Unused onboard credit revisited...

[lysolqn]

Posted a question the other day about what happens to unused onboard credit at the end of a cruise and got a couple of different answers, so I tried calling RCCL customer service to get a definitive answer straight from the horse's mouth.

 

The first rep said unused OBC can only be used toward a future cruise. That sounded way out in left field so I called again and was told unused OBC belongs to the cruise line. That didn't exactly sound like the definition of "fair," so I called again and was told that unused OBC is posted to your credit card as a credit. Three calls, three different answers. Apparently customer service can't provide a definitive answer. Any suggestions as to how to get "the" answer to my query?

[GMoney]

Wasn't the question answered in the original thread?

 

IME, unused OBC was credited back to my Sea Pass account which was linked to a credit card. You can also go to Guest Relations at the end of the cruise and collect the refund in cash.

[KelJ]

In your other thread (not sure why you started a new one), there were repeated posts by people with firsthand knowledge. Any unused OBC is credited back to the credit card attached to the seapass.

[cruisenfever]

We have always had any unused OBC credited back to the credit card on file. We just don't know how to spend all that money!!

 

The only exception was on our recent Splendour cruise...........they give it back to you in cash at the end of the cruise. They can debit charges to your credit card, they can not credit unused monies to your credit card!:eek:

[Terpnut]

OBC is practically like the cash in your pocket. If you don't use it on the cruise, it goes right back to you--either to your credit card as a credit or cash (depending on whether your SeaPass account is credit card based or cash only). Due to the large amount of OBCs we always have, we rarely use it all so we frequently come home with a credit on the credit card. :)

[gagirl7143]

Patti,

Must be new we have gotten it credited back to cc (takes 3 to 6 weeks) and gotten it in cash. Will always get in cash now!

 

We have always had any unused OBC credited back to the credit card on file. We just don't know how to spend all that money!!

 

The only exception was on our recent Splendour cruise...........they give it back to you in cash at the end of the cruise. They can debit charges to your credit card, they can not credit unused monies to your credit card!:eek:

[cruisenfever]

Patti,

Must be new we have gotten it credited back to cc (takes 3 to 6 weeks) and gotten it in cash. Will always get in cash now!

Are you referring to Splendour? They told us that they felt safer giving us the cash back...........and like you, we never spend it all.

[Terpnut]

OBCs are basically like a discount off the cruise!

[cruisenfever]

OBCs are basically like a discount off the cruise!

That's only if you don't spend it during your cruise.:D

[Tanker4]

Just go down to the pursers desk and ask for the unused amount in cash. we've done it quite a few times and never had a problem.:)

[uksimonusa]

OBCs are basically like a discount off the cruise!

 

How are OBCs a discount off a cruise?, I had $1900 in OBCs on my last cruise, that I bought and paid for using RCI Gift Certificates, how is that a discount?? I just went to Guest services on the last night and drew the balance in cash. An OBC is just that, on On Board Credit, it is a credit against your account, if at the end of the cruise you still have a credit balance, then that money is yours, and can be collected in cash, or credited back to your credit card if you gave them the card details when you boarded. Just the same as if you overpay a credit card, the money is there for you to spend, or they will send you a refund check.

[rozen]

You can also get cash from the casino in the amount of your credit.

[petesweet]

How are OBCs a discount off a cruise?, I had $1900 in OBCs on my last cruise, that I bought and paid for using RCI Gift Certificates, how is that a discount?? I just went to Guest services on the last night and drew the balance in cash. An OBC is just that, on On Board Credit, it is a credit against your account, if at the end of the cruise you still have a credit balance, then that money is yours, and can be collected in cash, or credited back to your credit card if you gave them the card details when you boarded. Just the same as if you overpay a credit card, the money is there for you to spend, or they will send you a refund check.

 

Believe we're talking apples and oranges here. The OBC I believe the others are talking about (and the kind I've experienced) are freebies--not something you buy. We get $200 for being stockholders, a certain amount for booking while on a previous RCCL cruise, another amount for use of our RCCL credit card, some from a coupon RCCL provided, and perhaps some from a travel agent. I'm expecting about $900 OBC for my upcoming Alaska cruise and another $900+ for my Hawaii trip (B2B). All totally separate from anything I have paid.

 

In my opinion, Royal Caribbean has the best deal with OBC.

[lysolqn]

Thanks for your replies. I now feel confident that the definitive answer is, any unused OBC will be applied as a credit to the credit card linked to our onboard account. Now if only RCCL customer service could be as helpful as Cruise Critic!

[Merion_Mom]

Thanks for your replies. I now feel confident that the definitive answer is, any unused OBC will be applied as a credit to the credit card linked to our onboard account. Now if only RCCL customer service could be as helpful as Cruise Critic!

 

We are all planning to apply to RC to work as CSRs in our next lives! ;)

[Wild Bill]

Just a caution to any who might be using an RCCL credit card. If you let your extra OBC get credited back to the card, they subtract double points. It's as if you returned a purchase, and since all RCCL purchases are credited with double points, if you have an RCCL refund, they remove double points. That is my first hand information. Glad it was only $5.00 worth.

KT

[lysolqn]

We are all planning to apply to RC to work as CSRs in our next lives! ;)

 

Too funny!

 

As with all CSRs in the cruise industry and elsewhere these days, when they don't know the answer, rather than say "Sorry, I don't know; I'll have to check on that," they just make up an answer that sounds plausible to them.

[Terpnut]

How are OBCs a discount off a cruise?, I had $1900 in OBCs on my last cruise, that I bought and paid for using RCI Gift Certificates, how is that a discount?? I just went to Guest services on the last night and drew the balance in cash. An OBC is just that, on On Board Credit, it is a credit against your account, if at the end of the cruise you still have a credit balance, then that money is yours, and can be collected in cash, or credited back to your credit card if you gave them the card details when you boarded. Just the same as if you overpay a credit card, the money is there for you to spend, or they will send you a refund check.

Sorry, I didn't realize that some people actually pay for their OBCs. For me, I get OBCs from travel agent, group booking, shareholder benefits, next cruise booking and other promos. These are all freebies that total up to thousands of dollars so, for me, they are basically a "backdoor" discount on my cruise!

Believe we're talking apples and oranges here. The OBC I believe the others are talking about (and the kind I've experienced) are freebies--not something you buy. We get $200 for being stockholders, a certain amount for booking while on a previous RCCL cruise, another amount for use of our RCCL credit card, some from a coupon RCCL provided, and perhaps some from a travel agent. I'm expecting about $900 OBC for my upcoming Alaska cruise and another $900+ for my Hawaii trip (B2B). All totally separate from anything I have paid.

 

In my opinion, Royal Caribbean has the best deal with OBC.

Thanks for clarifying. On my last cruise, we got the following OBCs for each stateroom: $200 shareholder benefit, $200 next cruise benefit, $250 travel agent "kickback", and a $50 group booking. That's $1,400 for our two connecting staterooms so it's no wonder I always come back with a credit balance on my Seapass account!

[petesweet]

Just a caution to any who might be using an RCCL credit card. If you let your extra OBC get credited back to the card, they subtract double points. It's as if you returned a purchase, and since all RCCL purchases are credited with double points, if you have an RCCL refund, they remove double points. That is my first hand information. Glad it was only $5.00 worth.

KT

 

Good point. Better to request the cash if you have extra.