Using OBC to purchase a FCC - Possible?

[RickinNYC]

Hi gang. Apologies in advance. I have no doubt this has been asked time and time again, but I can't seem to find my question here. Thought I'd ask the pros.

 

So I have some promotional OBC from NCL. Because I've already booked and paid for our specialty dinners, the DSC, as well as the UBP, I do hope to use that OBC to get Vibe passes. But, if by chance those passes are sold out, I was wondering whether the OBC can be used to purchase a FCC?

 

Anyone been able to do this lately? If it's not possible, no sweat. It's only $200 and it's pretty much free.

Edited August 11, 2014 by RickinNYC

[Starry Eyes]

Yes, that has been allowed on all my previous cruises. In fact, loyalty people were heavily encouraging the idea on recent cruises.

 

Essentially, every certificate subtracts $150 from your current OBC. So if you buy 4, you'll use up $600 of OBC. Oh, I just noticed that's more than you need to use up. Well, one or two, then.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Starry Eyes

[RickinNYC]

Yes, that has been allowed on all my previous cruises. In fact, loyalty people were heavily encouraging the idea on recent cruises.

 

Essentially, every certificate subtracts $150 from your current OBC. So if you buy 4, you'll use up $600 of OBC. Oh, I just noticed that's more than you need to use up. Well, one or two, then.

 

Thank you! Good to know.

 

After having paid for everything we really wanted to do, i.e. specialty dining and drinks, I remembered we had the OBC. I just thought, well fantastic. What am I going to with that? We're not much into shopping (though we can pick up things here and there I have no doubt), and the excursions aren't to our liking in Bermuda (just going to the beach and sight seeing). But as I said, it's essentially "free money" so I wasn't going to sweat it. But it's nice to know we can have it applied when purchasing a FCC. We always buy at least one each cruise.

Edited August 11, 2014 by RickinNYC

[johnql]

To the OP: don't forget, you can also use any OBC for gratuities (not the DSC). You simply go to the Guest Services Desk and ask for a specific amount to be given to a specific employee. You'll be given a chit/voucher/photocopy of the transaction, which indicates that the amount will be credited to the employee's account. You can then give the chit to the employee if you like (similar to how you would give an extra tip in an envelope). This is a good way to use OBC and reward an employee with something above and beyond the DSC. It can also be used for butlers and concierges, both of whom aren't covered by the DSC.

 

P.S. Don't be shocked if the first person you speak to at Guest Services doesn't know what you're talking about. Ask to speak to the supervisor if need be. What I have described absolutely can be done.

Edited August 11, 2014 by johnql

[RickinNYC]

Very good to know. Thanks!

[peg013]

Just another to confirm you can do either or both - use $150 of any type OBC to buy a FCR or use it for tips by requesting it at Guest Services. Just need the name and position of the person you wish to tip. :) We have personally done both.

Edited August 11, 2014 by peg013

[garycarla]

....So I have some promotional OBC from NCL. Because I've already booked and paid for our specialty dinners, the DSC, as well as the UBP, ...

 

A good reason NOT to prepay everything up front. If for some reason one gets even more OBC for some other reason, it might get hard to use it.

 

Then again, I am from the camp of not giving out my money until I need to and having to get it back if I change my mind, or things happen, etc. Just me.

Edited August 11, 2014 by garycarla

[RickinNYC]

A good reason NOT to prepay everything up front. If for some reason one gets even more OBC for some other reason, it might get hard to use it.

 

Then again, I am from the camp of not giving out my money until I need to and having to get it back if I change my mind, or things happen, etc. Just me.

 

 

Perhaps. And that's how you roll. I go a different way. Different strokes.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[karinad]

Not to change the subject, but do you have to request the tips to come out of your account automatically? They don't ask you if you want to do it?

[Demonyte]

Not to change the subject, but do you have to request the tips to come out of your account automatically? They don't ask you if you want to do it?

 

 

If not prepaid, service charges are billed to the account automatically, but that is different from what is being siscussed here. (Also pomotional NCL given OBC can't be used to service charges.)

 

Here the discussion is about personal, extra tips (for for example room steward) given usually at the end of the cruise. Most people give these tips in cash but as said here, it can also be done via onboard account.

[johnql]

Not to change the subject, but do you have to request the tips to come out of your account automatically? They don't ask you if you want to do it?

Just to clarify, it's necessary to define terms.

 

NCL's Service Charge, if not pre-paid, is automatically billed to a passenger's shipboard account - $12 per day, per person.

 

The Service Charge covers your cabin steward, wait staff and many other behind-the-scenes workers. It does not cover your butler, the concierge or the Kids Club employees.

 

Tips or gratuities are above and beyond the Service Charge. Bar tabs will have an automatic 15% tip added to the charge slip that you will sign and the charge will go on your shipboard account. Similarly, spa services will add an automatic tip but it will be 18%.

 

Other than the Service Charge and the automatic tips noted above, all other tipping is entirely up to the individual. It is neither required nor expected although it is customary to tip one's butler and concierge based on services rendered.

 

On CC and in particular on the NCL forum, the Service Charge has been abbreviated with "DSC", which most people use to mean the "Daily Service Charge". Others call it the "Discretionary Service Charge". As far as I can tell, neither term is used by NCL. NCL calls the fee "the service charge" and indicates that it will be charged on a daily basis; they also indicate that the charge is discretionary, explaining that they would like to be given the chance to rectify any service issues that prompt a passenger to reduce or remove the service charge. If not rectified, they state that it is within the passenger's discretion to reduce or remove the charge.

[karinad]

Thank you Demontyte and Johnql! I'm glad that the Service Charge(I refer to it as tips) is auto charged to our acct. Usually, my dh gives our cabin person a $20. the first day (extra). Our last cruise on the CCL Legend in Europe in Sept. we never once seen our cabin person, not even on the 1st day! We had good service for what we needed. I'd leave a post-it if we needed something. We're low maintenance, so we didn't care for those 12 days.

 

I guess I'll email my TA to see if our OBC was from NCL or her. Thanks for clarifying that for me!

[Demonyte]

On CC and in particular on the NCL forum, the Service Charge has been abbreviated with "DSC", which most people use to mean the "Daily Service Charge". Others call it the "Discretionary Service Charge". As far as I can tell, neither term is used by NCL.

 

 

Both terms are used by NCL about equally in their marketing/advisory materials, I did a Google search specifically only on ncl.com site(s) when once arguing about this with LMB. So neither of those terms are not invented here but are letter to letter from NCL, unfortunately.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Demonyte

[johnql]

Both terms are used by NCL about equally in their marketing/advisory materials, I did a Google search specifically only on ncl.com site(s) when once arguing about this with LMB. So neither of those terms are not invented here but are letter to letter from NCL, unfortunately.

Perhaps my googling was inaccurate. I will defer to you if you can cite a few examples of either term being used on NCL.com ("daily service charge" and "discretionary service charge"). Based on what I found (which was very little), I concluded that neither was an official NCL term for the fee.

 

P.S. I'm not counting the numerous uses of the term "daily service charge" on the answers.ncl.com section where reps supposedly answer questions submitted by prospective cruisers. I'm also not counting statements such as "The service charge is charged on a daily basis." Or "The service charge is discretionary."

 

Finally, I realize that I may be nitpicking but people on this forum (myself included) often use the abbreviation DSC as though it's an official NCL term. I just don't believe that's the case.

[peg013]

Perhaps my googling was inaccurate. I will defer to you if you can cite a few examples of either term being used on NCL.com ("daily service charge" and "discretionary service charge"). Based on what I found (which was very little), I concluded that neither was an official NCL term for the fee.

 

P.S. I'm not counting the numerous uses of the term "daily service charge" on the answers.ncl.com section where reps supposedly answer questions submitted by prospective cruisers. I'm also not counting statements such as "The service charge is charged on a daily basis." Or "The service charge is discretionary."

 

Finally, I realize that I may be nitpicking but people on this forum (myself included) often use the abbreviation DSC as though it's an official NCL term. I just don't believe that's the case.

 

Believe it - this is from the horse's mouth....

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html;jsessionid=TrhD4lHQc60x06znl4pkpycbvys4VRby!880474973?storyCode=PR_073014

 

This is one paragraph from the above link:

 

 

 

The All-Inclusive package is available for 2015 sailings from three to 14 days in length, is priced by the number of days, and is available for all stateroom categories, including the Haven by Norwegian. When adding the All-Inclusive to a selected cruise, guests receive 10 percent off the cruise fare. For a seven-day cruise, the $899 package includes the Ultimate Dining package; the Ultimate Beverage package; shore excursion credit of $200 per person, pre-paid daily service charges; a 250-minute Internet package per person; 20 photos of any size; chocolate-covered strawberries; a bottle of wine; one bingo session and six bottles of water. For cruises from three to five days, the shore excursion credit is $100 per person; and for sailings from 9-14 days, the package includes 12 bottles of water.

Edited August 13, 2014 by peg013

[jackson bernard]

Hi gang. Apologies in advance. I have no doubt this has been asked time and time again, but I can't seem to find my question here. Thought I'd ask the pros.

 

So I have some promotional OBC from NCL. Because I've already booked and paid for our specialty dinners, the DSC, as well as the UBP, I do hope to use that OBC to get Vibe passes. But, if by chance those passes are sold out, I was wondering whether the OBC can be used to purchase a FCC?

 

Anyone been able to do this lately? If it's not possible, no sweat. It's only $200 and it's pretty much free.

 

Just go to the casino and load it up on a slot machine, then cash it out. You will take a 3 percent hit, but then you can use the cash for whatever you want, on or off the ship.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Forums mobile app

[RickinNYC]

Just go to the casino and load it up on a slot machine, then cash it out. You will take a 3 percent hit, but then you can use the cash for whatever you want, on or off the ship.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Forums mobile app

 

Very good to know that as well! Thanks for the tip. I remember reading that hear, but it slipped off the radar. Thanks for the reminder.

[johnql]

Believe it - this is from the horse's mouth....

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html;jsessionid=TrhD4lHQc60x06znl4pkpycbvys4VRby!880474973?storyCode=PR_073014

 

This is one paragraph from the above link:

 

 

 

The All-Inclusive package is available for 2015 sailings from three to 14 days in length, is priced by the number of days, and is available for all stateroom categories, including the Haven by Norwegian. When adding the All-Inclusive to a selected cruise, guests receive 10 percent off the cruise fare. For a seven-day cruise, the $899 package includes the Ultimate Dining package; the Ultimate Beverage package; shore excursion credit of $200 per person, pre-paid daily service charges; a 250-minute Internet package per person; 20 photos of any size; chocolate-covered strawberries; a bottle of wine; one bingo session and six bottles of water. For cruises from three to five days, the shore excursion credit is $100 per person; and for sailings from 9-14 days, the package includes 12 bottles of water.

Thanks for the link. Do you notice how they use caps for "All-Inclusive", "Ultimate Dining" and "Ultimate Beverage" but NOT for "daily service charges". This only reinforces my opinion (I'm conceding that it's an opinion, not fact) that NCL doesn't consider or use the phrase as an official term or name of the fee.

[peg013]

Thanks for the link. Do you notice how they use caps for "All-Inclusive", "Ultimate Dining" and "Ultimate Beverage" but NOT for "daily service charges". This only reinforces my opinion (I'm conceding that it's an opinion, not fact) that NCL doesn't consider or use the phrase as an official term or name of the fee.

 

Might that be because those are promos/packages. They also do not capitalize "shore excursion credit of $200 per person, 20 photos of any size; chocolate-covered strawberries; a bottle of wine; one bingo session and six bottles of water." either but that does not make them an opinion or not true.

[johnql]

Might that be because those are promos/packages. They also do not capitalize "shore excursion credit of $200 per person, 20 photos of any size; chocolate-covered strawberries; a bottle of wine; one bingo session and six bottles of water." either but that does not make them an opinion or not true.

Don't you see that you're just helping me make my point? They use generic terms for everything except items that are official terms/names. The service charge is just a generic term. In other words, if they were including something like the Romance Package, they would capitalize it because it's the name they have chosen, i.e., an official term.

Edited August 13, 2014 by johnql

[peg013]

Don't you see that you're just helping me make my point? They use generic terms for everything except items that are official terms/names. The service charge is just a generic term. In other words, if they were including something like the Romance Package, they would capitalize it because it's the name they have chosen, i.e., an official term.

 

If that is what you want to believe don't let me stop you. You asked for it in writing from NCL and now you still don't believe it. :confused:

[johnql]

If that is what you want to believe don't let me stop you. You asked for it in writing from NCL and now you still don't believe it. :confused:

I fully admit that it's an opinion and you're certainly entitled to yours. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Edited August 14, 2014 by johnql