On Board Credit left on the table

[salty dingo]

The order you use it matters. I was told that non-refundable is used up first and then the refundable starts to be used. I found out the hard way that is not always true. Taxes charged in ports come out of the refundable pool only. Ditto for extra tips you extend after using the SDP (I know you already paid 20% tip up front.)

[DinaS]

On 11/23/2019 at 3:38 PM, Pitzel said:

NCL has two types of onboard credit — refundable and non-refundable. Most credit that is given to you by NCL is non-refundable. Any credit that you purchase and some of the credit that is given to you as a perk from a travel agent is refundable credit. 
 

Refundable credit can be used for the daily service charges. Non-refundable

credit cannot be used for the DSC. 
 

As the names imply, any refundable credit left over on your account will be mailed to you as a check several weeks after the cruise. Non-refundable credit is “use it or

loose it”. 

 

 

I just double-checked my invoice from my Escape cruise last month.  I purchased a $250 CruiseNext certificate, and according to NCL, the $100 OBC credit is non-refundable OBC.  (I just checked online on NCL - and this is what it says:  1. When you purchase a CruiseNext Deposit (CND), your shipboard account will be charged in USD and you will receive an instant shipboard credit (listed on your final bill as Non-Refundable Onboard Credit) towards your current cruise.)

 

They did use the $100 non-refundable OBC towards the $15 per day service charge.  Is this an exception?  I would never purchase a CruiseNext certificate if the OBC doesn't pay for the service charges.  It's rare that I buy anything else while on board, so the only major outstanding amounts are the daily service charges..

Edited November 25, 2019 by DinaS
typo :)

[Pitzel]

45 minutes ago, DinaS said:

 

I just double-checked my invoice from my Escape cruise last month.  I purchased a $250 CruiseNext certificate, and according to NCL, the $100 OBC credit is non-refundable OBC.  (I just checked online on NCL - and this is what it says:  1. When you purchase a CruiseNext Deposit (CND), your shipboard account will be charged in USD and you will receive an instant shipboard credit (listed on your final bill as Non-Refundable Onboard Credit) towards your current cruise.)

 

They did use the $100 non-refundable OBC towards the $15 per day service charge.  Is this an exception?  I would never purchase a CruiseNext certificate if the OBC doesn't pay for the service charges.  It's rare that I buy anything else while on board, so the only major outstanding amounts are the daily service charges..

In reality, your $100 OBC went to offset the $250 cost of the certificate. So, you essentially paid $150 for the CruiseNext certificate plus your $15 pp/pd service charge. If you look at the final amount that you paid, the totals should add up.

[Pitzel]

On 11/23/2019 at 3:45 PM, Greek Boss said:

I was on a sailing over Memorial Day Weekend this year and had a refundable credit that I did not use. At the end of the cruise when I swiped my Seapass before disembarking they pulled me aside to a stand they had set up and gave me the refundable amount in cash.

That's great. The only time that we received a check was in 2013 on the Epic, which was our first NCL sailing. Sounds like they have figured out a better, more efficient process since then.

[DinaS]

3 minutes ago, Pitzel said:

In reality, your $100 OBC went to offset the $250 cost of the certificate. So, you essentially paid $150 for the CruiseNext certificate plus your $15 pp/pd service charge. If you look at the final amount that you paid, the totals should add up.

 

I didn't realize they just offset the CruiseNext cost with the OBC. 

 

Of course the total amount was exactly the same, whether they use it to offset the cost of the certificate, or applied it to my service charges.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[Pitzel]

1 minute ago, DinaS said:

 

I didn't realize they just offset the CruiseNext cost with the OBC. 

 

Of course the total amount was exactly the same, whether they use it to offset the cost of the certificate, or applied it to my service charges.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

It is all in the marketing! If they say that you get "$100 instant OBC", most people would go out and spend that $100 on something onboard. If they said, "Pay $150 now and get $250 towards a future cruise," the net financials are the same, but people wouldn't have the same psychological incentive to go spend more money while on their current cruise.