Paying for Grats & Silver Spirit prior to cruise. Will I receive a refund once OBC is posted on board

[scidee]

I tried to see if someone has asked this question before with no luck.  Once on board we will receive $1050 OBC from our travel agent.  We would like to pre-pay for gratuities  and Silver Spirts, $1400 total before we go.  My question is will Viking apply the $1050 to the already paid balance and refund or money once we are on board? We would pay with an echeck thus saving the service charge for credit card.  Thanks

[CDR2001]

I think once items are prepaid, the OBC will not be retroactively used. We always pay for gratuities onboard so any non refundable credit is used by the end of the cruise. Your OBC might be refundable, but I don’t know how you’d know unless the TA can verify it. Brother had non refundable OBC, and at the last day he had to buy gift shop items to use it or lose it! 

[Selion]

No.  You can cancel the pre-paid grats & SSBP now, and add the SSBP onboard.  I don't think Viking offers discounts if SSBP was bought pre-cruise.

[Peregrina651]

Ca

5 hours ago, CDR2001 said:

I think once items are prepaid, the OBC will not be retroactively used. We always pay for gratuities onboard so any non refundable credit is used by the end of the cruise. Your OBC might be refundable, but I don’t know how you’d know unless the TA can verify it. Brother had non refundable OBC, and at the last day he had to buy gift shop items to use it or lose it! 

 

Agreed. Anything paid pre-departure does not appear on your shipboard account and the crew has no way of accessing those transactions.

 

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, Selion said:

No.  You can cancel the pre-paid grats & SSBP now, and add the SSBP onboard.  I don't think Viking offers discounts if SSBP was bought pre-cruise.

 

There is a 3.3% discount if you pay by e-check. 

[MikeyB]

On my last cruise (last month) I prepaid for the first time the grats and silver spirits.  I had refundable OBC.

On previous cruises, I would always receive a check in the mail within 2 weeks.

This time I received a credit on my charge card for the unused refundable OBC.