RCCL Visa

[faze41]

Considering applying for RCI Visa card. Pros? Cons?

[Clarea]

Not bad if you only use it for Royal purchases and choose rewards carefully. Other cards have better rewards for non-Royal purchases.

[majarosh]

Watch out for the interest rate !

 

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[cruiseguy1016]

There are cards that pay a better return on your money but we like using the card and watching our points build up. We have used the points to save LOTS of money on our cruises and we also use the points for OBC.

[cruisinfanatic]

Watch out for the interest rate !

 

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if you pay interest, you shouldn't have a credit card

[Wilson]

We have enjoyed free cruises from our points. We are a few months away from another free 7 night cruise for two. We use the card for EVERYTHING and make sure to pay the balance off each month to avoid interest. We have some great friends that allow us to charge large purchases that they would normally pay cash for. I love free points that lead to free cruises.

Remember that you get double points for Choice Air and everything Royal Caribbean.

 

Anybody aware of other ways to get bonus points?

[cruisinfanatic]

We have enjoyed free cruises from our points. We are a few months away from another free 7 night cruise for two. We use the card for EVERYTHING and make sure to pay the balance off each month to avoid interest. We have some great friends that allow us to charge large purchases that they would normally pay cash for. I love free points that lead to free cruises.

Remember that you get double points for Choice Air and everything Royal Caribbean.

 

Anybody aware of other ways to get bonus points?

what makes the card poor is you don't get at least double on anything else as with other cards

[FLACRUISER99]

what makes the card poor is you don't get at least double on anything else as with other cards

 

 

And the points expire.

 

 

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[OTownNick]

I think it's good. The points expire in 6 years from date of purchase, so keep track of that. The best way to use these cards is to pay off balance each month, use them for the free cruises or free companion fares, and use them for all RCL purchases. Depending on the price of the free cruise you choose, and if you use the card for mostly RCL purchases you could get more than equivalent of 2% cash back.

 

We used our for OBC's before which isn't the best use of it. Right now we have enough points for a free 7-night Caribbean cruise for 2 in an OV cabin. Now we have to figure out when to take it.

[WillWorkForCruise121]

I have looked at getting one and decided against it.

 

I like the Costco Amex. No annual fee 3% gas 2% travel and restaurants and 1% on any other charge you make. Plus it comes back as a cashable certificate. You can spend cash anywhere you want! On a ship, on airfare or on a new TV, it doesn't matter cash is cash.

 

Sam's Club has a good cash back Master card too, but it's not usable at Costco which is where we like to shop.

 

Also, I agree with previous posters, you can't shop a rewards card by interest rate. If you're carrying a balance...you're not using it correctly.

 

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Edited December 29, 2014 by WillWorkForCruise121

[jticarruthers]

Card was ok, but found it increasingly hard to use the points for anything except OBC so the redemption benefit was limited to the "least" favorable level. Still a good return but not as good as other cards out there.

 

Personally using a Barclaycard offering, Worldclass (something like that) that gives 2% on everything.

[cruisenfever]

And the points expire.

 

 

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They start to expire after 5 years. So it's first in is first out. Have had the card since 2004 and have never had any points expire.

[BillOh]

if you pay interest, you shouldn't have a credit card

 

Would this be judgmental, condescending, or just arrogant. Not sure which applies.

[phoenix1181]

if you pay interest, you shouldn't have a credit card

 

How people choose to handle their finances is up to them unless they're asking you to foot the bill!

 

Would this be judgmental, condescending, or just arrogant. Not sure which applies.

 

All of them! Thank you for saying what I was thinking. It makes me crazy when I see posts telling other people how to handle their finances.

[PSCruiser]

Not bad if you only use it for Royal purchases and choose rewards carefully. Other cards have better rewards for non-Royal purchases.

 

To expand on Bob's statement: Royal purchases get you double points, i.e. a 2% return. Then, if you are careful in redeeming rewards, you can again get double value. An example would be using 75K points for a 7 day fare worth the max. of $1500. Taken together, you spent $37,500 to get a $1500 reward. That's a full 4%, and I don't know of another card to match that rate.

So, the idea is to save the card for RC purchases only, and choose rewards carefully.

[cruisinfanatic]

How people choose to handle their finances is up to them unless they're asking you to foot the bill!

 

 

 

All of them! Thank you for saying what I was thinking. It makes me crazy when I see posts telling other people how to handle their finances.

Simply said if you carry a balance and pay interest, you shouldn't have a credit card

no one even said they carried a balance

Edited December 29, 2014 by SeaUs

[Clarea]

To expand on Bob's statement: Royal purchases get you double points, i.e. a 2% return. Then, if you are careful in redeeming rewards, you can again get double value. An example would be using 75K points for a 7 day fare worth the max. of $1500. Taken together, you spent $37,500 to get a $1500 reward. That's a full 4%, and I don't know of another card to match that rate.

So, the idea is to save the card for RC purchases only, and choose rewards carefully.

Royal has made this redemption very difficult now. They changed the terms and this cannot be used with BOGOHO. Since BOGOHO never ends, it's been impossible for us to apply this to any of our booked cruises.

[Grand PooBah]

Barclays card gives 2 points for ALL purchases. Super easy to redeem on any travel expense. Also get 10% of the points used back as a bonus. Right now I think they are giving a 40,000 Pt bonus for sign up. Does have a fee, but if you charge much, its still the best deal out there.

[FLACRUISER99]

They start to expire after 5 years. So it's first in is first out. Have had the card since 2004 and have never had any points expire.

However other folks have had their points expire right? I have had the RCI card for quite awhile also but it is sitting in my drawer as I now switched to the Barclays Arrival +. Edited December 29, 2014 by FLACRUISER99

[cruisenfever]

However other folks have had their points expire right? I have had the RCI card for quite awhile also but it is sitting in my drawer as I now switched to the Barclays Arrival +.

I suppose, but that would be very poor management of your card and points, especially since you are given a 5 year period to use or lose. If you have enough points, I would certainly redeem them for OBC which is completely refundable and then put that card in a drawer and forget about it.:D

Edited December 29, 2014 by cruisenfever

[FLACRUISER99]

I suppose, but that would be very poor management of your card and points, especially since you are given a 5 year period to use or lose. If you have enough points, I would certainly redeem them for OBC which is completely refundable and then put that card in a drawer and forget about it.:D

Yea, that's what I did but I still have 2880 points left, I may use 2000 for Make-a-Wish.

[OTownNick]

Royal has made this redemption very difficult now. They changed the terms and this cannot be used with BOGOHO. Since BOGOHO never ends, it's been impossible for us to apply this to any of our booked cruises.

 

Hmmmm very interesting. So even the free cruise for 2? I don't see why it shouldn't be combinable. If BOGOHO is on then the reward would actually be LESS in dollar amount

[phoenix1181]

Simply said if you carry a balance and pay interest, you shouldn't have a credit card

no one even said they carried a balance

 

Simply said it's your opinion and none of your business.

Edited December 29, 2014 by phoenix1181

[molly361]

Hmmmm very interesting. So even the free cruise for 2? I don't see why it shouldn't be combinable. If BOGOHO is on then the reward would actually be LESS in dollar amount

 

I would think you could use it for a few cruise if you can find someone to price a cruise for you without using BOGOHO. You would be charged the higher rate for both people but it still may come out to less than the maximum amount you are allowed.

Edited December 29, 2014 by molly361

[Clarea]

Hmmmm very interesting. So even the free cruise for 2? I don't see why it shouldn't be combinable. If BOGOHO is on then the reward would actually be LESS in dollar amount

Upgrade, companion fare, and free cruise redeptions cannot be used with BOGOHO. Basically, any redemption that can be used for 2X value.