Using obc from Royal before sailing

[njkruzer]

We are the Liberty August 28. Have obc from an booking onboard.  Tried to use them to pay for an excursion.  Unfortunately they weren't on the website.  I called c&a.  They looked into it and said that since the reservation was with my travel partner,  i.e. travel agent, we couldn't use them only she could.  Huh!?  I know I've done this before.  I asked to speak with a supervisor.  After waiting they said they would call me back.  No phone call.  We paid for excursion because the sale was about to end.  (Price did go up an hour later.)   Am I wrong about being able to use obc this way without going through ta?  Plan to escalate this to executive office,  unless you all tell me I'm wrong. 

[mousemom11]

I've had quite a few previous cruises booked through a TA with OBC that I used on the website to pay for excursions, drink packages, dining plans, etc. Maybe check with your TA to see if there are any unusual circumstances with your booking that might cause this to happen.

[Biker19]

12 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Am I wrong about being able to use obc this way without going through ta?

No, the Next Cruise OBC should be viewable and usable in the planner (does not depend on who holds the booking).

Edited July 7, 2022 by Biker19

[njkruzer]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

No, the Next Cruise OBC should be viewable and usable in the planner (does not depend on who holds the booking).

Thanks.  That's what I thought.   Would have waited and argued more but sale was about to end.  

[Ourusualbeach]

28 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

They looked into it and said that since the reservation was with my travel partner,  i.e. travel agent, we couldn't use them only she could. 

Travel agents have no access to customers OBC

[nelblu]

I found the C&A desk to be frustrating over the last 6 months. One time I waited for someone to pick up some 1+ hours and finally gave up and called Royal’s Customer Service and got through with minimal wait. 
the most annoying part of the waiting was not the various promos, but that “someone will be with you  shortly. “😜

 

[njkruzer]

15 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Travel agents have no access to customers OBC

That's what I thought. 

[Mum2Mercury]

Two thoughts: 

- It's called ON BOARD credit, not BEFORE BOARDING credit.  The cruise line wants you to go ahead and spend on your excursions, then you'll mentally have what they call a "fresh wallet", meaning you don't have to pay for this-or-that onboard, and you'll feel like it's okay to spend-spend-spend.  

- Forgive my suspicious nature ... but it's smart to print out your OBC (and anything else you've pre-paid).  Worse come to worse, you'll have instant, solid proof that you can take to Guest Services.  

[njkruzer]

3 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Two thoughts: 

- It's called ON BOARD credit, not BEFORE BOARDING credit.  The cruise line wants you to go ahead and spend on your excursions, then you'll mentally have what they call a "fresh wallet", meaning you don't have to pay for this-or-that onboard, and you'll feel like it's okay to spend-spend-spend.  

- Forgive my suspicious nature ... but it's smart to print out your OBC (and anything else you've pre-paid).  Worse come to worse, you'll have instant, solid proof that you can take to Guest Services.  

Always bring paper back up documents.  In my experience,  which is why I'm surprised,  always available before boarding.  They actually would post on your web page and encourage you to use.

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Two thoughts: 

- It's called ON BOARD credit, not BEFORE BOARDING credit.  The cruise line wants you to go ahead and spend on your excursions, then you'll mentally have what they call a "fresh wallet", meaning you don't have to pay for this-or-that onboard, and you'll feel like it's okay to spend-spend-spend.  

- Forgive my suspicious nature ... but it's smart to print out your OBC (and anything else you've pre-paid).  Worse come to worse, you'll have instant, solid proof that you can take to Guest Services.  

the obc you receive before you board shows up in the upper part when I click to view my reservation. I can easily spend it. Like obc for owning stocks. 

 

Obc for groups from a ta you dont receive until onboard so cant spend it until it posts. 

[nelblu]

15 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

the obc you receive before you board shows up in the upper part when I click to view my reservation. I can easily spend it. Like obc for owning stocks. 

 

Obc for groups from a ta you dont receive until onboard so cant spend it until it posts. 

Also, the $100 OBC should be reflected on your "Cruise Vacation Receipt" that was provided to you while on board.  In the middle of invoice there's a Subject titled "On Board Credit."

[njkruzer]

20 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

the obc you receive before you board shows up in the upper part when I click to view my reservation. I can easily spend it. Like obc for owning stocks. 

 

That's always been my experience.  Didn't understand why it wouldn't work and c&a were of no use.

[njkruzer]

4 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Also, the $100 OBC should be reflected on your "Cruise Vacation Receipt" that was provided to you while on board.  In the middle of invoice there's a Subject titled "On Board Credit."

It was on my booking confirmation.  Just couldn't use.

[firefly333]

18 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

It was on my booking confirmation.  Just couldn't use.

Sounds like a IT problem. I've had some issues buying excursions. And some others go right thru. 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, nelblu said:

I found the C&A desk to be frustrating over the last 6 months. One time I waited for someone to pick up some 1+ hours and finally gave up and called Royal’s Customer Service and got through with minimal wait. 
the most annoying part of the waiting was not the various promos, but that “someone will be with you  shortly. “😜

 

Yes, some hold times are ridiculous.   I try to call first thing in the morning in the middle of the afternoon and usually have min. wait times of 10 or 15 minutes at most.   

[njkruzer]

Just to let everyone know, I sent the email.  Basically asked to confirm that obc should have been usable.  I asked for an explanation.   I was polite.  Will see what happens. 

[nelblu]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Yes, some hold times are ridiculous.   I try to call first thing in the morning in the middle of the afternoon and usually have min. wait times of 10 or 15 minutes at most.   

I wish their telephone system would indicate the wait time.  Also, the ability to leave a call back number.  
 

ps. Lots of hope and wishes😊😊

[njkruzer]

Update:

 

1. I got a form return email from executive offices this afternoon.  There was a name on it.  They are reviewing the problem.  It's Friday and since they're closed on Saturday and Sunday I don't expect to hear back until Monday. 

 

2. Amazingly today my obc appears on my reservation on the computer!  And it showed as $200, not $150 as it shows on the confirmation. 

 

More to come.

[John&LaLa]

Good luck 👍 

[iuki]

On 7/7/2022 at 7:59 AM, Ourusualbeach said:

Travel agents have no access to customers OBC

I don’t use a TA, so my response might seem stupid to all of you.  I was under the impression that if a TA books a cruise for you, only the TA can book shore excursions and that the passengers can’t go online to purchase excursions directly with the cruise line. If that is the case, then his travel partner who is a TA would have to be the one to book the excursion using the OBC.  Once a cruise is booked, can a passenger go on the cruise line website and make purchases & reservations?
 

Sorry if it’s a dumb question.

 

[iuki]

On 7/7/2022 at 8:29 AM, Mum2Mercury said:

Two thoughts: 

- It's called ON BOARD credit, not BEFORE BOARDING credit.  The cruise line wants you to go ahead and spend on your excursions, then you'll mentally have what they call a "fresh wallet", meaning you don't have to pay for this-or-that onboard, and you'll feel like it's okay to spend-spend-spend.  

- Forgive my suspicious nature ... but it's smart to print out your OBC (and anything else you've pre-paid).  Worse come to worse, you'll have instant, solid proof that you can take to Guest Services.  

When we booked onboard, we were told that we could use the OBC to purchase package deals or excursions.

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, iuki said:

I don’t use a TA, so my response might seem stupid to all of you.  I was under the impression that if a TA books a cruise for you, only the TA can book shore excursions and that the passengers can’t go online to purchase excursions directly with the cruise line. If that is the case, then his travel partner who is a TA would have to be the one to book the excursion using the OBC.  Once a cruise is booked, can a passenger go on the cruise line website and make purchases & reservations?
 

Sorry if it’s a dumb question.

 

Not dumb but your info is incorrect.  You don't need your ta to book shore excursions,  dinner reservations,  etc. You need them if you want to make any changes to the reservation, such as change cabin or get a price reduction. 

[njkruzer]

1 minute ago, iuki said:

When we booked onboard, we were told that we could use the OBC to purchase package deals or excursions.

Correct.  Mine were in their system but not on the website so I couldn't use them for excursion.  Amazingly they appeared today, after I booked and paid for excursion on Thursday. 

[Ourusualbeach]

19 minutes ago, iuki said:

I don’t use a TA, so my response might seem stupid to all of you.  I was under the impression that if a TA books a cruise for you, only the TA can book shore excursions and that the passengers can’t go online to purchase excursions directly with the cruise line. If that is the case, then his travel partner who is a TA would have to be the one to book the excursion using the OBC.  Once a cruise is booked, can a passenger go on the cruise line website and make purchases & reservations?
 

Sorry if it’s a dumb question.

 

Actually, your TA does not have acces to your cruise planner.  You have complete control over that.  

Edited July 9, 2022 by Ourusualbeach

[njkruzer]

Update:  heard from someone in exec office who apologized no explanation as to what happened and said they were giving us each an additional $50 obc, i.e. $100 for the 2 of us for a total of $200, but that would only be an extra $50, which us what the cruise planner showed.  I emailed the person again and reminded her to look at the original confirmation which was attached to the email.  The original  obc was $150.  Someone else responded and as of today I have an apology and the correct amount of the obc. The explanation is that for an unknown reason our original obc had dropped off.  Of course no explanation as to why they dropped off.  I guess it was just Royal IT.