So, the $600 seems like a lot, but with changes and restrictions on how you spend it, you really need to see if this is actually a deal for you to allow them to keep your cruise payment for a year. On longer cruises, the credit may be $250. wanman 795 August 14, 2005. Sail & Sign Account Opened with Cash or Traveler's Checks. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics, Onboard Credit: How to Get It, Where to Spend It, individual travel agent or an online agency, Booking a Cruise Onboard: How to Score Extras and Discounts, 10 Hidden Costs of Cruising and How to Save, The Absolute Best Alaska Shore Excursions You Can't Miss, Every Question You Have About Drinking On a Cruise Ship -- Answered. Whether you work with an individual travel agent or a large online agency, onboard credit is a standard promotional bonus common in the industry. You can access a thermal suite, relaxation room,. The value of the OBC varies depending on the length of the cruise and the stateroom you book, but can range from $25 to $100 per stateroom. And purchases made at sea are tax-free, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll be less expensive than what you find ashore. Some itineraries offer free onboard credit as an incentive to book. While cruise spa treatments can be expensive, if you book onboard at the right time, they can actually be very good value for money. An OBC can really take the sting out of a day pass to the Cloud 9 Spa Thermal Suite, or treatments booked a la carte, especially on port days, when some spa treatments and packages are already offered at a discount. You Might Be Allowed to Use Onboard Credit for Crew Gratuities. what i do when i have lots of OBC, is the second the line goes down at the desk, go to them and say, please prepay my gratuities. There is no longer a future cruise booking desk on board. Internet: Necessity or Splurge? It might be confusing to some guests, but rest assured, all your OBC is there; its just showing how much you need to use for that transaction. A pricey but significant part of many cruisers' experiences in port is shore excursions. Lifestyle and marathon coach, Rory Coleman, has the low-down. Carnival offers two beverage packages: Bottomless Bubbles, which entitles you to unlimited soda for the duration of your cruise; or the Cheers! The onboard credit is nonrefundable, non-transferable, and has no cash value. An ATM/Debit Cashing Card may be used as long as it is a registered MasterCard or Visa Card. Each Carnival gift card can be loaded with between $100 and $1000 and you can buy five per transaction. The future cruise credit must be used on a new booking made within 12 months from the date of cancellation and . Give a gift to your friend going on one of our cruises! Our 5 night cruise was way cheaper than any stay at a hotel and came with plenty of food and great entertainment! Opinions are usually divided when it comes to using internet onboard a ship (did you come to disconnect, or will you be glued to the outside world?). You might be allowed to use onboard credit for crew gratuities. There is nothing that cannot be charged against OBC, except perhaps, any trip to the infirmary if you get sick or injured while on your cruise. Any help would be appreciated! Minors must have an account. For example, for our upcoming cruise on the Carnival Celebration, we have $700 in onboard credit. While it might blow your onboard credit in one shot, applying it to an excursion offers a free or discounted way to embark on a special shore experience. Credit Levels $100 $25 $50 $75 Price If not would I basically be left with OBC only for the items bought onboard? This will leave you with an amount of onboard credit to spend on treating yourself. For any cruise departing March 15, 2022 or later, guests can now book their activities online and pay using their onboard credit. On the last screen, when you usually enter your payment information, youll immediately see that you have onboard credit you should apply. The amount of onboard credit can vary by cruise line, cabin type and length of cruise. they will do it right then and there, with your OBC and then let the party begin. :rolleyes: Jump to content You can also use your onboard credit to book spa treatments like massages, body scrubs, facials, acupuncture, botox, fillers, teeth whitening, hairdressing, waxing, manicures, pedicures and eyelash treatments. For sailings departing before 1st April 2023, gratuities cost $14.50 per person, per day for most rooms on Carnival ships, so paying them with onboard credit is a good way to avoid this bill at the end of your cruise. I will be more than glad to help you get rid of some of your OBC. I went with the interior room deal- but got portholes- so we could have some natural light- yes, they are considered interior probably because it is a small room and the . Embrace the darkness. You can redeem any FCC by calling us. In most cases, a Future Cruise Credit is only redeemable for the cruise fare portion of a future booking. Read More: 10 Hidden Costs of Cruising and How to Save, Shareholder Benefits Include Onboard Credit. Essentially, onboard credit is money applied to onboard accounts that passengers can spend onboard. All the new Carnival WiFi plans do not include video streaming (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime) and don't support WiFi Calling (voice calls via the ship's Wi-Fi network) and Facetime (Apple's video telephony) services. What about gratuities?? Special timed-deals and sales often include perks like reduced deposits and free room upgrades, but be on the lookout for the ones that include OBC, usually with the message "Up to $XX onboard credit." Typically, the amount of onboard credit you'll get is tied to the kind of stateroom you book: inside cabins might get $25 or $50, while balconies or suites can run a decent amount, depending on the promotion. What's Onboard Credit? In general, however, it is between $50 and $250. Started June 21, 2021, By On board cruise credit is a great way to "pay! Powered by Invision Community. Most lines will allow slot play with onboard credit without a fee but will add an upcharge for table games. If changing from cash to credit card/debit card or vice versa, use DELETE feature and change your payment preference. Actual credit/debit cards must be present at the time of embarkation. Depending on your cruise itinerary and your vaccination status, you may only be allowed to leave the ship as part of an official Carnival-sponsored bubble tour. I was lucky enough to get an onboard credit for a price drop on the Valor. The completed 'Letter of Authorizationfor Use of a Credit Card by Third Party' form - the signature on the letter of authorization must match the signature on the back of the credit card. When CDC shut the industry down, Carnival offered guests with canceled cruises $600 if they took it as a future cruise credit instead of asking for cashback. I have used OBC to book excursions before booking in the past. Many items may still cost more because youre essentially a captive audience so the prices of some items are inflated. Not absolutely every activity on board your cruise ship will be free of charge. But then that's me. The most common way guests receive onboard credit is to receive it from Royal Caribbean as part of a deal to book a cruise. That credit can put a dent in all those extra charges that eventually end up in onboard cruise accounts, from drinks to manicures and even shore excursions. By So my question is this?? Guests may add additionalcash to their account by visitingthe Guest Services desk on board. Credits can be purchased specifically for items such as soft drinks, food and bar credits. Your rating has been submitted, please tell us how we can make this answer more useful. Many of us don't have the time or money to indulge in a little bit of me-time on a regular basis. Sail & Sign is Carnival's cashless on board credit program, which allows guests to charge onboard purchases and gratuities directly to a personal account for convenience. Thanks for the replies. The cardholding guest must be an authorized signer by the card-issuing bank. The amount will vary depending on the situation. The best uses for any leftover onboard credit are speciality dining, access to the spa, shore excursions and photos. For Debit Card Holders, if usingthis form of payment, thebank will process the final total spent on the guest's Sail & Sign account plus retain the bank holds processed, per the bank policy. However, if you want to buy Carnival cruise souvenirs like Carnival-branded beach towels, bathrobes, t-shirts and toys, then onboard your cruise ship is the best place to do it, particularly if you have some onboard credit to spend. Onboard Credit Can Put Pricey Professional Photos Within Reach. A previous answer for this referred to calling the cruise line and getting the fine print on how you can use the OBC. At the end of your cruise, if you have leftover onboard credit, it will automatically be offset against any gratuities that you owe. Onboard credit can be used to purchase Wi-Fi packages, taking some of the bite out of a costly (but necessary) extra. Logo Store; Find Your Roll Call; Meet & Mingle cruizing with teens, March 19, 2006 in Carnival Cruise Lines. It is not required for guests to carry the physical credit card with them on board. Related: Booking a Cruise Onboard: How to Score Extras and Discounts, Refer a Friend and You Both Might Receive Onboard Credit Rewards. Holland America . As with most major cruise lines, Carnival offers beverage packages or the option to pay for individual drinks, and you can use your OBC to pay for both choices. Loyalty is noticed; if you've worked with the same travel agent for every cruise, your OBC amount is likely to build over time. I guess I love to spend too much. You can use your Carnival onboard credit to book dining in specialty restaurants, but only if you make the reservation once youre on board the ship. What happens to unused onboard credit Carnival? Check the fine print to make sure you're eligible (there are usually minimum share requirements) and redeem your benefit by contacting the line at least two weeks prior to your sail date. Related: Every Question You Have About Drinking On a Cruise Ship -- Answered, Feel Free to Splurge With Something Extra in Your Spending Account. Is there a way to cash out your onboard credit? Answer (1 of 5): Congrats! Guests can use these credits for virtually anything they charge to their onboard account, which Carnival calls "Sail and Sign." In essence, the credit is deducted from the bill of charges on board. I know it must have seemed like a strange question. Onboard credit is the currency you can use to make purchases when onboard your cruise. You cannot book a Cloud 9 Spa pass before your cruise, only on board the ship. They can be used for cruises, on-board purchases, spa credits, gift cards, and even flights. If you love your cruise company enough to invest money in the brand, most major cruise lines offer a shareholder benefit in the form of onboard credit. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Similarly, if Carnival is forced to cancel or modify an itinerary for whatever reason, they will typically offer passengers a few options. How to Use Your Onboard Credit. The Sail & Sign Card must be utilized for all money transactions on board as cash will not be an accepted form of payment. Cruise Cash | Immediate Onboard Credit | Carnival Cruise Line Select a Cruise Browsing All Cruises Cruise Cash Cruise Cash F A Q s Already booked your cruise? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'cruisespotlight_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_13',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruisespotlight_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); CruiseSpotlight is an Amazon Associate. ON BOARDcredit can only be used on board. If it was true that the benefit of additional bookings far outweighed the cost to Carnival for the $100 OBC, Carnival would offer it to everybody, stock owners or not. Please note, it doesnt show ALL the onboard credit you have. 1. Carnival realized the problem this was creating and changed their policy so guests could now use the credit when purchasing things ahead of time. Use your onboard credit at the luxurious onboard spa, which is one of the best things to do on a cruise to truly unwind. i used it in Alaska. I've had quit a bit of obc but bought watches, a few expensive bottle of good scotch, cigarettes for friends. The cardholder is responsible for amended charges discovered after the authorized guest(s) disembark the vessel. It can be used towards the payment of alcoholic beverages, boutique purchases (such as watches, jewelry, perfumes and clothing), spa treatments and more! I am Carnival elite, so we stay with them exclusively. It's not the best way to earn credit, but if something goes wrong on your cruise -- like the ship is stranded, misses port calls or experiences a significant malfunction -- you may be compensated with a future onboard credit offer.