Cashing out OBC

[Nana57]

I will be on the Summit in June. I received $150 OBC for booking my cruise while on another cruise and also received $300 OBC by choosing one of the perks. I also received free gratuities. Other than buying a bottle of wine for dinner, (we are Diamond members, so we go to the Diamond lounge at 5 pm for the free drinks) can I cash this money out in the casino? How would I do that? Do I just go up to the window and say I would like to cash out my OBC? Do the slot machines still take cash or do you have to use your room card? I used to ask for cash to use the machines but never did use them, just took the money. If I ask for $100 do they give me $95 bc of the 5% fee?

[gimletgal]

I will be on the Summit in June. I received $150 OBC for booking my cruise while on another cruise and also received $300 OBC by choosing one of the perks. I also received free gratuities. Other than buying a bottle of wine for dinner, (we are Diamond members, so we go to the Diamond lounge at 5 pm for the free drinks) No Diamond Lounge on "X" - Elite cocktails 5-7 PM can I cash this money out in the casino? Sounds like it depends what ship you are on. They seem to all have their own "rules".How would I do that? Do I just go up to the window and say I would like to cash out my OBC? No need to mention OBC. Do the slot machines still take cash or do you have to use your room card? Yes, they take cash. I used to ask for cash to use the machines but never did use them, just took the money. If I ask for $100 do they give me $95 bc of the 5% fee? No. Your account would be charged $105 and you would receive $100.

 

Hard to say what's going on with all the different reports. All of that OBC (since received from Celebrity) is non-refundable. So, use it, or lose it.

Edited March 6, 2016 by gimletgal

[mrshersh]

We just got off the Reflection and did just as you stated. Went to the casino asked for a sum of money to be charged to the room. They took 5% we took the cash. Never played the games. No need to worry. I guess it's your money to do with as you see fit..

[Fouremco]

There are several recent threads on the topic, including this current one:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2324753

 

There appears to be a lack of consistency in how non-refundable OBC is handled, some being able to get cash with the 5% penalty and others not able to.

[Nana57]

So I guess I'll have to ask Guest Relations if I can use it in the casino to cash it out. If I ask for $100 in the casino it will just go on my seapass and will not eliminate the OBC? It will just show up on my invoice as another charge?

[WestLakeGirl]

Guest Relations might not know, just go to the casino and ask

[Barwick Cruiser]

Just off the Summit a week ago. Non-refundable credit (like the OP's which he stated was from Celebrity) will not be cashed out either at GR or at the casino. We had refundable credit that I'd pre-purchased and the latest policy is that you could get the cash back at GR on the last full day of the cruise.

[az_tchr]

So I guess I'll have to ask Guest Relations if I can use it in the casino to cash it out. If I ask for $100 in the casino it will just go on my seapass and will not eliminate the OBC? It will just show up on my invoice as another charge?

 

If you ask for $100 in the casino you will either get regular chips (treat just like cash) or promo chips that you must bet to be able to turn into cash. You will not know what will happen until after you board as the policy appears to be changing.

 

This has been discussed over and over and you can certainly bet promo chips on black and red (half each) so that unless you get 0 your promo chips are turned into regular ones. Zero in roulette would lose your money. Another plan is a $3 bet on Zero and $50 on each of Black and Red. Black or Red gets you $100 that you can cash out. Zero would pay $105 which again you could turn into cash.

 

OBC-R from Celebrity is money that is intended to be spent on board and Celebrity is trying nicely to make this happen.

Edited March 6, 2016 by az_tchr

[cruisestitch]

As of today you can still withdraw OBC as cash in the casino on Eclipse. I don't know how much longer this will last, but it was even promoted in the daily.

[gr8fulforcruising]

As of today you can still withdraw OBC as cash in the casino on Eclipse. I don't know how much longer this will last, but it was even promoted in the daily.

 

Hello, just off the equinox no problem getting cash at the casino less 5%. r and n? :):)

[TeaBag]

 

OBC-R from Celebrity is money that is intended to be spent on board and Celebrity is trying nicely to make this happen.

It is OBN that is non refundable and may be subject to the new rules. OBR is refundable and will be credited to your CC very quickly after you disembark, if not used.

[ISABELLA]

I will be on the Summit in June. I received $150 OBC for booking my cruise while on another cruise and also received $300 OBC by choosing one of the perks. I also received free gratuities. Other than buying a bottle of wine for dinner, (we are Diamond members, so we go to the Diamond lounge at 5 pm for the free drinks) can I cash this money out in the casino? How would I do that? Do I just go up to the window and say I would like to cash out my OBC? Do the slot machines still take cash or do you have to use your room card? I used to ask for cash to use the machines but never did use them, just took the money. If I ask for $100 do they give me $95 bc of the 5% fee?

 

Just DO NOT SAY you want to cash out your OBC. Just ask for cash.

[robcruz]

Just off the Infinity. No problem getting casino cash at 5% for my NR-OBC.

 

Robert

[AlbertaCruisers]

As an update, we are just off the Summit. They have a sign that says all onboard credit is only given as non-exchangeable promo chips. They said the change happened in Feb (it wasn't like this in Nov, when I got cash for OBC no problem). So, I had $300 OBC that I purchased and $125 non-refundable. The lady made a mistake and gave us $200 cash the first time. The next time she said sorry it was a mistake and she couldn't do that again (I never mentioned OBC to her at all), but she looked at her computer and said that since we had OBC left she could only give us the promo credits. She said it doesn't matter refundable or not, they can't see the difference on their system and they treat it the same. So, for tables, the chips are different promo chips and for slots it is a promo on your card. I put $20 off my card into a machine and once I played a bit I took out my card. It auto put the $11 I had left back on my card and left the $2.95 I had actually won in the machine and I could cash out. So, no, you can't just put the $100 promo into the machine and cash out, the machine keeps track of the promo vs what you win. Once our onboard credit was all used, then we could get cash as usual.

[az_tchr]

Hope everyone understands this is changing. Again there are two types of OBC. OBC-R (refundable) that does not come from Celebrity and OBC-N (non-refundable) that comes from you or your TA. Unless things have changed 180 degrees OBC-R is refundable at the end of your cruise to the credit card on file.

 

Not sure where Alberta got the cash but if in the Casino they indeed cannot tell if it is OBC-R or OBC-N. Only shows after about 2nd or 3rd day of cruise at guest relations. The OBC-N can be used for anything and obviously you can gamble with it. Take $100 in promo and play 100 spins on a dollar slot and whatever you win you can take in cash. Bet 10 hands of $10 blackjack and again you now have whatever you won in chips you can cash.

 

Again not sure about the description on the slot machine. Seems they put $20 on their card and bet $9 - winning $2.95 thus $11 would still be on the card and the machine will pay out a slip for the $2.95.

[IsanTom]

Good Luck in the Casino!

[MarkusToe]

you may bet 6 US on 0 addtionally - you have lost 3% but the 200 back for shure... assuming X pays 35 on Zero bet....

[gold1953]

Just off the Infinity and the only cash they would give me was for purchased obc. He was very hard to convince even for that! Still minus 5%. Got the rest I purchased at GR on the last day. They would give none before.

[gold1953]

Just off the Infinity and the only cash they would give me was for purchased obc. He was very hard to convince even for that! Still minus 5%. Got the rest I purchased at GR on the last day. They would give none before.

 

This was at the casino!!

[dodger1964]

If enough OBC can use to buy something that can sell back home...Like ipad??

[AlbertaCruisers]

...

 

Again not sure about the description on the slot machine. Seems they put $20 on their card and bet $9 - winning $2.95 thus $11 would still be on the card and the machine will pay out a slip for the $2.95.

 

Yes, that is exactly the case. I just wanted to let people know as it has been on the boards that people though you could take $100 in promo credits, put it in a machine and immediately cash that $100 out and get the cash. That is not how it works. You have to play the $100 in the machine and can only cash out anything you win.

 

$300 of our OBC was OBC I purchased online through the Celebrity site, and that doesn't matter any more, even if it is OBC you purchased, if you want to pull it out at the casino now it is only provided to you by way of the promo credits (at least that is now the case on the Summit).

[AlbertaCruisers]

I forgot to mention, I did confirm with the lady, that anyone getting promo credits or promo chips from their OBC will not be charged the 5% transaction fee. After you OBC is used up, if you take out more cash, then the fee applies as usual.