Onboard Credit

[RADGIRL80]

Hi!

My husband and I are not new to cruising but we are new to Princess. We are looking forward to our cruise on the Ruby Princess in Feb. :)

We got $100 in onboard credit from the online company we bought the cruise from and from Princess. I know that it says it cannot be used for gratuities, but is that really true?

We don't spend much on board because we don't drink and we like to purchase excursions outside the cruiseline. I prefer the OBC be applied to gratuities, but I don't want to risk losing it, if they refuse to apply it.

So, in your experiences, can OBC be applied to tips in actuality? Thanks!

[Liz54]

Yes! I have never had a problem.

[Meanee]

[quote name='RADGIRL80']Hi!

My husband and I are not new to cruising but we are new to Princess. We are looking forward to our cruise on the Ruby Princess in Feb. :)

We got $100 in onboard credit from the online company we bought the cruise from and from Princess. I know that it says it cannot be used for gratuities, but is that really true?

We don't spend much on board because we don't drink and we like to purchase excursions outside the cruiseline. I prefer the OBC be applied to gratuities, but I don't want to risk losing it, if they refuse to apply it.

So, in your experiences, can OBC be applied to tips in actuality? Thanks![/QUOTE]

I never cruised on Princess, but I can think of a reason why you CANNOT apply OBC to tips.

Cruiselines buy all their stuff VERY cheap. If a guy walks up to your liquor store and says "I need 50,000 bottles of beer", obviously he would not pay full price per bottle. And $7 OBC that you will pay for a beer bottle, will really cost cruiseline only whatever they paid for that beer bottle, under a dollar.

But with tips, cruise lines do not get that. If it's $100, then it's $100. And letting you use free OBC for it is just bad business practice.

[cruises r us]

Yes, you can use an OBC for gratuities. No problem!

[Dudleydog73]

Princess uses a simple credit/debit system so when your OBC is applied your folio starts with a negative balance. Anything that gets charged to your shipboard account, including hotel tips, reduce that negative balance until you are positive. At the end of the cruise, whatever positive balance you have is charged to the credit card on file and you leave with a zero balance.

There is no way to distinguish types of OBC in this system.

[paul929207]

No problem using OBC for tips. My wife rarely has anything on her account but the autotip and the OBC.

If there is any doubt in your mind, just check your account statement during the cruise.

[Pam in CA]

Princess allows OBC from whatever source to be combined and used for anything charged to your onboard account. You start your cruise with a credit and charges are deducted. Any credit leftover will be automatically credited to the credit card on record on your account. (This is a new policy so you no longer have to go to the PSD to pick up your refund.)

If you own 100 shares of Carnival Corporation stock (CCL), you can get additional credit. And, if one or both of you are or were military, you can apply for onboard credit. It's all combinable. I started my Royal Princess cruise last month with $550 in OBC. :) Edited November 15, 2013 by Pam in CA

[RADGIRL80]

Thanks! I appreciate it! I just can't understand why they always say specifically that you can't use it for gratuities.

I didn't want to be forced to spend the OBC on cruise excursions if it's not necessary. I'm glad that it can be used for tips.

[helenb]

I have never heard that OBC cannot be used for gratuities. We have always done so, and no one has ever said to us that it cannot be done.

[Working 2 Cruise]

[quote name='Meanee']I never cruised on Princess, but I can think of a reason why you CANNOT apply OBC to tips.

Cruiselines buy all their stuff VERY cheap. If a guy walks up to your liquor store and says "I need 50,000 bottles of beer", obviously he would not pay full price per bottle. And $7 OBC that you will pay for a beer bottle, will really cost cruiseline only whatever they paid for that beer bottle, under a dollar.

But with tips, cruise lines do not get that. If it's $100, then it's $100. And letting you use free OBC for it is just bad business practice.[/QUOTE]

Since you've never sailed with Princess, why do you feel the need to answer questions and you don't know the answer to?

Yes, the onboard credit will be applied to your account and you can use it however you see fit.

[Meanee]

[quote name='Working 2 Cruise']Since you've never sailed with Princess, why do you feel the need to answer questions and you don't know the answer to?

[/QUOTE]

If you bother re-reading my response, it's quite clear that I did not answer any questions. I gave my reasoning from a business standpoint, IF you cannot use onboard credit for tips.

But good try.

[Working 2 Cruise]

[quote name='Meanee']If you bother re-reading my response, it's quite clear that I did not answer any questions. I gave my reasoning from a business standpoint, IF you cannot use onboard credit for tips.

But good try.[/QUOTE]

But your response is irrelevant since onboard credit CAN be applied to tips...

[Meanee]

[quote name='Working 2 Cruise']But your response is irrelevant since onboard credit CAN be applied to tips...[/QUOTE]

If you are going to examine everything irrelevant, you may want to ask yourself why did you say "Since you've never sailed with Princess, why do you feel the need to answer questions and you don't know the answer to?" then.

[caribill]

[quote name='RADGIRL80']Thanks! I appreciate it! I just can't understand why they always say specifically that you can't use it for gratuities.[/quote]

Because if you think it cannot be used for gratuities you will probably look for ways to spend it onboard and then pay for the gratuities.

[born2cruize]

I personal feels no one has answered the question. Which also applies to me. For my upcoming Emerald Princess cruise in July, we are receiving $200.00 OBC for excursion. Now I've received plenty of OBC in the past and yes in those situations they do apply them to your account and would be used against the gratuity fees. However, this will be the first time I've ever received OBC specifically for a particular item. Is it now possible that Princess has modified there system to allow them to assign OBC to an individual charge?

[Working 2 Cruise]

Ok, I give up...

[Working 2 Cruise]

[quote name='born2cruize']I personal feels no one has answered the question. Which also applies to me. For my upcoming Emerald Princess cruise in July, we are receiving $200.00 OBC for excursion. Now I've received plenty of OBC in the past and yes in those situations they do apply them to your account and would be used against the gratuity fees. However, this will be the first time I've ever received OBC specifically for a particular item. Is it now possible that Princess has modified there system to allow them to assign OBC to an individual charge?[/QUOTE]

What happens is that your OBC will go into your account. As you spend it, the credit will decrease. It will not be applied to anything specific as there is no real way to do that. The IBC will be there when you board and can be used towards anything.

[cr8tiv1]

[quote name='born2cruize']I personal feels no one has answered the question. Which also applies to me. For my upcoming Emerald Princess cruise in July, we are receiving $200.00 OBC for excursion. Now I've received plenty of OBC in the past and yes in those situations they do apply them to your account and would be used against the gratuity fees. However, this will be the first time I've ever received OBC specifically for a particular item. Is it now possible that Princess has modified there system to allow them to assign OBC to an individual charge?[/QUOTE]

Did you receive this promotion for the 3 for Free? The fine print says excursions, but will be refunded if you do not use it for an excursion.

[satxdiver]

[quote name='born2cruize']I personal feels no one has answered the question. Which also applies to me. For my upcoming Emerald Princess cruise in July, we are receiving $200.00 OBC for excursion. Now I've received plenty of OBC in the past and yes in those situations they do apply them to your account and would be used against the gratuity fees. However, this will be the first time I've ever received OBC specifically for a particular item. Is it now possible that Princess has modified there system to allow them to assign OBC to an individual charge?[/QUOTE]

Since you choose not to listen to those of us who have used OBC before on Princess, you will just have to go on the cruise and find out for yourself. Happy cruising.

[dorisis]

[quote name='Pam in CA']Princess allows OBC from whatever source to be combined and used for anything charged to your onboard account. You start your cruise with a credit and charges are deducted. Any credit leftover will be automatically credited to the credit card on record on your account. (This is a new policy so you no longer have to go to the PSD to pick up your refund.)

If you own 100 shares of Carnival Corporation stock (CCL), you can get additional credit. And, if one or both of you are or were military, you can apply for onboard credit. It's all combinable. I started my Royal Princess cruise last month with $550 in OBC. :)[/QUOTE]

PAM, Is it really true that any leftover OBCs will be charged back as a refund to the credit card used onboard? Even Military, stockholders and FCCs? If so that is great news. I have a lot of OBC on my Dec cruise and I can use any thing charged back to my card on my February cruise where I will have less OBCs.

[born2cruize]

[quote name='Working 2 Cruise']What happens is that your OBC will go into your account. As you spend it, the credit will decrease. It will not be applied to anything specific as there is no real way to do that. The IBC will be there when you board and can be used towards anything.[/QUOTE]

I'm so glad you could explain it to me after all my accounting degree and my cruising experience just left me clueless about the whole process.

Again I'll repeat myself has anyone ever received a specific OBC and had it used for anything else.

[born2cruize]

[quote name='satxdiver']Since you choose not to listen to those of us who have used OBC before on Princess, you will just have to go on the cruise and find out for yourself. Happy cruising.[/QUOTE]

You're right I won't know until I go on my cruise. But then that's why people ask specific questions to see if anyone else has experienced the same situation. Not general knowledge about the situation.

[helenb]

[quote name='born2cruize']I'm so glad you could explain it to me after all my accounting degree and my cruising experience just left me clueless about the whole process.

Again I'll repeat myself has anyone ever received a specific OBC and had it used for anything else.[/QUOTE]

I have not received a 'specific OBC' offerer until the cruise I just booked under 3 for free. That OBC is for shore excursions. I thought it would have to be used for shore excursions, but when I read the fine print it basically said that the OBC would simply be applied to my account and anything unused would be refunded to my card. So I haven't experienced it yet, but I believe that is what will happen in your case.