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What to do with OBC?

cruising cockroach

By cruising cockroach,
in Celebrity Cruises

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cruising cockroach

cruising cockroach

Posted
Posted

Funny question to ask. Anyway, HAL cruisers looking to try Celebrity. Very tempting rates that qualify for the all-inclusive (OBC, drinks package + gratuities). Question is, what can we do with OBCs? The drink package + prepaid gratuities is what we spend most on cruises. Not into excursions, spas, gift shop, or drinking very much.

 

Anyway to cash out the OBC? Looks like it cannot be spent in the casino.

 

Guess we could upgrade drinks package, buy bottles of wine or dine in specialty restaurants.

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TeaBag

TeaBag

Posted
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Specialty restaurants, Zumba, Yoga etc. What you don't spend you can cash out at the casino and pay 5% for the privilege (this is for nonrefundable OBC). What is refundable, Celebrity will refund it to your CC at the end of the cruise.

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alcpa1

alcpa1

Posted
Posted

No one has mentioned excursions yet but that is another possibility. Depending on your itinerary some of the excursions may be just a trip from the pier to a city where you can roam on your own. The bus excursions with 46+ and multiple stops isn't my idea of fun but the OBS is yours to spend as you see fit.

Another is laundry since Celebrity ships do not have laundry rooms for the passengers. We use laundry services on every cruise and have never been unhappy with this service.

I hope you enjoy your FIRST Celebrity cruise.

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cruising cockroach

cruising cockroach

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What you don't spend you can cash out at the casino and pay 5% for the privilege (this is for nonrefundable OBC). What is refundable, Celebrity will refund it to your CC at the end of the cruise.

 

I thought I read somewhere that promo OBCs cannot be used at the casino. Assuming I am misinformed, how does one do this?

 

If I had $300 OBC, I just cash out $285 at the casino?

 

TIA

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minz56

minz56

Posted
Posted

If I have a nice OBC I like to use it on things I might not do otherwise - spa treatments, specialty restaurants, a few glasses of bubbles here or there, or a nice bottle of wine with dinner.

 

Yes, you may be able to cash it out at the casino, but why not make your cruise that bit more special?

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vulcan1971

vulcan1971

Posted
Posted (edited)
Funny question to ask. Anyway, HAL cruisers looking to try Celebrity. Very tempting rates that qualify for the all-inclusive (OBC, drinks package + gratuities). Question is, what can we do with OBCs? The drink package + prepaid gratuities is what we spend most on cruises. Not into excursions, spas, gift shop, or drinking very much.

 

Anyway to cash out the OBC? Looks like it cannot be spent in the casino.

 

Guess we could upgrade drinks package, buy bottles of wine or dine in specialty restaurants.

 

 

Seems like this topic is discussed at least once a month in a new thread, maybe even more often. Doing a quick search here on Cruise Critic (yes, the search function works), using the letters "OBC", I found a thread from February 2015.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2171292

 

The areas where I have used extra OBC in the past is at the iLounge for a new iPad, to cover the cost at specialty restaurants, for shore excursions, at the spa for services, and to buy bottles of wine or champagne as gifts for friends on the ship. Unless things have changed very recently, people have usually been able to take the OBC out of the casino at a 5% incurred fee.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

Edited by vulcan1971
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S&G1968

S&G1968

Posted
Posted
Seems like this topic is discussed at least once a month in a new thread, maybe even more often. Doing a quick search here on Cruise Critic (yes, the search function works), using the letters "OBC", I found a thread from February 2015.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2171292

 

The areas where I have used extra OBC in the past is at the iLounge for a new iPad, to cover the cost at specialty restaurants, for shore excursions, at the spa for services, and to buy bottles of wine or champagne as gifts for friends on the ship. Unless things have changed very recently, people have usually been able to take the OBC out of the casino at a 5% incurred fee.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

 

Correct! The casino still is an option... Bottles of wne, spa...the OBC gets used but the casino is always an option.

 

~Steve

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1982CruzStart

1982CruzStart

Posted
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We have a fair amount of OBC for our upcoming Celebrity cruise and we are going to use it to upgrade to the premium beverage package, pay our gratuities (as our cruise doesn't include prepaid gratuities) and to buy internet time. We like to stay in touch when we travel so having the internet is important to us.

 

On other cruises where we have had included internet and beverages we have used the OBC for laundry. Great way to lessen the number or size of suitcases and have fresh, clean and pressed clothes all the time.

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miched

miched

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At one time you could draw it out in cash thru the casino for a 5% fee. On our last cruise we were told that they are discontinuing that service. Don't know if that is true or not.

 

If you are planning on doing that do it ASAP so you don't get stuck with it at the end of the cruise and end up losing it.

 

You can also use it to buy some duty free items such as liquor or attend the Reidel Wine workshop that includes a set of their glasses to take home.

 

If you use Apple products there is a Apple Store on board. The prices aren't any better but they are tax free.

 

Plenty of ways to spend it.

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

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Wine-O

Wine-O

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Posted

Oh, I remember those days when you could go down to the Casino and take $300-$400 cash and put it on your seapass. It was too good to last. It was like getting a free loan for up to 45 days, depending on when your credit card would cycle. They ended that about 8-10 years ago. It was the best deal going.

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TeaBag

TeaBag

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Posted
I thought I read somewhere that promo OBCs cannot be used at the casino. Assuming I am misinformed, how does one do this?

 

If I had $300 OBC, I just cash out $285 at the casino?

 

TIA

The second statement is correct assuming they are not discontinuing this benefit. I didn't mean you use the OBC in the casino. I have no experience with that since we don't gamble. I just meant you take whatever OBC you have left, a few days before the end of the cruise, go to the casino the get the cash minus the 5% fee. We did this on Silhouette in Nov.

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miched

miched

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Posted
It wasn't discontinued as of yesterday on Eclipse

 

Are you on the Eclipse right now?

 

Just curious how you found about about it being discontinued yesterday, was there an announcement or did they tell you no in the casino, because we were told on our last cruise when we made a future booking that they were going to stop doing that.

 

Thanks.

 

Also a side note. We had the Mar 15 Eclipse cruise (The current cruise) booked and transferred it to another at the drop dead date. We were on the Eclipse in Nov for the 3rd time in a year doing the 14 day cruise and it must have lost its appeal or luster as we were glad to get home. Don't have any regrets as we have a cruise booked in Sept. Can't imagine how people can people can do so am any cruises in a year and then the same ones. I get bored.

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

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TeaBag

TeaBag

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Posted
Are you on the Eclipse right now?

 

Just curious how you found about about it being discontinued yesterday, was there an announcement or did they tell you no in the casino, because we were told on our last cruise when we made a future booking that they were going to stop doing that.

 

 

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

She said "It wasn't discontinued as of yesterday on Eclipse"

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