I have booked a cruise on a cruise booking site and it said it includes a $100 onboard credit. I'm wondering how it works that you will find out your $100 onboard credit in your account only after you get onboard or...? Thanks and your help is much appreciated!

It depends on the cruise line - on QM2 and Royal Carib there was a note in the stateroom when we arrived.

Usually there is a note or card with the information in your state room, if you are asking to check if it's there the TV will probably have an option to check your account to see if you got it or you can check at the pursers office.

So for example you booked a cruise on XXX.com... which you are not booking directly on the official cruiseline webpage, ie. holland america. On the site you booked the cruise it shows a promotion that you book this cruise you will get $100 credits... You know sometimes they will say you will get onboard credits for "select sailing", but sometimes it's a bit hard to find out if the cruise you book really qualifies even the free credits perk show on the cruise you book. So you can only verify with the site you book the cruise with, but not with the cruise line? Or as said can only find out after you get onboard? Thanks!

The cruise line may not want to talk to you at all if you booked through somebody else (they will refer you back to them).

So yes, verify with the booking site if your trip qualifies for the credit or not.

Thanks again!^

Thanks!:-:

We will be sailing on a RCL Legend of the Sea in Oct: TA has OBC for us. Will look for the note. --On Crystal, the stewardess has handed us an envelope with cards that indicated OBC amount/from whom and we would sign receipt cards. In the event of a discrepancy, I would go to the purser's front desk for further assistance.

Every cruise line handles OBC differently; PCL & HAL show it as a separate line item in the cost breakdown on the passenger invoice.

One thing I'll add is some cruisers sometimes confuse per cabin OBC with a per person OBC but it is usually expressed as a per cabin amount.

On RCI, sometimes you get a note, sometimes you don't. It will show up as a credit on your OB folio account about 2 days into the cruise. If you book directly with the cruise line & receive an OBC, it will show on your invoice. If a TA is giving you an OBC, the TA may state it on their invoice, but RCI will know nothing until the TA applies the OBC to your reservation (usually after final payment). If the OBC is through a TA, even if you take the paperwork with you, unless the Miami office has a record, the purser's office will not give you the OBC. You have to take that up with the TA once you arrive home. I have learned this from prior experience. I wasn't happy at the time, but all worked out well in the end.

Ask your TA to send you a copy of your reservation from POLAR. This is the info the cruiseline has access to. If your OBC shows up there properly, you're golden in case of a discrepency.

T

Make sure you get it in writing from your TA before you sail. That will help with any discrepancy.

Had OBC discrepancy when we checked in. Since we were still within wireless broadband range I emailed my cruise consultant.
She emailed back Monday 10am that it was fixed and the ship confirmed it a lunchtime.
We actually ended up with two OBC, one for frequent cruiser from the cruise line and another one from the TA for booking with them.

Aha, good to know.