NCL Mastercard Rewards Poll

[roboref]

Our total bill on the Star in January was covered, including deposit, port charges and taxes.

Great cruise!

[flypaper]

The total cruise-only trip will be $2213.72 for 3 people. I already asked for $1000 voucher from MBNA last week but have not yet received it. I am asking for another $500 today....and yet another $500 next week after my last statement closes and I achieve the point award balance. The ship sails June 18th so I must pay in full now and hopefully the vouchers arrive before June 17th and I send them to NCL and get $2000 credited back to my card. Right?

 

Net cost for 3 people $213.72 I hope.

[Doeymeister]

 

 

Even if everyone says they used points for their deposit, that still wouldn't be a guarantee. The certificates themselves say they can't be used for deposit. So even if in practice NCL usually lets folks use them for deposits, they could change their minds at any time and point to the verbiage on the Rewards. I'll still send in 'extra' Rewards hoping to get part of my deposit refunded. If that doesn't happen, and I can't get any of those points back (which I don't expect to), I will simply upgrade my cabin until all the points are used. At least that way I won't feel my Rewards were entirely wasted!

 

I don't think that you can use the rewards points for BOTH price reduction and upgrades on the same booking.

[PSCruiser]

I'm not a previous NCL cruiser, but just signed up for the card today after an extensive search - the NCL was the best deal I could find, by far. The RC card, in comparison, is a joke. HOWEVER, BE WARNED!!!! this is an MBNA card, and I'm switching because I'm now using an Icruise card, also MBNA. MBNA, out of the blue, is dropping the reward value by about 2/3!!! Current redemption is $800 discount for spending $27,000. After 8/31 it will be $270 discount for the same spending. So, I'm changing cards, and spending like crazy to get my $800 discount. I'm just wondering if MBNA likes to play bait and switch - so watch out, it could happen with the NCL card.

[Vyhanek]

I paid for our entire cruise with reward points. Our family of 4 (Two adults and Two kids) in an AC Penthouse suite. All free thanks to MBNA credit card. I joke with dh and tell him its his job to go to work everyday and its my job to go out and earn these reward points. Its hard work charging enough for a free penthouse suite!

 

Anyways, I don't know why this is all so complicated. I researched the ship and saw there were plenty of cabins in available in the category I wanted. Then I put a hold on our room. Then we called MBNA to have our certificates mailed. We paid $15 to have them overnighted which they will do. Then we took all of the certificates back to the travel agency and paid in full right there with the certificates on the spot. I think it took a couple extra days to get the certificates in the mail due to the fact that we placed the hold on a Saturday and Fed Ex overnight really meant not on Sunday.

 

Even if NCL booked our room in the meantime we were pretty certain they weren't going to book every suite on the whole ship in a couple days.

 

Now this probably wouldn't work if the cruise was ready to be sold out. If you book far enough in advance though, that won't happen.

[zimmerjulie]

Vyhanek,

 

are you sure the expedite fee was $15 and not $35? I have been told $35 multiple times (but I have also been told that it is not possible), so if there is some way that it can be done for $15, I will know to ask for it.

 

Thanks for the info everyone.

[jmcdon7230]

...... MBNA, out of the blue, is dropping the reward value by about 2/3!!! Current redemption is $800 discount for spending $27,000. After 8/31 it will be $270 discount for the same spending. So, I'm changing cards, and spending like crazy to get my $800 discount. I'm just wondering if MBNA likes to play bait and switch - so watch out, it could happen with the NCL card.

 

For a number of years NCL had the exact same deal using the Visa card. When they switched to MBNA, the arrangements were identical. It looks like NCL calls the shots when it comes to the Compass Rewards program. This isn't a new, overnight program.....it has been around since at least the early ninties. It has even survived the change in ownership to Star. That's when users were very apprehensive about it being discontinued or altered.....but it didn't happen. So, it has stayed the same through card administration change and through cruiseline ownership change. I know it sounds too good to be true.....I occassionally worry about it's demise also! It has enabled our family to cruise once every three years for the past fifteen years.:)

[SueSea]

I don't think that you can use the rewards points for BOTH price reduction and upgrades on the same booking.

 

What I meant was that I would buy a higher-priced cabin. That is, let's say my cruise is $1000 and I send in $1000 in certificates and they don't let me cover my deposit. I would have sent in $500 'extra' cruise rewards. I would find out which cabin category cost $500 more than the one I'm currently booked in and switch to that room. In essence, I'd be buying the upgrade using the credit I could not apply to my deposit. Complicated, huh?

[x2tpd]

We received a $285 credit on our credit card towards our deposit when we paid with points last week. Total cost for 7 days in a balcony suite on Sun $220 for two people all charges included. I'll take it.:D

[mumsyo]

I have the NCL credit card. Now that I have enough points to apply for a cruise on the Norwegian Sun next year, I want to get the voucher. However, for the life of me, I can't find the phone number to call. Should I send a letter via "snail mail" to the credit card company?

 

I would greatly appreciate it if someone would post the phone number to call. Or e-mail me at

marilyno1@prodigy.net. If you do e-mail me, please put NCL card phone # in the subject line so that I don't think it is "junk mail"!!!

 

Thank you,

 

Marilyn