Onboard Credits....Best Use

[ShawRuff]

Like most of us, I have onboard credits. What is the best use of those credits on a Caribbean cruise? Meal Package, port excursions, onboard store, casino. I would like the most bang for my buck.:confused:

[cb at sea]

An Onboard Credit is simply a credit against any charges you make. You can't specify how you want them used. If you have $200 OBC, the first $200 you spend is covered. If you try to use them in the casino, I believe there is a 5% charge for taking "cash" out...which is NOT a good use of "free" money!

Edited January 15, 2017 by cb at sea

[AmberCascades]

I would think this is subjective, as everyone's "bang" is different. We've used ours for spa services and to buy gifts (perfume, etc.) at the duty free store.

 

Some people use it to upgrade their drinks package. Others use it for shore excursions or to pay the gratuities.

 

It's free money so use it to do whatever you will enjoy that you might not otherwise spend your own money on.

[Miaminice]

If you have not prepaid the gratuities it's gone already :) IMHO for a good purpose I might add.

 

If they are prepaid just spend it on food and drink or some excursion you would not book otherwise... just enjoy! ;)

[TeaBag]

An Onboard Credit is simply a credit against any charges you make. If you try to use them in the casino, I believe there is a 5% charge for taking "cash" out...which is NOT a good use of "free" money!

This practice has long since ended. You can't get cash for your nonrefundable OBC in the casino. You must take promo chips and then when you win, you take the winnings as cash (thinking positively here:D). I think gratuities is a good way to spend it unless the OP got them included in the fare.

[judy.s.anderson.79]

An Onboard Credit is simply a credit against any charges you make. You can't specify how you want them used. If you have $200 OBC, the first $200 you spend is covered. If you try to use them in the casino, I believe there is a 5% charge for taking "cash" out...which is NOT a good use of "free" money!

 

 

 

I think you have to take the OBC for the Casino as credit to play, until it is used. Never took it out as cash.

If anyone is like us, we use our IPhone and IPad a lot, so we use our OBC towards Wifi. Wifi is very pricey. Last TA we were on, there was a cheaper rate promotion pre Cruise for Wifi than the sale price on board. Still expensive, but I like to keep in touch with friends and family while we are away.

 

 

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[Sch-uite Sailing]

We went with GO Best so we received all of the perks plus an onboard credit. We don't do shore excursions and don't much care about the specialty restaurants so we will most likely spend ours in the store and shops on board

Edited January 15, 2017 by Sch-uite Sailing

[judy.s.anderson.79]

This practice has long since ended. You can't get cash for your nonrefundable OBC in the casino. You must take promo chips and then when you win, you take the winnings as cash (thinking positively here:D). I think gratuities is a good way to spend it unless the OP got them included in the fare.

 

 

 

Or credit for the Slots.

 

 

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[Gerrym]

I would think this is subjective, as everyone's "bang" is different. We've used ours for spa services and to buy gifts (perfume, etc.) at the duty free store.

 

Some people use it to upgrade their drinks package. Others use it for shore excursions or to pay the gratuities.

 

It's free money so use it to do whatever you will enjoy that you might not otherwise spend your own money on.

 

 

It makes me smile when people think that OBC is 'free' money :)

[Sch-uite Sailing]

It makes me smile when people think that OBC is 'free' money :)

Well, it's all how you look at it. One could have paid the fair that they did for the ticket and received no on-board credit. So if you're getting some onboard credit vs. None... it's nicer to think of it is free money lol

 

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[judy.s.anderson.79]

It makes me smile when people think that OBC is 'free' money :)

 

 

 

Well, we get OBC from our TA and Expedia, so yep, it is "free money". They don't have to give this additional money. It's not a huge amount but it is, as I mentioned, free.

 

 

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[travelnfol]

Booking GoBest when we did we paid $472 for the two of us, this gave us onboard credit of $300, Unlimited Internet = $400, gratuities=$195, plus an upgrade of our alcohol package to premium=$210. So they total out at $1105 so somewhere there is free money in there. Our total cruise is $1350 per person yet we got $900 worth of perks making our cruise about $450 per person including insurance for a balcony. So there can be free money.

[judy.s.anderson.79]

Booking GoBest when we did we paid $472 for the two of us, this gave us onboard credit of $300, Unlimited Internet = $400, gratuities=$195, plus an upgrade of our alcohol package to premium=$210. So they total out at $1105 so somewhere there is free money in there. Our total cruise is $1350 per person yet we got $900 worth of perks making our cruise about $450 per person including insurance for a balcony. So there can be free money.

 

 

 

[emoji106]

 

 

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[Gordoncruickshank]

Well, we get OBC from our TA and Expedia, so yep, it is "free money". They don't have to give this additional money. It's not a huge amount but it is, as I mentioned, free.

 

 

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We get the TA amount as a discount off the cruise so we pay less for the cruise.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Gordoncruickshank

[Gordoncruickshank]

We usually have to feed obc onto the cruise beforehand as the OBC from Celebrity does not even cover the upgrade in the drink package. Add in 2 unlimited internets and some meals and it goes, quickly.

[Gerrym]

Well, we get OBC from our TA and Expedia, so yep, it is "free money". They don't have to give this additional money. It's not a huge amount but it is, as I mentioned, free.

 

 

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A classic case of "housewife economics" haha

[Mainiac II]

Last year we had paid gratuities, Classic Beverage Package, not big drinkers but we did have a "few" each day :)! We also had a whopping $500.00 on board credit! We are not gamblers, or spa users, so upon being out to sea, went to the onboard Apple Store a got a "free iPad" which I'm using right now😀😀❤️. Love it! We think it was a great use of a perk!

[Sch-uite Sailing]

Last year we had paid gratuities, Classic Beverage Package, not big drinkers but we did have a "few" each day :)! We also had a whopping $500.00 on board credit! We are not gamblers, or spa users, so upon being out to sea, went to the onboard Apple Store a got a "free iPad" which I'm using right now😀😀❤️. Love it! We think it was a great use of a perk!

Wow!! We have a $600 OBC with the premium beverage package, gratuities and internet included. We are not into excursions so I might just take our onboard credit and get ourselves an iPad! Yippeeee!!

 

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[Dall]

Last year we had paid gratuities, Classic Beverage Package, not big drinkers but we did have a "few" each day :)! We also had a whopping $500.00 on board credit! We are not gamblers, or spa users, so upon being out to sea, went to the onboard Apple Store a got a "free iPad" which I'm using right now[emoji3][emoji3]❤️. Love it! We think it was a great use of a perk!

 

 

Last year we had a similar package except $600 OBC, we also got the iPad and love it as well! Assuming you are from Maine, whereabouts?

 

 

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Edited January 18, 2017 by Dall

[judy.s.anderson.79]

We get the TA amount as a discount off the cruise so we pay less for the cruise.

 

 

 

Our TA rates are always good, as in most they do block booking, so cheaper rates to start with.[emoji1063]

 

 

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[judy.s.anderson.79]

[emoji106]

 

 

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Sounds like free OBC to me..

 

 

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[Rika1]

We used some of ours for the "Inside Access" ship's tour excursion; not sure what we're doing with the rest but we thought if we haven't figured it out by disembarkation, we might give some extra gratuity to staff. They deserve it.

[Duanerice1]

Since everything was paid for my wife used some of our OBC in the casino. She was playing anyway so when she won she took the money out as cash. Surprisingly out of the $400 she used for the casino she came away with $425 so we converted our OBC into cash and she had 10 days of fun gambling. Without the OBC we'd have used cash so it worked out for us.

 

I know there are nay sayers but we did get free OBC. Booked from Celebrity and got $600 OBC (additional from travel agent). They weren't going to give us a reduced price and no one else can reduce the fare so it was "kind of" free. The cruise was also over $1,000 cheaper than we could get now.

[QShip]

We are on a Celebrity B2b in August, with $300 obc on each leg. My understanding is that Celebrity will not carry over any obc from the first leg to the second.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to purchase something onboard ship by paying part of the (more than $300) cost on the first leg and the remainder on the second?

[davekathy]

We are on a Celebrity B2b in August, with $300 obc on each leg. My understanding is that Celebrity will not carry over any obc from the first leg to the second.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to purchase something onboard ship by paying part of the (more than $300) cost on the first leg and the remainder on the second?

 

Nope. Each leg of a B2B Cruise is different Cruises. Your account and everything associated with the first leg will be closed out. Use it or lose it.