Deposited cash into your onboard account

[retep55555]

We will be on a Princess cruise soon and was looking at purchasing some cash gift vouchers in USD (as the cruise is in the US) to have on our on board account.  If I do this I want to be able to take some of the money out to spend when we are in various ports.  You purchase the vouchers in $100 lots on your Personaliser like you would a tour or a spa treatment etc.  I want to make sure that I can cash the money out while I am on board....

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[CineGraphic]

Go to the casino, put your card in a slot machine and charge some money to your room. Take a few spins, see if you win, and then take the card to the casino cashier and cash out.

[franktown]

Not really.  It isn't a bank.  The money in your account is used for onboard purchases like drinks, photos,  princess shore excursions, spa gratuities etc.

[retep55555]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

Go to the casino, put your card in a slot machine and charge some money to your room. Take a few spins, see if you win, and then take the card to the casino cashier and cash out.

Great... thank you.... good idea!

[retep55555]

19 minutes ago, franktown said:

Not really.  It isn't a bank.  The money in your account is used for onboard purchases like drinks, photos,  princess shore excursions, spa gratuities etc.

Well I agree it's not a bank but it is my money and if I want to take it out I should be able to.... I put it onto my account not Princess or anyone else..... I agree with what you are saying for any OBC that is given to you as part of  your fare.

[TracieABD]

With all due respect, why would you do this? Why not maintain control of your funds?

 

[retep55555]

1 hour ago, TracieABD said:

With all due respect, why would you do this? Why not maintain control of your funds?

 

Because the exchange rate from AUD to USD is far better to purchase it through my personaliser but not really a benefit if I can only use for onboard purchases as I want to have some cash for port days too.  Usually I do just take the required cash when cruising on ships with Australian currency but this ship is in USD.

[fishywood]

2 hours ago, retep55555 said:

Well I agree it's not a bank but it is my money and if I want to take it out I should be able to.... I put it onto my account not Princess or anyone else..... I agree with what you are saying for any OBC that is given to you as part of  your fare.

 

Sorry but that is not how the system works.

Yes it is your money but you used that money to purchase a commodity--On Board Credits. 

So that is the form it must be consumed in.

If you fail to consume the OBC in its entirety you are mailed a check for the balance. At the company's leisure.

 

...and one day Princess is going to get wise to the cashing-out-of-OBC-in-the-Casino workaround. Do you want to be one of the first caught when they do?

[TracieABD]

4 hours ago, retep55555 said:

Because the exchange rate from AUD to USD is far better to purchase it through my personaliser but not really a benefit if I can only use for onboard purchases as I want to have some cash for port days too.  Usually I do just take the required cash when cruising on ships with Australian currency but this ship is in USD.

Ahhhh... I get it. Thank you for enlightening me.

[CruisinFinsUp]

14 hours ago, retep55555 said:

Because the exchange rate from AUD to USD is far better to purchase it through my personaliser but not really a benefit if I can only use for onboard purchases as I want to have some cash for port days too.  Usually I do just take the required cash when cruising on ships with Australian currency but this ship is in USD.

 

We are Canadian and often are able to purchase the cruise at a good rate -- unfortunately the other posters are correct.  When you purchase OBC, it is only for use on board.   If the rate is favourable, I buy OBC in advance to cover gratuities, specialty dining, drinks, etc.   But anything on shore is at whatever rate I can get from my local moneychanger ! 🙂

 

If there is OBC left after the cruise (over $20 or something low like that - I can't recall the exact amount) then the ship transfers the amount owing to head office, they transfer it to their 3rd party payment company and sometime after a few weeks a cheque arrives in the mail.   Last time we had a larger amount (4 of us decided to not take ship shore excursions that I bought OBC to cover)  it took weeks and weeks and I had to contact customer relations quite a few times.  The holdup was a problem at the payment company, not with Princess.    Other folks have reported quick 2 week turnaround.   So it varies.  

 

The refund cheque may be in $US or it may be in your home currency.  There are reports here of both options occurring.   

 

Its a bit of a gamble to try to save on the exchange.   Worth it if you spend it all, possibly a hassle if you don't.   

[retep55555]

35 minutes ago, cruisintoddler said:

 

We are Canadian and often are able to purchase the cruise at a good rate -- unfortunately the other posters are correct.  When you purchase OBC, it is only for use on board.   If the rate is favourable, I buy OBC in advance to cover gratuities, specialty dining, drinks, etc.   But anything on shore is at whatever rate I can get from my local moneychanger ! 🙂

 

If there is OBC left after the cruise (over $20 or something low like that - I can't recall the exact amount) then the ship transfers the amount owing to head office, they transfer it to their 3rd party payment company and sometime after a few weeks a cheque arrives in the mail.   Last time we had a larger amount (4 of us decided to not take ship shore excursions that I bought OBC to cover)  it took weeks and weeks and I had to contact customer relations quite a few times.  The holdup was a problem at the payment company, not with Princess.    Other folks have reported quick 2 week turnaround.   So it varies.  

 

The refund cheque may be in $US or it may be in your home currency.  There are reports here of both options occurring.   

 

Its a bit of a gamble to try to save on the exchange.   Worth it if you spend it all, possibly a hassle if you don't.   

Great thanks for that info.... seems like people have different experiences.... some are lucky and some are not.  Some have recommended the Casino but I don't think I will chance it.

 

[Outerdog]

15 hours ago, fishywood said:

...and one day Princess is going to get wise to the cashing-out-of-OBC-in-the-Casino workaround. Do you want to be one of the first caught when they do?

 

How do you prohibit a player from cashing out credits from a slot machine? Caught? Doing what? Cashing out credits?

 

I get what you're saying, but the OP did deposit cash and would simply be using a workaround to access that cash -- a process which harms exactly no one. What's the real problem here?

Edited January 17, 2019 by Outerdog

[skynight]

7 minutes ago, Outerdog said:

 

How do you prohibit a player from cashing out credits from a slot machine? Caught? Doing what? Cashing out credits?

 

I get what you're saying, but the OP did deposit cash and would simply be using a workaround to access that cash -- a process which harms exactly no one. What's the real problem here?

You can not just insert your cruise card into a slot, charge $100 to your account, then cash out and then get the $100 from the cashier. The casino expects some play. You may lose or win with that play but some is expected. 

[fishywood]

18 minutes ago, Outerdog said:

 

How do you prohibit a player from cashing out credits from a slot machine? Caught? Doing what? Cashing out credits?

 

I get what you're saying, but the OP did deposit cash and would simply be using a workaround to access that cash -- a process which harms exactly no one. What's the real problem here?

 

Princess is certainly free to place whatever restrictions they wish on players who use OBC rather than cash as their buy-in. Such as only allowing to cash out winnings--not the amount of the buy-in--until the last day of the cruise. I would bet the farm that that idea has already crosses their minds.

[Outerdog]

1 hour ago, fishywood said:

 

I would bet the farm that that idea has already crosses their minds.

 

And summarily rejected. The last thing I think they would want is to introduce restrictions or confusion to players. Placing all sorts of draconian rules on play and cash-outs could encourage folks not to play at all. That could add up to far more losses than the near-zero cost of a few folks cashing out PURCHASED OBC.

[voljeep]

PURCHASED OBC is just cash in ... cash out ... but NON-REFUNDABLE OBC, well ...