The Top Ways to Get Cruise Onboard Credit

Onboard credit is a great perk in the world of cruising. This monetary credit can be used to purchase just about anything on a cruise ship, and can be acquired in a number of ways. Here, we’re going over the top ways to get cruise onboard credit for your next vacation at sea.

What is Cruise Onboard Credit (OBC)?

Cruise onboard credit, referred to as OBC in cruise lingo, is essentially “free money” to use on your cruise vacation. This credit can be obtained a variety of ways and can be spent onboard the ship on most cruise experiences. Some cruise lines even allow you to apply this onboard credit when purchasing items pre-cruise in your online cruise planner.

Once onboard the ship, it is very easy to use OBC. Essentially, a credit is applied to your shipboard account. As you make purchases, the dollar amount will be deducted from the credit value until it is fully depleted.

You will not need to apply the credit to specific purchases. Any purchases beyond the onboard credit amount will be charged to your credit card on file at the end of the cruise just like they ordinarily would.

When receiving this cruise onboard credit, it is important to note whether it is refundable or non-refundable. As the name implies, non-refundable OBC will need to be used in its entirety during your cruise or the remaining balance will be lost. If the credit is refundable, the cruise line will issue you a refund to your credit card on file for any remaining negative balance on your shipboard account — usually within 30 days.

11 Ways to Get Cruise Onboard Credit (2025)

As we mentioned earlier, there are a number of ways to score onboard credit. Let’s go over the best and most common ways you can get some OBC for your next cruise vacation.

1. Time Your Booking with a Promotion

One of the most common ways to get cruise onboard credit is to book your cruise during a sale. Cruise lines will often run promotions offering free perks for booking a cruise. These perks can include any number of items including drink packages, specialty dining credits, free WiFi, free gratuities, and of course, onboard credit.

The amount of onboard credit that you will receive is dependent on the deal. It also usually depends on the stateroom category that you choose, with more expensive cabins qualifying for a higher value. The time of year, the itinerary, and the length of the cruise can dictate how much onboard credit you will receive as well.

2. Book with a Travel Agent

Similar to cruise line promotions, travel agents often provide incentives of their own. These perks will be on top of any deals already being offered by the cruise line. This is one of the best reasons to use a travel agent even if you are a seasoned cruiser.

While it is rare to find an advertised price by a travel agent that is lower than the cruise line’s website, the added value comes in other forms, like OBC.

So, we always recommend pricing out the exact cruise you want to book and knowing what deals are being offered by the cruise line. Then, contact a couple of your preferred travel agents to see what else they can offer. Even if it’s only an extra $50, it’s better in your pocket!

To save the most money, be sure to time cruise line promotions with travel agent perks.

3. Watch For Price Drops

When booking a cruise, it can actually be beneficial to not pay in full at the time of booking. This is because if the price of your cruise drops after you’ve booked it, many cruise lines will either refund you the difference or give you the difference in the form of OBC. The price of your sailing becomes more difficult to negotiate if you’ve paid in full, so we recommend not paying in full until closer to (or on) the final payment date if possible.

Keep in mind that receiving a refund or onboard credit for a price drop doesn’t happen automatically. If you notice a price drop, you have to contact the cruise line to request a credit be added to your account for the difference.

4. Redeem Credit Card Points

Many cruise lines now have their own credit cards with which you can earn reward points. Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line offer different credit card programs that let you earn points towards cruise discounts, onboard credit, and even free cruises. 

Once you obtain a certain point value, you can redeem the points for onboard credit for your upcoming cruise. The payout varies by cruise line but is generally somewhere in the ballpark of 10,000 points for $100 of onboard credit. While not the best return, it is still free money.

However, we generally score better payouts by saving the points until we have enough to redeem them for a free cruise.

5. Book Another Cruise During a Cruise

Cruise lines want repeat customers. To lure cruisers to book future trips with the brand, cruise companies will often offer incentives for booking another cruise during your current one.

When you visit the sales desk on your cruise, you can discuss options with a cruise consultant and put down one or more deposits for future cruise vacations. These deposits are typically good for at least a few years. So, with most brands, there is no need to even lock in a specific cruise just yet.

Depending on the cruises you book and/or your stateroom category, you can score some decent cruise onboard credit. This OBC will usually be on top of any other promotions and can range up to $500 or so.

Some cruise lines will even let you use the onboard credit on your current sailing, while others defer it to your future cruise.

6. Become a Shareholder

Another way to earn cruise onboard credit is to buy stocks in the cruise company. By becoming a shareholder, you will be entitled to around $100 in OBC for a typical seven-night itinerary from the major brands. Of course, this value will increase for longer cruises and decrease for shorter cruises.

You do need to own a minimum number of shares to qualify for this offer. Further, be sure to read the fine print as there can be restrictions, and benefits are subject to change at any time. Additionally, these benefits are not usually combinable with other offers.

7. Casino and Loyalty Programs

While only select cruise lines offer cruise onboard credit for loyalty status with the brand, staying loyal does come with other benefits that provide similar “free money” perks. These incentives can include free drinks and discounts on spa treatments, photos, internet, and more.

If you are a gambler, you can rack up some OBC with casino programs as well.

For instance, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Casinos at Sea program offers non-refundable cruise onboard credit for players who maintain a certain status. Points can be redeemed for other onboard amenities too. Achieving and maintaining certain status in Royal Caribbean’s Casino Royale program can even earn you a free annual cruise!

8. Referrals

Just like with many land-based services and stores, some cruise lines offer onboard credit if you refer a friend and they book a cruise with the line. For example, if you refer someone to your Princess Cruises Cruise Vacation Planner (CVP) and they haven’t sailed Princess before, your friend will receive a $25 future cruise credit and you’ll both receive $25 in OBC for your next cruise. Lines including Holland America and Windstar also have referral programs for onboard credit.

9. Mishaps

No one wants something to go wrong on their cruise vacation. However, if it does, the cruise line is likely to offer up some OBC for the inconvenience. This can be for anything from missed ports to mechanical issues or mess-ups with your reservation.

Of course, the amount of credit received will be based on the extent of the issue. This credit might be issued to use onboard the current sailing or come in the form of a future cruise credit.

10. A Gift from Friends and Family

What do you give the cruiser in your life that has everything?

Most cruise lines allow individuals to purchase gift cards or to gift someone onboard credit. This credit can be purchased in various dollar amounts and can be used for most goods and services once onboard the ship. Depending on the cruise line, you might even be able to apply the value to pre-cruise purchases.

Friends and family can also gift other items to your stateroom like bottles of wine, gourmet treats, flowers, celebration packages, and more. Either way, it’s always a nice surprise!

11. Canceled Cruises

If for some reason a cruise you have booked is canceled by the cruise line, you’ll usually receive some form of a future cruise credit on top of your refund to the original form of payment. If you have options to rebook at the time of the cancellation, you may also receive some onboard credit to make up for the inconvenience.

Cruises can be canceled by a cruise line for a number of reasons. These can include weather conditions, mechanical issues with the ship, construction/renovation delays, or schedule changes. Even though a canceled cruise can be a major disappointment, if you have a chance to rebook it’s nice to have some extra spending money during the voyage to make up for it.

OBC Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to use onboard credit?

Unless otherwise specified, onboard credit can be used for just about anything you purchase on the ship during your cruise. And as mentioned above, some cruise lines even allow you to use OBC to purchase packages and other extras prior to setting sail.

Perhaps the most popular ways to use onboard credit are for drinks and specialty dining. Many passengers also use it for spa treatments, salon services, souvenirs, casino play, and shore excursions. Even laundry service and wifi can be purchased using onboard credit. Essentially, OBC can be applied to anything that you can charge to your stateroom account. The one notable exception is the medical facilities — you can’t use onboard credit for medical services rendered during your voyage.

Can onboard credit go towards daily gratuities?

Though it may vary by cruise line, generally yes — you can put your OBC towards your daily gratuities charge at the end of the cruise. The catch is, you can’t use onboard credit to pay for gratuities prior to the cruise. So if you pre-pay your gratuities, your credit card on file will be charged as usual. But if you pay your daily gratuities charge along with the rest of your final bill at the end of the sailing, your OBC can go towards it.

What happens to unused onboard credit?

The majority of the time, onboard credit is nonrefundable. This means you need to use it all up during your cruise or you lose the remainder that’s left over. In some uncommon instances, though, OBC may be refundable. For example, sometimes if you acquire onboard credit by using credit card points you can get a refund if you don’t use it up. You may also receive refundable OBC if you cancel an onboard purchase and are initially refunded via onboard credit.

Can I transfer onboard credit between sailings?

No, you can’t transfer unused onboard credit to another sailing. It’s available only for the cruise it’s designated for.

Is there a way to check my onboard credit balance?

You should be able to view your onboard credit balance the same way you view your general account/cruise folio. This information can be found on the cruise line’s app, the cruise line’s website, and on your stateroom TV. You can also visit Guest Services for information on your account, including your OBC balance.

Comments

What are your secrets for scoring cruise onboard credit? What’s the largest amount of OBC you’ve had on a cruise? Drop us an anchor below to share how you like to spend your “free money.”