hotel Service Charge - despite what the taxman says. :)

Edited August 3, 2014 by Mary Ellen

[sail7seas]

We also have had OBC offset the automatically charged hotel service charge.

[taxmantoo]

This has been our experience too.

 

One cruise I had a lot of OBC, more than I spent. I'd figured it was 'use or lose' but I was paged to the Front Desk the last morning to receive the remainder of my OBC in cash. Nothing was charged to my credit card. So, obviously OBC can be used to pay the Hotel Service Charge - despite what the taxman says. :)

 

The question was not about the Hotel Service Charge but tip. Technically, you can change your excess OBC to cash and then use that cash to tip whomever you choose. You can also ask for them to increase your Hotel Service Charge to cover the excess in OBC but then you have no say as to who gets the additional tip...they all do.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The question was not about the Hotel Service Charge but tip. Technically, you can change your excess OBC to cash and then use that cash to tip whomever you choose. You can also ask for them to increase your Hotel Service Charge to cover the excess in OBC but then you have no say as to who gets the additional tip...they all do.

 

 

The cruise lines have different terms for "tip". OP may have been referring to tips as in Hotel Service Charge not realizing that that is the term HAL uses.

[sail7seas]

The cruise lines have different terms for "tip". OP may have been referring to tips as in Hotel Service Charge not realizing that that is the term HAL uses.

 

 

That is my understanding of OP's post.

[take us away]

If they mean extra money for tipping the staff in addition to the hotel charge which will be charged to your account so the OBC will apply, you can obtain cash from the front desk against your account - BUT they have a service charge of a few percent for this service. You need to arrange this a few days before disembarkation, not the evening before as they need time to process and approve a cash advance. Also mentioned was the charge to your card in the casino but read the fine print on the poster by the cage very carefully as have heard some of the rules have changed. We typically bring extra cash for additional tips.

[PathfinderEss]

Do you know if you can use ship board credits towards the tip at the end of the cruise?

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and the Hal boards.

Yes you can. Ship board credits (OBC) can be use against any charges made on your account including Hotel Service Charges.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If they mean extra money for tipping the staff in addition to the hotel charge which will be charged to your account so the OBC will apply, you can obtain cash from the front desk against your account - BUT they have a service charge of a few percent for this service. You need to arrange this a few days before disembarkation, not the evening before as they need time to process and approve a cash advance. Also mentioned was the charge to your card in the casino but read the fine print on the poster by the cage very carefully as have heard some of the rules have changed. We typically bring extra cash for additional tips.

 

 

Do you remember what rules have changed in the casino?

[KMB2014]

You are correct! My question was about the HSC which I was thinking of as a tip. I really appreciate everyone's responses. Thanks!

[jtl513]

You need to arrange this a few days before disembarkation, not the evening before as they need time to process and approve a cash advance.

Is this a recent change of rules? I've taken a cash advance a couple of times (last one 4 years ago) and the money was given to me immediately ... no delay for approval.

[Laminator]

The cash you get from the casino is not considered a cash advance from the credit card companies standpoint. It is simply charged to your room as a purchase. I believe the limit is $1000 per day per person to the room. There is a small fee. On Club 21 sponsored events that amount is raised to $3000 per day per person in the room. The fees are waived. That is why I do not know what the fee amount is.