Using onboard credit for excursions

[deb1eric]

Can we use our onboard credit to purchase excursions online or do we have to wait until we board the ship?

  I tried booking but there was no options to use our credit.

[rufflesmom]

Onboard credit can only be used onboard the ship.  If you want to use it to pay for excursions you will have to wait until you are on the ship.  But go immediately after boarding in order to get the ones you want.

 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, rufflesmom said:

Onboard credit can only be used onboard the ship.  If you want to use it to pay for excursions you will have to wait until you are on the ship.  But go immediately after boarding in order to get the ones you want.

 

Princess allows you to use onboard credit to purchase excursions before the cruise, but Carnival does not.

[audcc77]

Yup. Tell me about it.
 

My friend and I have $800 OBCfor our Nov booking. We wanted a cabana at HMC but had to pay the $360 or whatever ahead of time just to be sure we could get one. 

[ray985]

Yeah, I really wish they'd allow it. I have $800 in OBC to use ($600 for cancelled cruise, $100 for new cruise, and $100 for stock holder) and I wanted it all to go to excursions. I hate waiting to book until I'm on board because some do sell out and I have a few excursions that I really wanted. Guess I'll just have to risk it (except the one I really want, that one I'll just shell out the cash upfront)

[ScratchTheRat]

It's why it's called "Onboard" credit. It can only be used onboard. It's a pain sure, but it's the way it works. It is a discount that is added to your onboard account and as your onboard account isn't created until you get your sail & sign card, there's no way for them to use it.

 

 

[BoozinCroozin]

I must be overthinking things a little. We have $1,000 OBC and I don't think it stretches that far. $320 will go to the daily service fee. Souvenirs, casino, and a specialty dining will eat the rest pretty quickly IMO. 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, ScratchTheRat said:

It's why it's called "Onboard" credit. It can only be used onboard. It's a pain sure, but it's the way it works. It is a discount that is added to your onboard account and as your onboard account isn't created until you get your sail & sign card, there's no way for them to use it.

 

 

As I posted earlier, Princess has found a way to allow onboard credit to be used prior to boarding for buying excursions, but only for excursions, nothing else.

[JohnMI]

Indeed -- he seems to be stuck on the word "onboard."  I could easily state that "Onboard Credit" means that you use it for things that you do while "onboard" your cruise trip -- such as excursions and so on.  Clearly, it COULD be done, it just ISN'T done.  But that's very different than saying that there is "there's no way for them to use it" simply because it is called an "onboard" credit.  It can't currently be done -- and I don't see them changing it soon -- but it certainly COULD be done if they wanted to do so.

 

[wemjam]

From a business perspective I can guess why Carnival does it this way.  They know people are going to want to make sure they have certain things for sure before they board.

 

Specialty reservations at a certain time, a specific excursion, and maybe the Cheers or Bottomless bubbles in advance to save some $.  I myself am guilty of this, even though I have a lot of OBC for my upcoming cruises in the next 4 months, I still pre-booked several things because I wanted the assurance of getting exactly what I want.  (I also know I will have no issue spending my OBC once on board).

 

This way Carnival gets more money from me, my pre-booked purchases and my OBC.

 

I remember when you couldn't book anything before you boarded and had to do it all onboard the ship only.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, JohnMI said:

Indeed -- he seems to be stuck on the word "onboard."  I could easily state that "Onboard Credit" means that you use it for things that you do while "onboard" your cruise trip -- such as excursions and so on.  Clearly, it COULD be done, it just ISN'T done.  But that's very different than saying that there is "there's no way for them to use it" simply because it is called an "onboard" credit.  It can't currently be done -- and I don't see them changing it soon -- but it certainly COULD be done if they wanted to do so.

 

Yes, and as I wrote in the post just prior to yours, Princess, owned by Carnival Corporation, does allow you to use OBC to prepurchase excursions, but no other purchase prior to boarding.

 

And there is a history to that. Princess used to allow you to purchase excursions before boarding while not having them charged to your credit card until you boarded. And then they ended that policy. And they were met by a lot of protests from their loyal guests who said you have ended one of the things that has always made Princess unique. In face of the many, many protests, they came up with the compromise that OBC could be used before boarding for excursions. Note this was only for excursions and not anything else bought before the cruise.

[arkaine23]

Any word on book them now and pay for them, board the ship, cancel them for a refund while simultaneously rebooking them with onboard credit at Guest Services?

[sanger727]

7 minutes ago, arkaine23 said:

Any word on book them now and pay for them, board the ship, cancel them for a refund while simultaneously rebooking them with onboard credit at Guest Services?

 

I believe anything you pre-purchased and cancel on board gets refunded in OBC. The question is whether that OBC will be refunded at the end of the trip or not. 

[ontheweb]

19 minutes ago, arkaine23 said:

Any word on book them now and pay for them, board the ship, cancel them for a refund while simultaneously rebooking them with onboard credit at Guest Services?

There are 2 possible problems with that strategy. The first is that the price might increase. The second is that if it is now sold out, you will be waitlisted. You are probably ok doing that, but there are those risks.

[wemjam]

6 hours ago, arkaine23 said:

Any word on book them now and pay for them, board the ship, cancel them for a refund while simultaneously rebooking them with onboard credit at Guest Services?

Big issue is you pay penalty if you cancel once on board, Carnival's cancellation policy from their site:

• Onboard: After the pre-sails cut off time, cancellations must be handled on board and cancellation charges are as follows:
  • 25% charge once on board
  • 100% charge if cancellation within 24 hours of arrival in port
  • Refunds less cancellation charges will be applied in the form of a credit to the guest's Sail & Sign account.
  • Sail & Sign credit balances will be paid to the guest in the form of a Carnival check at the end of the voyage.

[wemjam]

Just now, wemjam said:

Big issue is you pay penalty if you cancel once on board, Carnival's cancellation policy from their site:

• Onboard: After the pre-sails cut off time, cancellations must be handled on board and cancellation charges are as follows:
  • 25% charge once on board
  • 100% charge if cancellation within 24 hours of arrival in port
  • Refunds less cancellation charges will be applied in the form of a credit to the guest's Sail & Sign account.
  • Sail & Sign credit balances will be paid to the guest in the form of a Carnival check at the end of the voyage.

I will say, I HAVE cancelled once on board and been refunded in full; however, by their own policy they can charge you.  Sometimes I think it depends on the person you get at the excursion desk, and if you have a "valid" reason to cancel.  The time I cancelled is because my mother and I were on an excursion and she got really sick due to rough seas (and is 70 years old), so I think they took pity on us.