How Much OBC do you Pre Purchase?

[LuCruise]

We currently have $100 OBC and am looking at buying more at the 1.1% rate (we're Canadian). I know it varies person to person, but for us I can see us using it for

 

- drinks a la carte (not big drinkers but pop for DH)

- possibly one excursion

- character breakfast

- possibly cup cake class

 

Not sure what else at this moment , but I'm sure I'm missing things.

Note that we are not planning on any specialty dining meals.

 

How much do others get, and what do you use it for? I have no idea how much to pre purchase.

Edited May 13, 2015 by LuCruise

[ryano]

We currently have $100 OBC and am looking at buying more at the 1.1% rate (we're Canadian). I know it varies person to person, but for us I can see us using it for

 

- drinks a la carte (not big drinkers but pop for DH)

- possibly one excursion

- character breakfast

- possibly cup cake class

 

Not sure what else at this moment , but I'm sure I'm missing things.

 

How much do others get, and what do you use it for? I have no idea how much to pre purchase.

 

I usually pre purchase 500.00 worth. My last cruise 3 years ago I cashed out the last night and had 100.00 left. This year, the 500.00 didnt go as far and I had to pay a little on the last night. We went to two specialty dining venues which we normally dont do though and didnt prepay gratuities at final payment date.

 

 

Cue the "why in the world would you pre purchase OBC" crowd now :)

[Clarea]

Any spa treatments, specialty restaurants, shops on board?

[wolfcathorse]

We currently have $100 OBC and am looking at buying more at the 1.1% rate (we're Canadian). I know it varies person to person, but for us I can see us using it for

 

- drinks a la carte (not big drinkers but pop for DH)

- possibly one excursion

- character breakfast

- possibly cup cake class

 

Not sure what else at this moment , but I'm sure I'm missing things.

 

How much do others get, and what do you use it for? I have no idea how much to pre purchase.

 

OBC is just a credit on your shipboard account, so ANYTHING (bingo, gifts, spa, specialty restaurants, excursions, art auction (please don't), drinks, specialty coffees, photos, Walk-for-Wishes, internet, some fitness classes, ship doctor, behind the scene tours) that gets charged to your account will use up OBC. This means your gratuities too, which are $12.00 per person per day. With drinks costing around $15-18 (I included the 18% tip in that figure), it won't take long to use up OBC. So we figure around $100 per day per person or $150 per day per couple. Whatever is left over you can use to make sure your account is paid off on the last night of the cruise. Then you'll have some cash for traveling home (gas and meals) and any leftover you can redeposit back into your checkbook....or put in a jar to pay for your next cruise!

Edited May 13, 2015 by wolfcathorse

[LuCruise]

Any spa treatments, specialty restaurants, shops on board?

 

No. We're coming with our kids and so at the moment not planning on either.

Edited May 13, 2015 by LuCruise

[wolfcathorse]

No. We're coming with our kids and so at the moment not planning on either.

 

oops then you're going to need more for the tokens in the arcade for them!

[LuCruise]

oops then you're going to need more for the tokens in the arcade for them!

 

Yes, this is very true! Especially for my DS. 😉

[srlafleur]

We prepay gratuities, and (usually) shore excursions. We've never added more OBC than what's given to us by our TA or the cruise line. But we don't spend all that much aside from the above, and drinks, but not usually specialty dining and no spa treatments. Little to no shopping.

 

I understand why it could be a good idea, but we've never done it.

Edited May 13, 2015 by srlafleur

[alfaeric]

Cue the "why in the world would you pre purchase OBC" crowd now :)

 

What is the advantage of pre-paying OBC?

 

I honestly don't know.

[Clarea]

What is the advantage of pre-paying OBC?

 

I honestly don't know.

The OP is from Canada, and right now they can purchase OBC in US dollars at a very good exchange rate. Much better than if they let their onboard charges to go a credit card and then have the bank exchange the money.

[LuCruise]

What is the advantage of pre-paying OBC?

 

I honestly don't know.

 

Pre purchasing OBC, not pre paying.

 

It's an advantage to Canadians since RCL sells it at a 1.1% rate instead of the current exchange rate which is worse.

[alfaeric]

The OP is from Canada, and right now they can purchase OBC in US dollars at a very good exchange rate. Much better than if they let their onboard charges to go a credit card and then have the bank exchange the money.

 

Pre purchasing OBC, not pre paying.

 

It's an advantage to Canadians since RCL sells it at a 1.1% rate instead of the current exchange rate which is worse.

 

That makes some sense- but the person I'm quoting is from Georgia, and one other is from Michigan.

 

So if there's an advantage to us in the states, I'm curious to what it is.

[Clarea]

That makes some sense- but the person I'm quoting is from Georgia, and one other is from Michigan.

 

So if there's an advantage to us in the states, I'm curious to what it is.

I don't think there is a monetary advantage. However, some here have mentioned a psychological benefit of not having a bill at the end of the cruise.

[Paul65]

OBC is just a credit on your shipboard account, so ANYTHING (bingo, gifts, spa, specialty restaurants, excursions, art auction (please don't), drinks, specialty coffees, photos, Walk-for-Wishes, internet, some fitness classes, ship doctor, behind the scene tours) that gets charged to your account will use up OBC. This means your gratuities too, which are $12.00 per person per day. With drinks costing around $15-18 (I included the 18% tip in that figure), it won't take long to use up OBC. So we figure around $100 per day per person or $150 per day per couple. Whatever is left over you can use to make sure your account is paid off on the last night of the cruise. Then you'll have some cash for traveling home (gas and meals) and any leftover you can redeposit back into your checkbook....or put in a jar to pay for your next cruise!

 

Wow! Those drink prices keep going up... Must be inflation (or exaggeration).

[reallyitsmema]

What is the advantage of pre-paying OBC?

 

I honestly don't know.

 

It is personal preference. Some people don't want to have any bill at the end of their cruise and put money on their account in advance. Also, people who have a cash account don't like to carry an excessive amount of cash while travelling, so they buy OBC.

 

To each their own, we charge to a credit card and then payoff balance when we get home.

[ryano]

What is the advantage of pre-paying OBC?

 

I honestly don't know.

 

The advantages for me are listed below. I like to pre pay as much as I possibly can before boarding the ship. I can also use my debit card that is linked to my "cruise account" instead of worrying about HOLDS or pre auth. as I dont do credit cards. The advantages to me may very well NOT be an advantage to others though :) Its very much a personal preference as she listed below!

 

It is personal preference. Some people don't want to have any bill at the end of their cruise and put money on their account in advance. Also, people who have a cash account don't like to carry an excessive amount of cash while travelling, so they buy OBC.

 

To each their own, we charge to a credit card and then payoff balance when we get home.

Edited May 13, 2015 by ryano

[alfaeric]

So it's mostly psychological, then. Cool.

[NewSalt]

So it's mostly psychological, then. Cool.

 

The subconscious is a powerful thing. If I prepaid an OBC, I'd think that I HAD to spend that much! ;)

[Sherri914]

Husband and I boarded Oasis last time with $400 (or maybe $450) in OBC that came from our Royal Visa. We used it to purchase all cocktails (no drink packages that cruise), a few trinkets in the gift shop, and quite a few bottles of alcohol from the package store on board the ship, which we then carried home. We pretty much broke even.

 

I will say that we went aboard with the mindset that we didn't want to spend beyond what we had in OBC. Not that we couldn't afford it, but we simply made a conscious effort to stay within that OBC limit. By mid-week I found myself not getting a cocktail I really would've liked, and didn't go to the spa as I would've liked, simply because we didn't want to exceed our OBC amount.

 

On a side note, someone earlier in this thread mentioned $15-$18 drinks. That sounds a little high to me. I've not seen that high of a dollar amount mentioned anywhere else. The highest I've seen reported was $12 + 18% gratuity, which brings the total cost of a cocktail to a little more than $14.

 

If you have kiddos with you, I would plan for their arcade spending. If you like specialty dining, allot for that as well. Spa treatments.... Excursions.... and as others have mentioned, perhaps your gratuities if they haven't been prepaid.

[critterchick]

I don't pre-purchase any OBC.

[LuCruise]

Husband and I boarded Oasis last time with $400 (or maybe $450) in OBC that came from our Royal Visa. We used it to purchase all cocktails (no drink packages that cruise), a few trinkets in the gift shop, and quite a few bottles of alcohol from the package store on board the ship, which we then carried home. We pretty much broke even.

 

I will say that we went aboard with the mindset that we didn't want to spend beyond what we had in OBC. Not that we couldn't afford it, but we simply made a conscious effort to stay within that OBC limit. By mid-week I found myself not getting a cocktail I really would've liked, and didn't go to the spa as I would've liked, simply because we didn't want to exceed our OBC amount.

 

On a side note, someone earlier in this thread mentioned $15-$18 drinks. That sounds a little high to me. I've not seen that high of a dollar amount mentioned anywhere else. The highest I've seen reported was $12 + 18% gratuity, which brings the total cost of a cocktail to a little more than $14.

 

If you have kiddos with you, I would plan for their arcade spending. If you like specialty dining, allot for that as well. Spa treatments.... Excursions.... and as others have mentioned, perhaps your gratuities if they haven't been prepaid.

 

I would be like you and still cons of spending not wanting to go over.

 

For us...

No to spa and specialty dining.

Maybe to an excursion (but most likely just cab to a beach or attraction).

Yes to arcade (but that can't be tooooo much, right?), a couple specialty drinks, soda and fancy coffees for DH, character meal, and perhaps a fun class (cupcake or jewelry making)

[Uri1961]

I always purchase OBC, to be its just peace of mind. On my last cruise, I did not get any bills from my vacation. It really felt good. I had prepaid everything.

 

Now, that is the only way I cruise, I pay everything up front in cash.

[BND]

We never buy any. We usually book onboard for future cruises so we have obc for that, but it doesn't bother me to owe as it goes on a credit card and is paid off after we get home. Our last RCI cruise we had OBC ($150) and at the end of the cruise I owed 45 cents lol. That's the least we've ever owed, but usually no more than $200. Our next cruise we have $250 obc. It was booked onboard during a promotion so I'm thinking we won't owe anything. We've done several cruises with no OBC. I just don't see the point in buying ahead of time. I understand for Canadian's it makes a difference with exchange rate, but it's really only a few dollars for most.

Edited May 14, 2015 by BND

[griffy116]

Can't you also use it for the casino? I seem to remember using the last of my OBC in the casino on a recent cruise. Maybe I'm wrong. I have about $225-250 or somewhere around there for our next cruise in OBC and I'm sure it won't last very long, even though I don't do the spa or specialty restaurants. I manage to find a way to go through it quickly.

[Clarea]

Can't you also use it for the casino? I seem to remember using the last of my OBC in the casino on a recent cruise. Maybe I'm wrong. I have about $225-250 or somewhere around there for our next cruise in OBC and I'm sure it won't last very long, even though I don't do the spa or specialty restaurants. I manage to find a way to go through it quickly.

You can get cash from your onboard account, but they will charge you 5% unless you have a cash based onboard account.