Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is onboard credit?
Onboard credit is a spending allowance attached to a cruise booking that a passenger can use for eligible purchases during the sailing, rather than a cash payment or a reduction in the cruise fare. It usually comes from a booking promotion, a loyalty benefit or another offer, and the terms of that offer control its value, permitted uses and refund treatment. Princess Cruises, for example, has advertised promotional onboard credit of up to $100 as part of a featured deal. [7]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Onboard credit is a booking-linked allowance rather than cash, and unused value is not automatically refundable.
- Princess Cruises advertised “up to $100 onboard credit” in a featured deal that also included instant savings and a percentage discount, as of 18 October 2026. [7]
- Princess also advertised $50 onboard credit for new guests who booked a 2026-2028 cruise within 90 days of email sign-up, subject to additional terms. [7]
- The conditions attached to an offer can depend on guest status, booking timing and the promotion selected, so credit is not a standard entitlement on every cruise. [7]
What is onboard credit?
Onboard credit is a cruise line allowance that is recorded against a reservation and spent during the sailing. It is not a fare reduction at the time of booking: it is a separate value that can be applied to eligible onboard charges, such as service charges, dining, drinks, internet or shore excursions, depending on the offer. The booking terms set the amount, the eligible purchases and the treatment of anything left over.
For travellers, onboard credit matters because it can lower the out-of-pocket cost of onboard spending without changing the advertised cruise fare. That makes the credit’s conditions as important as its headline value. A credit that is restricted to certain purchases, or that is lost if it is not used during the sailing, is not equivalent to a cash discount. See cruise gratuities and service charges for the kind of onboard costs that can affect the value of a credit.
Onboard credit can arise from several routes. It may be a booking promotion, a loyalty benefit, a travel agency gift or another commercial offer. The common feature is that the value is tied to a particular cruise booking rather than issued as a general cash refund. See the cruise loyalty programmes guide for how cruise lines structure repeat-guest benefits, and cruises for the wider booking context.
How is promotional onboard credit offered?
On Princess Cruises, onboard credit appears as a promotional add-on rather than a stand-alone product. As of 18 October 2026, the line’s website advertised a “Sail Into Savings” offer with “$550 Savings + $100 Onboard Credit”, and a banner described “up to $550 instant savings + up to $100 onboard credit + up to 45% + free 3rd & 4th guests”. [7] The credit was therefore bundled with other incentives rather than presented as a simple cash payment.
The same website promoted a separate sign-up offer: “$50 onboard credit on your next cruise”. [7] The terms stated that onboard credit offers were available only to new Princess guests who booked a 2026-2028 cruise within 90 days of email sign-up, and that additional terms applied. [7] That wording makes the eligibility rules part of the offer: the guest must be new to Princess, must book within the stated window and must meet the promotion’s other conditions.
The featured promotion also used “up to” language for the onboard credit. [7] A maximum figure does not establish that every booking receives that amount; the actual credit depends on the promotion and the booking to which it is attached. The page directed readers to the applicable promotion terms and conditions. [7]
How is onboard credit used and what happens if it is unused?
Onboard credit is generally recorded against the booking before the cruise and then applied to the guest’s onboard account during the sailing. It is intended to be spent on eligible charges, not withdrawn as cash. The offer terms determine how the amount is posted, which charges it can pay and whether any part is refundable.
Refund treatment is not uniform. Some credit is promotional, non-refundable or restricted by booking channel and fare type, so a guest should not assume that the full amount behaves like a refundable deposit. The headline value of a promotion does not by itself establish whether the credit can be refunded, transferred or used by another guest in the same booking.
Unused promotional credit is not automatically converted into cash at the end of the sailing. Depending on the offer, any remainder may be forfeited, may remain subject to the promotion’s conditions or may be treated in another way set out in the booking terms. Travellers should check the specific promotion terms before treating onboard credit as equivalent to a fare reduction or a cash reserve.
Exceptions and limits
- Guest eligibility. The Princess sign-up offer was limited to new Princess guests who booked a 2026-2028 cruise within 90 days of email sign-up, and additional terms applied. [7] Existing guests, bookings outside that window or bookings made without the required sign-up would not meet those stated conditions. [7]
- Promotional bundling. The “up to $100 onboard credit” figure appeared alongside instant savings, a percentage discount and free third and fourth guests. [7] The credit is one component of a broader promotion, not a stand-alone payment.
- Maximum versus actual value. The Princess banner used “up to $100 onboard credit”, so the advertised maximum should not be read as a guaranteed amount for every booking. [7]
- Separate credit types. Onboard credit is distinct from future cruise credit, which is a booking credit rather than an allowance for onboard spending.
- Coverage. This page covers promotional onboard credit as described by Princess Cruises. Onboard credit rules for Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines, including loyalty-issued credit and travel agency gifts, are not covered here.
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Princess Cruises promotional onboard credit only; Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines’ onboard credit rules are not covered here.
- Princess Cruises passage contract and promotional onboard credit offers, checked 18 October 2026