How to get a refund for pre-purchased on board credit

[grandebarca]

I have $1,000 pre-purchased on board credit on my account. This is the kind you have to buy or someone can buy for you.  It says it's fully refundable.  Not talking about on board credit given out at the time of booking or as a promo/incentive by a travel agent.  Edit: I'm sailing on the MSC Seaside in a couple of weeks, so it's a US-based sailing in USD in case that matters. 

 

I know I'll use several hundred for tips, some activities, a few drinks (a few 😉 ) etc. But what if I have $500 left over? Anyone ever have this situation arise? 

 

Do they refund to the credit card used to purchase the on board credit? Do they hand you $500 in cash on the last day of the cruise when you go to settle up? Or if you do nothing, can you request a refund of the remaining balance in the form of a check after the cruise is over? 

Edited December 11, 2018 by grandebarca
clarification

[grandebarca]

Bump.

[paulajj]

I notice this hasn’t been answered for you so I’ll chime in even though I don’t know the answer for MSC. I do know that when this happened to me on NCL they mailed me a cheque.  Perhaps you should phone and ask?  

[Cauzneffct]

I’m guessing it varies by cruise line.  Princess gave us cash (about $900) the last evening.  

[Safe77]

Been there, done that.  On our first MSC cruise, we had about $500 of pre-paid OBC left.  I waited 2 months for the check, which never came.  When I called MSC, the person I spoke with saw the balance on my account.  I let him talk me into applying this to a future cruise we had already booked.  But, instead of applying it as a payment, he showed a reduced fare.  This meant that we would have gotten a reduced insurance payment if we'd had to cancel the cruise (since it's based on the cost of the cruise) and would have lost the money. 

 

We just sailed on the Seaside in October and had about $200 in prepaid OBC left.  On the last evening, I went to the Concierge and received that amount in cash.  Apparently, that's the way MSC prefers to do it.   

 

On a past Princess cruise, the check just showed up in the mail one day.

[grandebarca]

Thanks for the responses. I'll head down to the front desk and ask for a refund near the end!