Worth buying OBC?

[SpainAlien]

Not wishing to hijack this thread but since I have already paid my tips, have the free at sea drinks package and free at sea 100$ OBC each for both of us do we have to put down a deposit for a cash account? We only ever spend money on cruises on drinks so we will be struggling to spend the 100$ each anyway.

 

TIA

 

 

 

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[ighten]

One other thing to watch out for:

 

I have purchased OBC a few times in the past. It usually turns up in my account on day 2 or 3, so if you are relying on it then you may hit problems at the very start of the cruise.

 

Im confused or could be misising something- why would it matter when it appears in the ship account. You dont technically pay for anything till the last day - your debits just add up then the OBC would credit against them.

[ray98]

Don't use a debit card. If you do not have a credit card to use then bring cash and open the account. It prevents the issues that come up with holds and actual charges at the end of the cruise that tie up funds.

[shof515]

Im confused or could be misising something- why would it matter when it appears in the ship account. You dont technically pay for anything till the last day - your debits just add up then the OBC would credit against them.

if you set up a cash account, whatever you spend is automatically deducted from that amount. reducing the available amount of cash in your account. A delay with the OBC posting to your account can become an issue.

 

if you set up a credit card account account, it does not matter as whatever you spend will not be billable until the end of the cruise. It does not matter when the OBC is posted.

[KeithJenner]

Im confused or could be misising something- why would it matter when it appears in the ship account. You dont technically pay for anything till the last day - your debits just add up then the OBC would credit against them.

 

 

 

NCL won’t allow your account to be negative, so you will still need to have a credit card, or add cash, to cover your spend before the OBC gets credited.

 

 

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[Maniacal Cruiser]

First time cruiser and I was wondering if it would be worth buying OBC before embarkation? We do not have any credit cards so would it make it easier to pay for things on the ship with OBC verses the hold they would put on our debit card?

 

We aren't big drinkers, or gamblers so I was thinking maybe $100-$200 max. We already have excursions, tips, and specialty dining covered.

 

Thanks!

 

I think you answered your own question. In the end is it "worth it" to you is all that matters. BTW you do not have 'tips' covered, you have the DSC covered. Using a DC is a total PITA. Use cash.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

Im confused or could be misising something- why would it matter when it appears in the ship account. You dont technically pay for anything till the last day - your debits just add up then the OBC would credit against them.

 

 

With a DC they process holds sometimes daily or more often as you spend. They do not "just add up".

[ighten]

ah didnt realise that (never had a cash account) makes sense now

[BornPisces]

Just to make sure I understand.... NCL will use the non-refundable OBC first and then the actually bought refundable OBC?

[momto2js]

Here is my advice, if prepaying helps with bimudgeting them OBC is a good idea. HOWEVER, a credit card for emergency is not a luxury, it is a necessity!!

 

So many things can happen. Travel insurance is great as it will reimburse cost, but you likely have to pay first. Get sick and need to be seen by the ships doc, $300 likley isnt enough, break an arm and need a shore side ED, someone at home gets really sick and you need to fly home, you mishandle time and port and find yourself left behind? All things that dont happen often, but all things that can happen. Having a card to cover unforeseen and emergency expenses is really important when you travel

[ray98]

Just to make sure I understand.... NCL will use the non-refundable OBC first and then the actually bought refundable OBC?

 

 

Yes....non-refundable covers everything first except for DSC amounts. Those will go against the refundable portion or if that is exhausted charge to the payment form on the account.

[peg013]

Will they accept these type of gift cards? Should you load it with whatever money is needed for your length of cruise?

Most refillable VISA, MasterCard and AMEX cards say right on the back that they cannot be used on cruise ships. Our kids bought us one for Christmas and it could be used to book things before the cruise (because they can verify that there is enough for a single purchase) but not while on the cruise because there is no guarantee there will be enough to use for your ship bill if used in port plus it said so right on the card and NCL verified that they will not accept a refillable "gift" or "credit card" as a guarantee on your account.

[KimboJam]

Just set up a cash account and then on second to last night use your debit card to pay it off. Use some board credit for the last day or so.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

Just to make sure I understand.... NCL will use the non-refundable OBC first and then the actually bought refundable OBC?

 

 

Yes non-refundable OBC is applied first but remember that it cannot necessarily be applied to all charges (such as DSC).

[tanjan4evr]

On 3/15/2018 at 12:18 AM, Tatka said:

 

 

It is dangerous to give your debit cart. You are basically exposing all your funds (debit is your funds, credit is bank’s for which bank will fight)

Good advice,   I never use debit card for that reason   always use credit they will stand behind you if you are a victim of fraud.  I never pay interest either always pay balance end of month , and get all the perks that come with the card I am using at that time

[Hotspring]

2 hours ago, tanjan4evr said:

Good advice,   I never use debit card for that reason   always use credit they will stand behind you if you are a victim of fraud.  I never pay interest either always pay balance end of month , and get all the perks that come with the card I am using at that time

I second that.   Beyond fraud I have seen clerks inadvertently enter $1,000.00 or $10,000.00 charges for $10 or $100 intended charges.   Even if caught and voided right away the hold has already been processed on the card.   The more outrageous the over charge the longer it seem to get corrected.   One bank says its the other banks problem, the bank claims it is the merchant (NCL).  All the while the poor customer is not earning interest on their funds or they cannot use the funds for other bills.  

 

Earning rewards on credit cards that will have the banks fight like the dickens to protect you and your funds when you use them  is the way to go.

 

If you cannot a credit card or do not trust your spending with one get a secured credit card.   Their are out there.  If you decide you can even leverage how much you need on deposit for your credit line, it could  1 to 1 ($1000 gathering interest for a $1000 credit line, or work your way up to $200 on deposit for a $1,000 to $2,000 credit line.

 

While we generally purchase all the excursions we can take, prepay the DSC and have other OBC, we generally purchase a minimum of $1,000 OBC so that we can minimize how much we have to pay/charged to our credit card on the last day.  I believe it is interesting that some people so much on cruise fare and getting to the port, but thinks can get away with a couple of $200 of credit.   A couple can easily rack up a couple thousand on Spa services.  Then there are art auctions and extra excursions.  Then tips to butlers and concierges (so we earn rewards on our credit card rather than use cash).  We do not even think of the casino.   Just our .02.

[tanjan4evr]

Hot spring-   exactly right on !