OBC - Where can I use it?

[ghulett]

I booked a suite through NCL when they were offering $300 OBC. That's all great, but I don't know what they will let me use it on. Alcoholic beverages, soda cards, spa treatments, excursions, laundry, upscale dining, concierge/butler tips, gambling, on board shopping, what?

 

Thanks for any input.

 

--Janette

[marelind]

OBC is added to your on board account, so it can be used for anything -- excursions, bar tab, casino, spa, specialty dining, etc. The only thing that can't happen with it is to have it refunded to you, so you might as well spend it on the ship.

[che5904]

Your onboard account resembles a checking account. You have money going in - OBC, cash deposits (if you choose). You have money coming out - anything you purchase onboard, specialty restaurants, photos, drinks, excursions and whatever is still owing at the end will be taken from your credit card you used to check in.

 

Gambling - yes and no. The casino uses cash, however you may be able to withdraw money from your on board account from the casino cashier, but I believe there is a surcharge and limits.

 

I will make one correction to what Marelind wrote. OBC can sometimes be refunded. Not the type you are asking about which is an incentive given by either NCL or a TA. If OBC was purchased through the Bon Voyage package and there was money left at the end of the cruise, it does get refunded back to the credit card it was charged to.

[davesgirl51]

To expound on Che's casino remarks, there is a 3% finance charge on any money withdrawn from your shipboard account (which would include any OBC given to you when you purchased your stateroom).

 

There was a time when you could withdraw up to $2000. from your on board account (which required cashiers to call the Purser and have it cleared) per day. I believe you can still do that, but now you pay a 3% surcharge similar to an ATM.

 

That being said, if you are a regular member of Casinos at Sea, the rules are different.

 

Your OBC can be used for everything else. :)

[mafig]

tips, also, right?

[che5904]

tips, also, right?

 

I don't see why not. As I stated it works like a checking account, a credit card statement or any of that such thing. Money in, money out.

[jdvmd]

tips, also, right?

 

 

Don't think so. Here is one of the latest OBC offers, specifically on the Epic. This comes from the Terms and Conditions fine print from the NCL website.

 

Offer is valid for Norwegian Epic round trip Barcelona 2011 sailings only. Added to the offer on July 22 nd, 13 Day Norwegian Epic 10/23/11 Transatlantic sailing (BCN/MIA).

Offer is valid for new individual and new group bookings booked within the booking window. Offer is NOT combinable with existing group block rates.

Qualifying new individual reservations can be moved into existing group and count towards Tour Conductor Credits.

Onboard credit offer is per stateroom, in U.S. Dollars, based on category booked, and will be applied to 1st and 2nd guest on the reservation.

 

Onboard credit has no monetary value and is non-transferable. It may not be used toward onboard service charges. Singles paying 200% are entitled to full onboard credit value.

 

Offer Combinable with program codes LATITUDE, ENSEMBLE,TSAVER,TFGROUP,CHOLIDAY, VCOM, CSHOPPES,SIGNATUR,VIRTUOSO,TIFWP, TIILS, TIFGR, TIIS2,TG50C, TICEV, OBC, TIOBC

Offer Combinable with program codes PGOBC, PGAXOC, PGAARP, NICKAARP, PPSRVCHG , LATOBC1

Guests who cancel and rebook must accept this promotion's Terms and Conditions.

 

Government taxes & fees, and onboard service charges are additional.

[mafig]

tips, also, right?

 

 

I originally asked this 'cause I cruise on different lines and have trouble remembering all the different policies. Old age, I guess.:D

 

Anyway, from what I recall the only cruiseline that didn't allow this was Costa.

 

I think there have been several threads on this but even though it says in the previous posters post, in actuallity what happens is that the gratuity is deducted from the OBC.

 

If this is not still the case, I'd like to know.

[che5904]

Don't think so. Here is one of the latest OBC offers, specifically on the Epic. This comes from the Terms and Conditions fine print from the NCL website.

 

Offer is valid for Norwegian Epic round trip Barcelona 2011 sailings only. Added to the offer on July 22 nd, 13 Day Norwegian Epic 10/23/11 Transatlantic sailing (BCN/MIA).

Offer is valid for new individual and new group bookings booked within the booking window. Offer is NOT combinable with existing group block rates.

Qualifying new individual reservations can be moved into existing group and count towards Tour Conductor Credits.

Onboard credit offer is per stateroom, in U.S. Dollars, based on category booked, and will be applied to 1st and 2nd guest on the reservation.

 

Onboard credit has no monetary value and is non-transferable. It may not be used toward onboard service charges. Singles paying 200% are entitled to full onboard credit value.

 

Offer Combinable with program codes LATITUDE, ENSEMBLE,TSAVER,TFGROUP,CHOLIDAY, VCOM, CSHOPPES,SIGNATUR,VIRTUOSO,TIFWP, TIILS, TIFGR, TIIS2,TG50C, TICEV, OBC, TIOBC

Offer Combinable with program codes PGOBC, PGAXOC, PGAARP, NICKAARP, PPSRVCHG , LATOBC1

Guests who cancel and rebook must accept this promotion's Terms and Conditions.

 

Government taxes & fees, and onboard service charges are additional.

 

OK but the OP was asking about gratuities not OSC (or the old words - DSC). Two totally different things.

 

But useful information to know anyway.

[che5904]

I originally asked this 'cause I cruise on different lines and have trouble remembering all the different policies. Old age, I guess.:D

 

Anyway, from what I recall the only cruiseline that didn't allow this was Costa.

 

I think there have been several threads on this but even though it says in the previous posters post, in actuallity what happens is that the gratuity is deducted from the OBC.

 

If this is not still the case, I'd like to know.

 

Sorry you lost me with this one. My bill comes to more than any OBC I would receive so which ones are eligible and which ones aren't really has no impact on mine. If my total expenditures were $600 counting everything OSC (DSC), tips, etc and my OBC was $200, I look at it like it is bound to cover something on my bill and in the end I will still have to pay $400 for the remainder, regardless to what the accounting department does behind the scenes. :D

 

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[jdvmd]

OK but the OP was asking about gratuities not OSC (or the old words - DSC). Two totally different things.

 

But useful information to know anyway.

 

 

O.K., now I am confused. Why are onboard service charges/daily service charges not the same as gratuities/tips/ aka $12 a day service charge?

 

To me, they are the exact same thing.

[cclski]

Butlers and Concierges are not tipped electronically. You give them cash. Therefore their tips cannot come from OBC. However, OBC is in your account just like any other bank account. If a charge hits your account from the ship, drink, speciality restaurant or daily service charge (OSC/DSC) it will deduct against that credit.

[che5904]

O.K., now I am confused. Why are onboard service charges/daily service charges not the same as gratuities/tips/ aka $12 a day service charge?

 

To me, they are the exact same thing.

 

 

OSC (DSC) - Why is there a service charge?

The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports.

 

Tips - Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

 

 

Yes to me they are the same thing but technically they are not. If you want a full description, go to the NCL site FAQ where these are both covered. I personally think these "incentive covering charges" as gratuities. But in this instance the OP was asking about tips above the OSC and therefore that would be "tips" or "gratuties" and wouldn't fall under the restrictions that you have quoted.

 

So it would all depend on the regulations surrounding the OBC. If you are comped OBC from the casino it does not allow you to include your tips. If you purchase an OBC as a bon voyage gift, it allows you to cover anything and/or everything.

[peg013]

Butlers and Conceirge are not tipped electronically. You give them cash. Therefore their tips cannot come from OBC. However, OBC is in your account just like any other bank account. If a charge hits your account from the ship, drink, speciality restaurant or daily service charge (OSC/DSC) it will deduct against that credit.

 

To use OBC to tip your butler and/or concierges all you do is go to Guest Services and tell them how much you want each to receive. They will provide you with a paper/papers to actually give to them so they know how much you tipped. I just place it in a Thank You card and hand it to them. Don't forget to fill out a STYLE card too! (You could also do this to tip crew members in the Kids Club.):)

[mpk218]

Your OBC can be used for anything on board the ship including your daily gratuitys. As for butler and Concierges I have had them added to my on board account . The front desk will give you a slip to give them showing the amount you are tipping. Note , i have always gone over my OBC amount come the end of a cruise so I suppose you can say I paid cash from my card , ive never done the math to see where it came from. But long story short , I've always paid for everything through my OBC account ..;)

ooops , except for room service ..

[jdvmd]

My apologies. I didn't see the OP's original part of concierge/butler tips -- only saw tips and took that to mean the daily charges. I think everyone is clear now.

[che5904]

Your OBC can be used for anything on board the ship including your daily gratuitys. As for butler and Concierges I have had them added to my on board account . The front desk will give you a slip to give them showing the amount you are tipping. Note , i have always gone over my OBC amount come the end of a cruise so I suppose you can say I paid cash from my card , ive never done the math to see where it came from. But long story short , I've always paid for everything through my OBC account ..;)

ooops , except for room service ..

 

Yes and no depending on the terms of the onboard credit. As you can see in post #7, that particular onboard credit does not cover the DSC which is I believe new :confused:. A casino onboard credit does not cover gratuities, which also works the same way at land casinos, so not a new thing to me. I've never received TA onboard credit, so I have no idea.

 

I'm assuming that the OP is afraid that their $300 OBC will be under their weekly charges and therefore wants to make sure, what it will cover.

 

Like you whatever OBC I have/had does not equal what my end charges are so I just let the bean counters worry about where it's all coming from and just pay the balance :)

[che5904]

My apologies. I didn't see the OP's original part of concierge/butler tips -- only saw tips and took that to mean the daily charges. I think everyone is clear now.

 

 

Oh gosh I hope so, since all these acronyms (OBC, OSC, DSC) are starting to downright confuse me.:eek: :D :D

[jdvmd]

Oh gosh I hope so, since all these acronyms (OBC, OSC, DSC) are starting to downright confuse me.:eek: :D :D

 

 

Me too. We should come up with an acronym just for our confusion!

[mpk218]

Yes and no depending on the terms of the onboard credit. As you can see in post #7, that particular onboard credit does not cover the DSC which is I believe new :confused:. A casino onboard credit does not cover gratuities, which also works the same way at land casinos, so not a new thing to me. I've never received TA onboard credit, so I have no idea.

 

I'm assuming that the OP is afraid that their $300 OBC will be under their weekly charges and therefore wants to make sure, what it will cover.

 

Like you whatever OBC I have/had does not equal what my end charges are so I just let the bean counters worry about where it's all coming from and just pay the balance :)

 

Yep :D

[ghulett]

Thanks for all your input! I have already prepaid the DSC, so that acronym isn't an issue. $300 OBC may not sound like much to some folks, but it is a lot for me to spend on board. Particularly since I don't drink. So, I figure if we eat in specialty restaurants half the time, maybe do a shore excursion or spa treatment and take advantage of the $25/bag laundry special we could use it up. As for the concierge and butler, I'll just give them cash in a card.

 

Thanks again,

Janette

[peg013]

Thanks for all your input! I have already prepaid the DSC, so that acronym isn't an issue. $300 OBC may not sound like much to some folks, but it is a lot for me to spend on board. Particularly since I don't drink. So, I figure if we eat in specialty restaurants half the time, maybe do a shore excursion or spa treatment and take advantage of the $25/bag laundry special we could use it up. As for the concierge and butler, I'll just give them cash in a card.

 

Thanks again,

Janette

 

Use $150 of it to buy a Future Cruise Deposit. That way you can pay for the FCD with NCL's OBC and earn an extra $100 in the deal. (When you apply the $250 as a deposit on your next cruise.) You have 4 years to use it.