Using or cashing out OBC?

[braggindad]

This would be a first time on Royal Caribbean for us. I've seen some answers but they were 30 months old so would like verification. Can I use my On Board Credit on RC for gratuities? What strategies might one employ to turn unused OBC into cash? We would be on the Allure next October. Thanks ever so much for your input.

[Janet524]

This would be a first time on Royal Caribbean for us. I've seen some answers but they were 30 months old so would like verification. Can I use my On Board Credit on RC for gratuities? What strategies might one employ to turn unused OBC into cash? We would be on the Allure next October. Thanks ever so much for your input.

 

You can use your on board credit for anything that would be charged against your on board account. The credit should appear on your account as a negative number (i.e.; -150) as you make charges, they will decrease your credit number. We have used our OBC against the gratuity charges, spa visits, miscellaneous purchases, etc. If you want to get the cash, you can make a casino charge against your seapass account, but there is a service charge of 3% or 5% - can't remember which.

[Merion_Mom]

You can use your on board credit for anything that would be charged against your on board account. The credit should appear on your account as a negative number (i.e.; -150) as you make charges, they will decrease your credit number. We have used our OBC against the gratuity charges, spa visits, miscellaneous purchases, etc. If you want to get the cash, you can make a casino charge against your seapass account, but there is a service charge of 3% or 5% - can't remember which.

 

The fee is 5%.

 

There is someone on board the Jewel who is reporting difficulty with cashing out OBC via the casino.

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2286361

[cb at sea]

ANYTHING you buy on the ship can go towards your OBC....better to spend it, than to lose 5% in fees! Of course, that 5% is only for NON-REFUNDABLE OBC...if you put too much money on your account, that's YOUR money, and they will refund it, if not used....same with OBC from travel agents....it's just what the cruise line "gives" you that is NOT refundable.

Edited December 9, 2015 by cb at sea

[js]

ANYTHING you buy on the ship can go towards your OBC....better to spend it, than to lose 5% in fees! Of course, that 5% is only for NON-REFUNDABLE OBC...if you put too much money on your account, that's YOUR money, and they will refund it, if not used....same with OBC from travel agents....it's just what the cruise line "gives" you that is NOT refundable.

 

 

Thank you for this. How does the cruiseline know the difference on how much they will give me back? I want to take out at the casino.

 

Thanks.

[Clarea]

Thank you for this. How does the cruiseline know the difference on how much they will give me back? I want to take out at the casino.

 

Thanks.

The cruise line keeps track of which OBC is refundable and which OBC is non-refundable. You can also see this if you get a printout of your account at Guest Services.

[MicCanberra]

This would be a first time on Royal Caribbean for us. I've seen some answers but they were 30 months old so would like verification. Can I use my On Board Credit on RC for gratuities? What strategies might one employ to turn unused OBC into cash? We would be on the Allure next October. Thanks ever so much for your input.

 

Welcome to cruise critic. Yes OBC can be used for the gratuities or any other on board spending. As for getting it out as cash, I suggest opening a Casino account, play throughout the cruise and then cashing out at the end of the cruise. :D

[GUT2407]

Some are reporting not being able to cash out at casino anymore.

 

How they keep track is it is coded, I can never remember which lines use which code, but something like R and NR?

 

They take spends out of non refundable first.

[MicCanberra]

You will probably not be able to cash out any Non-refundable OBC.

[chris_kelowna]

We were on Allure at the beginning of November and had some OBC left at the end of our cruise. This was OBC that RCI had given us as an incentive. We were able to cash it out at the casino. It was very easy, we went to the cashier and told him that we wanted to take out the remaining OBC. He didn't bar an eye

 

Sent from my Venue 7 3730 using Tapatalk

[MicCanberra]

We were on Allure at the beginning of November and had some OBC left at the end of our cruise. This was OBC that RCI had given us as an incentive. We were able to cash it out at the casino. It was very easy, we went to the cashier and told him that we wanted to take out the remaining OBC. He didn't bar an eye

 

Sent from my Venue 7 3730 using Tapatalk

 

That is good to know, I think being at the end of the cruise helps.:D

[LuCruise]

You can use your on board credit for anything that would be charged against your on board account. The credit should appear on your account as a negative number (i.e.; -150) as you make charges, they will decrease your credit number. We have used our OBC against the gratuity charges, spa visits, miscellaneous purchases, etc. If you want to get the cash, you can make a casino charge against your seapass account, but there is a service charge of 3% or 5% - can't remember which.

 

I'm confused. I thought there was no charge if you want to take it out as cash. Am I missing something? Or is there a specific case where you are not charged (such as if you set up your account as cash vs credit card)?

[Clarea]

I'm confused. I thought there was no charge if you want to take it out as cash. Am I missing something? Or is there a specific case where you are not charged (such as if you set up your account as cash vs credit card)?

Correct, Royal will waive the 5% fee if you have a cash account or if you are a player's club member.

[LuCruise]

Correct, Royal will waive the 5% fee if you have a cash account or if you are a player's club member.

 

Thanks for clarifying. So if set up as cash, then no extra fee for withdrawing money. If set up as credit card, then 5% charge. Big advantage if you think you'll need cash (e.g. for while in port...especially if Canadian like us)

[cruisenfever]

ANYTHING you buy on the ship can go towards your OBC....better to spend it, than to lose 5% in fees! Of course, that 5% is only for NON-REFUNDABLE OBC...if you put too much money on your account, that's YOUR money, and they will refund it, if not used....same with OBC from travel agents....it's just what the cruise line "gives" you that is NOT refundable.

If the OBC given by the TA as an amenity is coming from RCI through the TA, then it is not refundable.

[Charger2008]

I am always baffled when I see people comment that they have OBC left at the end of the cruise. Unless they started out with about $2,000 OBC, HOW does that happen? :D

 

First thing Frank and I do is get the booze package for both, BAM $800 gone, next thing is either sign up for lessons or rent out the Flowrider (so we can have private time) and if we rent it $350 GONE, lessons, $150 GONE, then there is payment of gratuities for a suite $15.95 pp x 7 days - $224 GONE - So we are already at $1,374 and that is without purchasing anything on board or eating in a specialty restaurant. Oh and last cruise we purchased the photo package with the CD and that was close to $300. Since they have the 11 am to 11 pm beer/wine now for suite guests on the Oasis, we may have to forgo the booze package this time around, save $800 :p Wait, then there is tipping of the various people who are not part of the standard tipping program, concierge, sports staff, etc. etc. DANG, cruising is expensive :eek:

 

My hat is off to those who can spend far less than that on a cruise, I say KUDOS to you :D

[molly361]

If you have a cash account can you take cash out at the casino even if you have no OBC? I thought I had read on here somewhere that you can only take money out at the casino after your OBC posts to your account. I read that as if you do not have OBC you can NOT take cash out at the casino.

[RocketMan275]

I am always baffled when I see people comment that they have OBC left at the end of the cruise. Unless they started out with about $2,000 OBC, HOW does that happen? :D

 

My hat is off to those who can spend far less than that on a cruise, I say KUDOS to you :D

 

You may find this hard to believe but there are those who do not spend a nickel on board the ship. If they have any OBC, they make sure it pays the gratuities. In fact, one of the complaints about prepaying gratuities was that precluded using OBC to pay for them.

 

I remember seeing a show "Cruise Line, Inc" which was, I believe on NCL. They interviewed a disembarking couple who insisted they spent nothing on board the ship. No alcohol, no excursions, no bingo, etc.

 

The most OBC I've ever had is $875 on an upcoming Celebrity cruise. I was assured by my dearest wife that I shouldn't worry about spending it all.

[js]

Correct, Royal will waive the 5% fee if you have a cash account or if you are a player's club member.

 

Is it free to join Players Club? Do I need to commit my spending on the cruise if I join?

I would do this prior to our cruise.

Thank you.

Joy

[Clarea]

Is it free to join Players Club? Do I need to commit my spending on the cruise if I join?

I would do this prior to our cruise.

Thank you.

Joy

You can only join upon invitation. A casino host will rate your play and decide you you merit an invitation. Others here know more about the specific amount of play needed.

[MicCanberra]

You may find this hard to believe but there are those who do not spend a nickel on board the ship. If they have any OBC, they make sure it pays the gratuities. In fact, one of the complaints about prepaying gratuities was that precluded using OBC to pay for them.

 

I remember seeing a show "Cruise Line, Inc" which was, I believe on NCL. They interviewed a disembarking couple who insisted they spent nothing on board the ship. No alcohol, no excursions, no bingo, etc.

 

The most OBC I've ever had is $875 on an upcoming Celebrity cruise. I was assured by my dearest wife that I shouldn't worry about spending it all.

 

Agreed, some people spend a lot and others do not spend anything while on board. Sort of takes the fun out of cruising if you are being frugal as well but then everyone is different and enjoy differing things.:D

[rj70056]

Agreed, some people spend a lot and others do not spend anything while on board. Sort of takes the fun out of cruising if you are being frugal as well but then everyone is different and enjoy differing things.:D

I know the first few times we cruised we did spend on board (can come as quite a shock at debarkation). However, after cruising more frequently I've found our cash outlay has decreased to not much at all, basically gratuities, and we always have very enjoyable cruises. We do however splurge on our cabin; so by no means would I consider us frugal.

[biomedbob]

I'd classify us as cheap! ;)

[brillohead]

Agreed, some people spend a lot and others do not spend anything while on board. Sort of takes the fun out of cruising if you are being frugal as well but then everyone is different and enjoy differing things.:D

 

 

It just depends on what you consider to be frugal. I rarely have much in the way of on-board spending, but I'm not going around feeling as if I've been deprived of anything on a cruise, either.

 

My son and I get the soda package, which I would normally purchase in advance, but this time I'm waiting until we're onboard to purchase so we can hopefully choose different cups from each other (nothing like taking a swig of your Diet Coke only to discover that it was your kid's Sprite instead!).

 

I rarely drink alcohol, whether at home or on a ship, so no bar tab to be concerned with beyond the soda package.

 

If we do an excursion, it's not through the ship -- I book it in advance or we pay for something on the pier.

 

We don't usually do any upcharge dining -- the MDR and other various eateries meet our needs and then some, and we don't feel like we're missing out by not going to the specialty restaurants.

 

We don't buy much, if anything, in the shops on the ship. Maybe a fridge magnet or a t-shirt for a souvenir, but no booze, clothing, jewelry/watches, perfume, handbags, etc. There just isn't any interest in those items for us. They're not things we'd really buy for ourselves at home, so we don't feel the need to by them on the ship. I bring along anything we may need such as playing cards, lip balm, sunscreen, headache medicine, etc. -- no need to purchase when I have it in my bag in my room.

 

We don't need family pictures, so there's no feeling of deprivation in not buying prints onboard (and a bonus is we don't have to wait in line for pictures to be taken, either!).

 

So other than soda package and gratuities, it's very unlikely that we'd have any charges on our account. I actually gave my son a $10/day "allowance" on our last cruise in case he wanted to play some video games or go to Johnny Rockets, and I don't think he even spent $20 of the $70 he was allowed.

 

And throughout everything, neither one of us feels the least bit deprived. I certainly don't feel like I'm being frugal or not having fun!

[MicCanberra]

I was not having a go at anyone, as people can do what they like in regards to spending /cruising. I was actually referring to myself that I do not enjoy being frugal when cruising or holidaying while of course I do not mind being frugal when saving for a holiday or cruise.:D