7 Ways To Use Cruise Credit
How To Use Royal Caribbean Cruise Credits
By Adam H. Graham | Published on December 22, 2025
Onboard credit — otherwise known as OBC or "cruise cash" — is a promotion that offers cruisers a dollar amount to use toward onboard spending. It is loaded automatically onto your SeaPass® card, the personal onboard expense account you'll use for all your onboard expenditures, and credits are automatically applied to all purchases made on board. Think of it as a gift card from Royal Caribbean.
Though the timing of promotions varies, the credit is issued before you cruise and you can spend it on the My Royal Cruise portal even before you board. Credits are nonrefundable and nontransferable, so read on for our list of seven of the best ways to use your onboard cruise credit.
Key Takeaways: How To Use Cruise Credit
- ● Wine, spirits and beverages: Treat yourself to cocktails, premium wines or a drinks package that covers everything from sodas to champagne.
- ● Specialty dining: Upgrade dinner with sushi, steak or even a gourmet Chef’s Table experience.
- ● Shore excursions: Book snorkeling trips, city tours or private journeys for a more personalized adventure.
- ● Onboard Wi-Fi: Stay connected with VOOM®, the fastest internet at sea, perfect for streaming or sharing photos.
- ● Spa treatments: Indulge in massages, facials or hair treatments at the Vitality℠ Spa.
- ● Shopping: Spend credit in onboard boutiques or grab small treats like coffee, skincare or candy.
- ● Casino games: Roll the dice at Casino Royale℠ with slots, poker or blackjack tournaments.
- ● Explore Royal Caribbean cruises to start earning rewards for your next cruise.
How To Earn Cruise Credit
There are several ways to earn cruise credit when you sail with Royal Caribbean. If you’re using the Royal Caribbean cruise rewards credit card, you can earn two MyCruise® points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases. Do you need a credit card for cruise credits? Not necessarily — there are plenty of ways to earn OBC, including:
- ● Special offers on cruise bookings.
- ● Crown & Anchor® Society, the Royal Caribbean loyalty program.
- ● Making qualifying purchases (and certain “everyday” purchases) with the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® cruise credit card.
- ● Playing at Casino Royale.
If your cruise is cancelled or you request a refund on your booking, you can also earn future cruise credit (FCC) under certain conditions. Future cruise credit is a type of credit you can use for future bookings with Royal Caribbean. Since 2022, the FCC no longer has an expiration date under the Cruise with Confidence program.
Onboard credit, which gets loaded onto your SeaPass card, expires at the end of your voyage — unless you have a special type of OBC — so it’s a good idea to put it to use during your sail. Here are some ideas to spend it:
How To Use Royal Caribbean Cruise Credit
1. Wine, Spirits And Other Beverages
Splurging on a bottle of your favorite bubbly or top-shelf tequila is an excellent way to use your credit. If simply nursing a dark 'n' stormy or a pineapple guava sangria at sunset is more your jam, then treating yourself — and perhaps your significant other or friends — to a round of cocktails at one of the ship's bars is a generous act that won't be forgotten. Daiquiris, caipirinhas and margaritas made with agave syrup are only a few of the creations you can sample.
Drinks Packages are a smart way to use up cruise credit, too. Guests can opt for unlimited fountain soda and Coca-Cola® products by purchasing a Classic Soda Package. Add on a Refreshment Package and you'll also get mocktails, premium coffees and teas, milkshakes, Evian bottled water and fresh-squeezed juices with the next level. Or upgrade to the Deluxe Beverage Package for unlimited beer, wine, premium cocktails and discounts on select bottles of wine and champagne.
2. Specialty Dining
Dining packages are a fantastic way to spend cruise credit. You can purchase the Three Restaurants package to dine at three different venues or the Unlimited Dining Package, which allows you to visit multiple specialty restaurants every night of your sailing.
Onboard credit can be used for individual meals, too. Hankering for some seafood while sailing in the Caribbean? Use your credit for yellowtail sashimi sushi, shrimp tempura or the famed champagne lobster rolls at Izumi Japanese Cuisine. If you're a meat lover, consider ordering a bone-in rib-eye steak at Chops Grille℠.
If you want to really go gourmet, book a seat at Chef's Table and sample, for example, the smoked tomato soup and scallop carpaccio with yuzu vinaigrette. Those with a sweet tooth have no shortage of places to satisfy their sugar desires. Trade in your credit for some petits fours and violet cassis macarons at La Patisserie or surprise your family with cupcakes, pastry, donuts or cookies from various venues on board.
3. Shore Excursions
Booking shore excursions is another great way to spend your onboard credit — not to mention deepen your travel experience. Excursions that you could spend your credit on include everything from snorkeling, scuba diving, birdwatching and rainforest ziplining to touring archaeological sights and embarking on standard city tours at most ports of call.
If you start to experience crowd fatigue mid-cruise, consider using your onboard credit to book private journeys — a customized tour just for you and your crew — so you can get more personalized experiences onshore. Some examples might include a Basque cooking class with a chef in Bilbao, Spain; an Alaskan glacier tour by Hummer; a seaplane excursion to a private Puerto Rican island with a catamaran ride; or a simple yet romantic boat tour of Capri, Italy's Blue Grotto.
4. Purchase Onboard Wi-Fi
5. Spa Treatments
Pampering yourself on board is arguably the best way to spend cruise cash. The Vitality Spa, found on every ship, is not only a great cruise credit investment, but an excellent way to luxuriate on your day at sea. Treatments like the 100-minute seaweed massage or couples hot stone massage allow you to really indulge, while touching up roots or getting highlights, haircuts and bikini waxes are ideal for guests who want to hit the shore looking their best.
The extensive spa is not limited to body treatments. It offers everything from collagen facials, microdermabrasion and Botox to teeth whitening and acupuncture. There's even a separate menu for men who want a quick shave and trim and one for teens seeking manicures and pedicures. So, if you don't feel like treating yourself, let a loved one enjoy the credit love.
