Alaska Ruby cruise with day 2 credits

[hellokitty1]

I booked my Alaska trip out of Seattle on the Ruby Princess just a month or so ago and it came with a a few hundred dollars in onboard credits for excursions and specialty dining. However, I'm not able to able to access the credit until "Day 2." Anyone have a similar experience and can tell me if not booking a specialty dining place or excursion until day 2 (in order to use the credits) will mean my choices are limited?

 

Thanks.

Edited July 26, 2019 by hellokitty1

[skynight]

This doesn't make any sense. On Board Credits are posted to your account(s) on boarding day. I never heard of them being posted on day 2. Your account should begin with a credit balance. Any and all on board expenses will be posted to your account(s) as they occur, this includes the daily gratuity, tours, and anything else you may purchase while on board. Your account(s) will have a running net balance. If for some reason the credits are posted on day 2 then they will just offset any expenses already incurred, and you will still have a running net balance. The system is a simple debit/credit system.

[hellokitty1]

24 minutes ago, CruiseGal999 said:

 

I'm not an avid Princess cruiser, but I am pretty certain your options will be limited if you wait until day 2 to use your obc.

 

Are the excursions and dining the only things you want to use obc?

 

Go to the spa ... shopping?  Get some high end specialty drinks ... drinking usually uses up obc pretty fast. 

Good suggestions. I went back to the original info and it says:

 

The shipboard credit amount is per stateroom and may be used during the cruise for shore excursions, spa treatments, specialty dining, beverages and more. Shipboard credit offered by xxx is not available to view prior to travel on the cruise line’s website, or during your online check in. You will receive the shipboard credit in your personal onboard account by the second night of sailing. The value of the shipboard credit is determined by the base cruise fare for the stateroom category booked. Offer is nontransferable.

 

Would it be princess that can confirm the "and more" part, for example, could it be used for gratuity?

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by hellokitty1
remove TA name

[hellokitty1]

10 minutes ago, skynight said:

This doesn't make any sense. On Board Credits are posted to your account(s) on boarding day. I never heard of them being posted on day 2. Your account should begin with a credit balance. Any and all on board expenses will be posted to your account(s) as they occur, this includes the daily gratuity, tours, and anything else you may purchase while on board. Your account(s) will have a running net balance. If for some reason the credits are posted on day 2 then they will just offset any expenses already incurred, and you will still have a running net balance. The system is a simple debit/credit system.

This is the exact description of the credit for my TA. I think if I pre-book now, I pay out of pocket now as opposed to going in my shipboard account. So maybe the "day 2" part is irrelevant other than it doesn't apply to stuff I pre-book now.

 

The shipboard credit amount is per stateroom and may be used during the cruise for shore excursions, spa treatments, specialty dining, beverages and more. Shipboard credit offered by xxx is not available to view prior to travel on the cruise line’s website, or during your online check in. You will receive the shipboard credit in your personal onboard account by the second night of sailing. The value of the shipboard credit is determined by the base cruise fare for the stateroom category booked. Offer is nontransferable.

Edited July 26, 2019 by hellokitty1

[CruiseGal999]

3 minutes ago, hellokitty1 said:

Good suggestions. I went back to the original info and it says:

 

The shipboard credit amount is per stateroom and may be used during the cruise for shore excursions, spa treatments, specialty dining, beverages and more. Shipboard credit offered by Costco Travel is not available to view prior to travel on the cruise line’s website, or during your online check in. You will receive the shipboard credit in your personal onboard account by the second night of sailing. The value of the shipboard credit is determined by the base cruise fare for the stateroom category booked. Offer is nontransferable.

 

Would it be princess that can confirm the "and more" part, for example, could it be used for gratuity?

 

 

I'm pretty sure obc CAN be used for gratuities.  

[Jeter02]

I cruise Princess all the time. I have never ever heard of OBC that's not available starting day 1. I think you may have misunderstood something.

[Jeter02]

Yes. Obc can be used towards gratuities.  Obc in general world as followed. Anything charged to your stateroom. Your nonrefundable OBC will automatically be used first, followed by refundable OBC. Afterwards everything else will be charged to the credit card you put on file.

[CruiseGal999]

1 minute ago, hellokitty1 said:

This is the exact description of the credit for my TA. I think if I pre-book now, I pay out of pocket now as opposed to going in my shipboard account. So maybe the "day 2" part is irrelevant other than it doesn't apply to stuff I pre-book now.

 

The shipboard credit amount is per stateroom and may be used during the cruise for shore excursions, spa treatments, specialty dining, beverages and more. Shipboard credit offered by Costco Travel is not available to view prior to travel on the cruise line’s website, or during your online check in. You will receive the shipboard credit in your personal onboard account by the second night of sailing. The value of the shipboard credit is determined by the base cruise fare for the stateroom category booked. Offer is nontransferable.

 

That's the crux of your question, I believe.  IF you book excursions &/or specialty dining ... you do have to pay now ... up front & in full.  SO ... OBC won't be applied to those charges.  SO you wait until day 2 for TA to post the OBC ... you options to choose excursions &/or specialty dining COULD be diminished.  

[hellokitty1]

1 minute ago, Jeter02 said:

I cruise Princess all the time. I have never ever heard of OBC that's not available starting day 1. I think you may have misunderstood something.

Per my itinerary:

 

The shipboard credit amount is per stateroom and may be used during the cruise for shore excursions, spa treatments, specialty dining, beverages and more. Shipboard credit offered by Costco Travel is not available to view prior to travel on the cruise line’s website, or during your online check in. You will receive the shipboard credit in your personal onboard account by the second night of sailing. The value of the shipboard credit is determined by the base cruise fare for the stateroom category booked. Offer is nontransferable.

 

I may very well just use it for gratuity and book my excursions now. 

[geocruiser]

16 minutes ago, hellokitty1 said:

thanks. i didn't realize that. done. but now it's been quoted once. how can i change that?

I think the mods would have to change that. 

[Jeter02]

Btw, this was the first time I've ever seen/heard about OBC that is not readily available from day 1 you step foot on the ship. 

[Kartgv]

We've almost always had OBC's given by the TA not appear on our account until about Day 2 onboard.    OBC given by Princess shows up prior to boarding, but many TA credits do not.    That appears to be what you are seeing.   
Make sure to take paperwork with you that shows the OBC you are entitled to from your TA.   If it doesn't appear by Day 2 or 3, visit Customer Service.  

Edited July 26, 2019 by Kartgv

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, Kartgv said:

We've almost always had OBC's given by the TA not appear on our account until about Day 2 onboard.    OBC given by Princess shows up prior to boarding, but many TA credits do not.    That appears to be what you are seeing.   
 

This is all very interesting to me. My something newly learnt today.

[szubieta]

If I'm reading this right, the point is mute.  It won't matter when the money shows in the OBC account, it only needs to be in there on the last night when your onboard account is due.  So charge whatever you need starting the minute you board.

[Karlzmom]

I’ve had the same disclaimer from my TA and have never had a problem.  There has always been a card in the cabin listed the credit and as has been stated, as long as it’s there in time to settle the bill....that said, seems like it was there at the beginning.

[CruiseGal999]

1 hour ago, szubieta said:

If I'm reading this right, the point is mute.  It won't matter when the money shows in the OBC account, it only needs to be in there on the last night when your onboard account is due.  So charge whatever you need starting the minute you board.

 

Well, the point isn't moot.  The OP wants to order & pay for excursions and specialty dining WITH that OBC.  Since it potentially won't post until Day 2, there may be less selections available day 2 ONBOARD the ship.  

[geoherb]

I booked an excursion I wanted for my Alaska cruise in June before I received my shareholder credit. The amount I paid was listed as refundable on my stateboard account. I ended up not spending all my onboard credit and will receive a check for the refundable amount I had left over. If there's something you definitely want to do, go ahead and pay for it now and then know that you'll have refundable onboard credit that you'll get back if you don't spend it.

Edited July 26, 2019 by geoherb

[NavyVeteran]

I've also received travel agent OBC with the same disclaimer. Note that it says it will be there "by the second night of sailing". It may be there before, but you shouldn't go to Passenger Services to check on it until the second night.

 

It is available for anything you purchase on board - even if you purchase it before the OBC is posted. The purchases (shore excursions, specialty restaurants, gratuities) are posted each day. It may show you have a balance due until the OBC is posted, but the OBC will apply to any purchases you have already made onboard. You have to wait until you are onboard - but you do not have to wait until day 2.

 

The only limitation is that you cannot use this OBC to book shore excursions in advance of the cruise. If you want to book shore excursions in advance, you can only use the OBC already showing in your Cruise Personalizer.

You also cannot use it to book specialty restaurants in advance, but you cannot use any OBC to book specialty restaurants in advance.

Edited July 27, 2019 by NavyVeteran

[skynight]

It does not matter if the OBC shows up on day 1, 2, 3 or whatever. It will be netted against ALL on board expenses, including gratuities, beverages, tours that are purchased on board, specialty dining if purchased on board, casino play, and anything else. The only exception are Future Cruise Deposits, if purchased, are charged directly to your credit. You can not use it to pre-purchase anything in the cruise personlizer. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by skynight

[Colo Cruiser]

Thats too bad the TA is adding their own BS rules.

Precisely the reason I don't play these OBC games and gimmicks.

Give me the discount off the price of the cruise up front.

There is always a catch.   🙄

[donswife]

OBC from the travel agent does not show up until you board. If you have any OBC from Princess, you can find it in your cruise personalizer under the payment/credit tab. You can apply it toward excursions, even if it only covers part. The OBC from an outside agent is usually refundable, so if you don't spend it all, you will get a check in the mail (unless it is a very small amount, then you can get it from the service desk the last morning).

[hellokitty1]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I'm just going to use the OBC for the gratuity and book my excursions now. (Unless someone here says I should pre-pay gratuity 🙂) Thanks for explaining how it works.

 

[JF - retired RRT]

18 hours ago, CruiseGal999 said:

 

Well, the point isn't moot.  The OP wants to order & pay for excursions and specialty dining WITH that OBC.  Since it potentially won't post until Day 2, there may be less selections available day 2 ONBOARD the ship.  

A little more info...the OP can't pay for specialty dining with OBC until he's ON the ship.

He will be limited in spending the OBC from his TA (& I know it's likely a lot of $$) for excursions before boarding, since it won't show in his Personalizer pre-cruise.

[JF - retired RRT]

17 hours ago, skynight said:

The only exception are Future Cruise Deposits, if purchased, are charged directly to your credit card. You can not use it to pre-purchase anything in the cruise personlizer. 

You left out card. OOPs!!

[CruiseGal999]

11 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

A little more info...the OP can't pay for specialty dining with OBC until he's ON the ship.

He will be limited in spending the OBC from his TA (& I know it's likely a lot of $$) for excursions before boarding, since it won't show in his Personalizer pre-cruise.

 

Yeah ... you're just reiterating what I and many others have said.