OBC change on Connie

[Orator]

Casino no longer cashing out OBC.at Casino on Connie. Only giving chips that cannot be cashed out. They will only give a cash advanced that will be charged to credit charge. They charge 5% for this charge waved if you are on a list supplied by Michael's Club Concierge. Said that this is now Celebrityolicy. IMHO not a positive change. I see this as an attempt to increase bottom line by keeping OBC onboard.

[bob278]

Is is certainly a negative thing in the view that they are no longer allowing people to take the free (sort of) money home with them.

 

But in all fairness, it is ON BOARD credit and that was surely the original intent. The fact that for years they allowed people to cash it out (eventually charging 5%) was great, and they are now faced with the harsh reality that it is far more difficult to take something away than it is to never give it.

 

There are many changes over the years that were in one form or another a true benefit (or even a gift). Now that some of them are being taken away, most people decry the stinginess rather than being grateful for what was given to them over time.

 

And I agree that it is an attempt to increase the bottom line. That's the goal of a good business. What remains to be seen is whether or not there is enough backlash so that it doesn't reach the goal. If it doesn't, you can count on a different approach.

[ghstudio]

Casino no longer cashing out OBC.at Casino on Connie. Only giving chips that cannot be cashed out. They will only give a cash advanced that will be charged to credit charge. They charge 5% for this charge waved if you are on a list supplied by Michael's Club Concierge. Said that this is now Celebrity policy. IMHO not a positive change. I see this as an attempt to increase bottom line by keeping OBC onboard.

 

Of course it's to assure that you spend your OBC on board on profit items, reducing the cost to celebrity. Those promotional chips can't be cashed out, but each time you bet one, if you win, they replace the chip with one that you can cash out. You might also be able to ask for $50 promotional chips and then sit down at a table and ask for smaller chips....I wonder if they'd give you smaller promotional chips or just regular chips.

 

For cruises of 10 days or more, choosing free gratuities is a much better option...saving you real dollars (at 100% on the dollar)and maximizing the amount celebrity has to pay out :) If you have early or late seating or are in aqua then your OBC will be used to pay for gratuities anyway.

Edited January 16, 2016 by ghstudio

[DYKWIA]

If you went to the roulette table and bet half of the promo chips on red and half on black would they allow the bet? Technically it is still a bet as their is a risk of a zero coming up. I know some British Casinos don't allow it as it's an open door to Money Laundering.

[Orator]

Is is certainly a negative thing in the view that they are no longer allowing people to take the free (sort of) money home with them.

 

But in all fairness, it is ON BOARD credit and that was surely the original intent. The fact that for years they allowed people to cash it out (eventually charging 5%) was great, and they are now faced with the harsh reality that it is far more difficult to take something away than it is to never give it.

 

There are many changes over the years that were in one form or another a true benefit (or even a gift). Now that some of them are being taken away, most people decry the stinginess rather than being grateful for what was given to them over time.

 

And I agree that it is an attempt to increase the bottom line. That's the goal of a good business. What remains to be seen is whether or not there is enough backlash so that it doesn't reach the goal. If it doesn't, you can count on a different approach.

 

You are correct in saying that OBC was designed to be spent while onboard. However, for a very long time Celebrity allowed OBC to be turned into cash. At first it was free, then a 3%charge was added! Finally. 5% charge was added. Changing that practice means a reduction in benefits to me. OBC has also been used as an inducement for people to book. In many cases the amount of OBC was actually imbedded into the price of the cruise. Good business decision? Time will tell.

P.S: the HD did not know about this change and will investigate. I'll report back.

[bob278]

And, of course, in the current promotions, all of the "free" benefits are embedded.

 

Over the years, I have taken advantage of every dollar of OBC I was given (whether it was from the cruiseline or a TA). A good bit of it was spent in the casino where I would have gone anyway, so the impact on me is lessened to a degree.

 

Still, I feel some impact and, while I can rationalize that I enjoyed it while it lasted, I wish it would continue.

 

I expect we also agree that we'll continue to cruise with Celebrity until the value received no longer matches the cost. We have already started cruising more with Azamara as catching a good sale with them makes the cost differential less due to recent Celebrity pricing. Of course, we are still contributing to the corporate bottom line so that isn't much of a loss to them.

[RosieCanberra]

Casino no longer cashing out OBC.at Casino on Connie. Only giving chips that cannot be cashed out. They will only give a cash advanced that will be charged to credit charge. They charge 5% for this charge waved if you are on a list supplied by Michael's Club Concierge. Said that this is now Celebrityolicy. IMHO not a positive change. I see this as an attempt to increase bottom line by keeping OBC onboard.

 

Thank you for the update. Do you know if this change is only for OBC that has been gifted in a promotion, or does it included OBC you have pre-purchased as well?

I am on the Connie in April and May and have both types of OBC.

Cheers

Rosie

Edited January 16, 2016 by RosieCanberra
Typo

[az_tchr]

If you purchased OBC you have OBCR and that is refundable. OBC from Celebrity is OBCN (not refundable) and is used first.

 

In all fairness OBC is certainly an inducement to cruise but letting you take it out in cash was always sort of dodgy. I do think getting chips that you must bet is fair. This cash out option simply was used by too many. OBC now I guess will mean OBC.

 

A question - What about other cruise lines? Do any of them allow cash out in the casino?

[TommyD3]

If you went to the roulette table and bet half of the promo chips on red and half on black would they allow the bet? Technically it is still a bet as their is a risk of a zero coming up. I know some British Casinos don't allow it as it's an open door to Money Laundering.

 

Actually have the DH bet half of the chips on black and the DW bet the other half on red on the same spin. Can one then cash out???

[TommyD3]

Here is a picture of the sign on Connie:

 

 

Could one not get a slot machine credit, take one pull and then cash out???

 

Have they reprogrammed the machines to be smart enough to realize if it is OBC and not allow it to be cashed out ??? Seems unlikely:)

[ghstudio]

Yes, you could put 1/2 your chips on red and 1/2 on black....the risk you take is if the ball falls in the 0 slot. There's a 1 in 37 chance of that happening...but it is a risk.

 

If you are with a someone who does bet at the tables...sell them the $100 of promotional chips for $100 cash (you pay $105, but that's the 5%). If they make 10 bets, they will have all the promotional chips gone (either won and replaced with regular chips or lost). I offered to do this for a friend on our last cruise, just in case they gave promotional chips, but they gave him cash. (equinox, Dec).

 

Remember, you bet the promotional chip and if you win, they give you your chips and replace the promotional chip with a regular one. It only takes 10 bets to exchange or lose $100 of promotional chips...after that you're just gambling with regular chips.

 

Easy for me to say...I enjoy blackjack so it's no big deal. I understand that for others, it's not so easy.

[C-Dragons]

It was only a matter of time with all the talk on CC about this subject...

 

Everyone should realize that nothing is "free" and that the OBC "given" by X is actually embedded in the booking price.

Curious though that they can refuse to let us cash out money that we have "paid for" upfront. They can call label it any way they wish (refundable or non) but the fact is we have paid for it.

And how are they now handling the OBC which is gifted to us by our TA's?

[az_tchr]

The machines do indeed know the difference. Have received promotional slot credits on board Connie last year in a contest and they were only good for pulls until completely used. Anything won you could cash out.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We have never been in the position of not being able to spend our OBC, no matter how much we had and even with a drink package, pre cruise upgrade, tips and excursions. We just like good wine and I like the spa. There goes any OBC we might have.

[WpgCruise]

It was only a matter of time with all the talk on CC about this subject...

 

Curious though that they can refuse to let us cash out money that we have "paid for" upfront. They can call label it any way they wish (refundable or non) but the fact is we have paid for it.

 

Interesting logic. If we follow that argument through, if I don't get off the ship at a port I should have the port fees refunded for that port. After all the port fees are imbedded in the fare, and I paid for them. The logic is interesting, but flawed.

 

I agree with a previous poster, OBC is On Board Credit and the intent is for it to be spend on board. The business goal behind providing it is to improve the profits of the business, and for the cruise line to allow it to be taken out in cash and off the ship is not in keeping with that strategy.

[az_tchr]

It was only a matter of time with all the talk on CC about this subject...

 

Everyone should realize that nothing is "free" and that the OBC "given" by X is actually embedded in the booking price.

Curious though that they can refuse to let us cash out money that we have "paid for" upfront. They can call label it any way they wish (refundable or non) but the fact is we have paid for it.

And how are they now handling the OBC which is gifted to us by our TA's?

 

This has been long discussed. OBC from a TA is classified as OBC-R and is refundable. If the OBC is from Celebrity is is OBC-N and not refundable.

[C-Dragons]

Interesting logic. If we follow that argument through, if I don't get off the ship at a port I should have the port fees refunded for that port. After all the port fees are imbedded in the fare, and I paid for them. The logic is interesting, but flawed.

 

I agree with a previous poster, OBC is On Board Credit and the intent is for it to be spend on board. The business goal behind providing it is to improve the profits of the business, and for the cruise line to allow it to be taken out in cash and off the ship is not in keeping with that strategy.

 

Sorry, but I do not agree with your analogy. I would not expect the port fees to be refunded if I chose not to get off the ship, after all, the ship did dock at the port as was promised. :)

 

Why the assumption that all the cash received from OBC is taken off the ship? We normally put it in envelopes we get from Guest Relations and distribute it among the staff on board who we feel deserve extra recognition. Seems like a win-win for all, as the money remains on the ship.

 

I still say that we have paid for OBC through our cruise fare. If this was not true, as a stockholder, I would be pretty upset that X was giving away "free" money to their passengers. That would not be a very wise business practice. But then with the changes they are implementing, perhaps that is the conclusion they are finally coming to?

Edited January 16, 2016 by C-Dragons

[C-Dragons]

This has been long discussed. OBC from a TA is classified as OBC-R and is refundable. If the OBC is from Celebrity is is OBC-N and not refundable.

Sorry, but not all OBC from X is non refundable. We have received OBC-R from X previously.

[brfan]

Here is a picture of the sign on Connie:

 

 

Could one not get a slot machine credit, take one pull and then cash out???

 

Have they reprogrammed the machines to be smart enough to realize if it is OBC and not allow it to be cashed out ??? Seems unlikely:)

 

How does the casino know that you have OBC? For example if I go to the casino and ask for $200 on my account. Will they swipe my card and say oh you have an OBC (assuming they can actually see that information) here's your slot ticket or oh you don't have any OBC, here's your cash?

 

Another question if all they will be giving out is the slot ticket (I don't play tables so don't want chips), can you ask for smaller denominations? For example if I want $200, can I get 10 - $20 tickets?

[Cruise Raider]

Could one not get a slot machine credit, take one pull and then cash out???

 

Have they reprogrammed the machines to be smart enough to realize if it is OBC and not allow it to be cashed out ??? Seems unlikely:)

 

While I have no first hand knowledge of this, all the machines in Vegas work in this manner so don't think it is an over the top type of technology ... just takes a little re-programming. If they give you promotional play in those casinos, it is only added to the machine at the rate you play.

[Dawg74]

So does this mean that non refundable OBC can not be cashed out in the casino but if I purchased OBC through gifts by celebrity and want some of the cash to spend ashore I can still get it? That was part of the reason I bought it and the gifts by celebrity department told me it was fine. Or is the new policy such that cash is simply no longer given out?

[DYKWIA]

While I have no first hand knowledge of this, all the machines in Vegas work in this manner so don't think it is an over the top type of technology ... just takes a little re-programming. If they give you promotional play in those casinos, it is only added to the machine at the rate you play.

 

It would also be pretty easy to change payout rates based on whether the player was paying with the cruise line's money (OBC) or their own

[Miaminice]

Everyone is always talking about cashing out non refundable OBC.

OK! But if I would not cash it out but "transform it"...

 

My thought is: I have OBN on my account. Then I go to the casino and get chips. My account is charged and OBN is always used first.

 

I gamble or not, and return the chips left or maybe more if I was lucky. The amount is credited to my account. Wouldn´t it appear as a balance on my account - but not as OBN any more. A balance would always be credited to my card at the end of the cruise or could be withdrawn at guest relations without a charge. Where´s the flaw in my thought?

Edited January 17, 2016 by Miaminice

[florisdekort]

The casino was a nice way to cash out OBCN (non refundable). There never was a need to cash out OBCR in the casino; you can do that at Guest Relations any time. Totally understand the change however; it's non refundable for a reason and this was clearly a hole in the system people were exploiting.

Edited January 17, 2016 by florisdekort

[Orator]

Everyone is always talking about cashing out non refundable OBC.

OK! But if I would not cash it out but "transform it"...

 

My thought is: I have OBN on my account. Then I go to the casino and get chips. My account is charged and OBN is always used first.

 

I gamble or not, and return the chips left or maybe more if I was lucky. The amount is credited to my account. Wouldn´t it appear as a balance on my account - but not as OBN any more. A balance would always be credited to my card at the end of the cruise or could be withdrawn at guest relations without a charge. Where´s the flaw in my thought?

 

The flaw is that the Casino is giving a special hip that cannot be redemed for cash.