On-Board Credit

[JLCMOM]

This might be a silly question, but I can't seem to find an answer. We just made our final payment on our upcoming cruise. I would like to now add money monthly to our on board credit account, but I can't seem to figure out how to do it.

 

This is our first time cruising with NCL - anything I should know about from all you knowledgeable people about adding money to our on-board credit?

 

Maybe it is better to just put the money aside instead of putting it on account. Just trying to not have a huge bill at the end of the cruise that I put on my credit card and trying to think outside the box on how to do that...

[NittanyCruise]

This seems silly. Why lock your money up with NCL? Just set it aside in a change jar and then count it before you leave. Spend that amount on board, pay with a CC and then deposit it into your checking account to pay off the CC balance.

[shof515]

In your myNCL account, go to the Explorer and Plan and you should see the onboard credit for purchase on that page

[Cyclops32]

This seems silly. Why lock your money up with NCL? Just set it aside in a change jar and then count it before you leave. Spend that amount on board, pay with a CC and then deposit it into your checking account to pay off the CC balance.

Why not put it in a savings account and at least get a little interest. When I booked my cruise I had the funds to pay the whole thing, but paid just the deposit and put the rest in savings. Just made the final payment via credit card and when that bill comes due in March I'll just pull the cash from savings and pay it off.

 

It's not a huge amount but several places are paying close to 1% so depending on how much you are trying to save may at least get you a lunch when you go back to work[emoji6]

 

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[vince_g]

You can buy up to 1000 in onboard credit online, up to 3 days or so before sailing. I do it all the time.

 

I use the NCL MasterCard and earn 3.75 points per dollar. That adds another 37.50 to my cash back (since I would redeem at least 25,000 points or $250). Right now I have about 87,000 points to cash in, but I have to wait until at least one more of my booked cruises goes to final payment.

 

The TA I use is generous with OBC, and with having UBP I normally don't end up using any of the 1000. I bring cash for gambling.

 

I could put the 1000 in a 1% savings account for a year and make about $10, but I like 37.50 better and it only takes a month or two to get.

 

Bottom line is you don't have to tie up your money for very long at all. It will be convenient to have it in place ahead of time too.

Edited February 2, 2017 by vince_g

[sanger727]

If you haven't pre-paid gratuities I would do that. They add up fast and make it hard to keep track of your balance since they add on daily. I'd be more likely to set cash aside that buy OBC. If you don't use the OBC you have to get it refunded. You can put aside cash here and there and then pay your account down at guest services every so often to keep the bill under control.

 

 

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[easyboy]

Why not put it in a savings account and at least get a little interest. When I booked my cruise I had the funds to pay the whole thing, but paid just the deposit and put the rest in savings. Just made the final payment via credit card and when that bill comes due in March I'll just pull the cash from savings and pay it off.

 

It's not a huge amount but several places are paying close to 1% so depending on how much you are trying to save may at least get you a lunch when you go back to work[emoji6]

Ditto. I prefer to manage my funds by my own terms.

[don't-use-real-name]

Make all your payments with an affinity credit card - - -

THAT GIVES YOU MILES* POINTS* CASH BACK* at least something for your payment !

 

Keep all your money until you have to make that payment - - -

BUT DON'T BE LATE !

[JLCMOM]

Thanks for your responses!! I didn't know if many people used on-board credit deposits or not.

 

This is our 4th cruise ever and 1st time with NCL. All other cruises I tried to put money aside before we went, but ended up using it for other things. I am not a good saver :eek:

 

I think I am going to try the on-board credit deposit this time and see how it works for us. If it doesn't work, then I won't do it again. I am guessing not many people do this... Which is probably smart to not tie your money up, but for non savers like me, it might work...

[sanger727]

Yes, in your case I would give it a try. U r only tying up money for a few months.... not worth sweating the $1-$2 in interest you could lose. Only downside to it is waiting for any unused funds to be refunded after the cruise.

 

 

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[TSM AND JP]

I always purchase onboard credits. The currency conversion rate on NCL is currently better than I get at the bank, so that's a plus for me! I like finishing my cruise with a zero balance to pay! :)

[CaliTravels]

Thanks for your responses!! I didn't know if many people used on-board credit deposits or not.

 

This is our 4th cruise ever and 1st time with NCL. All other cruises I tried to put money aside before we went, but ended up using it for other things. I am not a good saver :eek:

 

I think I am going to try the on-board credit deposit this time and see how it works for us. If it doesn't work, then I won't do it again. I am guessing not many people do this... Which is probably smart to not tie your money up, but for non savers like me, it might work...

 

I plan to purchase OBC as I'm not a good saver and I like to have my vacation paid before I depart, that way I don't worry about my account balance.

[CaliTravels]

Not to hijack this thread, but I can't seem to find an answer to my question: If you purchase OBC, do you still have to put a cash deposit down?

 

And no, I do not have a credit card, nor will I use my debit card (NCL does not recommend). I would rather pre-pay my OBC and wait for the refund, than to worry about losing cash.

[Crusin6]

This seems silly. Why lock your money up with NCL? Just set it aside in a change jar and then count it before you leave. Spend that amount on board, pay with a CC and then deposit it into your checking account to pay off the CC balance.

 

 

 

This

 

 

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