What do you do with a $1600 OBC on Regent?

[burm]

Regent (Radisson) is offering shipboard credits of $1030 to $1600 per stateroom, exclusively to customers of ........, on select last-minute sailings in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

My TA is currently offering the above OBC on select Regent cruises. How do you use such a large OBC for on all inclusive line?

 

I realize that spending money is usually pretty easy when you set your mind to it, but what will others with this huge obc do? Drinks, gratuities and even excursions are included.

[Adri204]

Regent (Radisson) is offering shipboard credits of $1030 to $1600 per stateroom, exclusively to customers of ........, on select last-minute sailings in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

 

My TA is currently offering the above OBC on select Regent cruises. How do you use such a large OBC for on all inclusive line?

 

I realize that spending money is usually pretty easy when you set your mind to it, but what will others with this huge obc do? Drinks, gratuities and even excursions are included.

 

 

Well you could really treat yourself to many spa days. I mean all kinds of spa treatments and also do they have bingo, Casino? Also hey you could do some great shopping in the on board store. I know im reaching but thats all I can come up with. Have fun spending it,

 

Adri :)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

You could hold off booking any excursions that carry a cost, in the hopes that you could pick some of them up while on board.

 

The spa, of course, but that's tough on a port-intensive adventure.

 

Newspapers delivered daily to your stateroom, again not very useful if port-intensive.

 

The gift shop. They do have a few nice things, I should have bought a great Fossil handbag, but I bought cosmetics from the spa instead.

 

I agree, huge OBC's just don't cut it any more.

[traveller333]

treat yourself to premium bottles of wine or liquor

[Travelcat2]

Pretty sure they cannot be used in the casino, but, between the spa, gift shop and excursions, it would be easy to spend. You could also purchase a special wine or champagne. When we had extra OBCs, we had a lot of fun buying things we wouldn't typically purchase in the giftshop.

[poss]

Would booking a future cruise on board count? I.e. using the OBC as a deposit towards a new booking? Assuming Regent still offers a discount for booking a future cruise on board, that could be a nice way to use the credit. Assuming, of course, that you enjoy your experience. And I hope you do!

[RachelG]

There is some really nice expensive stuff in the shop. I would have no trouble at all going through this.

[burm]

Would booking a future cruise on board count? I.e. using the OBC as a deposit towards a new booking? Assuming Regent still offers a discount for booking a future cruise on board, that could be a nice way to use the credit. Assuming, of course, that you enjoy your experience. And I hope you do!

 

 

I know that Oceania does not allow you to use your OBC on a future cruise. They have a "Use it or lose it" policy. Regent is likely the same.

 

Would it really be possible not to enjoy a Regent cruise? :D I don't think I would want to meet the person who would not enjoy such an experience. :p

[jhp]

I wouldn't have a problem spending it either!

 

However, following is from my TA's website regarding shipboard credits, so you might want to contact your TA for confirmation in your case:

 

Shipboard credits can be used for laundry, spa or beauty treatments, shop purchases, purchases of premium wines and other liquors,special transportation arrangements made on board, and most other expenses that can be put on a passengers shipboard account. However, they cannot be used as a deposit for a future cruise or as a future cruise credit. All shipboard credits must be used while on board. It is a “use it, or lose it” policy. Any remaining cash-refundable shipboard credit must be claimed onboard

[colomom]

What about for internet access? Anybody know if it can be spent for that?

[janisegn]

we cashed our OBC in - it was a TA OBC - we came home with more money than we left with!!! -

[burm]

I wouldn't have a problem spending it either!

 

However, following is from my TA's website regarding shipboard credits, so you might want to contact your TA for confirmation in your case:

 

Shipboard credits can be used for laundry, spa or beauty treatments, shop purchases, purchases of premium wines and other liquors,special transportation arrangements made on board, and most other expenses that can be put on a passengers shipboard account. However, they cannot be used as a deposit for a future cruise or as a future cruise credit. All shipboard credits must be used while on board. It is a “use it, or lose it” policy. Any remaining cash-refundable shipboard credit must be claimed onboard

 

I have a dreadful image of myself doing endless laundry to use up a $1600 OBC. :p

 

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Another that I would hope not to use it on is medical bills - this year I had a $700 doctor's bill.

 

I would by far prefer a price reduction to an OBC.

[burm]

we cashed our OBC in - it was a TA OBC - we came home with more money than we left with!!! -

 

Now that would be a treat!

[Dreps]

We had a large OBC on our 30-day S. American cruise earlier this year. What I did is booked "free" excursions prior to the cruise online and had a list of "for-cost" excursions so that as soon as we were on board, I could go to the travel desk and switch some of the "free" ones to others that had a cost associated with them. It worked out very well, although some of the "free" ones were better than some of the ones that cost something. Of course, on such a long cruise, it wasn't difficult to use up the OBC.

[Host Dan]

On Seabourn I was able to buy chips at the casino, charged to my account against the OBC, and cashed them in for cash.. Maybe Regent would be the same?

 

Host Dan

[RachelG]

Someone asked if you could use it for internet access. Yes, but I forgot that one since you don't have to cruise that many days to get the free internet.

[Kane]

Well you could really treat yourself to many spa days. I mean all kinds of spa treatments and also do they have bingo, Casino? Also hey you could do some great shopping in the on board store. I know im reaching but thats all I can come up with. Have fun spending it,

 

Adri :)

 

One of the ladies on our recent voyage decided to use some of her OBC at the spa. She had 1) Hair wash/dry, 2) Facial, and 3) Pedicure.

 

The bill came out to more than $400 ... some arithmetic can be done to determine how far the OBC would go in the spa :rolleyes:

[Judith02]

I know on Regent, gratuities are included. My travel agent pays for mine on Crystal, but I use some of my extra on board credit for additional gratuities or for the crew fund. Also, I'm not sure if Regent does this but on Crystal some on board credit from one's travel agent can be designated as cash and if not used, it is credited to your credit card. It is different from the line's on board credit and must be designated as cash to be used or credited. On our last cruise, I had so much on board credit left, I bought an expensive digital camera from the photo shop.

[SanFranCruizer]

I used a ton of OBC on Spa, Bingo (but then I won more credit but could cash that out), Special wine at Prime 7, Internet, dry cleaning for my tuxedo, and an excursion I added on. I tried really hard to use every last dime, but only spent about 60% of mine.

[hoosier74]

We had 1300 on our recent crossing and with sea days, the spa was the place to be. Canyon Ranch's prices are fairly high and it's pretty easy to run up a big bill with massages, facials, pedicures. We cashed out what we could, bought internet, papers, wine, and laundry....(if you pay for it, you certainly don't have to do it!). Then the last night we spent what was left in the shop on some nice jewelry and perfume. The most touble was matching up the items with the $$ to spend. Nice trouble to have!

[Host Dan]

Remember, the unused balance should always go to the crew welfare fund..

 

Host Dan

[Jim B]

I would like to know if you can use OBC in the casino?

 

Can someone confirm yes or no?

[SanFranCruizer]

You cannot use OBC directly in the casino. Some OBC can be cashed out and others cannot. The people at the purser's desk always seem to know what can be cashed and what cannot. The ones that can be cashed, well, you can take the cash and use it in the casino. Usually OBC Regent gives are not cashable and the ones TA do are cashable. Notice I said usually...

[Jim B]

That makes sense. I guess??

Appreciate the response.

[hondorner]

Sometimes a TA passes on the OBC he/she is granted from a cruise line and makes it appear it comes from the goodness of the TA's heart. This confuses the issue. If you aren't certain, ask the TA whether it is money they have paid to the cruise line (or not collected as commission, same thing), or whether it is incentive money from the cruise line. The former amounts to cash to the cruise line for OBC, and can be cashed out or spent. The latter is money from the cruise line, and must be used or lost, even if it appears to come from the TA.