New: Cash Cards Only In Lieu Of OBC...

[TMLAalum]

 

I too was told the cash card could be taken to their Customer Service desk and exchanged for money.

 

That is what we were told, too. We have just a 5 mile r/t so we will continue to book through them. Their service has always been excellent for every Celebrity booking we've made using their call-in reservation # starting with the Equinox in 2011. And they used to charge a $25 fee for a price reduction, but not anymore which is another +. Our Reflection cruise is 'grandfathered', but the Eclipse is cash card. I will request $$ and bank it so as to use it for travel expenses. I did ask a rep if the cash card could be used to make a cruise deposit but was told NO.

[KruzAholic]

Yes, they started using the cash credit card back in Sept. Found out about it when 1 of our bookings showed OBC and the other cash card. When I questioned it, was told that many of their customers had made reference to having the cash card to use whenever. After speaking with a supervisor was told that we could have the OBC reissued back to our cabin. Husband had made a reference that he had enough cash card usage coming back from AMX. We were told it was actually being phased in due to contractual agreements with X.

[KruzAholic]

Yes, you can take the card in and have them hand you the cash if you want.

[Bo1953]

Yes, you can take the card in and have them hand you the cash if you want.

 

ka - I will be at my local store tomorrow and inquire, thank you and others who mentioned this, yet I still would prefer to have the OBC..

 

bon voyage

[merlin5353]

... has anyone encountered this at our TA? Previously we received OBC, now they have gone to a cash card system which will be issued within 30 days after you return from the sailing....

 

It is the GC I do not want as it can only be used at their warehouses or the online store... which is well within their right(s) and T & C to do so. I prefer to use the money on the sailing, personally.

 

I will commence a search for a TA whose forte is based on pricing and pay for upgrades in perks on my own as the difference in pricing may accommodates this... Yet I did prefer the OBC, which was usually generous to say the least... :)

 

Thank you all and bon voyage!

We use the same TA and I am neutral on the subject; my DW is opposed. It should be a 'Cash Card" (if it is from C***C*), so you can stop by the store and get cash. We are there every few weeks anyway, so no problem.

[Caribbean Chris]

We've seen the same cash card thing being implemented on recent bookings, too.

 

In one way, I like it better because there's no wondering if the cruise line will do what they are supposed to do (refund the agency's OBC we didn't spend). We often get the whole thing credited back at the end of the cruise. With Go Best, the X on board credit is more than enough by itself and I end up wandering around the gift shop the last day to use the last few dollars.

 

We live about 10 minutes from the store and can easily use the cash card. However, it might cause me to spend more than I already do on impulse stuff because it's like play money. So I'm happy to know we can exchange it for real money!

[Cruise Junky]

While in the subject of said store. Now that they don't take AMEX anymore, have they stopped taking it for cruises in the US? They have in Canada which is a deal breaker for me. They don't process the payment, they should take all cards

[NemoCrownie]

While in the subject of said store. Now that they don't take AMEX anymore, have they stopped taking it for cruises in the US? They have in Canada which is a deal breaker for me. They don't process the payment, they should take all cards

Yes they have quit accepting AMEX but the Citi Visa gives 3% (vs 2%) back on travel purchases and has some trip protections with travel purchases that the AMEX didn't have. It ended up being a win for us. I don't like the cash card though and the Travelguard travel insurance agreement is not nearly as good as it was - better than getting it on your own but not nearly as good as it was.

 

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[Cruise Junky]

Yes they have quit accepting AMEX but the Citi Visa gives 3% (vs 2%) back on travel purchases and has some trip protections with travel purchases that the AMEX didn't have. It ended up being a win for us. I don't like the cash card though and the Travelguard travel insurance agreement is not nearly as good as it was - better than getting it on your own but not nearly as good as it was.

 

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Their card isn't as good in Canada. My Travel Insurance is tied to my Amex so no Amex no box store for travel.

[NemoCrownie]

Their card isn't as good in Canada. My Travel Insurance is tied to my Amex so no Amex no box store for travel.

That's interesting, the US Amex doesn't offer travel insurance unless you have a high annual fee card.

 

I'm coming across as a C cheerleader when, in fact, we will look at other booking options because of the cash card.

 

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Edited January 5, 2017 by NemoCrownie

[galensgrl]

... has anyone encountered this at our TA? Previously we received OBC, now they have gone to a cash card system which will be issued within 30 days after you return from the sailing....

 

It is the GC I do not want as it can only be used at their warehouses or the online store... which is well within their right(s) and T & C to do so. I prefer to use the money on the sailing, personally.

 

I will commence a search for a TA whose forte is based on pricing and pay for upgrades in perks on my own as the difference in pricing may accommodates this... Yet I did prefer the OBC, which was usually generous to say the least... :)

 

Thank you all and bon voyage!

 

I would be disappointed as well. We usually count on the OBC to cover the cost of our spa visits. Maybe a GC to the TA's own warehouse or online store is a way for them to make sure that money just comes back into their own pocket. I guess it's a consolation that it can be turned in for cash at the nearest store for those who live close. Not convenient for the cruisers who count on the OBC to enhance their cruise experience though, is it?

Edited January 5, 2017 by galensgrl

[cdn_tbird]

ka - I will be at my local store tomorrow and inquire, thank you and others who mentioned this, yet I still would prefer to have the OBC..

 

bon voyage

 

We actually booked through them because the value of their CC was significantly more than the OBC two other TAs were offering, and considering the amount we spend there it was a no-brainier for us.

 

This is the first trip we've booked through them and must say we've been very happy any time we've had to deal with their call-center.

[Bo1953]

We actually booked through them because the value of their CC was significantly more than the OBC two other TAs were offering, and considering the amount we spend there it was a no-brainier for us.

 

This is the first trip we've booked through them and must say we've been very happy any time we've had to deal with their call-center.

 

c - Thank you for your post, I never meant to insinuate that any other aspect of their service or delivery was less than stellar, only that I was disappointed with the change from OBC to Cash Card as I would not be able to use the funds on board as I had on past sailings.

 

Please note, this change is not only for X sailings, there are a few others as well. I would not be surprized if it soon will cover all cruise lines within a year or so after those lines see how it works for the lines in place now.

 

Thank you again for your post and bon voyage

[Bo1953]

Yes they have quit accepting AMEX but the Citi Visa gives 3% (vs 2%) back on travel purchases and has some trip protections with travel purchases that the AMEX didn't have. It ended up being a win for us. I don't like the cash card though and the Travelguard travel insurance agreement is not nearly as good as it was - better than getting it on your own but not nearly as good as it was.

 

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nc - Thank you for your post. Is it possible to comment further on the changes to the travel insurance product that you have noted? The pricing and coverage, I thought was better than what I could find through other outlets/brokers, overall.

 

bon voyage

[NemoCrownie]

nc - Thank you for your post. Is it possible to comment further on the changes to the travel insurance product that you have noted? The pricing and coverage, I thought was better than what I could find through other outlets/brokers, overall.

 

bon voyage

Bo - log into your citi account, click on card benefits, go down towards the bottom of the page and click on Guide to Protection Benefits. Up to $3,000 of trip cancellation & interruption protection for non-refundable trip expenses per traveler.

 

Since I have worldwide health insurance and med evac, these benefits cover most of what I was receiving with trip insurance so I elected not to buy trip insurance for our upcoming trip. Obviously this would not be enough coverage for all trips but it will work for us this time because air is with SW and hotel can be cancelled up to 6 on check-in day. Hope this helps.

 

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[Iamcruzin]

I would prefer a discounted cabin. The issue I have with OBC is that I will most likely purchase something that I wouldn't have purchased just to use the OBC. This usually leads to spending additional money because the OBC doesn't always cover the purchase. When given the choice by Celebrity if 2 perks are offered I choose the drink package and $300 OBC. In this case I use the OBC to pay for gratuities and what ever is left over I would use towards laundry service. The ideal situation for me would be if the TA paid the gratuities in lieu of OBC.

[mac_tlc]

I have three booked with them since they switched over to the Cash Card instead of OBC. If I can get cash for the entire card, then its not as big a deal.

 

If you happen to have their credit card, you get 4% on gas, 2% in the store. However, if you use a cash card to pay for the gas or store purchase, you lose the discount, so the Cash Card is worth less. And, I believe, the cash card is not usable for future travel purchases (although you would lose the 3% credit card rebate if you were going to use the card).

 

Long way of saying the Cash Card is not worth as much as the OBC -- and they made the switch for RCCL cruises as well.

 

mac_tlc

[Bo1953]

Well, I went to my local warehouse this afternoon to inquire about 'cashing in' the Cash Card and the Assistant Store Manager was emphatic that this warehouse does not exchange for cash any Cash Cards...

 

While there are a few others within 45 minutes of where this particular warehouse is located, it is not worth me driving around, especially in advance, to find one that will exchange...

 

For those who can get the cards exchanged, I say how fortunate for you...

 

Thanks to all who commented and/or voted. I have a better idea as to what CC members prefer when booking sailings...

 

I will continue my search for a TA that offers A, B or C in the poll... without a Cash Card in lieu of OBC.. :)

 

What an incredible group of posters around, especially on this topic. For this, I Am grateful for the knowledge and input!

 

Please feel free to even email me your further thoughts and ideas... all welcome and appreciated.

 

bon voyage

[Muushka]

For your poll, if you are talking about OBC that is refundable, yes, that would be my first choice.

Non-refundable? Not so much.

 

 

I also have my reservation through the same store and they stressed very clearly that the cash card could be take to member services and exchanged for cash. With that, I figure I'd use it to pay for any incidentals I charge on the cruise anyway.

 

I agree with those who have stated that they do not allow cash exchange for the cash card. I wonder if they (the store) are confusing the rebate money/bonus that the C store credit company gives every year? Now that is a check that they will cash for you.

 

This change happen last fall. Since I don't live near any of their locations my shopping/visits are maybe 1 or 2 a year. This was our TA of choice but we stopped booking with them.

 

I too was told the cash card could be taken to their Customer Service desk and exchanged for money. For us that would mean a 150 mile r/t.

 

Actually back in 2013 I booked a big Disney family cruise through C. I received just over $2000 in cash cards. I didn't mind getting them. The way I looked at it, had we booked with Disney, we would have received nothing, so I was appreciative of the deal. But after that it was OBC refundable (on X). Maybe it was just DCL that they gave the cash cards for.

 

Bottom line, there are plenty of things that irritate me, believe me. :mad:

For some reason, this just isn't one of them!:)

[Mr. Click]

We used a large online TA for a number of years and they always offered us pre-paid grats as an incentive. The last two trips we had booked with them had major price drops after final payment and the TA was less than helpful until I made a threat after the second cruise dropped over $2000. They finally made good on helping with that one BUT they stopped offering pre-paid grats and started offering an amount of OBC based on who knows what that made no sense to me so I switched to what sounds like the same one Bo1953 was using. We got some nice OBC for our March sailing but when it came to the September sailing the offer was a gift card. I would prefer the OBC but the "store credit" is still a good deal since we shop there a lot and I am assuming I could use that gift card to pay for part of my next cruise, when ever it is... Bottom line is it pays to shop around each time. Get quotes, pick the one you like and book it.....

[Muushka]

Don't assume you can use it towards a future cruise. You can't, I've tried.

[Banjo]

I been using a big box TA for years. For my next upcoming cruise I'll be getting a cash card. Since I shop at the big box regularly, I'll use it.

 

In past cruises I have had OBC refunded at the end of cruise but that's rare. Probably, not seeing that OBC on my cabin TV, I'll spend less :rolleyes: Celebrity may want to re-evaluate this new practice.

[H2OH!]

I guess I shop there often enough. It doesn't matter to me if it is OBC or cash card for a store. That usually means I will purchase less on board.

 

 

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I agree.

 

Also when we book suites I prefer the cash card. We cruise the end of January in a Signature suite and with celebrity OBC and the big box store OBC (had booked a long time ago so have OBC for the last time), we have over 1K to spend...and we have free premium drinks, free specialty dining, free internet and paid gratuities...and now are thinking what to spend the OBC on since we can't get it paid out a casino. we are considering using it to buy a ipad pro as I want to upgrade mine and/or renting an over the water cabana while in labadee.

 

I wonder if the big box store change had to do with the fact their OBC was so much higher than other TA I have found.

 

 

 

happy sailing!

[TMLAalum]

I agree.

 

Also when we book suites I prefer the cash card. We cruise the end of January in a Signature suite and with celebrity OBC and the big box store OBC (had booked a long time ago so have OBC for the last time), we have over 1K to spend...and we have free premium drinks, free specialty dining, free internet and paid gratuities...and now are thinking what to spend the OBC on since we can't get it paid out a casino. we are considering using it to buy a ipad pro as I want to upgrade mine and/or renting an over the water cabana while in labadee.

 

I wonder if the big box store change had to do with the fact their OBC was so much higher than other TA I have found.

 

 

 

happy sailing!

 

The only OBC you need to spend aboard is that granted by Celebrity. In our last cruise we were in a regular veranda with Go Best but had $400 Celeb OBC due to a special + @$350 from the big box store.

 

We did use our Celeb credit for specialty dining and a few sundries but had enough to spend for a Skagen watch for me.

 

It was nice to see that $350 credit on our next Visa bill! And I will be bringing in that "cash" card to exchange for actual money for our cruises booked with that perk.

[Bo1953]

For your poll, if you are talking about OBC that is refundable, yes, that would be my first choice.

Non-refundable? Not so much.

 

 

:)

 

m - Thank you for the post. I Am not aware of any TA OBC which is not refundable, yet there could be. Just never heard of it, only X's.