Purchasing Onboard Credit for yourself - I have 2 questions

[Joe_Antonelli]

Hi,

I am going to be purchasing onboard credit for myself and wife - this way we have a buffer zone for when she goes wild in the gift shop [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]. My first question is: do I actually get some type of certificate? If so, do I then take it to the purser's desk to receive the onboard credit? Or is the credit automatically applied and I don't have to do anything?

Second question, if it is an actual physical certificate, will it be sent with my documents or will it be waiting for me in the cabin or do I pick it up at the purser's desk?

Thanks.

Joe

[Cruise Junky]

Interesting question... I've done it twice.. once with RCI and once with Princess and didn't receive anything, I just checked with the purser when we boarded. Always made me a bit nervous. I'd love to actually have a receipt in my hand.

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[Lois R]

Hi, I have never purchased an onboard credit ahead of time but...I did have an excursion cancelled and it was credited to my "On Board Account"
No receipt was given...you will still give them your Credit Card upon arrival. If you have purchased a credit prior to that time, then you should have a credit balance on your account.
You will still have to sign for everything you purchase...the credit of course will just reduce the final balance[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]. Make sense to you?
If your credit exceeds all your purchases then you won't own the cruiseline any money at all...otherwise you will owe the difference.

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[AnotherLegalSlave]

I sent myself $750 in onboard credit for my Galaxy cruise last October. I didn't receive a receipt. However, my travel agent did check, and the credit was there. When I arrived in the cabin, there was a card that said that I had received a gift of credit.

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[teedee]

I have actually been doing this for my upcoming Century cruise. I buy them every couple of weeks so I'll have a good amount on account when We sail. You can call or fax in your order. You can double checked by calling or emailing Celebrity's accounting special services to check. So far I've had no problems with the payments showing up. They also told me to check on the interactive account information on the TV when I board and it should be there. I have saved all my fax confirmation sheets in case there is a problem.

Terri

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[jerseygirl3]

How do you actually go about setting this up. I'm thinking it would be nice to send a few bucks each payday between now and March when we sail on the Summit. That way I'd already have a little "nest egg" before we board.

[email="caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net"]caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net[/email]

[Joe_Antonelli]

You can order onboard credit for yourself by [url="http://www.celebrity.com/prepare/bonvoyage/giftssurprises.asp?s=D79CF1930D"]Going To Bon Voyage Gifts[/url] and scroll down to shipboard credits. You then fill out the [url="http://www.celebrity.com/prepare/bonvoyage/giftsorderform.asp?s=D79CF1930D"]Gift Order Form[/url] if you have Adobe you can get the pdf at [url="http://www.celebrity.com/pdf/celebrity_gift-order-form.pdf"]Order Form[/url]. You fill it out (make sure you use the right gift number) and fax it in. It's a very simple process and, I too have done it on Princess not to mention Carnival and Royal Caribbean, I just wanted to know how Celebrity handles it.

For those who are "thinking" of doing it, I can highly recommend it. If you're a shopper like my wife, she knows whatever she wants to buy in the gift shops is already "covered" by our shipboard credits and that I won't faint at the final bill at the end of the cruise. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] Even if you put $25 aside every few weeks prior to your cruise, it adds up quickly and you can have a more enjoyable cruise knowing EVERYTHING is truly paid for in full.

For us, I am setting aside funds for 1 night in the speciality restaurant, a few bucks for my wife's hairdo for formal nights, gifts from the onboard shops, and, of course drinks. For us, it's the best way to go.

Thanks for all the input to all who have answered, much appreciated! Looking forward to the Connie in December!

Joe

[jerseygirl3]

I printed the Gift Order Form, but I don't see where there are gift numbers to select from. How do you stipulate "cash"? I only see where it says to put in the appropriate item number, but where do you actually find an item number for cash?

[email="caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net"]caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net[/email]

[jerseygirl3]

Ah, nevermind, now I see it. I do have another question, though. I see where you can order specifically for the alternative restaurants, bar credits, etc. But can you just do the shipboard credit and then use that for the alternative restaurant, drinks, etc.?

[email="caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net"]caribbeanqueen3@comcast.net[/email]

[Offtune Angel]

The easiest way I have used was in 2003 for the Constellation. I called Celebrity and 'bought' the credit over the telephone, using my credit card. This was treated as a purchase, not a cash advance on the credit card and as a result, I was able to collect user points on the transaction. The other advantage for me last year was getting a good rate of exchange (CAD to U$D)
Depending on exchange rates I plan to do the same this year. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

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