Onboard credit! Can we cash out at the casino

[appleosprey]

Hello, I am a RCI cruiser and have never cruised Celebrity, we are thinking of doing a cruise with Celebrity in the future. With Royal Caribbean we have always been able to get cash from the casino (with a 5% surcharge) and this has come off our on board credit. Can we do the same with Celebrity?

 

It's just that we won't use the credit and we would like to consider it as a reduction of the cruise price

 

Thanks in advance?

 

 

 

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[MarkusToe]

yes

[maria1122]

You can also cash out at customer service without paying the 5% in the casino.

[skfmsw]

You can also cash out at customer service without paying the 5% in the casino.

 

What do you mean by "cash out at customer service"? I would love to use my OBC at the casino, but always resented having to pay the 5%.

S

[appleosprey]

So the onboard credit is as good as cash on Celebrity if I cash it at the guest relations?

 

I just didn't know if this was allowed as effectively you can class it as a discount off the total cruise price

 

:)

 

Happy days

 

 

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[TeaBag]

You can also cash out at customer service without paying the 5% in the casino.

This is interesting. We have always paid the 5%.

[ghstudio]

There are two types of onboard credits. OBC's from your travel agent are refundable and you can either cash out at guest services or wait for a refund on your cc or cash out at the casino.....BUT if you have a credit from Celebrity, it is NON refundable...and you can't cash it out at guest services. It is debatable if you can take this type of OBC out at the casino. The official policy, as I understand it, is that Celebrity OBC's are not useable at the casino. In practice, I'm not sure that anyone really knows. Many/most/perhaps some of us have both celebrity OBC's and OBC's from our travel agent. When something is billed to your on board account, the celebrity system supposedly first charges it against your non-refundable credit. If you spend some of your total OBC, then the first part you spend goes against that celebrity non-refundable credit.

 

Now I say supposedly because in our case, we always spend most of our OBC's so we always get a refund...as we should since we've spent the celebrity OBC's first. I have taken money out at the casino and I'm not sure I could tell from the bill whether it was charged to the non refundable (OBN) or the refundable (OBR) credit.

 

If you don't spend the celebrity OBC and try to cash the rest out in the casino, you may or may not find that you are actually billed for that amount even though you have unspent on board credit from Celebrity. This would be following policy.

 

Long answer....but there are no guarantees here. If they follow the written policy, you will lose your unspent OBC and you will be billed for what you took from the casino. BTW....what others have experienced has no bearing on what will happen in your case....and if they follow policy, saying that the folks on CC told you something different, you don't exactly have a very strong leg to stand on.

Edited February 11, 2014 by ghstudio

[appleosprey]

There are two types of onboard credits. If you have a credit from Celebrity, it is non refundable...and you can't cash it out at guest services. It is debatable if you can take this type of OBC out at the casino. The official policy is that Celebrity OBC's are not useable at the casino. In practice, I'm not sure that anyone really knows. Many/most/perhaps some of us have both celebrity OBC's and OBC's from our travel agent. When something is billed to your on board account, the celebrity system supposedly first charges it against your non-refundable credit. If you spend some of your total OBC, then the first part you spend goes against that celebrity non-refundable credit.

 

Now I say supposedly because in our case, we always spend most of our OBC's so we always get a refund...as we should since we've spent the celebrity OBC's first. I have taken money out at the casino and I'm not sure I could tell from the bill whether it was charged to the non refundable (OBN) or the refundable (OBR) credit.

 

If you don't spend the celebrity OBC and try to cash the rest out in the casino, you may or may not find that you are actually billed for that amount even though you have unspent on board credit from Celebrity.

 

Long answer....but there are no guarantees here. If they follow the written policy, you will lose your unspent OBC and you will be billed for what you took from the casino. BTW....what others have experienced has no bearing on what will happen in your case....and if they follow policy, saying that the folks on CC told you something different, you don't exactly have a very strong leg to stand on.

 

I see your point, technically the answer is NO but in practise you can do it. One day it might not work and you can't turn around and say anything because they will just refer you to the terms and conditions!

 

Its a risky situation I suppose if it is a large onboard credit. You will still have the cash ( less 5% admin fee) but there will be your unused onboard credit and once the last day is over thats it

 

The credit I am referring to is from the travel agent, will that be any different then credit from Celebrity Credit?

 

Thanks

[appleosprey]

I just thought of something else.... What if you don't use a creditcardand use cash. Will that work? You can see on your bill if the casino withdrawals come from your obc or cash deposit?

The reason I am asking is that I have saw an offer for $1000 on board credit

 

 

 

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[ghstudio]

 

The credit I am referring to is from the travel agent, will that be any different then credit from Celebrity Credit?

 

Thanks

 

An on board credit from the travel agency is almost always refundable....but be sure you ask where the credit is coming from. Some TA's will claim it's from them, but really some/most/all of it really comes from Celebrity and the TA is just trying to sound like they are doing something wonderful for you. Be sure to clearly ask who is paying for the OBC.

 

The problem is the OBC's that are paid for by Celebrity such as the stockholder OBC or the 1-2-3 on board credit or the book on board OBC.....all of which are non-refundable.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've never had a problem getting cash from the casino. You just ask for the amount you want (subject to their daily limit) and you get cash. You pay 5% for this. Really has nothing to do with whether or not you have OBC, refundable or non refundable. Cash from the casino is treated as a charge against your sea pass just as is anything else you buy on the ship. So if you have OBC to cover the advance, great; otherwise it will be charged to your credit card at the end of the cruise if you have a balance due.

[ISABELLA]

If these subjects would not be discussed on CC boards, we wouldn't be paying even 5%.... Continue talking about it and pretty soon you would not be able to get it in the casino also. By the way, unused OBC from TA can go back on your credit card.