Separate or Combined On Board Accounts

[ozblue_7]

For our September Koningsdam cruise I intend buying OBC to cover gratuities. Should I place half in my name and half in DW or more simply all in mine? Are accounts combined?

[DaveOKC]

For our September Koningsdam cruise I intend buying OBC to cover gratuities. Should I place half in my name and half in DW or more simply all in mine? Are accounts combined?

 

It does not matter - your accounts will be combined, unless you make special arrangements.

 

When we both get OBC from HAL it shows up on our cabin account as two separate credits and then are totaled together. Then all the charges (from both of us) are deducted from the combined credits. At the end, the balance we owe is charge to the credit card on file.

[shrimpboat123]

It does not matter - your accounts will be combined, unless you make special arrangements.

 

When we both get OBC from HAL it shows up on our cabin account as two separate credits and then are totaled together. Then all the charges (from both of us) are deducted from the combined credits. At the end, the balance we owe is charge to the credit card on file.

 

It's not always a given that you will have one account. On one cruise Hal set up two separate accounts (one in my name and another in my wife's name) and I had to get them combined.

 

I always check my account on the first day. Firstly to make sure all the OBC is credited to the account and secondly to make sure there is only one account and not two. If you only see half the OBC, you can be assured there is another account in your wife's name.

[sapper1]

From time to time we have had separate onboard accounts. I just request at the front desk that they be combined and they are. No problem

[ozblue_7]

Thanks everybody. I'm going to take advantage of the (slightly) higher Aussie Dollar and prepay gratuities with obc.

[jtl513]

Even if you get two accounts, it all comes out in the wash anyway: any excess obc on one account is refunded, and you use it to pay the other account.

Edited June 7, 2016 by jtl513

[Fouremco]

Even if you get two accounts, it all comes out in the wash anyway: any excess obc on one account is refunded, and you use it to pay the other account.

Not necessarily. If your domestic currency is other than USD, you are facing a double currency exchange and perhaps two transaction fees when HAL refunds the excess OBC to your cc and you then turn around and pay it to HAL on your cc. Far better to ensure that you have a single account.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Fouremco

[SilvertoGold]

The Front Desk called once for my DH: he needed to register a CR card or put some cash down since his account was 0. We had a lot of OBC and it was all on my account (how nice of them!).

 

So you do need to ask about the accounts and make sure they are combined if that is what you want.

[jtl513]

Not necessarily. If your domestic currency is other than USD, you are facing a double currency exchange and perhaps two transaction fees when HAL refunds the excess OBC to your cc and you then turn around and pay it to HAL on your cc. Far better to ensure that you have a single account.

Excess OBC is ordinarily refunded in $US cash. If they say they will refund your CC, you ask for cash. You then pay your other bill with that cash. Edited June 7, 2016 by jtl513

[Slarty]

For our September Koningsdam cruise I intend buying OBC to cover gratuities. Should I place half in my name and half in DW or more simply all in mine? Are accounts combined?

 

If you can, put them all in yours. It's all about control.

[Fouremco]

Excess OBC is refunded in $US cash. You then pay your other bill with that cash.

I've read here that HAL no longer provides cash refunds. If that is not the case and it is still possible to get cash for surplus OBC, so much the better.

[jtl513]

I've read here that HAL no longer provides cash refunds.

Well, if they can combine accounts I'm sure they can figure out a way to transfer a credit from one to another. ;)

[ellieanne]

When I travel with my brother, the accounts are combined because we have the same last name and I'm listed as married.

 

When I travel with my husband, the accounts are separate because we have different last names and I'm listed as married.

 

It's easy to get the accounts changed, but it is annoying. If we check in separately, and I check in first, the accounts are the way I requested. It we check in together or my companion check in first, the accounts are not the way I have requested.

 

I've never had a problem getting charges moved from one account to the other if I need them separate, and I haven't have any problem getting on-board credits moved or split either.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Within a couple of days of getting on the ship, we ask to have our accounts combined.

Any shipboard credit that we have at the end of the cruise has been credited back to my credit card within a couple days of our getting home.

[richwmn]

I've read here that HAL no longer provides cash refunds. If that is not the case and it is still possible to get cash for surplus OBC, so much the better.

Not sure where you got that information, but in early May I received cash for my remaining OBC.

[Tampa Girl]

From time to time we have had separate onboard accounts. I just request at the front desk that they be combined and they are. No problem

 

I have had the same experience, but they really are not two separate accounts, at least if there is ony one credit card. They were separate statements, were both charged to the same credit card. I think the purpose of the two separate statements is (or was) to show which charges were made by which passenger. I have not experienced these separate statements on recent cruises, however.

[ellieanne]

I have had the same experience, but they really are not two separate accounts, at least if there is ony one credit card. They were separate statements, were both charged to the same credit card. I think the purpose of the two separate statements is (or was) to show which charges were made by which passenger. I have not experienced these separate statements on recent cruises, however.

 

I have if we checked in online separately, even with the same credit card to be used for both passenger accounts.

[cb at sea]

Hubby and I are always on the same account...so it doesn't matter who has what OBC or any other perk....we are on the SAME ACCOUNT.