Question Regarding Using Onboard Credit for Shore Excursions (Prior to Sailing)

[Syd58]

I would like to confirm what I have been told by Seabourn.  Was told that our onboard credit cannot be used to book shore excursions prior to sailing.  That we would need to book the shore excursions, pay with a credit card, and that once board, our credit card would be refunded for the cost of the excursions (even though there would not be an outstanding balance for these excursions once on board).  I asked for documentation and was told they couldn't provide.  Would appreciate confirmation from those where this process has worked.  Also, what is Seabourn's cancellation policy regarding shore excursions? Thanks.

Edited April 19 by Syd58
Added Question

[sfvoyage]

What you were told is correct and applies to everything you need to book in advance (e.g. excursions, spa treatments).  It's a hassle but not a big deal.

 

Once onboard, you go to Guest Services to tell them you want to use your OBC instead.  They normally will then issue a credit to your onboard account instead of a credit directly back to your credit card, but it's the same thing:  the credit is a redeemable one, so you can get it back onto your credit card or you can cash it out at the end of your voyage (or at any time during your voyage upon your request).

 

Cancellation policy for shore excursions is 48 hours, IIRC.  So if you're pre-booking an excursion for the first couple of days of your voyage, be cautious about that.

 

Edited April 19 by sfvoyage

[Syd58]

9 minutes ago, sfvoyage said:

What you were told is correct and applies to everything you need to book in advance (e.g. excursions, spa treatments).  It's a hassle but not a big deal.

 

Once onboard, you go to Guest Services to tell them you want to use your OBC instead.  They normally will then issue a credit to your onboard account instead of a credit directly back to your credit card, but it's the same thing:  the credit is a redeemable one, so you can get it back onto your credit card or you can cash it out at the end of your voyage (or at any time during your voyage upon your request).

 

Cancellation policy for shore excursions is 48 hours, IIRC.  So if you're pre-booking an excursion for the first couple of days of your voyage, be cautious about that.

 

Thanks so much!  So, if I understand correctly any onboard credit remaining can be given back to you in the form of cash or a refund to credit card?

Edited April 19 by Syd58

[sfvoyage]

10 minutes ago, Syd58 said:

Thanks so much!  So, if I understand correctly any onboard credit remaining can be given back to you in the form of cash or a refund to credit card?

Yes, any redeemable OBC can be returned to your credit card or cash at any time during your voyage.  Non-redeemable OBCs are "use it or lose it" during your cruise. 

 

If you pre-book an excursion using your credit card, the reversal of that charge will be a redeemable one.  If you swap that charge and use your non-redeemable OBC instead, and later you cancel that excursion, you will not get cash back because that excursion would have been charged under a non-redeemable OBC, so you'll have to use up the amount some other way.

[Carolfay]

Thanks!  Exactly the question I was about to pose - and you answered it.

[Tranquility Base]

On 4/20/2024 at 5:42 AM, sfvoyage said:

If you pre-book an excursion using your credit card, the reversal of that charge will be a redeemable one.  If you swap that charge and use your non-redeemable OBC instead, and later you cancel that excursion, you will not get cash back because that excursion would have been charged under a non-redeemable OBC, so you'll have to use up the amount some other way.

Thanks very much for the clear explanation @sfvoyage

 

Is the differentiation between non-redeemable and redeemable OBC clearly marked on your onboard account ?

 

Can the two persons on a booking have their charges 'linked' together...IE; all showing on the one onboard account ? 

 

Does it matter which person has the excursions pre purchased when the OBC given is 'per person'.

EG: $500 per person OBC showing onboard,

Person 1 has $700 excursions pre booked and person 2 has $300 excursions pre booked.

Can all those excursions be changed over to come from that $1,000 OBC ?

 

Thanks.

[tv24]

I should report that we had the following recent experience on the Quest.  We had booked and paid for an excursion prior to booking and paid for it using my credit card.  Once on board, I asked the staff at Seabourn Square to cancel the booking and to return the credit to my card, and then to re-book using our OBC.  It all got screwed up, so bad that I could not completely sort it out.  My credit card never received a credit.  We used our OBC to pay for the excursion, sort of a double payment.  And then I think we received some additional OBC.  Unfortunately this was all part of a problem where our on-board account was totally messed up due to a "glitch" as defined by the Quest Hotel Manager and overnight auditor.  Eventually the Purser sorted it out, after I spent hours working on this with various staff members.  (Just what I wanted to spend my time on during a cruise!).  I think it was all sorted out accurately, but what a mess!  Not ultra luxury cruising.  So the bottom line is if you go this route, follow up to ensure that Seabourn accounting handles your account accurately.  Sad to have to offer this advice.

[Mauzac]

I think it's easier not to cancel any excursion booked prior to the cruise, but keep the excursion you've booked and ask them to apply it to your OBC.

 

Then your credit card is reimbursed after the cruise with the relevant amount, although for us in the UK it does seem to take about 5 days before it appears.  

 

And yes, redeemable and non redeemable does show up quite clearly on your account.  

[sfvoyage]

On 8/23/2024 at 1:31 AM, Tranquility Base said:

Thanks very much for the clear explanation @sfvoyage

 

Is the differentiation between non-redeemable and redeemable OBC clearly marked on your onboard account ?

Not always very clear, you should talk to guest services to reconfirm.

On 8/23/2024 at 1:31 AM, Tranquility Base said:

Can the two persons on a booking have their charges 'linked' together...IE; all showing on the one onboard account ? 

Yes, We always ask guest services to put all the OBCs and all the charges under one account to simplify things. Otherwise it's hard to keep track between two accounts.

On 8/23/2024 at 1:31 AM, Tranquility Base said:

Does it matter which person has the excursions pre purchased when the OBC given is 'per person'.

EG: $500 per person OBC showing onboard,

Person 1 has $700 excursions pre booked and person 2 has $300 excursions pre booked.

Can all those excursions be changed over to come from that $1,000 OBC ?

 

Yes. As stated above, once you have asked guest services to combine everything under one person, it will be much easier.

 

Also on my current cruise, for my pre-booked haircut, Guest services was able to reverse that and convert the prepayment into a redeemable OBC on my account right away. I then cashed it out, Instead of having that amount showing up as a redeemable OBC, to avoid confusion.

 

However, for our prepaid shore excursions, they had to ask the night auditor to get it reversed via overnight processing.  The next day the prepayment was converted into a redeemable OBC, which you can then either cash out or ask for it to get refunded to your credit card, if you don't want the amount sitting in your account as a redeemable credit for the rest of the cruise.  It's up to you how you want to handle that.

Edited August 25 by sfvoyage

[Tranquility Base]

Thanks @sfvoyage

Very clear, and easy to understand.

Appreciated.

[Mauzac]

 

Also on my current cruise, for my pre-booked haircut, Guest services was able to reverse that and convert the prepayment into a redeemable OBC on my account right away.

 

This is interesting because I was told (on here) and in SB Square that the Spa Services were a seperate company and we couldn't do that.  I hope that's changed! 

[sfvoyage]

4 hours ago, Mauzac said:

 

Also on my current cruise, for my pre-booked haircut, Guest services was able to reverse that and convert the prepayment into a redeemable OBC on my account right away.

 

This is interesting because I was told (on here) and in SB Square that the Spa Services were a seperate company and we couldn't do that.  I hope that's changed! 

 

While the spa is managed and operated by OneSpaWorld (ex-Steiner) - just as the boutique is managed and operated by Harding Brothers - Seabourn's system allows pre-booking of most, if not all, of their spa/salon services prior to embarkation.  And once on board, you can reverse the prepayment in order to use your OBC (I have been able to do that for the past year, at least).

[Mauzac]

38 minutes ago, sfvoyage said:

 

While the spa is managed and operated by OneSpaWorld (ex-Steiner) - just as the boutique is managed and operated by Harding Brothers - Seabourn's system allows pre-booking of most, if not all, of their spa/salon services prior to embarkation.  And once on board, you can reverse the prepayment in order to use your OBC (I have been able to do that for the past year, at least).

 

Thank you.  Worth knowing and I certainly haven't asked for a year or two so it's obviously changed... for the better. 🙂