No longer able to get cash in the casino for non-refundable OBC?

[wrk2cruise]

Yes they took the match play coupon and payed 2 $5 chips leaving the promo chip on the table.

[ghstudio]

Yes they took the match play coupon and payed 2 $5 chips leaving the promo chip on the table.

 

and that was wrong...and you should have called over the pit boss.

[ken_ll]

On the Summit this week and last. Non-OBC cannot be cashed out other than as Promo chips or as Promo cash applied to your sign and sail card. Took out $25, no 5 per cent, but not redeemable for cash. Winnings using the promo dollars on the card can be cashed out normally as a redeemable coupon. We had $550 each week and had to react quickly at the end of the cruise last week and we went with an Ipad. Forced purchases can have a direct impact on your duty free exemption when returning home.

 

For the Canadians with purchased OBC, no concerns taking out at guest relations in cash on a Cash Account.

 

I apologize if I'm duplicating someone else's post, but I have not read other previous posts due to internet cost.

[WAVTAM]

Assume at an later date the policy will be enforce fleet wide.

 

Take say 200 promotional chips at cage.

Play 100 on red and 100 on black. Win one /lose one. Then take real casinos chips and cash out. Doable????????

 

This is my own post. Since the policy appears to be going fleet wide, just trying to find system to get monies back in pocket( assume you don't hit 0 or 00)

 

Again doable.???????

[TourDeCruise]

On the Summit this week and last. Non-OBC cannot be cashed out other than as Promo chips or as Promo cash applied to your sign and sail card. Took out $25, no 5 per cent, but not redeemable for cash. Winnings using the promo dollars on the card can be cashed out normally as a redeemable coupon. We had $550 each week and had to react quickly at the end of the cruise last week and we went with an Ipad. Forced purchases can have a direct impact on your duty free exemption when returning home.

 

For the Canadians with purchased OBC, no concerns taking out at guest relations in cash on a Cash Account.

 

I apologize if I'm duplicating someone else's post, but I have not read other previous posts due to internet cost.

 

We were on the Summit for the Jan. 16th, 23rd, and 30th cruises. We were able to get cash from the casino with the 5% fee. The cash and fee were charged to our shipboard account (credit-card account, not cash account) as our way to "spend" the OBN (non-refundable onboard credits). We didn't ask to cash our OBN, but just asked for cash and we got it along with the 5% fee. The OBR (refundable onboard credits) were refunded to my credit card a couple days after the cruises ended.

[ghstudio]

Assume at an later date the policy will be enforce fleet wide.

 

Take say 200 promotional chips at cage.

Play 100 on red and 100 on black. Win one /lose one. Then take real casinos chips and cash out. Doable????????

 

This is my own post. Since the policy appears to be going fleet wide, just trying to find system to get monies back in pocket( assume you don't hit 0 or 00)

 

Again doable.???????

 

you got it....the risk is hitting 0 or 00 in which case you lose your entire amount. It would be better to bet 1/4 on red and 1/4 on black. The odds are that you'll win both. then do it again. Even if you lose, you still have 1/2 of your initial amount to be 1/4 on red and 1/4 on black.... I believe if you do it this way, the chances of converting 100% of your promotional chips are better than betting everything on one spin. In order to lose it all, the spin would have to be 0 or 00 on 2 out of three spins. Irrespective of the mathematical odds, that just doesn't happen very often.

Edited February 16, 2016 by ghstudio

[Project_gal]

Sorry, but I am still failing to understand the impact of the new policy on the ships where it has been implemented. Perhaps someone can help explain it to me?

 

I am interested in Refundable [Purchased] OBC but, when we have withdrawn money from the Casino in the past, we have never mentioned OBC. We have just asked for "cash". As we have been in a suite, we have not had to pay the surcharge.

 

Under the new policy, can you:

1. 
   Withdraw cash from the Casino?

• 
  Withdraw cash from Guest Relations during the cruise [not just at the end of the cruise]?

 

Hope someone can clarify ...

Edited February 17, 2016 by Project_gal

[ghstudio]

Sorry, but I am still failing to understand the impact of the new policy on the ships where it has been implemented. Perhaps someone can help explain it to me?

 

I am interested in Refundable [Purchased] OBC but, when we have withdrawn money from the Casino in the past, we have never mentioned OBC. We have just asked for "cash". As we have been in a suite, we have not had to pay the surcharge.

 

Under the new policy, can you:

1. 
   Withdraw cash from the Casino?

• 
  Withdraw cash from Guest Relations during the cruise [not just at the end of the cruise]?

 

Hope someone can clarify ...

 

The current Celebrity policy being put into place, as I understand it, is that they will no longer give you cash from your on-board account....and it doesn't matter if it's refundable or non-refundable. In the casino, they will give you promotional chips or promotional slot plays, but not cash. Each time you play a promotional chip (or slot credit), it will either be replaced by a regular house chip or of course if you lose, you lose. See above for more explanations....but if you have $100 in promotional chips and bet a $10 promotional chip on 10 hands of blackjack, you will not longer have any promotional chips...you will either have lost all your money or your promotional chips will have been replace for regular house chips.

[1bravesfan]

So, if I play $10 in promotional chips on a hand of black jack and win the hand the dealer takes the promotional chips and gives me $10 in regular chips rather than giving me $20 (the $10 I bet plus the $10 I won) in regular chips?

[az_tchr]

No - He gives you $20 in regular chips.

[Project_gal]

The current Celebrity policy being put into place, as I understand it, is that they will no longer give you cash from your on-board account....and it doesn't matter if it's refundable or non-refundable. In the casino, they will give you promotional chips or promotional slot plays, but not cash. Each time you play a promotional chip (or slot credit), it will either be replaced by a regular house chip or of course if you lose, you lose. See above for more explanations....but if you have $100 in promotional chips and bet a $10 promotional chip on 10 hands of blackjack, you will not longer have any promotional chips...you will either have lost all your money or your promotional chips will have been replace for regular house chips.

 

Thanks. I thought that was the case but see it as Celebrity shooting itself in the foot. By trying to stop people withdrawing non-refundable OBC, they are killing an income stream.

 

It is clear from the exchange rates used for OBC [sometimes an excellent rate and at others a very poor rate] that, in the past, Celebrity have used the pre-cruise sale of OBC as a way of improving their FX cash flow. They have often held considerable sums of our money for up to two years paying no interest. Most is use to settle our on board account but we will take advantage of a good rate to obtain US dollars for use during the cruise, for additional cash gratuities and for my husband to use in the Casino. He really does not believe that you should use anything but cash in the Casino in order to control his spending.

 

We will now purchase much less OBC and, if cash is no longer allowed in the Casino, loose out on my husband's donations there. We may also spend less on board. If you have already purchased OBC, you are much more relaxed about your on board spend, especially when exchange rates are poor.

 

This would appear to be Celebrity yet again not thinking through a change.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Project_gal

[Ma Bell]

Thanks. I thought that was the case but see it as Celebrity shooting itself in the foot. By trying to stop people withdrawing non-refundable OBC, they are killing an income stream.

 

It is clear from the exchange rates used for OBC [sometimes an excellent rate and at others a very poor rate] that, in the past, Celebrity have used the pre-cruise sale of OBC as a way of improving their FX cash flow. They have often held considerable sums of our money for up to two years paying no interest. Most is use to settle our on board account but we will take advantage of a good rate to obtain US dollars for use during the cruise, for additional cash gratuities and for my husband to use in the Casino. He really does not believe that you should use anything but cash in the Casino in order to control his spending.

 

We will now purchase much less OBC and, if cash is no longer allowed in the Casino, loose out on my husband's donations there. We may also spend less on board. If you have already purchased OBC, you are much more relaxed about your on board spend, especially when exchange rates are poor.

 

This would appear to be Celebrity yet again not thinking through a change.

 

What is it that people don't get about "non-refundable"? For many years it wasn't a problem because there weren't many people trying to scam the system by going to the casino just to take out OBC to take home. They were actually getting cash on their cards to play in the casino.

 

When people on Cruise Critic began to tell everyone how to take cash out of the casino they still let it slide because it probably wasn't over done and since it was before the days of adding gratuities to the bill daily they thought most people were using it for tips.

 

Now people have made it perfectly clear that their sole purpose was to take credit that is purposely meant to be spent on board and cash it out to take home and they really needed to stop it. Very simply, non-refundable means non-refundable.

 

For purchased OBC which is obviously refundable I would think they will have to use the bank at Guest Relations to provide cash to those people. They would have to make sure the cash is taken from the refundable OBC. It's a case of programming the computers with a code to do that. Like everything else involving computers that Celebrity does it may take a while to get it right on all their ships.

[ken_ll]

The current Celebrity policy being put into place, as I understand it, is that they will no longer give you cash from your on-board account....and it doesn't matter if it's refundable or non-refundable. In the casino, they will give you promotional chips or promotional slot plays, but not cash. Each time you play a promotional chip (or slot credit), it will either be replaced by a regular house chip or of course if you lose, you lose. See above for more explanations....but if you have $100 in promotional chips and bet a $10 promotional chip on 10 hands of blackjack, you will not longer have any promotional chips...you will either have lost all your money or your promotional chips will have been replace for regular house chips.

 

 

To update the non-refundable OBC's on the Celebrity Summit. Currently on the ship as a B2B last and this week. Learned from fellow passenger last week that the NR-OBC on the Jan 30 cruise could be drawn out at the casino with the 5% charge.

 

Feb 6 cruise and as well this week Feb 13 cruise this has changed. Signage at the cage indicates taking out credits can only be used for tables (with promo chips) and slots (casino credit on sign and sail card). (I have not explored what if you want quarters to drop in the 2 or 3 machines (name ??) that pushes quarters and some bills forward.). Winnings from tables with regular chips and the cash out slips from slots are redeemable for cash. One strategy to get the cash is play in the casino and win. I do not fit that profile. It is use it or loose it.

 

I had $25 loaded to my sign and sail card at the cage. By Friday, I will try cashing out $5 of the promo $'s through the slots to a cash out slip and see if I can redeem for cash - I suspect it will be coded as to promo $'s and told to play it. When loading the $25, the cage attendant with my card and room number knew the total of my OBC comprising both refundable and non-refundable amounts.

 

For Canadians, UK and Australia as applicable, week of Feb 6 after spending the NR OBC, I withdrew my self-funded refundable OBC on the last day at GR in US dollars without issue, I was on a cash account.

 

Feb 13 - I'll do the same this week by Friday.

 

While I appreciate what Celebrity is doing in keeping the dollars on board, I feel there should be some advance notice. In our situation, the NR OBC spent on board results in using all of the personal exemptions for the two of us returning home. This was not planned for and if we had been on for 3 weeks with the same NR OBC as we had for the first two weeks, then we would have had a Customs issue returning to Canada, purchases exceeding exemptions.

 

Here on in, OBC's will have to be reconsidered as to how they can be spent, e.g gratuities. OBC's are incentive to book a cruise, as a passenger, let me know the rules and I'll work within them as well as others.

[Ma Bell]

To update the non-refundable OBC's on the Celebrity Summit. Currently on the ship as a B2B last and this week. Learned from fellow passenger last week that the NR-OBC on the Jan 30 cruise could be drawn out at the casino with the 5% charge.

 

Feb 6 cruise and as well this week Feb 13 cruise this has changed. Signage at the cage indicates taking out credits can only be used for tables (with promo chips) and slots (casino credit on sign and sail card). (I have not explored what if you want quarters to drop in the 2 or 3 machines (name ??) that pushes quarters and some bills forward.). Winnings from tables with regular chips and the cash out slips from slots are redeemable for cash. One strategy to get the cash is play in the casino and win. I do not fit that profile. It is use it or loose it.

 

I had $25 loaded to my sign and sail card at the cage. By Friday, I will try cashing out $5 of the promo $'s through the slots to a cash out slip and see if I can redeem for cash - I suspect it will be coded as to promo $'s and told to play it. When loading the $25, the cage attendant with my card and room number knew the total of my OBC comprising both refundable and non-refundable amounts.

 

For Canadians, UK and Australia as applicable, week of Feb 6 after spending the NR OBC, I withdrew my self-funded refundable OBC on the last day at GR in US dollars without issue, I was on a cash account.

 

Feb 13 - I'll do the same this week by Friday.

 

While I appreciate what Celebrity is doing in keeping the dollars on board, I feel there should be some advance notice. In our situation, the NR OBC spent on board results in using all of the personal exemptions for the two of us returning home. This was not planned for and if we had been on for 3 weeks with the same NR OBC as we had for the first two weeks, then we would have had a Customs issue returning to Canada, purchases exceeding exemptions.

 

Here on in, OBC's will have to be reconsidered as to how they can be spent, e.g gratuities. OBC's are incentive to book a cruise, as a passenger, let me know the rules and I'll work within them as well as others.

 

Advance notice for what? The rules have not changed, they have just found a way to keep people from circumventing them.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Ma Bell

[ISABELLA]

To update the non-refundable OBC's on the Celebrity Summit. Currently on the ship as a B2B last and this week. Learned from fellow passenger last week that the NR-OBC on the Jan 30 cruise could be drawn out at the casino with the 5% charge.

 

Feb 6 cruise and as well this week Feb 13 cruise this has changed. Signage at the cage indicates taking out credits can only be used for tables (with promo chips) and slots (casino credit on sign and sail card). (I have not explored what if you want quarters to drop in the 2 or 3 machines (name ??) that pushes quarters and some bills forward.). Winnings from tables with regular chips and the cash out slips from slots are redeemable for cash. One strategy to get the cash is play in the casino and win. I do not fit that profile. It is use it or loose it.

 

I had $25 loaded to my sign and sail card at the cage. By Friday, I will try cashing out $5 of the promo $'s through the slots to a cash out slip and see if I can redeem for cash - I suspect it will be coded as to promo $'s and told to play it. When loading the $25, the cage attendant with my card and room number knew the total of my OBC comprising both refundable and non-refundable amounts.

 

For Canadians, UK and Australia as applicable, week of Feb 6 after spending the NR OBC, I withdrew my self-funded refundable OBC on the last day at GR in US dollars without issue, I was on a cash account.

 

Feb 13 - I'll do the same this week by Friday.

 

While I appreciate what Celebrity is doing in keeping the dollars on board, I feel there should be some advance notice. In our situation, the NR OBC spent on board results in using all of the personal exemptions for the two of us returning home. This was not planned for and if we had been on for 3 weeks with the same NR OBC as we had for the first two weeks, then we would have had a Customs issue returning to Canada, purchases exceeding exemptions.

 

Here on in, OBC's will have to be reconsidered as to how they can be spent, e.g gratuities. OBC's are incentive to book a cruise, as a passenger, let me know the rules and I'll work within them as well as others.

 

You are expecting too much from X like advanced notices on anything. They just change rules and don't care if we all like or not.

I, personally, prefer reasonable price for the cruise and no OBC , than inflated price with OBC, that most of it there is no place for me to spend, but cash out. All these changes most definitely will influence my booking strategy.

[Ma Bell]

You are expecting too much from X like advanced notices on anything. They just change rules and don't care if we all like or not.

I, personally, prefer reasonable price for the cruise and no OBC , than inflated price with OBC, that most of it there is no place for me to spend, but cash out. All these changes most definitely will influence my booking strategy.

 

What rule did they change?

[ISABELLA]

What rule did they change?

 

1.You could get cash against your ship account - now you can't, if you have OBC.

2.X changed amenities for AQ - I am not starting this issue again....

3. Before, if your price change before final payment - they would just adjusted. Now they will reprice it based on current promo.

Introducing all these multiple perks made everything too complicated and somewhat confusing. O, well - not the end of the world.

[Ma Bell]

1.You could get cash against your ship account - now you can't, if you have OBC.

2.X changed amenities for AQ - I am not starting this issue again....

3. Before, if your price change before final payment - they would just adjusted. Now they will reprice it based on current promo.

Introducing all these multiple perks made everything too complicated and somewhat confusing. O, well - not the end of the world.

 

I agree with all the promos and price changes but the non-refundable OBC was something that was being abused so as a result no more cash in the casino.

[cruisestitch]

Non refundable wasn't being refunded. It was being withdrawn for a fee. Big difference.

[Ma Bell]

Non refundable wasn't being refunded. It was being withdrawn for a fee. Big difference.

 

Refundable had the fee for cash too so no difference. Just like getting your own money out of the ATM. So are you telling me that when something is non-refundable it means you can still get 95% of it? Come on now;) Let's be real about this, people were doing something they shouldn't and now it's not going to happen any more.

[gergles]

The concept of "non-refundable" is a fiction made up by X to enhance their profit margin; let's not pretend like it's some sacrosanct ideal that we all need to uphold. If I'm told "you get $500 for booking a cruise" and then it turns out to be 500 Celebrity Fun Bucks only redeemable on their overpriced tat, that's not the same thing, and it's dishonest to act like it is.

[Ma Bell]

The concept of "non-refundable" is a fiction made up by X to enhance their profit margin; let's not pretend like it's some sacrosanct ideal that we all need to uphold. If I'm told "you get $500 for booking a cruise" and then it turns out to be 500 Celebrity Fun Bucks only redeemable on their overpriced tat, that's not the same thing, and it's dishonest to act like it is.

 

There is absolutely nothing dishonest about the OBC program. The only dishonest thing has been people trying to take home cash that they are not entitled to.

 

I guess the problem is that people don't read the offers. The $150 pp on board credit says to be spent on board followed by this description in the details. It's in large print.

"$150 per person to spend onboard For Two:

Enjoy $150 per person to spend onboard—at specialty restaurants, in the Canyon Ranch SpaClub®, on Celebrity shore excursions and more. Your stateroom folio will be credited with an OBC. OBC has no cash value, is applicable to cruise only, non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and will expire if not used by 10:00 PM on the final night of the cruise. Guests in the same staterooms must select the same option(s).

 

On board credit from Celebrity has been like this for as long as I know and that's a long time. On board credit from your TA, a gift purchased or OBC purchased by onesself is refundable.

 

How much clearer does it have to be?

Edited February 18, 2016 by Ma Bell

[neverbeenhere]

J: you expect that I should read the contract and details of offers. OMG.

[Project_gal]

What is it that people don't get about "non-refundable"?

 

I thought that I had made it very clear that I was talking about refundable, purchased OBC. In fact, my post makes no sense if I was speaking of non-refundable OBC.

 

Quite honestly, I do not understand how people need to withdrawn non-refundable OBC. Our on board account has never been less than the largest amount of non-refundable OBC we have been given by Celebrity [and for those concerned about Customs limits very little is ever spent in the shops]. If it were, I am fully able to understand the term "non-refundable" and would not consider trying to obtain a cash refund in any form.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Project_gal

[Ma Bell]

I thought that I had made it very clear that I was talking about refundable, purchased OBC. In fact, my post makes no sense if I was speaking of non-refundable OBC.

 

Quite honestly, I do not understand how people need to withdrawn non-refundable OBC. Our on board account has never been less than the largest amount of non-refundable OBC we have been given by Celebrity [and for those concerned about Customs limits very little is ever spent in the shops]. If it were, I am fully able to understand the term "non-refundable" and would not consider trying to obtain a cash refund in any form.

This is what you said in your post, " By trying to stop people withdrawing non-refundable OBC, they are killing an income stream." Maybe you meant to say refundable. The rest of what you said confirms that. There are a lot of other people who are still trying to cash out non-refundable OBC and that is what I was addressing.

 

I agree that it's easy to spend the non-refundable OBC and now that there are no pre-paid gratuities necessary, it makes it even easier. A nicer bottle of wine for a special dinner, some time in the spa, actually having a little fun in the casino, upgrading a beverage package, something from the shops, a specialty dinner package, some photos that one might not normally buy, or even using it to give some extra gratuities for exceptional service are just some possibilities.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Ma Bell