Using OBC to book a future cruise

[bebe08]

For the first time ever, we are going to have more OBC than we know what to do with.  Nice problem to have 🙂  If we book another cruise while on board, can we use the OBC to pay for the deposit?  If not guess I will be booking some spa treatments or shopping on board 🙂  

[grandgeezer]

OBC can't be used to book future cruises. You can use it in the casino. You only get back what you actually won, not the unused OBC.

[bebe08]

Ok thanks for the quick response.  We aren't casino people so will need to decide between spa and shopping.  Decisions, decisions!!

[sheeng]

Don’t forget about specialty dining with bottles of special wine!

[bebe08]

Just now, sheeng said:

Don’t forget about specialty dining with bottles of special wine!

We have already booked LPC and we have a beverage package.  We may book Tuscan, but our last experience there wasn't great...we've found food in MDR to be so good we don't need to do a lot of specialty dining.

[jelayne]

Is any of the OBC refundable?  If so and you don’t spend it they will put the unspent $ on your credit card.  If your book while on the ship using the credit card some of all of your cruise deposit will be offset by the refund to your card.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

the Future cruise department will make a separate charge to your CC on file for the deposit, it does not go on the stateroom folio, so no to OBC use for that 😞

[bebe08]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

Is any of the OBC refundable?  If so and you don’t spend it they will put the unspent $ on your credit card.  If your book while on the ship using the credit card some of all of your cruise deposit will be offset by the refund to your card.

Hmm good question...how can you tell if it is refundable or not?  Some of my OBC is directly from X, and some from my TA. 

[PBTravelBug]

13 minutes ago, bebe08 said:

Hmm good question...how can you tell if it is refundable or not?  Some of my OBC is directly from X, and some from my TA. 

Not sure exactly how to tell before you get on board but once on board it will be noted in your account when you look at it on the TV. My understanding is that the OBC directly from Celebrity is non-refundable and the OBC from a travel agent is refundable.

 

I asked your very question of Guest Service when we were on board Equinox earlier this month - they said one the few things OBC can not be used for is future cruise deposit.

 

If you use cosmetic products from Clinique, Estee Lauder, Chanel or Dior you could stock up with your OBC.

[grandgeezer]

22 minutes ago, bebe08 said:

Hmm good question...how can you tell if it is refundable or not?  Some of my OBC is directly from X, and some from my TA. 

The obc from Celebrity will be nonrefundable, use it or lose it, but this is the first one used when you have charges. All the obc I’ve received from TAs has been refundable, but I’ve read on this board, that people have received obc from TAs that wasn’t, so you can either check with your TA or check it out once you get onboard.

 

 

 

 

[jelayne]

30 minutes ago, bebe08 said:

Hmm good question...how can you tell if it is refundable or not?  Some of my OBC is directly from X, and some from my TA. 

Ask your TA, most of the time OBC from a TA is refundable but occasionally it isn’t. Also check your account on the TV on day 2 OBC  should show. OBC N is non refundable , OBC R is refundable. 

[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

Extend Your Stay program

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 purchases (but not treatments)

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

[bebe08]

Thanks all this his helpful 🙂

 

[jelayne]

2 hours 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

Extend Your Stay program

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 purchases (but not treatments)

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

A couple to add: personal training sessions , extend your stay, body sculpting

[mac_tlc]

Just off Equinox today and we “monitized” our OBC in the casino for the full value. It was Celebrity OBC and we had $400. 
 

I , too, thought you could only get the winnings but that was not the case. Numerous times we did a “room charge” of  $20 or $40 to a slot machine. Immediately hit “cash out” and entire amount was given as a ticket, then went to cashier to get the cash. We did it on several machines, on different days and for varying amounts. I was pleasantly surprised. Left with a room account balance of $-0.01. 
 

mac_tlc

[cruisestitch]

Thanks for the additions.  I had Extend Your Stay but i’ve Added the others to the list

[fleckle]

7 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

The obc from Celebrity will be nonrefundable, use it or lose it, but this is the first one used when you have charges. All the obc I’ve received from TAs has been refundable, but I’ve read on this board, that people have received obc from TAs that wasn’t, so you can either check with your TA or check it out once you get onboard.

 

 

Every time a TA has claimed to be "giving" us obc that was non-refundable, it turned out to be obc that was actually coming from the cruise line and that we would receive regardless of whether or not we booked with the TA.

                                                            

[upwarduk]

4 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Thanks for the additions.  I had Extend Your Stay but i’ve Added the others to the list

I suggest your list be made a ‘Sticky,’ as the question is asked regularly.

[grandgeezer]

54 minutes ago, fleckle said:

 

Every time a TA has claimed to be "giving" us obc that was non-refundable, it turned out to be obc that was actually coming from the cruise line and that we would receive regardless of whether or not we booked with the TA.

                                                            

All 46 times we were given obc from our online travel agents it was refundable and every time it was credited to our credit card.

Minimum was $100 and maximum was $1150 and that was this past August.

[If only]

18 hours ago, bebe08 said:

Thanks all this his helpful 🙂

 

We had lots of OBC on our last cruise & we like taking pictures so we bought a Go Pro.

Great item to have for future cruises.

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, bebe08 said:

Hmm good question...how can you tell if it is refundable or not?  Some of my OBC is directly from X, and some from my TA. 

It will have a designation on the TV Screen that has a N or R at the end of the code to differentiate.   Also you can just ask the front desk and they will let you know. 

[Luvcrusn]

The OBC we've gotten from our TA has been refundable, the OBC from X has been non-refundable. Curiously, I asked the TA (we've used the same one for many years)several times if the OBC from them was refundable and each time I was told it was OBC-N. Each time, once we got on board we found that the OBC from them was OBC-R. Now we just look on our account once we get on board.

 

I find it curious that some folks find it difficult to spend, regardless of the amount. I've had absolutely no problem making it disappear!🤣

Edited January 26, 2020 by Luvcrusn

[bebe08]

I will have no problem making it disappear lol...just want to see if there any somewhat practical things to spend it on before I go wild in the shops or spa lol.  Thanks for the mention of the go pro...one thing we have talked about getting is a new camera or perhaps an underwater go pro.  We will check that out.  And thanks also for explaining how to tell if OBC is refundable or not....that is helpful just in case we don't end up spending it.  We will be on a very port intensive cruise of Japan with only one sea day,  so not a lot of time for shopping or visiting the spa, but I will do my best 🙂