Our strategy with OBCs

[Pia1913]

This is the most difficult thing for me to understand - how anyone would not use up all their on board credits...isn't that what they're for?

 

On our last cruise, B2B Star, we had $1925.00 OBC, of which only $609.00 went to tips. You do the arithmetic. :)

[BoopTennis]

i am a bit confused by all this. So if we use the SAME exact credit card for both accounts -- my husband and me in the same cabin, should be no issue correct? both OBC credits for both of us to the same credit card where all charges will be? We don't usually use different credit cards for a cruise -- use the same one the entire trip. will that work?

[Toto2Kansas]

i am a bit confused by all this. So if we use the SAME exact credit card for both accounts -- my husband and me in the same cabin, should be no issue correct? both OBC credits for both of us to the same credit card where all charges will be? We don't usually use different credit cards for a cruise -- use the same one the entire trip. will that work?

This is exactly what we do, both in the same cabin, both charged to the same credit card. But even though he had a credit on his account that would have cancelled out my balance, they billed me for my charges and said his credit went POOF............not used, so it was forfeited.

[BoopTennis]

what all can the OBC credits be used for? (do you have to designate it somehow that credits will be used)?

 

I know miliary OBC cannot be used for casino.

but other than that....?

[Toto2Kansas]

what all can the OBC credits be used for? (do you have to designate it somehow that credits will be used)?

 

I know miliary OBC cannot be used for casino.

but other than that....?

 

Any credits on your accounts are just that, 'credits' and no matter what they say they can't be used for, their software does not (currently) allow certain purchases/charged items to be assigned to certain credits. So, whatever is charged to your shipboard account, including tips, purchases, excursions and casino, will be deducted from that credit on your shipboard account. ;)

[BoopTennis]

thank you

[cruiseron36]

This is exactly what we do, both in the same cabin, both charged to the same credit card. But even though he had a credit on his account that would have cancelled out my balance, they billed me for my charges and said his credit went POOF............not used, so it was forfeited.

 

What ship and when did this happen. WE just left the Emerald on March 28 and the two accounts were combined at the end of the cruise.

[Toto2Kansas]

What ship and when did this happen. WE just left the Emerald on March 28 and the two accounts were combined at the end of the cruise.

Royal Princess, disembarked March 3

[pretenda]

When did this new accounting system start. On the Emerald as of march 28 they were still being combined.

 

 

We are just off the Emerald on 28 March too - ours were combined. Don't think there will be a problem.

Glenda

[cruiseron36]

Sounds like it is only happening on the "R" Ships - perhaps they still have an antiquated computer system.

[Toto2Kansas]

Sounds like it is only happening on the "R" Ships - perhaps they still have an antiquated computer system.

Not by the sounds of it from the original thread, here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1376428&page=12

[bhopal21]

I can't imagine finishing a cruise with ANY onboard credit remaining.

 

We always manage to incur a significant balance during the cruise.

 

Mike:)

[Pia1913]

I can't imagine finishing a cruise with ANY onboard credit remaining.

 

We always manage to incur a significant balance during the cruise.

 

Mike:)

 

See post #26. Mine. Very difficult to spend that kind of money if you are not doing ship's tours.

[Pia1913]

Not by the sounds of it from the original thread, here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1376428&page=12

 

If we do ship's tours, I usually book them and put them all in my name. This is what was done for our upcoming Grand cruise, so I decided to redo them and split the bookings to even out the monies. Lo and behold two tours have gone up $16/pp, so for me to revamp would cost me $64.00. No thank you. I will get rid of our credit balance another way. :D

[Pia1913]

Not by the sounds of it from the original thread, here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1376428&page=12

 

If we do ship's tours, I usually book them and put them all in my name. This is what was done for our upcoming Grand cruise, so I decided to redo them and split the bookings to even out the monies. Lo and behold two tours have gone up $16/pp, so for me to revamp would cost me an additional $64.00. No thank you Princess. I will get rid of our credit balance another way. :D

[bhopal21]

Would be no trouble at all for us and if you incurred $600+ in tips that was a longer cruise.

 

Mike:)

[Pia1913]

Would be no trouble at all for us and if you incurred $600+ in tips that was a longer cruise.

 

Mike:)

 

Yep. 29 days. But whatever tours we took were private and our drinking consisted of wine (brought on by us), diet Pepsi (brought on by us) and coke and beer (two Elite setups; booze exchanged for both).

[Toto2Kansas]

Normally on a B2B, they will carry over any unused shipboard credit to the following cruise also. That is what we normally have, especially if the first sailing is less days then the second. We actually balanced out after 22 days, but it was the way it was handled that sent things crazy. And with 4 complete bar set ups, we were fine in the drink department. ;)

[jerbeth]

Our OBC is about even. HE gets the military, I get the shareholder. We both get FCC's, we both get TA, but HE gets loyalty. Works out fine. Haven't lost a dime yet.

 

Pia, I was told that we could not have both Shareholders and Military OBC on one booking, only one or the other. How did you manage it?:confused:

[Pia1913]

Pia, I was told that we could not have both Shareholders and Military OBC on one booking, only one or the other. How did you manage it?:confused:

 

 

I don't know who told you that, but it's not so. We just received it on our last two cruises and I've got the documentation that says we're getting it on the Grand in May.

[cruiseron36]

Normally on a B2B, they will carry over any unused shipboard credit to the following cruise also. That is what we normally have, especially if the first sailing is less days then the second. We actually balanced out after 22 days, but it was the way it was handled that sent things crazy. And with 4 complete bar set ups, we were fine in the drink department. ;)

 

Not always true - on the Crown in october they did. On the recent Emerald in March they did not.

[OldSeaDog]

Pia, I was told that we could not have both Shareholders and Military OBC on one booking, only one or the other. How did you manage it?:confused:

 

That used to be true, but Princess has changed the policy so that you may now use both.

[Toto2Kansas]

Not always true - on the Crown in october they did. On the recent Emerald in March they did not.

Did you request it be carried over? We had to go down to the purser's desk and ask that the credit be carried over to the next sailing, it seems they would not just do it automatically now, we were told.

[Pia1913]

Did you request it be carried over? We had to go down to the purser's desk and ask that the credit be carried over to the next sailing, it seems they would not just do it automatically now, we were told.

 

That's what we had to do last month on the Star, even though our balance on the first cruise was 28 cents.

[cruiseron36]

Did you request it be carried over? We had to go down to the purser's desk and ask that the credit be carried over to the next sailing, it seems they would not just do it automatically now, we were told.

 

I did not request it on either the Crown or the Emerald. The crown did it automatically, the Emerald did not. However both sailings did combine mine and my wifes together at the end of the cruise.