What to do with OBC?

[cruisestitch]

That’s mostly under “gift shop souvenirs”. But you are right, I should add watches to that

[zdad59]

I’ve got a $900 OBC to spend on our Apex cruise on April.   We’re in a suite.     I guess my wife will be buying some overpriced jewelry.  😁😁

[SueMo]

Be aware that if you spend over the custom limits in the onboard shops, a beeper will sound off as you debark the ship and you will be pulled aside and have to fill out the customs form and pay the duty.  It can cause you to miss a flight! 

[davekathy]

54 minutes ago, SueMo said:

Be aware that if you spend over the custom limits in the onboard shops, a beeper will sound off as you debark the ship and you will be pulled aside and have to fill out the customs form and pay the duty.  It can cause you to miss a flight! 

Thanks for the laugh. 😂

[tserface]

55 minutes ago, SueMo said:

Be aware that if you spend over the custom limits in the onboard shops, a beeper will sound off as you debark the ship and you will be pulled aside and have to fill out the customs form and pay the duty.  It can cause you to miss a flight! 

Is this true?  How would they know from a scanner?  Also, doesn't everyone fill out custom forms already anyway?

[cruisestitch]

No, mot everybody fill out the customs forms these days.

 

the beep goes off when they scan your SeaPass card.  The gift shop turns over the names of the big buyers and that’s how they know who to stop.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

What is the customs limit these days? We have a lot of OBC but just might use it for Champagne and tips.  Have spa appointments booked already.

[SueMo]

It isn't a joke--it absolutely happens.  My son bought two Tag Heuer watches while onboard, using his OBC and supplementing it with his own $$.  When he scanned his sea pass card, a beeping alert caused a crew member to pull his aside and fill out a customs form.  (It is no longer required for all passengers to fill one out.)  He truthfully listed his purchases.  He went to an area in the terminal where a line was beginning to form.  Luckily, he was second in line so his wait should not have been too long.  A custom agent had difficulty figuring out the amount due (my son had to help him with his math).  When it was finally calculated, my son was told he had to pay with cash, check, or IOU.  He had cash, but the agent didn't have change.  My son waited a half hour for the agent to go onto the ship to get change!  By the time he returned, there was a line about 50 people long behind him!  

Lesson learned--make large jewelry purchases on the islands rather than the ship's shops.

[davekathy]

We stopped filling out the customs forms years ago and have never been 

43 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

What is the customs limit these days? We have a lot of OBC but just might use it for Champagne and tips.  Have spa appointments booked already.

I believe it's still $800.00 P/P. 

Edited October 6, 2021 by davekathy

[NavyCruiser]

23 hours ago, Edward51 said:

Way to complicated .  We are now on the Edge.  Had $900 in non-refundable OBC.  We now have $900 cash.  Put your card in the slot machine.  Your pin is your birth month and day.  Go to “personal banker”, then “transfer funds” then “room charge”.  Input amount of OBC.  You will see this amount appear on the slot machine.  Press cash out, collect ticket, bring to cashier.  

 

If I missed something, see the cashier and they will explain it.  There is no service charge.

 

Now we can use it with cash tips, or keep it to spend at home.

 

 

 

 

Genius!!!

 

Yes, we'll using that casino strategy.  Keep the cash.  Leave other expenses on credit card & get double miles...

[CHEZMARYLOU]

3 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Genius!!!

 

Yes, we'll using that casino strategy.  Keep the cash.  Leave other expenses on credit card & get double miles...

Does this even work?  You used to be able to cash out NROBC at the casino but that was stopped years ago.  I find it hard to believe that this would be a thing Celebrity would allow.

[Edward51]

Yes, I remember those days but believe me it works.  We are on the Edge as we speak.  Could someone else try and verify.  I had $900 OBC and now have the cash.  Hard to believe but factual.

[Ken the cruiser]

On 10/5/2021 at 3:32 PM, Edward51 said:

Way to complicated .  We are now on the Edge.  Had $900 in non-refundable OBC.  We now have $900 cash.  Put your card in the slot machine.  Your pin is your birth month and day.  Go to “personal banker”, then “transfer funds” then “room charge”.  Input amount of OBC.  You will see this amount appear on the slot machine.  Press cash out, collect ticket, bring to cashier.  

 

If I missed something, see the cashier and they will explain it.  There is no service charge.

 

Now we can use it with cash tips, or keep it to spend at home.

Can someone please confirm this works? We are getting ready to go on an Apex cruise and have $600+ in nonrefundable OBC after pre-booking excursions and specialty dining restaurants. We would like to tip our servers in cash and this seems like an easy way to make the conversion to refundable OBC. Any insights will be appreciated. 

[canderson]

@Ken the cruiser

According to recent live reports here, Guest Relations also has a form that can be used to direct OBC specifically to a specific crew member depending upon that crewmember's function.  It's not for every crew member, though, and I don't recall the exact list.

 

Also, it seems it is possible to direct it to Luminae crew as a group, but that really is a small group, and truly a team effort.

[Ken the cruiser]

40 minutes ago, canderson said:

@Ken the cruiser

According to recent live reports here, Guest Relations also has a form that can be used to direct OBC specifically to a specific crew member depending upon that crewmember's function.  It's not for every crew member, though, and I don't recall the exact list.

 

Also, it seems it is possible to direct it to Luminae crew as a group, but that really is a small group, and truly a team effort.

You definitely can do what you suggest as we recently gave $900+ in nonrefundable OBC as tips via the CS form to our steward, butler and Luminae dining staff. When we were on our B3B in August on the Edge in a S2 suite, the Retreat Concierge told us if we designate the Luminae staff under the Dining block on the form, the funds would go directly to them rather than the general "Pool". 

 

However, on our upcoming Apex B2B cruise we're in a SV and have been placed in Traditional Early Seating in one of the 4 MDRs. So, if we wind up eating dinner in the same MDR with the same staff serving us most of those 16 days, we will probably want to give them an extra tip for taking care of us. But, something tells me if we designate a specific MDR to get the funds like we did with the Luminae, chances are it's just going to go into the "Pool" and get subsequently distributed based on the Pool algorithm. Now, if we can convert say $300 of nonrefundable OBC into refundable OBC, then we'll definitely be able to "elate" those special servers, usually about 4-5, as well as our sommelier that have gone above and beyond to make our dining adventure a special experience. That's the plan anyway. 😎   

 

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We had fun spending our $2800 NROBC over 7 days, including gratuities to our PRH and Suite Attendant.  We were told twice by Guest Relations that dining room gratuities via OBC would go into the general dining pool. Didn't ask at the Retreat Lounge. Never have that kind of OBC again.

[neverlaysup]

On 10/5/2021 at 7:07 AM, crusin'k said:

The price of our December 2021 cruise on Silhouette dropped after final payment (yippee).  So in keeping with Celebrity's "Best Offer Guarantee" we were issued $610  OBC + an additional $100 OBC from our TA.  We have no idea how to spend that much OBC!  We know we can use it for gratuities but it is only an 11 day cruise.  We have been to these islands numerous times before so excursions are not in the picture.  We don't eat in specialty restaurants or drink (not really as boring as we sound) and buy very little in the shops.  Has anyone had any success with Celebrity extending the OBC to another cruise?  Or any other ideas?  It's too bad that wasn't given as FCC instead but that is not the policy.

My wife has never had this problem!!

[neverlaysup]

On 10/6/2021 at 11:42 AM, SueMo said:

It isn't a joke--it absolutely happens.  My son bought two Tag Heuer watches while onboard, using his OBC and supplementing it with his own $$.  When he scanned his sea pass card, a beeping alert caused a crew member to pull his aside and fill out a customs form.  (It is no longer required for all passengers to fill one out.)  He truthfully listed his purchases.  He went to an area in the terminal where a line was beginning to form.  Luckily, he was second in line so his wait should not have been too long.  A custom agent had difficulty figuring out the amount due (my son had to help him with his math).  When it was finally calculated, my son was told he had to pay with cash, check, or IOU.  He had cash, but the agent didn't have change.  My son waited a half hour for the agent to go onto the ship to get change!  By the time he returned, there was a line about 50 people long behind him!  

Lesson learned--make large jewelry purchases on the islands rather than the ship's shops.

I purchased a watch on my most recent cruise, they gave me no paperwork and when we be got off the boat, they didn't even have us fill out custom forms. 

[Stockjock]

I used some of my OBC to upgrade my drink package to premium.  Will use the rest for gratuities, specialty restaurants and then we'll see what's left over.

[ela123]

I used for specialty restuarants, Apple Watch and iPad across a few of back to backs 

[Pennstatedj]

We just got off the Edge. We had 1400 dollars of OBC, 800 refundable. We bought two bottles of Alcohol and did lunch at the bistro twice. Then went to casino and did the roulette table three days and spent 400 and took home 375 in cash. The 800 was credited back to my X card, not our visa that we used on the ship checkin process. That was strange, but I understand why(to save money). Weird thing I did not give that card to anyone. Enjoy. 

[Guppy99]

13 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We had fun spending our $2800 NROBC over 7 days, including gratuities to our PRH and Suite Attendant.  We were told twice by Guest Relations that dining room gratuities via OBC would go into the general dining pool. Didn't ask at the Retreat Lounge. Never have that kind of OBC again.

There is always the art auction!

[isdoo]

On 10/5/2021 at 9:00 PM, davekathy said:

Dead serious. We always have had OBC show under one or both our names (viewed on the staterooms TV) and I do request GS transfer all of mine to my wife. I hate shopping and if I don't transfer the OBC to my wife then I have to go in the ships shops and use my Seapass card for her purchase(s). My BP covers all my onboard expenses. 🍻

No need to - if she spends the OBC it will come off your figure. 

[aruzinski]

We had the same issue. If you buy anything on board over $900, celebrity automatically has to report it.  You are flagged and will have to pay taxes upon entry.  We ended up paying a tax on his breitling. Had we known, we could have bought enough it on shore fore the same discount. Breitlings are price locked like Apple products.  Dealers can not go below a 12% discount.  But for OBC you can buy something like a nice perfume you always wanted or apple products since they are also price fixed by Apple. Never have trouble spending their money!

[canderson]

Just remember, U.S. manufactured goods are 'returned' and hence not dutiable.  You can drive a hard bargain on NY made goods in Effy right now.  Consider 60% of tag on their nicer items a right price.