OBC versus Excursion Credit

[number one eagles fan]

The elevate package that I've purchased for my upcoming cruise includes a $150 "excursion" credit. Does anyone have experience being able to use that money as OBC? 

 

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, number one eagles fan said:

The elevate package that I've purchased for my upcoming cruise includes a $150 "excursion" credit. Does anyone have experience being able to use that money as OBC? 

 

Wishful thinking. 😉

[WestLakeGirl]

I understood that they were one and the same.  Davekathy are you saying that the “excursion credit” is actully restricted somehow?

[newt64]

We purchased the Perks Extra package which included $225.00 shore excursion credit.  We used all of it but $16 for excursions and used the rest as OBC.  

[GTarrant]

Right now, I've found that the "excursion credit" just ends up being lumped into the same bucket as any other OBC. We have some OBC and some excursion credit but the celebrity website just says we have $X OBC to use on whatever.

 

Now, it's entirely possible that down the road they start enforcing the difference between the two - there's no guarantee that it'll always be the same bucket - but right now they don't.

[Turtles06]

40 minutes ago, number one eagles fan said:

The elevate package that I've purchased for my upcoming cruise includes a $150 "excursion" credit. Does anyone have experience being able to use that money as OBC? 

 

 

We have the Elevate Package for an upcoming cruise (hope it happens!).  I confirmed with Celebrity before purchasing it that the OBC is not restricted to shorex but can be used for anything that OBC can be used for.   Indeed, looking in my Cruise Planner, the OBC shows up there as as regular (non-refundable) OBC, not as something restricted to shorex.  We've used some of it already to buy a specialty dining package. 

[davekathy]

28 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

I understood that they were one and the same.  Davekathy are you saying that the “excursion credit” is actully restricted somehow?

Nope, never said that. Just making a tongue in cheek comment. That's why the winking emoji. 

[Jeremiah1212]

Right now I don't think they have any way to earmark certain OBC aside from refundable and non-refundable. Just like if a TA gives you a 'free speciality restaurant' reservation, in reality it's just OBC that the TA had to give a name. 

[colingu]

I was wondering the same. When checking the terms and and conditions it states "SOBC does not have to be spent on excursions". So what's the point of having SOBC & OBC if they end up being the same?

[WestLakeGirl]

Some marketing fail

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, colingu said:

I was wondering the same. When checking the terms and and conditions it states "SOBC does not have to be spent on excursions". So what's the point of having SOBC & OBC if they end up being the same?

I don't care what Celebrity calls the OBC. As long as I (my wife, 😉) get to spend it on what we (my wife, 😉)wants. I like the idea of it being flexible.

[kevanmia]

On 8/2/2021 at 3:31 PM, colingu said:

I was wondering the same. When checking the terms and and conditions it states "SOBC does not have to be spent on excursions". So what's the point of having SOBC & OBC if they end up being the same?

 

Clearly they want you to use it on the overpriced excursions... markups on those things are nuts.

 

However, to confirm answers to OP, "Shore Excursion Credit" can be used on anything onboard whatsoever.  So go gamble with it!