How to use cruise credit when pre-booking activities?

[basketballdad]

So we have like $700 in shipboard credits.  I went to cruise planner today, picked out some things to do, and when I went to reserve they wanted a credit card number.  I want to use my on board credits.  How do you apply them to pre-cruise purchases?  TIA

[crazy4themouse]

Just now, basketballdad said:

So we have like $700 in shipboard credits.  I went to cruise planner today, picked out some things to do, and when I went to reserve they wanted a credit card number.  I want to use my on board credits.  How do you apply them to pre-cruise purchases?  TIA

 

Unfortunately, you can't. 😕 You'll have to wait and book onboard to use the credits.

 

 

[Caps_Shield]

I believe that since these are called on-board credits, that you in fact need to be on board.  You can only use them for things you bought on board.  Examples would be tips, dinner reservations booked on-board, etc.

[AtSeaWithChris]

You can only use it onboard. They did say that if you prebook it, to guarantee you get it, that you can, once onboard, have guest services to refund it and apply OBC to cover it.

[canes20]

book it, pay for it, cancel it when get on board, re-book with OBC. Of course just takes time for it to get refunded to original form of payment.

[wemjam]

8 minutes ago, canes20 said:

book it, pay for it, cancel it when get on board, re-book with OBC. Of course just takes time for it to get refunded to original form of payment.

This WAS an option, but JH has clearly said now due to so many people having so much OBC they will NOT be allowing this anymore.

 

If you really want something you will have to pony up the money beforehand.  If willing to just wait and take your chances that it will still be available once on board, then wait and just do it on board with OBC

[canes20]

1 minute ago, wemjam said:

This WAS an option, but JH has clearly said now due to so many people having so much OBC they will NOT be allowing this anymore.

 

If you really want something you will have to pony up the money beforehand.  If willing to just wait and take your chances that it will still be available once on board, then wait and just do it on board with OBC

When did JH say this? Couple of days ago, my suggestion, was his suggestion.

[AtSeaWithChris]

2 minutes ago, wemjam said:

This WAS an option, but JH has clearly said now due to so many people having so much OBC they will NOT be allowing this anymore.

Really? I must have missed him saying that because his saying you could do that certainly sparked a lot of conversation about it.

[wemjam]

2 minutes ago, canes20 said:

When did JH say this? Couple of days ago, my suggestion, was his suggestion.

Sometime in the last couple days... it was posted several times on his page and he mentioned it in one of his videos too.  I too saw originally where he said you could do this and started a thread on it to help people who might like to try to do just that.  Then a few days later JH started back peddling and saying we couldn't... I added that to my thread

[canes20]

1 minute ago, wemjam said:

Sometime in the last couple days... it was posted several times on his page and he mentioned it in one of his videos too.  I too saw originally where he said you could do this and started a thread on it to help people who might like to try to do just that.  Then a few days later JH started back peddling and saying we couldn't... I added that to my thread

Thank you

[wemjam]

Just now, canes20 said:

Thank you

Yep, he basically back peddled and said because so many people had so much OBC they couldn't do it.  MY guess is someone got wise to the fact that if everyone with all this OBC starts doing this, they are going to have 2 issues:

1.   The logistics of handling all the extra charge changes onboard

2.   Missing all the presale $, cause people are going to always buy stuff in advance if they can't wait and want to be sure (me included in that category), and still spend their OBC too.  Cuts into the profits if they let you switch it out onboard.

[AtSeaWithChris]

1 minute ago, wemjam said:

Yep, he basically back peddled and said because so many people had so much OBC they couldn't do it.  MY guess is someone got wise to the fact that if everyone with all this OBC starts doing this, they are going to have 2 issues:

1.   The logistics of handling all the extra charge changes onboard

2.   Missing all the presale $, cause people are going to always buy stuff in advance if they can't wait and want to be sure (me included in that category), and still spend their OBC too.  Cuts into the profits if they let you switch it out onboard.

whoooooweeee, he started something again... You know there will be people that went out and booked dining and excursions because of what he said they could do. I know I went ahead and booked Chef's Table with the thought I would refund and purchase with OBC. If this is indeed the truth, he needs to make a separate video talking about it. I will now be looking for the video he back-pedaled on.

[wemjam]

7 minutes ago, MamallamaAndDaddy said:

whoooooweeee, he started something again... You know there will be people that went out and booked dining and excursions because of what he said they could do. I know I went ahead and booked Chef's Table with the thought I would refund and purchase with OBC. If this is indeed the truth, he needs to make a separate video talking about it. I will now be looking for the video he back-pedaled on.

Yep, I went looking for it, but he has too many posts.  Video and posts both!  

[wemjam]

Just now, wemjam said:

Yep, I went looking for it, but he has too many posts.  Video and posts both!  

I will say this though, people can cancel things now that booked for this reason alone as long as their cruise isn't in the next couple days!

[basketballdad]

14 hours ago, Caps_Shield said:

I believe that since these are called on-board credits, that you in fact need to be on board.  You can only use them for things you bought on board.  Examples would be tips, dinner reservations booked on-board, etc.

Or, they are called onboard credits as they are credits to be used to purchase on board items like tips, drink packages, internet options, etc., which are not only offered, but heavily pushed to be purchased before you sail (e.g. save 15% if you buy before your cruise).  Thankfully someone else posted less snarky and more helpful information.  But thanks.

 

[NCTribeFan]

I didn't think Caps was being "snarky" at all.  They are, in fact, called On Board Credits.  😄

 

OP - some lines DO allow (and have allowed in the past and not just recently) the use of OBC to pre-purchase all those things you want to buy before boarding to ensure you get the item/time slot/whatever you want.

 

But Carnival has never done this.

 

Honestly, I think we all know that sometimes Mr. Heald says things that may not be entirely accurate.  He wants Carnival customers to be happy and (I think) tells them what they want to hear.  Someone at Corporate then informs him that they can't really do whatever and he has to backpedal.

[firefly333]

38 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

I didn't think Caps was being "snarky" at all.  They are, in fact, called On Board Credits.  😄

 

OP - some lines DO allow (and have allowed in the past and not just recently) the use of OBC to pre-purchase all those things you want to buy before boarding to ensure you get the item/time slot/whatever you want.

 

But Carnival has never done this.

 

Idk if some are like me and it's easy to confuse what each line does. I can name so many little differences say between rcl and carnival.

 

Rcl does allow you to use obc before you cruise for planner items they constantly put on sale.

 

Loyalty pts. Carnival credits loyalty pts when you board. Rcl credits them after you disembark. If I am going to turn diamond on carnival I board as diamond, on rcl I'm not diamond until after that cruise.

 

Drink pkgs. Carnival does not allow you to use them on private islands. Cheers out of Galveston doesnt start until 6 am the next day. Rcl you can use cheers on their private islands and I can buy drinks with my pkg right away. Rcl eats whatever extra cost, though their cheers costs more.

 

I can name a bunch of these things and why people are confused as they remember their last cruise perhaps that wasnt on carnival and people act like well of course you should remember the rules.

[ProgRockCruiser]

1 hour ago, NCTribeFan said:

Honestly, I think we all know that sometimes Mr. Heald says things that may not be entirely accurate.  He wants Carnival customers to be happy and (I think) tells them what they want to hear.  Someone at Corporate then informs him that they can't really do whatever and he has to backpedal.

Or, until he mentioned it on a public forum and it was revealed to everyone, it might have indeed been possible, when a large proportion for cruisers, maybe the majority, weren't awash with OBC.

 

So now the Corporation has had to change its policy.

 

1 hour ago, NCTribeFan said:

I didn't think Caps was being "snarky" at all.  They are, in fact, called On Board Credits.  😄

Concur.  Caps was just stating the facts and noting the name as being an apt description.

[NCTribeFan]

firefly - you're correct.  All the lines do things a bit differently.  HAL doesn't allow you to pre-spend your OBC.  They also don't allow their drinks package to be used on HMC but you can purchase a package for that day only (no thanks).  X allows you to pre-spend your OBC.  HAL allows you to stack your FCCs (that was the only way I could afford a 12-night sailing with their Have It All promo; I used three FCCs)!

 

Thing is, most lines (that I've dealt with) have offered more in FCC (base fare x 1xx%) but gave considerably less OBC.  So Carnival allowing people to use theirs prior to sailing could have a bigger impact.  They know that some people will pre-purchase a lot of things because they're concerned that the options they want won't be available once they board and they'll spend their OBC on other things.  I imagine Carnival is also counting on many people not quite spending all their OBC.

 

It's sort of like the people who purchase Cheers even though they know they won't get their "money's worth" from it.  Totally unfathomable to me (as a CPA), but plenty of people seem to do it and that just puts more money on Carnival's bottom line.  As a CCL shareholder, I'm fine with that.

[arkaine23]

Good thing I saw this.   Been milling over what JH said a few days ago and was going.to start booking excursions to be refunded/OBC'd on-ship.  Good to know I shouldn't try to do that.

[audcc77]

2 hours ago, arkaine23 said:

Good thing I saw this.   Been milling over what JH said a few days ago and was going.to start booking excursions to be refunded/OBC'd on-ship.  Good to know I shouldn't try to do that.

Me too!

 

Glad I read this thread.  I was going to book several things and switch to OBC after boarding.  

 

I don’t think JH purposely says things without checking with the higher ups.  I think it’s the higher ups which make decisions and then JH ends up being the fall guy. 
 

Not really a diehard fan of JH but it seems that way to me sometimes. 

 

[Barsnikel]

It's a "business" decision. Carnival does not allow you to use the OBC for advanced purchases... think about it. Advanced purchases are "cash" up front (meaning more revenue for Carnival).

 

OBC is a "perk", and generally produces no (or little) additional revenue, with small incurred cost to Carnival. 

 

If you use OBC for Behind The Scenes tour, that cost them nothing.  If you use OBC for a $10-$12 drink, that drink costs them a fraction of that to make.

 

The more they can get you to buy up front, the more revenue for them.