Using NCL OBC b4 getting onboard?

[StarAFire]

Hi, 

 

Sorry, I can't remember what it is for NCL.  Last month when I sailed w/ RCCL, I was able to use my OBC from TA/Shareholder, while making shore excursion, and water/beverage packages before getting onboard.  Is that the same for NCL?  Or do I need to actually be onboard first to spend it?

 

Thanks!

[BirdTravels]

8 minutes ago, StarAFire said:

Sorry, I can't remember what it is for NCL.  Last month when I sailed w/ RCCL, I was able to use my OBC from TA/Shareholder, while making shore excursion, and water/beverage packages before getting onboard.  Is that the same for NCL?  Or do I need to actually be onboard first to spend it?

No. You can not use onboard credit before you get onboard the ship on NCL. 

[StarAFire]

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

No. You can not use onboard credit before you get onboard the ship on NCL. 

Thanks, for confirming, its different then Royal Caribbean, as they let you use the onboard credit before getting onboard 🙂

[don't-use-real-name]

Until you check in - receive your key card and have an account - you really are not onboard to

use any all of that gifted purchased comped ON BOARD Credit.

The OBC has to be applied to an account - get the idea !

 

Once on board you may be able to switch out previously paid shore excursions with the OBC

taking a paid credit against your account - hope NCL is user friendly in this respect.

 

The KEY WORD here is ON BOARD !  

[StarAFire]

Ok. Lol I was just confirming, since the other cruise line I just sailed was different!  
 

Apparently the key word means something different sometimes with others companies. 🤷‍♀️. Because Royal Caribbean let me book shore excursions and order stuff like water package BEFORE I was ONBOARD the ship with my ONBOARD CREDIT. And I didn’t have to switch anything after I was on the ship.  So that is why I was asking.  I will just wait then, to get on the ship before doing those for our NCL sailing. 😂

[pcakes122]

20 minutes ago, StarAFire said:

Because Royal Caribbean let me book shore excursions and order stuff like water package BEFORE I was ONBOARD the ship with my ONBOARD CREDIT.

Princess and Carnival allow it, too.  It's becoming more widespread and I'm sure NCL will catch up soon.

[pcakes122]

1 hour ago, don't-use-real-name said:

The KEY WORD here is ON BOARD !  

They probably need to rename it since several cruise lines allow you to use it before actually boarding. 

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

They probably need to rename it since several cruise lines allow you to use it before actually boarding. 

And people on this board definitely need to stop treating people who have a valid question as though they are idiots who don’t understand basic English words.

[MarkusToe]

On other lines you make an reservation for shore excursions, you pay on board using OBC.

Here you have to buy upfront.

 

How will it work to change payment from cc to OBC on board?

Cancel and rebooking or do I have to go to ???

 

[ziggyuk]

11 hours ago, StarAFire said:

Hi, 

 

Sorry, I can't remember what it is for NCL.  Last month when I sailed w/ RCCL, I was able to use my OBC from TA/Shareholder, while making shore excursion, and water/beverage packages before getting onboard.  Is that the same for NCL?  Or do I need to actually be onboard first to spend it?

 

Thanks!

 

You used to be able to purchase excursions before boarding pay for them once onboard which allowed you to do what you ask. Unfortunately they stopped that and you now have to wait until onboard.

Why some people need to be so rude when its a reasonable question (and one that was a thing in the past) is beyond me.

[hallux]

34 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

You used to be able to purchase excursions before boarding pay for them once onboard which allowed you to do what you ask. Unfortunately they stopped that and you now have to wait until onboard.

I was going to make the same comment!  There was a shore excursion promo back in 2019, part of that promo (I can't recall what it was) allowed you to reserve your spot on excursions before boarding and whatever balance there was for the excursion was charged to your on-board account.  Without the promo you had to pay up front (I only remember this because the FAS was 'take all' or 'take two' and since I don't drink I had to choose two but I initially picked the shore excursion promo and switched it out after booking an excursion and had to cancel that reservation and pay for the excursion up front).

[Aldeya]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:12 AM, MarkusToe said:

On other lines you make an reservation for shore excursions, you pay on board using OBC.

Here you have to buy upfront.

 

How will it work to change payment from cc to OBC on board?

Cancel and rebooking or do I have to go to ???

 

I'd like to know this too. We pre-booked some items to make sure they are not sold out but would like to exchange for OBC we have when onboard. Anyone has experience doing so on NCL ship?

[PATRLR]

On 11/22/2022 at 7:59 PM, don't-use-real-name said:

Once on board you may be able to switch out previously paid shore excursions with the OBC

taking a paid credit against your account - hope NCL is user friendly in this respect.

13 minutes ago, Aldeya said:

I'd like to know this too. We pre-booked some items to make sure they are not sold out but would like to exchange for OBC we have when onboard. Anyone has experience doing so on NCL ship?

I know that when we had two excursions cancelled on us, we recieved refundable OBC on our account.  When we booked a replacement excursion, some of our non-refundable OBC was used to pay for our new excursion.  At the end of the cruise we we're given cash for the remaining balance of our refundale OBC.  Those are my first hand experiences. 

 

Soooo...   When you book excursions before the cruise you pay for them in full with your credit card.  If you then cancel the excursion on-board (assuming you are consistent with cancellation policy) you should get refundable OBC for the value of the excursion.  You should be able to then re-book the excursion (assuming there is space and someone didn't grab your spots) and use non-refundable OBC.   There are a few moving parts there, hopefully everything works out.

[Aldeya]

5 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

I know that when we had two excursions cancelled on us, we recieved refundable OBC on our account.  When we booked a replacement excursion, some of our non-refundable OBC was used to pay for our new excursion.  At the end of the cruise we we're given cash for the remaining balance of our refundale OBC.  Those are my first hand experiences. 

 

Soooo...   When you book excursions before the cruise you pay for them in full with your credit card.  If you then cancel the excursion on-board (assuming you are consistent with cancellation policy) you should get refundable OBC for the value of the excursion.  You should be able to then re-book the excursion (assuming there is space and someone didn't grab your spots) and use non-refundable OBC.   There are a few moving parts there, hopefully everything works out.

Thank so much! I definitely learned new things about cruising! :)

[MarkusToe]

Agree....yesterday canceled an prepaid excursion.

Money instantely back in account and new excursion paid by non ref OBC  

[terry&mike]

It is a legitimate question to ask. Azamara allows you to use OBC in advance of your sailing to book Shore Excursions. Some lines allow it, some lines do not. 

[happytotravel]

Hi All,

non-refundable obc is always deducted first on your account for expenses.  When that is used up your refundable obc will be used to pay for your expenses.   Anything left over will be paid out at end of cruise.

Have a great day, happytotravel