OBC question from TA

[suslang]

Hi,  We booked through a TA and were given 600 OBC.  I don't think that will be available until we actually board the ship.  So my question, is there anyway to use this to prebook excursions?  Or do I just have to wait and see if there are any excursions still available once onboard?

 

Susan

[Squawkman]

39 minutes ago, suslang said:

Hi,  We booked through a TA and were given 600 OBC.  I don't think that will be available until we actually board the ship.  So my question, is there anyway to use this to prebook excursions?  Or do I just have to wait and see if there are any excursions still available once onboard?

 

Susan

We always book our cruises with the same Viking agent. In cases where we received shipboard credit, we were able to use it to book excursions prior to embarkation. I’m not sure if this is the same when you use a TA.

[Flgreg]

We booked with a travel agent, Viking was running a promotion with $500 shipboard credit per cabin which we used to pay for excursions.

[CCWineLover]

Viking Shipboard credits are different from Travel Agent on board credits - be aware.

 

The OP asked about TA OBC.  With these you typically will see them when you get on board.

The exception is lately there have been instances for us (and with others) of the Travel Agent sending the OBC's to Viking a bit early.  Then if you had purchased Excursions when they came available with your own money (Checking, Credit Card, etc), Viking now has a policy to immediately use those TA OBC's they received.  They apply the OBC amount against the excursions and issue you a refund back to your form of payment for those excursions.  You don't have a choice in the matter.

In your example, if you bought excursions ahead of time totally $800, then you would get a refund back of $600.   

 

You could always wait to book excursions until you are on the ship, but this is not advisable.  You can always go ahead a book the free included excursions.  That way you might get the times you want.

If you are reluctant to fork out money ahead of time to buy any optional excursions, then of course you can wait until onboard, but your pickings may be limited.

 

If you are worried about using the OBC's when you are onboard, there are plenty of choices.  We usually always apply them to the Gratuities, and possibly the Silver Spirits package, the spa, or the ship store.  Never an issue.

[suslang]

8 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Viking Shipboard credits are different from Travel Agent on board credits - be aware.

 

The OP asked about TA OBC.  With these you typically will see them when you get on board.

The exception is lately there have been instances for us (and with others) of the Travel Agent sending the OBC's to Viking a bit early.  Then if you had purchased Excursions when they came available with your own money (Checking, Credit Card, etc), Viking now has a policy to immediately use those TA OBC's they received.  They apply the OBC amount against the excursions and issue you a refund back to your form of payment for those excursions.  You don't have a choice in the matter.

In your example, if you bought excursions ahead of time totally $800, then you would get a refund back of $600.   

 

You could always wait to book excursions until you are on the ship, but this is not advisable.  You can always go ahead a book the free included excursions.  That way you might get the times you want.

If you are reluctant to fork out money ahead of time to buy any optional excursions, then of course you can wait until onboard, but your pickings may be limited.

 

If you are worried about using the OBC's when you are onboard, there are plenty of choices.  We usually always apply them to the Gratuities, and possibly the Silver Spirits package, the spa, or the ship store.  Never an issue.

Thank you!  That was very helpful.  I won't worry about booking ahead then and hopefully Viking will refund once they receive the OBC from the TA.

[CDR2001]

I’d save the OBC for use to pay the gratuities. If you don’t prepay them, Viking will subtract from your onboard account automatically near the end of the cruise. (You can change the amount if you like.)  For 2 week cruise, our suggested gratuities were almost $500, the amount of our leftover OBC. I would book any excursion your can’t live without as soon as they become available.  (There is confusion around exactly when excursions open, some here on CC advised me to check at midnight PST, and there they were!) We were able to change a few excursions while onboard, but most of the popular ones were full. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by CDR2001

[LindaS272]

29 minutes ago, CDR2001 said:

If you don’t prepay them, Viking will subtract from your onboard account automatically near the end of the cruise. (You can change the amount if you like.)

Gratuities are optional, don’t forget. And you can change the amount to zero if you want. (We always pay the suggested amount and then extra in person to our room stewards.)

[Clay Clayton]

Like CCwinelover, on our last cruise (Iceland July 2021) we were surprised when we booked our excursions before boarding to find that their cost had been subtracted from our agent’s Shipboard Credit. Not sure if this was a one off or part of a new procedure.
 

We saw it when we booked the excursions and MVJ didn’t ask for a credit card number. 

[mhb1757]

6 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Like CCwinelover, on our last cruise (Iceland July 2021) we were surprised when we booked our excursions before boarding to find that their cost had been subtracted from our agent’s Shipboard Credit. Not sure if this was a one off or part of a new procedure.
 

We saw it when we booked the excursions and MVJ didn’t ask for a credit card number. 

Same thing happened to us for both the last river and ocean cruises. Always before the OBC funds couldn’t be accessed until you were on board but for the past 12 months or so they can be used before boarding and if we paid for excursions the amount paid was refunded to our cc. 

[Squawkman]

Quoted from my booking document:  (SBC)…”Will be applied To Onboard item such As: Shore Excursions, Beverage packages and Pre Paid Gratuities”.

 

So as long as the item in question is to be utilized on board, it can be paid before boarding with SBC. So excursions can be prepaid, but an extension probably couldn’t.

[suslang]

On 9/17/2022 at 10:22 AM, Squawkman said:

Quoted from my booking document:  (SBC)…”Will be applied To Onboard item such As: Shore Excursions, Beverage packages and Pre Paid Gratuities”.

 

So as long as the item in question is to be utilized on board, it can be paid before boarding with SBC. So excursions can be prepaid, but an extension probably couldn’t.

Well, the SBC won't be in my account until I'm on board.  Therefore, I can't pay for excursions until I board unless I pay with my own funds.  That is the conundrum.

[stretchcruz]

The leftover obc from my TA was refunded to me by Viking after we got home. On the TV in your cabin it is listed as "refundable"

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, suslang said:

Well, the SBC won't be in my account until I'm on board.  Therefore, I can't pay for excursions until I board unless I pay with my own funds.  That is the conundrum.

I think what some of us are trying to tell you is that in some cases the shipboard credit shows up before you board and CAN be used. 

[Squawkman]

55 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

I think what some of us are trying to tell you is that in some cases the shipboard credit shows up before you board and CAN be used. 

As I do all my Viking bookings through a. Inking agent, my SBC has always been for a Viking promo - not from a TA. 

[Clay Clayton]

34 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

As I do all my Viking bookings through a. Inking agent, my SBC has always been for a Viking promo - not from a TA. 

Oh. Sorry. 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[suslang]

12 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

I think what some of us are trying to tell you is that in some cases the shipboard credit shows up before you board and CAN be used. 

I understand what everyone is saying.  However, my TA specifically stated that the OBC would not be available until on board.  Maybe it will be refundable though...

[Clay Clayton]

9 hours ago, suslang said:

I understand what everyone is saying.  However, my TA specifically stated that the OBC would not be available until on board.  Maybe it will be refundable though...

Yep so did mine last year and yet…😂

[CCWineLover]

26 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Yep so did mine last year and yet…😂

Sam here Clay.  Our TA said same thing and still Viking did it.  He was dumbfounded, and did say it’s been happening a lot with Viking.  And I believe we have the same parent Travel Agency - one Viking wouldn’t really like to upset.

[shadowlover]

I'm having a hard time understanding why it is a problem that viking use the on board credit to pay for your excursions.... Isn't it the same difference?  My only OBC will come from my travel agent after boarding but if viking wants to reimburse me for my excursions it's fine by me.  Am I missing something?

[suslang]

On 9/19/2022 at 6:49 PM, shadowlover said:

I'm having a hard time understanding why it is a problem that viking use the on board credit to pay for your excursions.... Isn't it the same difference?  My only OBC will come from my travel agent after boarding but if viking wants to reimburse me for my excursions it's fine by me.  Am I missing something?

That is definitely not a problem, I'm just not sure that it is guaranteed that they will refund the money.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, suslang said:

That is definitely not a problem, I'm just not sure that it is guaranteed that they will refund the money.

 

OBC from a TA is considered as refundable credits on you shipboard account. At the end of the cruise, if you have refundable credits remaining, Viking post a cheque within about 6 weeks of disembarkation.

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

OBC from a TA is considered as refundable credits on you shipboard account. At the end of the cruise, if you have refundable credits remaining, Viking post a cheque within about 6 weeks of disembarkation.

Andy-I think you need to add “usually” to your statement.  On two of our five Viking cruises, the TA shipboard credit has been non-refundable.  I know because one time we bought a set of the binoculars to use it up and on the other I was at the bar in the Living Room on the last night saying give me $12 worth of amaretto on the rocks 😂

 

On the others it was refundable and we got a check back about two weeks after disembarking. 

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Andy-I think you need to add “usually” to your statement.  On two of our five Viking cruises, the TA shipboard credit has been non-refundable.  I know because one time we bought a set of the binoculars to use it up and on the other I was at the bar in the Living Room on the last night saying give me $12 worth of amaretto on the rocks 😂

 

On the others it was refundable and we got a check back about two weeks after disembarking. 

 

Thanks Clay - I wasn't aware of that.

 

If they told me that the OBC from my TA was non-refundable, the person making that decision would have an issue, as I would follow up with the HQ in Basle.

[FetaCheese]

Is is possible that OBC from TA is coming from TA consortium?  

 

My reasoning:. On next V cruise, my TA invoice shows 3 OBC amounts.

 

1.  Amount purely from TA, (Reg max amount allowed by V.

 

2.  Another amount from TA, consortium, I think, (see my last sentence).

 

3.  Another amount purely from V (from a V sale promo).

 

However, on V invoice (guest statement), OBC's # 2 and # 3 above are listed.

 

The total of #2 and #3 are available to spend pre-boarding on MVJ.  OBC # 1 is not on V statement, and from prior experience, unspent balance was refunded to me by mailed check, about 2 weeks after cruise.

 

Therefore, it could be possible that OBC #2 would be non-refundable.

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by FetaCheese
Clarity

[Clay Clayton]

41 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Is is possible that OBC from TA is coming from TA consortium?  

 

My reasoning:. On next V cruise, my TA invoice shows 3 OBC amounts.

 

1.  Amount purely from TA, (Reg max amount allowed by V.

 

2.  Another amount from TA, consortium, I think, (see my last sentence).

 

3.  Another amount purely from V (from a V sale promo).

 

However, on V invoice (guest statement), OBC's # 2 and # 3 above are listed.

 

The total of #2 and #3 are available to spend pre-boarding on MVJ.  OBC # 1 is not on V statement, and from prior experience, unspent balance was refunded to me by mailed check, about 2 weeks after cruise.

 

Therefore, it could be possible that OBC #2 would be non-refundable.

 

Interesting they you’re getting #2 which means you’re getting more than the max allowable by Viking🤔