"Purchasing OBC

I have read several references to people buying OBC on their credit card in advance of the cruise. I can't imagine for a minute any benefit by doing this. When you checkin you register a CC for all on board purchases. Why a need for a credit balance up front?

I have read several references to people buying OBC on their credit card in advance of the cruise. I can't imagine for a minute any benefit by doing this. When you checkin you register a CC for all on board purchases. Why a need for a credit balance up front?

For some passengers, there may be a benefit in spreading costs over a longer period of time, in much the same way that some people buy Christmas presents over the course of the year.

Two possible 'benes'. One. Some folks are bad with credit and want to control spending early. Two. Perhaps, mom and dad or friends are contributing to the cause. Just guessing.

I have given OBC as a present to my DS and his family. It's sort of like giving a gift card to be used during a cruise.

As people say, pre-purchased OBC is designed to be a gift given to others sailing. It is, as another poster said, also useful to those with an issue with credit cards [either do not like them or cannot get one]. However, it is primarily discussed on Cruise Critic as a gift to self by those who live outside the USA. At times, Celebrity offers OBC at an exchange rate far better than available anywhere else. At those times, it is well worth purchasing as much OBC as you expect to use.

Sue

We live in the UK and gifted ourselves OBC for our Eclipse cruise in July 13. The exchange rate Celebrity convert at was 8% higher than our credit card would use therefore anything charged to our onboard account became 8% less expensive, including the drinks package. Anything left unspent was credited back to the credit card automatically at the end of the cruise.

In a similar way, you have locked in the exchange rate when you buy. So if you're worried about it going down, you've removed that risk. (You've also removed any possible upside, but that's the trade-off!)

In New Zealand the US dollar is very high at the moment 830/1000 usually it is around 740/1000 and always seems dive down by Christmas. In this situation some people would find this attractive to top up their OBC or buy cash.

You can spread your costs over several billing cycles, rather than leaving the ship with a large bill that lands all at once on the following billing cycle

We did this for our upcoming cruise. I also prepaid for 3 private tours, airport transport, and a massage in Barcelona. We used debit, not credit for all of this. We are not as flush with cash as many fellow cruisers, and it helps to spread things out over several pay periods. I even got Euro early with a bonus I received. We will not have to use credit for anything, and won't be strapped for cash for Christmas when we get home.

We purchased a whole load of OBC for our recent cruise, the rate being offered against the pound sterling was very favourable at the time, and it meant we spread the cost of spending money, by buying a little each month before we travelled, then we had a great time watching our balance go down, instead of up whilst on board - I loved it, but thats just me!

I did buy OBC before sailing this year the exchange rate was so good I got 1.63$ to GB£ while the tourist rate was only around 1.52$

Right now its only 1.51$ http://www.celebritycruises.com/bonvoyage/category/viewProductDetail.do?cat=ONBDCR&coll=ONBDCR&itemCode=C171

How do you find out what rate Celebrity use? And where do you buy the OBC from?

How do you find out what rate Celebrity use? And where do you buy the OBC from?

Try the link above each OBC is worth 25$

One of our credit cards offers 5% cash back for on line purchases in the last 3 months of the year. We get $500 ship board credit for $475. Since we are cruising in December it just makes sense to do this.

Mary Lou

For some passengers, there may be a benefit in spreading costs over a longer period of time, in much the same way that some people buy Christmas presents over the course of the year.

We do it to lessen the sticker shock at the end of the cruise

I just tried buying some. It was showing in $CDN (at $26) but when I got to the very end of the booking it was going to be in USD. No foreign exchange rate (or foreign transaction fee) benefit to buying OBC in advance. Darn it.

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I just tried buying some. It was showing in $CDN (at $26) but when I got to the very end of the booking it was going to be in USD. No foreign exchange rate (or foreign transaction fee) benefit to buying OBC in advance. Darn it.

Well, so much for that idea! :mad: I'd been watching their posted rate and comparing it with what I can buy USDs for here and was timing my purchase. I didn't think that Celebrity would post the price on their website in Canadian dollars then turn around and charge in American. :confused:

Something else for their crack computer team to look at! :D

You can spread your costs over several billing cycles, rather than leaving the ship with a large bill that lands all at once on $the following billing cycle

Exactly the reason we do it. Another reason we do it is say for example you have 19,600 points on your X credit card, if you buy $200 of OBC you get 400 points which you can turn into another $200 of OBC. We just did this for a upcoming cruise we were a few points shy of a 150 OBC we we bought ourselves some and cashed in our points for more.

I would much rather buy say a total of 500 OBC before my cruise and have a bill of say 400 at the end then a bill of around 1K.

I just tried buying some. It was showing in $CDN (at $26) but when I got to the very end of the booking it was going to be in USD. No foreign exchange rate (or foreign transaction fee) benefit to buying OBC in advance. Darn it.

 

 

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I did this the last cruise. I purchased the OBC in CAN and it was on my shipboard account in US$. (Currency of the cruise line). it was a much better rate than I could have done at home. Check how much it would cost you to buy USD at your bank and compare.

Just checked. Today it would cost mr $26.78 to buy $25 USD (and I get a good rate). So it is much better to pre buy OBC from Celebrity!

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I just tried buying some. It was showing in $CDN (at $26) but when I got to the very end of the booking it was going to be in USD. No foreign exchange rate (or foreign transaction fee) benefit to buying OBC in advance. Darn it.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

My understanding is that if you purchase OBC it is charged in the same currency as your cruise. So, if you are paying for your cruise in $CDN, the OBR should be priced in $CDN and if you are paying for your cruise in US$, the OBC should be price in US$. If this is not working for you, it may be connected with the recent computer system upgrade ad I suggest that you phone Celebrity and purchase the OBC over the telephone. In the UK, this can work better than buying it online because it is not/was not an automatic process and required human intervention. This may/may not have changed with the system upgrade.

Sue

Interesting. I did book my cruise in USD, so maybe that's the issue.

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Is an OBC purchased with a credit card refundable as cash? Any fees?

Is an OBC purchased with a credit card refundable as cash? Any fees?

If your credit card charges a foreign currency fee, any refund will attract that. As a default, Celebrity would refund any unused purchased OBC to your credit card [the one used on your Xpress pass]. However, I have been told on these boards that they will refund in cash, if you ask, but I have not yet tried to do this. As we are on a B2B next, I am planning to see if this is true. I do not want a double hit on the credit card fees.

Sue