suslang Posted September 16, 2022 #1 Share Posted September 16, 2022 Hi, We booked through a TA and were given 600 OBC. I don't think that will be available until we actually board the ship. So my question, is there anyway to use this to prebook excursions? Or do I just have to wait and see if there are any excursions still available once onboard? Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squawkman Posted September 16, 2022 #2 Share Posted September 16, 2022 39 minutes ago, suslang said: Hi, We booked through a TA and were given 600 OBC. I don't think that will be available until we actually board the ship. So my question, is there anyway to use this to prebook excursions? Or do I just have to wait and see if there are any excursions still available once onboard? Susan We always book our cruises with the same Viking agent. In cases where we received shipboard credit, we were able to use it to book excursions prior to embarkation. I’m not sure if this is the same when you use a TA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flgreg Posted September 16, 2022 #3 Share Posted September 16, 2022 We booked with a travel agent, Viking was running a promotion with $500 shipboard credit per cabin which we used to pay for excursions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CCWineLover Posted September 16, 2022 #4 Share Posted September 16, 2022 Viking Shipboard credits are different from Travel Agent on board credits - be aware. The OP asked about TA OBC. With these you typically will see them when you get on board. The exception is lately there have been instances for us (and with others) of the Travel Agent sending the OBC's to Viking a bit early. Then if you had purchased Excursions when they came available with your own money (Checking, Credit Card, etc), Viking now has a policy to immediately use those TA OBC's they received. They apply the OBC amount against the excursions and issue you a refund back to your form of payment for those excursions. You don't have a choice in the matter. In your example, if you bought excursions ahead of time totally $800, then you would get a refund back of $600. You could always wait to book excursions until you are on the ship, but this is not advisable. You can always go ahead a book the free included excursions. That way you might get the times you want. If you are reluctant to fork out money ahead of time to buy any optional excursions, then of course you can wait until onboard, but your pickings may be limited. If you are worried about using the OBC's when you are onboard, there are plenty of choices. We usually always apply them to the Gratuities, and possibly the Silver Spirits package, the spa, or the ship store. Never an issue. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suslang Posted September 16, 2022 Author #5 Share Posted September 16, 2022 8 minutes ago, CCWineLover said: Viking Shipboard credits are different from Travel Agent on board credits - be aware. The OP asked about TA OBC. With these you typically will see them when you get on board. The exception is lately there have been instances for us (and with others) of the Travel Agent sending the OBC's to Viking a bit early. Then if you had purchased Excursions when they came available with your own money (Checking, Credit Card, etc), Viking now has a policy to immediately use those TA OBC's they received. They apply the OBC amount against the excursions and issue you a refund back to your form of payment for those excursions. You don't have a choice in the matter. In your example, if you bought excursions ahead of time totally $800, then you would get a refund back of $600. You could always wait to book excursions until you are on the ship, but this is not advisable. You can always go ahead a book the free included excursions. That way you might get the times you want. If you are reluctant to fork out money ahead of time to buy any optional excursions, then of course you can wait until onboard, but your pickings may be limited. If you are worried about using the OBC's when you are onboard, there are plenty of choices. We usually always apply them to the Gratuities, and possibly the Silver Spirits package, the spa, or the ship store. Never an issue. Thank you! That was very helpful. I won't worry about booking ahead then and hopefully Viking will refund once they receive the OBC from the TA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDR2001 Posted September 16, 2022 #6 Share Posted September 16, 2022 (edited) I’d save the OBC for use to pay the gratuities. If you don’t prepay them, Viking will subtract from your onboard account automatically near the end of the cruise. (You can change the amount if you like.) For 2 week cruise, our suggested gratuities were almost $500, the amount of our leftover OBC. I would book any excursion your can’t live without as soon as they become available. (There is confusion around exactly when excursions open, some here on CC advised me to check at midnight PST, and there they were!) We were able to change a few excursions while onboard, but most of the popular ones were full. Edited September 16, 2022 by CDR2001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LindaS272 Posted September 16, 2022 #7 Share Posted September 16, 2022 29 minutes ago, CDR2001 said: If you don’t prepay them, Viking will subtract from your onboard account automatically near the end of the cruise. (You can change the amount if you like.) Gratuities are optional, don’t forget. And you can change the amount to zero if you want. (We always pay the suggested amount and then extra in person to our room stewards.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted September 16, 2022 #8 Share Posted September 16, 2022 Like CCwinelover, on our last cruise (Iceland July 2021) we were surprised when we booked our excursions before boarding to find that their cost had been subtracted from our agent’s Shipboard Credit. Not sure if this was a one off or part of a new procedure. We saw it when we booked the excursions and MVJ didn’t ask for a credit card number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhb1757 Posted September 17, 2022 #9 Share Posted September 17, 2022 6 hours ago, Clay Clayton said: Like CCwinelover, on our last cruise (Iceland July 2021) we were surprised when we booked our excursions before boarding to find that their cost had been subtracted from our agent’s Shipboard Credit. Not sure if this was a one off or part of a new procedure. We saw it when we booked the excursions and MVJ didn’t ask for a credit card number. Same thing happened to us for both the last river and ocean cruises. Always before the OBC funds couldn’t be accessed until you were on board but for the past 12 months or so they can be used before boarding and if we paid for excursions the amount paid was refunded to our cc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squawkman Posted September 17, 2022 #10 Share Posted September 17, 2022 Quoted from my booking document: (SBC)…”Will be applied To Onboard item such As: Shore Excursions, Beverage packages and Pre Paid Gratuities”. So as long as the item in question is to be utilized on board, it can be paid before boarding with SBC. So excursions can be prepaid, but an extension probably couldn’t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suslang Posted September 18, 2022 Author #11 Share Posted September 18, 2022 On 9/17/2022 at 10:22 AM, Squawkman said: Quoted from my booking document: (SBC)…”Will be applied To Onboard item such As: Shore Excursions, Beverage packages and Pre Paid Gratuities”. So as long as the item in question is to be utilized on board, it can be paid before boarding with SBC. So excursions can be prepaid, but an extension probably couldn’t. Well, the SBC won't be in my account until I'm on board. Therefore, I can't pay for excursions until I board unless I pay with my own funds. That is the conundrum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretchcruz Posted September 18, 2022 #12 Share Posted September 18, 2022 The leftover obc from my TA was refunded to me by Viking after we got home. On the TV in your cabin it is listed as "refundable" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted September 18, 2022 #13 Share Posted September 18, 2022 1 hour ago, suslang said: Well, the SBC won't be in my account until I'm on board. Therefore, I can't pay for excursions until I board unless I pay with my own funds. That is the conundrum. I think what some of us are trying to tell you is that in some cases the shipboard credit shows up before you board and CAN be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squawkman Posted September 18, 2022 #14 Share Posted September 18, 2022 55 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said: I think what some of us are trying to tell you is that in some cases the shipboard credit shows up before you board and CAN be used. As I do all my Viking bookings through a. Inking agent, my SBC has always been for a Viking promo - not from a TA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted September 19, 2022 #15 Share Posted September 19, 2022 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Squawkman said: As I do all my Viking bookings through a. Inking agent, my SBC has always been for a Viking promo - not from a TA. Oh. Sorry. Edited September 19, 2022 by Clay Clayton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suslang Posted September 19, 2022 Author #16 Share Posted September 19, 2022 12 hours ago, Clay Clayton said: I think what some of us are trying to tell you is that in some cases the shipboard credit shows up before you board and CAN be used. I understand what everyone is saying. However, my TA specifically stated that the OBC would not be available until on board. Maybe it will be refundable though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted September 19, 2022 #17 Share Posted September 19, 2022 9 hours ago, suslang said: I understand what everyone is saying. However, my TA specifically stated that the OBC would not be available until on board. Maybe it will be refundable though... Yep so did mine last year and yet…😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CCWineLover Posted September 19, 2022 #18 Share Posted September 19, 2022 26 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said: Yep so did mine last year and yet…😂 Sam here Clay. Our TA said same thing and still Viking did it. He was dumbfounded, and did say it’s been happening a lot with Viking. And I believe we have the same parent Travel Agency - one Viking wouldn’t really like to upset. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowlover Posted September 19, 2022 #19 Share Posted September 19, 2022 I'm having a hard time understanding why it is a problem that viking use the on board credit to pay for your excursions.... Isn't it the same difference? My only OBC will come from my travel agent after boarding but if viking wants to reimburse me for my excursions it's fine by me. Am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suslang Posted September 25, 2022 Author #20 Share Posted September 25, 2022 On 9/19/2022 at 6:49 PM, shadowlover said: I'm having a hard time understanding why it is a problem that viking use the on board credit to pay for your excursions.... Isn't it the same difference? My only OBC will come from my travel agent after boarding but if viking wants to reimburse me for my excursions it's fine by me. Am I missing something? That is definitely not a problem, I'm just not sure that it is guaranteed that they will refund the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted September 25, 2022 #21 Share Posted September 25, 2022 2 hours ago, suslang said: That is definitely not a problem, I'm just not sure that it is guaranteed that they will refund the money. OBC from a TA is considered as refundable credits on you shipboard account. At the end of the cruise, if you have refundable credits remaining, Viking post a cheque within about 6 weeks of disembarkation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted September 25, 2022 #22 Share Posted September 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Heidi13 said: OBC from a TA is considered as refundable credits on you shipboard account. At the end of the cruise, if you have refundable credits remaining, Viking post a cheque within about 6 weeks of disembarkation. Andy-I think you need to add “usually” to your statement. On two of our five Viking cruises, the TA shipboard credit has been non-refundable. I know because one time we bought a set of the binoculars to use it up and on the other I was at the bar in the Living Room on the last night saying give me $12 worth of amaretto on the rocks 😂 On the others it was refundable and we got a check back about two weeks after disembarking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted September 25, 2022 #23 Share Posted September 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said: Andy-I think you need to add “usually” to your statement. On two of our five Viking cruises, the TA shipboard credit has been non-refundable. I know because one time we bought a set of the binoculars to use it up and on the other I was at the bar in the Living Room on the last night saying give me $12 worth of amaretto on the rocks 😂 On the others it was refundable and we got a check back about two weeks after disembarking. Thanks Clay - I wasn't aware of that. If they told me that the OBC from my TA was non-refundable, the person making that decision would have an issue, as I would follow up with the HQ in Basle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FetaCheese Posted September 25, 2022 #24 Share Posted September 25, 2022 (edited) Is is possible that OBC from TA is coming from TA consortium? My reasoning:. On next V cruise, my TA invoice shows 3 OBC amounts. 1. Amount purely from TA, (Reg max amount allowed by V. 2. Another amount from TA, consortium, I think, (see my last sentence). 3. Another amount purely from V (from a V sale promo). However, on V invoice (guest statement), OBC's # 2 and # 3 above are listed. The total of #2 and #3 are available to spend pre-boarding on MVJ. OBC # 1 is not on V statement, and from prior experience, unspent balance was refunded to me by mailed check, about 2 weeks after cruise. Therefore, it could be possible that OBC #2 would be non-refundable. Edited September 25, 2022 by FetaCheese Clarity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted September 25, 2022 #25 Share Posted September 25, 2022 41 minutes ago, FetaCheese said: Is is possible that OBC from TA is coming from TA consortium? My reasoning:. On next V cruise, my TA invoice shows 3 OBC amounts. 1. Amount purely from TA, (Reg max amount allowed by V. 2. Another amount from TA, consortium, I think, (see my last sentence). 3. Another amount purely from V (from a V sale promo). However, on V invoice (guest statement), OBC's # 2 and # 3 above are listed. The total of #2 and #3 are available to spend pre-boarding on MVJ. OBC # 1 is not on V statement, and from prior experience, unspent balance was refunded to me by mailed check, about 2 weeks after cruise. Therefore, it could be possible that OBC #2 would be non-refundable. Interesting they you’re getting #2 which means you’re getting more than the max allowable by Viking🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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