Onboard Credits....Best Use

[QShip]

I understand the 'use it or lose it' policy.

 

My question is: Can I spend some of it from obc at onboard stores on the first leg and then pay the rest from obc on the second leg? Kind of a 'down payment' or 'lay away?

[davekathy]

I understand the 'use it or lose it' policy.

 

My question is: Can I spend some of it from obc at onboard stores on the first leg and then pay the rest from obc on the second leg? Kind of a 'down payment' or 'lay away?

 

I answered your question in my original post to you. The short answer is no.

[QShip]

DaveKathy

 

Afraid I do not understand how you answered my question. If I have spent obc at an onboard shop it is no longer obc and not subject to forfeit. If your answer is that the onboard shop cannot accept partial payment on one leg and then the remainder of the full payment on a successive leg I can understand that. Is that what you mean?

 

Maybe someone else has input?

[neverbeenhere]

A partial payment on one cruise then final payment on a second cruise would be against company policy. BUT you never know what you can get away with. The shop may want a sale bad enough to let the policy "disappear". It never hurts to ask.

[QShip]

Neverbeenthere

 

Thanks, that is the information I was after. Will just have to see....

[chamima]

A partial payment on one cruise then final payment on a second cruise would be against company policy. BUT you never know what you can get away with. The shop may want a sale bad enough to let the policy "disappear". It never hurts to ask.

 

That's a really interesting idea.

We also will have a lot of non-refundable OBCs on B2B cruises so I may check this out.

(I do have to say however, that I've yet to find anything in the stores that I wanted to purchase.)

[davekathy]

...If your answer is that the onboard shop cannot accept partial payment on one leg and then the remainder of the full payment on a successive leg I can understand that. Is that what you mean?...

 

Exactly. However YMMV.

Edited January 21, 2017 by davekathy

[davekathy]

A partial payment on one cruise then final payment on a second cruise would be against company policy. BUT you never know what you can get away with. The shop may want a sale bad enough to let the policy "disappear". It never hurts to ask.

 

You are correct it never does hurt to ask. My wife asked on our 2014 B2B Cruise on the Summit and the answer was no. She asked at one of the shops and GS.

[QShip]

Chamima

 

Yes, that is certainly a problem.

 

I may have to find out how much liquor I can fit into my luggage!

[mkcruise]

As with many, with all the perks we will have an abundance of OBC - I would like to pre-book a couple of shore excursions, but they get charged to your credit card, NOT your SeaPass account. I have seen some comments that suggest (but it seems unclear) you can, once you board, cancel the credit card payment and use OBC - however, does that risk losing the reservation for the shore excursion if it has filled by then?

[sandc4e]

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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We are also from Maine, Sebago Lake area. We have the go vest and about $600 OBC, we will probably take advantage of the spa.

[cruisestitch]

Yes, that is the risk

[JADS64]

We also have the go best promotion, and $700 Obc. I have already pre-spent half of it in my head. We are planning on booking the behind the scenes tours after boarding, and taking advantage of the return of the luggage valet since you can use the obc to pay the airline luggage fees.

If you do have a large amount of obc and travelling with a group or family, i highly recommend the professional photo studio. On our last cruise, we had some family photos taken (with no purchase comittment) and they were the BEST family photos we have ever had. I actually cried when Petra showed them on the tv screen!

[Lastdance]

I love getting OBC and try to get as much as I can. Usually, my DH and I always come home with a credit due to only spending a portion of the OBC given by the TA. However, I doubt it will happen on our Transatlantic, mostly because our gratuities are very high and it is a long cruise. The only item I seem to lose is lipstick, so quite inexpensive...but we do enjoy tipping for excellent service! I only look at my TA's OBC as somewhat free money, learning long ago that nothing is truly free. There is always an opportunity cost factored in somewhere...Econ 101...I believe the captain will take it off your hands for a small fee...

 

 

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Edited February 11, 2017 by Lastdance

[cruiserlove]

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!

 

 

For those that bought the IPad, any advice or things that would be good to know? Will I need the wifi package if I want to get it set up and working on board?

 

 

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[Gizl]

Re purchase of iPad with OBC. I used what was left of my first week's OBC for a cover/keyboard for the iPad and with the second week's OBC I purchased the iPad. Great buy. In CAD would have cost a bit over $1200 incl taxes.

We sail B2B2B in Jan/Feb on Equinox and will have $400, $300 and $300 plus TA credits. My husband plans to spend it all on a GoPro camera with all accessories,to be purchased in increments over the 3 weeks!

[tabby50894]

Question for posters that have received $600-700 in OBC. Since we've never gotten more than $300, I'd like to know how I can get more - no problem in finding ways to spend it!:D

[IamJo]

I hope all you experienced cruiser can help us think this through...

 

We booked a 10 day and have the classic beverage package and $300 OBC. Neither of us are huge drinkers but we do enjoy a few beers or frozen drinks on sea days. And maybe a glass of wine at dinner. Our 10 day itinerary has two days at sea. I do not think we can drink $55 per day each!

 

We both want unlimited internet packages which I believe we can swap for the beverage pkg.

 

We can also swap for the gratuities, use the OBC for drinks and buy the internet!

 

What would be the best use of our dollars?

 

 

 

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[BubbaLuvin]

Question for posters that have received $600-700 in OBC. Since we've never gotten more than $300, I'd like to know how I can get more - no problem in finding ways to spend it!:D

 

I, too, was curious about this. I somehow feel ripped off. I got the $300 credit, and a $75 credit from the travel agent. But that is nowhere near $700!

[chamima]

I, too, was curious about this. I somehow feel ripped off. I got the $300 credit, and a $75 credit from the travel agent. But that is nowhere near $700!

 

 

If you book the cruise while onboard another cruise you get credit for that (the amount depends on your cabin type and the length of the cruise booked). It used to be more than it is currently so some probably came from that.

 

USUALLY, but not always, the OBC from the TA is refundable so you don't need to spend that onboard.

[ChucktownSteve]

OBC from the TA is dependent upon how much you're spending on the cabin minus the taxes & fees. It also depends upon how often you use that TA and whether they want to lose a trip or two by being out perked.

 

I've used two online TAs predominantly. While checking on pricing for my January cruise I let the TA know about my December cruise with another competitor because they offered more perks. During the conversation the TA OBC went from $300 to $450.

 

On the one I booked for 2019 she gave me $900 OBC plus prepaid gratuities. However we are on a more expensive cruise line. The more you use a TA, the more likely they are to give you good perks to keep your business. We are in a regular veranda cabin.

 

My best usage of OBN was when I visited St Maarten. I like Johnny Walker Blue. My local store charges $198 per bottle. Celebrity was charging 2 for $310 in their on board liquor shop. I found a liquor store in St Maarten that sold it for $99 a bottle. I jumped through all the proper hoops required by Celebrity on the price match guarantee and wound up getting five bottles total on board during two cruises for $99 each using non refundable OBC! Now that was FREE money to me.

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[tabby50894]

Any rule of thumb on what you should expect from a TA? Is there a threshold dollar amount where an online TA starts to kick in more OBC? I've booked cruises onboard with Celebrity and haven't transferred to a TA - seems like I've left money on the table. Looking for any tips.

[BananaAnna]

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?

 

I wonder what the return policy is...

Say you want a necklace that is $500.

First cruise buy a necklace that costs $300. Second cruise, return that necklace for credit and pay the additional $200 to equal $500.

I wouldn't do it to try to mess the cruise line around but with the clerk or store manager's blessing it might work.

[dodger1964]

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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Do those that don't know, IF the Obc is from ta, it should be refundable. So no need to spend it on the ship.

[ChucktownSteve]

Do those that don't know, IF the Obc is from ta, it should be refundable. So no need to spend it on the ship.

Not true. The last cruise we got "con"ned by their OBC was non refundable because they did a cross promotion with Celebrity. You need to ask the TA and sometimes even then they won't be honest by saying they don't know. That's what happened when I was going to book another cruise so I booked with a different TA.