NCL Worldpoints Double Cross Meta upgrade scam

[kdzkatz]

I'm on the phone with the NCL Worldpoints redemption center and being given very disheartening news.

 

I called a couple years ago not long after we got our card to have the Cross Meta and Double Cross Meta upgrades explained to us. We were told if we use the Meta Cross we can go up one grade so from inside to oceanview or oceanview to balcony. When you did this there were limitations which rooms were available to upgrade to.

 

The Double Cross Meta allowed you to go from an inside to a balcony (you cannot upgrade above a balcony) and I was told there were no restrictions as long as the room was available on the cruise you wanted.

 

We recently booked a 21 day cruise for 2018 and I wanted to do my due diligence to find out how to redeem the points to pay for a specific interior room and get the specific balcony room we wanted.

 

I was told that our category balcony did not qualify for the upgrade. Here is the only Terms & Conditions they could find that they think explains this:

 

"Double Cross-Meta refers to having the option to book a specific Balcony category for the price of a specific Interior category."

 

This statement is very vague. I want a specific Balcony category and I want to pay for a specific Interior category. There is nothing in this statement that states that certain categories may be excluded.

 

Is it just me or does this seem wrong? The Double Cross-Meta upgrade was the only reason we used this card and I feel they didn't adequately disclose how this upgrade works. It is VERY LIMITED.

 

BEWARE anyone using the NCL Worldpoints Mastercard. The cash back and OBC rate is only 1% which is bottom of the barrel for credit card rewards.

 

I look forward to your feedback about what NCL is doing in regards to the Double Cross-Meta upgrade and secretly limiting it.

Edited January 20, 2017 by kdzkatz

[tel2]

I think it is pretty clear that the upgrade applies only from and to SPECIFIC categories. What is troubling is the lack of transparency telling you to WHICH specific categories the program applies.

 

But I guess I am still not quite understanding the issue -- it is more than a year out, so why cant you just cancel and rebook in the specific inside category to which the program applies and then upgrade to the room of your choice in the specific balcony category to which the program applies?

[kjquilts]

Are you trying to go to aft facing balcony? That is usually not allowed. We will be on sold out Panama Canal cruise in two weeks in a balcony that we got using double cross meta upgrade .... saved us thousands of dollars.

[hawkeyetlse]

Whoever thought "Double Cross" would be a good name for a promotional offer? :confused:

 

I agree with tel2, it must be "specific" categories from their point of view, i.e. the specific ones that they decide are eligible. Not the specific ones that the customer happens to have in mind. If that were the case, they would have said "any" category.

[Casino Comp Chick]

Yeah I got screwed on that too, because it cannot be combined with any CAS booking.

[kdzkatz]

I offered to pay for whatever inside category would give me the B1 and there were none. It is not difficult for them to add an asterisk with a footnote *exclusions may apply.

 

The wording makes it sound like you have to pick a specific category for the balcony you want and specific interior category you want to pay for.

 

The T&C's are talking to us the customer and their wording makes it sound like it is our choice. Very deceptive.

[Heather1972]

I'm surprised it doesn't say somewhere that it doesn't apply to all balconies. I could have sworn I've read somewhere how it does not apply to aft balconies. I've used the upgrades a couple of times. I've never tried to book a specific balcony and then price out the inside or the ocean view room.

 

From what level of inside to what side balcony doesn't make much sense to me though. I've been told it's highest level inside to lowest level balcony, but then the same person took me from an OA to a BA.

 

The second time I upgraded using 60K points I went from IB to BD angled balcony. No rhyme or rhythm to their system!

[Clay Clayton]

Having used this reward and continuing to believe it is the BEST way to use your points, I HIGHLY, STRONGLY, FORCEFULLY recommend that you call back and try again. I literally spent almost an hour and a half on the phone helping the CSA who answered my call to learn about this reward. Not many folks use it and apparently not many know how to reserve using it.

 

There was a post on the credit card sticky up at the top, within the last two weeks with a similar complaint. That cruiser called back and got exactly what he/she wanted.

 

For what it is worth, because we were 200 points shy when we went to book ad I wanted a very particular balcony (not an aft as a PP mentioned as not being included) I went ahead and booked the exact cabin I wanted (using a cruise reward so I wasn't out anything if it didn't work out) and once I had the full 60,000 points a week or two later, I called back and they repriced it to the cheapest inside that met the requirements to get me into "my" balcony. For our 19 day cruise, it amounted to a "reward" worth about $2,500....so while it was frustrating, I decided that my hour plus time on the phone was worth it!

[How much longer?]

I am not sure what you are trying to get, but I was able to book an aft balcony on a two week Panama canal cruise (same one as kjquilts!) using points for an upgrade. I booked just over a year out. Companies change their rules all the time, so maybe the deal is not as good now as it used to be?

[kdzkatz]

I am not sure what you are trying to get, but I was able to book an aft balcony on a two week Panama canal cruise (same one as kjquilts!) using points for an upgrade. I booked just over a year out. Companies change their rules all the time, so maybe the deal is not as good now as it used to be?

 

there is a 10k point upgrade and 20k upgrade where you can upgrade within the same category.

 

The Double Cross-Meta uses 60k points and allows you to book and pay for an inside room but upgrade to a balcony.

 

What upgrade did you use?

[pcakes122]

I'm surprised it doesn't say somewhere that it doesn't apply to all balconies. I could have sworn I've read somewhere how it does not apply to aft balconies.

Terms and conditions do specifically state that Aft Facing Balcony category is excluded on the Breakaway, but doesn't mention afts are excluded on other ships.

 

Double Cross-Meta upgrade refers to having the option to book a specific Balcony category for the price of a specific Interior category. Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to assign the stateroom at their discretion. Suites & Mini-Suites are excluded. Norwegian Spirit is not eligible for Balcony upgrade. Family Balcony, Spa Balcony, and Deluxe Balcony on the Norwegian Epic are excluded from the offer. Family Balcony, Spa Balcony, and Aft Facing Balcony on the Norwegian Breakaway are excluded from the offer.

 

kdzkatz, what ship did you book?

[kjquilts]

I am not sure what you are trying to get, but I was able to book an aft balcony on a two week Panama canal cruise (same one as kjquilts!) using points for an upgrade. I booked just over a year out. Companies change their rules all the time, so maybe the deal is not as good now as it used to be?

 

arghhh We booked the Feb 5th Panama Canal cruise on Nov 29, 2015 and that time were not allowed to use the Double Cross Meta Upgrade to go to an aft facing balcony. We ended up paying for an IB inside and took a BB balcony stateroom in exchange for 60,000 points. Could have gone to a higher level balcony but location of the BB is fine so went with that one. Can't complain because we paid under $3,300 and have the UBP and 6 meal Specialty Dining Package along with some OBC (AARP, Welcome Back Reward and Shareholder) but that aft facing balcony sure would have been nice for Panama Canal.

 

Here is link to NCL website Worldpoints Rewards

 

https://www.ncl.com/world-points

 

Click on the Terms and Conditions on the very bottom of the page

 

A couple things stand out

 

"Upgrades vary per ship, sail date, category and cabin capacity.

Stateroom upgrades are subject to availability."

 

Even though this one didn't go exactly as I wanted (no aft facing balcony) I still believe the double meta upgrade is wonderful use of points. LOL I just noticed they took the double cross meta upgrade out of the wording .... it is now double meta upgrade :)

 

[kdzkatz]

Terms and conditions do specifically state that Aft Facing Balcony category is excluded on the Breakaway, but doesn't mention afts are excluded on other ships.

 

Double Cross-Meta upgrade refers to having the option to book a specific Balcony category for the price of a specific Interior category. Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to assign the stateroom at their discretion. Suites & Mini-Suites are excluded. Norwegian Spirit is not eligible for Balcony upgrade. Family Balcony, Spa Balcony, and Deluxe Balcony on the Norwegian Epic are excluded from the offer. Family Balcony, Spa Balcony, and Aft Facing Balcony on the Norwegian Breakaway are excluded from the offer.

 

kdzkatz, what ship did you book?

 

We are on the Pearl.

 

Where did you get the quote for the T&C's on the Double Cross Meta? I read them on NCL's site and they did not show any of those exclusions. It makes it seem even more wrong we can't get a B1 with this upgrade on the Pearl as they show ships with exclusions.

[kjquilts]

We are on the Pearl.

 

Where did you get the quote for the T&C's on the Double Cross Meta? I read them on NCL's site and they did not show any of those exclusions. It makes it seem even more wrong we can't get a B1 with this upgrade on the Pearl as they show ships with exclusions.

 

 

The words kdzkatz quoted are shown on the T&C's ... see the link I posted in post just before yours. Be sure to click on the Terms & Conditions at the very bottom of the page just below the phone number to go to the actual terms & conditions page.

 

The excluded ship wording was done before the Getaway and Escape were built ... Spirit makes sense because it is a very small ship. Also see the sentences I quoted from the T&C in post 12.

 

It wouldn't hurt to call back and try again. Sometimes you get a different answer with a different person. LOL (on me) maybe a BI will become available for upgrade for you. I hope so.

Edited January 23, 2017 by kjquilts

[kdzkatz]

The words kdzkatz quoted are shown on the T&C's ... see the link I posted in post just before yours. Be sure to click on the Terms & Conditions at the very bottom of the page just below the phone number to go to the actual terms & conditions page.

 

The excluded ship wording was done before the Getaway and Escape were built ... Spirit makes sense because it is a very small ship. Also see the sentences I quoted from the T&C in post 12.

 

It wouldn't hurt to call back and try again. Sometimes you get a different answer with a different person. LOL (on me) maybe a BI will become available for upgrade for you. I hope so.

 

Calling back hoping for a different answer is a great idea! :D They are so poorly trained you can call them for just about any question you have multiple times and get a different answer every time.

[pcakes122]

We are on the Pearl.

 

Where did you get the quote for the T&C's on the Double Cross Meta? I read them on NCL's site and they did not show any of those exclusions. It makes it seem even more wrong we can't get a B1 with this upgrade on the Pearl as they show ships with exclusions.

I found this on the rewards site (first went to my card account at BofA and then clicked on View My Reward Points and then the NCL Redeem Now box on the lower right.)

 

When you navigate to the Double Meta Cross Upgrade (60,000 points), there is a "Conditions" tab.

 

Here is a direct link but not sure this will work:

 

https://www.managerewardsonline.com/RMSapp/Ctl/link?eid=6CC18D87&iid=WPUPGR4&mc=mwprwd

 

Hope this helps & good luck!

[kathybelcher2433]

Whoever thought "Double Cross" would be a good name for a promotional offer? :confused:

 

I agree with tel2, it must be "specific" categories from their point of view, i.e. the specific ones that they decide are eligible. Not the specific ones that the customer happens to have in mind. If that were the case, they would have said "any" category.

 

 

Not just "double cross" but "double cross meta". It sounds like a UFC Saturday night at the fights bill!

 

 

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[swatkins56]

I have asked my travel agent to find this out for me, but maybe someone can advise. We are booked on the Jewel in category OA. On our last cruise, I used 30K points to upgrade from an ocean view to a balcony, and I didn't think to ask if we were in a high/low category on either.

 

Without the 15K introductory points, I'm sweating out getting 30K points this time. But I noticed 10K points will get you a two-category upgrade, and 20K will get you four.

 

So is it possible to upgrade from a high window cabin to a low balcony in a 2- or 4-category upgrade?

 

In the meantime, I've got all our utilities and charitable donations on my NCL card. (I could be getting better points on another card, but I want that upgrade!)

 

Thanks.

[fstuff1]

Yeah I got screwed on that too, because it cannot be combined with any CAS booking.

you tried to do points upgrade AND the Caesar's 20% discount for Diamond tiers for your original cabin?

[pr0pel]

No idea why you're calling it a scam but I used 30K points to upgrade from a OF to a BC (Aug cruise to Alaska) without problems, saving a few thousand. If you oblige by the rules, it can be beneficial. Perhaps try calling back and speaking to someone else to see what the comparable balcony you can upgrade to buy buying a comparable inside.

 

I agree that using the card for non-NCL purchases are a horrible idea. At minimum, you should be earning miles or some other method of rewards than worldpoints since worldpoints are worthless at the way it accrues points.

[rtkenmore]

Yeah I got screwed on that too, because it cannot be combined with any CAS booking.

 

When you say it can not be combined, are you referring to "free" CAS bookings? Like you earned an Ocean View and you wanted to upgrade to a Balcony?

 

What about CAS bookings where you just have a discounted rate (i.e. Total Rewards Diamond earns 20% discount on fare)? If I were to book a discounted CAS, would the NCL MC qualify me to upgrade from an Inside to Oceanview or an Oceanview to a Balcony?

[njkate]

Actually IMO this card is lame, I'm not booking an OV and hope there are balconies to upgrade to using points, you can't upgrade to a suite or the exalted Haven

I just redeemed all my points for a statement credit and when I return from my cruise going to call BOA and trade this card in for a BOA rewards travel card, the benefits work better for me and unlike the NCL card there is no foreign transaction fees.

It will work better for me, others may be different

[fstuff1]

Actually IMO this card is lame.

 

I'm not booking an OV and hope there are balconies to upgrade to using points.

 

you can't upgrade to a suite or the exalted Haven

I just redeemed all my points for a statement credit and when I return from my cruise going to call BOA and trade this card in for a BOA rewards travel card, the benefits work better for me and unlike the NCL card there is no foreign transaction fees.

It will work better for me, others may be different

hm.. what happened to my reply?

 

anyway, you dont book ov and hope for an upgrade to balcony.

 

you find out if the balcony you want (ie: angled balcony on Bliss) is available via website.

then call for that specific room # and use points to get it.

you'll be charged for an OV