Purchase of onboard credit - heads up for UK passengers

[karpela]

There's a lesson to be learned here!

 

Last year when on Equinox, we took advantage of this and when the room steward turned up with the pieces of paper to sign to confirm the OBC, he read out the message that was written on the message each time! I had put some really daft and silly messages on them and was rather embarrased by the time he left the room :o

 

Lets just say that "Enjoy" features on all 5 of mine for next week!

 

Ha ha :D

 

Actually, something similar happened to us on the Equinox a few years ago. We sent ourselves bottles of wine as gifts to arrive at dinner on certain nights but all the messages got mixed up and said things like 'hope you had a great time in Santorini' when we'd just left Mykonos. Every night I had to try and explain my English humour to our tablemates.

 

I just stick with 'enjoy' now :)

[Project_gal]

There's a lesson to be learned here!

 

Last year when on Equinox, we took advantage of this and when the room steward turned up with the pieces of paper to sign to confirm the OBC, he read out the message that was written on the message each time! I had put some really daft and silly messages on them and was rather embarrased by the time he left the room :o

 

Lets just say that "Enjoy" features on all 5 of mine for next week!

 

Hoping you have a fantastic time on Equinox. You were greatly missed on Eclipse and deserve to "Enjoy" this time.

 

Sue

[Project_gal]

For anyone hesitating about whethe or not to purchase any OBC, the pound dropped againagainst the dollar overnight. The rate published on the BBC website when I checked earlier this morning was the lowest since 1 July 2010.

 

Sue

[bengaltiger1]

Is anyone able to confirm that Celebrity use the exchange rate on the day you purchase the credit and not on the day sail please? I have taken advantage of this great tip and I don't think the pound will improve against the dollar, but if it does we may see less dollars for our pounds. I am thinking about purchasing more units before Celebrity change the rate.

 

Thanks

[ladylemondrop]

Ok, I just bought some more onboard credit, AND a spa credit, for me, and some rather nifty travel binoculars for dear hubby, but I think I need to STOP NOW!!! LOL!!!

 

On a serious note, I am pretty sure once you purchase, at todays rate, thats it, you have your dollars to spend on board, at whatever you paid for them in pounds. So its a good deal, at current rate.

[excitedofharpenden]

This sounds like a good idea and I am tempted to do $900 worth to cover our drinks package ( No 123 Go) on our 14 day Eclipse cruise in September. However if disaster were to 'strike' and we had to cancel our cruise for some reason how would I reclaim the OBC once it has been charged to my credit card ?.

I have cancelled before and any purchases done for Speciality Restaurants have just automatically been credited back to my credit card at the prevailing rate. I assume that the same happens for any obc that is linked to your booking. Of course if the rate is still a lot lower when you cancel then you are quids in because you'll get more £s back for your dollars.

 

 

On a serious note, I am pretty sure once you purchase, at todays rate, thats it, you have your dollars to spend on board, at whatever you paid for them in pounds. So its a good deal, at current rate.

 

That is correct.

 

Phil

[upwarduk]

I have cancelled before and any purchases done for Speciality Restaurants have just automatically been credited back to my credit card at the prevailing rate. I assume that the same happens for any obc that is linked to your booking. Of course if the rate is still a lot lower when you cancel then you are quids in because you'll get more £s back for your dollars.

 

Phil

 

I also believe you have any unspent OBC 'THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED' credited back.

But not OBC that was given as a booking incentive, from a T.A.

I seem to remember reading that on these boards last year.

 

I also had a pre arranged trip cancelled by the cruise ship and I benefitted by the exchange rate when it was refunded to my on board account.

[Guernseycruiser]

If you do not spend all your obc, can you take it out as cash at the guest relations desk, rather than re-credited against your credit/debit card? I note you could take out any obc through the casino with a 5% charge.

[cinnamon]

I've just been looking at the RCI website to see if this is possible for our Adventure OTS cruise at the end of May but it doesn't look possible.

[texmex.ferr]

how much is the Premium drinks package in Dollars for 14 nights including 15% gratuities. Anyone know? I know to buy it on Celebrity's web site it would cost £1130.22 for 14 nights, but I don't know what it would be if we added OBC and purchased it onboard in Dollars.

 

Thanks

[swigso]

I've just been looking at the RCI website to see if this is possible for our Adventure OTS cruise at the end of May but it doesn't look possible.

 

Hi

If you ring Guest Suport at RCCl 0844 725247

They can arrange it do not know what the exchange rate

Would be but you can try,

I would guess that it will be the same as Celebrity.

Be interesting to know if you do can you post back.

Thanks

[smileon]

Can anyone confirm or otherwise that if you do not use all the OBC it will be credited back to your credit card? If this is the case, I assume if you have some TA added credit which can not be refunded they would use that first?

 

Thank you

[Project_gal]

If you do not spend all your obc, can you take it out as cash at the guest relations desk, rather than re-credited against your credit/debit card? I note you could take out any obc through the casino with a 5% charge.

 

My understanding is that you cannot get the surplus out in cash. I asked on these boards because our next cruise is a B2B and it would have been nice to get the surplus after the first cruise out in cash and immediately credit it to the next cruise. It will be creditted back to your credit card.

 

Sue

[Project_gal]

Can anyone confirm or otherwise that if you do not use all the OBC it will be credited back to your credit card? If this is the case, I assume if you have some TA added credit which can not be refunded they would use that first?

 

Thank you

 

They always use nonrefundable OBC credit first.

 

Sue

[gsgbrumuk]

If you buy a drinks package on board you get stung for the 15% gratuity. When we purchased online before sailing we were not charged the gratuity.

[karpela]

My understanding is that you cannot get the surplus out in cash. I asked on these boards because our next cruise is a B2B and it would have been nice to get the surplus after the first cruise out in cash and immediately credit it to the next cruise. It will be creditted back to your credit card.

 

Sue

 

We have always got ours back in cash (dollars) at the end of our cruise from Guest Relations.

[bengaltiger1]

how much is the Premium drinks package in Dollars for 14 nights including 15% gratuities. Anyone know? I know to buy it on Celebrity's web site it would cost £1130.22 for 14 nights, but I don't know what it would be if we added OBC and purchased it onboard in Dollars.

 

Thanks

 

I asked a American who is on the same cruise as I on my roll call. She very kindly checked for me and told me what the price was in dollars. I was surprised when I converted the cost from pounds to dollars, because there was next to no difference in the cost. May be you could ask someone on your roll call?

[nijh]

how much is the Premium drinks package in Dollars for 14 nights including 15% gratuities. Anyone know? I know to buy it on Celebrity's web site it would cost £1130.22 for 14 nights, but I don't know what it would be if we added OBC and purchased it onboard in Dollars.

 

Thanks

 

$54 pppn. Adding the tip that comes to $62.10.

[Lotus Girl]

Hoping you have a fantastic time on Equinox. You were greatly missed on Eclipse and deserve to "Enjoy" this time.

 

Sue

 

Thanks Sue, I read the reviews on your cruise and it sure looked like you all had a great time. Wish we'd been there for your celebration and that fabulous suite.

 

Karen

[texmex.ferr]

Thanks bengaltiger 1 and nijh for the information on the $ prices for the premium packages, I'll go and do my homework now and then decide...;)

 

Texmex.ferr

[Project_gal]

We have always got ours back in cash (dollars) at the end of our cruise from Guest Relations.

 

Thanks! From what I was told on here, I was not even going to bother to ask at Guest Relations. Now you say that you could get it back in cash, we will at least ask. We'll still keep the back up option of buying wine for the second leg.

 

Sue

[ladylemondrop]

Receipt of payment - how long does this usually take? I made a couple of purchases as you know over last few days, and I got an email with a receipt for the first one, but nothing so far for the subsequent purchases, which is making me a little nervous, as it does not show in my reservation either. Anyone got any idea how long it usually takes for them to confirm my purchases please? Thanks.

[excitedofharpenden]

Louise, I usually get one straight back. Do you have online access to the account you made the payments from? They should show on there pretty quickly. Otherwise perhaps ring Celebrity's office in the UK and see if they can have a look under your booking number.

 

As for all the discussions about what to do if you have some obc left over.....I wish! LOL

 

Phil

[Guernseycruiser]

Just tried to purchase some obc for our cruise next month. As we have booked through a US TA, the UK office would not allow me to purchase obc through them. They stated I would need to either purchase online, or through the head office in Miami, however I will be charged in USD, which when converted to GBP today is not a good rate. I guess you can't win them all!!!

[upwarduk]

Just tried to purchase some obc for our cruise next month. As we have booked through a US TA, the UK office would not allow me to purchase obc through them. They stated I would need to either purchase online, or through the head office in Miami, however I will be charged in USD, which when converted to GBP today is not a good rate. I guess you can't win them all!!!

 

If you go on line, does it show the price in GBP?

I didn't go through 'Manage My Booking,' there was no facility to order it there, I just went on Celebrity web site & scrolled down to the 'already booked' section.

I then had to put in my booking reference, sail date and ship.

Hope this helps.