Moving or using my kids' OBC

[mom02]

When we booked our trip, the agent arranged the names so that my husband and I are in one room and our very young kids in another room. She said this was a better use of the perks offered. This is our first cruise and I didn't think much of it at the time. But now I'm wondering if the OBC that is under my kids' names will be wasted.

In your experience, do you think we'll be able to get the OBC moved onto one of our names? Or will they allow me to use my kids' OBC??

[villauk]

When we booked our trip, the agent arranged the names so that my husband and I are in one room and our very young kids in another room. She said this was a better use of the perks offered. This is our first cruise and I didn't think much of it at the time. But now I'm wondering if the OBC that is under my kids' names will be wasted.

In your experience, do you think we'll be able to get the OBC moved onto one of our names? Or will they allow me to use my kids' OBC??

 

When you set the accounts up on line pre-cruise, just link the accounts with the one credit card. You will then be able to see the balance on the cabin TV. The kids' cabin will show all their daily grats and anything else they may put on their card (arcade etc.) and then it will transfer to one account. It's always best to check with Guest Services once you have boarded that the accounts are indeed set up correctly. It won't be a problem for you to use the OBC providing the account is linked to one credit card ;).

[DannyS]

You can also go to Guest Relations on board and have OBC transferred from one passenger to another. (This might be a way around the non-refundable aspect of the OBC as well, but I've never tested it.)

[fleckle]

When we booked our trip, the agent arranged the names so that my husband and I are in one room and our very young kids in another room. She said this was a better use of the perks offered. This is our first cruise and I didn't think much of it at the time. But now I'm wondering if the OBC that is under my kids' names will be wasted.

In your experience, do you think we'll be able to get the OBC moved onto one of our names? Or will they allow me to use my kids' OBC??

When you do the online check in, there is a place to list any other people you are authorizing to use your account; not only your roommate/s but also a place where you can include people from other staterooms.

 

So if you just list your husband and your kids there, all of you will be on the same shipboard account and all the charges and credits for all of you will be posted to that one account -- no need to move anything.

 

At the end of the cruise, you end up with one final balance that may be either a credit or debit amount.

That final amount will automatically be posted to the credit card you use for the account, so you don't need to do anything at all at the end of the cruise. It will just show up on your credit card statement for your next billing cycle.

 

But if you use a cash account, you will need to go to Guest Relations at the end of the cruise to settle your account, either to pay the final balance due or to receive any amount that is being refunded.

 

 

 

However, if you don't trust your kids to stay within whatever spending limits you set for them, you may prefer to set up separate shipboard accounts for them.

(Unless there is a way to put a charging limit on each child's seapass card without needing to establish a separate account; we have never needed to do that as we simply include all of us on the same account, so I don't know the answer to that.)

 

Since you specified "very young kids" it may not even be an issue at all, if they are too young to be charging anything on their own. All you need to do is list them on your shipboard account, and all their OBC will post to your account.

 

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by fleckle

[DrivesLikeMario]

Ofcourse! Super simple! Just link all 4 accounts to one charge card. We did it for over 10 years with our kids. :)

[snowmc]

Go to customer relations on the ship. They will be able to move the OBC from your kids room to yours. You will need to sign an authorization. We did this in May....they will be happy to help.

 

It will not change the non-refundable OBC to refundable. If you have not prepaid the gratuities, I would suggest leaving the kids OBC alone and use that to help pay them. OR...figure out the amount needed and then leave that amount on their cabin.

[snowmc]

Also....periodically check their account on the interactive tv program. Our kids (even though we had them connected to our credit card) each had their own accounts. At one point, one had OBC due them, the other showed a balance owing. The front desk took care of it for us and combined them to show a $0 balance on both accounts.

[cb at sea]

If you're all on the same account, it should go to the ACCOUNT, not the person.

[fleckle]

If you're all on the same account, it should go to the ACCOUNT, not the person.

Right! When we look at the TV screen in the cabin, it shows the detailed transactions broken out for each person so we can see who paid for what.

 

But the final bottom line balance shown for the account includes all the debits and credits for everyone combined.

No need for guest relations to "move" anything or do anything at all when we are all using the same account.

 

We set it up that way initially when we do our on-line check-in, as explained previously, and then nothing further needs to be done.

 

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by fleckle

[snowmc]

We have always had one account per cabin, but this past May, the kids each had their own accounts, which we needed to have the front desk combine for us.

 

Just wanted to OP to be aware of the possibility and to be sure that they check the accounts on the interactive tv screen.

 

IF a problem arises, the front desk can handle it for them very easily.

[DrivesLikeMario]

If you're all on the same account, it should go to the ACCOUNT, not the person.

 

Exactly. You're creating more work for yourselves. Just link all 4 accounts to one credit card and everything is combined, including OBCs. Don't complicate it.