Question regarding ob credit and prebooking shore excursions with Celebrity

[Coastaljen]

Sorry, but I am getting these cruiselines confused.

 

I have a shipboard credit, and I would like to use some of it up with a shore excursion.

 

However, if I remember correctly, Celebrity charges your credit card when you book shore excursions. That is my question/dilemma. I assume that you can only use the shipboard credit toward the purchase if you book the excursion once on the ship.

 

The reason I ask is because I normally do private tours, but there is one tour I want to do with the ship. It sells out from reading this board, so I don't want to wait until I get on the ship to book it. Therefore, I assume none of my obc can go towards the excursion, so I will need to find other ways to use up the obc (perhaps book a couple of other shore excursions after getting on the ship that I think won't fill prior to boarding).

 

I hope this makes sense..... ;)

[ECCruise]

Sorry, but I am getting these cruiselines confused.

 

I have a shipboard credit, and I would like to use some of it up with a shore excursion.

 

However, if I remember correctly, Celebrity charges your credit card when you book shore excursions. That is my question/dilemma. I assume that you can only use the shipboard credit toward the purchase if you book the excursion once on the ship.

 

The reason I ask is because I normally do private tours, but there is one tour I want to do with the ship. It sells out from reading this board, so I don't want to wait until I get on the ship to book it. Therefore, I assume none of my obc can go towards the excursion, so I will need to find other ways to use up the obc (perhaps book a couple of other shore excursions after getting on the ship that I think won't fill prior to boarding).

 

I hope this makes sense..... ;)

 

You are correct.

Your credit card will be charged for the excursion(s) immediately.

You can always use your OBC for, if nothing else, your tips. Depending on the size of the OBC and the length of the cruise, that might use a good piece of the OBC.

[Lois R]

Hi,:) your credit will be on your account after you board the ship.

So, you are correct, you can't use the credit ahead of time.

 

Example, lets say you have (250.00) on board credit....anything

you buy on the ship will be deducted from that total.

Whatever is left after you use up that credit you will have to pay;)

[shipshape sam]

You can use your OBC for:

 

tips

drinks

wine

specialty restaurants

sundries from stores on ship

perfume from ship stores

excursions booked on board

basically the OBC goes to toward your charges from your sea pass card.

[Coastaljen]

Ugh. You all confirmed what I thought. Oh well, it looks like I will be doing more ship excursions than I planned.

 

I definitely am planning to use them for tips, but that only takes I believe $l40 on a l4 day cruise. I will have to double check that.

 

I did just get off the princess. Other than tips, I spent a grand total of $2.00 for ice cream on two different days. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I won't be paying for ice cream on Celebrity.

[jajuandbachi]

We booked most of our tours through Celebrity a few months ago and since reading all these threads, decided we wanted to do some private tours. We wanted to cancel some of these booked tours with Celebrity but ran into a problem. We changed our mind about what credit card we want to use on this trip and wanted our credit to be placed on the credit card we are going to use. A customer service agent said they cannot credit a different credit card. Does anyone know if we could have them put these cancelled tours on our shipboard credit and can we do this now or do we have to wait until we're on board? We are sailing on the Summit on9/8/08. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

 

Janice

[Lois R]

We booked most of our tours through Celebrity a few months ago and since reading all these threads, decided we wanted to do some private tours. We wanted to cancel some of these booked tours with Celebrity but ran into a problem. We changed our mind about what credit card we want to use on this trip and wanted our credit to be placed on the credit card we are going to use. A customer service agent said they cannot credit a different credit card. Does anyone know if we could have them put these cancelled tours on our shipboard credit and can we do this now or do we have to wait until we're on board? We are sailing on the Summit on9/8/08. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

 

Janice

 

Hi Janice:) you already pre-booked your excursions on-line,

correct?

But you want to leave the bookings on there and have them credit

a different card after you board the ship?

If you go see Excursions after you board and cancel them, the

credit should go on whatever card you use for your "on board account".

I posted an entire answer earlier without thinking it through:)

[NY City Girl]

FYI: If you do not use up your on board credit, it is refunded to your credit card. :)

 

(Assuming they haven't changed the policy...)

[jajuandbachi]

Lois R, Thanks for the quick reply. Yes we have already booked but would like to cancel three of them. Wondered if we could cancel before we get on the ship and have them go on our on board credit (card). Is there any time frame (when cancelling) to receive a full credit for OBC? We have already done our online check-in and entered the credit card we will be using. Thanks.

[Lois R]

Lois R, Thanks for the quick reply. Yes we have already booked but would like to cancel three of them. Wondered if we could cancel before we get on the ship and have them go on our on board credit (card). Is there any time frame (when cancelling) to receive a full credit for OBC? We have already done our online check-in and entered the credit card we will be using. Thanks.

 

Hi,:) I wasn't sure if that is what you meant...in that case

I don't believe so. I think if you want to cancel them before

you sail then you have to do it yourself (since you booked them

on line).

I could be wrong but I think if you book them on-line, you have

to cancel them (since you want to do it BEFORE you sail).

I understand what you want to do...to have that extra credit

on your shipboard account right?

 

Maybe someone else can cofirm this or not.

 

Hope you have a great cruise:)

[retired1998]

The most expensive thing we used our obc for was for buying minutes on the computer. I use the computer every night to check my email and other things. (My husband thinks I'm nuts). As for excursions, we always book before we get on the ship. You can cancel the day before if need be and your credit card will be credited.

 

8/99 Alaska Celebrity

8/01 Scandinavia/Russia Princess

1/05 Western Carribean Celebrity

10/05 Hawaii Norwegian

1/07 Panama Canal Celebrity

8/07 Hawaii Norwegian

1/08 South America – Celebrity

[Moeve]

If you want to use your OBC for excursions - you will have to wait to book your excursions once you are onboard it is then they are charged to your onboard account.

[Coastaljen]

I used the ship for internet last Christmas, and I haven't done that again. It is SO expensive. I just hunt out cheap cafes in towns. I just wandered the streets of Copenhagen, and found a guy on a bike to give me directions to one. Of course finding my way back to the ship was a little more difficult. I felt like Hansel and Gretel trying to remember how I got to where I went. :-)

 

I will wait and book a shore excursion or two on the boat.

[amanda blake]

and if policy has not changed, you can also use the OB for the casino...and not spend it....lol...

[hajekfam]

We like to use onboard credits (ones that are given to us such as shareholders credits, TA credits, gift credits from family) for things that we normally wouldn't do like a spa treatment. We don't use them for shore excursions or tips as we know that we plan on having that expense anyway and have figured those costs into the cruise when we plan it. The onboard credit pays for an extra night in the specialty restaurant, a special bottle of wine with dinner, a spa treatment that we wouldn't normally book, etc.

[eandj]

FYI: If you do not use up your on board credit, it is refunded to your credit card. :)

 

(Assuming they haven't changed the policy...)

 

 

Most OBC's cannot be refunded. Depends on what kind and who provided the OBC.

[jmfdr]

Most OBC's cannot be refunded. Depends on what kind and who provided the OBC.

 

Can you provide more details about that? We have had unused OBC refunded to our credit card in the past, but I don't really remember the source of the credit.

[Lois R]

Hi, I have always ended up owing money;) but I have heard

from folks any credits left on the account are refunded.

[jajuandbachi]

Hi,:) I wasn't sure if that is what you meant...in that case

I don't believe so. I think if you want to cancel them before

you sail then you have to do it yourself (since you booked them

on line).

I could be wrong but I think if you book them on-line, you have

to cancel them (since you want to do it BEFORE you sail).

I understand what you want to do...to have that extra credit

on your shipboard account right?

 

Maybe someone else can cofirm this or not.

 

Hope you have a great cruise:)

 

 

My husband claims that if we cancel the tours on the ship when we board, they will apply this credit toward our onboard credit and will go onto that credit card at the end of the cruise. Does this sound right? Have you or anyone else cancelled on board?

 

Janice

[Lois R]

My husband claims that if we cancel the tours on the ship when we board, they will apply this credit toward our onboard credit and will go onto that credit card at the end of the cruise. Does this sound right? Have you or anyone else cancelled on board?

 

Janice

 

Hi Janice, yes that is correct.:) If you cancel on board that

credit will go onto your onboard account.

Maybe I have been misunderstanding:eek:

 

Once you give them whatever credit card you are using

on board, all credits and charges will go onto that one.:)

And yes, I have cancelled something before. The credit for

the cancellation goes onto your account:)

 

So, I guess you can tell your hubby he is right:)

[jajuandbachi]

Lois R...Thanks again for clarifying this OBC. My husband will have a big smile on his face when I tell him he's right.

Another question...do most restaurants in Europe take credit cards or do you have to pay in Euros?

 

Janice

[Lois R]

Lois R...Thanks again for clarifying this OBC. My husband will have a big smile on his face when I tell him he's right.

Another question...do most restaurants in Europe take credit cards or do you have to pay in Euros?

 

Janice

 

Hi Janice, Credit Cards are acceptable worldwide:)

[jajuandbachi]

My husband and I had booked all of our excursions with Celebrity. After reading the posts on these threads, we realized that many people book private tours. So we decided to book three private tours (with others from the ship). I spoke to my travel agent this morning and I mentioned to her that we were going to do some private tours. She VERY strongly suggested that it was not a good idea. She said that if there was an accident or we did not get back to the ship on time that it would be totally our problem.

 

My question: Is it a bad idea to go private? Has anyone ever experienced any problems doing this or does anyone know of others who may have had problems? Any input would be appreciated.

 

Janice

[Coastaljen]

I guess there is always the risk, but to me it is worth it. I did all private tours in NZ/AUS when I was on the Celebrity, and I never had a problem with getting back to the ship. I used reputable companies discussed on cc.

 

I just returned from the Baltics, and again I went with all private companies. I was surprised because everyone I met on the ship at meals, in the shops, etc. booked only ship tours. They all warned me if I didn't get back in time I would be left. It just doesn't worry me. We were nowhere near late ever. I even did a private to Berlin, which was three hours from the ship. no problems.

 

My problem is my cruise to South America. The cc roll call is practically comatose. I am having trouble finding private tours to join, and I may have to break down and take two ship tours..which I don't want to do.

 

They cost more than private most of the time, there are a lot more people, and honestly, I didn't feel like I got as much for my money with ship tours.

[jajuandbachi]

Hi Coastal Jen... Thanks for the reply. I am a worrywart and this makes me feel more comfortable. I was fine until I talked to my travel agent today. This is encouraging news.

 

Janice