On Board Credit?

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

I did the excursion price match guarantee, and Carnival approved it and gave us OBC to use. What do you personally use your OBC for? Can I use it for making calls home from the stateroom (I’ve made calls home before)? The calls would be going to my boyfriends account since the room is under his name, so if I can use the OBC for the calls, can I go down to guest services to have them switch it to my S&S card?

 

towards the end of the cruise, I go down to GS to have them the calls over to me. Just want to make sure the OBC will apply to the calls. 

[Cruise-Crazy]

The OBC is applied to your SS account as credit. 

[Banditswife]

We use our OBC for onboard expenses, like drinks or gambling in casino.  It can also be used to pay your auto gratuities, buy shore excursions, used in the "fun" shops.  We've never done it, but I am pretty sure you & your boyfriend can set up separate onboard spending accounts.  Why not just set up your own account for your calls.  When I need to call home, I try to wait until I am on shore where my international line allows me to do so.  You could also look into using social media, which is fairly inexpensive while on the ship.

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

47 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

We use our OBC for onboard expenses, like drinks or gambling in casino.  It can also be used to pay your auto gratuities, buy shore excursions, used in the "fun" shops.  We've never done it, but I am pretty sure you & your boyfriend can set up separate onboard spending accounts.  Why not just set up your own account for your calls.  When I need to call home, I try to wait until I am on shore where my international line allows me to do so.  You could also look into using social media, which is fairly inexpensive while on the ship.

We tried to switch it, but I think since the booking/room is under his name, the calls automatically go to his account, which is fine, as I just got downstairs to GS and switch it

[Saint Greg]

Gratuities, specialty dining, excursions.

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

6 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Gratuities, specialty dining, excursions.

I actually have another excursion booked. Can I get the OBC ($33) credited to the other excursion I got and put my $33 back to my original method of payment? 
 

If so, do I go to GS or the excursion desk? The email said I won’t receive the credit until I’m on board. 

[Saint Greg]

1 minute ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

I actually have another excursion booked. Can I get the OBC ($33) credited to the other excursion I got and put my $33 back to my original method of payment? 
 

If so, do I go to GS or the excursion desk? The email said I won’t receive the credit until I’m on board. 

 

When I use OBC to book excursions, I wait until I'm onboard to book them. I do it first thing when I get onboard.

[Organized Chaos]

3 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

I did the excursion price match guarantee, and Carnival approved it and gave us OBC to use. What do you personally use your OBC for? Can I use it for making calls home from the stateroom (I’ve made calls home before)? The calls would be going to my boyfriends account since the room is under his name, so if I can use the OBC for the calls, can I go down to guest services to have them switch it to my S&S card?

 

towards the end of the cruise, I go down to GS to have them the calls over to me. Just want to make sure the OBC will apply to the calls. 

 

I agree with Banditswife. When it comes time for you to complete your online check-in, you can create your own, separate S&S account even though the cabin is in your boyfriend's name. If you're already able to do your online check-in, you can still go in and make changes. That way you don't have to go to Guest Services and have anything transferred from one to the other. Just login to your online check-in, go to Onboard Expenses, and click on Add Another Account, or something like that. Then choose yourself and set it up as a credit card or cash account.

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

4 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I agree with Banditswife. When it comes time for you to complete your online check-in, you can create your own, separate S&S account even though the cabin is in your boyfriend's name. If you're already able to do your online check-in, you can still go in and make changes. That way you don't have to go to Guest Services and have anything transferred from one to the other. Just login to your online check-in, go to Onboard Expenses, and click on Add Another Account, or something like that. Then choose yourself and set it up as a credit card or cash account.

But if I make a call out of the stateroom, how will they know which card to charge? I’m just dialing out 

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

2 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

But if I make a call out of the stateroom, how will they know which card to charge? I’m just dialing out 

I think that was the problem when I called Carnival last year. They said something along the line of the calls will be charged to the person the booking is under and just go to GS to put it on my card instead. So last year I just went to GS and told them I want the charges moved over to my card

[Organized Chaos]

23 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

But if I make a call out of the stateroom, how will they know which card to charge? I’m just dialing out 

 

Oh, I see what you're saying. I've never made a call out from the cabin, so I don't know the process. I thought maybe you'd have to give a folio number or something like that. Something that identifies the person making the call. That seems like it'd be a better way of going about it. For example, if multiple friends are cruising in the same cabin and one wants to make a call home, it'd be nice to be able to charge that person's S&S right off the bat.

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

59 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Oh, I see what you're saying. I've never made a call out from the cabin, so I don't know the process. I thought maybe you'd have to give a folio number or something like that. Something that identifies the person making the call. That seems like it'd be a better way of going about it. For example, if multiple friends are cruising in the same cabin and one wants to make a call home, it'd be nice to be able to charge that person's S&S right off the bat.

I wish it were that way, but you simply just dial out. It’s not a big deal and GS does it super quick for me when I ask them to move those charges onto me. I was just wondering if I can apply my OBC I’ll receive on the cruise to those calls! I’ll give carnival a quick call. Should be a simple yes or no answer. Thank you! 

[Number12]

Your OBC will be applied to your sign and sail account.  Any charges applied to your sign and sail, gratuities, drinks, etc, will be taken from the OBC first and then from whatever method of payment you have designated from there on.

[coevan]

exactly, you don't have a choice, OBC is applied to anything you charge

[webzila]

3 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

But if I make a call out of the stateroom, how will they know which card to charge? I’m just dialing out 

 

Don't waste your OBC on making calls out of the stateroom. Instead spend the OBC on the top tier internet plan and use Wi-Fi calling from your phone.

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

Wait a second....I purchased the second level WiFi on my last cruise. You’re telling me I would’ve been able to make outgoing calls?!?! I thought it just said social media? 

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

12 minutes ago, webzila said:

 

Don't waste your OBC on making calls out of the stateroom. Instead spend the OBC on the top tier internet plan and use Wi-Fi calling from your phone.

Wait a second....I purchased the second level WiFi on my last cruise. You’re telling me I would’ve been able to make outgoing calls?!?! I thought it just said social media? Is the outgoing calls to iPhone users only?? 

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

1 hour ago, Number12 said:

Your OBC will be applied to your sign and sail account.  Any charges applied to your sign and sail, gratuities, drinks, etc, will be taken from the OBC first and then from whatever method of payment you have designated from there on.

Oh wow thank you!

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

exactly, you don't have a choice, OBC is applied to anything you charge

What if I wanted to put the OBC to another excursion I already purchased and then get reimbursed? Can I do that? 

[webzila]

3 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

Wait a second....I purchased the second level WiFi on my last cruise. You’re telling me I would’ve been able to make outgoing calls?!?! I thought it just said social media? Is the outgoing calls to iPhone users only?? 

 

You can make calls via WiFi not cellular network. That can be done many different ways either through the stock phone app (if supported), Google Voice, Google Duo, Viber, Skype, etc.

 

I used my regular phone app without any issues with Cellular turned off and WiFi On. Text messages also worked via WiFi

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

4 minutes ago, webzila said:

 

You can make calls via WiFi not cellular network. That can be done many different ways either through the stock phone app (if supported), Google Voice, Google Duo, Viber, Skype, etc.

 

I used my regular phone app without any issues with Cellular turned off and WiFi On. Text messages also worked via WiFi

Thank you! For people with apple products only? 

[webzila]

Just now, Danca4eva1994 said:

Thank you! For people with apple products only? 

 

I have Android. I'm sure the same will work on iPhone as well.

[coevan]

my iPhone works just fine.

 

not sure you are understanding how OBC works, you apply it to your account, not a specific event

[pinacoladasatpianobar]

29 minutes ago, coevan said:

my iPhone works just fine.

 

not sure you are understanding how OBC works, you apply it to your account, not a specific event

I’m still a new cruiser so I’m trying to figure all this out

[shof515]

2 hours ago, Danca4eva1994 said:

Thank you! For people with apple products only? 

no, it works on android. in the android settings, do a search for wi-fi calling and enable it