Can a charge be moved from CC to OBC onboard?

[AlohaLivin]

We will sail on Grandeur in May 2019 and we would like to purchase Voom on the current sale. The problem is this: (1) the travel agency won’t add the $450 OBC until just before the cruise and (2) I called RCL and they won’t hold the product so we can charge it to our OBC once we are onboard (NCL would do this with tours and other issues but it seems RCL will not).  We really want to use the OBC for this and possibly other pre-purchased items since it’s rather large, therefore this is a real problem for us.

Does anyone know whether or not if we charge the VOOM package (and/or other product/service) to our CC prior to the cruise we can have it moved to the OBC once we are onboard (either with guest services or the suites concierge)? I could call RCL and ask, but I don’t get the best info that way many times so I am certain that I will get higher quality info here! Clearly the purchase on the website are transient since people often comment that they reverse a purchase to buy the same thing at a new, lower price. Still, I don’t want to assume anything.

Thanks all
Lynn

[Atlantix2000]

OBC from Royal's deals will show up and be usable in cruise planner to purchase Voom and anything else right away (plus/minus Royal's IT department).  Travel Agency OBC won't show up in your on board account until day 2 of the cruise (generally).  $450 is a lot of OBC, any chance some of that is coming from Royal?  If not, that sounds like a nice deal from your agent.

I've never heard of someone transferring a pre-cruise card purchase to OBC onboard.  I'm sure they would let you cancel something (with refund to card) and then repurchase with OBC but I would assume you would then be paying the onboard price for the item which will almost certainly be higher.  I don't think there's a limit to how many people can purchase VOOM, so the only advantage to pre-purchasing is price.  So next question is whether your OBC is refundable if you don't use it all.  If your OBC is use-it-or-lose-it AND you wouldn't spend that much, maybe you don't care about the price so you just wait to purchase onboard.  However, for something like an excursion with limited spots, that's a harder decision.

[AlohaLivin]

1 hour ago, Atlantix2000 said:

OBC from Royal's deals will show up and be usable in cruise planner to purchase Voom and anything else right away (plus/minus Royal's IT department).  Travel Agency OBC won't show up in your on board account until day 2 of the cruise (generally).  $450 is a lot of OBC, any chance some of that is coming from Royal?  If not, that sounds like a nice deal from your agent.

I've never heard of someone transferring a pre-cruise card purchase to OBC onboard.  I'm sure they would let you cancel something (with refund to card) and then repurchase with OBC but I would assume you would then be paying the onboard price for the item which will almost certainly be higher.  I don't think there's a limit to how many people can purchase VOOM, so the only advantage to pre-purchasing is price.  So next question is whether your OBC is refundable if you don't use it all.  If your OBC is use-it-or-lose-it AND you wouldn't spend that much, maybe you don't care about the price so you just wait to purchase onboard.  However, for something like an excursion with limited spots, that's a harder decision.

Thank you for your reply, I was a little disconcerted no one had to be honest. The OBC is definitely 450 and from the agency vs Royal. I have written to the agency to try to figure out if it’s refundable (I assume that it is, but need to be sure). The agent did initially email back and say that the obc would not be provided until shortly before the cruise (a week or so); she did offer to reduce the obc and instead discount the cruise price by that amount and if they will do that for the full amount then that may be the best way to go...). I agree that it could be best to wait until we are onboard to buy it a (but even more the case if for some reason it isn’t refundable). But, I would never have imagined that an agency obc would not show up until day 2. 

Any chance you know the usual price of 2 device package of Voom basic? Currently it is $16.99 a day, but no clue how much it would be day 1 onboard. Thanks again for your help

Lynn

[melski94]

The OBC from the TA will show up on Day 2 but as your CC isn't charged daily but at the end of the cruise so it all works out.  The OBC will count towards any purchases you already made.

Have you already paid gratuities?  If not, then that is something to allow for OBC of about $100 per person for the cruise assuming you aren't in a Suite.  With that much OBC, I'd allow my gratuities to be paid for by OBC as much as possible and then prepay things on sale in the cruise planner.

Voom prices vary ship to ship so it is hard to figure out.  Does your cruise planner show that $16.99 a day price is 20% off?  Is so, then figure about $21 a day but you wouldn't necessarily have to purchase it on Day 1 as you will be in port for most of it and you could wait until day 2 to save a bit more money.   Also on Grandeur, you will be in the Chesapeake Bay for 10-12 hours (maybe?) so you could possibly have cell service the first night anyways (haven't sailed on Grandeur so this is merely a guess).  If you wait until day 2 to buy VOOM, the price may be about the same as the cruise planner.