Another visa redemption question

[darla723]

My husband and I will have enough points soon, 125,000 to take a Caribbean cruise for two, and we have booked it for next July. I spoke to a Redemption Department employee, and he suggested that when we have the points needed, and are ready to redeem them, we may instead want to pay the balance at final payment time with our RC visa, get double points, and then we would be entitled to a refund of the $2500 that he said is the ocean view stateroom value. We are paying a bit more for an aft balcony:confused:. Does this sound right, and has anyone ever done this?

[Clarea]

Be aware that when you apply the redemption for your "free" cruise, your cruise price will be re-priced to remove the fake sale price. So you need to do the math to see if it's better to redeem the points for a straight $1250 discount on your current price, or a max (see below) of $2500 discount on the fake base price. Note also that you will lose your balcony discount if you opt for the "free" cruise. Lots of math do do here.

 

The value of the "free" cruise is the price of the minimum available oceanview (for two) at the time of redemption or $2500, whichever is lower.

[darla723]

Thanks for that information, but I did just talked to the Redemption office 2 seconds ago, and since the beginning of this year the $125,000 free cruise is combinable with promotion discounts, so the 30% off we got will stand.. So that will not change our final price at all. Just thought you should know.

[Clarea]

Thanks for that information, but I did just talked to the Redemption office 2 seconds ago, and since the beginning of this year the $125,000 free cruise is combinable with promotion discounts, so the 30% off we got will stand.. So that will not change our final price at all. Just thought you should know.

Thanks for the info, that is a welcome change, if true.

[molly361]

Thanks for that information, but I did just talked to the Redemption office 2 seconds ago, and since the beginning of this year the $125,000 free cruise is combinable with promotion discounts, so the 30% off we got will stand.. So that will not change our final price at all. Just thought you should know.

 

Interesting- I wonder if that is true with the other redemptions as well (upgrades, 3 or 4 day cruises). And just as Bob noted that $2500 is the max value which still may or may not be what you receive depending on the price of the lowest OV cabin at the time of your redeeming your points

[darla723]

I kept pressing the agent as to the value changing from the $2500 depending on price fluctuations until time of redemption, but she said that the original agent I spoke with made notations that the $2500 allotment would be static as they go by date of booking for this value. This may also have changed recently. (the OV cabin was over this cost, so I "reached" the max.) We'll see...

[Clarea]

I kept pressing the agent as to the value changing from the $2500 depending on price fluctuations until time of redemption, but she said that the original agent I spoke with made notations that the $2500 allotment would be static as they go by date of booking for this value. This may also have changed recently. (the OV cabin was over this cost, so I "reached" the max.) We'll see...

The last ttime I did this type of redemption, they "froze" the redemption value as of when I had called them on the phone just to inquire about it.

[darla723]

That is what the first agent I spoke with did. The second agent, whom I called because my OBC from booking on board our last cruise wasn't reflected on my initial invoice, added the OBC and confirmed that my price would not change upon redemption of visa points, and that this was notated in my reservation notes.

[Wanna Be Retired]

I never took the free cruise. When I called to redeem they told me I would not get Crown and Anchor points unless I upgraded and paid for it. I got so confused I have always redeemed them to pay towards the balance of my next cruise. Even booked through a travel agent they could apply to the balance I owe.

[Clarea]

I never took the free cruise. When I called to redeem they told me I would not get Crown and Anchor points unless I upgraded and paid for it. I got so confused I have always redeemed them to pay towards the balance of my next cruise. Even booked through a travel agent they could apply to the balance I owe.

In the past, if the credit was enough to pay for the entire cruise, they would leave a $1 balance for each person so they could earn C&A points.

[molly361]

In the past, if the credit was enough to pay for the entire cruise, they would leave a $1 balance for each person so they could earn C&A points.

 

Ah the good old days:)

[Clarea]

Ah the good old days:)

You mean when Royal used to be nice to customers.

[Cruzshipps]

The best way to do it is to book the cruise you want at the discounted "Sale" price and pay the $250 deposit for each person. Then use your points to buy cruise discounts in $250 or $500 increments. We did this just recently and it worked out. I have since decided to ditch the RC card and got the 2% cash back from Capital One. No matter how you twist it, the point cards are giving you 1% at best so you are better of getting the 2% cash and buying whatever vacation you want.

[darla723]

In the past, if the credit was enough to pay for the entire cruise, they would leave a $1 balance for each person so they could earn C&A points.

I will have a balance due, about $300, so will we receive our 7 crown and anchor points? We are upgrading to a balcony cabin.

[Clarea]

I will have a balance due, about $300, so will we receive our 7 crown and anchor points? We are upgrading to a balcony cabin.

You should, if some of that $300 is other than taxes, insurance, and gratuities.

[darla723]

The actual cruise fare is $1329/pp. exclusive of any other charge. Since the allotment is $2500, fare balance alone is $158. Hopefully this will entitle us to the points.

[Clarea]

The actual cruise fare is $1329/pp. exclusive of any other charge. Since the allotment is $2500, fare balance alone is $158. Hopefully this will entitle us to the points.

I would just double check how much of the $1329 (if any) is taxes.

[darla723]

I have a copy of the booking confirmation which has each fee listed separately-

 

Cruise fare: $1899

30% savings: -570

Vacation. Protect. Plan: (which may not stay) 89.00

Taxes, fees and port expenses: 53.65

 

So by my understanding, the actual cruise fare is $1329.00 or am I perhaps missing something? As you can see by my signature we don't cruise all that often!

[Clarea]

I have a copy of the booking confirmation which has each fee listed separately-

 

Cruise fare: $1899

30% savings: -570

Vacation. Protect. Plan: (which may not stay) 89.00

Taxes, fees and port expenses: 53.65

 

So by my understanding, the actual cruise fare is $1329.00 or am I perhaps missing something? As you can see by my signature we don't cruise all that often!

Looks good.:)

[darla723]

Yay!! Thanks for all the information, Bob! You are always so helpful to me!!

[KelJ]

Thanks for that information, but I did just talked to the Redemption office 2 seconds ago, and since the beginning of this year the $125,000 free cruise is combinable with promotion discounts, so the 30% off we got will stand.. So that will not change our final price at all. Just thought you should know.

 

I truly hope that this is true...but I wouldn't hold my breath. Please report back and let us know.

 

In the past, if the credit was enough to pay for the entire cruise, they would leave a $1 balance for each person so they could earn C&A points.

 

We've taken two free cruises with RCCL points (most recently in January of 2016), and this is how both were handled so that we could still get C&A points.