Obc - want to make sure i understand how it works

[doubleduty]

The deal we have for our upcoming cruise gives passengers 1 and 2 $250 each OBC; no OBC for passenger 3 (we also get pre-paid gratuities for passengers 1 and 2). We will all be using a single account so does that mean we will all be able to use the OBC? From other posts I have read, I think so but want to confirm. One other question: can the OBC be used in the casino? We have never had OBC before so this is new (and nice) for us. I know some of the OBC will be applied to passenger 3 HSC but even still we will have some to play with.

[Alberta Quilter]

Since you have one account for the three of you, the $500 will be entered as a credit on the account at the start of the cruise. As items are charged, it will be drawn down. So, yes, in effect, all three of you can use the OBC.

 

I won't try to help with the casino question as I rarely use the casino.

[kazu]

Since you have one account for the three of you, the $500 will be entered as a credit on the account at the start of the cruise. As items are charged, it will be drawn down. So, yes, in effect, all three of you can use the OBC.

 

I won't try to help with the casino question as I rarely use the casino.

 

Just to add to AQ's post (which I agree with)...

 

Yes, you can charge to your stateroom in the casino on the slots. OBC is not differentiated so the charge will be just deducted from it ;)

[catl331]

HAL says OBC from them or CCL can't be used in the casino, but in practice no distinction is made between charges to your account from a slot machine and any other purchases.

[Lady Arwen]

You can absolutely use your OBC for casino charges. I've done it many times.

[blizzardboy]

I was told any cash charged to your cabin account from the casino table games would have a 3% surcharge added regardless of whether OBC was available. Since the slots are electronic and tied through your card to your account, you avoid the fee. The house margin on slots is phenomenally higher than Black Jack, so they are happy to let you bill your cabin.

[TAD2005]

I was told any cash charged to your cabin account from the casino table games would have a 3% surcharge added regardless of whether OBC was available. Since the slots are electronic and tied through your card to your account, you avoid the fee. The house margin on slots is phenomenally higher than Black Jack, so they are happy to let you bill your cabin.

 

I have $800 in HAL issued OBC for an upcoming 25 day cruise. 8 of those 25 days will be crossing the Atlantic to FLL, so I plan on donating a lot of money to the casino during those sea days. You are saying that if I use my cabin card to fill up a slot machine, there's no fee, but if I charge a couple hundred to my cabin at the craps table for chips, I get hit with 3% ??? How about at the cage ? Same deal there ? What if I load $100 into a one-armed bandit, pull the handle once or twice, and then cash out. The little printed slip from the slot machine can be cashed in at the cage, I assume for cash ?? I can take that cash over to Craps and lay it down for chips. Is that possible ?

[Lady Arwen]

I have $800 in HAL issued OBC for an upcoming 25 day cruise. 8 of those 25 days will be crossing the Atlantic to FLL, so I plan on donating a lot of money to the casino during those sea days. You are saying that if I use my cabin card to fill up a slot machine, there's no fee, but if I charge a couple hundred to my cabin at the craps table for chips, I get hit with 3% ??? How about at the cage ? Same deal there ? What if I load $100 into a one-armed bandit, pull the handle once or twice, and then cash out. The little printed slip from the slot machine can be cashed in at the cage, I assume for cash ?? I can take that cash over to Craps and lay it down for chips. Is that possible ?

Yes! Just cash out the slot machine, take your ticket to the cashier and then use the cash to purchase chips or use as cash at the tables. Easy Peasy!

[kazu]

I have $800 in HAL issued OBC for an upcoming 25 day cruise. 8 of those 25 days will be crossing the Atlantic to FLL, so I plan on donating a lot of money to the casino during those sea days. You are saying that if I use my cabin card to fill up a slot machine, there's no fee, but if I charge a couple hundred to my cabin at the craps table for chips, I get hit with 3% ??? How about at the cage ? Same deal there ? What if I load $100 into a one-armed bandit, pull the handle once or twice, and then cash out. The little printed slip from the slot machine can be cashed in at the cage, I assume for cash ?? I can take that cash over to Craps and lay it down for chips. Is that possible ?

 

 

 

Yes! Just cash out the slot machine, take your ticket to the cashier and then use the cash to purchase chips or use as cash at the tables. Easy Peasy!

 

What "ticket" are you two talking about from the slot machines? I've never seen it. I just go to the cashier to "cash out" and enter my pin. that's the way it is even on the P'dam.

 

Totally confused - but yes, that will work for the tables IMO. You can also buy casino credit/OBC ;)

[TAD2005]

What "ticket" are you two talking about from the slot machines? I've never seen it. I just go to the cashier to "cash out" and enter my pin. that's the way it is even on the P'dam.

 

Totally confused - but yes, that will work for the tables IMO. You can also buy casino credit/OBC ;)

 

I was on the Oosterdam last December. After a relatively decent session at a slot machine, I hit the "cash out" button. A little slip of paper came out of the machine showing the credit I had in the casino. The ship advised everyone who had credits at the casino to be sure to cash them out on the last night or you may forfeit them. I take the slip showing my winnings over to the cage and they scan it, and issue me cash. I suppose that some ships may eliminate the paper receipt, and you just show your card at the cage. But I never heard of a PIN attached to a room card. When is this PIN established ? Where do you do that ? Maybe if you purchased casino credits from the special site for HAL casinos ???

[kazu]

I was on the Oosterdam last December. After a relatively decent session at a slot machine, I hit the "cash out" button. A little slip of paper came out of the machine showing the credit I had in the casino. The ship advised everyone who had credits at the casino to be sure to cash them out on the last night or you may forfeit them. I take the slip showing my winnings over to the cage and they scan it, and issue me cash. I suppose that some ships may eliminate the paper receipt, and you just show your card at the cage. But I never heard of a PIN attached to a room card. When is this PIN established ? Where do you do that ? Maybe if you purchased casino credits from the special site for HAL casinos ???

 

I haven't been on the O in a long time but a number of other ships.

 

Basically you insert your key card in the slot and the machine offers you a chance to "sign in" (which is how I have always charged to my on board account). That's also how you are registered for potential casion credit/discounts later.

 

When I am done playing I just "cash out" at the machine (much like you are doing).. I can then sign in at another machine by inserting my key card (pretty much like an ATM machine) and code.

 

If I want the cash I just go to the cashier, tell them I want to cash out,they confirm the amount, swipe my card and I enter the pin I use on the machines.

 

Interesting on the slips. I honestly haven't seen it on the various ships I have been on since they eliminated the "clinking of the coins in the bucket".

 

When I go to the cashier and cash out, they always have me sign and give me a slip of course,but it is just a receipt for the amount paid.

[catl331]

I was on the Oosterdam last December. After a relatively decent session at a slot machine, I hit the "cash out" button. A little slip of paper came out of the machine showing the credit I had in the casino. ... I suppose that some ships may eliminate the paper receipt, and you just show your card at the cage. But I never heard of a PIN attached to a room card. When is this PIN established ? Where do you do that ? Maybe if you purchased casino credits from the special site for HAL casinos ???

:confused: This is very strange! I was on the Oosterdam 12/16/16 to 12/23/16. Like all other HAL ships where I've played the slots, I inserted my key-card into a machine, chose a PIN when prompted, and charged money against my on-board account to establish a "bank" on the machine. After a while I cashed out of one machine and moved to another. My bank balance was transferred from the first machine to the key-card, and then into the second machine using my established PIN. After cashing out of the second machine I took my key-card to the cage and again used the PIN to get actual money. I did not get a slip of paper from either slot machine.

This was on 12/18. Maybe the day you got the paper the key-card system was not working?

Edited July 18, 2017 by catl331

[jtl513]

Interesting on the slips. I honestly haven't seen it on the various ships I have been on since they eliminated the "clinking of the coins in the bucket".

I haven't seen a slip of paper come out of a slot machine on any the 13 HAL ships we've been on, including the O-dam, and have always had to use a key-card and PIN since the old coin machines were eliminated.

[blizzardboy]

I have $800 in HAL issued OBC for an upcoming 25 day cruise. 8 of those 25 days will be crossing the Atlantic to FLL, so I plan on donating a lot of money to the casino during those sea days. You are saying that if I use my cabin card to fill up a slot machine, there's no fee, but if I charge a couple hundred to my cabin at the craps table for chips, I get hit with 3% ??? How about at the cage ? Same deal there ? What if I load $100 into a one-armed bandit, pull the handle once or twice, and then cash out. The little printed slip from the slot machine can be cashed in at the cage, I assume for cash ?? I can take that cash over to Craps and lay it down for chips. Is that possible ?

I have never played a slot on board ship. I just relayed what I was told by a supervisor in casino services. Your casino questions can be posed at casino@carnival.com.

[catl331]

Your casino questions can be posed at casino@carnival.com.

For HAL ships?

[blizzardboy]

For HAL ships?

HAL is part of Carnival Corp. You might also email HAL and ask them for clarification, and save the emailed reply for future use if needed. Go to HAL site, click on Customer Service at top, then look on left for Email Us.

[catl331]

HAL is part of Carnival Corp. You might also email HAL and ask them for clarification, and save the emailed reply for future use if needed. Go to HAL site, click on Customer Service at top, then look on left for Email Us.

IF I needed casino info (which I don't) I would contact HAL first rather than get a general reply from Carnival Corp that may not apply to HAL in all details.

[blizzardboy]

Didn't mean to offend. The casinos are all under the Carnival umbrella, hence the email provided, to which a supervisor will respond. Supposedly all CCL casinos are managed identically. Who knows how that works out in practice. I suggested HAL as they would answer from a ship-board operations standpoint. Any info I've relayed in any of these posts is as it was given to me by management. These answers vary, hence my suggestion to save any correspondence in case of a dispute (I do). Here's the copy-and-pasted answer to my question regarding tapping OBC from the Black Jack table, answered by a corporate casino supervisor: "No, the fee will still be in tact if withdrawing from cage or chips at the table."

Do with this info what you will. Safe travels.

bb