Onboard credit (OBC) is essentially cruise cash — a dollar amount credited to your room account to spend on drinks, excursions, spa, or other onboard purchases. Getting OBC through travel agents and booking sites often adds $50–$300 that you won't get booking direct.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
Onboard credit (OBC) is one of the most valuable perks in cruising — and most people don't know how to get it or what it's really worth.
What onboard credit is
OBC is a dollar-amount credit applied to your shipboard account. You can spend it on:
- Drink packages (if not pre-purchased)
- Specialty dining
- Shore excursions booked through the cruise line
- Spa services
- Retail shopping onboard
- WiFi
- Cannot be redeemed for: Casino chips (on most lines), tips toward other passengers
Unused OBC at the end of the sailing is generally refundable (returned to your credit card) if the OBC was granted by the cruise line or travel agent. OBC from promotional packages is sometimes non-refundable — check when booking.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
How to get OBC
1. Book through a travel agent or third-party site This is the biggest one. Travel agents receive commissions from cruise lines and often pass a portion back as OBC. Booking Royal Caribbean through CruiseHub, for example, frequently nets $100–$300 OBC you'd never get booking on RoyalCaribbean.com directly.
2. Cruise line promotions Lines run "promo" periods where OBC is bundled with fares — typically $50–$200/cabin.
3. Loyalty status (Crown & Anchor, VIFP, Latitudes, etc.) Higher loyalty tiers earn OBC on every sailing — $25–$200 depending on tier and sailing length.
4. Military and first-responder discounts Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian offer OBC ($50–$250) for active military, veterans, and first responders. Verify with your booking agent.
5. Credit card rewards Chase Sapphire and Amex Platinum travel credits occasionally stack with cruise OBC. Royal Caribbean Visa cardholders earn points toward OBC.
The OBC math: always compare total cost
$500 in OBC sounds great, but not if the fare is $400 higher than a competing booking. Use CruiseMutiny to compare total all-in costs across booking sources and promotions.