Carnival OBC Question

[Cinders411]

Hello everyone! I have a question about OBC and hope you can help. I have cruised many times. I thought that if you had received OBC you could use it immediately to pay for specialty dinners, excursions or a drink package. I received $200 in OBC when I booked. I would like to make a purchase now in cases prices raise. I cannot seem to locate the OBC online to apply toward my purchase. Is this something new? My cruise is not until Oct 2022 is that the reason? Maybe I am just not remembering how things worked pre-covid? I am hoping I can do this online and I don't have to call Carnival. That never seems to work out too well for me LOL! I do have my receipt listing the OBC so I did not make a mistake there. I completed a search but, didn't locate any topics related to this specifically. 

[mondello]

A lot of people have found that the OBC is only good to use once onboard, not for prepaying. Many can't take advantage of the prepayment discount for Cheers or getting their preferred time for specialty dining.

[abby1257]

Why is it, when you go into order details, it shows any promotional on board credit (which of course is divided between the 2 people in the room)...but it NEVER shows the obc owed to the person for left over $ from  previous cancelled cruise by carnival.....After they cancelled my cruise, I choose to rebook, but the new cruise is a lot cheaper.....They still owe me $500 of my $ from when they cancelled my last cruise,,,,,

[mrpayroll]

Carnival does not and has not allowed you to use obc until on board. 

[firefly333]

52 minutes ago, Cinders411 said:

Hello everyone! I have a question about OBC and hope you can help. I have cruised many times. I thought that if you had received OBC you could use it immediately to pay for specialty dinners, excursions or a drink package. I received $200 in OBC when I booked. I would like to make a purchase now in cases prices raise. I cannot seem to locate the OBC online to apply toward my purchase. Is this something new? My cruise is not until Oct 2022 is that the reason? Maybe I am just not remembering how things worked pre-covid? I am hoping I can do this online and I don't have to call Carnival. That never seems to work out too well for me LOL! I do have my receipt listing the OBC so I did not make a mistake there. I completed a search but, didn't locate any topics related to this specifically. 

Carnival has never allowed obc to be used prior to your cruise. Perhaps you were on rcl who does allow it.

[LRDR01]

5 minutes ago, mrpayroll said:

Carnival does not and has not allowed you to use obc until on board. 

mrpayroll is correct.  We have never been able to use our OBC until onboard the ship.   Anything you reserve prior to your sailing date will need to be paid for separately.    If you have leftover credit at the end of your cruise, you can always donate the extra to St Jude's or designate an extra tip to your favorite crew member(s).

[audcc77]

How do you specifically designate extra tip to someone using OBC?

[lobster1313]

1 minute ago, audcc77 said:

How do you specifically designate extra tip to someone using OBC?

If it's a server than you can just add it in as additional gratuity.

[klfrodo]

11 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

How do you specifically designate extra tip to someone using OBC?

You have no choice as to how you use your OBC.

OBC just starts out as a credit on your account. As you make a purchase, the credit is adjusted on your account.

For example let's say you have $300 OBC

Your account will show the credit as ($300)

Buy a couple of drinks at $25 each.  Account is now ($250)

Buy WiFi package for $100. Account now shows ($150)

Buy photo package for $100. Account shows ($50)

Buy Dining package for $150. Account shows $100 (you are now into them for $100)

etc,etc

Edited August 5, 2021 by klfrodo

[MT_Sea_Cruisers]

2 hours ago, abby1257 said:

Why is it, when you go into order details, it shows any promotional on board credit (which of course is divided between the 2 people in the room)...but it NEVER shows the obc owed to the person for left over $ from  previous cancelled cruise by carnival.....After they cancelled my cruise, I choose to rebook, but the new cruise is a lot cheaper.....They still owe me $500 of my $ from when they cancelled my last cruise,,,,,

I had additional OBC from a cancelled/rebooked cruise. It does not show on the "balance details" page on the carnival website, but if I go to print my documents (under cruise manager -> list of things to do) and print documents (and check print additional documents) it shows added to my booking incentive OBC amount

[abby1257]

Thank you for your reply.  I appreciate it....I need to find out if they put the $500.00 owed to me....on my sign and sail card....or do they split it up between all guests in the room....I hope that's not the case.....That $500.00 has no other person's name attached to it....ps...it shows all the credits....but not whose name they are under!

Edited August 5, 2021 by abby1257

[lobster1313]

25 minutes ago, abby1257 said:

Thank you for your reply.  I appreciate it....I need to find out if they put the $500.00 owed to me....on my sign and sail card....or do they split it up between all guests in the room....I hope that's not the case.....That $500.00 has no other person's name attached to it....ps...it shows all the credits....but not whose name they are under!

Our promotional OBC was divided 3 ways and each person had to spend their own.  It didn't show that way until we were on the Horizon. 

[abby1257]

So the $500.00 they owe ME from my previous cruise will be divided 3 ways for the 3 people in the cabin...ummmm...NO!

 

[Cinders411]

I believe you are correct! It was on RCI that we used our OBC prior to sailing for the drink package, dining or excursions. Thank you to all!

[centurycruiser]

You work it out with the people in the room. If it is all yours, 50-50, or thirds. I'm assuming you are cruising with family or friends and not someone you don't know. 

[LRDR01]

On 8/5/2021 at 7:57 AM, audcc77 said:

How do you specifically designate extra tip to someone using OBC?

We have been able to do this by going to the Guest Services desk.  We just give them the name of the crew member and the department they work in.  We have done this several times and I'm assuming that it has been successful because it has come off of our account at the end.    Again, I'm trusting that the crew member actually gets it.  

[mondello]

23 hours ago, abby1257 said:

So the $500.00 they owe ME from my previous cruise will be divided 3 ways for the 3 people in the cabin...ummmm...NO!

 

The rebooking OBC they were giving out ($300/600) is definitely split in half and is non-refundable. You can check your folio once onboard, if any OBC is split, guests will have to go to Guest Services and all involved guests must okay changing the OBC allocation.

[abby1257]

I understand that the onboard credit incentive would be split up...but the other is not incentive obc.....