Thread: Onboard credits

Being a rookie, I know nothing about OBCs except I got $50 of it when I booked my first cruise, so I want to know everything.

1. How/why did I get $50 OBC?
2. Is that $50 per cabin or per person?
3. Do unused OBCs carry over?
4. Do repeat passengers get more OBCs?
5. Are there any exclusions?

I have no doubt that $50 will be very useful. Mom and sister drink wine; Mom wants to play the slots; I will need a massage; and all of us will want to buy souveneirs. I also want to buy ship photos if any of them are good enough for framing and a drink card.

The only thing I can answer with any confidence is that OBC is per stateroom, or at least my last one was on NCL Gem.

We had 250 in OBC but only because the price dropped and final payment had already been made - never received any OBC besides. It was applied to my on board expense account since I did the booking.

My G/F gets upset when I pay for everything, so on a cruise she takes care of all the big ticket items (shore excursions, pictures) and I pay for all the daily stuff. We split the OBC by having me pay for some excursions (even though vouchers were in the room, it was auto applied).

Either way all the stuff you are going to buy sounds like you need more then 50 bucks...

Have a good time.

Andrea, every cruiseline is different, and every TA is different. There are lots of kinds of OBCs so it is hard to know just on the info you gave what constraints came with it.

In general though, you need to use your OBC for the cruise you are on. I have never heard of one being transferable.

The best person to ask these questions to is your TA. But be very nice so they don't take it away!

Onboard credit is given for different reasons. Sometimes a discount agency will try to 'buy' your business by offering onboard credit. Most of these agencies also charge fees, so it can often cost you more in the end. Sometimes an agency will give onboard credit as a thank you for doing business with them. Sometimes your agent will book you into group space and everyone in the group is getting onboard credit. And sometimes the cruise line is offering onboard credit as an enticement to book a cruise, especially during low-travel times.

Onboard credit can be given per person or per stateroom depending on how it is being advertised, but most of the time it's per stateroom. The amount can vary depending on the cruise, the cabin level, the length, etc. There is no set amount or pre-set determination.

When you check in at the pier, the cruise line will ask for a credit card. This will be used at the end of your cruise to charge all of your onboard purchases. They will issue you a sail-n-sign card to use on the ship. This is your boarding pass that is used when checking on and off the ship. It's also your stateroom door key. And it's your charge card for everything you buy while onboard the ship - this way you don't need to carry cash around with you on the ship.

Onboard credit is applied to your onboard account - it's like free money. When you buy something on the ship, whether it be a t-shirt, pictures, alcohol, specialty restaurant, etc. it's charged to your onboard account. So, in affect, the first $50 of charges you make are complimentary.

You can also charge your gratuities to your onboard account.

Trust me when I say you won't have any problem spending the $50, especially if you're talking about buying a bottle or two of wine, a massage, or gratuities.

But the best person to ask about all this is your agent. He/she will be happy to explain everything to you. Everyone here can only speculate some of the answers to your questions.

Pete

Pete, I remember you told me most of that on the phone. But I still thought tips are not included.

Looks like you gave me that $50, not Princess.