Can you use on board credit to pay for an excursion - IN ADVANCE?

[Tonks55]

We have a substantial amount of on board credit for a P&O Cruise next March (2023). Our experience is that if you leave booking an excursion until you are on board then many are fully booked. We would like to use that credit against a number of excursions, BUT only if it is paid for with the onboard credit. (i.e. we do not want to have to pay with our own 'hard earned cash' 😁). My question is that if I book an excursion now (i.e. before I am on board) will that mean that I have to pay in full now/when our balance is due and not be able to use my onboard credit to pay for that excursion?

[Adawn47]

I can only only advise from our last cruise  in 2019, and if you booked before boarding then you pay for them yourself at the time of booking. However if you book while onboard you can use you OBC. 

Avril

Edited November 20, 2022 by Adawn47

[Windsurfboy]

I understand you can cancel an excursion up to 3 days before you travel with full refund, but double check

 

So trick book before you go , cancel 4 days before boarding,  creating space, then book asap you get on board.

 

Should work unless excursions is wait listed 

[happy v]

Yes. Same rules still apply. You can only use OBC on the ship 

[Tonks55]

8 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I understand you can cancel an excursion up to 3 days before you travel with full refund, but double check

 

So trick book before you go , cancel 4 days before boarding,  creating space, then book asap you get on board.

 

Should work unless excursions is wait listed 

 

24 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I can only only advise from our last cruise  in 2019, and if you booked before boarding then you pay for them yourself at the time of booking. However if you book while onboard you can use you OBC. 

Avril

 

8 minutes ago, happy v said:

Yes. Same rules still apply. You can only use OBC on the ship 

Thanks all, as I feared you don't quite get all that appears to be offered, especially as the excursion prices have gone up since I last had a look!

[jeanlyon]

That's why it's called On Board credit - you can only use it on board.  We never book excursions, can usually book them once on board and you can also usually do much better DIY.

[bee-ess]

If you book before you go you will get any loyalty discounts applied at payment time.

If you book when you get on board you won't get any loyalty discount as you don't get discount until the OBC is used up.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, bee-ess said:

If you book before you go you will get any loyalty discounts applied at payment time.

If you book when you get on board you won't get any loyalty discount as you don't get discount until the OBC is used up.

I hear this comment many times and cannot see how that makes booking trips before you cruise more advantageous, especially if you end up with unused OBC.

[Gettingwarmer]

20 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I hear this comment many times and cannot see how that makes booking trips before you cruise more advantageous, especially if you end up with unused OBC.

As long as you know that you are going to use the OBC then at least you’ll make sure you are getting on the excursion. 

[Jennizor]

1 hour ago, Gettingwarmer said:

As long as you know that you are going to use the OBC then at least you’ll make sure you are getting on the excursion. 

If you really want a specific excursion, I would advise booking before you cruise. We have booked the Seville excursion on our February Iona cruise as we have wanted to go there for quite a while. I wouldn’t risk missing out by delaying booking.

[Gettingwarmer]

44 minutes ago, Jennizor said:

If you really want a specific excursion, I would advise booking before you cruise. We have booked the Seville excursion on our February Iona cruise as we have wanted to go there for quite a while. I wouldn’t risk missing out by delaying booking.

I agree. 

[sandancer]

On 11/20/2022 at 6:04 PM, jeanlyon said:

That's why it's called On Board credit - you can only use it on board.  We never book excursions, can usually book them once on board and you can also usually do much better DIY.

Just checked excursions for our cruise in March and find that the ones we are interested in are sold out. Do you know if they hold back any spots for onboard booking?  Should have been more on the ball. 

[Bell Boy]

OBC - 'ON BOARD CREDIT'

The Clue is in   'ON BOARD' !   

[sandancer]

Can I just clarify. I was not looking to pay with OBC. I just want to know if SOLD OUT really is SOLD OUT or if some places are held back for on board booking. 

[CRUISENSNOOZE]

4 hours ago, sandancer said:

Can I just clarify. I was not looking to pay with OBC. I just want to know if SOLD OUT really is SOLD OUT or if some places are held back for on board booking. 

Sold out, means sold out.......but. We have found when you arrive on board, go to the Tours Dept asap and ask to be put on a wait list for the tour you are interested in. They do get cancellations, but also if enough people are on the wait list, they usually will arrange an extra tour bus