OBC Refund

[oldpharmguy]

We have made our initial deposit for a cruise on HAL and as time goes on, we would like to purchase OBC's from HAL. Question: If we have to cancel before final payment is due, will we get a refund of our OBC's?

[KirkNC]

Any shipboard credit that you purchase for your account you would get a refund. Most OBC comes from either your travel agent or HAL itself. HAL's OBC's are not refundable, usually (maybe always) OBC from a TA is refundable but only if you actually take the trip and don't use it.

[PatsyAnne]

I don't know, but you might consider putting the OBC money in an account, bank or pillow case, and then using it to pay your bill when the trip is over. That way you get the tremendous interest payment from the bank [emoji849] and the money isn't at risk. Plus you've earmarked it for your cruise. You can also take it as cash and pay your bill with it during the cruise. I've paid my bill down when I had extra cash on me towards the end of a cruise.

Edited May 5, 2016 by PatsyAnne

[CowPrincess]

We have made our initial deposit for a cruise on HAL and as time goes on, we would like to purchase OBC's from HAL. Question: If we have to cancel before final payment is due, will we get a refund of our OBC's?

 

Yes you will receive a refund of any money you spent to buy yourself OBCs, if you have to cancel.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you have to cancel, all shipboard credit that you have pre-purchased will be credited back to your credit card.

If for some reason, you cancel after final payment -- that shipboard credit and anything else you pre-purchased will go back onto your credit card.

[oldpharmguy]

Thanks for all the responses. As we don't get much OBC from our TA, I try to build up as much OBC as I think we will need before the cruise and to avoid sticker shock with a final billing. Thanks again.

[TAD2005]

I have found that even if you load up your onboard account with cash before boarding, HAL will still zap your credit/debit card for the customary $60/$30 per day/per person credit hold. ($30 per day for cruises longer than 25 days). I had enough prepaid OBC on my account on the first day to cover 90% of my anticipated expenses. But HAL still snatched $2500 of my credit card balance and held it for the duration of the cruise, plus about 4 days, then it drops off. It is true that the funds are not actually charged against your card, but they are unavailable for you to use during the cruise. Definitely use a card that has a high available balance, just in case you find that perfect Rolex watch on a shore excursion !!

 

Another item.... Any OBC given by HAL or your TA cannot be used for advance, online purchases, such as shore excursions, PG or Canaletto dinners. You must pay for those with a credit card, and use your OBC for things like HSC, laundry packages, internet, casino, etc.

 

If you do go overboard with OBC, funded by you or your TA, any unused will be refunded at the end of your cruise. Or, find out what you have left over on last night, and throw it all straight up on red 7 on the roulette table. Who knows ??

Edited May 5, 2016 by TAD2005

[vivAtornado]

I have found that even if you load up your onboard account with cash before boarding, HAL will still zap your credit/debit card for the customary $60/$30 per day/per person credit hold. ($30 per day for cruises longer than 25 days).

 

sort of off topic, but you have just reminded me of a question. for ships departing from the us and ending in canada, will these charges from your ship spending be american or canadian? some of my cards have foreign transaction fees and this would help me determine which to use! Thanks :)

[luvteaching]

All charges are in American funds.

 

Karen

[richwmn]

I have found that even if you load up your onboard account with cash before boarding, HAL will still zap your credit/debit card for the customary $60/$30 per day/per person credit hold. ($30 per day for cruises longer than 25 days). I had enough prepaid OBC on my account on the first day to cover 90% of my anticipated expenses. But HAL still snatched $2500 of my credit card balance and held it for the duration of the cruise, plus about 4 days, then it drops off. It is true that the funds are not actually charged against your card, but they are unavailable for you to use during the cruise. Definitely use a card that has a high available balance, just in case you find that perfect Rolex watch on a shore excursion !!

 

Another item.... Any OBC given by HAL or your TA cannot be used for advance, online purchases, such as shore excursions, PG or Canaletto dinners. You must pay for those with a credit card, and use your OBC for things like HSC, laundry packages, internet, casino, etc.

 

If you do go overboard with OBC, funded by you or your TA, any unused will be refunded at the end of your cruise. Or, find out what you have left over on last night, and throw it all straight up on red 7 on the roulette table. Who knows ??

If you have enough on board credit just tell them you have a cash account and you don't need to register a card and therefore have no hold

[KirkNC]

If you have enough on board credit just tell them you have a cash account and you don't need to register a card and therefore have no hold

 

Are you certain they will consider OBC the same as a cash account? They may, I don't know myself but I could see where they may not, particularly if it is not shipboard credits that have been purchased by the cruiser. I would be interested if anyone has actually done this in some form or fashion and how HAL treated it.

[richwmn]

Are you certain they will consider OBC the same as a cash account? They may, I don't know myself but I could see where they may not, particularly if it is not shipboard credits that have been purchased by the cruiser. I would be interested if anyone has actually done this in some form or fashion and how HAL treated it.

I have not registered a credit card for the last 8 or 9 cruises, including the one I am now on, and have had a combination of OBC and purchased credit. At check in they mention that I don't have a card registered and I reply that I have a cash account. Then I board the ship - no problems at all.

[TAD2005]

That's a great idea. I always thought that even with a substantial OBC from whatever sources, they still wanted that locked-in guarantee that there will be sufficient funds. I would assume that if you started to seriously deplete your OBC, early on in the cruise (casino, expensive excursions), you would get a call from the front office asking you to restore that balance.

I was on a Windstar (Windsurf) cruise and they wanted the usual cash deposit or credit hold. I was prepared to give them the cash deposit on boarding day, but I also wanted to purchase their unlimited beverage package. When I did that, they said that the cash deposit, which was supposed to be around $1000, could be reduced by the amount of the beverage package, which was $756 for both of us. I don't know if that would work on HAL.

[KirkNC]

I have not registered a credit card for the last 8 or 9 cruises, including the one I am now on, and have had a combination of OBC and purchased credit. At check in they mention that I don't have a card registered and I reply that I have a cash account. Then I board the ship - no problems at all.

 

OK, that's good to know. I have recently switched to a big box TA and get nice OBC's so I might be able to avoid the CC as well.

[oldpharmguy]

Kirk, would you please e-mail me at oldpharmguy@comcast.net. I would like to know the name of your big box TA. Thanks, Bud

[KirkNC]

Kirk, would you please e-mail me at oldpharmguy@comcast.net. I would like to know the name of your big box TA. Thanks, Bud

 

You have mail!

[smgardner]

I called HAL about this today. We are doing a seven day to Alaska in a couple of weeks. I have about $500 in credit that I purchased. I wanted to buy another $500 for a total of $1000 in purchased credit. I still have to register a card. If choosing the cash option, they still want a cash deposit, over and above the OBC. I had thought I was getting that out of The way by purchasing OBC. Apparently, I wasnt.

[jtl513]

If choosing the cash option, they still want a cash deposit, over and above the OBC.

Logically this makes no sense, since purchased OBC essentially IS a cash deposit ... but as in a lot of cases in life, logic is ignored. :)

[catl331]

I called HAL about this today. We are doing a seven day to Alaska in a couple of weeks. I have about $500 in credit that I purchased. I wanted to buy another $500 for a total of $1000 in purchased credit. I still have to register a card. If choosing the cash option, they still want a cash deposit, over and above the OBC. I had thought I was getting that out of The way by purchasing OBC. Apparently, I wasnt.

Maybe the person you spoke with didn't understand that your OBCs would exceed the $60/p/d requirement. Buy enough, and if they ask for a deposit at the pier just tell them you have already made one.

[richwmn]

I called HAL about this today. We are doing a seven day to Alaska in a couple of weeks. I have about $500 in credit that I purchased. I wanted to buy another $500 for a total of $1000 in purchased credit. I still have to register a card. If choosing the cash option, they still want a cash deposit, over and above the OBC. I had thought I was getting that out of The way by purchasing OBC. Apparently, I wasnt.

 

Maybe the person you spoke with didn't understand that your OBCs would exceed the $60/p/d requirement. Buy enough, and if they ask for a deposit at the pier just tell them you have already made one.

 

When you check in they will mention that you don't have a card on file. All I do at this point is tell them that I have cash on deposit and that ends it. As I mentioned above, I have not had a card registered in my last 8 or 9 cruises.

 

Usually I have more OBC available then the $60/day, but on at least one it was slightly less and there was no problem. I have never been asked at check in how much OBC I have. I guess you could have much less and as long as you don't spend near that much, they might allow it.

 

What is policy in Seattle is not always done on the ships!

Edited May 17, 2016 by richwmn

[take us away]

Also, the customer service people are sometimes not quite up to speed on all the questions - who could be. Maybe the person you spoke with in Seattle had never had that question so may not have given you correct information. Have had good success sending an email thru Contact Us and have never gotten incorrect information as the email gets forwarded to someone who actually knows the answer.

 

After my DH was gone, canceled his cruise fare, etc and all was refunded including everything pre-purchased.

Edited May 18, 2016 by take us away

[RuthC]

Maybe the person you spoke with in Seattle had never had that question so may not have given you correct information.

Everyone always has the "correct answer". Sometimes it's "I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you. What's your phone number/e-mail address?"

[Fouremco]

Everyone always has the "correct answer". Sometimes it's "I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you. What's your phone number/e-mail address?"

I suspect that they don't teach that one any more...

[TAD2005]

We were on a 29 day HAL cruise recently. On my on-line checkin screen, they prompted me that I should register my credit card for the $870 per person hold ($30 per day X 29 days). I thought that I may use OBC for a lot of that hold, so I called HAL and asked about this. I spoke with 4 different people, the last was a "supervisor" and they said I was wrong, they wanted $1740 per person hold, based on $60 per day. I reminded all 4 of those HAL agents that because my cruise was longer than 25 days, the hold is $30 per day, per guest. I even referred them to my check-in financial page and the FAQ "Credit Card Usage" pages on the HAL website, and they still refused to believe me. I gave up, registered my credit card on-line, and when I boarded the ship, the front desk said my credit hold of $30 per day was exactly right.

Don't rely on what Seattle tells you, believe what is in writing. Or ask past HAL guests on CC, you will usually get the straight story.

[lizziebargain]

On a related topic I just got off the Noordam 2 weeks ago. I knew about the $60 per day per person hold on my credit card, but they also put an extra $12.50 on hold-the front desk told me it was a test charge. Has anyone else had this-I never have on any other HAL ship. In calling HAL to have it removed, they called my bank and they were unable to remove the hold they say but it will disappear over time. As well they charged me for a drink from the mini bar I did not take and they told me that would take 4-6 weeks to refund for their error-seems pretty slow to me.