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OBC Usage


joeyg
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we have booked our tours and prepaid for them. we were told that once we board we can convert to use our OBC and get our money back. Two questions. Will the amount get credited back to the credit card we used or to the one used on the ship? Also have things changed that we can use our OBC before we go on the trip and save the hassle the first day and do it over the phone now?

Thanks,

Joey

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1. Mine went back to the card I was using on the ship, the credit is applied to that account and then at the end of the trip any balance is paid back - or you can have it paid back as cash at guest relations, certainly did that last year where the amount was small - $10 and for us the bank charges would swallow it up on conversion back.

2. Sadly no progress on avoiding the Day 1 hassle I am afraid

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I wouldn't call it a "hassle." You give Shore Excursions a list of the excursions you want to cancel and re-book and they take care of it. If it's a "hassle" for anyone, it's the Shore Excursion staff.

 

If you are a credit card points chaser like I am, always better to pay with your credit card and get the money back in cash. No so good for non US people who would get USD and convert back to their currency. Also, don't forget that if the price for your excursion is higher when boarding than when you paid the new booking is at the higher price.

 

The hassle is for the non-US people who have the currency conversion issues.

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I wouldn't call it a "hassle." You give Shore Excursions a list of the excursions you want to cancel and re-book and they take care of it. If it's a "hassle" for anyone, it's the Shore Excursion staff.

 

I have to respectfully disagree, it is hassle waiting in line behind people who are needing help/taking time to make decisions. Took 25 minutes so in my book that is hassle. It had to be done Day one because one of the tours was Day two. Its not the fault of the staff, they have to finish with one guest before they start with another, they are not allowed to ask the guest to stand aside whilst they are deliberating

 

I was also reflecting the words of the OP in any event and yes I agree with their assessment of the current process

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No, it isn't. You're out of touch.

 

 

 

My error. The price when you board may be higher than the price paid in advance and when paying from your OBC on board you will pay the current price which may be higher than the amount you will be credited.

 

This was confirmed by other frequent Azamara cruisers and Bonnie.

 

 

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My error. The price when you board may be higher than the price paid in advance and when paying from your OBC on board you will pay the current price which may be higher than the amount you will be credited.

 

This was confirmed by other frequent Azamara cruisers and Bonnie.

Suggest you read Bonnie's post #60 on this thread:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2564285&page=3

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Suggest you read Bonnie's post #60 on this thread:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2564285&page=3

 

Thanks for the link, was going by post #1 which said what I said and missed this update as was on board in Antarctica at the time the post #60 was made. Sorry I didn't follow more closely while on my cruise.

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we have booked our tours and prepaid for them. we were told that once we board we can convert to use our OBC and get our money back. Two questions. Will the amount get credited back to the credit card we used or to the one used on the ship? Also have things changed that we can use our OBC before we go on the trip and save the hassle the first day and do it over the phone now?

Thanks,

Joey

In my case, I did not want to have the money from the excursions paid before the cruise refunded to my credit card. I have requested to receive it in cash on the last day of the cruise. It comes to your on board account as refundable on board credit. I did not have a problem getting it refunded in cash.

What is annoying is that on board prices for excursions are higher than if you book before the cruise. This was my case in October/November 2017.

Ivi

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In my case, I did not want to have the money from the excursions paid before the cruise refunded to my credit card. I have requested to receive it in cash on the last day of the cruise. It comes to your on board account as refundable on board credit. I did not have a problem getting it refunded in cash.

What is annoying is that on board prices for excursions are higher than if you book before the cruise. This was my case in October/November 2017.

Ivi

My experience as well, Journey December/January 2017/18

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I am sure this question has been asked before. However could those in the know let me know what the shore excursion cancellation window is. If I book and pay for a shore excursion before my June cruise I understand I can cancel onboard and use my OBC to pay for the excursion and my original payment will be refunded. However how much in advance can I cancel the excursion if I decide that I do not want to go on it at all, and still get a refund.

DH is having a back operation before our cruise and we do not know quite how mobile he will be in June so its possible we would want to cancel all shore excursions booked.

We have never actually booked an Azamara shore excursion before - prefer DIY but on this occasion the cruise line excursions may be appropriate - we just don't know at the moment.

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Onboard it’s 24 hours before the port of call. However if it’s an excursion involving specialist travel (eg a flight) I have read the figure of 60 days.

They publish in the daily news the deadlines applying for that day and the time of the deadline

 

Good luck to your husband for his surgery

 

 

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I have to respectfully disagree, it is hassle waiting in line behind people who are needing help/taking time to make decisions. Took 25 minutes so in my book that is hassle. It had to be done Day one because one of the tours was Day two.

Unless you were intending to cancel that day two excursion and NOT re-book, there was no reason to have to do it on day one. Shore Excursions can do the cancel-and-re-book transactions anytime on the cruise. You don't have to turn in your pre-booked tickets. There doesn't have to be any "hassle."

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Unless you were intending to cancel that day two excursion and NOT re-book, there was no reason to have to do it on day one. Shore Excursions can do the cancel-and-re-book transactions anytime on the cruise. You don't have to turn in your pre-booked tickets. There doesn't have to be any "hassle."

 

 

 

Interesting as that conflicts with information given here and onboard. Refunds we were told had to be processed before the cancellation time regardless of whether you were taking the trip or not.

 

Bottom line it is a hassle, it’s expensive for non US guests and adds to everyone’s work both guests and crew.

 

However given the confusion your post now adds to the picture perhaps Bonnie can give us the definitive rules on timings etc.

 

 

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Unless you were intending to cancel that day two excursion and NOT re-book, there was no reason to have to do it on day one. Shore Excursions can do the cancel-and-re-book transactions anytime on the cruise. You don't have to turn in your pre-booked tickets. There doesn't have to be any "hassle."

 

It's hard to see how you can cancel and rebook a trip after you have already taken it.

Azamara systems would probably go into meltdown coping with that.

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It's hard to see how you can cancel and rebook a trip after you have already taken it.

Azamara systems would probably go into meltdown coping with that.

It's two simple accounting transactions: a credit and a debit. As long as it's done before your final on-board acccount is closed the last night it's OK. I've had it done.

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The latest update on this has been posted on the Q&A with Richard Twynam section.

 

 

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Sadly doesn’t help us just now - no answer on the vexed exchange rate issue. Just calculated to secure our land discoveries on our upcoming 2 cruises is going to cost us over £200 at today’s rates.

 

Can’t decide whether to risk waiting and booking onboard.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

about to go on our cruise on the quest on 4/20. we prebooked our excursions using a credit card. do we still have to go to the desk and convert to use our OBC when on board? Or can we call in now and use our OBC and not take time on the Ship?

has it changed yet?

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about to go on our cruise on the quest on 4/20. we prebooked our excursions using a credit card. do we still have to go to the desk and convert to use our OBC when on board? Or can we call in now and use our OBC and not take time on the Ship?

 

has it changed yet?

 

 

 

Not changed they are well behind schedule on that promise I’m afraid. You go to the Land Discoveries desk and they’ll quickly switch it no problem

 

 

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