How do I get the most out of my ship board credit?
Sep 1, 2023, 4:55 pm
#1
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Escondido CA USA
Programs: AS, UA, HY, Hil, Merr
Posts: 3,207
How do I get the most out of my ship board credit?
We are going to be cruising RSSC. As part of our packages (back to back cruises) we will have $2000.00 SBC! How do we spend that?
"Everything" is provided on this cruise with the fare. We tried to upgrade our tours, but the premium tours were already booked (others solved at least part of their use). Drinks are included. As quite senior, upgrading the drinks makes no sense, as the quality of our taste buds is a bit eroded with age. We get wifi and some phone with our status. Neither of us are into jewelry. Our luggage can only hold so much clothing or gifts. Maybe some can be used for massages? We are retired DINKS, so not much in the way of gifts.
Suggestions? We are not familiar with all of the possible uses that would be of value to us.
"Everything" is provided on this cruise with the fare. We tried to upgrade our tours, but the premium tours were already booked (others solved at least part of their use). Drinks are included. As quite senior, upgrading the drinks makes no sense, as the quality of our taste buds is a bit eroded with age. We get wifi and some phone with our status. Neither of us are into jewelry. Our luggage can only hold so much clothing or gifts. Maybe some can be used for massages? We are retired DINKS, so not much in the way of gifts.
Suggestions? We are not familiar with all of the possible uses that would be of value to us.
Sep 1, 2023, 6:04 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
If it's refundable OBC, you can get it in cash at the end of the cruise. Non-refundable OBC policies differ from cruise line to cruise line - CruiseCritic is a good place to look.
Sep 1, 2023, 9:45 pm
#3
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Escondido CA USA
Programs: AS, UA, HY, Hil, Merr
Posts: 3,207
Half dies after the first cruise and the other half after the next. No refunds. I don't know what the real worth is. Maybe materially less than half?
Sep 1, 2023, 9:54 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,084
Tough problem to have.
Sep 2, 2023, 7:53 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,593
Sep 2, 2023, 1:34 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: GRR
Programs: Delta Plat & Million Miler
Posts: 1,376
Plus
What the others said, plus I would add...just because those premium shore excursions are sold out, go to the shore excursion desk and ask to get wait-listed on ones you would like. You would be surprised how often people cancel and you can get on one.
Last edited by gretchendz; Sep 2, 2023 at 1:34 pm Reason: I can't type
Sep 6, 2023, 12:55 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Boston's north shore
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k, DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 298
A gentleman I met on a Crystal cruise used his huge amounts of OBC to buy jewelry (gifts for his daughters) in the on board shop to get his holiday shopping done very early. It was expensive yet easy to pack!
Sep 7, 2023, 8:36 am
#10
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Full time Nomad
Posts: 842
Gold!
Never really loses its value. Easy to pack. We've bought some with credit, and I've re-sold. Or, given as gifts. Way better than most items in the shops onboard.
Sep 7, 2023, 1:06 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,786
If it is red or black, you win $1890.
If it is 0 or 00, you win 1925.
So, you will lose to the house around $75 to $110 on $2000 OBC. You can think of it as a 5% conversion fee from OBC to cash.
I never gamble on cruise. This method works in my younger days when some hotels at Vegas gave me a few hundreds gambling credits to stay there. They can't be cashed out but winnings could.
Sep 24, 2023, 2:51 am
#14
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Escondido CA USA
Programs: AS, UA, HY, Hil, Merr
Posts: 3,207
RSSC Splendor does not accept OBC in the casino...period.
Spa works well. Pricing is a bit mystical.
2 stores. 1 jewelry and watches...nothing that can be resold at even 10% in my opinion. Most of it over the $$$ I am talking about. 2nd store has perfumes, purses, clothes, sunglasses and some miscellaneous. Don't want the weight of cologne/risk. Clothes in limited sizes, colors, etc. This is a small store. Prices are all over the place. T-shirt $120 one day $57 another. We did manage to get thru our first OBC by ignoring need, use, and price. Only target was spend it all, and hope it fits in the luggage. Needing a watch would have helped, but neither of us does.
You can spend $$$ on wine, but why. The included wine is most all varietals, and wines from vineyards like Napa all over the world. There have been some tastings that were a couple hundred dollars per person.
They will not take OBC for future cruise deposits.
Maybe in our second 2 weeks, I'll find our more.
There were a few tours that had a charge, but they all were sold out months before I was eligible to select ours. They do go fast on Regent.
Caution, off topic, don't come on this ship hoping to be able to buy sundries! The store had some chocolate (huge) and chips type stuff, but no meds, razors, cough drops, tums, etc. One day was a one off and they had shave cream!
Spa works well. Pricing is a bit mystical.
2 stores. 1 jewelry and watches...nothing that can be resold at even 10% in my opinion. Most of it over the $$$ I am talking about. 2nd store has perfumes, purses, clothes, sunglasses and some miscellaneous. Don't want the weight of cologne/risk. Clothes in limited sizes, colors, etc. This is a small store. Prices are all over the place. T-shirt $120 one day $57 another. We did manage to get thru our first OBC by ignoring need, use, and price. Only target was spend it all, and hope it fits in the luggage. Needing a watch would have helped, but neither of us does.
You can spend $$$ on wine, but why. The included wine is most all varietals, and wines from vineyards like Napa all over the world. There have been some tastings that were a couple hundred dollars per person.
They will not take OBC for future cruise deposits.
Maybe in our second 2 weeks, I'll find our more.
There were a few tours that had a charge, but they all were sold out months before I was eligible to select ours. They do go fast on Regent.
Caution, off topic, don't come on this ship hoping to be able to buy sundries! The store had some chocolate (huge) and chips type stuff, but no meds, razors, cough drops, tums, etc. One day was a one off and they had shave cream!
