Unused OBC

[superduper123]

Is unused OBC refunded to your credit card at the end of the cruise? We have significant OBC due to a price drop but would rather have the money back. Or can we use it onboard as a deposit for our next cruise?

[dcbiker97]

Future cruise deposits are about the only thing on board you cannot use OBC for.  

[wrk2cruise]

If you received the OBC from Celebrity due to a price drop it will be non-refundable.  The only OBC which is refundable if unused is usually OBC that was purchased by your TA or if you purchase in advance of the sailing.

 

While OBC can be used for most things onboard, deposits for a future cruise is not one of them.

[wrk2cruise]

OBC can be transferred to another passenger or can be used for additional tips.

[cruisestitch]

Only refundable OBC comes back to your credit card.
 

The OBC from a price drop will be nonrefundable

 

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. You need a credit card for that.  Also, there may be some card game in the casino with a cash only buy-in.   If they do a fundraiser, like selling t-shirts to “save the reefs” and the like, expect to need cash for that.  Otherwise, here you go:

 

 

*Acupuncture

*Airport transfers

*Alcove Rental (some ships)

*Apple products etc. and Ilounge classes

*Art Auction Purchases

*Babysitting

*Barber Shop services 

*Behind the Scenes Tours

*Beverages -- Alcoholic, carbonated soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas, bottled water — if not in your package, also beverages above your package limits

*Bingo and Deal or No Deal

*Bottles of wine

*Casino

*Chef’s Table

*Corkage charged if you bring your own bottles of wine to the MDR

*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, watches, 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 if not in your package, also Internet upcharges 

*Laundry/pressing/drycleaning

*Liquor Tasting events

*Luggage Valet

*Martini Flights

*Medical Center purchases (but not treatments)

*Mini bar

*Portrait photo sessions

*Pay-per-view movies

*Persian Gardens passes

*Personal Training Sessions

*Photos & cameras

*Room service up charge items, and late night delivery fee

*Ryde spinning classes

*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

[sullyd]

1 hour ago, superduper123 said:

Is unused OBC refunded to your credit card at the end of the cruise? We have significant OBC due to a price drop but would rather have the money back. Or can we use it onboard as a deposit for our next cruise?

Go to the casino put in slot machine an cash out 

[Alakegirl]

That works on some ships but not all.  It does not work on Reflection, for one

[Jim_Iain]

26 minutes ago, sullyd said:

Go to the casino put in slot machine an cash out 

REally not a good idea to post this unless you want it to go away.   Some ships have prohibited it because of discussion.

[LMHSRN]

28 minutes ago, sullyd said:

Go to the casino put in slot machine an cash out 

Can't do that anymore...

[Fly and Sail]

49 minutes ago, sullyd said:

Go to the casino put in slot machine an cash out 

 

You can't cash it out straight but you can gamble with it and cycle the funds. The winnings are like cash and you can take them home. You can either play slots or use promotional chips for table games. Winnings will be returned to you in regular chips ready to cash them.

[sullyd]

3 hours ago, superduper123 said:

Is unused OBC refunded to your credit card at the end of the cruise? We have significant OBC due to a price drop but would rather have the money back. Or can we use it onboard as a deposit for our next cruise?

Go to the casino put in slot machine an cash out 

 

19 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

You can't cash it out straight but you can gamble with it and cycle the funds. The winnings are like cash and you can take them home. You can either play slots or use promotional chips for table games. Winnings will be returned to you in regular chips ready to cash them.

I did

[leaveitallbehind]

Find a way to spend it as unfortunately as it was issued by the cruise line as indicated it is non-refundable.  And the only typical way around this is through the casino as suggested - use it as gambling credit and cash out your (hopeful) winnings.  But as I understand it you have to play the credits to build winnings in order to cash out those winnings - not the credit.

[Fly and Sail]

2 minutes ago, sullyd said:

I did

 

As others mentioned, that's ship specific and great if you get away with that but usually this option has now been disabled on many (if not most) ships. You can try and see if it works, if not just bet an even amount on Roulette colors and hope it doesn't hit 0/00. 😉

[leaveitallbehind]

2 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

As others mentioned, that's ship specific and great if you get away with that but usually this option has now been disabled on many (if not most) ships. You can try and see if it works, if not just bet an even amount on Roulette colors and hope it doesn't hit 0/00. 😉

Agree.  While the idea of transferring the credit to a slot machine and then cashing it out may be prohibited, certainly playing the credit and cashing in any winnings is still valid. 

[Fly and Sail]

4 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Agree.  While the idea of transferring the credit to a slot machine and then cashing it out may be prohibited, certainly playing the credit and cashing in any winnings is still valid. 

I don't know about "prohibited" but they might have made it impossible to do so, just like you can't cash out Freeplay. Gotta cycle it.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 minute ago, Fly and Sail said:

I don't know about "prohibited" but they might have made it impossible to do so, just like you can't cash out Freeplay. Gotta cycle it.

"Prohibited" = "impossible to do" in terms of what I meant. 😉  They have changed the policy and restricted the machines from issuing a credit based cash out.  🙂

[39august]

We love playing in the casino with "their" money!  My husband took out $200 in OBC and actually cashed in over $550. Of course, he is usually a winner in the casino. Just lucky, I guess. I took out $100 OBC and came home with $154 cash. This was on Equinox debarking May 21. We play roulette. 

[Mark_T]

41 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

You can try and see if it works, if not just bet an even amount on Roulette colors and hope it doesn't hit 0/00. 😉

If they spot you doing that with promotional chips they have been known to refuse the bet.

[tartana]

I had fun playing roulette with the "free" money too.  We used the promo chips and pocketed the regular chip winnings.  I ended up with over $200 cash at the end of the cruise.  It was fun. We used a bit for the slot machines but didn't fare so well lol. 

[Fly and Sail]

12 minutes ago, tartana said:

I had fun playing roulette with the "free" money too.  We used the promo chips and pocketed the regular chip winnings.  I ended up with over $200 cash at the end of the cruise.  It was fun. We used a bit for the slot machines but didn't fare so well lol. 

 

Slot machines are only good to rack up points for BCC status at a calculable rate.

[superduper123]

We'll see what happens. I'm not a gambler. We have the "always included" so tips and drinks are already covered. I don't think I can spend $1700 in the shops and spa. 😉

[sullyd]

1 hour ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

You can't cash it out straight but you can gamble with it and cycle the funds. The winnings are like cash and you can take them home. You can either play slots or use promotional chips for table games. Winnings will be returned to you in regular chips ready to cash them.

Put key card in charged it to room cashed out ,took the ticket to cashier and they gave me cash

[jagoffee]

6 minutes ago, sullyd said:

Put key card in charged it to room cashed out ,took the ticket to cashier and they gave me cash

Are you on a one person campaign to get all of the Celebrity ship to fixed this “loophole” if they have not already?

[tartana]

17 minutes ago, superduper123 said:

We'll see what happens. I'm not a gambler. We have the "always included" so tips and drinks are already covered. I don't think I can spend $1700 in the shops and spa. 😉

A couple massages would be lovely; also, I did the ship's tour once with OB credit, and it was interesting - did a few things I normally wouldn't have paid extra for. 

[leaveitallbehind]

21 minutes ago, superduper123 said:

We'll see what happens. I'm not a gambler. We have the "always included" so tips and drinks are already covered. I don't think I can spend $1700 in the shops and spa. 😉

Lots of specialty restaurant dinners, followed by many massages.........😉

Edited May 28, 2022 by leaveitallbehind