Using OBC for Making Reservations Pre-Cruise

[teacherman]

We have made our final payment.  We are receiving a large OBC from our travel agent.  Can we use this to make some dining reservations and shore excursions before we board?  If so, how do we do this?  Our TA has told us that the OBC will not show on our on board account until the second or third day.  Any information/advice is welcome.  Thank you.

[*Miss G*]

Before you board you will need to make the reservations through your booking online.  So, sorry, the onboard credit is for while you are onboard and you cannot use it until then.  Enjoy your cruise!

[canadianbear]

I wish HAL would allow this like Celebrity does but unfortunately not yet.  You’ll have to wait until on the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly you can not use any shipboard credit until you are on the ship.

 

HAL should try to change these rules.

[mauimacho]

I guess that's why its called On Board Credit.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

With all cruise lines purchased ,or gift, onboard credits provided by a third party such as travel agents, friends and family, etc cannot be used until you board the vessel.

 

Some cruise lines make promotional onboard credits (those gifted by the cruise line themselves) available to use for pre-booked items.  HAL at this time does not allow this.

[Ken the cruiser]

5 hours ago, teacherman said:

We have made our final payment.  We are receiving a large OBC from our travel agent.  Can we use this to make some dining reservations and shore excursions before we board?  If so, how do we do this?  Our TA has told us that the OBC will not show on our on board account until the second or third day.  Any information/advice is welcome.  Thank you.

Here's what we do when we have a lot of nonrefundable OBC on a cruise. Basically, we prebook the HAL excursions we want to go on using a credit card. Then once onboard we go to the shore excursions desk and cancel/rebook any of the excursions that have not sold out until we have "laundered" all of our nonrefundable OBC to refundable OBC (which is generated when we cancel the pre-booked excursions).

 

Then, we cash out any of the refundable OBC we have left at end of the cruise. But, first things first, find out if the OBC your TA is giving you is refundable or nonrefundable.

[Wayfairers]

 

22 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Here's what we do when we have a lot of nonrefundable OBC on a cruise. Basically, we prebook the HAL excursions we want to go on using a credit card. Then once onboard we go to the shore excursions desk and cancel/rebook any of the excursions that have not sold out until we have "laundered" all of our nonrefundable OBC to refundable OBC (which is generated when we cancel the pre-booked excursions).

 

Then, we cash out any of the refundable OBC we have left at end of the cruise. But, first things first, find out if the OBC your TA is giving you is refundable or nonrefundable.

I didn’t know there was no refundable OBC. thanks for the clarification. 

[Ken the cruiser]

46 minutes ago, Wayfairers said:

 

I didn’t know there was no refundable OBC. thanks for the clarification. 

Any OBC you get with a HAL promotion or Future Cruise Credit is usually nonrefundable. However, the OBC you get from a TA is usually refundable, which you can cash out at the end of the cruise, but you need to ask your TA to confirm that's the case.