Restrictive Onboard Credit

[Molliem]

Onboard Marina, long time cruisers with Oceania. Like other guests onboard, we have substantial shipboard credit and are required to spend this credit onboard. This credit cannot be used toward deposit for future cruise.

 

Three small shops onboard have very limited stock, (mostly jewellery, handbags and high end clothing) and are very over priced. Most guests are seniors and there is not any selection for grandchildren's gifts, beyond the little stuffed bear! They are out of stock of such basic items as toothpaste!

 

Given the onboard shop stiuation, Oceania should review and make exceptions by allowing ship board credit to be used as deposit for future cruises.

 

Elwin Mowry

[Jancruz]

Onboard Marina, long time cruisers with Oceania. Like other guests onboard, we have substantial shipboard credit and are required to spend this credit onboard. This credit cannot be used toward deposit for future cruise.

 

Three small shops onboard have very limited stock, (mostly jewellery, handbags and high end clothing) and are very over priced. Most guests are seniors and there is not any selection for grandchildren's gifts, beyond the little stuffed bear! They are out of stock of such basic items as toothpaste!

 

Given the onboard shop stiuation, Oceania should review and make exceptions by allowing ship board credit to be used as deposit for future cruises.

 

Elwin Mowry

 

Unfortunately wont happen..I suggest the overpriced jewelery..

Janruz1

[betc]

You may also use your credit for drink pkgs. and excursions.

[betc]

You can also use your credit for drink pkgs. and excursions.

[hypercafe]

On board credit is a free bee, do what you can with it however if you feel you cannot spend it nothing lost from your pocket. My wife buys jewelry, no matter what the price it is really free.

 

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Edited May 29, 2015 by hypercafe

[Noxequifans]

When we have unspent OBC we donate it to our housekeeping staff and butler.

[globevest]

When we have unspent OBC we donate it to our housekeeping staff and butler.

 

Interesting that you were allowed to do that. On our last cruise on Riviera in March, we tried to do exactly that and our request was denied. This was the last two days of the cruise and we spent it in one of the shops.

[StanandJim]

Have a few drinks, go on a shore Excursion which you would NEVER buy for yourself, go to the Beauty Salon and shoot the works, have a couples massage, or buy extra Internet time, there are lots of ways to use your Onboard Credit towards making your cruise more effortless and pleasurable (which is what is was intended for).

 

Force yourself to Pamper YOU, the Credit was never "Real" money; don't treat it as such. :p

 

Have fun, be wild, PLAY!!!

As the good book says, "None of us is promised tomorrow" :o

[rallydave]

Believe you can use the OBC in the Casino. You do pay I think 5% but, you can buy chips, pay the 5% and then cash the chips in. 95% of your OBC is better than wasting all of it on overpriced stuff.

 

No, haven't been on Oceania but, pretty sure about the buying chips for the 5%. Anyone with more recent data is welcome to post if I am incorrect.

[computerworks]

When we have unspent OBC we donate it to our housekeeping staff and butler.

 

I am sure they told you that would happen... :rolleyes:

[orchestrapal]

We had some very large OBC on our last b/ b/ b. We got to the last one with nothing more to buy so we had Oceania book us a limo and driver to Seattle from Vancouver where the cruise ended. It was not cheap but was their money and much appreciated.

Edited May 29, 2015 by orchestrapal

[Barrheadlass]

I am sure they told you that would happen... :rolleyes:

 

And you think it wouldn't? We donated a chunk of obc last year...I'd be very disappointed to learn that didn't happen...I did ask it go to our room stewards but was told it had to go to the general crew fund.

[LHT28]

When we have unspent OBC we donate it to our housekeeping staff and butler.

 

They are not doing that anymore

I tried to give my left over credit to the Gratuity pool ...no go

[LHT28]

You can also use your credit for drink pkgs. and excursions.

 

if you drink it might be a good deal ;)

If you don't it is a waste of credit

Edited May 29, 2015 by LHT28

[Molliem]

Unfortunately, not free. SBCs are factored in cruise fares across the board.

 

Excursions already arranged for remainder of cruise.

 

Do not drink.

 

Very leery of using any spa treatment given Acute gastrointestinal situation onboard.

 

Guess that leaves paying exorbitant prices for the over priced jewellery.

[hypercafe]

Its hard to see a problem here, its free money, there is lots of stuff on the ship that's fun to get for free;)

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

[StanandJim]

Its hard to see a problem here, its free money, there is lots of stuff on the ship that's fun to get for free;)

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

 

I never thought I'd say this, but, +1 :D

Think of it as monopoly money, you worked just as hard to get it!

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Maybe someone onboard is pining for one of those overpriced pieces of jewelery and you can give them your OBC and they will give you cash.

[Mura]

On our Lima-NYC cruise last month we used much of that OBC (we did have a fair amount) to book a ship's tour to the Kennedy Space Center. We'd been there many years before but wanted to return, and it was SO much easier to use a ship's tour as opposed to renting a car and going on our own.

 

It was a great tour, and very easy. Excellent guide and transportation.

 

We are people who usually -- not always -- do private tours. But there are times when it pays to use a ship's tour, and if you have a lot of OBC, this is a good way to spend it.

 

As others have said earlier, you can also go to the spa ... On this last cruise I had a series of acupuncture treatments in the spa that did a good job on using up our OBC! I don't think I've ever used the spa before ... But I enjoyed these treatments.

 

Mura

[PSULion]

Maybe someone onboard is pining for one of those overpriced pieces of jewelery and you can give them your OBC and they will give you cash.

 

On a previous cruise, I spoke with someone that had a huge on-board credit (not on Oceania). I thought that people that get huge (it was over $1000) credit should go to the Roll Calls and ask if someone wants to trade the credit for the "overpriced pieces of jewelery" or something else. Perhaps a bit too low brow for a luxury cruise though.

 

John

[computerworks]

And you think it wouldn't? We donated a chunk of obc last year...I'd be very disappointed to learn that didn't happen...I did ask it go to our room stewards but was told it had to go to the general crew fund.

 

Of course not. As others have said... it's not real money...so nothing to give.

At least for non-refundable OBC.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

On a previous cruise, I spoke with someone that had a huge on-board credit (not on Oceania). I thought that people that get huge (it was over $1000) credit should go to the Roll Calls and ask if someone wants to trade the credit for the "overpriced pieces of jewelery" or something else. Perhaps a bit too low brow for a luxury cruise though.

 

John

 

I bought my husband a watch onboard and if I'd had an opportunity to use someone's credit, I'd have considered that. No risk to anyone.

[hondorner]

Unfortunately, not free. SBCs are factored in cruise fares across the board....<snip>...Guess that leaves paying exorbitant prices for the over priced jewellery.

The jewelry may be over priced, but it has some value. We paid $500 for a piece probably worth $250. We don't think of it as wasting $500; we think of it as $250 in real value for free!

 

Which raises my confusion as to why your SBC is not free? Did you pay anything for it?

[tvmovielover]

These are options I was hesitant to spend money on but loved using OBC for s (only drawback is you cannot book until you are on board using OBC). Privee is really fun to book for only a few people-the service is great and most of us would never spend $250 (more now?) for a private room to eat the restaurant food but it is fun with the monopoly money!

 

Also, if on the Baltic Cruise with lots of OBC, there are some beautiful but really pricey Russian lacquered boxes that the credit could be used to buy (I am not a jewelry person so I looked for other things). And of course, a better bottle of wine or cocktails are good if you drink but not enough for the drink packages.

[JPR]

Apply to excursions, discounted bottles of wine (as gifts for friends if you don't drink), etc.

And if you're going to waste the dollars and the out of pocket price of the jewelry doesn't exceed fair market value, it's not overpriced...