$1000 non-refundable OBC: Anything useful to buy onboard? (male)

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Russiamomm said:

I sail with NCL exclusively through CAS.  Sometimes get a comped cabin, sometimes just a discount on the fare.  I’ve never gotten any OBC from the casino.  Am I missing something or do I just not gamble enough?  Please share your secrets.  😃

OBC starts at the Pearl level with $100 OBC in the Casinos at Sea program. Perks go up as you get higher up in the program (fraud and pcakes are at the Elite level and get $1K OBC along with other perks like a Ultea drink card, a free ShoreEx, free transportation). You get your OBC plus whatever else the hosts will give you based on play. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by BirdTravels

[pcakes122]

2 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

I sail with NCL exclusively through CAS.  Sometimes get a comped cabin, sometimes just a discount on the fare.  I’ve never gotten any OBC from the casino.  Am I missing something or do I just not gamble enough?  Please share your secrets.  😃

Based on your Casinos at Sea tier level you get automatic onboard credit from the casino on every single cruise. Pearl level is $100, Sapphire is $200, Ruby is $400 and Elite is $1,000.  Casino OBC is carried forward on B2B cruises.

 

In addition to the automatic OBC, the casino host has the discretion to offer additional onboard credit based on your play and losses during the cruise.  I'm not a super high roller by any means, but I do spend significant money in the casino and I usually get around $1K additional OBC at the end of a 7-day cruise.  For this, you would have to speak to the casino host on the last cruise day.

[Sand and Seas]

Ruby tier here so 400 obc  plus another 400 to 800 depending  on play.   Host always  tell me amount to shop for additional  xxx $$.  DH likes to shop the photo shop gadgets and I get jewelry and Lancome or Estee Lauder.   I gift some of these items to family.

 

Does anyone else  have to go the credit desk at end  of almost  every cruise to get the  comps applied  correctly?   Last day bill usually shows unused nonrefundable  obc.  CAS comp will be for correct amount  but their system  doesn't  apply correctly.  I have to talk to higher ranked credit  officer to get it fixed.  This usually  takes an hour  or so of my last evening. 

[Russiamomm]

Thanks all.  I think I’m still only Jade.  I’ll keep this in mind though.  Have two more cruises scheduled in between now and May.  

[WYB!]

Perhaps a thermal pass for the voyage. But actually use it.

[BirdTravels]

On 1/8/2023 at 7:11 AM, Russiamomm said:

Thanks all.  I think I’m still only Jade.  I’ll keep this in mind though.  Have two more cruises scheduled in between now and May.  

The earning period ends at the end of March 2023 (April 2022-March 2023). If you "tier-up" by the end of March, that will apply for all cruises through March 2024. It's like a land-based casino, you watch your tier points and try to be just over the threshold for your the next tier. 

[BirdTravels]

On 1/8/2023 at 12:04 AM, Sand and Seas said:

Ruby tier here so 400 obc  plus another 400 to 800 depending  on play.   Host always  tell me amount to shop for additional  xxx $$.  DH likes to shop the photo shop gadgets and I get jewelry and Lancome or Estee Lauder.   I gift some of these items to family.

Last cruise it was some Effy charm bracelets and charms, L'Occitane gift sets and a couple of purses, and a pair of Sony ear buds. The Prima gift shops were not the greatest. We usually take home a couple of boxes of Cocos/Bake Shop bon bons, but they didn't have any boxes and were going to serve them on a plate... ahhhh no. 

[JGmf]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:35 AM, BirdTravels said:

Congratulations for making Elite

 

Geez, I thought I was a well-informed cruiser.  What's "elite"?

[Russiamomm]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The earning period ends at the end of March 2023 (April 2022-March 2023). If you "tier-up" by the end of March, that will apply for all cruises through March 2024. It's like a land-based casino, you watch your tier points and try to be just over the threshold for your the next tier. 

Anyone know how many points you need for each tier or how to see them? Also, when do they apply it?  My next NCL is March 25 - April 1.  I have to be close to Ruby.  Will they apply it during the cruise?

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, Russiamomm said:

Anyone know how many points you need for each tier or how to see them? Also, when do they apply it?  My next NCL is March 25 - April 1.  I have to be close to Ruby.  Will they apply it during the cruise?

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

 

Tier-Up!

[Russiamomm]

9 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

 

Tier-Up!

Thanks!  I misspoke.  I have to be close to Pearl, not Ruby.  LOL.  But will they give you the status midway through the cruise, or is it like the Latitudes program, which only is applied  after the cruise is over?

[phoenix1181]

1 hour ago, Russiamomm said:

Thanks!  I misspoke.  I have to be close to Pearl, not Ruby.  LOL.  But will they give you the status midway through the cruise, or is it like the Latitudes program, which only is applied  after the cruise is over?

I was changed from Pearl to Sapphire midway through my recent Bliss cruise.  I was playing a machine at the time & there was a message on the screen to go see the casino host for my new cards.  The next day, I received some additional treats in my cabin and a bottle of wine.

[Travelicious]

On 1/6/2023 at 5:07 PM, PATRLR said:

Most reports are that non-refundable OBC can't be used in the casino.  However, one poster today claimed that he did use non refundable in the casino but he also claimed he had both types so I am suspicious of his accounting.  

Until proven otherwise, I'm believing that non-refundable OBC can NOT be sued in the Casino.

 

I was on the Breakaway last week, and I'm about 95% sure they allowed non-refundable to be used in casino.  I haven't actually done the math yet, but will report back after I do.  Also, if that is the case, I can't guarantee it wasn't just a fluke.

[Russiamomm]

11 minutes ago, phoenix1181 said:

I was changed from Pearl to Sapphire midway through my recent Bliss cruise.  I was playing a machine at the time & there was a message on the screen to go see the casino host for my new cards.  The next day, I received some additional treats in my cabin and a bottle of wine.

Thank you!  We’ll see what happens during my next trip in March.  Last April I was on a B2B on the Gem booked through CAS.  Also got a bottle of wine, a free meal at Moderno and treats every single day from the casino.  Never did understand why, but gladly took the perks!  But I’ve never gotten any OBC and was always just given the jade card.

[fstuff1]

2 hours ago, Travelicious said:

I was on the Breakaway last week, and I'm about 95% sure they allowed non-refundable to be used in casino.  I haven't actually done the math yet, but will report back after I do.  Also, if that is the case, I can't guarantee it wasn't just a fluke.

how did you use the obc in the casino?

[Travelicious]

11 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

how did you use the obc in the casino?

Coin pusher and put some money into slot machine using key card (charged to cabin).  I'm going to look more closely at my invoice to see if it is possible non-refundable was used to pay some of the casino charges.  Will report back.

[Travelicious]

Okay, after attempting the calculations, it is pretty much impossible to tell, as we went over our amounts in both refundable and non-refundable.  Regular purchases (alcohol - no beverage package) exceeded non-refundable obc amount, and casino spendings exceeded refundable obc amount.  All I know is when I viewed the account on the stateroom tv, it did not show that I owed until all obc was used up.

 

Bottom line:  don't count on being able to use non-refundable obc in casino.  Even if it was applied in my case, it was likely a fluke.  And it is such a convoluted mess trying to figure it out that I will never really know.

[ngrund]

On 1/6/2023 at 5:56 PM, fstuff1 said:

 

A useful thing to me would be a high end Android cell phone that takes great pictures like the Samsung S22 Ultra.

Do NCL ships sell that?

 

Any other suggestions?

Thx

FYI, the Samsung S23 is expected to be released very soon-so you may want to wait and either get the 23 or the 22 on clearance sale