Shop for Cruise Deals That Include Onboard Credit. But for most people, there are better ways to spend your money on the ship. Balcony staterooms will often cost . For example, put your FCC towards upgrading your Britannia Balcony Stateroom to one of our Queens Grill Suites, or change . In the past, OBC was relatively small, $50 $100 here or there, so it wasnt a huge issue. I cannot answer your last question with certainty. Most cruise lines place no restrictions on the use of onboard credit; if you can bill it to your account, you can cover the cost with your cruise onboard credit. Onboard credits, OBC for those in the know, have traditionally been incentives offered to guests when booking a cruise. If you have onboard credit to spend on your Carnival cruise, then the wisest thing to do is first to put it towards gratuities, provided that you havent already pre-paid those. Just keep in mind that you'll need to spend it before you disembark your ship -- onboard credit doesn't carry over to future sailings. Any unused portion of the onboard credit will be forfeited.. You can use your Carnival onboard credit in the casino, but you wont be able to cash it out: you can only cash out your winnings. Booking activities using OBS is really easy; no phone calls and no weird codes to know. The Sail & Sign Card must be utilized for all money transactions on board as cash will not be an accepted form of payment. Onboard credit may seem like free money, and in a way it is, but it still makes sense to spend it wisely to get the most value from it. Log in and access Online Check-in, Onboard Expenses: Each onboard expense account must have a designated account owner. For cruise departing from 1st April 2023 onwards, those prices increase to $16 per person, per day and $18 per person, per day respectively. Gift Cards and Travel Funds Cards issued by: American Express andOptima. These are typically periodic promotions, where the amount of onboard credit you receive is tied to the stateroom category you . The maximum number of guests per account is 15. Two buzzwords guaranteed to get anybody's attention would be 'Free Money'. I have used OBC to book excursions before booking in the past. Some people wonder if they load $500 from their onboard credit into the casino, spin the slots a few times and then cash out, thereby converting their onboard credit into cash. 802. Answer (1 of 5): Congrats! If you are the Panorama's May 8th sailing out of LA, stopon deck 8, wherethe odd numbercabins are located, and yell "hey Andy". 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. However, the problem really grew due to the COVID shutdown. To process data . Carnival Mardi Gras The First Reviews Are In, for our upcoming cruise on the Carnival Celebration, Cooking Up Some Fun in A Carnival Kitchen Class. We love to help you research and compare the differences between all the ships and trips. What can a FCC be used for? Essentially free money that's deposited directly into your Carnival Sail & Sign account, an onboard credit can enhance your cruise experience by allowing you to splurge a little bit more onboard, without having to watch your wallet. Scam or Deal: Will That Cruise Sale Really Save You Money? I believe that paying gratuities is the best use of your onboard credit, as these tips are something that we all should be paying, and you dont get any benefit from pre-paying or using another payment method aside from onboard credit. Heres the cost for sailings from 1st April 2023: Suggested read: Can You Opt Out of Gratuities On A Carnival Cruise? Ill then list all of the ways you can spend it on your Carnival cruise, listed from the best-value options to ways that youll want to avoid. The cost for Bottomless Bubbles is $6.95 per day for children under 18, and $9.50 per day for adults age 18 and up. Sure, that means you'll have to monitor their deals for 48 hours, but it'll be worth it if you strike OBC gold. Could you please tell me how I can improve it? If you know you have credit coming and dont see it in your account before your cruise, its worth a call to customer service. It doesn't matter the length of your next cruise. If a credit card is presented, this will reduce the amount available on the credit card for other purchases. If this applies to you, then using your onboard credit to pay for excursions is a good idea. Either Way, Use Your Onboard Credit. If you need tochange or confirmyour initial payment option,g. o to Carnival.com and click on Manage My Booking. As the OP said he has used his ON BOARD credit to purchase things pre-cruise on other cruise lines, so it's not as clear as one would think. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions, C858B0A9-6769-424D-B129-59363EDAC023.jpeg, B5073042-BF8A-4EEC-BD19-0938D8732763.jpeg. The answer is simply no.you cannot use your On Board Credit prior to actually boarding. I never pre-pay my gratuities and that come out of my OBC once I am on the ship. Sail & Sign Onboard Account 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. Give a gift to your friend going on one of our cruises! I had onboard credit last year on Oasis and used it to pay gratuities. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. How to Use Your Onboard Credit. Playing Bingo on a Carnival cruise can be fun, but cruise ship bingo is generally a bit of a rip-off and there are better ways to spend your onboard credit than by buying bingo tickets. Booked passengers can upgrade from one plan to another and are also allowed to use multiple devices per plan (including the ship's onboard computers), but only on one device at a time. The answer is that no, you cant do this. I will be more than glad to help you get rid of some of your OBC. Date Updated: 11/28/2022 Link to a URL Service Gratuities (Tips) Date Updated: 06/25/2021; Forms of Payment We accept the following forms of payment as noted below. By What about gratuities?? You can redeem any FCC by calling us. :rolleyes: Jump to content But then that's me. Your rating has been submitted, please tell us how we can make this answer more useful. I would like to know whether there is set out anywhere how onboard. If you dont have enough OBC to cover the cost of your cart, you can pay the rest with a credit card or Carnival gift card, just like you would before. i used it in Alaska. Carnival often refers to it as Cruise Cash. 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. On a Carnival cruise, your onboard account is called Sail & Sign. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just want to switch up your routine, onboard credit is a great way to cover or offset the cost. Some cruise lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, offer specific onboard credits, limited to one type of purchase. Unless you're cruising with a river or luxury line, alcoholic beverages are rarely free of charge. Cruise lines will run different promotions throughout the year, and onboard credits are offered as a booking incentive. Onboard credit in the spa often applies to anything on their treatment menu, and that list could be a long one. On board credit is just like having cash in your account, so if you have let's say a $100 credit the first $100 you spend on the ship for whatever, is free money! Account owners must be at least 18 years of age at the time of sailing and will be automatically assigned charging privileges to the account. The price of each piece can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars and its probably not a great investment. Another sure-fire way to earn those precious credits is by investing in the company, a common perk among major cruise lines. Thanks for your help. And Carnival ships offer a wide variety of these, including Emeril's Bistro 1396, Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, Rudi's Seagrill, Chef's Table, Carnival Kitchen, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Cucina del Capitano, Jiji Asian Kitchen, Seafood Shack, Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, the special Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast and Chibang! Therefore, there will be many people who have $600 onboard credit to use on their next Carnival cruise and are wondering what to spend it on. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. What are your thoughts will we enjoy sailing with so much going with new variant. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'cruisespotlight_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruisespotlight_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'cruisespotlight_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',120,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruisespotlight_com-medrectangle-4-0_1'); .medrectangle-4-multi-120{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. For instance, at some lines, the credits can't be used to pay for the initial deposit on a future cruise or for "extras" such as prepaid gratuities or drinks packages. You'll usually find these front-and-center on the homepage of the cruise line's website. A cruise can offer great value when you weigh in all that's included in your cruise fare -- particularly on Carnival Cruise Line, which offers some of the lowest pricing in the industry, particularly on short three- to four-night cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean. Guests may add additionalcash to their account by visitingthe Guest Services desk on board. For the first category, start by perusing Carnival's sales. While cruise spa treatments can be expensive, if you book onboard at the right time, they can actually be very good value for money. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Then again, I wouldnt expect you to read the terms and conditions of promotions you agree to. Use Your Onboard Credit for a Spa Splurge. So, if you want to use your onboard credit towards your next cruise, its probably worth a try. Who ever heard ofpaying for a restaurant 5-6 months in advance? Active and retired military members are always eligible for reduced rates, but OBC isn't included in this permanent deal; you'll have to be on the lookout for time-limited promotions in order to snag the credit. So, heres a list of things you can spend your Carnival onboard credit on, from best to worst. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. How to Build Your Own All-Inclusive Cruise, Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club Cruise Loyalty Program. Carnival onboard credit can be used to purchase almost anything onboard the ship. The most common way guests receive onboard credit is to receive it from Royal Caribbean as part of a deal to book a cruise. Photo Credit: Camera walk / Shutterstock. If it made them more money, they'd want more people doing it. Naturally, you always have the option to venture off on your own and forego Carnival's tours. You play and win $10. For cruises six days and under, you get $50 OBC. We are booked to sail with PO cruise on Iona ship on 18th December for 16 nights. This can be set-up during Online Check-in or on board atthe Guest Services Desk. You can take money off your Sail and Sign account from any slot machine in the casino. You can request a full refund, but you'll usually have the choice to receive future cruise credit for the value of the cancelled cruise (or more, depending on the circumstances) and on top of that, you may be offered extra OBC to entice you to sail again. We have never recieved anything form Carnival except a phone call to cancel the cruise. Weaccept the following forms of payment to open a Sail & Sign account:Credit Cards / Debit Cards-Cash / Traveler's Checks, Sail & Sign Account Opened with a Credit Card or Debit Card. 7) On board activities or Wi Fi packages that cost extra. They just dont have it coded as an exclusionbecause, well, if I were to guess they never had OBC at these levels on the books in the past. The only difference between an onboard credit and a cash deposit, is that if you don't spend all your credit (not likely) they don't cut you a check at the end. The amount charged to the account for service gratuitieswill be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship. 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." Guests booked on canceled sailings can receive either a 100% Future Cruise Credit (valid if booked by May, 31, 2021 for use on sailings departing through April 30, 2023) plus an onboard credit per stateroom of $600 (for sailings of 6 or more days) and $300 for sailings of five days or less. But, if you dont plan on getting a package and want to just pay for the drinks you have, then using your onboard credit for these would make sense. That's interesting. If you do directly from the cage or table there will be a 3%charge. Only the amount that you win can be cashed out, the rest would go back onto your account as onboard credit. What happens to unused onboard credit? They told us then that we had a $100 ship board credit per person. If changing from cash to credit card/debit card or vice versa, use DELETE feature and change your payment preference. You can use your onboard credit in any of these shops. 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. After all onboard credit - the clue is in the name isnt it? However, the most common amounts of onboard credits offered are $25-$100 per cabin. Some itineraries offer free onboard credit as an incentive to book. Working With Travel Agencies Almost Always Gets You Onboard Credit. At Carnival, you're entitled to $50 OBC on cruises of 6 days or less, $100 on cruises of 7-13 days and $250 on longer if you own a minimum of 100 shares. In this guide, Ill tell you everything you need to know about onboard credit (also known as OBC). Then go to check out. The cardholder is responsible for amended charges discovered after the authorized guest(s) disembark the vessel. The only things that you can't use it for are medical expenses, additions like taxes and port fees and anything that you purchase before you board the ship. There are several ways to get onboard credit, and they all fall into two basic categories: the ones you can control (to a certain extent) and the ones you can't. Every time I sail, I make it a point to try the most colorful cocktail I can find just moments after . However, there is a caveat: you'll only be able to cash out your winnings. Purchases made at sea are tax-free, but thats not to say that onboard shopping is any cheaper than it is ashore. If changing credit card number or debit card number, use DELETE feature and add new credit card or debit card information. When Something Goes Wrong, Ask for Onboard Credit. 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. The account owner may choose to authorize additional guests on his or her account. We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. they will do it right then and there, with your OBC and then let the party begin. 1. You can use the On Board Credit for anything purchased on the ship (Excursions, drinks, tips). But in fact some lines do let you use it for things you will use or consume during the cruise, regardless of when they are booked or arranged,and essentially they seem to define onboard as things to be consumed onboard. Loyalty is noticed; if you've worked with the same travel agent for every cruise, your OBC amount is likely to build over time. It can be used towards the payment of alcoholic beverages, boutique purchases (such as watches, jewelry, perfumes and clothing), spa treatments and more! 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. A-Rosa River Cruises has teamed up with Charitable Travel, a tourism social enterprise, to launch a new running cruise holiday in October 2023. You can usually use your Carnival onboard credit to pay for gratuities (tips), so long as you havent prepaid them before you board the ship. Premium eateries also include some cafes and bars like Coffee Bar, JavaBlue Caf and the RedFrog Pub. On each Carnival cruise ship, youll find several shops selling souvenirs, jewellery, watches, clothes, accessories and liquor. # 2 Gratuities Some popular souvenirs that you may be interested in include a Carnival themed Monopoly game at $49.95, a Carnival windbreaker jacket at $39.95 or a Carnival mug at $14.95. An ATM/Debit Cashing Card may be used as long as it is a registered MasterCard or Visa Card. Anything you can charge to your sail and sign account will go towards a onboard credit. This form of onboard is money back, rather than money gifted, but it still beats paying a higher cruise fare with nothing in return. Finally, as Duffy explained, Carnival follows U.S. federal law, which prohibits possession and use of recreational/medicinal marijuana and other illegal controlled substances. The guest will need to contacttheir bank for assistance. So you must spend it all before the end of the last night of your cruise to avoid wasting it. However, they now require you pay in advance. There are numerous reasons that onboard credit can be added to a passenger's cruise account. I guess I love to spend too much. There is no longer a future cruise booking desk on board. The onboard credit must be used during the applicable cruise. Receive free onboard credits from Carnival Cruise Lines if you are a company shareholder that. So, if you pay for it with onboard credit, it will cost you more. On board cruise credit is a great way to "pay! It only lets me charge these to a credit card when I try to purchase these types of things on Carnival's website. Onboard credit can be used to purchase Wi-Fi packages, taking some of the bite out of a costly (but necessary) extra. A cruise can seem like the perfect place to unwind and splurge in the spa. Carnival Corporation like other companies offers onboard credit ranging from $50 to $250 for investors. For other things, like the Cheers drink package, its 10% cheaper to buy it before you board. 6/13/2022. They have no expiration date, so you could save them for as long as you like before using them to pay for your next cruise. Otherwise I use it for the steakhouse, a bottle of wine, and drinks around the ship (I've been getting free drinks in the casino with my booking). Read More: 10 Hidden Costs of Cruising and How to Save, Shareholder Benefits Include Onboard Credit. I wasn't aware you are not supposed to be ableuse it for gratuities. How . beverage program, which includes non-alcoholic beverages as well as beer, spirits and wine by the glass.