OBB Credit & Gratuities

[jrapps]

I almost ALWAYS prepay the gratuities just so I don't have to worry about it on the cruise, however on our last cruise I ran into an unusual circumstance where we had $100 non-refundable on-ship credit (from OBB) and we struggled to spend it all. (no excursions, not big drinkers, etc) We ended up buying gifts in the gift shop that we really didn't need rather than letting it go to waste.

If I don't prepay gratuities, will my $100-$200 OBB credit be applied to the gratuities first? I usually also load an extra $100 from a gift card onto my account just in case and I want to make sure that if we don't spend all the money on our account, the non-refundable credit is used first for gratuities and not my gift card.

Thanks!

 

[anricat]

If it's billed to your onboard account, onboard credit should be able be used to take care of it.

 

[Partyof4LA]

And to add, yes they will use your no refundable credits first then your gift card.

 

[lanejudy]

I believe even if you do pre-pay gratuities, the non-refundable OBC is “used” first. So then you could either be reimbursed for the amount (or partial amount) you prepaid, or purchase a gift card in the shop to use up your remaining balance of the onboard account.

“Prepaid” just means that you put an amount on your onboard account prior to boarding. It isn’t actually designated for tips or any other specific expense.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Also, if you find yourself in that situation again, I think the shops sell Disney gift cards, so at least you can have the money to spend at Disney another time.

 

[xQuizx]

The shops do sell Disney gift cards. When I went to do my on board booking, I was told I couldn't charge directly to my on board account. They could only charge directly to my credit card on file or I could go to the shops and get a gift card. So I opted to go to the shops and get a gift card, which was loaded from my on board account.

 

[Shanti]

“Prepaid” just means that you put an amount on your onboard account prior to boarding. It isn’t actually designated for tips or any other specific expense.

When I have prepaid gratuities, it has shown the gratuities specifically as being prepaid on my cruise statement receipt. And when I've checked my onboard account during the cruise (not just the last day), the folio printout has shown the gratuities as already being paid.