question about OBC - refundable or not

[thefamilycruisers]

We are planning to book a cruise and haven't sailed in a while  We will get a good amount of OBC from Princess and some from our TA.

Are either of these refundable if we don't spend it all on the ship?

[Steelers36]

25 minutes ago, thefamilycruisers said:

We are planning to book a cruise and haven't sailed in a while  We will get a good amount of OBC from Princess and some from our TA.

Are either of these refundable if we don't spend it all on the ship?

The Princess OBC is Non-Refundable. 

 

Most TA OBC is Non-Refundable - if you are talking about Group OBC which is typically something between $50 and $85 per cabin.  What type is it?

 

I understand that some TA's gift OBC to clients in lieu of cruise fare discount and this OBC is Refundable I believe.

[skynight]

For planning purposes assume all your OBC will be non refundable.

OBC directly or indirectly from Princess will probably be non-refundable. Indirect means that Princess is offering OBC through T.A.'s for group bookings or other promotions. Directly is OBC like shareholder's, military, or promotion OBC when the customer books directly with Princess.

Once booked go to the Princess web site. Select Travel Summary, Payments and scroll down to the bottom of the page. OBC will be shown and will be indicated if non-refundable or refundable.

Some T.A.'s do gift OBC. As post #2 indicates this kind of OBC is normally refundable. This kind of OBC usually does not show up in the Travel Summary and thus can not be used to pre-book excursions. It will show up in your on board account once you board.

Any self gifted OBC will also be refundable.

[Sue sue sue]

So… can OBC go towards the tips? 

[Cruise Raider]

1 minute ago, Sue sue sue said:

So… can OBC go towards the tips? 

Yes, it can.  

[skynight]

18 minutes ago, Sue sue sue said:

So… can OBC go towards the tips? 

If you have the standard fare then your on board accounts are charged a daily fee, $16, $17 or $18/pp/day depending on cabin category, for crew appreciation. When you have OBC your on board accounts start with a credit balance. Any on board expense, including crew appreciation, is netted as it occurs against the account balance. Crew appreciation is netted against OBC as long as the credit balance remains. When you have the standard fare the OBC credit balance is used up fairly quickly as you are charged daily for crew appreciation plus any other on board expenses such as beverages. 

If you have the plus or premier fare then crew appreciation is included in the fare and can not be removed. In these cases your OBC will net against any other on board expenses.

OBC can also be used to pre-book excursions.

The exception, OBC can not be used to purchase Future Cruise Deposits. These do not go through the on board accounting system. They are billed directly to your credit card. 

Edited July 31, 2023 by skynight