Newbie Q: If webook excursions on board, can we use our on board credit to pay?

Seabourn newbie here ( have done four Silversea, one Regent cruise) and am surprised that if we book excursions now for a September cruise we must pay immediately. We do not mind advancing the money, but we might change our minds, e.g., if one of us is not feeling well, and we want to cancel (allowing for a reasonable 48-72 hours notice, like Silversea allows on most excursions) we prefer to avoid losing all the money. Or is there a period of time you can cancel further in advance and still get a full refund to the credit card?

Reading this forum it also looks like if we book in advance we will not be allowed to use our on board credit to pay for shore excursions either, and as we have a very big OBC ( too big for us to drink up, and we only have so many fingernails to manicure) we do not want that to go to waste. We certainly do not want to book a bunch of excursions in advance and then perhaps need to cancel one or two of them on board and land up with even more OBC!

So is the only solution to avoid losing out on OBC use against shore excursions to book on board, and risk lack of availability? We are on the 12-day 9/5/15 cruise (two back to backs) from Athens to Istanbul, not sure how popular the excursions there are.

Correction, 9/5 14-day BTB Athens- Istabul then Black Sea and back to Istanbul on Odyssey

You are correct. If you book excursions in advance you can't use your credits. But it's not often excursion are booked out before you board.

We were told that even if we booked excursions in advance, once on board, we could ask to have our card credited and the OBC used instead.

Catlover,

need a referral coupon?

Dave

We tend to book only those tours that we really want to do ahead of time. That generally leaves a few that we may or may not choose to do and which can be booked on-board using credit.

On board credit also comes in handy for the SPA and the shop. Only once did I find myself with $60 of OBC on our last day. That problem was quickly solved by a bottle of Gevrey Chambertin for $75 leaving us with a whopping bill of $15 when we disembarked.

Don't forget that you can also use some of it to make a donation to the Crew Welfare Fund!

We normally do not book until on board.No trip has ever been fully booked.We did meet a couple who booked everything before and had their OBC applied after.Not sure but they said SB credited back their CC.

You CAN use your onboard credit to pay for your excursions. Yes, you have to pay in advance with your credit card but then it is credited back onto that once on board and taken off your onboard credit. We have done this several times.

Dumb question of the millisecond then: If I use OBC to book a tour or buy a bottle of wine (or shot of Louis XIII) does that add to my Seabourn points of $$ spent on board towards my club level?

My guess based on what I see from our points balance is that you only get a credit for hard cash spent ie whatever you hand over at the end of the cruise.

I recommend that you wait until you are on board to book your excursions and use up your OBC. On the WC last year almost none of the excursions sold out. I don't remember any that were not available on board. Quiet hint: One can also use OBC to purchase chips at the casino.

I recommend that you wait until you are on board to book your excursions and use up your OBC. On the WC last year almost none of the excursions sold out. I don't remember any that were not available on board. Quiet hint: One can also use OBC to purchase chips at the casino.

This is quite often the case but not always. On the 12 day Singapore to Singapore I just got off that included Myanmar I know of three cases where people were not able to book or change excursions because of high demand from other passengers.

In one case a lady wished to book the Bagan overnight as soon as she got on board. She was very upset with the Destination people that they couldn't make it happen as this had been booked out quite a while before. She kept repeating to the Seabourn Rep that her TA had told her she could book everything once she got on board. She felt that Seabourn should make it happen "as it was the only reason she did the cruise". This excursion did involve flights and a hotel so always wise to book these kind ahead.

This cruise was unusual in many ways including excursions and Spa treatments booking out very early in the cruise. The queues of people waiting to book excursions etc were quite long and people had to learn to wait patiently. So you might also have to be happy to wait in a queue.

Julie

Anything that involves an overnight, hotels or flights is better to book in advance. For all others I'd say wait till you board.

This is quite often the case but not always. On the 12 day Singapore to Singapore I just got off that included Myanmar I know of three cases where people were not able to book or change excursions because of high demand from other passengers.

 

 

 

In one case a lady wished to book the Bagan overnight as soon as she got on board. She was very upset with the Destination people that they couldn't make it happen as this had been booked out quite a while before. She kept repeating to the Seabourn Rep that her TA had told her she could book everything once she got on board. She felt that Seabourn should make it happen "as it was the only reason she did the cruise". This excursion did involve flights and a hotel so always wise to book these kind ahead.

 

 

 

This cruise was unusual in many ways including excursions and Spa treatments booking out very early in the cruise. The queues of people waiting to book excursions etc were quite long and people had to learn to wait patiently. So you might also have to be happy to wait in a queue.

 

 

 

Julie

Silly women,

Only book on board those trips that are just for the day

Never leave to chance an overnight and a fight excursion.

Seabourn would have helped if there was a space but it s a valuable lesson learned.

Julie are you back home now?

Silly women,

Only book on board those trips that are just for the day

Never leave to chance an overnight and a fight excursion.

Seabourn would have helped if there was a space but it s a valuable lesson learned.

Some excursions also state that they are limited. An example would be a zodiac boat trip in the Flam fjords. Many of the "active" excursions are limited because additional vehicles may need to be pre-booked, such as zodiacs, 4x4 jeeps, etc.

Then there are the excursions you can't go on because they didn't sell.

/I'm looking at you toboggans and Reids Palace on Funchal:mad:

We were told that even if we booked excursions in advance, once on board, we could ask to have our card credited and the OBC used instead.

This is correct; I've done this before on board.

Then there are the excursions you can't go on because they didn't sell.

/I'm looking at you toboggans and Reids Palace on Funchal:mad:

But those are easy to sort on your own - and if you book independently at Reid's you may just make it onto the terrace! For the toboggans you just mosey on up the gondola to Monte and get one of the waiting toboggans.

If you must. We did go on this many years ago (on our honeymoon) when it went all the way down into central Funchal - because of new roads is now stops in a suburb. It was pretty uncomfortable then, but quite exhilarating. We've been back several times in recent years and have not found it difficult to resist the call to repeat the exercise. After thirty plus years, with creaking joints, I think the discomfort would well outweigh the exhilaration!

a fight excursion.

Thai boxing or ju-jitsu?

Thai boxing or ju-jitsu?

Pistols at dawn

Where do I purchase my ticket?

But those are easy to sort on your own - and if you book independently at Reid's you may just make it onto the terrace! For the toboggans you just mosey on up the gondola to Monte and get one of the waiting toboggans.

 

If you must. We did go on this many years ago (on our honeymoon) when it went all the way down into central Funchal - because of new roads is now stops in a suburb. It was pretty uncomfortable then, but quite exhilarating. We've been back several times in recent years and have not found it difficult to resist the call to repeat the exercise. After thirty plus years, with creaking joints, I think the discomfort would well outweigh the exhilaration!

I was able to get the terrace and pay less than Seabourn wanted. The trouble was by the time Seabourn said the tour was cancelled Reid's was fully booked. Luckily for me a group showed up in shorts and jeans.:D

Pistols at dawn

Sorry - duel does not qualify as a fight. Has to be physical contact.

Sorry - duel does not qualify as a fight. Has to be physical contact.

That's a shame,I thought a game of conkers might be fun also.