Is OBC ever refundable?

My daughter's family and my husband and I booked 2 cabins on Fantasy. They are getting $450 OBC and we are getting $250. Our TA said it is 100% from the agency but is NOT refundable. Can anyone explain why? We have always gotten back TA OBC and on Princess they return any unused whether from TA, Visa, military, FCC, etc.

My daughter's family and my husband and I booked 2 cabins on Fantasy. They are getting $450 OBC and we are getting $250. Our TA said it is 100% from the agency but is NOT refundable. Can anyone explain why? We have always gotten back TA OBC and on Princess they return any unused whether from TA, Visa, military, FCC, etc.

Typically, Onboard Credits are only refundable if the original source of the credit was a cash source (like if you paid extra money ahead on your cruise). OBC from cruise lines, TA, or other sources that are using the OBC as a lure to use them for booking, doesn't generally qualify for that.

TA OBCs generally come out of the "cut" that the agency is getting for handling the booking, so if the reservation is cancelled, they would, in effect, be paying you to not go on the cruise if they gave you the OBC from that cancelled reservation. When the reservation is cancelled, there is no money coming to the TA from the cruiseline.

Go and get a nice massage and have dinner at Remy, problem solved. :)

The OBC from the TA if not used, goes back to the TA. It's not that it's not refundable - it's that it's not refundable to you. It's how DCL and the TA have set it up.

It's why I don't pre-pay my tips - I use my OBC for it. We don't do excursions, we drink very, very little, no spa, no photos, only a little in the gift shop (and even then - the last cruise was less than $50). If I didn't use the OBC for tips, I would have a tough time using it up.

The OBC from the TA if not used, goes back to the TA. It's not that it's not refundable - it's that it's not refundable to you. It's how DCL and the TA have set it up.

 

It's why I don't pre-pay my tips - I use my OBC for it. We don't do excursions, we drink very, very little, no spa, no photos, only a little in the gift shop (and even then - the last cruise was less than $50). If I didn't use the OBC for tips, I would have a tough time using it up.

If it goes back to the TA, then it should really come to the client post cruise. Am I wrong in this observation? We have a Galapagos cruise coming up and will get $900 TA rebate after the cruise. (No OBC needed on this cruise.) is there anyone else who knows for a fact that unused TA OBC goes back to them? I don't want to question my TA until I am sure of this information. My TA told me it is all from her agency but must be spent or it is lost.

If it goes back to the TA, then it should really come to the client post cruise. Am I wrong in this observation? We have a Galapagos cruise coming up and will get $900 TA rebate after the cruise. (No OBC needed on this cruise.) is there anyone else who knows for a fact that unused TA OBC goes back to them? I don't want to question my TA until I am sure of this information. My TA told me it is all from her agency but must be spent or it is lost.

Because DCL doesn't allow TA's to discount or offer cash rebates to clients, this would be a violation in their contract. They may only offer gifts as incentives, which IBC's are considered as it's use it or lose it, just like a bottle of wine, coupon for free transfers, etc. Would be.

It doesn't always go back to the TA either. Depends on how the OBC was set up, some larger agencies can buy it at a 'discount', but then it becomes totally use or lose...

One difference is other lines have casinos that may give you an alternate way to extract the OBC.

It doesn't always go back to the TA either. Depends on how the OBC was set up, some larger agencies can buy it at a 'discount', but then it becomes totally use or lose...

 

One difference is other lines have casinos that may give you an alternate way to extract the OBC.

I guess a special line as Disney is can have different rules. This will be our third Disney cruise and I'm sure we can find ways to spend our OBC. If we can't, the grandchildren sure can! LOL

have dinner at Remy, problem solved. :)

OBC. That's how I plan to pay for Palo for 4 on upcoming cruise :)

It's REALLY important to note that OBC is NOT cash. Yes, in some cases it can be turned into cash, but its not the same thing.

When looking at promotional offers, always consider OBC as OBC and Cash/Discounts and Cash/Discounts. $100 OBC is not the same as $100 off the price for a variety of reasons.

someone posted somewhere, can't remember where, that they used some OBC to by a Disney gift card on board, that way they took that home with them instead of losing the $.

someone posted somewhere, can't remember where, that they used some OBC to by a Disney gift card on board, that way they took that home with them instead of losing the $.

That was me. I won the obc at a DVC talk in a drawing they had and was able to buy a gift card in one of the big shops on the Dream (don't remember the name of it). Worked out really well as I used it towards my Disney annual pass later!

That was me. I won the obc at a DVC talk in a drawing they had and was able to buy a gift card in one of the big shops on the Dream (don't remember the name of it). Worked out really well as I used it towards my Disney annual pass later!

Good thinking!!! I'm not sure I would have thought of that....but I will now!