Obtaining cash from purchased OBC

[mike30542]

I've looked in the forums but some of the advice is confusing & in some cases contradictory.

I purchased some OBC when the poor GB pound to US dollar exchange rate made it a good deal.

My wife will want to play roulette while on board. Can I withdraw some of it in cash at guest relations for her to play with?

[Duanerice1]

Was on Eclipse in December. You can't take cash but she can take promotional chips which work the same way. All her winnings will be paid in real chips which can be converted to cash.

 

They actually had a decent deal where if you bought $200 you got and extra $25.

[Payd]

Our experience was that guest relations would ONLY refer us to the casino. Exchange for cash at a surcharge 5% or promo chips for the casino. We asked different guest relations staff at different times and always got the same answer. We had done the same as you and bought at a better rate. We paid the 5%

 

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[Duanerice1]

Our experience was that guest relations would ONLY refer us to the casino. Exchange for cash at a surcharge 5% or promo chips for the casino. We asked different guest relations staff at different times and always got the same answer. We had done the same as you and bought at a better rate. We paid the 5%

 

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You can no longer get cash for OBC at the casino. Promotional chips or money on your sea pass card for the slots.

[mike30542]

You can no longer get cash for OBC at the casino. Promotional chips or money on your sea pass card for the slots.

But this is refundable OBC that I PAID for. Why would they refuse to give cash when they are making 5% on the deal?

What about a situation where I needed cash to spend in one of the ports. Promo chips would be no use at all.

[Payd]

You can no longer get cash for OBC at the casino. Promotional chips or money on your sea pass card for the slots.

What is your experience with this?

 

We aren't talking about promotional non-refundable credit.

 

We are talking about a large purchase of credit (I bought over 1k).

 

The OP is also asking about pre purchased credit.

 

Celebrity also did give the option if providing a refund to my credit card (a credit for the purchase but back in CAD, of course that is they currency we paid in). It was still advantageous to pay the 5%.

 

Perhaps it's worth a call to ask more questions. The only trouble is that this would be a question rarely asked. When I called I encouraged the staffer to put me on hold and take her time calling any department necessary to get the right answer.

 

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[Payd]

Was on Eclipse in December. You can't take cash but she can take promotional chips which work the same way. All her winnings will be paid in real chips which can be converted to cash.

 

They actually had a decent deal where if you bought $200 you got and extra $25.

Duanerice1

 

Ignore my question in the last post about your experience with this.

 

I see you posted it.

 

Apologies

 

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[Miaminice]

People get facts mixed up, so let´s put it simple.

 

Promotional OBC (e.g. from sales and promotions) = NON-refundable = Shown as OBN on you onboard account.

 

Purchased OBC = REFUNDABLE = Shown as OBR on you onboard account

 

 

You can not cash OBN - not even for a 5% fee as you were once able to. You can use it in the casino (promo chips).

 

 

Purchased OBC (OBR) is your´s!

Remaining OBR will be credited to you credit card (unless you have a cash account). If you prefer not to have it credited/returned to your card (as you might loose on the exchange rate) you can cash it at guest relations (most times without any fee) or at the casino for a 5% fee. Since they get to hear the cash question very often let them know you are talking about refundable/purchased OBC.

 

However, guest relations might only do it on the last day of the cruise (sometimes they do, sometimes they don´t).

 

 

So to all the people answering with the standard "no you can not cash it" which is absolutely true for OBN: PLEASE note that OBR is different.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Miaminice

[Gordoncruickshank]

I have never tried to take purchased OBC out in cash but I can see no reason why you cannot do it. I also have only ever walked through the casino as the place does not interest me in any way.

 

We usually do 2 cruises b2b and I often load the first cruise with more obc than I need when the exchange rate is good. I usually we will not spend all the purchased obc on cruise 1. I switch over my credit card just before the end of cruise 1 to a prepaid cash card and the refundable obc gets refunded on to the card in US$.

 

I can then use that refund, which comes through within a couple of days, on cruise 2 and use the prepaid card to pay for anything over the Celebrity OBC I have on cruise 2. It works fine and you keep all the money rather than 95% of it. I can also make cash withdrawals when the funds are on the card at $2 per withdrawal of £200.

[Duanerice1]

People get facts mixed up, so let´s put it simple.

 

Promotional OBC (e.g. from sales and promotions) = NON-refundable = Shown as OBN on you onboard account.

 

Purchased OBC = REFUNDABLE = Shown as OBR on you onboard account

 

 

You can not cash OBN - not even for a 5% fee as you were once able to. You can use it in the casino (promo chips).

 

 

Purchased OBC (OBR) is your´s!

Remaining OBR will be credited to you credit card (unless you have a cash account). If you prefer not to have it credited/returned to your card (as you might loose on the exchange rate) you can cash it at guest relations (most times without any fee) or at the casino for a 5% fee. Since they get to hear the cash question very often let them know you are talking about refundable/purchased OBC.

 

However, guest relations might only do it on the last day of the cruise (sometimes they do, sometimes they don´t).

 

 

So to all the people answering with the standard "no you can not cash it" which is absolutely true for OBN: PLEASE note that OBR is different.

 

We had plenty of OBR - same response. So, unless you have tried it in the last 2 months maybe you shouldn't comment on the subject as the rules have changed. If you managed to get OBR in cash within the last 2 months then you are the minority and it goes against everything others are also posting and I apologize.

 

All I can do is share my experience from little over a month back. And yes, they will refund the OBR to your credit card at the end of the cruise but no cash with a 5% fee.

[Miaminice]

1. Three months (October) myself, relatives two weeks ago.

 

2. purchased obc is refundabe (!). Now let's for a moment imagine you have a cash onboard account and no credit card as many non US people have. Where would they credit the remaining obc to?!

 

3. go to the online gift section of Celebrity and read what it says underneath purchased shipboard credit.

 

4. changes in policy have been made regarding OBN, yes! Not OBR.

 

5. purchased OBC is your's by definition.

 

6. since none of this will convince you and you yourself will still comment but at the same time say other's should not - let's just agree do disagree! Anything else would be frutile.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Miaminice

[mandream]

We had plenty of OBR - same response. So, unless you have tried it in the last 2 months maybe you shouldn't comment on the subject as the rules have changed. If you managed to get OBR in cash within the last 2 months then you are the minority and it goes against everything others are also posting and I apologize.

 

All I can do is share my experience from little over a month back. And yes, they will refund the OBR to your credit card at the end of the cruise but no cash with a 5% fee.

 

1. Three months (October) myself, relatives two weeks ago.

 

2. purchased obc is refundabe (!). Now let's for a moment imagine you have a cash onboard account and no credit card as many non US people have. Where would they credit the remaining obc to?!

 

3. go to the online gift section of Celebrity and read what it says underneath purchased shipboard credit.

 

4. changes in policy have been made regarding OBN, yes! Not OBR.

 

5. purchased OBC is your's by definition.

 

6. since none of this will convince you and you yourself will still comment but at the same time say other's should not - let's just agree do disagree! Anything else would be frutile.

 

I wonder if the difference may depend on whether or not you have OBN in ADDITION to your OBR. On my last cruise I had both and when I went to the cashier to pay my poker tournament entries - she needed supervisor approval once she saw my account had OBN in it.

 

The reason is their system will always use OBN first, so if there is both in your account it will be like you are withdrawing the OBN instead of the OBR.

 

Just a thought!

 

Mike

Edited January 25, 2017 by mandream

[mike30542]

I wonder if the difference may depend on whether or not you have OBN in ADDITION to your OBR. On my last cruise I had both and when I went to the cashier to pay my poker tournament entries - she needed supervisor approval once she saw my account had OBN in it.

 

The reason is their system will always use OBN first, so if there is both in your account it will be like you are withdrawing the OBN instead of the OBR.

 

Just a thought!

 

Mike

 

I am the original poster & I posted my question precisely because of conflicting advice about OBC on the forums.

Mandream's reply makes sense. The only credit I have is OBR & I expect to be able to withdraw some of it in cash.

[Dawg74]

We purchased a large amount of OBC for our cruise last March on the Equinox due to a very favourable exchange rate with the Canadian dollar. Guest services gave us cash but would only do so on the last night of the cruise. Throughout the cruise they said the money was to spend onboard. That was our experience. It worked out ok for us as we used it for the land portion of our trip.

[Gordoncruickshank]

I wonder if the difference may depend on whether or not you have OBN in ADDITION to your OBR. On my last cruise I had both and when I went to the cashier to pay my poker tournament entries - she needed supervisor approval once she saw my account had OBN in it.

 

The reason is their system will always use OBN first, so if there is both in your account it will be like you are withdrawing the OBN instead of the OBR.

 

Just a thought!

 

Mike

 

I suspect that this is the case. The definitely use up the non refundable stuff first. I suggest doing your restaurant bookings and beverage upgrades early to get rid of the refundable stuff.