When you take a Carnival cruise, you may find yourself with some onboard credit to spend. You can use onboard credit to buy wifi on a Carnival cruise, but only if you wait until you board the ship to buy it. Check Your Cruise Account Before You Board and Book Deals on Wi-Fi and More. 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? Guests can also opt for a 100% refund. Not absolutely every activity on board your cruise ship will be free of charge. What about gratuities?? 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. Latta. IMPORTANT: Go to Step 3 of the online booking . If this applies to you, then using your onboard credit to pay for excursions is a good idea. If the proverbial carrot has proven irresistable and you've clicked the ad, wondering what it is exactly, you wouldn't be the first. I've never had this issue before, so didn't really pay attention to the details, No, you can not cash it out, its on board credit, not an ATM. And that can be a big onboard credit win. If anyone knows where Carnival put any official guidance on this it would be especially appreciated. If you prefer retail therapy to spa therapy, your onboard credit can be your ticket to paradise. The one drawback to using your OBC to purchase your Cheers! On most mainstream ships, these alternative eateries come with a price tag -- either a flat cover charge or a la carte fees for each item purchased. Thanks for your help. Carnival shore excursions range in price from $14.99 per adult for a trip to the Pirates Treasure & Shipwreck Museum in St. Thomas to $799.99 per adult for a helicopter tour in Iceland. Gratuities to the shipboard staff are customary on Carnival as well as other cruise lines, and you can cover these using your OBC. On Carnival cruises, Bingo cards start at $10 each, although most people actually spend more than this as they get multiple cards. Purchases made at sea are tax-free, but thats not to say that onboard shopping is any cheaper than it is ashore. Then subtract this amount from the amount of onboard credit you have. The Carnival Cruise Luggage Restrictions You MUST Be Aware Of. Be the first to rate this post. It's spending money to use during your cruise. 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. Boost Your Playtime If Your Cruise Allows Onboard Credit Use in the. In general, however, it is between $50 and $250. Started August 27, 2021, By 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! With all the cancellations, the offer for a cancelled cruise include onboard credit to be used on a new or rebooked cruise. You can use your Carnival onboard credit to pay for a Cheers drinks package or to pay for individual drinks that you charge to your onboard account. #1 Excursions You can find all sorts of excursions that you can allocate your onboard credit to. 5 Things You Didn't Know About Booking a Costco Cruise, 8 Things to Know About the Cheapest Cruise Ship Cabins, Norwegian Cruise Line Internet Packages and Prices, 8 Worst Cruise Rip-offs Not Worth Your Money, Carnival Sunrise (Photo: Carnival Cruise Line), The Alchemy Bar aboard Carnival Spirit (Photo: Aaron Saunders), Casino on Carnival Radiance ( Photo by K. Alex Beaven). 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. Either way, we've got 8 brilliant ways you can spend your onboard credit - read on for more! On the day thecruise returns, Carnival immediately settles the guest's account with theirbank for the total amount of theironboard expenses. It's $100 (or $50) per cruise. However, the most common amounts of onboard credits offered are $25-$100 per cabin. I just made a reservation on Empress for this coming Oct. and was told I can't use the onboard credit towards gratuities. Suggested read: Carnival Drink Package Guide. 2) What things onboard cannot be charged against OBC? *Taxes, fees and port expenses are additional per person. There is no longer a future cruise booking desk on board. Certain other items like liquor in your cabin cannot be purchased after boarding. This is because single-day plans are only available to purchase on the ship. That means that the package will cost more: typically, Carnival offers a discount if you purchase your beverage package online. There are many ways that you can get Carnival onboard credit. You can take money off your Sail and Sign account from any slot machine in the casino. Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards There's no shortage of options when it comes to redeeming your Carnival FunPoints earned with the Carnival Mastercard. Does anyone know if the credit can be used for this? The consequences of violating Carnival's marijuana policy include a $500 fine per violation. Ive worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and now my blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. Carnival realized the problem this was creating and changed their policy so guests could now use the credit when purchasing things ahead of time. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. 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. Then go to check out. drink package is that you can only do so once you've boarded the ship instead of before. You can buy gift cards with your OBC at the candy shop on the ship in amounts of $100 to $1000 and use them to pay for your next cruise. If you do directly from the cage or table there will be a 3%charge. Guests may activate their Sail & Sign account on Carnival.com, My Cruise Manager,Online Check-in prior to their cruiseor on the first day of the cruise at embarkation. So who does buy art at cruise ship art auctions? 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. You cannot cash out $110. The amount of the benefit varies with the length of your cruise and cruise line. Onboard credit can be used to turn the onboard photographer into your own personal paparazzi. This will leave you with an amount of onboard credit to spend on treating yourself. What could be better than gambling with someone else's money? 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. Some people have been told that onboard credit that was earned from rebooking a cancelled cruise cannot be used to buy gift cards, but other types of onboard credit such as from a price reduction or shareholders credit can. Essentially, onboard credit is money applied to onboard accounts that passengers can spend onboard. The offer that you used to be able to get, is now emailed to you post-cruise. Similarly, if Carnival is forced to cancel or modify an itinerary for whatever reason, they will typically offer passengers a few options. What can it be used for? It can come from a cruise deal that you've booked or from the cruise ship casino, cruise credit card rewards or other sources. 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 . What is Perfect Day at CocoCay and Should You Visit? Is there a way to cash out your onboard credit? ON BOARDcredit can only be used on board. Onboard credits, OBC for those in the know, have traditionally been incentives offered to guests when booking a cruise. Well, I mean, there are several ways to accomplish this. 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. You play and win $10. Lets say you load $100 of onboard credit onto your casino account. 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 option includes all-you-can-drink soda, sparkling water, and fruit juices. Here are some ideas on how you can spend it. Sure, drinks packages shave spending off your drink bill, but if you plan on keeping your beverage consumption light, using OBC is a better way to drink for free. Note, however, that in order to use your onboard credits to pay (or partially pay) for a shore excursion, you can only book them once onboard, at the Shore Excursion Desk, and not online before boarding the ship. I have two specific questions. Only on the ship, nowhere else. 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. The credit will also come with an expiration date. If you notice your cruise fare has dropped after you booked it, many times the line will make up the difference through an onboard credit offer. 100% refund of what I paid OR 100% future cruise credit, plus onboard credit for the future cruise Carnival offers $300 in onboard credit for cancelled trips of five days or less. However, you must arrange these at the shore excursions desk on the ship, not online before you board. Shipboard credit on a Holland America cruise can be used for almost everything onboard your ship, including spa treatments, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, specialty coffee and alcoholic beverages, boutique purchases, onboard photos and more. After that, you will receive a key card and allowed to board the ship. On some lines, casinos are off-limits when it comes to onboard credit, so check if your line allows it before you hit the slots. It can be used for ANYTHING on the ship. In addition, guests can view their statement on Carnival's HUB app,at a Sail & Sign Kiosk or at Guest Services. The cost varies depending on the services you desire. Cruise service gratuities will be charged to the account unless they are prepaid. I have used OBC to book excursions before booking in the past. On Carnival cruises, you can use your onboard credit to buy a day pass to the Cloud 9 Spa for just $22, giving you access to the relaxation room, thermal suite, hydrotherapy pool, hot tubs, experience showers, steam rooms, saunas and hammam. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'cruisespotlight_com-box-4','ezslot_1',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cruisespotlight_com-box-4-0'); You can use your OBC for anything you can purchase in your cruise planner. We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. However, since we have rebooked for later this year, we have found Carnival made some changes that go against your ability to spend these. But isn't that what a cruise is for? Iused the OBC aftermy 25th for gratuities, and shore excursions at every port. Specialty dining on Carnival cruise ships costs from $6 per person for the Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, up to $95 per person for dinner at The Chefs Table. For example, you previously made reservations for the Specialty Restaurants. I've had quit a bit of obc but bought watches, a few expensive bottle of good scotch, cigarettes for friends. they will do it right then and there, with your OBC and then let the party begin. Spreading the good word about a cruise you loved isn't a thankless endeavor. Guests who are booked on one of the ships Carnival hopes to restart can also cancel . Onboard credit is the currency you can use to make purchases when onboard your cruise. The cardholding guest must be an authorized signer by the card-issuing bank. They gave us $600 OBC for each of our 1-week cruises that were canceled (we had several). You see, if you do your research, you may find that many of the pieces can be purchased for a fraction of the onboard price elsewhere. Thanks for the replies. "Onboard credit is non-refundable, non-transferable and has no cash value. This may mean that you could risk missing out on some of the most popular tours if they're fully booked by the time you embark. Onboard credit, by definition, is supposed to be spent on board the ship. If you dont normally go for specialty dining, then perhaps you should take advantage of your free onboard credit to treat yourself to a delicious meal. 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." Give a gift to your friend going on one of our cruises! Logo Store; Find Your Roll Call; Meet & Mingle I leave a week Sunday and am hoping that they have record of it when we check in. Major categories include shore excursions, drinks and gratuities for the crew. 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. When you then paid onboard, they came out of your OBC. Booking Incentives with Cruise Lines & Travel Agents. However, the problem really grew due to the COVID shutdown. If changing credit card number or debit card number, use DELETE feature and add new credit card or debit card information. Onboard credit can be used to purchase Wi-Fi packages, taking some of the bite out of a costly (but necessary) extra. Carnival Cruise Line, also known as America's Cruise Line, is a leader in contemporary cruising and operates a fleet of ships designed to provide fun and memorable vacation experiences at a great value. The Sail & Sign. Even the time for my 25th cruise where you get 25% of the cruisefare in obc. Because I have way more than I will use. It's very important to read the . You can also search .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}Cruise Critic's Deals page to snag the best offers available. Heres how much Carnival gratuities cost, per day, for each passenger aged two and over on sailings prior to 1st April 2023: So, on a seven-night cruise for two people in a standard stateroom, you would pay $203 in gratuities. Most lines will allow slot play with onboard credit without a fee but will add an upcharge for table games. Gift Cards and Travel Funds Cards issued by: American Express andOptima. It can't be used for medical expenses, taxes and port fees. 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. Cruise Line Branded Credit Cards Can Help You Score Onboard Credit, Some cruise line credit cards allow you to turn your accrued points into onboard credit. Generally speaking, the restrictions include gratuities, casino and gift cards but the restrictions are not currently enforced.