No longer able to get cash in the casino for non-refundable OBC?

I copied the below comment from another thread (kk99 - live aboard the Constellation)

"Casino cash changes. If someone has obc and was not a Blue Chip member or had some other waiver, if you go to the cage you will no longer get cash back minus the 5 percent charge, but you will get promo credits up to the amount of your obc you want to use to play off in a machine or on the tables. If you have leftover refundable obc, it can be credited back to your credit card. Your non refundable credit must be used by the end of the voyage. "

Has anyone else experienced this? Has Celebrity instituted a new policy?

Thanks

If they have there's a pretty simple workaround.

Take the credits to a slot machine but don't gamble.

Cash the credits out, go to the cashier, and get the cash.

It's a couple extra steps, but that should work.

Just off the Infinity. No problem getting $200 from the cashier.

Just off the Infinity. No problem getting $200 from the cashier.

Just off the Silhouette yesterday, no problem cashing out our Celebrity OBC in the casino.

After all the talk here about getting the cash back that way, I think it is/was only a matter of time until the loophole got closed. There is a reason for refundable vs. non-refundable OBC, and Celebrity doesn't want to give cash back at a cost to them of .95 on the dollar when their intention of giving it out as a promotion in the first place was that the real cost to them when it was used would be perhaps half that and whatever was abandoned would have no cost at all. As long as it was a small leakage they could put up with it, but the leakage appears to be growing.

If they have there's a pretty simple workaround.

 

 

 

Take the credits to a slot machine but don't gamble.

 

 

 

Cash the credits out, go to the cashier, and get the cash.

 

 

 

It's a couple extra steps, but that should work.

Typically credits like this have a requirement that they be played through. Meaning if you got $100 you would need to play $100 on slot before you could cash out.

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After all the talk here about getting the cash back that way, I think it is/was only a matter of time until the loophole got closed. There is a reason for refundable vs. non-refundable OBC, and Celebrity doesn't want to give cash back at a cost to them of .95 on the dollar when their intention of giving it out as a promotion in the first place was that the real cost to them when it was used would be perhaps half that and whatever was abandoned would have no cost at all. As long as it was a small leakage they could put up with it, but the leakage appears to be growing.

How do you know what part of your OBC is refundable?

And... if you are cashing-out via chips or slot machines, isn't that something other than OBC?

Since the cashier is simply exchanging chips for cash, or credit slips from slot winnings for cash ... that isn't actually asking the ship to exchange OBC to cash, right?

Mike

How do you know what part of your OBC is refundable?

 

And... if you are cashing-out via chips or slot machines, isn't that something other than OBC?

 

Since the cashier is simply exchanging chips for cash, or credit slips from slot winnings for cash ... that isn't actually asking the ship to exchange OBC to cash, right?

 

Mike

OBC is coded either as OBN-Non Refundable, or OBR - Refundable on your seepass account. You can tell when looking on the TV what you have. It[s possible you have both. X uses up the Non refundable first, so tat the refundable will be refunded if not used.

Typically, cruise line issued OBC is OBN, and TA issued OBC is OBR.

Just off the Summit and was able to cash out $300 plus the 5%. Then cashed out my purchased OBC at the customer relations desk. Had more issues cashing out my OBC than the cruise line credit. We used ours for additional tipping and a non Celebrity tour, plus tipping on our Celebrity tour. Had I been able to use it for rebooking our excursions I would have been happy to do that. Wish they could figure out a way of doing this as it would make more sense since there is almost always a tour I can take with them and therefore they don't lose said funds!

snow bunny

Took 600 out two days ago with no questions asked.

I am noticing everyone is answering how they had no trouble cashing out but not mentioning if they are cashing out Refundable or Non Refundable. Refundable should never be a problem getting back that's why its called "Refundable." Non refundable has the restrictions and that's what all the questions seem to revolve around. So what type was allowed to be cashed out?

I believe they have always had a policy that you can't cash out Non Refundable OBC yet have either been lax on this or just let people cash out anyway. I am thinking of the Stockholders credit that always has a restriction that it can't be used for tips yet always is applied (I have RCL and CCL stock and go on both lines) The big question is when will they actually clamp down at the risk of upsetting what is probably a fairly large number of passengers (with non refundable OBC)?

Interestingly, there was something similar recently posted on the Princess boards (about not being to get NR OBC at the casino). I just wanted to mention that when I posted my question about whether you could get NR OBC at the casino, I got blasted for asking a question I "shouldn't be asking." UM, OK...because the cruise lines evidently never knew this could be done until reading the boards?? :confused:

We cashed out our $300 OBC at the Roulette table on the Equinox TA. Our OBC was from Celebrity as part of our package. The first transaction was for $100 because I wanted to see if there would be any problem deducting it from the OBC. I checked our account about an hour later and the balance was exactly as it should be so the next day we did the same thing and took out the rest, less the fee. We ended up leaving $.070 in our account! They refunded that to our credit card within a couple days.

I can't say anything about refundable or non-refundable, I don't remember how it was coded, but it definitely came Celebrity and I definitely got all of it except 5%!

Jeanne

Celebrity............ Check to see if you have ONR or OBN. They just ask at cage minus 5% for OBN.

Princess.............. Just go to table and ask for monies against your account. Just take chips they give you to cage and cash out without playing.

Just off the Summit and was able to cash out $300 plus the 5%. Then cashed out my purchased OBC at the customer relations desk. Had more issues cashing out my OBC than the cruise line credit. We used ours for additional tipping and a non Celebrity tour, plus tipping on our Celebrity tour. Had I been able to use it for rebooking our excursions I would have been happy to do that. Wish they could figure out a way of doing this as it would make more sense since there is almost always a tour I can take with them and therefore they don't lose said funds!

 

snow bunny

I don't understand - they wouldn't let you use your OBC to book an excursion through the cruise line? They always have before.....

I don't understand - they wouldn't let you use your OBC to book an excursion through the cruise line? They always have before.....

I'm glad you asked. We're planning to use Celebrity promo OBC for a Celebrity excursion in early December.

I'm glad you asked. We're planning to use Celebrity promo OBC for a Celebrity excursion in early December.

You can only use it to book excursions on the actual ship, but some excursions sell out so must be booked in advance -- those you must pay for with cash.

I assume that's where some of the concerns come from.

Thanks. That's the policy that we expected.

Hi,

We are on Constellation right now and are also Blue Chip members. I had drinks last night with a Celebrity shoreside Blue Chip manager about the changes. Constellation casino is the first to institute the changes and it will be the same fleetwide.

If you have nonrefundable onboard credit, you can always use it for tips, shore excursions, spa, shops, bars, photos, etc. If you want to use your nonrefundable obc in the casino, you are given chips that say promo on them, and you can play them on any table game, any winnings are paid out in regular chips you can redeem at the cage. If you play slots, it is loaded onto your card which you then download to the machine by entering your month and date of birth.

So if you have 200 nonrefundable obc to play in the slot machine, you enter your code and download the amount you want to play in the machine- say 100.

Any winnings, print the cash out ticket. The remaining credits stay on the machine until played off or on your card.

I also confirmed this with the casino host on Constellation, and that is what happened when we used some of our nonrefundable credit in the casino.

So for others who were able to take the nonrefundable obc recently, good for you, but unfortunately, it appears it is coming to a close on the fleet.

Hi,

If you have nonrefundable onboard credit, you can always use it for tips, shore excursions, spa, shops, bars, photos, etc.

I am curious how they'll permit people to use it for tips. With Select Dining, you have to prepay the tips so using OBC isn't an option.

On our Reflection cruise last month, gratuities were included as part of the 123Go promotion. We took the rest of our OBC as cash from the casino and used some of it for tipping extra to our room steward. So if someone wanted to use the OBC for additional tips, how will this be done?

I am curious how they'll permit people to use it for tips. With Select Dining, you have to prepay the tips so using OBC isn't an option.

 

On our Reflection cruise last month, gratuities were included as part of the 123Go promotion. We took the rest of our OBC as cash from the casino and used some of it for tipping extra to our room steward. So if someone wanted to use the OBC for additional tips, how will this be done?

To tip extra you visit guest services, they have a form you fill out indicating how much extra tip to what department: room steward, dining, butler, concierge etc., then they put the charge to your account, thus it "eats up" the OBC left on account. I do this to tip out my butlers when I host parties in suite.

Does Celebrity charge the 5% to get cash at the casino if you have a cash account? Royal doesn't and I was wondering if Celebrity had the same policy.

Thanks.

I guess we were lucky! Just got off the Constellation yesterday and was able to cash out $250 in the casino in nonrefundable credit. They made sure to tell us there was a 5% charge which I already knew and we did play at least half in the casino. I wish Celebrity would do like Carnival and allow us to pull money directly from our card to the machine. After playing, we cash out, but wish we had more winnings than losses!!

To tip extra you visit guest services, they have a form you fill out indicating how much extra tip to what department: room steward, dining, butler, concierge etc., then they put the charge to your account, thus it "eats up" the OBC left on account. I do this to tip out my butlers when I host parties in suite.

So will our butler know that it came from us? I don't want to appear to have stiffed him.

So will our butler know that it came from us? I don't want to appear to have stiffed him.

I assume so, the form has guest name and cabin number on it. And since staff get a list of people who remove tips, I have to assume the same list would show added tips.....

Remember it needs done like by the 2nd last night of each crusie, when they cut off gratuity adjustments.