Can one use Refundable OBC prior to cruise?

[Grandmaanne7]

We have a cruise booked on Infinity in March.  We were lucky enough to get all 4 perks included for a great price.  We booked the exact same deal for our traveling companions the very next day.  Our OBC is not available for pre cruise purchases, which I understand and confirmed with the TA that it is from them, therefore is refundable.  A few days after booking, our companions' OBC appeared as usable prior to the cruise.  Has anyone ever had refundable OBC available for use prior to their cruise?

[ShawninFL]

Whether refundable or not, if the OBC is coming from the cruise line it will show on the reservation and can be used to make precruise purchases in Cruise Planner.  If it's coming from the TA, then it doesn't show up on your account until the second day of the cruise.  So anyone whose reservation includes the 4-perks should have at least $300.00 on OBC for use precruise.   

[oneputt18]

I have never had travel agent refundable OBC show up as usable on the website, it has always shown up on the second day of the cruise.

[39august]

If you purchase OBC or use Visa points for OBC, which is refundable, that amount does show up on your cruise planner for use prior to boarding. I think that is strange, but I just experienced this for a future cruise. 

[Grandmaanne7]

26 minutes ago, ShawninFL said:

Whether refundable or not, if the OBC is coming from the cruise line it will show on the reservation and can be used to make precruise purchases in Cruise Planner.  If it's coming from the TA, then it doesn't show up on your account until the second day of the cruise.  So anyone whose reservation includes the 4-perks should have at least $300.00 on OBC for use precruise.   

This is my confusion.  We purchased the exact same deal (the 4 perks came from the TA, not Celebrity).  Our OBC is not showing on our reservation on the Celebrity website and our cabin has not been assigned - we booked OV guarantees.  Our companions had their cabin assigned immediately and their OBC is showing as usable prior to the cruise on the Celebrity website.  It just seems a bit strange to me.

[jelayne]

16 minutes ago, 39august said:

If you purchase OBC or use Visa points for OBC, which is refundable, that amount does show up on your cruise planner for use prior to boarding. I think that is strange, but I just experienced this for a future cruise. 

 It is my understanding that OBC from TAs isn’t paid to the cruise line until just before the departure date.  The OBC you purchased or used points for is a purchase and gets the funds at the time of purchase.

[ShawninFL]

4 minutes ago, Grandmaanne7 said:

This is my confusion.  We purchased the exact same deal (the 4 perks came from the TA, not Celebrity).  Our OBC is not showing on our reservation on the Celebrity website and our cabin has not been assigned - we booked OV guarantees.  Our companions had their cabin assigned immediately and their OBC is showing as usable prior to the cruise on the Celebrity website.  It just seems a bit strange to me.

 

It seems odd to me that all 4 of the perks are coming from the TA.  I think I would double check with the TA because if you and your friends booked the exact same deal with the same TA, then you should both be seeing he same thing online in regards to OBC. 

[jelayne]

1 minute ago, Grandmaanne7 said:

This is my confusion.  We purchased the exact same deal (the 4 perks came from the TA, not Celebrity).  Our OBC is not showing on our reservation on the Celebrity website and our cabin has not been assigned - we booked OV guarantees.  Our companions had their cabin assigned immediately and their OBC is showing as usable prior to the cruise on the Celebrity website.  It just seems a bit strange to me.

 

Did all 4 perks come from the TA, normally X offers 1-3 and some TAs add the 4th.  

Is it possible that on your friends booking the TA chose to cover a different perk (gratuities maybe) and the OBC was from X? 

 

[Fouremco]

As both bookings were made by you with the same TA, why not ask the TA why there is a difference? Personally, I've yet to see a Canadian TA offer 4 perks, and I wonder if there is some confusion over where they came from. 

[Grandmaanne7]

On 10/6/2019 at 5:05 PM, Fouremco said:

As both bookings were made by you with the same TA, why not ask the TA why there is a difference? Personally, I've yet to see a Canadian TA offer 4 perks, and I wonder if there is some confusion over where they came from. 

This was not a Canadian TA.  It was an online TA located in NH.  I did contact them and they just got back to me indicating that they contacted Celebrity to ensure that I now have access to the funds prior to the cruise.  Indeed, I just checked the website and it is now there.  I, therefore, assume that it is non-refundable although the TA did not answer that part of my question directly.  Now, I will contact Celebrity and see if I can have the shore excursion I purchased a couple of weeks ago taken out of my OBC and refunded to my credit card.  Wish me luck.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, Grandmaanne7 said:

Wish me luck.

Good luck! 

[Grandmaanne7]

1 minute ago, Fouremco said:

Good luck! 

Well, Celebrity was happy to go ahead and refund my credit card and charge it to my OBC, however, we had booked on a sale and the excursion would have to be rebooked at the current price.  It's not worth over $60 to me.  Hopefully there will be another sale and I can rebook then.

[jagoffee]

This may be an example of the TA saying that the four perks are from them, but they might be built into the bundled price.  Therefore they would be from Celebrity.

 

It probably does not really matter.