How do you spend your On Board Credit?

[Grenouille21]

Just wondering what people do with their OBC? On other lines you can use it to pay for excursions purchased in advance, but it looks like that is not an option on HAL. We were going to get beverage packages (soda and water for the kids, something with alcohol for me) and buy those in advance, so not using the OBC for that either. We are doing unlimited laundry (1 adult and 2 teens with 4 vacation days before we set sail so lots of dirty clothing!) but I thought we had to buy that in advance, too. So how can we spend our OBC?

[ellieanne]

On a cruise that had two ports' fees refunded, because we could not make the calls, as well as a shore excursion refunded, I used the credit to buy a watch. That cruise I think my final bill was something like $15 because of the OBC and refunds.

 

But generally, I figure the OBC as payment for all or part of the Daily Service Charge.

[john2003]

Service charge and wine primarily.

 

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

[cruisereaders]

We never buy excursions, drink packages until we get onboard. That OBC disappears quickly.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Rhonbru]

I BUY OBC to pay the hotel service charge and to pay for anything we buy on the ship....therefore hopefully have a small bill at the end

[KirkNC]

Like others, ours is usually used to pay the hotel charges. Remember some OBC’s are refundable, if not spent you get the cash back. The is usually for OBC’s from your TA.

[portofrome]

Excursions and wine.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If we have a small amount of shipboard credit coming to us, then I do pre purchase excursions.

But most of the time we have a large amount of shipboard credit -- mainly because we pre book specialty restaurants and as 5 star Mariners, once we are on the ship we get 50% back as shipboard credit. So we use it to pay for the Hotel Service Charge, bottles of wine and Beverage Cards. If there is anything left, and there have been a couple of times when we didn't use up all the shipboard credit, it was refunded back to my credit card.

[regnig]

The Unlimited Laundry does not need to be paid for in advance. On the order sheet you will fill out to send with your laundry there is a block towards the bottom that gives you the option of paying by the piece, Stuff the Bag (one time thing) and Unlimited Laundry. Just check that UL block and the one time charge will show up on you stateroom account. While I used to always pay in advance now with the OBC specials we have been getting recently I wait until on-board.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I actually had some left over this time (about $60). Went to the office and donated it to the hard working crew by raising gratuities by the leftover amount. The front desk seemed happy about that, but I must admit they acted a little shocked, like no one had ever increased the gratuity before.

I didn't want the leftover OBC going to Seattle.....I thought the crew deserved it more. This was in addition to some extra $ we gave the cabin stewards privately as they were taking care of my ice needs for my ice paks for my back. I was very grateful.

[Alberta Quilter]

For our upcoming cruise, we have a large amount of OBC (and free HSC). I have pre-booked some shorex (those I was afraid would be sold out in advance of the cruise) and will book others when we board to use some of the OBC. For the balance remaining, we will apply it to internet usage, wine packages and other beverages, bingo, speciality dining, and shopping in the gift shops onboard. We get free laundry or else I would purchase the unlimited laundry as well.

 

If your OBC comes from a TA, then any balance remaining at the end of the cruise will be refunded to you. If it's from HAL, then it must be used or you will lose it.

[cartervan]

A year or two ago we were checking our account toward the end of a cruise and discovered we had $300 OBC that had to be spent or we would lose it. We ended up spending most of it in the ship's stores buying Christmas gifts for our family (with maybe one or two things for ourselves).

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

For our upcoming cruise, we have a large amount of OBC (and free HSC). I have pre-booked some shorex (those I was afraid would be sold out in advance of the cruise) and will book others when we board to use some of the OBC. For the balance remaining, we will apply it to internet usage, wine packages and other beverages, bingo, speciality dining, and shopping in the gift shops onboard. We get free laundry or else I would purchase the unlimited laundry as well.

 

If your OBC comes from a TA, then any balance remaining at the end of the cruise will be refunded to you. If it's from HAL, then it must be used or you will lose it.

 

My OBC came from HAL so we were told it would be lost to Seattle. That's why I gave it to the crew.

[Mickie]

Will OBC, received from HAL, that might be leftover from a leg, move to the next leg? We are on several legs on prinsendam this fall.

[dee2673]

We have a large amount of OBC to spend in a week on our upcoming cruise. We aren't booking excursions as we like to self explore. We book specialty dining as soon as we board. We have free HSC this time, as well. We don't drink quite enough to justify the beverage package ( although we have enough OBC to buy them) so the rest will likely go for alcohol, soft drinks and bottles of wine. This will be our first cruise as 3* mariners so it will be the first time we get any discounts. We may get a wine package.

[DaveOKC]

Mostly use it for wine packages (the 50% discount for 4/5 Star makes this a good option)! Also hotel service fee (if not already pre-paid by HAL). Shore excursions we REALLY want to be sure to get we buy before we board online, but otherwise we wait to book until onboard. Of course, drinks onboard and some souvenirs/t-shirts from the gift shop (on the last cruise I got a nice shirt at 50% off (which made the price reasonable)).

 

Do not use OBC from HAL for casino charges, as it may get charged back to you on the last morning.

[Alberta Quilter]

Will OBC, received from HAL, that might be leftover from a leg, move to the next leg? We are on several legs on prinsendam this fall.

 

I think it will depend on how you booked your segments. Do you have one booking number covering all segments, or booking numbers - one for each segment? If one number, then yes, because you booked one cruise consisting of multiple segments. if multiple booking numbers, then no, I don't think the OBC will carry over to the next segment.

[MajMom96]

Just wondering what people do with their OBC? On other lines you can use it to pay for excursions purchased in advance, but it looks like that is not an option on HAL. We were going to get beverage packages (soda and water for the kids, something with alcohol for me) and buy those in advance, so not using the OBC for that either. We are doing unlimited laundry (1 adult and 2 teens with 4 vacation days before we set sail so lots of dirty clothing!) but I thought we had to buy that in advance, too. So how can we spend our OBC?

 

 

 

We use ours to offset the standard gratuities, especially since I’ve never seen a discount on the gratuities if you prepay. So if we have OBC, we don’t prepay gratuities and just let them accrue. On the occasional cruise where gratuities are included as a promo, we usually wait to book specialty restaurants on board and of course, souvenirs for the family we left behind! And it can also offset Bingo! Regardless, we usually end up with no problem spending more than enough to make good use of the OBC. [emoji483]

[MajMom96]

I actually had some left over this time (about $60). Went to the office and donated it to the hard working crew by raising gratuities by the leftover amount. The front desk seemed happy about that, but I must admit they acted a little shocked, like no one had ever increased the gratuity before.

I didn't want the leftover OBC going to Seattle.....I thought the crew deserved it more. This was in addition to some extra $ we gave the cabin stewards privately as they were taking care of my ice needs for my ice paks for my back. I was very grateful.

 

 

 

That’s a great idea! I’ll have to remember that one if I ever have left over OBC. [emoji483]

[SilvertoGold]

Will OBC, received from HAL, that might be leftover from a leg, move to the next leg? We are on several legs on prinsendam this fall.

 

Our accounts for back-to back cruises have always been combined, whether the cruises were booked as one cruise or two segments.

 

No problem getting any leftover OBC forwarded to the next segment.

[Grenouille21]

Thanks, all. Looks like ours will be going toward gratuities.