On board credit

[whtbearfan]

My wife and I don't drink much, but if I decided to get a few drinks over the course of the cruise I want to make sure they are covered. Please tell me if this is correct. All drink, excursions, and other items will go against the onboard credit and then against the card on file with the ship. Right? So if I put two hundred on my on board account what happens after the cruise to the funds not used, if any? I also noticed that you can credit individuals instead of the room itself, any way of tying it all together to the room, so if one key becomes empty and the other has funds they don't start charging the card with each and every purchase made? If you have any information regarding this it would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[CactusFlower527]

I could be wrong, but I have the understanding that any unused OBC just vanishes after a cruise... I IMAGINE it is always used first before they tap the card you have on file.

[Iluvcruising2]

I could be wrong, but I have the understanding that any unused OBC just vanishes after a cruise... I IMAGINE it is always used first before they tap the card you have on file.

 

I think you are right.

 

Also, I was told for NCL, OBC can't be used to pay for the gratuities for stateroom attendant. For some other lines, we can use the OBC to pay for this. Am I right?

[puddles99]

There are a few different types of On-Board Credit and the policies differ for each:

• Credit given by Norwegian for a specific promotion / occasion:
  This is non-refundable credit. In other words, what isn't used on board is lost at the end of the cruise. This type of credit cannot be used for gratuities or to pay the Daily Service Charge (DSC)
  
• Gifted OBC given by a Travel Agent, friend, or family member:
  This is refundable credit. It will be used after the non-refundable OBC is exhausted and its been reported here that it can be used to pay the DSC or redeem gratuity vouchers. If it is not exhausted, it will be refunded to you in the form of a check within in a few weeks after the cruise (reported time taken for a refund varies).
  
• OBC you pre-purchase for yourself:
  This type of OBC is just like OBC purchased by someone else for you. See note above.

All of your OBC - no matter the type - will be used before your charge card is used. Here's the one exception I am aware of: If you have non-refundable OBC remaining but haven't paid your DSC, your card will be charged for the DSC and you will forfeit the remaining non-refundable OBC.

 

Hopefully that makes sense (and I'm sure someone will let me know if I've misspoken in any way!). Enjoy your adventure!

[whtbearfan]

Thanks for the information so far, keep it coming.

 

We have prepaid our DSC, so we don't have to worry about that.

 

I was going to purchase a $50 OBC, but it want me to select which passenger to credit. I would much rather credit the room like the credit given by NCL. On big funding source.

 

I guess they have to keep it seperate to make the charges come out correctly.

[tortoisegirl]

I wouldn't want to buy myself OBC as a way for pre-paying for incidentals on the ship just on the off chance if comes a hassle...such as it not showing up in the account (have to show them the receipt), or if I didn't spend it all and had to wait and ensure I received a refund. I do like pre-paying all I can, but draw the line at DSC and incidentals, as I don't see much added value as they don't cost much in relation to the entire trip, and it seems there is a chance it could go wrong and not show up on the account. Best wishes.

 

Thanks for the helpful info puddles99!

[Demonyte]

I was going to purchase a $50 OBC, but it want me to select which passenger to credit. I would much rather credit the room like the credit given by NCL. On big funding source.

 

Until the checkin at the terminal, there is no such thing as "credit with the room". NCL given OBC for the cabin will be split between the first two passengers in the cabin if they do not share the account and you will only assign passengers to different payment sources (accounts) while checkin. OBC that is given in advance will only be processed to accounts after departure, usually on the first full day of the cruise but sometimes not until on the second day.

 

So, if you join all people in the cabin to one onboard account, there is no difference between who you will buy the OBC to, but if all the passengers will have their own accounts, the OBC will be credited accordingly.

[puddles99]

Until the checkin at the terminal, there is no such thing as "credit with the room". NCL given OBC for the cabin will be split between the first two passengers in the cabin if they do not share the account and you will only assign passengers to different payment sources (accounts) while checkin. OBC that is given in advance will only be processed to accounts after departure, usually on the first full day of the cruise but sometimes not until on the second day.

 

So, if you join all people in the cabin to one onboard account, there is no difference between who you will buy the OBC to, but if all the passengers will have their own accounts, the OBC will be credited accordingly.

 

You just sparked another, related, question. We will have three different "accounts" for our upcoming cruise. There are seven of us in a GV - my family of four will set up our account on one credit card, my BFF will use her own card, and her parents will use their own card. We have a significant amount of OBC from Norwegian that we've pre-determined how we'd like to split. Do we just go to guest services and tell them how we want to split that out?

[peg013]

You just sparked another, related, question. We will have three different "accounts" for our upcoming cruise. There are seven of us in a GV - my family of four will set up our account on one credit card, my BFF will use her own card, and her parents will use their own card. We have a significant amount of OBC from Norwegian that we've pre-determined how we'd like to split. Do we just go to guest services and tell them how we want to split that out?

 

When my three sons wanted to divide their OBC among all three of them instead of only the first two on the reservation....we were told after the amount of OBC the third son should receive was charged to his bill, half of those charges could be transferred to each of his brothers accounts. They said they could not move the OBC itself. YMMV so ask at Guest Services after you board.

 

We also had some of the 4th son's charges transferred to our account. You just have to sign a form okaying the transfer to your account.

[latebloomer56]

There are a few different types of On-Board Credit and the policies differ for each:

• Credit given by Norwegian for a specific promotion / occasion:
  This is non-refundable credit. In other words, what isn't used on board is lost at the end of the cruise. This type of credit cannot be used for gratuities or to pay the Daily Service Charge (DSC)
  
• Gifted OBC given by a Travel Agent, friend, or family member:
  This is refundable credit. It will be used after the non-refundable OBC is exhausted and its been reported here that it can be used to pay the DSC or redeem gratuity vouchers. If it is not exhausted, it will be refunded to you in the form of a check within in a few weeks after the cruise (reported time taken for a refund varies).
  
• OBC you pre-purchase for yourself:
  This type of OBC is just like OBC purchased by someone else for you. See note above.
  

All of your OBC - no matter the type - will be used before your charge card is used. Here's the one exception I am aware of: If you have non-refundable OBC remaining but haven't paid your DSC, your card will be charged for the DSC and you will forfeit the remaining non-refundable OBC.

 

Hopefully that makes sense (and I'm sure someone will let me know if I've misspoken in any way!). Enjoy your adventure!

Thank you for putting this in writing. I have my notes from last May, but this text is great and reflects how it worked for us. We had both credits 500 AMEX (had to use) then put 200 cash on my card for overage etc. (gift to us). Used all 500 first then some of the 200 (168 tips). They sent us a check for 32 about a month later.

[rindanonna]

There are a few different types of On-Board Credit and the policies differ for each:

• Credit given by Norwegian for a specific promotion / occasion:
  This is non-refundable credit. In other words, what isn't used on board is lost at the end of the cruise. This type of credit cannot be used for gratuities or to pay the Daily Service Charge (DSC)
  
• Gifted OBC given by a Travel Agent, friend, or family member:
  This is refundable credit. It will be used after the non-refundable OBC is exhausted and its been reported here that it can be used to pay the DSC or redeem gratuity vouchers. If it is not exhausted, it will be refunded to you in the form of a check within in a few weeks after the cruise (reported time taken for a refund varies).
  
• OBC you pre-purchase for yourself:
  This type of OBC is just like OBC purchased by someone else for you. See note above.

All of your OBC - no matter the type - will be used before your charge card is used. Here's the one exception I am aware of: If you have non-refundable OBC remaining but haven't paid your DSC, your card will be charged for the DSC and you will forfeit the remaining non-refundable OBC.

 

Hopefully that makes sense (and I'm sure someone will let me know if I've misspoken in any way!). Enjoy your adventure!

so I have $100 obc that is non-refundable and $600 obc from redeeming world points from my Norwegian credit card from Bank of America. NCL tells me if I don't use it all I will lose the balance. Multiple calls have resulted in the same answer. It may be a challenge to use it all as we have purchased the UBP. Can I withdraw cash while on board if it looks like I will have a credit? Do I do that in the casino? In spite of what I am reading here about getting a refund of the balance NCL is adamant that that will not happen. Help!

[Demonyte]

so I have $100 obc that is non-refundable and $600 obc from redeeming world points from my Norwegian credit card from Bank of America. NCL tells me if I don't use it all I will lose the balance. Multiple calls have resulted in the same answer. It may be a challenge to use it all as we have purchased the UBP. Can I withdraw cash while on board if it looks like I will have a credit? Do I do that in the casino? In spite of what I am reading here about getting a refund of the balance NCL is adamant that that will not happen. Help!

 

Why wouldn't you cancel the UBP now and get a refund for it and then purchase it again once you are onboard?

[puli]

There are a few different types of On-Board Credit and the policies differ for each:

• Credit given by Norwegian for a specific promotion / occasion:
  This is non-refundable credit. In other words, what isn't used on board is lost at the end of the cruise. This type of credit cannot be used for gratuities or to pay the Daily Service Charge (DSC)
  
• Gifted OBC given by a Travel Agent, friend, or family member:
  This is refundable credit. It will be used after the non-refundable OBC is exhausted and its been reported here that it can be used to pay the DSC or redeem gratuity vouchers. If it is not exhausted, it will be refunded to you in the form of a check within in a few weeks after the cruise (reported time taken for a refund varies).
  
• OBC you pre-purchase for yourself:
  This type of OBC is just like OBC purchased by someone else for you. See note above.

All of your OBC - no matter the type - will be used before your charge card is used. Here's the one exception I am aware of: If you have non-refundable OBC remaining but haven't paid your DSC, your card will be charged for the DSC and you will forfeit the remaining non-refundable OBC.

 

Hopefully that makes sense (and I'm sure someone will let me know if I've misspoken in any way!). Enjoy your adventure!

 

I read on another NC thread that the "non refundable credit" can be used to tip ones's butler/concierge even though it cannot be used to pay off the DSC. I am certainly hoping this is true!

[puddles99]

so I have $100 obc that is non-refundable and $600 obc from redeeming world points from my Norwegian credit card from Bank of America. NCL tells me if I don't use it all I will lose the balance. Multiple calls have resulted in the same answer. It may be a challenge to use it all as we have purchased the UBP. Can I withdraw cash while on board if it looks like I will have a credit? Do I do that in the casino? In spite of what I am reading here about getting a refund of the balance NCL is adamant that that will not happen. Help!

 

I honestly am not sure about this. I know you can get a cash advance from the casino (less 3% charge), but I don't know that you can draw on OBC.

 

 

Why wouldn't you cancel the UBP now and get a refund for it and then purchase it again once you are onboard?

 

This is a really good suggestion. If you buy the UBP on board, you'll use up your OBC in a heartbeat.

[puddles99]

When my three sons wanted to divide their OBC among all three of them instead of only the first two on the reservation....we were told after the amount of OBC the third son should receive was charged to his bill, half of those charges could be transferred to each of his brothers accounts. They said they could not move the OBC itself. YMMV so ask at Guest Services after you board.

 

We also had some of the 4th son's charges transferred to our account. You just have to sign a form okaying the transfer to your account.

 

That's a good heads up - and would be pretty easy to do if the OBC can't be reassigned. Thanks for the tip!

 

I read on another NC thread that the "non refundable credit" can be used to tip ones's butler/concierge even though it cannot be used to pay off the DSC. I am certainly hoping this is true!

 

I don't actually know the answer to that, I never have OBC left over to find out :o

[peg013]

I read on another NC thread that the "non refundable credit" can be used to tip ones's butler/concierge even though it cannot be used to pay off the DSC. I am certainly hoping this is true!

 

Yes, you can use non-refundable OBC for gratuities/tips just not for the Daily Service Charge. We have used it to tip the butler, concierge and our room steward. You could also use it for the kids club or anyone else you want to tip. You just go down to Guest Services and tell them the full name of the person you wish to tip, how much and their position. They will fill out a voucher and give you a copy that you can present to the person you are tipping so they know it is coming. I take Thank You cards along and put it in them with a short note.

 

OP, from what I have read your World Points OBC is non-refundable so that is why NCL is telling you that you must spend it or lose it.

 

You can always buy a Freestyle Cruise Reward with $150 worth of your OBC and have your next deposit paid entirely by OBC.

[puli]

Yes, you can use non-refundable OBC for gratuities/tips just not for the Daily Service Charge. We have used it to tip the butler, concierge and our room steward. You could also use it for the kids club or anyone else you want to tip. You just go down to Guest Services and tell them the full name of the person you wish to tip, how much and their position. They will fill out a voucher and give you a copy that you can present to the person you are tipping so they know it is coming. I take Thank You cards along and put it in them with a short note.}

 

Thanks for the clarification.....that is exactly what I plan to do. I too always bring Thank You notes so it should work out perfectly!

[QuiGonJohn]

There are a few different types of On-Board Credit and the policies differ for each:

• Credit given by Norwegian for a specific promotion / occasion:
  This is non-refundable credit. In other words, what isn't used on board is lost at the end of the cruise. This type of credit cannot be used for gratuities or to pay the Daily Service Charge (DSC)
  
• Gifted OBC given by a Travel Agent, friend, or family member:
  This is refundable credit. It will be used after the non-refundable OBC is exhausted and its been reported here that it can be used to pay the DSC or redeem gratuity vouchers. If it is not exhausted, it will be refunded to you in the form of a check within in a few weeks after the cruise (reported time taken for a refund varies).
  
• OBC you pre-purchase for yourself:
  This type of OBC is just like OBC purchased by someone else for you. See note above.

Thanks for this info. Are you absolutely certain about GIFTED OBC? The reason I ask is, I contacted my TA Rep and asked about my $50 OBC. He said it was from the TA Company and that it could NOT be used for gratuities. Is there a way I can check exactly what type of OBC that NCL considers this? Because if you are right, above, and NCL tells me this is on my account as GIFTED OBC, then I coud put it towards the DSC.

 

THIS IS A CAPTURE FROM THE EMAIL MY TA REP SENT ME:

The Onboard credit is from *** through our group amenities we set up with the cruise line. We buy inventory from them at a discounted price and they give us the onboard credit as an amenity. It will be applied to your onboard account and can be used for anything on the ship except gratuities.

 

Sincerely,

L***n H********r

Master Cruise Counselor

END OF EMAIL

 

Also, I do not understand why anyone would front up credit card money for OBC "they purchase themselves". This is my understanding of OBC and your Shipboard Account, correct me if I am wrong.

 

You embark and a Shipboard Account is setup, if there is any OBC, that is applied onto the account. Then you cruise and charge, whatever you charge for drinks, excursions, gift shopping, spa, what have you. At the end of the cruise, the DSC is also applied to the Shipboard Account. Whatever your balance is, considering any OBC that may apply vs. your charges, that amount gets charged to the credit card you used when you setup the Shipboard Account.

 

Charges do not go against your credit card piece-meal, one charge at a time.

[Demonyte]

Thanks for this info. Are you absolutely certain about GIFTED OBC? The reason I ask is, I contacted my TA Rep and asked about my $50 OBC. He said it was from the TA Company and that it could NOT be used for gratuities.

 

What your TA said is the case more often than the quoted info (while that can be accurate in some cases too) - I have never had any other OBC from TA than one purchased with their "points" from NCL.

 

Also, I do not understand why anyone would front up credit card money for OBC "they purchase themselves".

 

To ease the size of final bill. When people travel on budget, some prefer pay things in advance in smaller chunks instead of one large CC bill at the end of the cruise (and some prefer not to use CC at all so they prefer to "deposit" money to their onboard account in advance).

[agabbymama]

Lots of different stories regarding OBC. So may depend on the rep checking you in, the person doing the input, etc.

 

I had $100 OBC from NCL (per room) so that was divided to $50 pp,

I had purchased $1200 OBC because I knew the tours we wanted to do and specialty dinner. I did not want to use a Credit card at all, but at check-in I was told I had to use a credit card to establish my on-board account or go to credit desk and give them $1000 (for two people) for a 7 night cruise. They wouldn't even listen to the fact that I had purchased $1200 OBC nor even look at the confirmation email I had. I gave them a credit card with zero credit on it.

 

Upon entering our cabin, there were vouchers for the $1200 OBC that stated to sign and return to the Purser's Desk. Then the credit showed up on our account the 2nd day.

 

However, they started using my Refundable OBC before the NCL Non-Refundable OBC. On the last night of the cruise, I went to the Purser's Desk to get my refund, and was told it was NCL policy that a check for the remaining $200 (of my OBC) would be mailed to my home address in 2-3 weeks, but that the $100 NCL OBC would be lost.

 

I was furious, so I went to the Casino and got my $200 paying a fee of 3%, then stopped and bought a watch on my way back to my cabin, so my final bill in the morning stated something like 48 cent credit would be mailed to my home. I still haven't received that check.

 

So moral of my long story, is be prepared for any or all of the incidents that could happen concerning OBC. There is no hard & fast rule that is followed, But I would never purchase OBC again.

[rvsullivan]

As one or two others mentioned there is no absolute when it comes to TA's OBC. It is best to clarify in writing in advance what you have. Our experience has been that refundable OBC is used first then non refundable. It is best to make sure of what is happening in advance. Do not ASSUME anything. I would make sure I used up all of my non refundable before I put any more money into the system. Then you will be sure to get your money back at some point in time. I can vouch for the fact that butler/concierge tips at the end of the cruise can come out of non refundable OBC.

[whtbearfan]

 

Upon entering our cabin, there were vouchers for the $1200 OBC that stated to sign and return to the Purser's Desk. Then the credit showed up on our account the 2nd day.

 

Thanks for the info. I wonder if making OBC purchase before the cruise is the problem. I guess if you had $1200 in cash or travelers checks when you came aboard that the OBC would be placed on your account immediately. No vouchers to worry about. I was going to have some OBC gifts given to us, but now it may be better to have them give us cash to take to the ship.

 

We don't drink much, so that won't be digging into the OBC we'll have. agabbymama brought up a question. If you see them taking funds from your purchased OBC and not the gratis OBC, can you get it changed at the service desk?

 

May just start dumping funds into our savings account to open the cash account on board.

[QuiGonJohn]

It seems the OBC is more of a scam than a help. I mean first of all, if they give you an OBC, for whatever the reason, from NCL, from your TA, that ought to go right onto your Shipboard Account. And it should not matter what you buy or don't buy or any other charges that go to your Shipboard Account, (like the DSC's). At the end of the cruise, they should show the total of ALL charges, deduct any OBC, then charge your credit card for any remaining balance, (or give you the refund if there is one coming).

[punkincc]

It seems the OBC is more of a scam than a help. I mean first of all, if they give you an OBC, for whatever the reason, from NCL, from your TA, that ought to go right onto your Shipboard Account. And it should not matter what you buy or don't buy or any other charges that go to your Shipboard Account, (like the DSC's). At the end of the cruise, they should show the total of ALL charges, deduct any OBC, then charge your credit card for any remaining balance, (or give you the refund if there is one coming).

 

Not a scam. We use our OBC for dinners, drinks, excursions, any on board purchases. The only thing you cannot use it for generally is the Daily Service Charges. $400 of OBC is not a "help"?

[QuiGonJohn]

Wow, that's a lot of OBC, good for you. Was that all from NCL or your TA or is that including amounts gifted by other people or money you put on your own? I am only looking at a $50 OBC. But my point is, it ought to not be any darn business of NCL what I put that towards. It should be any charges that go on my Shipboard Account (including DSC), less any OBC I may have, then I pay the rest at the end of the cruise.