How to use OBC?!?

[crilski]

After research - I now know that I can't use my OBC for gratuities. 

 

Trying to book some excursions.  But it doesn't allow me to use OBC to book Windstar Excursions online.  So I talked with a Windstar person - thinking I could book via a phone call - nope.  I asked what can I use OBC for?  Spa or Store.  He didn't mention it, but I assume booze.  He suggested I wait until I get onboard to book my excursion - but he cautioned - the one(s) I want might be sold out.  I will now do my best to book all independent excursions - and drink my sorrows away. 

[minidonuts85]

Book it now (pay out of pocket), then cancel and rebook with OBC once you’re on board. Done this myself. 

[marinaro44]

Windstar should update its system to allow you to book online using OBC from Windstar.  Especially considering the steep prices we're now seeing.  They're getting a lot of float from us.

[ChrisC101]

Laundry?

[r&rd]

Yes, laundry is a good way to use OBC

[crilski]

I'm on a long enough cruise that already includes laundry, otherwise, that would be a good use of OBC.  I agree, Marinaro44 - on other cruise lines  - you can use OBC for excursions.  (& gratuities)  If you don't have quite enough OBC to cover then it can be partially paid for by credit card.  Hopefully, there will be a after cruise survey. 

Edited March 1, 2023 by crilski

[r&rd]

Just a clarification: You can not use non-refundable OBC for gratuities. 

[marinaro44]

2 hours ago, r&rd said:

Just a clarification: You can not use non-refundable OBC for gratuities. 

Never seen a cruise line where it could be used for the daily gratuity amount.  It's not real money.  Good only to buy overpriced excursions, overpriced spa treatments, overpriced shop stuff, etc.

[new_cruiser]

r&rd is correct. There are two kinds of OBC: 

1. OBC that Windstar gives out (e.g. from promotions, loyalty program)

2. OBC you get from your travel agent or someone else paying it in advance.

 

The first is non-refundable (i.e. use it or lose it) and you can't use it for gratuities). The second is refundable and can be used for anything on board including gratuities. It's basically like cash.

 

[milepig]

On 3/1/2023 at 5:38 AM, marinaro44 said:

Windstar should update its system to allow you to book online using OBC from Windstar.  Especially considering the steep prices we're now seeing.  They're getting a lot of float from us.

Disagree. It would be nice but On Board Credit means exactly that, it must be used on board. Cancelling and rebooking excursions is a way around that.

[marinaro44]

10 hours ago, milepig said:

Disagree. It would be nice but On Board Credit means exactly that, it must be used on board. Cancelling and rebooking excursions is a way around that.

You can't be serious.  OBC can be used for ship's excursions.  If you can book these online before your cruise, you should be able to use the OBC you're being given rather than having to shell out $1000+ upfront, and then requiring the excursion staff to go through the trouble to cancel, rebook and process transactions to your credit card...for everyone who booked excursions online.

 

Azamara allows you to book excursions online using your OBC.  Windstar should, too.

[crilski]

Marinaro44 - I agree OBC should be able to be used when booking excursions online.  You can also use Royal, Celebrity, Azamara, and Oceania OBC to book online ahead of your cruise.  Silly me - I thought maybe I needed to do it via phone call.  Person was kind of rude.  Nope - I told them I would do my best to book everything independent.  He told me to 'have a nice day'.  Kicker - an excursion I tried to book - normally is $75.  I can't, due to the deal they have with Windstar.  To book via Windstar - for the same excursion - $179. 

Learning something new . . . . 

[Redtravel]

$100 markup is pure greed. I would expect a small markup for the convenience of picking up at the dock. Unless you have excess OBC, I wouldn’t book that tour. There are many independent tour guides.  I have done many shore excursions before the pandemic. Windstar does a very good excursion.  

[MRGACRUZR]

On 3/4/2023 at 12:20 AM, crilski said:

Marinaro44 - I agree OBC should be able to be used when booking excursions online.  You can also use Royal, Celebrity, Azamara, and Oceania OBC to book online ahead of your cruise.  Silly me - I thought maybe I needed to do it via phone call.  Person was kind of rude.  Nope - I told them I would do my best to book everything independent.  He told me to 'have a nice day'.  Kicker - an excursion I tried to book - normally is $75.  I can't, due to the deal they have with Windstar.  To book via Windstar - for the same excursion - $179. 

Learning something new . . . . 

We've had a similar situation but, we were there first. We booked a Segway tour if the Dickyards in Antigua. A few weeks later the company cancelked on us because the ship contracted with them for the tour. $40 tour now $149 and sold out! Go figure. 

[medskis]

I did not realize we could not use OBC towards gratuities….. a few months ago on Pride I did prepay gratuities from ?? In our account.  I think we had some “good will credit” leftover from a cancelled and fully paid for cruise during covid vs a slightly cheaper new cruise.  Hmmmm, we also had OBC and the statements get rather confusing to understand.

 

in fact about ten days ago, I pulled out my final Pride invoice dated Nov 12 and saw $267 credit (- $267 in the credit column at end) and small print on the form said any amount credit would be refunded to the original form of payment, so I assumed the CC that was on record.  I then pulled out my CC statements and saw a refund made 7 weeks later, but $108 less than expected.  So I called and very nice agent said the difference was issued to me on an FCC dated 12/18.  What??  Neither Windstar or my TA notified me of that.   What made this more interesting was our Final payment for 3/29 Legend voyage was still due at that point and the FCC would have been valid towards that.

 

Ultimately  though he let me apply the $108 towards an excursion, a Miami tour and transfer to airport for us on day of disembarkation $142 pp ….. balance on CC.

 

speaking of Final Pay, cost for cruise dropped SIGNIFICANTLY after final pay.  TA did get $300 pp extra OBC and some lesser amount new FCC.  I really thought that with that on top of some OBC promos at time of booking, we could use that towards the 10 days of gratuities - we do have $50 pp OBC from travel agent and a post above says THAT kind of OBC can be used for gratuities. 

 

i’m not wild about some of the excursions offered but guess I will reevaluate and also order some better drinks, etc.  Not a spa person.

 

Anyway, really looking forward to the sailing next week after a long cold winter.  Glad I read this thread so I am now better informed.

Edited March 21, 2023 by medskis

[SailingHigher]

We've paid the total invoice and now have a hefty amount of cabin credits for our September cruise in the Adriatic. No joy in using those for reserving and prepaying for two small group excursions on our upcoming trip. Our TA found no good alternatives using private excursion providers. Since our fare includes drinks, tips, and wifi, WS customer service said this week that spa services and laundry would be our only options on board for those credits, plus any excursions that are not sold out after boarding. Dropping $1K in the spa seems like a waste.

[Misty Morning]

You can use credits to to buy items (clothing, sunglasses, bags, hats, etc.) at the Star Boutique on the ship

[milepig]

On 3/1/2023 at 5:38 AM, marinaro44 said:

Windstar should update its system to allow you to book online using OBC from Windstar.  Especially considering the steep prices we're now seeing.  They're getting a lot of float from us.

No. The definition of on board credit is its credit to be used on board. That’s how it works. 

[SailingHigher]

From an accounting perspective, OBC is a portion of the fully paid fare. Windstar profits (for just a few months) by holding it in a bank until the guest comes on board. Then, Windstar foregoes the profits it would earn on the goods and services paid for with OBC, assuming the guest would have bought the same without OBC. None of that is outrageous. It is consistent with the terms Windstar is entitled to set. In the other direction, because Windstar needs to attract customers who pay with credit cards, it must forego a part of my fare due to merchant fees withheld by the card companies. All of this is baked into the original fare I am willing to buy with a card.

 

While I don't particularly appreciate that the credits cannot be used to tip Windstar employees for extraordinary service, I understand that Windstar sets the rules.

 

I'm not fond of the uncertainty of excursion availability if I wait to use OBC for my preferred excursions. So, I paid for the two excursions important to us today, and in September, I will visit the spa and gift shop for goods and services I would not have otherwise selected. It's a suboptimal, 'first world' problem at most, but I'm still getting plenty out of the deal.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, milepig said:

No. The definition of on board credit is its credit to be used on board. That’s how it works. 

There are other cruise lines [e.g. Azamara] that allow you to use OBC for booking excursions before the cruise, so this is not an industry definition.  But of course Windstar is allowed to use whatever definition they want.

 

OTOH I was able to confirm with a Windstar phone rep (what I had read on Cruise Critic) that having booked my excursions and paid by credit card, I will be able to cancel and rebook them onboard to use OBC, and get any leftover amount repaid to my credit card at the end of the cruise.  [Of course they may raise the excursion prices along the way, but at worst OBC is 'free' money at that point...]

[Redtravel]

Windstar OBC has restrictions unlike most cruise lines. It cannot be used for tips. If WS issued the credit, spend it. Buy stuff in the store.  My spouse bought a Tissot watch on Windsurf.  I have bought clothing, hats, wine carriers, L’Occitane toiletries, sunscreen, hairspray, etc. store has lots of WS logo merchandise. 
just don’t wait until end of the cruise. Ship store is only open when they are at sea.

on one cruise, we docked in Stockholm. We overnighted and disembarked the next day.  There were several people at guest services furious that their tips couldn’t be paid with OBC.  Since the ship was in port, the ship store was closed. There was no way for them to spend the  OBC issued by Windstar. .  I have been on many cruises. Only Windstar doesn’t let guests use OBC to pay tips.  If you get OBC from your travel agent,not WS, you can use it for anything. If you don’t spend it, you can cash it.  

[morgan5]

If you have both OBC from Windstar and a travel agent, which one gets used first? Hopefully it's the Windstar credit, but I'm curious. So if I have let's say $200 OBC issued by Windstar and $200 OBC issued by a travel agent and at the end of my cruise I end up spending say $300 in misc. purchases. Would I get $100 refunded back to me?

[Strenz]

8 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Windstar OBC has restrictions unlike most cruise lines. It cannot be used for tips. If WS issued the credit, spend it. Buy stuff in the store.  My spouse bought a Tissot watch on Windsurf.  I have bought clothing, hats, wine carriers, L’Occitane toiletries, sunscreen, hairspray, etc. store has lots of WS logo merchandise. 
just don’t wait until end of the cruise. Ship store is only open when they are at sea.

on one cruise, we docked in Stockholm. We overnighted and disembarked the next day.  There were several people at guest services furious that their tips couldn’t be paid with OBC.  Since the ship was in port, the ship store was closed. There was no way for them to spend the  OBC issued by Windstar. .  I have been on many cruises. Only Windstar doesn’t let guests use OBC to pay tips.  If you get OBC from your travel agent,not WS, you can use it for anything. If you don’t spend it, you can cash it.  

Thank you for that Duh, after 30 cruises did not know that. I was in Neverland.  I always wondered sometimes  I would see my AMEX OBC being used for tips and sometimes not. Often I left money there not spent. Duh again, could have asked,  never did.  My question is how do you know which OBC is being spent first or can I ask to have my AMEX to be used last?  We get lots of OBC with 30 cruises with WS under our belt,  since we hardly drink, not a shopper, not great with organized tour groups, sometimes we buy gifts, I might go to the spa,  we usually have left over.  

Thank  you again. Happy Sailing

[Host Jazzbeau]

14 hours ago, Redtravel said:

I have been on many cruises. Only Windstar doesn’t let guests use OBC to pay tips.

You have been on many, but not all possible cruises.  I have been on other lines that don't allow OBC for tips.  There is no industry standard.

[Redtravel]

3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You have been on many, but not all possible cruises.  I have been on other lines that don't allow OBC for tips.  There is no industry standard.

After sailing on WS, when I sail on any cruise line, I ask if there are any restrictions using OBC. Early in a cruise, I ask guest services if I can use OBC to pay gratuities.  I get some really weird looks.  It just seems that there are always people on WS that don’t know that OBC has restrictions.