Can you use OBC in casino?

[ski_mom]

We have a group of 10 and we all have a decent amount of OBC - between $100-$170 each.  

 

Most of us are using it on an excursion.  For some of the others, can they use it in the casino on the slot machines?  I know on Carnival, you can load it to your card at the slot machines and use it there.

 

Just wondered if that's an option with Princess as well?

 

Thanks!

 

[Bethcb]

I have used it in casino and gotten cash back too from casino cashier. This worked for my non refundable OBC. Guess at some point princess will no longer allow that. 

[Mike45LC]

Yes, you can load credit onto a slot machine against your account, which will first be debited against your OBC (first, against non-refundable and then against refundable) and then against your credit card.

[ski_mom]

Great - thank you! Sounds like it works the same as it does with Carnival.

 

We do have 3 minors (20, 18, 14), so they will probably have to spend theirs in another way if they are not doing the excursion.

 

[blizzard44ca]

4 minutes ago, ski_mom said:

Great - thank you! Sounds like it works the same as it does with Carnival.

 

We do have 3 minors (20, 18, 14), so they will probably have to spend theirs in another way if they are not doing the excursion.

 

FYI - Casino age is 18, so 2 can spend their money there.

[ski_mom]

29 minutes ago, blizzard44ca said:

FYI - Casino age is 18, so 2 can spend their money there.

 

Oh, thank you!  That will make the 20 year old especially happy!

 

 

[MissP22]

.

[PMGS247]

Yeah it seems OBC is just a positive balance to your on board account....the same account everything gets charged to.  I haven't really experienced Princess try to restrict that it any way.  On the flipside, there doesn't seem to be a way to use it for anything you book ahead of time. To be honest, I've never tried that hard to allocate my OBC one way or another since I always spend much more on board than I have in OBC anyway, so I may be corrected, but this has been my observation.

Edited June 8, 2023 by PMGS247

[Rick&Jeannie]

6 hours ago, PMGS247 said:

On the flipside, there doesn't seem to be a way to use it for anything you book ahead of time.

Any/all OBC can be used to book excursions.  When/if that is used up it will begin to charge your CC. (This is PRIOR to boarding...)

[Shawn5]

Used my OBC to get chips at the casino. If I don't gamble away my remaining chips tonight, I will redeem them for cash.

[Steelers36]

Actually what happens is a guest can play in the casino by charging playing chips or slot money to the cabin account.  At this time, PCL settles all cabin account debts by using up OBC and then charging any balance owing to credit card on file.  You are not directly using OBC.  PCL could change their accounting software to not apply OBC to casino charges if they decide to make a change.  The official written policy is OBC cannot be used in the casino.

[wannagonow123]

If you charge money to you room, make sure you spin at least once, otherwise you will be locked out. The slot has been programmed this way so you are not using slots as an ATM. I have had it happen more than once (I forgot the rule, and a machine I really wanted to play opened up and I hit cash out.) You will have to go to cashier to get it fixed. 

[Redwing55]

This is a fair topic.  I get nervous seeing them though.🤫

[cr8tiv1]

On 6/11/2023 at 3:26 PM, wannagonow123 said:

If you charge money to you room, make sure you spin at least once, otherwise you will be locked out. The slot has been programmed this way so you are not using slots as an ATM. I have had it happen more than once (I forgot the rule, and a machine I really wanted to play opened up and I hit cash out.) You will have to go to cashier to get it fixed. 

 

Knowing that you can do this (I have done this before) is one thing.  Advertising how to do it on a social network is so NOT okay.  This is so wrong in so many ways.  I have reservations posting this link, but just had to let the community know that a "professional" should never advocate something like this.  

 

Say goodbye to this method once Princess gets a hold of this.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[MissP22]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

  I have reservations posting this link, but just had to let the community know that a "professional" should never advocate something like this.  

 

 

 

So why did you post it?

[wannagonow123]

This is something you need to do anytime you charge funds from your room account to a slot machine, whether you have OBC or not. Many times you see people that need cash to go ashore, so they go to a slot machine and charge to the room to get the cash. They charge , then hit cash out and it charges to the room but will not allow you cash out. Even when you go to the cashier, they tell you what you need to do, so its no big secret.

[wallyj]

A passenger has reported earlier this year, 2023, talking to Princess management , the Casino does have plans to finally update the accounting software so charges in the Casino will NOT net against OBC. This has always been the ‘official’ written policy, but it has not been enforced. Just a heads up that this loop hole is looking to be closed, but who knows when?
 

I know NCL has not allowed Casino charges to reduce OBC.

 

We have seen many posts that state Princess ‘reads’ these boards, so they are aware of what passengers are saying and doing.

[voljeep]

35 minutes ago, wallyj said:

A passenger has reported earlier this year, 2023, talking to Princess management , the Casino does have plans to finally update the accounting software so charges in the Casino will NOT net against OBC. This has always been the ‘official’ written policy, but it has not been enforced. Just a heads up that this loop hole is looking to be closed, but who knows when?
 

I know NCL has not allowed Casino charges to reduce OBC.

 

We have seen many posts that state Princess ‘reads’ these boards, so they are aware of what passengers are saying and doing.

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[PMGS247]

25 minutes ago, wallyj said:

A passenger has reported earlier this year, 2023, talking to Princess management , the Casino does have plans to finally update the accounting software so charges in the Casino will NOT net against OBC. This has always been the ‘official’ written policy, but it has not been enforced. Just a heads up that this loop hole is looking to be closed, but who knows when?
 

I know NCL has not allowed Casino charges to reduce OBC.

 

We have seen many posts that state Princess ‘reads’ these boards, so they are aware of what passengers are saying and doing.

 

Not terribly surprising...just a matter of time before they decided the cost & effort to update software and existing processes to create a separation between casino charges and allowable OBC costs tipped in favor of making the change.

 

I do the trick of depositing into slots & withdrawing cash to avoid ATM fees (on some ships it's the only way to access cash) but the OBC thing doesn't factor in...I blow past my OBC on non-casino charges without hardly blinking an eye. That's simply because I love premium dining and have no self control 🙂

[PMGS247]

On 6/8/2023 at 2:59 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Any/all OBC can be used to book excursions.  When/if that is used up it will begin to charge your CC. (This is PRIOR to boarding...)

 

I have 2 cruises booked right now, both with a couple hundred of OBC, but I feel like if I go in and book an excursion, I'm going to have to put in a credit card.  Is that not true?

 

Answer to my own question: No! It's not! I was able to apply OBC.  I could swear that's not been the case in the past.  I've either not noticed that in the past or it's changed....irrelevant, I suppose.  Thanks for correcting me; good to know!

[CruiserN1]

Here's a thought for Princess, how about making refundable OBC easy to get refunded? I sailed on HAL a few months ago and had around $350 of refundable OBC left at the end of the cruise. Within a week, that amount was refunded to my credit card on file. I had no reason to try to cash it out in the casino because I knew it would be returned to me quickly and easily.

[Steelers36]

19 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

 

She gave incorrect information at least once during that segment.  She doesn't sound like any experience with it - just reading what someone else said.

[voljeep]

6 minutes ago, CruiserN1 said:

Here's a thought for Princess, how about making refundable OBC easy to get refunded? I sailed on HAL a few months ago and had around $350 of refundable OBC left at the end of the cruise. Within a week, that amount was refunded to my credit card on file. I had no reason to try to cash it out in the casino because I knew it would be returned to me quickly and easily.

NON-refundable OBC - which is what is 'most' of Princess OBC now it seems

[Steelers36]

22 minutes ago, PMGS247 said:

 

I have 2 cruises booked right now, both with a couple hundred of OBC, but I feel like if I go in and book an excursion, I'm going to have to put in a credit card.  Is that not true?

 

Answer to my own question: No! It's not! I was able to apply OBC.  I could swear that's not been the case in the past.  I've either not noticed that in the past or it's changed....irrelevant, I suppose.  Thanks for correcting me; good to know!

Been working like this for a long time now.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, wallyj said:

We have seen many posts that state Princess ‘reads’ these boards, so they are aware of what passengers are saying and doing.

IMO, these threads do more damage than mentioning TA's.  Guests should learn and find out from others on board.  But I suppose some other social media will have it as well.  Been a lot of posts on this lately.  The thing is, you can charge the cabin to gamble in the casino - it's not a ATM.