What do you use onboard credit for?

[Vinnyv20032003]

Hoping this can be Celebrity specific as different cruise lines allow you to use it differently..

 

I know you can use it for Specialty Dining, Beverage Packages, Excursions, Shopping, Tipping...

 

Does anyone have any additional insight or experiences? We would love to use it in the casino, but don’t think we can?
 

Thank you in advance

Edited November 8, 2019 by Vinnyv20032003

[hcat]

Spa...uses up quite a bit!

[Georgia_Peaches]

There is a way to apply your OBC to the casino...you have to go to the desk in the casino and they will take care of it for you when you tell them how much you want to use.  Also, you may want to check to see if any of your OBC is refundable. If it is coming from a TA, it may be.   If so, you don't have to use it all...you can take a refund check instead.  We have a sizable amount of OBC coming up in a few days.  We will get spa passes, and use it for a few things on the ship like wine tastings and the Chef's table if they are offering it on our sailing.  I'll use a little in the casino and if there's any left, we'll take it home

[K&RCurt]

I really don't think of it as using OBC for a specific purpose, it just goes towards whatever spending is on our folio and reduced what we have to pay at the end of the cruise by that amount.  We have not as yet had any problem spending more than whatever OBC we had on a given cruise!

[TeeRick]

We pretty much use it to book excursions - which can be done even in advance of the cruise.

[miched]

On the Equinox to use the SBC in the casino we just had to insert our sea pass card, put in a PIN and then select a amount we wanted to play.   There were instruction sheets at the casino cage.

When playing slots you need to keep track of the amount of plays that use your SBC, if you don’t you will use your winnings and not know it.    The only way to convert SBC to cash in the casino is to withdraw your winnings.   Any SBC not played during the session will go back as SBC.  You can only cash out your winnings and to avoid using it is to cash out often and turn in all the receipts

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

[oneputt18]

If the OBC is from Celebrity you can go in your cruise planner and pre- purchase $55 in Casino credit for $50.

[Vinnyv20032003]

You all are awesome, thank you!

[39august]

oneputt- Thanks. I didn't know that! I will do that  on some future cruises. 

[cruisestitch]

Because this gets asked so often I've compiled a list of things to spend OBC on. The only thing I know of now that you CAN'T buy with OBC is a deposit on a Future Cruise. Otherwise, here you go:

 

 

Acupuncture

Airport transfers

Alcove Rental (some ships)

Apple products etc. and Ilounge classes

Art Auctions

Babysitting

Barber Shop services (Edge only)

Beverages -- Alcoholic, carbonated soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas, bottled water

Bingo

Bottles of wine

Casino

Chef’s Table

Duty free liquor and cigarettes

Extra cost entrees and other items in Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants

Fitness classes

Flowers

Gelato

Gift shop souvenirs, purses, cosmetics, clothing, jewelry, etc.

Gratuities, and extra gratuities

Guests dining with you in Luminae (applies to Suite Passengers only)

Guest entertainers' CD's and DVD's

Hair and nail salon

Hollywood hot glass experiences (some ships)

Internet

Laundry/pressing/drycleaning

Luggage Valet

Martini Flights

Medical Center

Mini bar

Portrait photo sessions

Pay-per-view movies

Persian Gardens passes

Photos & cameras

Room service up charge items, and late night delivery fee

Shore Excursions

Shuttle to town (some ports)

Spa -- massages and treatments

Specialty restaurants

Teeth Whitening

Telephone calls using ship's system

Transfer to another passenger's account

Voyage in Review DVD

Wine and liquor tastings

Zumba

[CruisinDawn]

58 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Because this gets asked so often I've compiled a list of things to spend OBC on. The only thing I know of now that you CAN'T buy with OBC is a deposit on a Future Cruise. Otherwise, here you go:

 

 

Acupuncture

Airport transfers

Alcove Rental (some ships)

Apple products etc. and Ilounge classes

Art Auctions

Babysitting

Barber Shop services (Edge only)

Beverages -- Alcoholic, carbonated soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas, bottled water

Bingo

Bottles of wine

Casino

Chef’s Table

Duty free liquor and cigarettes

Extra cost entrees and other items in Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants

Fitness classes

Flowers

Gelato

Gift shop souvenirs, purses, cosmetics, clothing, jewelry, etc.

Gratuities, and extra gratuities

Guests dining with you in Luminae (applies to Suite Passengers only)

Guest entertainers' CD's and DVD's

Hair and nail salon

Hollywood hot glass experiences (some ships)

Internet

Laundry/pressing/drycleaning

Luggage Valet

Martini Flights

Medical Center

Mini bar

Portrait photo sessions

Pay-per-view movies

Persian Gardens passes

Photos & cameras

Room service up charge items, and late night delivery fee

Shore Excursions

Shuttle to town (some ports)

Spa -- massages and treatments

Specialty restaurants

Teeth Whitening

Telephone calls using ship's system

Transfer to another passenger's account

Voyage in Review DVD

Wine and liquor tastings

Zumba

Thought room service on Celebrity was free unless late hours, what are the uncharges? First time on Celebrity and was looking forward to the convince without the charges we are use to on Royal.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[39august]

Room service is free for the basic menu. There are items at a charge also available.

[oneputt18]

16 hours ago, CruisinDawn said:

Thought room service on Celebrity was free unless late hours, what are the uncharges? First time on Celebrity and was looking forward to the convince without the charges we are use to on Royal.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

Photos of room service menu, including the Premium menu. Might have changed a little but it will give you a general idea.

 

[buggins0402]

Can it be used toward the purchase of a WiFi Package?

[pa-annie]

23 hours ago, miched said:

On the Equinox to use the SBC in the casino we just had to insert our sea pass card, put in a PIN and then select a amount we wanted to play.   There were instruction sheets at the casino cage.

When playing slots you need to keep track of the amount of plays that use your SBC, if you don’t you will use your winnings and not know it.    The only way to convert SBC to cash in the casino is to withdraw your winnings.   Any SBC not played during the session will go back as SBC.  You can only cash out your winnings and to avoid using it is to cash out often and turn in all the receipts

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

 

Is there any surcharge for getting cash for casino from your OBC?

 

- BZ

[Texed]

14 minutes ago, pa-annie said:

 

Is there any surcharge for getting cash for casino from your OBC?

 BZ

 

5% unless in a suite or Zenith.  

[miched]

If you charge against your existing on board credit there shouldn’t be but if you use it as a cash advance or charge against the folio  I think there is.  People were using it as a cash advance, free loan, or in place of the ATM and then posting about doing that on these boards.  

 

i don’t think we were charged anything but it is hard to figure out the crazy accounting system on the folio.

People need to understand and realize if there is some TIP to beat the system don’t broadcast it.  

In the past you could also cash in your non refundable SBC for a 5% fee until people starting broadcasting it on the forums.  It was the same with playing red and black, odd and even on the roulette wheel, now they won’t allow you to do that. 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by miched

[Marelaine]

Since Celebrity  has allowed OBC to be used before boarding, we use ours for excursions.

 

 

[Luvcrusn]

3 hours ago, buggins0402 said:

Can it be used toward the purchase of a WiFi Package?

Yes. If the OBC is from X and shows in your Cruise Planner you can use it to purchase a WIFI package before the cruise (when there are sales and even without the sales it's 10% off the onboard price) or during the cruise. You may also use it on board if it's from X or another source (travel agent for example)  if you choose and sometimes there are mid cruise specials.

[Jim_Iain]

On Celebrity you can use it for anything that you can charge to your room   Like others I maximize the credit by booking excursions in advance if there is a pre-cruise discount.   On my current cruise on Edge the first cruise was an all EC cruise so most items book aboard were charged 21-23% VAT.   I booked all my excursions per-cruise. 

[miched]

4 hours ago, Texed said:

 

5% unless in a suite or Zenith.  

On our recent cruises we were in suites so that may be why we weren’t charged for using it to play the slots.  
 

when not is the suites most of our SBC was used the premium upgrade or auto gratuities.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[buggins0402]

6 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

Yes. If the OBC is from X and shows in your Cruise Planner you can use it to purchase a WIFI package before the cruise (when there are sales and even without the sales it's 10% off the onboard price) or during the cruise. You may also use it on board if it's from X or another source (travel agent for example)  if you choose and sometimes there are mid cruise specials.

Thanks, I think it’s from the TA...I tried booking the WiFi on the website and it seemed to want money.  I guess I’ll wait until we are onboard to get it.  

[Alsmez]

We found out on our last cruise that they will allow you to use it for extra gratuities, if you want to tip specific people like your wait staff, etc. We had some left at the end our last cruise and asked at Customer Service to have it go to the team that served us in Luminae. 

[Luvcrusn]

2 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

We found out on our last cruise that they will allow you to use it for extra gratuities, if you want to tip specific people like your wait staff, etc. We had some left at the end our last cruise and asked at Customer Service to have it go to the team that served us in Luminae. 

We've often used it for that. When we've had OBC-R we have also gotten the cash back the last night and used it to tip in cash to those special crew members who we want to tip extra as well.

[PhoenixCruiser]

13 hours ago, Texed said:

 

5% unless in a suite or Zenith.  

 

We are staying in a suite, would we be able to purchase OBC ahead of time to use in the casino without a charge? Trying to cut down on the amount of cash to carry.