Texts? And credit card rewards?

[Redtravel]

Got a pop up that said if I agreed to receiving texts, I would get $100 OBC on my next cruise.  I had a cruise booked sailing in June.  Ok, send me texts. They are intrusive.  Annoying, but for $100 OBC, ok.  Called Celebrity today to book something.  No $100.  It’s a scam.  It has specific time limits that void it. Never again will I fall for that scam.  However the texts keep coming.  STOP
Also,  I have the Celebrity credit card. In March, I asked online to get a OBC reward attached to an upcoming cruise. Got email receipt.  It didn’t show up on my account.  Called asking why.  It seems that in addition to redeeming online, you must call the Celebrity rewards desk to request it. 
800-760-0654 opt 3. Or 877-738-7328 opt 3.   Good luck.  

[omeinv]

Sounds like the problem isn't so much the offers, but your inability or unwillingness to read the details. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[NutsAboutGolf]

X credit card is nearly useless, you have to send so much to get that $100 OBC.  Other cards will give you $100 in cashback or points with far less spend.

[Alakegirl]

We use the Celebrity Visa but not for OBC.  We turn points into a price reduction.  It used to be something we could do on line but now it takes a telephone call.  That has worked for us.

[Redtravel]

16 hours ago, omeinv said:

Sounds like the problem isn't so much the offers, but your inability or unwillingness to read the details. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Read everything.  You are assuming incorrectly that I didn’t.  Don’t do that.

[Fly and Sail]

The Celebrity Visa Card is total junk. Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or (even better) Reserve.

[JamieLogical]

3 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

The Celebrity Visa Card is total junk. Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or (even better) Reserve.

 

I second this! I haven't paid for a flight or a hotel room in years since getting my Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

[Fly and Sail]

20 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I second this! I haven't paid for a flight or a hotel room in years since getting my Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

 

And you can perfectly recycle Casino advance cash on the ship if you're getting the fee waived. $3000/day * 3 Points per $ for travel charge via final folio = easy 60,000 points for free.

[5waldos]

I still get the popup about the $100- despite having made the mistake of signing up to get the OBC. Which, of course, I didn't get. And it is called deceptive when what you are offered is all but contradicted by the small print 3 pages later.

[Stem to Stern]

I received the pop up offer for the $100 OBC for signing up for emails and texts this morning on my computer while in my cruise planner.  I took the bait.  Here is the link you receive in the first group of text messages that explains all the fine print, exclusions and combinability.  My travel advisor will be making a new booking for me this week.  From what I can tell my sailing should qualify.  I have emailed her, so we shall see how this plays out.

https://celebritycruises.attn.tv/l/-Pz/7JgEI
 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Stem to Stern

[D C]

On 5/23/2022 at 11:10 AM, Fly and Sail said:

The Celebrity Visa Card is total junk. Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or (even better) Reserve.

 

On 5/23/2022 at 11:15 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

I second this! I haven't paid for a flight or a hotel room in years since getting my Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

What's special about the Sapphire card?

"points" cards in general make little sense to me as it's ill-defined what constitutes a 'point' from a value perspective.   

[wrk2cruise]

We use the travel benefits of the Sapphire Reserve and find they more than offset the high yearly fee.

 

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, D C said:

 

What's special about the Sapphire card?

"points" cards in general make little sense to me as it's ill-defined what constitutes a 'point' from a value perspective.   

 

For Chase Sapphire, a "point" is the equivalent of 1.5 cents when booking any travel through the Chase portal. You earn points at different rates depending on what you are buying with your card. Travel and dining purchases earn 3 points per dollar spent. Some brands/services earn additional points, for example, any dollar spent on Lyft rides earns 10 points. Sometimes these sorts of things are limited promotions. Anything else is a straight single point per dollar.

 

So you are getting a minimum of 1.5% "return" on every purchase. For travel purchases, you are getting a 4.5% "return". And for promotional purchases you get up to a 10% "return".

 

In addition to being able to use points to essentially book free travel (I can't remember the last time I paid for a flight or hotel room out of pocket), you get many additional benefits with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, such as free TSA Precheck or Global Entry, free DashPass, free Lyft Pink, and free travel insurance.

 

I find that by putting every single purchase (and bill if able) on my credit card and then just paying off the balance every month, I get probably thousands of dollars in "free" travel every year. We dine out a lot and always pay for our cruises through the card, so we get a lot of triple points from dining and travel expenses. Also, when I have to travel for work, I will book flights, hotels, etc. through my card and then have my employer reimburse me, so I get those extra points. Heck, on Celebrity, you can pre-buy casino credits through the Cruise Planner and those counts as "travel", so I get triple points from my gambling!

[Arizona Wildcat]

3 hours ago, D C said:

 

What's special about the Sapphire card?

"points" cards in general make little sense to me as it's ill-defined what constitutes a 'point' from a value perspective.   

Car rental insurance that is PRIMARY.  Trip cancellation insurance.  Lost and delayed baggage coverage.   Read their list.

[Fly and Sail]

I downgraded my U.S. based Amex Platinum to Green last week in favor of the CSR.