shore excursion question: cancelling then rebooking onboard

[SunnyNy]

It's my fist time with HA. I have some OBC that I'd like to use to for shore excursions, but can't access it until I board.  I'm worried about certain excursions selling out before the sail date.

 Can I purchase them now with a credit card, then cancel and rebook if still available onboard to utilize the OBC?  The HA website indicated the cancelled funds would go to OBC, not the credit card,  but that they'd be returned if not spent.  This  sounds like refundable OBC (they don't use that term, though), which would be the same thing in the end.  Am I understanding this correctly? 

I did speak with a HA rep who flatly said this could not be done, but that's contrary to what's on the website.

Thanks.

 

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, you cancel, and then re-book, IF AVAILABLE. If there is a waitlist, you will get caught up in the waitlist.

 

 

[fkfad]

We did exactly what you are asking.  We booked an excursion that we really wanted in advance with a credit card.  This guaranteed our spots in the excursion.  Once we got on board, we went to the Explorations desk and ask them to confirm that if we canceled and rebooked immediately using our on board account, would our spots still be available.  After she confirmed this for us, we went ahead and canceled and rebooked using our on board account to pay for the excursion.  It worked.  We were able to use up some of our OBC for the shore excursion, received the refund to our credit card, and didn't lose our spots for the excursion.

[GeezerCouple]

I don't know if this would work on HAL, but on another line with this same situation (not being able to use credits for excursions until you board), it turned out that by phone, we could have the excursions booked as "on hold" - and guaranteed.  Then, when on board, we could "pay", using the credits.

It was a different cruise line, and we happened to have a remarkable cruise consultant there (the result of a very fortuitous cold call he made to us, not at all what we would have expected!) who told us this was a good workaround.  And no, "online", we would not have been able to put a "hold" on the excursions; it was "book and pay" or not.

 

It might be worth asking.  But do get the confirmed excursion in writing (a printout of online reservation, perhaps?).

 

GC

[crystalspin]

I believe if there is a waiting list, you would go to the end ot the list, if you cancelled. However, as someone implied above, if you could confirm there was NOT a waiting list, this would work. If there was a waiting list AND they would tell you this, you might maintain your reservation (paid by credit card) and have the OBC to spend somewhere else.