Just learned that you can also use purchased OBC to pre-pay shore excursions.

[phabric]

For my 7 day cruise, I have purchased 1 x $500 (by phone) and 5 x $100 (online) on two different days, with no problems.

[The Wood Duck]

I was hoping to put about $4000 on the OBC for our 21 night cruise, online only allows 1000 at a time.

[phabric]

Do many transactions then.

[Island wannabe]

Okay, just learned something else. When you go to purchase OBC online it says "can by used by anyone". Turns out that doesn't apply for pre-paying shore excursions. Be sure to buy enough OBC for each person separately that you have enough to pay for all the excursions you want to buy. So you have to be able access both your own and your "significant other's" accounts to buy the OBC. You can still pay for both with the same credit card and use the same email for confirmation.

 

Make sense? :):)

 

We called Princess directly and my husband bought 1200 obc and it was all applied to his account and at the same time had the rep book a tour for both of us. She just took the funds out of his obc. I agree though likely not possible online

[Adventures ahead]

I am Canadian and my cruise is in Canadian $.

 

If cruise is in CDN $, you can purchase OBC in a rate that is set by Princess at the time the cruise is booked, for my July 2018 cruise my OBC rate is $0.30 and my 2019 cruise is $0.25. For my July cruise I purchased $100 OBC (US$), I pay $130 CDN for $100US OBC.

 

Princess excursions and other onboard purchases are charged in US$. If, I use my CDN credit card, my card is charged in US$ and the credit card will charge my card in the current exchange rate and it will be more than $0.30.

 

Maybe this should be a new thread...

 

I'm considering buying OBC for our cruise next week. The amounts in the Cruise Personalizer are listed in Cdn$ only. Then it asks me to pay with my credit card.

Are you saying that my credit card will be charged at the rate Princess sold the cruise to me for in Cdn$, and not at today's credit card rate?

 

It appears that unless I complete the transaction, I don't know how much US$ OBC my purchase will buy.

[phabric]

Maybe this should be a new thread...

 

I'm considering buying OBC for our cruise next week. The amounts in the Cruise Personalizer are listed in Cdn$ only. Then it asks me to pay with my credit card.

Are you saying that my credit card will be charged at the rate Princess sold the cruise to me for in Cdn$, and not at today's credit card rate?

 

It appears that unless I complete the transaction, I don't know how much US$ OBC my purchase will buy.

 

On My Personalizer for my March cruise, it shows OBC in CDN, it does not show what it is in US$.

 

$32.50 CDN = $25 US

$65.00 CDN = $50 US

$130.00 CDN = $100 US

 

My credit card would be charged $130 CDN for $100 US (ex: if you purchased more -$260 CDN for $200 US), once on board I would receive a card that stated a $100 OBC (or $200 OBC) has been deposited to my account.

 

Yesterday, TD was charging $1.3344 CDN for $100 US.

[Adventures ahead]

On My Personalizer for my March cruise, it shows OBC in CDN, it does not show what it is in US$.

 

$32.50 CDN = $25 US

$65.00 CDN = $50 US

$130.00 CDN = $100 US

 

My credit card would be charged $130 CDN for $100 US (ex: if you purchased more -$260 CDN for $200 US), once on board I would receive a card that stated a $100 OBC (or $200 OBC) has been deposited to my account.

 

Yesterday, TD was charging $1.3344 CDN for $100 US.

 

Three years ago I was able to buy OBC at the rate at which our last cruise was booked, which was less than the going rate on the day when I bought OBC.

 

I just gave it a shot for our next cruise and bought $30Cdn OBC to test it out. As you stated, the Personalizer didn't state the equivalent in US$. I couldn't know what the charge would be until I completed the transaction and received a receipt.

I used my credit card and was charged $40.15 which is roughly what BNS was charging yesterday for me to buy a US$... $1.3407 at the time that the rate was posted online. I booked the cruise on Sept 7, 2017, when the bank was charging $1.2517, not that it's relevant other than the rate for the cruise may have been $1.25 or $1.30, even possibly $1.35.

 

If Princess used $1.30 for my next cruise, I should have been charged $39.00.

If Princess used $1.35 for my next cruise, I should have been charged $40.50.

It appears I was charged neither of the above and was just charged the going rate for today.

 

It might help me to understand if I knew the exchange rate at which our next cruise was booked :( and, supposedly, locked in for. Looks like Princess isn't offering the purchase of OBC at the 'locked in' rate for the cruise. I'll admit I'm math (and sometimes memory) challenged but I'm sure it worked for me last time. Could be that the OBC was offered in US$ for our last cruise and I was charged the 'locked in' exchange rate. Oh well.

[pablo222]

Okay, just learned something else. When you go to purchase OBC online it says "can by used by anyone". Turns out that doesn't apply for pre-paying shore excursions. Be sure to buy enough OBC for each person separately that you have enough to pay for all the excursions you want to buy. So you have to be able access both your own and your "significant other's" accounts to buy the OBC. You can still pay for both with the same credit card and use the same email for confirmation.

:):)

 

I think this is a great catch!

 

Obviously Princess requiring prepayment of excursions is good for them, and bad for customers.

When this started, there were many, many complaints posted here.

 

But you have found a way to turn it around on Princess.

 

Well done!

[voljeep]

what benefit is it to pre-buy OBC, and then use for excursions

 

over just paying for the excursions directly???:confused:

[suzyed]

Its been that way for a couple of years now, IF you have OBC to cover the cost, it is "paid" for out of the OBC, if you only have a portion of the OBC to cover the cost, the OBC is taken as partial payment and the rest goes on your CC. BUT, the deduction does not show on your Personalizer, Your OBC still shows as not used.

Kind of confusing. All my OBC stil shows. But in the box that shows my pre-purchased excursion, at the bottom has a zero balance.

Adding to the confusion...after I used up my obc, I put the rest of the balances for the excursions on my credit card. Then I cancelled two of them, but I don't see where there is a credit or any mention of any cancelled. I checked my CC to see if there was a credit there and there is not.

:confused:

[caribill]

what benefit is it to pre-buy OBC, and then use for excursions

 

over just paying for the excursions directly???:confused:

 

For those who booked in currencies other than the US $, the exchange rate that was used at the time of booking is what is used when purchasing OBC instead of the current exchange rate. If exchange rates changed so that it would cost more in their own currency at today's exchange rates, then purchasing OBC at the more favorable rate is better.

 

If they purchased shore excursions directly (not with OBC), then today's exchange rate would be used. So if the exchange rates had changed so that it would cost less in their own currency at today's exchange rate, then purchasing the excursions directly would be the better choice.

 

Of course if you live in the USA, then there is no advantage or disadvantage to buy OBC for the purpose of then booking shore excursions.

[Renmar]

The way it was explained to me;

 

The last two digest of the price for the cruise will give you the exchange that was used when you booked.

Example: cruise price $ 1234.70 means an exchange rate of 30%---cruise price of $ 1234.80 means 20%.

 

If you were lucky enough to book at $ .....80 you are a winner.

 

As far as I know it is still this way.

 

Theo

 

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Forums mobile app

[Adventures ahead]

Me again... I figured out we were locked in at 20% exchange rate. Our tips show as pre-paid and the exchange rate is 20%.

 

When I bought OBC yesterday, I was charged $30US at yesterday's rate, instead of $30Cdn as it is clearly stated that I was purchasing. Now... to get it fixed!

 

The onboard currency is US$ so I'd rather they just sell me OBC in US$.