On board credits

[Janie1111]

I was wondering if you can use onboard credits for shore excursions bought thru princess?

[windsor26]

2 minutes ago, Janie1111 said:

I was wondering if you can use onboard credits for shore excursions bought thru princess?

yes obc can be used for anything you like to buy or experence offered by the ship

[satxdiver]

Not sure if you are asking to buy ship shore excursions before you sail or during the trip.  In any case the answer is yes using OBC.  However be advised if you buy shore excursions before the cruise they will only use OBC assigned to you for your excursions.  We both get OBC but I get more than the DW so many times I have to pay for her excursion while mine comes out of OBC.  On the ship if using the same credit card for both of you, it all comes out of the collective OBC.  Confusing I know.

[caribill]

7 hours ago, satxdiver said:

Not sure if you are asking to buy ship shore excursions before you sail or during the trip.  In any case the answer is yes using OBC.  However be advised if you buy shore excursions before the cruise they will only use OBC assigned to you for your excursions.  We both get OBC but I get more than the DW so many times I have to pay for her excursion while mine comes out of OBC.  On the ship if using the same credit card for both of you, it all comes out of the collective OBC.  Confusing I know.

 

If you phone Princess, the rep can use your "excess" OBC to help pay for your wife's excursions. I have successfully done this.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, caribill said:

 

If you phone Princess, the rep can use your "excess" OBC to help pay for your wife's excursions. I have successfully done this.

They would not let me do that. Maybe because instead of an excursion in a port it was the transfer back to the airport (Heathrow with a stop at Stonehenge). Or maybe if I had a different representative it would have been allowed. And in actuality the extra OBC I had was shareholders, and the stock is in both of our names.

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

And in actuality the extra OBC I had was shareholders, and the stock is in both of our names.

If it's in both names, you can choose which person gets the OBC.

In my experience, if I book the cruise in my name, the OBC for shareholder is in my name.

If the cruise is booked in DH's name, the OBC is in his name.

You could probably get the same result by blacking out one person's name on the proof you send in.

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

If it's in both names, you can choose which person gets the OBC.

In my experience, if I book the cruise in my name, the OBC for shareholder is in my name.

If the cruise is booked in DH's name, the OBC is in his name.

You could probably get the same result by blacking out one person's name on the proof you send in.

It really would not have mattered which name received the shareholder's OBC as we each had the same OBC from both Princess and our TA. Now if they would have divided equally, that would have mattered. But, they do not do that.

[toescat]

When we get OBC and let’s it is a total of $600, when we board there will be 300 on my account and 300 on my husbands.  It is never an issue.  OBC cannot be used for gratuity Except for when you tip a waiter for a drink.   you can use them in the casino by using your card to get credit on a machine or to buy chips. My husband buys out the gift shop LOL.  

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, toescat said:

When we get OBC and let’s it is a total of $600, when we board there will be 300 on my account and 300 on my husbands.  It is never an issue.  OBC cannot be used for gratuity Except for when you tip a waiter for a drink.   you can use them in the casino by using your card to get credit on a machine or to buy chips. My husband buys out the gift shop LOL.  

Hi Neighbor! I know that's what the policy says but daily gratuities have always been charged to my account against non-refundable OBC 1st then refundable OBC. The accounting department does not differentiate between the 2 when posting charges

Edited November 3, 2019 by Ombud

[sweetp12]

I am going on my first Princess cruise in a few months and learnt that you can use your OBC to prebook your shore excursions.  You book it online and go through all the steps, when it comes to the payment screen it will give you the option to apply OBC to the booking.

 

It doesn't seem to deduct it off the amount showing in the credit screen so you might need to keep a mental tally of what you have left.  

[Ombud]

Sweetp12, recently when using OBC for rebooking shore excursions the system seems to just place a hold against them (until you book more than you have OBC to cover in which case you're asked to put the overage on PayPal or a charge card). FOR ME, I look at my account when onboard and return the paper tickets if I've changed my mind on any. But that way I'm locked in at what is normally a lower price if desired.

 

Caveat: return before the cutoff time or they're yours

[toescat]

21 hours ago, Ombud said:

Hi Neighbor! I know that's what the policy says but daily gratuities have always been charged to my account against non-refundable OBC 1st then refundable OBC. The accounting department does not differentiate between the 2 when posting charges

Well Hi Close Neighbor, I always pay my gratuities weeks before we board as I never liked the bill at the end of the cruise.  But I see your point for those who do not prepay or get free gratuities then it would make since just let the OBC ride with the daily charges.   

[toescat]

21 hours ago, Ombud said:

Hi Neighbor! I know that's what the policy says but daily gratuities have always been charged to my account against non-refundable OBC 1st then refundable OBC. The accounting department does not differentiate between the 2 when posting charges

Ombud, you profile picture looks just like my next door neighbor's dog Bubba. Cute doggie.

 

[Pierlesscruisers]

It really only makes a difference when the two people in the stateroom use different credit cards for each person. If they both use the same card number, the charges are all added together then all the non-refundable credits are subtracted and if there is still an amount due then the refundable credits subtracted. If there are still amounts due then the balance is charged to the common credit card. If, however, there is refundable OBC still available, that amount will be refunded to you by check anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks later.

 

Tom