Can I cash in OBC purchased through Gifts by Celebrity?

[Dawg74]

Hi there, I have read some threads on converting OBC to cash while onboard but I wanted to ask for some experiences from others. As a Canadian, I can get a better exchange buying OBC from Celebrity than bringing US dollars exchanged at home. We are a family of 5 heading out on the Eclipse for two weeks and my plan was to buy all our spending money as OBC and then change it for cash on the ship to spend in port. Has anyone done this with OBC purchased from Gifts by Celebrity? My vacation planner told me I couldn't change OBC to cash but I see other stories on here. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks :)

[Project_gal]

The only way you can do this is buy withdrawing cash at the Casino and you will be charged 5% for the privilege. Any unspent OBC will be credited back to the credit card you use at check-in [not necessarily the one you used to purchase the OBC] at the end of the cruise BUT you will suffer from two exchange rate conversions - the first one will be at the good rate, the second at the end of the cruise will be equally bad!

 

Purchasing OBC when the exchange rate is good, is a great thing to do but not for spending off the ship unless it is so good as to be able to absorb the 5% Casino withdrawal charge. If you think that you may have some of the purchased OBC left at the end of the cruise [to spend during your post-cruise stay in the USA, for example], ensure that you visit Guest Relations at the end of the cruise to request they refund the balance on you account is cash.

[Smurfette76]

I am also interested in this as the Canadian dollar is weakening by the minute! Even with the 5% casino fee, it might be a much better deal for us Canadians to buy Gifts by Celebrity OBC and then withdraw at the casino. $100 USD is currently around $118 CAD right now. Is there a maximum amount that can be withdrawn from the casino from OBC? Thanks!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Withdrawing money in the casino has nothing to do with whether or not you have OBC. The money you withdraw is simply charged against your seapass. If you withdraw $100, your seapass will be charged $105. I believe I've seen signs in the past limiting cash withdrawals to $200/day. No problem. You probably have at least 7 days to withdraw cash. Obviously, any OBC you might happen to have on your seapass would offset these withdrawals.

 

[Dawg74]

I appreciate everyone's input, and Smurfette, your right even with the 5% the casino charges it is a better deal. Last I looked $ 25 US was $ 27.20, or 108.80 for 100. I think we are going to do it this way at least for a portion of our spending money.

 

:) happy cruising

[karpela]

You can do it.

We are from the UK and the OBC dollar rate is far better than we can get at home.

We have bought OBC the last 4 years over 5 cruises and on the last evening, we go to Guest Relations and take what's left over in cash, as we usually do spend some of it on board.

[karpela]

Hi, me again :)

I realised I didn't read your original post properly.

I don't think you will be able to take cash from your OBC out at each port. You can do it as Sue says at the casino but with a charge.

We do this to get our spending money in dollars for the end of our cruise when visiting the US.

Sorry for the mix up. :o

[Smurfette76]

Hi Dawg, thanks for starting this thread! This method is a great opportunity for us Canucks to save a little bit. It's also nice to not have to carry as much cash while traveling! :) Safe travels!

[Project_gal]

Hi, me again :)

I realised I didn't read your original post properly.

I don't think you will be able to take cash from your OBC out at each port. You can do it as Sue says at the casino but with a charge.

We do this to get our spending money in dollars for the end of our cruise when visiting the US.

Sorry for the mix up. :o

 

Adele

 

Hi to you and Mark!

 

The rate Celebrity are offering [well at least up until to yesterday] was so good compared to the pound at the moment, that it will easily cover the 5% charge at the Casino! Not sure if it is the same good rate for Canadians but, for us Brits, it is almost as good as "beer vouchers"!

Edited January 11, 2015 by Project_gal

[karpela]

Adele

 

Hi to you and Mark!

 

The rate Celebrity are offering [well at least up until to yesterday] was so good compared to the pound at the moment, that it will easily cover the 5% charge at the Casino! Not sure if it is the same good rate for Canadians but, for us Brits, it is almost as good as "beer vouchers"!

 

Lol! We did like those beer vouchers! :D

Hi to you and Richard.

We are not cruising again until October, so will hold off buying OBC just yet.

I've never thought of buying OBC to take out at the casino to use at the ports, that's definitely something to think about a bit nearer the time.

I'd be interested to hear how anyone else gets on with that.

 

Adele :)

[Northbay]

Hi there, I have read some threads on converting OBC to cash while onboard but I wanted to ask for some experiences from others. As a Canadian, I can get a better exchange buying OBC from Celebrity than bringing US dollars exchanged at home. We are a family of 5 heading out on the Eclipse for two weeks and my plan was to buy all our spending money as OBC and then change it for cash on the ship to spend in port. Has anyone done this with OBC purchased from Gifts by Celebrity? My vacation planner told me I couldn't change OBC to cash but I see other stories on here. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks :)

 

Please post when you come back home as to your findings when on the ship, and whether you were successful in cashing in at the casino, paying the 5% extra, and whether it was worth it in the end.

Most interested in hearing the results.

Thanks.

[Dawg74]

Please post when you come back home as to your findings when on the ship, and whether you were successful in cashing in at the casino, paying the 5% extra, and whether it was worth it in the end.

Most interested in hearing the results.

Thanks.

 

I will let you know how it goes. We are sailing in March!!!

[coldbird]

I just purchased $100 obc on the celebrity web site and my cc was charged $115? Anyone know why that happened? Didn't see any fine print with hidden charges on the pages used to complete the purchase.

 

 

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[Project_gal]

I just purchased $100 obc on the celebrity web site and my cc was charged $115? Anyone know why that happened? Didn't see any fine print with hidden charges on the pages used to complete the purchase.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

The only situation I know of when you should have been charged more than the face value of the OBC is if you purchase Casino OBC and, then, the mark up should not be 15%.

 

As you are from Vermont, I am assuming that your original booking WAS in US$. The OBC has to be purchased in the currency of your original booking.

[nanakatandpop]

For an upcoming cruise, we have $350 OBC for booking on board our last cruise, $300 OBC from 123GO promotion, and $100 OBC from our TA. I noticed on our invoice from X that it says the OBC can't be used in the casino? Am I misunderstanding this? Is it possible to cash out any of it? If so, how? We don't frequent the casino so are unfamiliar with how it all works.

 

 

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[crash3x]

Hi there, I have read some threads on converting OBC to cash while onboard but I wanted to ask for some experiences from others. As a Canadian, I can get a better exchange buying OBC from Celebrity than bringing US dollars exchanged at home. We are a family of 5 heading out on the Eclipse for two weeks and my plan was to buy all our spending money as OBC and then change it for cash on the ship to spend in port. Has anyone done this with OBC purchased from Gifts by Celebrity? My vacation planner told me I couldn't change OBC to cash but I see other stories on here. Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Thanks :)

 

 

I am a Canadian living in US. The TD bank and BMO have US fund accts and credit cards back home that have awesome deals with exchange rates..can't do better. We actually use BMO here in the state they have a branch where I am living ...BMO and TD have branched out across the border it makes life so much simpler.

 

 

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[Jem 12]

Hi we are from UK and as the rate for our last cruise was very favourable I purchased onboard credit on the phone for the first week for our back to back as it was too late to do it online, which I had already done for the 2nd week of our cruise.

 

Unfortunately the online purchase never appeared on our account onboard even though I had a print out with all the correct details guest relations onboard did their best to resolve but in the end it just hadn't gone through and was not charged to my credit card.

 

As we had booked our excursions before we travelled and paid for them with the same credit card and couldn't carry our leftover onboard credit to the 2nd week of our cruise we did cash it out in the casino at a charge of 5%, with no problems whatsoever.

 

So my tip would be if the rate is favourable after taking into account the 5% definitely ring up to order the amount you want, have a wonderful cruise.

 

Jean

 

 

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[Project_gal]

couldn't carry our leftover onboard credit to the 2nd week of our cruise we did cash it out in the casino at a charge of 5%, with no problems whatsoever.

Jean

 

 

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Jean

 

For future reference, you should have gone to Guest Relations at the end of your first leg and requested the OBC to be repaid in cash. You could then have deposited on your new account once the second cruise started. You could have saved yourself the 5%.

[cat_in_cda]

I will let you know how it goes. We are sailing in March!!!

 

Just wondered how it went for you with regards to the OBC and cashing it in for USD $$ .... The US exchange right now is almost 40% and if there is a better way for our January cruise I am up for that !!:)

[az_tchr]

There is no other way to get cash on board that is charged to your SeaPass and thus use your OBC. The ship is cashless except for the casino and that will be changing soon for the slots!

[Dawg74]

Just wondered how it went for you with regards to the OBC and cashing it in for USD $$ .... The US exchange right now is almost 40% and if there is a better way for our January cruise I am up for that !!:)

 

Hi there,

 

We had no problems cashing in OBC that we purchased from Gifts By Celebrity on our cruise last March, they did charge the 5% fee but it was better than the exchange rate for sure. We are cruising again this March and were thinking of doing the same thing again but then I read something on another thread here about the casinos beginning to give out credits to play in the casino instead of cash, so I am not sure. The Canadian dollar exchange rate is pathetic now so it would be a big benefit to buy some OBC in advance and cash out for spending on shore.