onboard credit

I have put this question under 'my money' on this board, but I am not sure if I asked the question properly.

has anyone actually deposited there own money via credit card towards onboard credit, not onboard credit vouchers, but just plain on board credit.

our travel agent says we can do this, but only when we are three months away from departure.i now it may sound strange, but if we deposit $200.00 into onboard credit every month for the next 11 months we will have all our expenses cover for the cruise and the end wont be so painfull.

thank you

I did answer your question under your previous "My Money" post. In fact I gave a very detailed answer about doing what you want and when you should do it. Because OBC is sold by Celebrity in units of $25 does not mean or imply that you are buying vouchers.

You can certainly purchase OBC more than 3 months in advance. We have purchased ours for our cruise in January 2016.

We haven't looked at purchasing OBC, we have just paid the bill on the ship either by giving them a wad of $us on arriving, or at the end, or paying with credit card. So I get what you men, but can't actually answer your question as you have put it. However, after reading the answers on your previous question thread, I thought maybe saying what we do might be an alternative for you. It has always been advised here on cruise critic that the ship's currency conversion rates are a bit steeper than the card companies charge you. So I was wondering if the exchange rate for buying the OBC online might not be great either. If they accept credit card as a payment method, it is very likely the fees it costs them for you using a credit card would be factored in the exchange rate.

We have an Aust Post travel load n go prepaid credit card. We put money on that on a regular basis for the cruise. When we load it on, it is in an Aussie dollar "wallet" on the card, and we either move some over to the $US wallet during the time up to the cruise, or we move it across just before the cruise and we know exactly how much we have to spend on board. We can't use that to pay the bill on board, but we take the cash out of the ATM onboard and it costs us a $2 fee from the card, plus the machine on board charges about $6.

We also buy some US$ every now and then from the Post Office to have cash for the trip also.

Doing this though is by using cash, not by using a credit card. If you are looking to use a credit card to get points etc, you may find the fees on what you are purchasing will have some extra factored in. Whenever someone accepts a credit card payment for something, they have to pay a percentage fee to the provider of the credit (Visa/MasterCard/Amex). So the costs of what you are buying may not be the best value for money.

Is there a particular reason you want to use credit card, or where you just trying to budget so that you had credit there for what you know you will be spending? Do check the exchange costs in whatever way you do it, as it can make quite a difference.

I did answer your question under your previous "My Money" post. In fact I gave a very detailed answer about doing what you want and when you should do it. Because OBC is sold by Celebrity in units of $25 does not mean or imply that you are buying vouchers.

 

You can certainly purchase OBC more than 3 months in advance. We have purchased ours for our cruise in January 2016.

I saw your answer and thought it was very good. I learnt something from it! It made me think about exchange rates.

We have bought OBC several times before our cruise as we like to minimise after cruise shocks and it works quite well. At the moment Celebrity is still selling $25USD OBC for $25AUS which is much better than anything you will get elsewhere. I have been expecting it to change for several months now but they are still selling at parity. We have bought OBC for our August 2014 and March 2015 cruises. The only problem is you have to check that is has gone through. You receive an email almost immediately saying you have bought OBC but that is an automatic one and I always check the card statement because several times the payment has not come out and when I call Celebrity they have no record of the request. You can buy a maximum of 9 lots of $25 at a time but you can choose continue shopping and add another 9 if you wish. The link is http://www.celebritycruises.com/bonvoyage/category/viewCollection.do?cat=ONBDCR&coll=ONBDCR

I just followed that link and spent AUD$25, and I purchased one obc gift. It didn't seem to tell me that it was US$25 obc, so I will be interested to see how it flows. That seems very good value!

We have just returned from a cruise and purchased obc online. It worked well but I did have to follow up close to the sailing date. Got an email at the time of purchase but they did not take the money from my visa until I followed up.

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I just followed that link and spent AUD$25, and I purchased one obc gift. It didn't seem to tell me that it was US$25 obc, so I will be interested to see how it flows. That seems very good value!

Yes, I am sure that it would have been a US$25 - it just never tells you. That's what Cruise Critic is for! It certainly is if you purchase in sterling but the exchange rate is not 1 to 1. The rate is often very good.

We have just returned from a cruise and purchased obc online. It worked well but I did have to follow up close to the sailing date. Got an email at the time of purchase but they did not take the money from my visa until I followed up.

 

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That's why doing it by phone is better. However, from what I read on Cruise Critic, that's not as easy for you in Australia.

I just followed that link and spent AUD$25, and I purchased one obc gift. It didn't seem to tell me that it was US$25 obc, so I will be interested to see how it flows. That seems very good value!

You wont be disappointed. I have been doing it for years and it has always been $25US OBC. The only variance is how much we pay. I once paid about $28.00 AUS but even then it was a good exchange rate at the time. Don't forget to make sure your payment goes through. Unfortunately it is another glitch with their website. Enjoy your cruise.

I am back...I was wondering where the OBC would show? It took a while to come on the credit card statement, and I had forgotten actually!

When I check online the OBC we got for the sale that was on is showing, and the payment history shows we have put $825 of payments on, but only $800 (the initial deposit) is taken off the full cruise price to show the balance due. So I am guessing this is where the $25 obc credit is sitting somehow?

We are thinking of buying some more, but I want to be able to see it somehow.

I am back...I was wondering where the OBC would show? It took a while to come on the credit card statement, and I had forgotten actually!

 

When I check online the OBC we got for the sale that was on is showing, and the payment history shows we have put $825 of payments on, but only $800 (the initial deposit) is taken off the full cruise price to show the balance due. So I am guessing this is where the $25 obc credit is sitting somehow?

 

We are thinking of buying some more, but I want to be able to see it somehow.

In the UK now [@ March this year], we received an "Amenity Confirmation" for our OBC purchased by telephone. It does only show the amount in sterling but it is labelled "Code 171" and "Description Onboard Credit" so is better than the nothing we received previously. Are you able to telephone Celebrity and request an "Amenity Confirmation"? If not, in the past, I have always taken a copy of our credit card statement showing the purchase [but have never needed to use it].

The only problem is you have to check that is has gone through.

Just take some proof with you that you have purchased any OBC and it's gone through. We've always bought some this way and last week on the Infinity is the first time it didn't show on the account. A couple of trips to guest relations with me needing to provide proof and it was applied :)

Thanks for your replies! It is showing on the credit card statement so we shall print it out with all the other stuff. :)

Thanks for your replies! It is showing on the credit card statement so we shall print it out with all the other stuff. :)

Just to clarify.. What is showing on your credit card? Is there an FX fee for changing to US$s? Did you get the same amount in US as AUS$s?

The reason I ask is because we have had problems this week with charges being added to our final payment. We paid our bill which was in AUS$s with our credit card but they charged a fee because it wasn't processed in Aus.

Thanks Gail

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Oh dear. Celebrity website. I decided to purchase OBC using the link above. First time I saw the purchase page and clicked on "purchase". Proceeded to the next page and got this page:

I will try again tomorrow. Sigh.

Ok, I have been able to get to the page, but even though I have selected Australia as my country it wants me to select a USA state for my credit card and our 4 digit postcode is too short. How did the Aussies here buy OBC?

I've now tried again and got the Under Maintenance page again. This website is horrific.

I have put this question under 'my money' on this board, but I am not sure if I asked the question properly.

 

has anyone actually deposited there own money via credit card towards onboard credit, not onboard credit vouchers, but just plain on board credit.

our travel agent says we can do this, but only when we are three months away from departure.i now it may sound strange, but if we deposit $200.00 into onboard credit every month for the next 11 months we will have all our expenses cover for the cruise and the end wont be so painfull.

thank you

I'm confused by your question. If you deposit $200/month for the next 11 months, you will have $2,200 in OBC. What in the world do you spend that much OBC on?

You can't use OBC to actually pay for your cruise, if that's what you're thinking. It only applies to expenses you run up on the ship.

I'm confused by your question. If you deposit $200/month for the next 11 months, you will have $2,200 in OBC. What in the world do you spend that much OBC on?

 

You can't use OBC to actually pay for your cruise, if that's what you're thinking. It only applies to expenses you run up on the ship.

 

On our last cruise, our tablemates shocked us by saying their bill at the end of their previous cruise was $2500. :eek: Our bill, after 15 days and with no drink package, was $293. I think those people drank a lot and took a lot of ship excursions. I can't afford nor do I have any desire to spend that much money after paying for my cruise, airfare, port days, etc.

We have never purchased OBC, just had the credit card charged at the end of the cruise. Like the idea of spreading out the cost. My question: if you put too much into the OBC account, will Celebrity give it back as a credit on the charge card used to purchase the OBC?

Just to clarify.. What is showing on your credit card? Is there an FX fee for changing to US$s? Did you get the same amount in US as AUS$s?

The reason I ask is because we have had problems this week with charges being added to our final payment. We paid our bill which was in AUS$s with our credit card but they charged a fee because it wasn't processed in Aus.

 

Thanks Gail

Hi Gail, this is something I have banged on about too in the past. If you go to a website that has a .com.au extension, and you see all the prices in AU$ then it comes as a shock to get those fees. We found we were charged 2.3% on previous occasions for using our NAB credit card to pay for an RCI cruise direct. We now use a Australia Post LoadnGo prepaid travel Visa card, and there are no fees for the payment to an overseas company. Some people have said 28 degrees cards are good also, but we find our Aus Post card very easy to top up at any post office, and being prepaid it is totally away from your own bank accounts.

So to answer your question, just a straight $25 aussie dollar charge. (plus the 9c for using the loadngo - but it has no monthy fees etc)

Many au websites charge the fee for exchange as the merchant is in the USA. Using a 28 degree MasterCard eliminates these fees and their exchange rate is fabulous. But I still can't get this card to work on Celebs website for OBC as it wants me to select an American state. However I've managed to use it to book Murana and an excursion. Go figure.

Many au websites charge the fee for exchange as the merchant is in the USA. Using a 28 degree MasterCard eliminates these fees and their exchange rate is fabulous. But I still can't get this card to work on Celebs website for OBC as it wants me to select an American state. However I've managed to use it to book Murana and an excursion. Go figure.

In the UK, we have to select US State or Canadian Province BUT it allows us to select "Not Applicable", the top option in the drop down list. Do you not get the "Not Applicable" option?

I've looked for the na Project_gal but it isn't there. I'll try again in case I missed it. The top option for me is Select State and then Alabama? appears next.