ship board credit

[bigR]

We have quite a bit of ship board credit from the Royal Caribbean credit card. I've been told now that RCCL is charging 3% in the casino to buy chips using these credits? Is it also true that there is a maximum per day you can take out and that if you don't use all of your credit you lose it? Is there a better way to cash these in?

[Dave]

It is a very confusing subject. My understanding is you are assessed 3% if you want go to the casino and use a credit card or your SeaPass to get cash. If you get chips it is not assessed. They aren't directly targeting the RCI Visa card onboard credits you have, it is just the way the accounting works.

Charges to your shipboard account are first taken from purchased onboard credits(which is what the Visa awards are, which are refundable if not used up - hence why they burn these first). Next they charge off all non-refundable credits you might have (promotional credits for using NextCruise, etc.). Then they start charging the credit card you used to establish your SeaPass.

So again, if you don't use all of your Visa award credits you are supposed to get those refunded, either in cash or as a credit to the credit card you used to open your shipboard account.

I don't know of any daily limit. I think it is just a matter of the casinos trying to limit people using them as a bank teller and not gambling.

[bigR]

Thanks Dave, that sounds better and more reasonable than what I heard.

[Dave]

Remember, that is my understanding of it!

If someone has a lot of OBC it is usually a bad idea to pre-purchase tours and other stuff that you can get once aboard. Many don't know that OBC's fall into a couple categories - refundable and "use it or lose it". Obviously it is best for the company to charge off all of your refundable credit first and then use the ones that will become pumpkins if not used up.

[Sonny V]

If you go to the Guest Relations Desk, they will clear up any question about your on board credit. If I have OBC left, I cash it in at the Guest Relations Deck on the last night of the cruise.

Sonny

[bigR]

I just got a response from RCCL. They said any on board credit as a result of the RCCL credit is refundable. They no longer allow cash advances from the Sea Pass account in the casino.

[Dave]

They no longer allow cash advances from the Sea Pass account in the casino.

Another change! The info I provided was less than a month old.