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Regal Princess March 2025 - Want to book dining using OBC

PaperSniper4

By PaperSniper4,
in Princess Cruises

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PaperSniper4

PaperSniper4

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I've logged onto Princess.com a couple of times since booking this cruise about 5 days ago. I have booked our MDR times and locations, but I want to book Cagney's and Sabitinis also. When I book a time and date, the screen shows a charge. I want to use my OBC and NOT charge to my credit card right now. I have tried several times to use Princess.com's "Chat", but wait times are more than I can spare.

 

Question: When can we book Specialty Dining?

                 Can we use OBC when we book early?

 

Thanks to you, oh wise ones.😉

 

 Doug

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Lady Arwen Holiday Sharing Rare

Lady Arwen

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To my knowledge, you cannot prebook specialty dining with OBC.  You would have to wait until you’re onboard to make reservations.   Booking excursions is the exception.  
 

  Since you were able to reserve MDR times, you should be able to reserve specialty dining as well.

 

Hope this helps!

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Lady Arwen Holiday Sharing Rare

Lady Arwen

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Just now, memoak said:

You need to wait till on board if you don’t want it put on a credit card. 

Sorry, we were posting at the exact same time.  I didn’t mean to step on you! lol

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PaperSniper4

PaperSniper4

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Hmmm. My TA called Princess the other day and got this reply to my OBC:

 

You should be seeing the full $xxx OBC on your account. (ed: it was there at Princess.com) You can also see the break down of the OBC. Spoke with Princess and the OBC is on your booking $xxx. I asked if the OBC was able to be used pre cruise and here is Princess answer. The OBC can be used as Pre-shore excursion purchase, and Lotus Spa services and Specialty Dining.

 

But, as we all know, customer service at any cruise line is at best questionable. I'd hate to wait until we board to book specialty dining as we prefer to eat early, and those times seem to go fast. We have a large amount of nonrefundable Princess OBC, plus military and stockholder OBC, so it's gonna be tough to use it all as it is. So I absolutely do not want to pay for dining with my credit card. I guess I will try chat again sometime to try and book with OBC prior to boarding.

 

 Doug

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dog

dog

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5 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Hmmm. My TA called Princess the other day and got this reply to my OBC:

 

You should be seeing the full $xxx OBC on your account. (ed: it was there at Princess.com) You can also see the break down of the OBC. Spoke with Princess and the OBC is on your booking $xxx. I asked if the OBC was able to be used pre cruise and here is Princess answer. The OBC can be used as Pre-shore excursion purchase, and Lotus Spa services and Specialty Dining.

 

But, as we all know, customer service at any cruise line is at best questionable. I'd hate to wait until we board to book specialty dining as we prefer to eat early, and those times seem to go fast. We have a large amount of nonrefundable Princess OBC, plus military and stockholder OBC, so it's gonna be tough to use it all as it is. So I absolutely do not want to pay for dining with my credit card. I guess I will try chat again sometime to try and book with OBC prior to boarding.

 

 Doug

Use your Travel Agent to book it then.

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Rick&Jeannie "Live from...." Rare

Rick&Jeannie

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6 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Hmmm. My TA called Princess the other day and got this reply to my OBC:

 

You should be seeing the full $xxx OBC on your account. (ed: it was there at Princess.com) You can also see the break down of the OBC. Spoke with Princess and the OBC is on your booking $xxx. I asked if the OBC was able to be used pre cruise and here is Princess answer. The OBC can be used as Pre-shore excursion purchase, and Lotus Spa services and Specialty Dining.

 

But, as we all know, customer service at any cruise line is at best questionable. I'd hate to wait until we board to book specialty dining as we prefer to eat early, and those times seem to go fast. We have a large amount of nonrefundable Princess OBC, plus military and stockholder OBC, so it's gonna be tough to use it all as it is. So I absolutely do not want to pay for dining with my credit card. I guess I will try chat again sometime to try and book with OBC prior to boarding.

 

 Doug

I strongly suspect that your TA got some "bad info" from whoever they were speaking with.  There is NO mechanism in the app or "web version" to accommodate SD dining purchase with OBC.  Please keep us posted if you are actually able to use OBC!  We would *all* like to hear about that...it would be a major change.

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PaperSniper4

PaperSniper4

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14 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I strongly suspect that your TA got some "bad info" from whoever they were speaking with.  There is NO mechanism in the app or "web version" to accommodate SD dining purchase with OBC.  Please keep us posted if you are actually able to use OBC!  We would *all* like to hear about that...it would be a major change.

Surely you don't mean the Cruise line gave out bad information?😉

Ha, we have all been own that particular road a few times, haven't we?

 

I doubt I will be able to use OBC before boarding, but at some point I will probably have enough time on my hands that I will call my TA or Princess and try to do that. I doubt my TA can do anything, but better him on hold for an hour than me.

 

It does irk me though: Cruise lines "give" us a nice OBC and then make it difficult/impossible to use. I suspect if I wait until boarding to book Cagneys and Sabitinis all the acceptable dining times will be snapped up by those without OBC who booked early and paid with their credit card. I guess we will have to hit the jewelry and liquor stores to burn through that OBC. My wife will be happy to do the former!

 

 Doug

 

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PaperSniper4

PaperSniper4

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16 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Twice you mentioned Cagney's.  Probably another cruise line as no such thing on Princess.  Did you mean Crown Grill perhaps?

Yep. Look at my schedule below and you'll understand why I am frequently confused.......😁

 

 Doug

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KKB Great Review Rare

KKB

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On 1/30/2024 at 8:56 AM, Lady Arwen said:

Booking excursions is the exception.  
 

18 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

This is directly from the Princess FAQ regarding use of OBC:

 

image.thumb.png.0f97244ee501a0b3908ebb67fcc6e598.png

 

OBC cannot be used until you are on the ship.

If someone has used it for shore excursions before sailing, let me know how you did this!

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Lady Arwen Holiday Sharing Rare

Lady Arwen

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Just now, KKB said:

OBC cannot be used until you are on the ship.

If someone has used it for shore excursions before sailing, let me know how you did this!

I’ve booked shore excursions using OBC many times!  When you book the excursions your total shows the OBC first and then how much, if any, you need to pay.  Are you having a problem doing this?

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KKB Great Review Rare

KKB

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1 minute ago, Lady Arwen said:

I’ve booked shore excursions using OBC many times!  When you book the excursions your total shows the OBC first and then how much, if any, you need to pay.  Are you having a problem doing this?

Gees--I just did a dummy booking & it came right up! 

So silly, not sure why I didn't think this shows up.

I do know that OBC from a TA won't show up on account until onboard so perhaps that is what I was thinking of.

THANKS

 

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t&atravel

t&atravel

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4 minutes ago, KKB said:

OBC cannot be used until you are on the ship.

If someone has used it for shore excursions before sailing, let me know how you did this!

@KKB You have been able to use OBC for shore excursions for years.  It started when they began making you pay in advance of the cruise.  When you get to the payment section for the excursion if you have any OBC it will already show applied.  You can uncheck the OBC box if you prefer not to use it. 

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Lady Arwen Holiday Sharing Rare

Lady Arwen

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24 minutes ago, KKB said:

Gees--I just did a dummy booking & it came right up! 

So silly, not sure why I didn't think this shows up.

I do know that OBC from a TA won't show up on account until onboard so perhaps that is what I was thinking of.

THANKS

 

Glad it’s working for you!

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