Disembarking with a negative OBC balance.

[seeyakids]

This was bazaar....just finished our replacement cruise onboard Encore. As we were self disembarking the facial recognition machine  flagged me after my wife went thru. I was told to get out of line and go see  a gentleman at a computer and resolve an issue. So sometime late cruise we were given $80 OBC by NCL (maybe as a result of skipping a day at GSC (too windy) and I then had a negative (credit) balance to my OBC acct. OK, they have my CC so that will just show up on my card after we get back, right? Not on this ship. I was given $85 cash back by the gentleman (as well as another lucky (or unlucky) traveler behind me) and was told to get back in line to disembark.......which worked this time. But in 45 years of cruising I have never had this experience. I can imagine this issue would cause extra disruption during an already busy process. I tried to explain this to him, but he said "this is how it is done at NCL". What a truly dumb rule, IMO.

 

[quillwercruisers]

We had this happen when we were getting off the Escape in January.  I thought, like you, that it would go back to the card, but it didn't.  I had to do the same thing and get it as cash back before they would let me off the ship.  Maybe they are trying to cut back on credit card fees they have to pay for the transactions.  I don't know, but it was the first time I had it happen.

[graphicguy]

Maybe NCL pinching pennies?  I know it costs them to use any Credit Card transactions.  I think AMEX charge transactions are particularly expensive.

 

If they issue cash, they don't incur those credit card transaction fees.

[PTC DAWG]

I’d take the cash all day long…never turn down cash, it’s just as good as money. 🙂

Edited April 13, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[kochleffel]

Same here - I had used all my OBC but then received a credit for something and had to go to the desk to receive it in cash.

 

[hernando52]

This happened to me in 2019 trying to disembark off the NCL Spirit.  I knew that I was leaving $12 OBC, but they wouldn't let me off the ship until I zeroed out the account.  I really do wish that they would document this!  I had to go to the back of the line for $12........

[seeyakids]

I agree...Cash is king......I just wish they would have notified me that I had to cash out before we got in the LONG disembark line.

[kochleffel]

35 minutes ago, seeyakids said:

I agree...Cash is king......I just wish they would have notified me that I had to cash out before we got in the LONG disembark line.

 

They did notify me. Maybe you left your cabin before receiving the notification.

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by kochleffel

[Sand and Seas]

In my experience, the OBC they give you for missing something is the non-refundable type.  Did they give you cash refunds for something that is usually use or lose?

[seeyakids]

53 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

In my experience, the OBC they give you for missing something is the non-refundable type.  Did they give you cash refunds for something that is usually use or lose?

 

53 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

In my experience, the OBC they give you for missing something is the non-refundable type.  Did they give you cash refunds for something that is usually use or lose?

It was "Refundable"

[quillwercruisers]

3 hours ago, seeyakids said:

I agree...Cash is king......I just wish they would have notified me that I had to cash out before we got in the LONG disembark line.

There was a message on our room phone, but he was hard to understand.  I thought they had said it would be put back on the card, but obviously I was wrong since I couldn't leave the ship until they gave me my money back.  I'll know better next time.  😃

[suometar]

Did you receive it from a TA? If so it is refundable. And it can't "go back" on your credit card because it was never on the card to begin with -- it is a monetary gift from your TA and if you don't spend it you will get the remainder in cash. You can just go to guest services before disembarkation to claim it  

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, seeyakids said:

This was bazaar....just finished our replacement cruise onboard Encore. As we were self disembarking the facial recognition machine  flagged me after my wife went thru. I was told to get out of line and go see  a gentleman at a computer and resolve an issue. So sometime late cruise we were given $80 OBC by NCL (maybe as a result of skipping a day at GSC (too windy) and I then had a negative (credit) balance to my OBC acct. OK, they have my CC so that will just show up on my card after we get back, right? Not on this ship. I was given $85 cash back by the gentleman (as well as another lucky (or unlucky) traveler behind me) and was told to get back in line to disembark.......which worked this time. But in 45 years of cruising I have never had this experience. I can imagine this issue would cause extra disruption during an already busy process. I tried to explain this to him, but he said "this is how it is done at NCL". What a truly dumb rule, IMO.

 

We got two $30 refundable OBC on the last night or the cruise,,, which we assumed was for GSC. Seemed like a lot for port and taxes. We had a positive balance, so it just reduced how much our final bill was. 

[seeyakids]

17 hours ago, suometar said:

Did you receive it from a TA? If so it is refundable. And it can't "go back" on your credit card because it was never on the card to begin with -- it is a monetary gift from your TA and if you don't spend it you will get the remainder in cash. You can just go to guest services before disembarkation to claim it  

NCL refundable OBC, not from TA. And since they had my CC, NCL should have credited it for the negative balance. My beef was not being notified until we were in a long disembark line early last day. Maybe NCL reads this, I hope.

[suometar]

2 minutes ago, seeyakids said:

NCL refundable OBC, not from TA. And since they had my CC, NCL should have credited it for the negative balance. My beef was not being notified until we were in a long disembark line early last day. Maybe NCL reads this, I hope.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I've only had refundable OBC from my TA and but the OBC from NCL has always non-refundable and I always assumed that it was "use or lose it." 

[shof515]

When i was on the getaway back in February i too was flagged when getting off on debarkation day. the reason why i was flagged was somehow they lost my CC info causing a balance that i had to pay before getting off the ship. Its the same CC i used on the online checkin, same CC they swiped at the terminal during checking. Still confused on how my CC was never attached to my account

 

NCL system is not the greatest 

[DaisyGoldberg]

We had a mystery credit on my niece's account for the trip we're about to take. I was booking it and the agent said she had a $100 credit and did I want to apply it (yes!)  

 

It's been a couple of years since she cruised and she had no recollection of why they'd have $100 sitting around for her to use later - no canceled excursions or anything. She didn't even have her own credit card at the time, so additionally you'd think any credit for her would have gone on her mother's card. 

 

A mystery we don't mind leaving unsolved, since it saved her $100, but still curious.

[casofilia]

I always check the account balance late in the afternoon the penultimate day and pick up any credit.

[cmecruise1962]

There is sometimes an issue if there are no recent charges on the credit card.  For my company it's over 6 months...even if you give them the CC information.  It prevents wily team members from posting  the credit to their card and not telling the guest.