How to spend your OBC

[dundeene]

How do you spend your OBC? ($400)

I am not a big drinker, but would enjoy a wine tasting.

Specialty restaurants are free, my gratuities were prepaid by TA, I am taking all small private tours, and I had to prepay my cooking classes to reserve.

 

thanks for your input

[JimandStan]

How do you spend your OBC? ($400)

I am not a big drinker, but would enjoy a wine tasting.

Specialty restaurants are free, my gratuities were prepaid by TA, I am taking all small private tours, and I had to prepay my cooking classes to reserve.

 

thanks for your input

 

You could always use the Spa or buy yourself something in the shops-

[john2003]

You could also compose and send a few emails and that would take care of it nicely!!

 

PS There is a suggestion that the rates are under review. It is not something I generally complain about but it certainly bugs me.

[Mura]

We had $1200 (!) on our October cruise on Marina.

 

We took 3 ship's tours (me kicking and screaming but it was a compromise). I didn't worry about the dinner wine, if I wanted it, I got it. (Usually I nurse my bottle of red for several nights. I didn't on this cruise.) Hubby bought a few items in the shops which is something he never does. I had my usual internet package (200 minutes, I think).

 

In the end we ate up all but $15 ...

 

It can be done, just decide where you want to spend it!

 

(Our night in La Reserve was paid in advance because we didn't want to risk waiting until we boarded the ship with so few spaces available.)

 

Mura

[First Time 2008]

Is your OBC refundable? If so, no need to do anything and you get money at the end.

[GrammieK]

I thought I read somewhere about a passenger getting a cash advance at the casino or from the purser? Even if there is a % charge, you would get some money back.

[sitraveler]

I just love wrong replies, my own included.

 

OBC is almost never refundable.

 

Cash advances are not eligible for credit against OBC.

 

Spend it in the shops is BW's solution, spa is too expensive for her, we don't realy enjoy drinking and use ship tours only in special circumstances.

 

We did manage to use $1,200. in Alaska, but it was difficult.

Problems like this is why we love O

[JimandStan]

I thought I read somewhere about a passenger getting a cash advance at the casino or from the purser? Even if there is a % charge, you would get some money back.

 

When credits are posted to the On-Board Accounts, the source is coded by Oceania.

The actual rules are not this simplistic, but it boils down to this:

 

• If the credit comes from money that was paid to Oceania, then it may be refunded or withdrawn.
  

• If the credit was promotional, then it is only useable for goods and services on the ship.
  

[LHT28]

shop shop shop :D

[Aruba]

Do you know which of the two types of credits are applied first to the account balance -- the non-refundable credits or the refundable credits?

 

(It's never been an issue for us in the past because we usually have NO problem blowing through the credits. But now that we're "silver" Oceania Club members we have pre-paid gratuities...and we pre-book shore excursions and La Reserve dinners so we may start to have an issue using up the OBC's. Nice problem to have. ;))

[RetiredFL]

It has always been the non-refundable first.

We are in the same position and sometimes it is hard to spend the total OBC, especially now that the few shore excursions we may want to take will be cheaper if bought before sailing.

We are not big drinkers or internet users and have sometimes had to go to the shop and buy a polo short or something else to use it up.

[ladybug1s]

I got 175 obc when I booked my cruise. Will it automatically go to my sea pass and can it be spent on anything? Is it like 175.00?

[LHT28]

I got 175 obc when I booked my cruise. Will it automatically go to my sea pass and can it be spent on anything?YES

 

Is it like 175.00?

not sure what else it would be;)

[doubledobles]

We usually get a large OBC, due to our status plus our agent also gives us gratuities. We use it for tours, internet and bingo. If the cruise is a TA and there are not many stops and we still have leftovers, my husband buys me perfume. We try not to leave any OBC unused.

[capecodder2]

Oh my! I wish I had that "problem" - I'll take anything you have left over.

[rucruisn2]

I also will throw my hat into the ring. Anyone with leftover or hard to spend OBC's can throw them my way. I will happily take them off your hands. I wish all life's problems were so easily solved.

[hondorner]

One thing that's been reported as possible on Regent, Oceania's sister cruise line, is to prepay for things like excursions, then, once on board, cancel and rebook using onboard credits. Whikle many of their excursions are included in the basic fare, many are premium excursions and carry an additio0nal fee. Like Oceania, booking them before the cruise results in a charge to your credit card. Cancelling once aboard ship results in a credit to the credit card.

 

I haven't heard anyone report whether this is possible on Oceania. Obviously, one must work with the purser staff to be sure there ae no folks on a waiting list who wold be entitled to your canceled event before you could rebook. But, if it works, you could pre-book La Reserve, Privee, excursions, etc on your credit card, and later use credits to pay for them.

[Mura]

I believe that I've seen several posts here where Oceania did indeed allow this ... at least for ship's tours.

 

Never tried it myself.

 

My husband used to get cash allegedly for the casino, but he hasn't tried that in quite a while.

 

Mura

[jakes47]

We are on B2B cruises with 500 OBC for the first and 1000 on the second. I wonder if we can use the 2 together at the end or will we get 2 separate accounts?

 

Bev

[Mura]

That's an interesting question. But I'm sure you could consult with Reception when you board and work something out!

 

Mura

[LHT28]

We are on B2B cruises with 500 OBC for the first and 1000 on the second. I wonder if we can use the 2 together at the end or will we get 2 separate accounts?

 

Bev

If you are doing a B2B your account stays open until the last night of the 2nd cruise so any credits will be deducted then

 

You will receive an interim statement near the end of the 1st cruise

[GeorgesGal]

Is the OBC from Oceania or from a TA? When we were offered an OBC that we knew we would never spend, we asked for and received a further reduction in the price of the cruise from the travel agent! What a way to save money that we would have felt we had to 'blow' in order not to lose out!

[mountain grandma]

One thing that's been reported as possible on Regent, Oceania's sister cruise line, is to prepay for things like excursions, then, once on board, cancel and rebook using onboard credits. Whikle many of their excursions are included in the basic fare, many are premium excursions and carry an additio0nal fee. Like Oceania, booking them before the cruise results in a charge to your credit card. Cancelling once aboard ship results in a credit to the credit card.

 

I haven't heard anyone report whether this is possible on Oceania. Obviously, one must work with the purser staff to be sure there ae no folks on a waiting list who wold be entitled to your canceled event before you could rebook. But, if it works, you could pre-book La Reserve, Privee, excursions, etc on your credit card, and later use credits to pay for them.

 

We've done it with excursions on a couple of different O cruises -- always with success. The excursion must still be available for booking when you go to the Destination Services deck but they are happy to do it for you. This way, if you are taking an O excursion that is very popular, you can insure that you have tickets for it and, if still available when you board, you can get it changed to an OBC. It is the best of both worlds!

 

Billie

[angelina46]

hi, can i use obc to pay the gratuities? just read that ncl doesnt allow this.

thanks

angelina46

[JimandStan]

hi, can i use obc to pay the gratuities? just read that ncl doesnt allow this.

thanks

angelina46

 

On Oceania the gratuity comes out of the same on-board account as your OBC goes into, so the answer is yes :D