Using OBC for Excursion

[seychelle]

I’m thinking it is not possible to use OBC to purchase excursion before boarding, is that correct?   If not and I use credit card now for reservations if I get onboard and find out the excursion is not sold out is it possible to cancel and rebook then using OBC?

[FOPMan]

you would likely have to cancel and rebiok. You might be charged cancellation fees if the cancellation occurs too close to the excursion date.

[trixiee]

I think I read somewhere about a $15 cancellation fee? 

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 hours ago, trixiee said:

I think I read somewhere about a $15 cancellation fee? 

 

I don't remember the amount, but I think they're charging a cancellation fee for any tour your cancel onboard, even if you're outside the refund cutoff, which is usually 2 days. If you cancel within two days of the tour, you lose the entire cost of the tour. I don't remember if they had this fee in the "before times," but I wonder if it's to discourage people from doing the cancel and rebook trick to use OBC. 

[Hlitner]

If you believe what the fine folks, who answer the phone in Seattle say, we were told that one can go to Shore Excursion Desk and simply ask them to credit back the pre-cruise credit card charge and take the dollars out of OBC.  However (my words) I cannot help but wonder if the Shore Excursion staff are aware, will do, etc.  With HAL there is a long tradition of the right hand not knowing about the left hand.   In another post I mentioned an issue we (and others) have had with the relatively new HIA packages.  If you get on the Wait List for a tour (for which you intend to use your included HIA shore excursion credits), and alter clear the Wait List, when you complete the transaction (a necessary step to actually book the tour) you will be asked for your credit card info and immediately charged.  The HIA Shore Excursion Credit cannot be used for that wait listed tour.  Seattle says it is a known "bug" in their software and can only be adjusted by the Shore Excursion Desk onboard.  In theory, the onboard staff would refund the tour charge back to refundable OBC and credit the HIA credit for the tour.

 

Whether the onboard staff are even aware, will do the deed, etc. remains to be seen.  I the past I have sometimes wondered if the folks in Seattle ever talk to the onboard staff 🙂

 

Hank

[AFNavigator]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

If you cancel within two days of the tour, you lose the entire cost of the tour.

Our experience from cancelling one in Dec 2021 was that we were out the entire cost unless they could sell the slot(s) to someone else.  That's exactly what our Shore Excursion desk told us and exactly what happened.  Despite us cancelling an excursion just the day prior, we received a full refund after someone else booked the slots we had offered up.

[seychelle]

Interesting replies. Thank you. Think we’ll wait until we’re aboard and hope it’s available. There are good other options so not critical. 
 

Thank you all.