What can shareholder OBC be used on?

[KKB]

I was able to use it in the casino in 2019, but last cruise I wasn't able to.

If I recall, I could use it at the spa, shops, dining...shore excursions? Coffee?

[Russiamomm]

It can’t be used for the casino or the daily service charge.  It will cover most, if not all, other expenses -:spa, coffee, drinks, shore excursions, specialty dining, etc.

[JennKach]

With our cruising style we struggled to spend ours.  Most everything was prepaid already.  We ended up using it for menu upcharges in specialty restaurants, drink upcharges beyond the beverage package $15 limit, a photo, after dinner espresso, a T-shirt and breakfast room service delivery fee.

[dbrown84]

I also struggle to spend it because I usually have zero charges onboard.  But my last cruise, I upgraded to the P+ drink package and used the OBC to offset the cost of that.  I think that will be my goto from now on

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, JennKach said:

With our cruising style we struggled to spend ours.  Most everything was prepaid already. 

I've heard that you can book and pre-pay a SHOREX and then have the original amount refunded to your on-board account (as refundable OBC), and they recharge it to pick up your non-refundable OBC.  I kind of did this on our last cruise, and it worked, but that was a SHOREX cancellation by NCL and a rebook by me.  I'm planning to try this again this summer on a cruise where I've prebooked three SHOREX.

Edited June 12, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[luv2kroooz]

It's use is extremely restricted compared to other cruise lines. Not for casino, gratuities, future cruise certificates.

 

Can use to buy overpriced drinks, overpriced food, overpriced shore tours, overpriced spa treatments, or overpriced items in the gift shop.

 

It is also interesting that the benefit has remained static and is never adjusted for inflation, further degrading the value.

 

In other news, nice bump for all cruise stocks today on wall street. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

38 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

It is also interesting that the benefit has remained static and is never adjusted for inflation, further degrading the value.

Pre-Covid, NCLH was close to $60 per share ($6000 for 100 shares).  The shareholder benefit was $100 OBC.  I bought in December for around $16 per share ($1600 for 100 shares).  I receive $100 OBC each cruise.  I'm pretty sure that the value of the benefit has increased considerably. 😎

[julig22]

2 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've heard that you can book and pre-pay a SHOREX and then have the original amount refunded to your on-board account (as refundable OBC), and they recharge it to pick up your non-refundable OBC.  I kind of did this on our last cruise, and it worked, but that was a SHOREX cancellation by NCL and a rebook by me.  I'm planning to try this again this summer on a cruise where I've prebooked three SHOREX.

Yes, I've been able to use the SH OBC for non-eligible items when my account got credited for a cancelled excursion.  Haven't tried the cancel/rebook approach though but I don't know why it wouldn't work.

[ChiefMateJRK]

25 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Yes, I've been able to use the SH OBC for non-eligible items when my account got credited for a cancelled excursion.  Haven't tried the cancel/rebook approach though but I don't know why it wouldn't work.

I've heard some express concern that there may be a waitlist that grabs your cancelled reservation before you can rebook.  I have absolutely no idea if this is true or not.  The logistics of NCL trying to manage a prioritized waitlist would likely far exceed any benefits.

a) Passenger A: add me to the waitlist for SHOREX whalewatch

b) Passenger B: add me to the waitlist for SHOREX whalewatch

c) Passenger C : add me to the waitlist for SHOREX whalewatch

d) Passenger D : I need to cancel SHOREX whalewatch

 

Scenario A: NCL system automatically sells SHOREX whalewatch to Passenger A.  End of cruise, Passenger A is furious at guest services.  Why was I charged for SHOREX whalewatch?  I only asked to be added to the waitlist and we then had to make other plans.

 

Scenario B: NCL has no automated system.  Agent leaves phone message for Passenger A.  "We have a spot for you on SHOREX whalewatch.  24 hours later, nothing.  Agent calls Passenger B.  "We have a spot for you on SHOREX whalewatch.  Great - charge my room and send me my tickets."  12 hours later still.  Passenger A is furious at the SHOREX desk.  Why can't I now buy the ticket for SHOREX whalewatch?  You told me I had a spot so I cancelled other plans."

 

The idea of a waitlist seems silly to me but, again, I really don't know if it exists or not.  When I sail this summer, I'll ask the SHOREX desk if there are still spots available on the excursions that I want to cancel/rebook.  If so, I'll proceed without concern.  If not, I'll ask some questions and hopefully get accurate answers.  Always a risk.

[julig22]

13 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

This summer, I'll ask the SHOREX desk if there are still spots available on the excursions that I want to cancel/rebook.  If so, I'll proceed without concern.  If not, I'll ask some questions and hopefully get accurate answers.  Always a risk.

I know that they do keep waitlists for excursions - I've gotten tickets delivered to my room, no call asking if I still wanted them, etc.  Kinda like putting in a bid.  But I don't know if that is an automatic process - meaning you could potentially lose your reservation - or a manual one, where somebody looks at the waitlist and puts in the information.  I do know that I once jumped to the head of the list when I only needed a single ticket and there was a single cancellation - they didn't wait to see if there might be more spots opening up.

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 minutes ago, julig22 said:

I know that they do keep waitlists for excursions - I've gotten tickets delivered to my room, no call asking if I still wanted them, etc.  Kinda like putting in a bid.  But I don't know if that is an automatic process - meaning you could potentially lose your reservation - or a manual one, where somebody looks at the waitlist and puts in the information.  I do know that I once jumped to the head of the list when I only needed a single ticket and there was a single cancellation - they didn't wait to see if there might be more spots opening up.

Thanks.  I'll know more about this once I do it.  I'm guessing that most passengers who really want a certain SHOREX just book them in advance, and the others just book whatever is still available.

[The Traveling Man]

Deleted comment.

Edited June 13, 2023 by The Traveling Man

[KKB]

5 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Deleted comment.

Deleted post:

”The top thread on this forum, with more than 5000 posts, covers this topic thoroughly.  You may want to check there for thoughts on how to maximize th...”

Always gotta be someone.

Luckily I go plenty of current responses

[fshagan]

10 hours ago, KKB said:

I was able to use it in the casino in 2019, but last cruise I wasn't able to.

If I recall, I could use it at the spa, shops, dining...shore excursions? Coffee?

 

In addition to the exclusions people have noted below, you can't use the share holder OBC for some other gratuities. My extra tip in Cagneys was billed to my room and the OBC could not be used for it.

[Mississippian]

7 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

It is also interesting that the benefit has remained static and is never adjusted for inflation, further degrading the value.

The shareholder credit used to require an investment of almost $6,000. They now give it for $1,850. And by blind luck I bought in for almost $500 less than that. Pretty good benefit, as far as I am concerned.

[ziggyuk]

9 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

It is also interesting that the benefit has remained static and is never adjusted for inflation, further degrading the value.

 

The benefit is set at 100 shares and the value of those shares is set by market forces so it naturally takes account of inflation, the fly in the ointment of course is covid that saw shares plummet.

[luv2kroooz]

2 hours ago, Mississippian said:

The shareholder credit used to require an investment of almost $6,000. They now give it for $1,850. And by blind luck I bought in for almost $500 less than that. Pretty good benefit, as far as I am concerned.

 

50 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

The benefit is set at 100 shares and the value of those shares is set by market forces so it naturally takes account of inflation, the fly in the ointment of course is covid that saw shares plummet.

The point  I made is that the value of the shareholder benefit has not been adjusted for inflation. Shorex used to cost $59, now they cost $79. A specialty dinner used to cost $39, now it is $59. So our purchasing power has been degraded due to inflation.

 

Same with the beverage package. Drinks up to $15 have been included for years, but there have been multiple price increases over those years without any adjustment to the $15 limit.

 

There has been no "cost of living" adjustment, if you will.

[julig22]

24 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

 

The point  I made is that the value of the shareholder benefit has not been adjusted for inflation. Shorex used to cost $59, now they cost $79. A specialty dinner used to cost $39, now it is $59. So our purchasing power has been degraded due to inflation.

I consider the SH benefit to be in lieu of dividends, which don't exist with NCL stock.  Unless I'm mistaken, stocks don't give dividends based strictly on inflation.  I'm surprised they haven't reduced the benefit to correspond with the loss in value - something they could do at any time.

[luv2kroooz]

5 minutes ago, julig22 said:

I consider the SH benefit to be in lieu of dividends, which don't exist with NCL stock.  Unless I'm mistaken, stocks don't give dividends based strictly on inflation.  I'm surprised they haven't reduced the benefit to correspond with the loss in value - something they could do at any time.

A shareholder benefit is not a dividend or in lieu of dividends. That is all.

[Russiamomm]

1 hour ago, luv2kroooz said:

A shareholder benefit is not a dividend or in lieu of dividends. That is all.

No, it’s not a dividend.  It’s better than a dividend.  It’s tax free and can be claimed repeatedly.  I’ve held the stock for years, and on paper am way underwater.  But the stock has almost paid for itself with the OBC.  

[BirdTravels]

15 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've heard that you can book and pre-pay a SHOREX and then have the original amount refunded to your on-board account (as refundable OBC), and they recharge it to pick up your non-refundable OBC.  I kind of did this on our last cruise, and it worked, but that was a SHOREX cancellation by NCL and a rebook by me.  I'm planning to try this again this summer on a cruise where I've prebooked three SHOREX.

Be careful because the first person on the waitlist gets the excursion when you cancel. That is exactly what the airlift is for. You can use the touch screens to see the number of available slots on a tour, but that doesn’t mean the your cancellation won’t fulfill a waitlist for a group of people. Then you’re stuck. 
 

A lot of times, we have a special shore ex credit that requires onboard booking for use. It is always a dance if we try the cancel and rebook trick. 

[luv2kroooz]

57 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

No, it’s not a dividend.  It’s better than a dividend.  It’s tax free and can be claimed repeatedly.  I’ve held the stock for years, and on paper am way underwater.  But the stock has almost paid for itself with the OBC.  

Same here. However, unlike you, I would gladly take cash net of tax in lieu of restricted OBC.

Edited June 13, 2023 by luv2kroooz

[KKB]

I've gotten 500 in OBC in the last year, and currently 500 in profit.

On a 1500 investment.

I'm good.

[carmzav]

20 hours ago, JennKach said:

With our cruising style we struggled to spend ours.  Most everything was prepaid already.  We ended up using it for menu upcharges in specialty restaurants, drink upcharges beyond the beverage package $15 limit, a photo, after dinner espresso, a T-shirt and breakfast room service delivery fee.

same here!  The gift shop on the epic was so small that I ended up using it to buy a bottle of perfume, which I still haven't even opened!

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Be careful because the first person on the waitlist gets the excursion when you cancel.

Do you know how the waitlist works?  Is it automated or manual?  If manual, I would hope that I could still accomplish a swap by going to the SHOREX desk regardless of a waitlist.

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

That is exactly what the airlift is for.

What is an airlift?