How do you use your OBC?

[Cruisa Loosa]

We have been fortunate to acquire a good amount of on board credit for a 22 day mediterranean cruise coming up next summer. I would like to use the credit for excursions but I know you can' ruse the credit until you are aboard the ship. Should I take a chance that there will be room left on some excursions?

 

What else do people use their credit for? We got the Explore4 deal so won't need to buy booze. We can use some to offset the gratuities charge. There are only so many things one can purchase in the ship shops. Any other ideas?

 

Thanks!

[Vict0riann]

Dinner in the Pinnacle?

 

Your HSC will be over $500 for two of you, so that should be a pretty good chunk, wouldn't it? If you do have leftovers at the end of your cruise, and there's no chance of it being refunded to you in cash, you could always just increase your HSC.

 

Others have said there is a way to cash it out in the casino.

[SilvertoGold]

Le Cirque and/or the Cellarmaster's Dinner are both worthy of some extra OBC spending. Lunch in the Pinnacle for sure.

Edited October 17, 2014 by SilvertoGold

[Krazy Kruizers]

Maybe a nice bottle of wine at one of the specialty dinners?

[Alberta Quilter]

Unlimited laundry, duty free alcohol to take home, shopping, internet package and Bingo were the ways I used my OBC of $800 for a 14 day cruise, after the HSC. We also had the SBP, and still had a $500 bill!!!

[SilvertoGold]

Unlimited laundry, duty free alcohol to take home, shopping, internet package and Bingo were the ways I used my OBC of $800 for a 14 day cruise, after the HSC. We also had the SBP, and still had a $500 bill!!!

 

Good ideas, all! You did very well with all that OBC!!

[Alberta Quilter]

Good ideas, all! You did very well with all that OBC!!

 

Well, we did go a little crazy with the shopping... Actually, crazy is too strong of a word. When we were on our Baltic cruise a couple of years ago, we saw something on the ship that we really liked but couldn't justify the expense. It was one of those things that you regret when you get home. We saw something similar on our cruise with all the OBC, so we purchased it. That's what pushed up the bill to the $500! But we have no regrets.

[Cruising-along]

I agree with all the ideas posted here. Gratuities can take up a lot of OBC, and it's nice to have any laundry charges covered as well. We have never had any problem using all of our OBC :p

 

We will have $1050 OBC for our March 15-day cruise and I'm sure we'll use it all. :D

[LindaM]

We had 1200 in OBC on our last cruise. The easiest way to get it back in cash is to open an account at the casino. On the slots, I believe you can enter what you are going to need from your onboard account. Press "play" (or whatever it is called...I'm not a gambler)Then, go back to the cage and get what you didn't play in cash. We did this in July. I had some questions and the casino worker was unhappy...said the casino is not an ATM. Our big box TA is able to offer us a larger discount by giving OBC. We almost missed the Tattoo in Scotland, because I was waiting to purchase the excursion onboard with our OBC. Good thing I saw online the better seats were already sold out, so I was able to book other seats before our cruise. Forgot to mention Explore 4 was included, otherwise we could have used a lot of OBC for drinks/soda/coffee.

Edited October 17, 2014 by LindaM
edit

[DaveOKC]

Also - Internet package and thermal spa package.

[PathfinderEss]

When we don't have 'explore 4', we use ours for drinking.:D

[kakalina]

There is a much better way to take it out in the casino without riling up the worker there. One sits at a slot machine and uses their room card to "open" an account with the system by picking a pin number after opening it with their birthdate. Once opened one just chooses to take out money "from ship account" which puts it right on your account with the ship where the credits are. Spin the machine at least twice, you are required by the system to use the machine. Then hit cash out. Take your card to the cashier cage, tell them you wish to cash out. There is no need to mention why you are cashing out.

 

Then you walk away with cash in hand. It is very easy to do. We do play a lot on the machines and do this quite often. Of course, with us the casino usually gets the OBC anyway.

[oldpharmguy]

I'm reading all these posts about OBC's of hundreds to a thousand dollars or more of OBC's. We usually only get $100 to $200 from our travel agent (if we are lucky) and a few bucks more for being a Carnival stock holder. I would sure like to know how the BIG BUCKS are obtained. Thanks for your replies.

[LindaM]

I'm reading all these posts about OBC's of hundreds to a thousand dollars or more of OBC's. We usually only get $100 to $200 from our travel agent (if we are lucky) and a few bucks more for being a Carnival stock holder. I would sure like to know how the BIG BUCKS are obtained. Thanks for your replies.

 

OBC are dependent on the price of the cruise. The big box store gives a percentage of the price paid for the cruise. Our next cruise isn't as expensive, so we will be getting half the OBC we did get previously. So many people here take long cruises as well, which is why you see the large amount. Our old TA didn't give as many OBC, but discounted the price of the cruise more. It usually works out pretty even, except when comparing the big box price. That is unbeatable.

[Cruisa Loosa]

OBC are dependent on the price of the cruise. The big box store gives a percentage of the price paid for the cruise. Our next cruise isn't as expensive, so we will be getting half the OBC we did get previously. So many people here take long cruises as well, which is why you see the large amount. Our old TA didn't give as many OBC, but discounted the price of the cruise more. It usually works out pretty even, except when comparing the big box price. That is unbeatable.

 

Pardon my stupidity, but what big box store are you referring to???

[Alberta Quilter]

Pardon my stupidity, but what big box store are you referring to???

 

I suspect she can't say which one because it would be against the cc rules.

[Alberta Quilter]

I'm reading all these posts about OBC's of hundreds to a thousand dollars or more of OBC's. We usually only get $100 to $200 from our travel agent (if we are lucky) and a few bucks more for being a Carnival stock holder. I would sure like to know how the BIG BUCKS are obtained. Thanks for your replies.

 

I booked with an online agency who gave a specific amount depending on category booked. I had to book in USD to book with the agency, though, and the exchange rate got worse by final payment date. I also had OBC from a FCD and my shareholder benefit.

 

Because of the bad exchange right now, my recent booking was made directly with HAL in Cdn funds. For that booking, I got the OBC for the future cruise deposit, the Welcome Back (booking within 60 days of a cruise) promotion, National Cruise Week promo and the shareholder benefit, total is $600. I also receive the Explore4 promo which should save more money because what little we drink will be FREE!

[Typhoon1]

A few dinners/lunches in the PG is always a good way to utilize those funds.

[LindaM]

Pardon my stupidity, but what big box store are you referring to???

 

The first one that comes to mind when you think of the most popular, and a little classier...

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

:):) Spending your OBC's -- in addition to previous suggestions -- you can "pull" money out of your account to spend in the casino (cash) -- if you think you need to give the purser a reason -- just say you need it to gamble with -- we did that and used it to pay for our private shore excursions on our South America cruise. Be sure to do this before the last night of your cruise or you will lose it ! This does NOT apply to OBC's you have been given by your TA or friends/family. That should be credited back to the credit card you registered at the onset of your trip.

[the2ofus]

For me, the thermal spa gets first crack at my OBC, and then one massage early in the cruise. Usually there's not much left after that.

[aliaschief]

First of all the Hotel Service charge takes a large portion of one's OBC.

Example, scheduled for 36 day cruise x $12.00 (suite) per day x 2 can add up. After that it's the usual expenditures of things we do on-board. We have fun and that adds up.

 

We try to maximize OBC by utilizing our 100 shares of Carnival Corporation stocks, purchasing Future Cruise Deposits while on our cruises and purchasing all cruising fees via Hal's credit card.

 

If you plan to cruise often? Than the last paragraph is for you.;)

 

We like to estimate our total OBC and pre-pay by loading up OBC so whenwe disembark we are starting to pay for the next Dam cruise.

Edited October 20, 2014 by aliaschief

[SeaBands]

covered room service charges, liquor for room 2x, df liquor and cigs, caviar in Pinnacle,casino, mini bar purchases and a few other things. We still had a few charges at the end but no where near our usual. Have the same amount for our Jan cruise.

[GmaPajama]

I like to spend my excess OBC at the Spa. I don't Spa at home, so it's a ship's treat for me.

[kao2002]

"First of all the Hotel Service charge takes a large portion of one's OBC. "

 

I agree, start with your service charge. Plan for a lunch and dinner at a specialty restaurant.

 

The Med has so many DIY excursions that are not scary at all! We went in '09 (20 day east and west on the Noordam) and the only ports I wished I had booked ahead were Turkey and Tunisia.

 

Banding with your fellow Cruise Critic Members for excursions/support and using the casio route would be the best bang for your buck.

Good Luck,

kelly