Using onboard credit to book excursions

[TayanaLorna]

We received on board credit as a perk for booking our cruise.  It can be used beforehand or on board.  How does one use it to pay for optional excursions?  Is there a payment choice on MVJ for credit cards as well as on board credit?  I figure someone here has done this before.

[CDNPolar]

Usually, "on board credit" means that it is available for you only once you board the ship.  I think to know for sure, you would have to email Viking or call them.  I expect however that this can be used once you have embarked.

[Squawkman]

2 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We received on board credit as a perk for booking our cruise.  It can be used beforehand or on board.  How does one use it to pay for optional excursions?  Is there a payment choice on MVJ for credit cards as well as on board credit?  I figure someone here has done this before.

We’ve done this. When you book optional excursions on MVJ, your SBC will be reduced

[Squawkman]

1 minute ago, CDNPolar said:

Usually, "on board credit" means that it is available for you only once you board the ship.  I think to know for sure, you would have to email Viking or call them.  I expect however that this can be used once you have embarked.

My experience is that it can be used before embarkation for excursions, drink package and tips - things used on board. It can’t be used for extensions.

[LindaS272]

6 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Usually, "on board credit" means that it is available for you only once you board the ship.  I think to know for sure, you would have to email Viking or call them.  I expect however that this can be used once you have embarked.

 

9 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We received on board credit as a perk for booking our cruise.  It can be used beforehand or on board.  How does one use it to pay for optional excursions?  Is there a payment choice on MVJ for credit cards as well as on board credit?  I figure someone here has done this before.

Lorna says she can use it beforehand. See her second sentence. (She’s an experienced Viking cruiser).

[LindaS272]

10 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We received on board credit as a perk for booking our cruise.  It can be used beforehand or on board.  How does one use it to pay for optional excursions?  Is there a payment choice on MVJ for credit cards as well as on board credit?  I figure someone here has done this before.

Viking will automatically deduct it from your credit when you check out. We experienced this last year.

[Mich3554]

When we used OBC to pay for excursions, MVJ automatically used it when we checked out.    We had $200 pp for our last cruise, and when I booked our excursions, the OBC was used for Alhambra.  
When I booked excursions for our WC, we paid the balance after the OBC we had was used.  What we received from Viking covered about 2/3 of excursions chosen.

[CDNPolar]

Well, we have had OBC that could NOT be used before we boarded the ship.  It depends on how and why you have the OBC.  It is not one rule or situation.  We called Viking and they told us our credit was ONLY available to be used once we boarded the ship.    I am also an experienced Viking cruiser.

[Mich3554]

15 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Well, we have had OBC that could NOT be used before we boarded the ship.  It depends on how and why you have the OBC.  It is not one rule or situation.  We called Viking and they told us our credit was ONLY available to be used once we boarded the ship.    I am also an experienced Viking cruiser.

There is shipboard credit and OBC.  The WC distinguishes the difference in that we had a certain amount of OBC, and another amount of SBC.  I have noticed that these terms seem to be under interchangeably.  

[LindaS272]

And Lorna, the OP, says “It can be used beforehand or on board.” So I take her at her word.

[TayanaLorna]

8 hours ago, Squawkman said:

We’ve done this. When you book optional excursions on MVJ, your SBC will be reduced

So it just automatically gets reduced?  One does not have to tell V to use it?  I don't want to miss getting an excursion because I did not pay for it on time.

[TayanaLorna]

8 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Usually, "on board credit" means that it is available for you only once you board the ship.  I think to know for sure, you would have to email Viking or call them.  I expect however that this can be used once you have embarked.

No the credit voucher specifically said it can be used before embarking.

[Squawkman]

25 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

So it just automatically gets reduced?  One does not have to tell V to use it?  I don't want to miss getting an excursion because I did not pay for it on time.

I’m 99% sure that’s what happened - we did this over a year ago.

[Squawkman]

25 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

No the credit voucher specifically said it can be used before embarking.

Viking SBC can be used before embarkation. Other OBC (from TAs I assume) may have different restrictions.

[EchoIsland]

We just signed up today for excursions on our upcoming cruise and had OBC provided as a perk by Viking.  The optional excursions we chose were automatically deducted from the given amount.  

[LindaS272]

44 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

So it just automatically gets reduced?  One does not have to tell V to use it?  I don't want to miss getting an excursion because I did not pay for it on time.

Yes, when it happened for us the first time it was unexpected, but they don’t give you an option. If you have credit that can be used before boarding, they will post it to the optional excursions. You will still check out as usual, but you’ll note that it’s been paid, so no issue about not paying for something on time.

Edited December 2, 2022 by LindaS272

[CCWineLover]

Lorna:  We just recently booked our excursions (and SSP/Gratuities) for our Panama Canal cruise.  We had Viking Voucher Money left over (that had to be spent before arriving) plus OBC from our Travel Agent (which can be used before boarding and/or after boarding) plus Viking ShipBoard Credit (that said it was only usable while onboard).  So that makes 3 different buckets of money with 3 different rules.   The Voucher and TA OBC were shown on our account as available to spend now.  When we booked those items (excursions, SSP, Gratuities), the amount was automatically deducted from our account balance with a note saying we owed $0.  We have a small balance left from the TA OBC to use on the ship plus the Viking SBC that must be used on the ship or lose it.

The pertinent point is - there was not a choice to select how we wanted to pay, it was automatic.  In this case, that was OK with us.

[shadowlover]

We currently have refundable and non refundable credit. Do I have to specify that they use the non refundable first or is Viking “smart enough” to do this??  

[Mich3554]

2 hours ago, shadowlover said:

We currently have refundable and non refundable credit. Do I have to specify that they use the non refundable first or is Viking “smart enough” to do this??  

IME, Viking uses non refundable first.  I asked them this when we had 4 figures of OBC In our account.

[CDR2001]

That was also our experience onboard, but we didn’t have credit that could be used prior to sailing. You could call and book some excursions and make sure they use the correct credits. Or email for clarification Tellus@vikingcruises.com

[mhb1757]

Pre COVID if you had ship credit provided by a TA or Viking it could not be used before you boarded the ship. Not sure when or exactly why the rules changed but now that credit can be used prior to boarding for excursions, prepaid gratuities etc. or it can be used on board. If you have credit and book shore excursions in advance they are deducted from that credit automatically. If you have voucher credit that must be used before you board (or it is forfeited) anything you book in advance like excursions will be deducted from that pool first. When the voucher funds are exhausted then they will deduct from your shipboard credit. 
Also as a FYI shipboard credit from your TA will be refunded to you if it is not used. We just returned from a cruise that we paid for with vouchers from a COVID era cancelled cruise. We had enough on the voucher to pre pay gratuities and book all the optional excursions we wanted. Got a check in the mail from Viking less than a week after our return for the unused credit that had been provided by our TA. 

[shadowlover]

9 hours ago, mhb1757 said:

Pre COVID if you had ship credit provided by a TA or Viking it could not be used before you boarded the ship. Not sure when or exactly why the rules changed but now that credit can be used prior to boarding for excursions, prepaid gratuities etc. or it can be used on board. If you have credit and book shore excursions in advance they are deducted from that credit automatically. If you have voucher credit that must be used before you board (or it is forfeited) anything you book in advance like excursions will be deducted from that pool first. When the voucher funds are exhausted then they will deduct from your shipboard credit. 
Also as a FYI shipboard credit from your TA will be refunded to you if it is not used. We just returned from a cruise that we paid for with vouchers from a COVID era cancelled cruise. We had enough on the voucher to pre pay gratuities and book all the optional excursions we wanted. Got a check in the mail from Viking less than a week after our return for the unused credit that had been provided by our TA. 

This was not the case for us. Currently onboard. We had to pay for our excursions with a credit card and this was not refunded via our on board credit once on board.   Now we have both non refundable and refundable credit to use ….  I will clarify that they use my non refundable first if I purchase anything.