Select dining with TA prepaid gratuities

[metter]

First cruise fast approaching (Oct 23rd). We have booked the early dining and our TA is prepaying our gratuities about a week before we travel ( their perk).

If we opt for select and prepay ourselves what would happen to the TA money? Would it just be a credit? If so is any remaining money refunded?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions. Thanks for any advice.

 

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 4

[Wine-O]

First cruise fast approaching (Oct 23rd). We have booked the early dining and our TA is prepaying our gratuities about a week before we travel ( their perk).

If we opt for select and prepay ourselves what would happen to the TA money? Would it just be a credit? If so is any remaining money refunded?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions. Thanks for any advice.

 

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 4

 

If you chose Select, not to worry. Your TA is prepaying your gratuities no matter what dining you chose. You don't have to prepay yourselves.

 

If your TA is giving the amount of your gratuities as OBC, then, yes, you would have to prepay up front, and the amount of gratuities of OBC would be just that - OBC. If you have problems using it, just let your wife have a nice SPA day on board.

[cruisestitch]

If I understand correctly, you want to change to Select now, if available, which would mean that you have to pay the gratuities now.

 

Your Travel Agent will pay the gratuities but at a later date.

 

So there are a couple of ways this can happen. One way is for you to pay the gratuities now and then the Travel Agent to issue you a refund for the Gratuities, directly back to your credit card. This would be my preferred way if this situation happened to me.

 

Another way is that the Travel Agent's gift will be listed as a general OnBoard Credit, so you can spend it however you choose once you are on the ship.

 

If any of it is unspent at the end of the cruise, you can withdraw the remainder at the Casino, but there will be a 5% fee for doing so. This would mean that you would actually come out a little behind on the deal, so I would try to get the Travel Agent to simply issue you a direct credit for the amount of the money you spend on the Gratuities.

[ariawoman]

If any of it is unspent at the end of the cruise, you can withdraw the remainder at the Casino, but there will be a 5% fee for doing so. This would mean that you would actually come out a little behind on the deal, so I would try to get the Travel Agent to simply issue you a direct credit for the amount of the money you spend on the Gratuities.

 

If it's listed as OBCR (OBC refundable) then they don't have to go through the casino they can just get it back at guest services. Just FYI. If it's OBCN then yes they'd have to do the casino route.

[cruisestitch]

Thanks for the correction -- yes, it will probably be listed as OBC-R, and refundable at Guest Relations.

 

But the advice to get it put back on the OP's original credit card still stands, because any refund would either come back in cash US dollars, or a refund onto the credit card in US dollars, which their credit card company would then charge a fee for converting to their currency.

 

Much better to have the Travel Agent refund them directly into their credit card from home, in their local currency, I believe.

[Lsimon]

Since you have a TA I'd think you'll have to make the dining change through the TA in any event. So when you request the change just confirm with them that they'll take care of the gratuities rather than charging you. If they say they need a charge then just ask them how they'll provide the promised benefit and then get it in writing along with your revised confirm showing the dining change.

[Knolmom]

Yes, that is the way it would be done. You just can't call to change your reservation. Your TA must do that and either collect from you or apply their credit at this point. Then again, your being so close to sailing, they may not allow you to change your dining choice until you are onboard.