Best Use of On Board Credit

[SeaWatcher65]

Best way to use on board credit? Will be on Reflection. We already have perks - premium beverage package, gratuities paid, wifi. Usually on our own or private tours at port, happy with main dining but might try Murano and Tuscan Grille. Dont care for the casino or spa.

• Any good shopping on board? Clothes, jewelry, other?
  
• Fitness classes?
  
• Flowers for the room?
  
• Can you use credit to book another cruise while on board?
  
• Other ideas?
  

Thanks

[cruisestitch]

Because this gets asked so often I've compiled a list of things to spend OBC on. The only thing I know of now that you CAN'T buy with OBC is a deposit on a Future Cruise. Some cruisers have also reported that you cannot use it to enter Texas Hold Em tournaments. Otherwise, here you go:

 

 

Acupuncture

Airport transfers

Alcove Rental (some ships)

Apple products etc. and Ilounge classes

Art Auctions

Babysitting

Barber Shop services (Edge only)

Beverages -- Alcoholic, carbonated soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas, Bottled water

Bingo

Bottles of wine

Casino

Duty free liquor and cigarettes

Extra cost entrees and other items in Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants

Fitness classes

Flowers

Gelato

Gift shop

Gratuities, and extra gratuities

Guests dining with you in Luminae (applies to Suite Passengers only)

Guest entertainers' CD's and DVD's

Hair and nail salon

Hollywood hot glass experiences (some ships)

Internet

Laundry/pressing/drycleaning

Luggage Valet

Martini Flights

Medical Center

Mini bar

Shore Excursions

Pay-per-view movies

Photos & cameras

Room service up charge items, and late night delivery fee

Shore Excursions

Shuttle to town (some ports)

Spa -- massages and treatments

Specialty restaurants

Teeth Whitening

Telephone calls using ship's system

Transfer to another passenger's account

Voyage in Review DVD

Wine and liquor tastings

Zumba

[2theship]

When I saw the subject line, my first reaction was to say "casino" but that's not your thing. Unfortunately, OBC cannot be applied towards a future cruise deposit. I'm not a big fan of the shops except I find that the cosmetics department stocks a few items I use regularly so I might spend mine there. My sister (who sails solo and gets double OBC) bought an outrageously expensive purse in the shops to use up hers. As you say, there are the specialty restaurants. Or, there are always shore excursions.

[Luvcrusn]

The only thing you can't use it for is booking a future cruise. We love Murano and Lawn Club Grille on Reflection. I bought a nice Michael Kors handbag, and of course there's always jewelry.;p You may use it for extra gratuities, buying bottles of wine, spirits, perfume, etc. Clothing selections were limited to the usual on board selections.

[cb at sea]

You can't really "specify" how to use it...it's merely a credit against any spending you do. If you have $100 OBC, the 1st $100 you spend is covered.

[Georgia_Peaches]

I don't know if it's the "best" use but we enjoy the for fee wine tastings and mixology classes.

CM

[ghstudio]

I have given folks $100 in cash if they go with me to the casino and get $100 of promotional chips. You might find someone who goes to the casino anyway who would do that for you. I don’t mind helping nice folks I meet....

 

 

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[Maven3]

Best way to use on board credit? Will be on Reflection. We already have perks - premium beverage package, gratuities paid, wifi. Usually on our own or private tours at port, happy with main dining but might try Murano and Tuscan Grille. Dont care for the casino or spa.

 

• 
   
  
• Any good shopping on board? Clothes, jewelry, other?
   
  
• Fitness classes?
   
  
• Flowers for the room?
   
  
• Can you use credit to book another cruise while on board?
   
  
• Other ideas?
   
  

Thanks

 

 

 

On our last cruise, I used most of our OBC to buy a new Go Pro for our son & some perfume for our daughter. I gave both of the items for Christmas presents. [emoji4]

 

 

Vickie

[BSinPNS]

If you package does not include it, the automatic gratuity is another way to spend it. As a previous poster said, it covers anything that is billed to your shipboard account. Future cruise deposits are billed directly to your credit card on file, or another one if you so choose. Have a great trip.

[SeaWatcher65]

Thank you. Some things I did not think of. Norwegian allowed OBC when buying a future cruise certificate, that's why I asked. Oh well. Thanks for the tips. Wife would like the jewelry option! Bought a Michael Kohrs watch on a different cruise and she loved it.

[gordylad]

get obc from celebrity spend on celebrity excursions/shopping etc....they are smart eh.

[chemmo]

Thank you. Some things I did not think of. Norwegian allowed OBC when buying a future cruise certificate, that's why I asked. Oh well. Thanks for the tips. Wife would like the jewelry option! Bought a Michael Kohrs watch on a different cruise and she loved it.

 

Whilst the stock of items of all types can be limited we have (as yet) always been able to find something to spend our spare OBC on. Watches, cameras, iPad, binoculars, jewellery....As someone else suggested you can also look for items as gifts for others.

 

Why not also look at enjoying all the restaurants on board...we found LPC at Q’sine amusing, loved the Porch for a sea day lunch, enjoyed al fresco dining at the Lawn Club, watched a sail away from Tuscan and as always loved the tableside preparation in Murano’s! That must be a fair chunk of OBC blown!

[Cruise Raider]

We always buy our embarkation photo and beyond that, we don’t get any additional photos.

We may book an excursions and buy a specialty dinner or two.

But, mostly, what we like to do is to head to the Internet cafe and see what electronics they have available. I got an iPad last year when I had a lot of obc to use or lose. No tax charged so the Apple products are a decent deal. I traded in some of my obc for a JBL Bluetooth speaker last year as well. I once used some of my obc to buy a nice camera. All items are things I use regularly.

If you have any refundable obc, it will just go back onto your credit card after the cruise is over ... so we sometimes don’t use it all simply to spend it. We figure by getting it back, that is equal to using it for a future cruise credit, which isn’t an allowable use while onboard.

[fleckle]

Best way to use on board credit? Will be on Reflection. We already have perks - premium beverage package, gratuities paid, wifi. Usually on our own or private tours at port, happy with main dining but might try Murano and Tuscan Grille. Dont care for the casino or spa.

There is no "best way" as the best way is different for each person.

 

For one person the "best way" would be to buy jewelry, for another clothing, for another cosmetics, for another acupuncture treatment or spinning class or photos, and so on.

It is like asking for the the best way to spend cash.

 

The main differences are that onboard credit can only be used on the ship, and non-refundable onboard credit is spend it or lose it.

 

However, if you have refundable onboard credit, then you can cash it out at the end of the cruise, or have it refunded to your credit card.

[SeaWatcher65]

I was hoping that Celebrity had some good shopping stores on board (jewelry and clothes) other than the usual watches, purses, ties, wallets that past cruise ships always had out in the walkways with special sales. Norwegian had a big jewelry store and some ocean themed stuff (Guy Harvey).

[Mr. Click]

On our last cruise we knew we had $400 in OBC, we knew we needed a new iPad, we knew stocks on the ship are limited so, as soon as the Apple store opened we were there. The cost of the new iPad Pro 10.5 64GB was the same on the ship as it is in the Apple store in our local mall but I was spending OBC for more than half of the cost and there is no sales tax so.....we did the deal. Other cruises we have bought some clothing we needed and liked, souviners for the munchkins, and some soft drinks as we needed them. Our upcoming cruise we have a lot of Celebrity OBC again and we are going to all EU ports so onboard purchases including specialty restaurants are subject to the EU's VAT. With that in mind I bought a 4 night specialty dining package in advance. I save the VAT, it is not refundable on consumables and food and drink are indeed consumable, I got the sale price on the package and I put a dent in our OBC.

 

OP, think about the things you want and like and use the OBC that way. There are lots of ways to spend money on board.

[jkgourmet]

We save as much of the REFUNDABLE OBC as we can. The credit makes a nice post-cruise gift.

 

We would put it all towards gratuities, except our onlineTA gives that as a perk for booking with them.

 

The non-refundable goes to specialty restaurants, drinks above our classic package perk (not really applicable to OP). On one short cruise, we had a bunch of non-refundable left, so I purchased a Michael Kors bag on sale day.

 

If we STILL couldn't use our NR OBC, we would give it away to a friendly stranger or invite them to join us for dinner at a specialty restaurant. No way in hell is it going back to the cruise line.

[buckeyecruisers]

Does anybody know if you can use your OBC to purchase pre cruise beverage package or do you have to wait to buy with the OBC when on board.?

[Luvcrusn]

Does anybody know if you can use your OBC to purchase pre cruise beverage package or do you have to wait to buy with the OBC when on board.?

As long as the OBC shows up in your cruise planner as available you may use it pre-cruise to buy beverage package. If the OBC was from your TA, it won't show up and can't be used.

[bobndee]

As long as the OBC shows up in your cruise planner as available you may use it pre-cruise to buy beverage package. If the OBC was from your TA, it won't show up and can't be used.

 

But if it is from your TA it is refundable if you don't spend it all on board.

 

On our last cruise we used our non-refundable OBC from X to upgrade our drink package. We went to dinner at Murano and did a few other small things with OBC from our TA. The balance was refunded and paid for some beautiful Irish crystal we bought in Kinsale.

[Luvcrusn]

But if it is from your TA it is refundable if you don't spend it all on board.

 

On our last cruise we used our non-refundable OBC from X to upgrade our drink package. We went to dinner at Murano and did a few other small things with OBC from our TA. The balance was refunded and paid for some beautiful Irish crystal we bought in Kinsale.

Absolutely! We do the same. I was just answering the question asked. In addition any non refundable OBC will be used first once you're on board before the non refundable is used.

[inforem]

We are on the Summit right now. For some reason or another we have $875 obviously. We are in a suite, so we basically get everything we need. So far we have spent $20 in casino (a waste of time and $$), $60 on an excursion and $100 for booze for my son....anyone need some credit...hahaha:D;p:')

[Tinknock50]

I am having the same problem. Excursion providers that Celebrity doesn't use are more handicap friendly. I don't drink and don't generally use specialty dining. So I had hoped to use my $350 credit for shore excursions. (Gratuities are already covered.)

[tonyd285]

We were on the Summit in May, RT Bermuda, and had a ton of OBC. Found nothing in the shops, so used the credits for specialty restaurants and booze to take home. Exceeded my customs limit for sure.

[Big_G]

Because this gets asked so often I've compiled a list of things to spend OBC on. The only thing I know of now that you CAN'T buy with OBC is a deposit on a Future Cruise. Some cruisers have also reported that you cannot use it to enter Texas Hold Em tournaments. Otherwise, here you go:

 

 

Thanks for the list. For the first time ever we had too much OBC on our last Silhouette. I had to send the wife on a shopping trip the last day. Maybe she'll be more amenable to some of the spa stuff next time around.