OBC for dummies (me)

Scenario #1: Azamara B2B with $1000 OBC on each segment. Spend $500 on first segment - does segment two now have $1500 available?

Scenario #2: Leave cruise segment two above with some OBC unspent, have another cruise with Azamara booked, paid, and departing a couple months later. Can any of the unspent OBC be rolled over to the next cruise?

OBC's do not run over. You will have to use the alloted credit per cruise. Credits can not be transferred.

alcpa1 is right. Any OBC you have must be spent on the cruise it was given to.

But there is a nuance to using OBC.

It isn't absolute, but, generally, any OBC you get from Azamara is non-refundable. That means at the end of the cruise any leftover is lost.

On the other hand, if you got OBC from your travel agent and have some left at the end of the cruise, it will be refunded to the credit card on your account. But it can't be carried forward to a subsequent or later cruise. The caveat on this type is that some travel agents have partnerships with cruiselines so some of their OBC may not be refundable.

The key is to check your account on board. If there is a code that includes something like "OBN", it is non-refundable. If it has "OBR", it is refundable.

Please don't wait until you board to find out how much of your OBC is refundable. Get it in writing from your travel agent and have it with you when you get on the ship. That way it will be clear to you - and to anyone who questions the refundable amount.

How do the determine which OBC you are using, whether it's the refundable type or the non-refundable?

How do the determine which OBC you are using, whether it's the refundable type or the non-refundable?

Non-refundable OBC is used first.

If you turn back in any shore excursions that you had booked before boarding, the amount you paid is credited to your on-board account and is refundable to you. If you then re-book any of the same excursions after boarding the cost of those excursions then is charged against your non-refundable OBC.

How do the determine which OBC you are using, whether it's the refundable type or the non-refundable?

If you look at your statment online or visit Guest Relations, your OBC should be coded as either OBC-R or OBC-N (or something similar that will indicate the type). If the code is not clear, ask GR to explain.

Thanks to all on explanations of OBC- refundable vs non-refundable. When weighing prices from travel agents, I didn't know the difference and I need to find out what I have. With $1700 on a 15-day cruise, we can still spend among drink packages, dining packages, internet, and spa and use those up. However, if we find some is refundable, we'll take the money and prioritize the rest. The TA portion, I believe is $600 or $700.

Non-refundable OBC is used first.

 

This turns out to be a very good answer for me. Thank you. My TA told me $800 OBC is non-refundable and $900 is refundable.

The dining package that includes each restaurant plus chef's table is $270 per couple, WIFI for 15 days is $300, and $230 spa for my wife. Our remaining refundable $900 will be an 8% discount from the cruise price. It will help pay some hotels in Hong Kong and Siem Reap pre and post cruise. It works out perfectly. I was concerned that $1700 OBC would be tough to spend.