Back Again: $100 off $500 AMEX

Looking at the "fine print" on the AMEX offer (see below.) I wonder if purchasing a Future Cruise Deposit would qualify for the offer...or if it would fall under one of the exclusions I highlighted in red?

Looking at the "fine print" on the AMEX offer (see below.) I wonder if purchasing a Future Cruise Deposit would qualify for the offer...or if it would fall under one of the exclusions I highlighted in red?

It depends on how it posts to your credit card. If they charge it to your onboard account, then no it won't work. If it posts as Holland America Reservations then it will. I believe that someone in the Princess thead recently posted that buying their version of that worked for the $100.

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the deposit onboard is not charged to the folio; it takes a separate payment, so it should work.

This makes me happy. :-)

Does anyone know if I make a payment towards my existing cruise online via the 'make a payment' button, will it post as "Holland America Reservations", thus be a qualifying transaction, or do I have to call HAL and do a phone payment? I know someone earlier mentioned an online payment didn't activate theirs, but that was for prepaid items, not a cruise payment, (don't know if the portals post as different 'vendors' or share the same, if that makes sense).

Signed up both my wife's and I Amex Card for the deal and just did $500 for each card. Got the two emails right away and got the credit two days later.

So far Amex has saved me $400 on my HAL cruise, $200 from the Amex Offer and I get $200 onboard credit as I booked with Amex Platinum card under the cruise privilege program.

the deposit onboard is not charged to the folio; it takes a separate payment, so it should work.

One thought I had however...if you end up not booking a cruise and eventually get a refund on the FCD's then you would lose the benefit. Better to use the offer towards an actual cruise booking if possible.

On last year's offer we had used our AMEX cards to make payments on a Princess cruise we had booked...but then cancelled. Since we had made two $500 payments, we were only refunded $400 on each card. (Which I expected because we had already received the $100 credits.)

Even though the offer had not expired, it did not show up again as an offer our cards (after we cancelled the Princess cruise) and attempting to use the link above to add it back to the cards just resulted in a message saying "you have already used this offer."

I called AMEX and inquired about getting the offer put back on my card and they said it should work even if it didn't show up on my account page. We ended up booking a HAL cruise instead and when we made a payment with the two AMEX cards, we did get two $100 credits again!

One thought I had however...if you end up not booking a cruise and eventually get a refund on the FCD's then you would lose the benefit. Better to use the offer towards an actual cruise booking if possible.

 

On last year's offer we had used our AMEX cards to make payments on a Princess cruise we had booked...but then cancelled. Since we had made two $500 payments, we were only refunded $400 on each card. (Which I expected because we had already received the $100 credits.)

 

Even though the offer had not expired, it did not show up again as an offer our cards (after we cancelled the Princess cruise) and attempting to use the link above to add it back to the cards just resulted in a message saying "you have already used this offer."

 

I called AMEX and inquired about getting the offer put back on my card and they said it should work even if it didn't show up on my account page. We ended up booking a HAL cruise instead and when we made a payment with the two AMEX cards, we did get two $100 credits again!

So I can only use this offer once? I was thinking about booking a B2B, but looks like I will only receive credit for one?

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So I can only use this offer once? I was thinking about booking a B2B, but looks like I will only receive credit for one?

 

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I called AMEX and inquired about getting the offer put back on my card and they said it should work even if it didn't show up on my account page. We ended up booking a HAL cruise instead and when we made a payment with the two AMEX cards, we did get two $100 credits again!

That's very interesting and the first time I've heard of someone getting the offer again after having it taken back due to a refund. BTW presumably when you said that you only got back $400 on your cancelation you meant that you received $500 back from the cruise line but then AMEX took back the $100 separately.

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This makes me happy. :-)

 

Does anyone know if I make a payment towards my existing cruise online via the 'make a payment' button, will it post as "Holland America Reservations", thus be a qualifying transaction, or do I have to call HAL and do a phone payment? I know someone earlier mentioned an online payment didn't activate theirs, but that was for prepaid items, not a cruise payment, (don't know if the portals post as different 'vendors' or share the same, if that makes sense).

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That's very interesting and the first time I've heard of someone getting the offer again after having it taken back due to a refund. BTW presumably when you said that you only got back $400 on your cancelation you meant that you received $500 back from the cruise line but then AMEX took back the $100 separately.

 

 

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You are correct.

This makes me happy. :-)

 

Does anyone know if I make a payment towards my existing cruise online via the 'make a payment' button, will it post as "Holland America Reservations", thus be a qualifying transaction, or do I have to call HAL and do a phone payment? I know someone earlier mentioned an online payment didn't activate theirs, but that was for prepaid items, not a cruise payment, (don't know if the portals post as different 'vendors' or share the same, if that makes sense).

I just used both our cards for $500 each on an existing reservation. It worked. Have done this in the past as well and it worked

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I am leaving for a Holland America cruise next week. If I ended up with a bill of over $500 charged to my Amex, will I get the $100 statement credit? Thanks

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I am leaving for a Holland America cruise next week. If I ended up with a bill of over $500 charged to my Amex, will I get the $100 statement credit? Thanks

 

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No. It's not valid for on board purchases. You should call now and purchase $500 of OBC. That will qualify.

 

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Thank you! Please don't mind but now I have question about OBC. I already have enough OBC to cover all that I usually spent onboard. Will I be able to cash out some at the casino like that of on Carnival?

I believe if you added any cash to OBC before you sail, any of that left over will be refunded. Not quite sure how they keep it separate, however

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I believe if you added any cash to OBC before you sail, any of that left over will be refunded. Not quite sure how they keep it separate, however

 

 

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Thanks! I was able to add OBC and it shows on AE as Holland purchase so here's hoping I will get the $100 credit. Wasn't aware of this trick and almost missing out on great offer. Cruise starting in a few days.

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I called and put $500 on OBC, but my statement showed “holland America web Seattle wa” and didn’t get the $100.:(

I called and put $500 on OBC, but my statement showed “holland America web Seattle wa” and didn’t get the $100.:(

That is what the statement should show. I would call and ask about the $100 credit. I used another statement benefit and when it didn’t show up, I called. They said it was still pending and would eventually show up. It did

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I called and put $500 on OBC, but my statement showed “holland America web Seattle wa” and didn’t get the $100.:(

Generally with the Amex offers, you first get an e-mail saying if you have met the criteria you will get the credit. It then usually takes a few days for the credit to show up.

I called and put $500 on OBC, but my statement showed “holland America web Seattle wa” and didn’t get the $100.:(

I did the same thing in mid-February. Never got the acknowledgement and never got the credit.

A close reading of the terms this time around suggests that buying OBC doesn't qualify.

When I've used the offer to make a cruise final payment in the last the acknowledgement has been pretty quick.

Thank Underwatr and Onthenweb for the replies. It has been a week so I think I won’t get it. I have a question: is it possible to call back void the OBC purchase and put on my chase sapphire reserve card which gives 3% back?

I already get 1% on my Amex so I didn't bother doing that for the extra $10.

But I'd think you could do that, just like any excursion purchase.

Thank you Underwatr! I might call. 1500 Chase ultimate points maybe worth $31.5.

I did the same thing in mid-February. Never got the acknowledgement and never got the credit.

 

A close reading of the terms this time around suggests that buying OBC doesn't qualify.

 

When I've used the offer to make a cruise final payment in the last the acknowledgement has been pretty quick.

Curious to hear what changes in the terms you found this time that explains it not working. It ALWAYS had wording that said it would not work on anything other than a reservation (and a new one, at that).

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