Will Cunard ever let us use OBC to book items online prior to the cruise?

[njpln]

We travel on several different cruise lines as well as Cunard is the only one who still doesn’t let you use OBC to book excursions etc. prior to the cruise.  Am I the only one who finds this annoying? 

 

I’ve heard you can book and then reverse/ rebook on the cruise, but if you book a popular excursion, will your spots disappear if there is a waitlist?  
 

Curious how others feel and if there is something I don’t know about to circumvent this issue.

 

thanks,

 

Norma

[PORT ROYAL]

27 minutes ago, njpln said:

We travel on several different cruise lines as well as Cunard is the only one who still doesn’t let you use OBC to book excursions etc. prior to the cruise.  Am I the only one who finds this annoying? 

 

I’ve heard you can book and then reverse/ rebook on the cruise, but if you book a popular excursion, will your spots disappear if there is a waitlist?  
 

Curious how others feel and if there is something I don’t know about to circumvent this issue.

 

thanks,

 

Norma

It is what it is…. Not annoying at all..

If one, for whatever reasons, is seeking to pay for tours by OBC, then suggest one purchases required tours in advance by CC.  Then discuss one’s requirements with the Tours Desk when onboard, as how to cancel one’s CC booked tours, without loss of “spots”, obtain a refund and repurchase with OBC while at the Tours Desk.  
The Desk will genuinely look to assist, if possible.

 

Edited March 12 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[njpln]

Thanks.  We cruise in the grilles and always end up with lots of OBC at the end of our Cunard cruises.  I don’t want to leave it there but I’d rather spend it on things we actually spend money on, than just shop. It’s one of the very few things I complain about re Cunard.  

 

This next cruise I will try the canceling and rebooking.

[Victoria2]

On one particular ten night cruise, we had $$$$s to 'get rid of'.

 

I really tried my best and family and girlfriends had exceptional Christmas presents that year, but I still had some left and so I went to the front desk and had the remainder assigned to staff gratuities.

Better that than leave it in Cunard's coffers.

[Wonky]

39 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

On one particular ten night cruise, we had $$$$s to 'get rid of'.

 

I really tried my best and family and girlfriends had exceptional Christmas presents that year, but I still had some left and so I went to the front desk and had the remainder assigned to staff gratuities.

Better that than leave it in Cunard's coffers.

You are of course assuming that this money will go to staff and not to Cunard’s coffers. In my opinion, having spoken to staff on board this is quite an assumption.

[Victoria2]

8 minutes ago, Wonky said:

You are of course assuming that this money will go to staff and not to Cunard’s coffers. In my opinion, having spoken to staff on board this is quite an assumption.

and having also spoken to staff, I have my own view of staff remuneration so my positive assumption is just as valid as your seemingly negative one.

 

I often wonder if some staff play to the passengers preconceived ideas on a few things. My interactions with staff usually shed light from a positive angle.

 

Funny that!

[exlondoner]

2 hours ago, njpln said:

We travel on several different cruise lines as well as Cunard is the only one who still doesn’t let you use OBC to book excursions etc. prior to the cruise.  Am I the only one who finds this annoying? 

 

I’ve heard you can book and then reverse/ rebook on the cruise, but if you book a popular excursion, will your spots disappear if there is a waitlist?  
 

Curious how others feel and if there is something I don’t know about to circumvent this issue.

 

thanks,

 

Norma

Do the other Carnival companies let you do this?

[exlondoner]

2 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

It is what it is…. Not annoying at all..

If one, for whatever reasons, is seeking to pay for tours by OBC, then suggest one purchases required tours in advance by CC.  Then discuss one’s requirements with the Tours Desk when onboard, as how to cancel one’s CC booked tours, without loss of “spots”, obtain a refund and repurchase with OBC while at the Tours Desk.  
The Desk will genuinely look to assist, if possible.

 

Toothache is what it is, but that doesn’t stop it being annoying.😀

[Wonky]

13 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

and having also spoken to staff, I have my own view of staff remuneration so my positive assumption is just as valid as your seemingly negative one.

 

I often wonder if some staff play to the passengers preconceived ideas on a few things. My interactions with staff usually shed light from a positive angle.

 

Funny that!

It is interesting, I will continue to ask, on the last I was told that the pay will not change no matter how many remove the charge or leave it on. Until the last cruise I tended to leave one on and take the other off and tip cash for those we had more interaction with. I’ve changed that now and will just take more cash.

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, Wonky said:

It is interesting, I will continue to ask, on the last I was told that the pay will not change no matter how many remove the charge or leave it on. Until the last cruise I tended to leave one on and take the other off and tip cash for those we had more interaction with. I’ve changed that now and will just take more cash.

My comment was in reply to OBC still left at the end of a cruise and how we use/get rid of it.

 

It wasn't meant to be any other than that and definitely nothing to do with 'charges' so I'll leave it at that.

 

 

[njpln]

26 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Do the other Carnival companies let you do this?

HAL does. we are cruising Alaska this summer with them, and I was able to use our OBC, the pittance that it was, towards excursions.  
 

Not sure about others.  

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, njpln said:

HAL does. we are cruising Alaska this summer with them, and I was able to use our OBC, the pittance that it was, towards excursions.  
 

Not sure about others.  

So that is quite hopeful really.Maybe Cunard one day…

[njpln]

Re tipping w OBC.  Two years ago, after Covid, we started taking extra cash with us to tip. We’ve gotten some excellent service from Butlers, stewards, maitreDs, head waiters and waitstaff both in the dining room and in lounges.  
 

We have had some odd occurrences that put us in weird situations and everyone helped us out.  Maybe our situations are not so weird ?  Our experience is that mostly everyone is wonderful on Cunard. (The first room steward we had in Princess Grill was terrible but we’ve done 8 cruises with Cunard now, and we love everyone else.)

 

BTW,  in all our cruising since Covid, on all cruise lines we’ve used, we’ve been tipping cash to our daily attendants and servers, and anyone who goes above and beyond. It’s now on our packing list to make sure we have the right currency when we cruise.  I have to be honest and say we don’t trust that if we assign tipping with our OBC that it gets to the persons… In any cruise line.  What can I say?

Edited March 12 by njpln

[Victoria2]

10 minutes ago, njpln said:

....  I have to be honest and say we don’t trust that if we assign tipping with our OBC that it gets to the persons… In any cruise line.  What can I say?

OBC

Have some left? Use it or lose it...sort of.

Assign it to the crew and in my view, it will be assigned to crew coffers.

 

Leave any remaining OBC on your account and it definitely won't go anywhere other than back into Cunard's coffers.

 

Not that it happens very often but I'll take my chance with the assigning.

 

 

[david63]

18 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Do the other Carnival companies let you do this?

P&O do not - or put another way Carnival UK does not

[tv24]

On 3/12/2024 at 9:46 AM, exlondoner said:

Do the other Carnival companies let you do this?

Seabourn does.