[Targeted] New AMEX Offer - Spend $1,000 with Celebrity get 35,000 Membership Rewards Points

[Cruise Gopher]

22 minutes ago, Linda W. said:

I got the spend $1000 get 35,000 miles.  Very nice….  I did read the fine print about the offer.  It specifically said it cannot be used to purchase OBC.  Luckily I have another cruise for 2024 that I am currently making payments on so it won’t be an issue but hope others read the fine print.  Perhaps others don’t have the stipulations that I did but I’m guessing they probably do.  I’ve learned to read the fine print with all offers to make sure I don’t miss something.  It is a great offer I must say!  

You can purchase OBC. It posts as Celebrity Cruises. I did it earlier this week and already got Points awarded in my account. Works just fine. 

[Linda W.]

16 hours ago, Cruise Gopher said:

You can purchase OBC. It posts as Celebrity Cruises. I did it earlier this week and already got Points awarded in my account. Works just fine. 

Great! I’m happy it worked out for you.  Perhaps the offers are different in reading the fine print.  I would hate to try it and then have them remove it IF they review the purchase.  I guess I’m just super cautious plus I already can use for another payment for a future cruise I’m paying on.  Happy it worked out for you!

[kwokpot]

AMEX is REALLY on the ball. I purchased Slot credits for my February Solstice cruise just now and within MINUTES received an email from Amex about fulfilling the requirements for the Celebrity Membership rewards point bonus. I mean, I literally just made the purchase minutes ago and they're only showing as pending charges!

 

[Cruise Gopher]

Adding another data point. Both my card and my authorized user’s card both had this offer, we both added the offer to our respective cards, and we both made $1k charges and we both got the points. Woo hoo!

[Shiba_Lover]

On 1/8/2023 at 3:55 PM, EllieinNJ said:

Please let us know what happens.

The authorized user offer Worked too.

 

So, I redeemed my offer for spend 1k, get a 350 statement credit and my authorized user redeemed his offer for spend 500 get a 175 statement credit.  Both were used to pay off the balance on an existing Galapagos cruise.

[pellanor]

On 1/5/2023 at 12:31 AM, CelebrityCruizer said:

No it doesn't it can be anything related to Celebrity. As a matter of fact i bought casino free play 10% bonus 500$ tables + $500 slots with my 1000$ and added it to my existing booking. I checked in my Amex app and it's showing as Celebrity Cruise purchase.

 

The casino play is annoying because the $49.99 increments (instead of $50). Were you able to trigger the $1,000 amex offer by purchasing $500 table + $500 slots even though the charge comes out to $999.80?

[rteng]

I read thru most of the posts but didn't see if a purchase of airfare from flights by celebrity will trigger the credit. Would appreciate any info on this as cruises are already paid for.

thanks

[Linda W.]

On 1/9/2023 at 12:21 PM, kwokpot said:

AMEX is REALLY on the ball. I purchased Slot credits for my February Solstice cruise just now and within MINUTES received an email from Amex about fulfilling the requirements for the Celebrity Membership rewards point bonus. I mean, I literally just made the purchase minutes ago and they're only showing as pending charges!

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by Linda W.
Whoops

[barbeyg]

Just a heads up. We got the 35k points/$1000 spend on my husband’s authorized user card, and I got the 17.5k points/$500 spend on my card. We both were able to use, and points for both posted.  This is for anyone else who received different offers on different cards, and was wondering if AMEX would honor both. They did for ours.

[Gig103]

I booked on board with $200 reduced deposits on a nonrefundable 'book later' fare.

 

Assuming I pick my cruise before this promo expires, I was planning to put an extra chunk of $800 down, but want to confirm those funds are always refundable before final payment? If I have to cancel the trip I know I lose my deposit but would I get my $800 back as cash not FCC?

 

Similarly I could buy a drink package in advance to trigger it if those are refundable.

[ORV]

A couple of days ago the Celebrity offer came back on my Everyday card for 17,500 membership points at the same time I found out I have to have an unplanned surgery Monday, which means I have to cancel the BCC cruise I was going on a week from tomorrow that I was going to buy $500 worth of OBC for. Oh well. I was flying on miles, staying in the room on points and the cruise was free. At least I'm not losing a bunch on the deal. I guess I'm glad I found out about the surgery before I spent the $500. 

[rachel_95762]

On 1/28/2023 at 8:26 PM, rteng said:

I read thru most of the posts but didn't see if a purchase of airfare from flights by celebrity will trigger the credit. Would appreciate any info on this as cruises are already paid for.

thanks

We got the credit after buying Flights by Celebrity in January 

[the_dylaness]

I am thinking of just buying 1000 OBC for our cruise (29 days!!!) but not sure if I want to deal with trying to get it refunded at guest services to a different card, etc etc.

 

We are very likely to book another cruise with Celebrity despite my incensed attitude about the room service fees.

 

I know you can't use this for "onboard purchases" but I feel like I've read in the past that you can use these kinds of offers for booking NEW cruises onboard. I'd sure like to get that extra benefit if I'm going to book one anyway. If I use this card to book a future cruise credit/new booking (but am onboard) does the charge come through as Celebrity Cruises or Celebrity Equinox?

 

[the_dylaness]

Or, if I buy 1000 OBC can I use THAT to book a cruise onboard? I would assume so?

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, the_dylaness said:

Or, if I buy 1000 OBC can I use THAT to book a cruise onboard? I would assume so?

 

Only on the last day of the cruise after getting it in cash from guest relations.  And then I don't know if future cruises accepts cash.

 

We had no problem taking our 500 from the Amex promo in cash the last day.

[wrk2cruise]

On 1/9/2023 at 1:21 PM, kwokpot said:

AMEX is REALLY on the ball. I purchased Slot credits for my February Solstice cruise just now and within MINUTES received an email from Amex about fulfilling the requirements for the Celebrity Membership rewards point bonus. I mean, I literally just made the purchase minutes ago and they're only showing as pending charges!

 

 

@kwokpot  Did you eventually get statement credit for it.    I had a similar situation when I used my Amex for my onboard account on Summit.   Got this email but then several days later got another saying it didn't qualify for the credit due as the charge eventually came through as SummitOnboard or something like that.

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

@kwokpot  Did you eventually get statement credit for it.    I had a similar situation when I used my Amex for my onboard account on Summit.   Got this email but then several days later got another saying it didn't qualify for the credit due as the charge eventually came through as SummitOnboard or something like that.

 

On board purchases do not quality, pre-sail purchases such as free play/OBC in the cruise planner does trigger the credit

[wrk2cruise]

9 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

On board purchases do not quality, pre-sail purchases such as free play/OBC in the cruise planner does trigger the credit

 

I'm aware.  I have since taken advantage of 2 of these promos by buying OBC and taking it in cash the last day.

[kwokpot]

4 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

@kwokpot  Did you eventually get statement credit for it.    I had a similar situation when I used my Amex for my onboard account on Summit.   Got this email but then several days later got another saying it didn't qualify for the credit due as the charge eventually came through as SummitOnboard or something like that.

It's funny you should bring this up. It was for preboarding purchases, so yes I got the points. I had purchased casino slot dollars which gives you a bonus. HOWEVER, I just completed the Solstice cruise that I had purchased the casino credit for and COMPLETELY forgot I had bought the credit! Luckily on the last day they saw I didn't claim the credit so they reimbursed me back for the purchases. That was really nice of Celebrity to do that. Now I just hope AMEX doesn't claw back the bonus membership points!

Edited February 26, 2023 by kwokpot

[the_dylaness]

I'm on the phone with X now and they say that if I purchase 1000 obc and don't use it all then it's not refundable, will just be transferred to my next sailing. I don't have another X sailing booked and don't want to do that, but this seems in stark contrast to what others have said.  Hang up and get another CSR or what? Weird.

[chamima]

21 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

I'm on the phone with X now and they say that if I purchase 1000 obc and don't use it all then it's not refundable, will just be transferred to my next sailing. I don't have another X sailing booked and don't want to do that, but this seems in stark contrast to what others have said.  Hang up and get another CSR or what? Weird.

 

 

The phone reps are notorious for misinformation!

If you purchase OBC (as opposed to being gifted it) it is ALWAYS refundable. Go to Guest Services the last full day of your cruise and get whatever you haven't spent back in cash. (I just did this on the Equinox so am speaking from experience!)

if you don't do that it will be refunded to your credit card (again - as opposed to the non-refundable which will just disappear). However, no guarantee if Amex will take back those bonus points if you get the refund on the card.

 

EDIT: Oh, and just to add to that rep's misinformation - nothing is EVER transferred to another sailing. EVER!

 

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Edited March 11, 2023 by chamima

[the_dylaness]

Thanks for confirming I haven't lost my mind. I pushed back and she talked to a supervisor who did confirm it is refundable (as it should be!) but then still explained to me that my non-refundable OBC (from TA, credit card, part of booking, whatever) would be transferred to a future cruise if I did not use it.  Um, no, I don't think so.

[the_dylaness]

Also--- 28 minutes on this call and purchase still not gone through. How does this take so LONG!?

[chamima]

3 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

Thanks for confirming I haven't lost my mind. I pushed back and she talked to a supervisor who did confirm it is refundable (as it should be!) but then still explained to me that my non-refundable OBC (from TA, credit card, part of booking, whatever) would be transferred to a future cruise if I did not use it.  Um, no, I don't think so.

 

Read my edit.

 

If that rep was as uninformed as she sounds you may need to call again to buy that OBC. Keep monitoring.

 

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Edited March 11, 2023 by chamima

[the_dylaness]

1 minute ago, chamima said:

 

Read my edit.

 

 

 

Yes, I did, thanks! I know it's not true, you know it's not true, but the X reps don't even know it's not true. So sad.