Convenience Fee?

[Deac1966]

How much is the convenience fee for charging casino dollars to your room account?

And is there a limit?

[Cruseforme]

Per the FAQ:

What are the casino policies?

Guests must be 18 or older to enter or gamble in the casinos on our ships. US dollars are used. A 3% fee will be charged to your account if we receive a cash advance against your shipboard account. There is a $3,000 maximum per guest per day for these cash advances.

[oceansandseas]

The words "against your shipboard account" should be noted. I asked on the Riviera. I was told that I could not use non-refundable on board credit for the casino at all. Hey, I was trying to launder my huge OBC. The 3% fee can only be used if the dollar amount is put on your credit card.

[DrHemlock]

The words "against your shipboard account" should be noted. I asked on the Riviera. I was told that I could not use non-refundable on board credit for the casino at all. Hey, I was trying to launder my huge OBC. The 3% fee can only be used if the dollar amount is put on your credit card.

Exactly. The casino advance from O might be added to your shipboard account as a convenience to you, but O processes it with your credit card company as the cash advance that it is -- not as an ordinary purchase -- while debiting your shipboard account for principal plus the 3% fee that credit card companies routinely charge the merchant.

 

And -- big AND -- that cash advance on your credit card begins to accrue interest charges at whatever ungodly percentage rate from the moment it is posted, unlike ordinary purchases which don't accrue interest charges if paid off in full at the end of the billing cycle.

 

An ATM would be a much better bet, of course, but there are no ATMs on the ship and the ones ashore (depending on the destination) may dispense only foreign currency which is of no use aboard ship.

Edited March 3, 2018 by DrHemlock

[ORV]

Exactly. The casino advance from O might be added to your shipboard account as a convenience to you, but O processes it with your credit card company as the cash advance that it is -- not as an ordinary purchase -- while debiting your shipboard account for principal plus the 3% fee that credit card companies routinely charge the merchant.

 

And -- big AND -- that cash advance on your credit card begins to accrue interest charges at whatever ungodly percentage rate from the moment it is posted, unlike ordinary purchases which don't accrue interest charges if paid off in full at the end of the billing cycle.

 

An ATM would be a much better bet, of course, but there are no ATMs on the ship and the ones ashore (depending on the destination) may dispense only foreign currency which is of no use aboard ship.

 

Do you have direct experience with Oceania on a casino advance being billed as a Cash Advance on your card?

 

They have only started this in the past year or so and we haven't heard any one report that has actually used it. Apparently you have?

[DrHemlock]

Do you have direct experience with Oceania on a casino advance being billed as a Cash Advance on your card?

 

They have only started this in the past year or so and we haven't heard any one report that has actually used it. Apparently you have?

Personal experience? Nope. But as a former banker, I know how credit cards work.

 

That said, I'm not a former or current Oceania financial guy. If someone with official (or at least personal) knowledge of O's procedures informs us that O processes cash advances in the same manner as ordinary purchases of merchandise or services, then I will stand corrected. But I won't hold my breath until then.

[Cruseforme]

Personal experience: DH took a so called “cash advance” from our onboard account this past cruise (last summer). No it did NOT go onto credit card as a credit card advance, it was simply a charge, like any other, and the 3% charge, he was asked if he wanted it charged to the cash (less cash), or simply added onto the charge. No biggie. On our charge card bill it was simply listed as Oceania charge for the amount. It did not come across on the card as a personal cash advance on our credit card, it was treated the same as any other charge.

[DrHemlock]

Personal experience: DH took a so called “cash advance” from our onboard account this past cruise (last summer). No it did NOT go onto credit card as a credit card advance, it was simply a charge, like any other, and the 3% charge, he was asked if he wanted it charged to the cash (less cash), or simply added onto the charge. No biggie. On our charge card bill it was simply listed as Oceania charge for the amount. It did not come across on the card as a personal cash advance on our credit card, it was treated the same as any other charge.

Excellent. Thanks for that. I stand corrected!

 

Learning something new every day.........

[ORV]

Personal experience: DH took a so called “cash advance” from our onboard account this past cruise (last summer). No it did NOT go onto credit card as a credit card advance, it was simply a charge, like any other, and the 3% charge, he was asked if he wanted it charged to the cash (less cash), or simply added onto the charge. No biggie. On our charge card bill it was simply listed as Oceania charge for the amount. It did not come across on the card as a personal cash advance on our credit card, it was treated the same as any other charge.

 

That's what I thought would happen, but to make things even more clear. Did he get his cash at Guest Relations or charge gambling to his World Pass card in a machine in the casino?

[Hawaiidan]

The words "against your shipboard account" should be noted. I asked on the Riviera. I was told that I could not use non-refundable on board credit for the casino at all. Hey, I was trying to launder my huge OBC. The 3% fee can only be used if the dollar amount is put on your credit card.

 

AND your credit card will tack on another 15 to 24% for a cash advance..you can easily end up paying 30%

[Cruseforme]

That's what I thought would happen, but to make things even more clear. Did he get his cash at Guest Relations or charge gambling to his World Pass card in a machine in the casino?

He went to the casino window (where they do the payouts when you win). Just handed his cabin key over, and asked for $x in cash, they rang it up, and had him sign the chit.

We saw the charge on the credit card for that day when we later checked.