Refundable OBC vs Non-Refundable OBC

[PATRLR]

This post is an attempt to identify what can and can't be purchased with refundable vs non-refundable On-Board Credit (OBC).   I am sure I got some of this wrong, please let me know.  Maybe I can make the last post an updated more accurate list.  (this is where the wiki feature that other forums like FlyerTalk have would work well)

 

Non-Refundable OBC can be used for:

• Dining (ala carte meals, dining up charges)
• Beverages (beverages not included in a package and beverage up charges)
• Other food - Starbucks, Cocos, etc
• Attractions - GoKarts, Galaxy Pavilion, Arcades
• Internet, Internet upgrades
• Ship's Stores
• Excursions bought on board
• Spa services

 

Refundable OBC can be used for:

• Everything in the Non-Refundable OBC list
• Daily service Charge (DSC)
• Bingo and other paid for games of chance
• Casino
• Cruise Next (CN) Certificates
• Additional gratuities for staff

 

What did I miss or get wrong?

[Ken the cruiser]

When I asked the NCL chat person, they said you could use nonrefundable OBC to pay for laundry as well. 

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

When I asked the NCL chat person, they said you could use nonrefundable OBC to pay for laundry as well. 

Makes sense, I'll add that to the V2 list.

 

[Aldeya]

Which OBC are refundable? Stockholder OBC or OBC provided by Travel Agency? 

Also if at the end of the cruise you still have refundable OBC left, will they automatically go back to your credit card? 

[PATRLR]

13 minutes ago, Aldeya said:

Which OBC are refundable? Stockholder OBC or OBC provided by Travel Agency? 

Also if at the end of the cruise you still have refundable OBC left, will they automatically go back to your credit card? 

Stockholder OBC is non-refundable.  Travel Agency OBC is often non-refundable, but, could be either.

 

At the end of the cruise if you still have refundable OBC, you must go to guest services where they will give you cash to close our your refundable OBC balance.  If you don't do that, then you will get pulled out of line when trying to exit the ship and you will need to get the issue resolved (there will be someone nearby to cash you out).  

[Aldeya]

1 minute ago, PATRLR said:

Stockholder OBC is non-refundable.  Travel Agency OBC is often non-refundable, but, could be either.

 

At the end of the cruise if you still have refundable OBC, you must go to guest services where they will give you cash to close our your refundable OBC balance.  If you don't do that, then you will get pulled out of line when trying to exit the ship and you will need to get the issue resolved (there will be someone nearby to cash you out).  

Thank you so much! Didn't realize I need to go to guest services to handle refundable OBC at the end of the cruise.

[PATRLR]

10 minutes ago, Aldeya said:

Thank you so much! Didn't realize I need to go to guest services to handle refundable OBC at the end of the cruise.

Apparently quite a few people don't realize it.  I saw three different folks pulled out of the disembarkation line in the five minutes or so I was in the area to actually see people getting pulled out.  (I suppose some of them could have possibly owed money for a morning purchase or something like that)

Edited December 5, 2022 by PATRLR

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, PATRLR said:

Stockholder OBC is non-refundable.  Travel Agency OBC is often non-refundable, but, could be either.

 

At the end of the cruise if you still have refundable OBC, you must go to guest services where they will give you cash to close our your refundable OBC balance.  If you don't do that, then you will get pulled out of line when trying to exit the ship and you will need to get the issue resolved (there will be someone nearby to cash you out).  

Here’s what I find annoying about this being relatively new to NCL.

 

Let’s say for whatever reason you have both refundable and nonrefundable OBC in your account. But in the NCL app as well as on an account printout you got from Guest Services, it lists them both under one category, nonrefundable OBC. We just checked with GS and they confirmed that their system (which only they can look at) is the only one that actually breaks down your available OBC into the two separate categories. 🤔
 

Here’s the interesting part. They will not put any excess refundable OBC back onto your credit card if there is any remaining at the end of your cruise. In addition, you cannot cash out your refundable OBC until the day before you disembark the ship. But since the “perception” is that all of your OBC is nonrefundable based on the information in both your App and GS account printout they gave you upon request, you’re going to work hard to spend it. That is unless you already know this and are periodically stopping by GS to check on how much, if any, refundable OBC is still on your account.
 

And thanks to you, we now know this! Thank you! 😁

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Here’s what I find annoying about this being relatively new to NCL.

 

Let’s say for whatever reason you have both refundable and nonrefundable OBC in your account. But in the NCL app as well as on an account printout you got from Guest Services, it lists them both under one category, nonrefundable OBC. We just checked with GS and they confirmed that their system (which only they can look at) is the only one that actually breaks down your available OBC into the two separate categories. 🤔

I know you say you just checked, so, I feel strange asking this:  On the Encore Nov 13 cruise, my printouts from GS had, at the very end, a line that listed "Balance" and "Non-Ref. Balance".  That's how I was tracking the difference.  Do you not have that on the ship you are currently on (Jade?)?

My account got messy due to cancelled excursions and the strange way they refund the $50 shore excursion credit and then charge you for it.  So I had to rely on printouts so I could make notes on it to be sure I was whole.  I never looked seriously at the TV or the ap.

[Ken the cruiser]

3 hours ago, PATRLR said:

I know you say you just checked, so, I feel strange asking this:  On the Encore Nov 13 cruise, my printouts from GS had, at the very end, a line that listed "Balance" and "Non-Ref. Balance".  That's how I was tracking the difference.  Do you not have that on the ship you are currently on (Jade?)?

My account got messy due to cancelled excursions and the strange way they refund the $50 shore excursion credit and then charge you for it.  So I had to rely on printouts so I could make notes on it to be sure I was whole.  I never looked seriously at the TV or the ap.

We have those same two entries on the GS printout. However, the Balance currently lists the $875 we owe for the 7 CN certificates we bought and the Non-Ref Balance contains both our nonrefundable OBC (we received from shareholder benefits) combined with the (refundable OBC) refunds we got for (1) canceling a 24-pack of water at the beginning of the cruise and (2) canceling our airport transfers, both of which we purchased using a CC about 12 months prior to the cruise.

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 the Non-Ref Balance contains both our nonrefundable OBC (we received from shareholder benefits) combined with the (refundable OBC) refunds we got for (1) canceling a 24-pack of water at the beginning of the cruise and (2) canceling our airport transfers, both of which we purchased using a CC about 12 months prior to the cruise.

Ugh, that's not good.  I wish I kept my printouts from midweek.  I am quite certain that where mine said Non-ref balance, it was accurate for my non-refundable balance and did not include any refundable OBC.  And like you I had a mix of non-ref OBC from shareholder credit and ref OBC from credits for things I paid for pre-cruise.
 

[Birdnutty]

I've never run into this, but it wouldn't it just be easier to cash out your refundable cash now,  just leaving the non-refundable?  Or is it so messed up that the two are hopelessly entangled?

Then when you use up the non-refundable, anything else gets charged to your credit card, for which you probably get points anyway.  And you could save the cash to pay the credit card bill.  Or not.

 

I may be far off the mark on this, but it seems to me there are ways to pull this off.

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 hours ago, Aldeya said:

Thank you so much! Didn't realize I need to go to guest services to handle refundable OBC at the end of the cruise.

 

9 hours ago, PATRLR said:

My account got messy due to cancelled excursions and the strange way they refund the $50 shore excursion credit and then charge you for it.  So I had to rely on printouts so I could make notes on it to be sure I was whole. 

I avoid having a refundable OBC remainder by not pre-paying DSCs.  I should have some non-refundable on my next cruise, that I'll just have to spend on stuff that qualifies.  Probably a minor excursion or two booked on board or taxes charged on beverages while in port.  Somebody recently stated that those can be charged to non-refundable.  If true, OP may wish to add this to the list.

[greatestvalue]

On 12/5/2022 at 1:39 AM, PATRLR said:

At the end of the cruise if you still have refundable OBC, you must go to guest services where they will give you cash to close our your refundable OBC balance

Can I go to the service desk on Day 1 and ask them to cash out my Refundable OBC?

[ggTexasGal]

4 hours ago, greatestvalue said:

Can I go to the service desk on Day 1 and ask them to cash out my Refundable OBC?

You would most likely be told to obtain cash in the Casino (for a fee), until 24 hours prior to disembarkation!

[PATRLR]

17 hours ago, greatestvalue said:

Can I go to the service desk on Day 1 and ask them to cash out my Refundable OBC?

I doubt it, but, I don't know.

[zqvol]

On 12/27/2022 at 12:59 AM, greatestvalue said:

Can I go to the service desk on Day 1 and ask them to cash out my Refundable OBC?

Unless something has changed you can’t do that. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

This is such a fluid and confusing issue.  We were on the BA on 12/4 and had $450 in NR OBC.  I specially asked the CN people if I could use it for DSC and they said yes.  She even went to the head guy and he came out and told me yes, also.  Huh?  Okay, never look a gift horse in the mouth.   I went to the OBC desk to verify the validity of this, (cause who amongst us has not been fibbed to by CN people), they too said yes.   And that is how it actually worked.  I have no idea why, but it did.

 

Maybe the stars were just aligned that cruise.  But it was quite a pleasant surprise.

[greatestvalue]

4 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

the CN people and OBC desk 

Hi sorry, does the CN People and the OBC desk =    Is this Casino and Guest Services?  I just want to make sure I know who can help if needed. Thank you

[stefmaia]

20 minutes ago, greatestvalue said:

Hi sorry, does the CN People and the OBC desk =    Is this Casino and Guest Services?  I just want to make sure I know who can help if needed. Thank you

Cruise Next people and Guest Services..🙂

[Ken the cruiser]

I take it this “new” policy cannot be found in writing anywhere on the NCL website.

[PATRLR]

50 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I take it this “new” policy cannot be found in writing anywhere on the NCL website.

To which new policy do you refer?

 

[PATRLR]

6 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

This is such a fluid and confusing issue.  We were on the BA on 12/4 and had $450 in NR OBC.  I specially asked the CN people if I could use it for DSC and they said yes.  She even went to the head guy and he came out and told me yes, also.  Huh?  Okay, never look a gift horse in the mouth.   I went to the OBC desk to verify the validity of this, (cause who amongst us has not been fibbed to by CN people), they too said yes.   And that is how it actually worked.  I have no idea why, but it did.

 

Maybe the stars were just aligned that cruise.  But it was quite a pleasant surprise.

It's not that I don't believe you, but, I know that this can be very confusing and the printed summaries from Guest Services aren't intuitive and the Cruise Next folks lie.  I would have to see your summary of on board charges before I believe that NR OBC was used for DSC.  

[Ken the cruiser]

41 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

To which new policy do you refer?

 

You can use nonrefundable OBC to pay the DSC as mentioned in post 18.

[zqvol]

52 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

You can use nonrefundable OBC to pay the DSC as mentioned in post 18.

In spite of post 18 when did NCL change the policy?