Can you use onboard credit to gift staff with extra tips?

[CanuckCruizer]

Wondering if anyone has any first hand experience, trying to do this? 

 

We have already pre-paid the gratuities.  We will have extra onboard credit (as we have the Have it All & have pre-paid shore excursions etc.).  

 

We are doing a B3B on 3 different lines, in Europe.  To save us taking too much US cash with us, we thought we could use any excess onboard credit to give to a hard working employee.  On both RCCL & Celebrity, I have heard of others doing this (have never done it myself).  You apparently can go to the Purser's Desk and fill out a form, telling them to give "Johnny Smith, Waiter" $100US or whatever amount.

Anyone know if you can do this on HAL?  I have done searches and can't find anything.  Also, I dare NOT call in to be told different answers by different agents.🙃

 

Thanks,

Canuck

[Florida_gal_50]

No, it doesn't seem to be an option on hal unless you want to do it for everyone across the board not just one person.

[CanuckCruizer]

17 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

No, it doesn't seem to be an option on hal unless you want to do it for everyone across the board not just one person.

Florida_gal_50 -

Wow - ok.  That is unfortunate.  We need to have more Euros with us than US, so thought it would be a good solution to use the extra US money for extra tips.  Now have to recalculate things.🙂

 

Thanks for your reply,

 

Canuck

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, CanuckCruizer said:

Florida_gal_50 -

Wow - ok.  That is unfortunate.  We need to have more Euros with us than US, so thought it would be a good solution to use the extra US money for extra tips.  Now have to recalculate things.🙂

 

Thanks for your reply,

 

Canuck

It would be good for sure.  I'm assuming because it's too labor intensive but that purely a guess.

[CanuckCruizer]

1 minute ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It would be good for sure.  I'm assuming because it's too labor intensive but that purely a guess.

Yes - you may have a point.🙂

 

Canuck

[Banditswife]

I tried to give extra OBC to our cabin steward through the guest services desk.  This was on N Statendam.  Was told it would have to go into tipping pool & divided among crew, I could not specify a certain crew member.

[CanuckCruizer]

18 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

I tried to give extra OBC to our cabin steward through the guest services desk.  This was on N Statendam.  Was told it would have to go into tipping pool & divided among crew, I could not specify a certain crew member.

Banditswife - thanks for telling me.  Yes - we will be on the Nieuw Statendam as well.  That probably wouldn't help us doing it that way though - unless we run out of extra US cash to tip, then we would have to tip the "whole Club Orange staff" or something along those lines.😄

 

Canuck

[flamingos]

On other cruise lines, you can use your onboard credit in the casino.....then cash out.  Is that possible on Holland?

[CanuckCruizer]

1 minute ago, flamingos said:

On other cruise lines, you can use your onboard credit in the casino.....then cash out.  Is that possible on Holland?

flamingos - you used to be able to get your hands on money that way, but I am pretty sure that they have put a stop to it now on RCCL & X.  I think I read somewhere that HAL does not allow any onboard credit for casino use, so that probably wouldn't work.

 

Thanks,

Canuck

[POA1]

14 minutes ago, CanuckCruizer said:

flamingos - you used to be able to get your hands on money that way, but I am pretty sure that they have put a stop to it now on RCCL & X.  I think I read somewhere that HAL does not allow any onboard credit for casino use, so that probably wouldn't work.

 

Thanks,

Canuck

If you paid in money, you can use it for the casino. You cannot use OBC that is part of your fare via a sale, from a TA, or from a canceled voyage - like a credit because your sailing had been canceled in the past.

[CanuckCruizer]

5 minutes ago, POA1 said:

If you paid in money, you can use it for the casino. You cannot use OBC that is part of your fare via a sale, from a TA, or from a canceled voyage - like a credit because your sailing had been canceled in the past.

POA1 - Yes - our obc is from 2 cancelled voyages by HAL and Mariner Bonus and promo, so wouldn't work.  But....so you are saying that we could buy onboard credit ahead of time (before boarding) and then use it in the casino and get cash back?  That could work for us as a way to get our hands on extra US cash.  We have to bring Euros too and we are only allowed to carry so much money with us, leaving the country.

 

Canuck

[richwmn]

if you have refundable obc you can get it back on the final night in cash (usd) and use it for whatever you want

Edited May 29, 2023 by richwmn

[POA1]

2 minutes ago, CanuckCruizer said:

But....so you are saying that we could buy onboard credit ahead of time (before boarding) and then use it in the casino and get cash back? 

Yes. That's how casino credit works. We're not big gamblers, but we'll buy $50/week in casino cash.. It might be called casino chips in the Navigator app. We receive a little card that we have to sign and present at the cashier's cage. They'll give you cash or chips. It's handy but you sometimes get a big stack of $10 cards and you're signing so much it's reminiscent of cashing in all those savings bonds years ago.

[CanuckCruizer]

29 minutes ago, richwmn said:

if you have refundable obc you can get it back on the final night in cash (usd) and use it for whatever you want

Haven't been on HAL since 2016 I think, so trying to remember everything.  

 

Thanks to both you and POA1 for your helpful replies.

 

Cheers,

Canuck

[Canadaclyde]

I bought OBC prior to our 2023 Zuiderdam world cruise, approx $5000, to pay for gratuities, tours, onboard purchases, etc. When I needed cash, I just went to the front desk and was given US dollars (no service charge), or local currency (no service charge, just the exchange rate). It worked out great, it allowed us to not have to travel with a lot of cash, as well as we did not have to worry about finding local ATMs. We had some money left at the end of the cruise. It appeared on my credit card within a couple of days.