NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Thunderbird19]

Magnolia Blossom, thanks for taking the time to respond and sharing info!!

[julig22]

On 6/20/2023 at 10:54 AM, alwalaska said:

Sorry for the confusion, I have my Australia/New Zealand on the Spirit picked out for the FCC.  I was just curious what itinerary had such a premium for balconies.  Alaska makes total sense.  I saw some Alaska itineraries with interiors at $247 plus taxes and fees.  That is crazy.  I just can't afford any other cruises right now with the AUS/NZ trip that we will be taking in Feb this year instead of next.  I reached Sapphire on my last cruise but think I may never get to Diamond.

 

Yeah, I'm anxiously waiting to do my upgrade as soon as the FCC comes out and applies it.  My TA has been a great help through this mess of trying to figure everything out. She did apply my Next Cruise as soon as it came back, but we decided waiting to do the upgrade would be safest.  The WP person when I called to get my points back from the 2025 canceled cruise said she thought it would be OK to do the upgrade before the FCC, but I really don't want to take any chances on losing that 20% or the 60k points.

So the 20% discount I got for my cancelled Spirit cruise can only be applied to the Jewel - and the Jewel does not go to NZ/Australia. Not a happy camper, don't know what NCL was thinking.  I actually think they screwed up because I believe they cancelled a couple of Jewel cruises at the same time and nobody bothered to proofread...otherwise, makes no sense whatsoever. We'll see if corporate bothers to respond.  Even sadder is that I do have something booked on the Jewel but 2 months out of the timeframe for using the coupon, which is much shorter than everyone else got.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Such a pathetic way to treat customers.

[ggTexasGal]

12 hours ago, julig22 said:

Even sadder is that I do have something booked on the Jewel but 2 months out of the timeframe for using the coupon, which is much shorter than everyone else got.

I sure hope they get this resolved in a fair manner for you!

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Keep us posted on the ongoing struggle.  Wish you luck.

[alwalaska]

12 hours ago, julig22 said:

So the 20% discount I got for my cancelled Spirit cruise can only be applied to the Jewel - and the Jewel does not go to NZ/Australia. Not a happy camper, don't know what NCL was thinking.  I actually think they screwed up because I believe they cancelled a couple of Jewel cruises at the same time and nobody bothered to proofread...otherwise, makes no sense whatsoever. We'll see if corporate bothers to respond.  Even sadder is that I do have something booked on the Jewel but 2 months out of the timeframe for using the coupon, which is much shorter than everyone else got.

Were you previously on an Alaska itinerary or an Australia/New Zealand itinerary?  We were originally on Aus/NZ.  I think the 20% offers were specific to the itinerary, not just the ship.  Our 20% was only good on the Spirit and only from June 23, 2023 (which was impossible since we didn't get the cert until the 23rd)  and April 2024. 

 

The Jewel was doing similar itineraries to the Spirit in Alaska I believe.

 

But yes, NCL has definitely messed things up and did not do right by a lot of people in my opinion.  I'm so sorry that your situation has been so frustrating.  Can you at least make use of the 10% coupon on your Jewel cruise?

[julig22]

1 hour ago, alwalaska said:

Were you previously on an Alaska itinerary or an Australia/New Zealand itinerary?  We were originally on Aus/NZ.  I think the 20% offers were specific to the itinerary, not just the ship.  Our 20% was only good on the Spirit and only from June 23, 2023 (which was impossible since we didn't get the cert until the 23rd)  and April 2024. 

 

The Jewel was doing similar itineraries to the Spirit in Alaska I believe.

 

But yes, NCL has definitely messed things up and did not do right by a lot of people in my opinion.  I'm so sorry that your situation has been so frustrating.  Can you at least make use of the 10% coupon on your Jewel cruise?

I was booked on the Spirit for Australia in Dec 2024.  There were 2 "holdouts" that weren't cancelled until later. So only those 2 cancellations got offered the Jewel instead of the Spirit for a replacement.

But even Alaska on the Jewel wouldn't be very doable this late in the game - even if I wasn't already booked/fully paid for later in August anyway - and the coupon expires in February 2024, long before the 2024 Alaska season begins.

[alwalaska]

5 hours ago, julig22 said:

I was booked on the Spirit for Australia in Dec 2024.  There were 2 "holdouts" that weren't cancelled until later. So only those 2 cancellations got offered the Jewel instead of the Spirit for a replacement.

But even Alaska on the Jewel wouldn't be very doable this late in the game - even if I wasn't already booked/fully paid for later in August anyway - and the coupon expires in February 2024, long before the 2024 Alaska season begins.

That is just wrong.  I would try to open up a customer service incident if you would like to go to Australia a year earlier than your original plan. There seems to be room on all of the itineraries. 

[julig22]

17 minutes ago, alwalaska said:

That is just wrong.  I would try to open up a customer service incident if you would like to go to Australia a year earlier than your original plan. There seems to be room on all of the itineraries. 

Here's what I got back when I requested a date extension

We are unable to offer any extensions to these courtesy credits and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We trust you understand that in order to be fair and equitable to all our guests, we cannot make any exceptions to the policies in place.

My response was along the lines of how is an offer with a shorter timeline, on a different ship with a different itinerary fair and equitable. From past experience, they don't tend to reply to rebuttals so we'll see.

[alwalaska]

59 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Here's what I got back when I requested a date extension

We are unable to offer any extensions to these courtesy credits and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We trust you understand that in order to be fair and equitable to all our guests, we cannot make any exceptions to the policies in place.

My response was along the lines of how is an offer with a shorter timeline, on a different ship with a different itinerary fair and equitable. From past experience, they don't tend to reply to rebuttals so we'll see.

I'm so sorry.  Please keep us updated. 

[laudergayle]

I am thrilled to report that my BoA NCL WP card has arrived and I will be able to use it for final payment.

 

This may not be new info to the thread…but, in reading through the small print (which I typically don’t do), I discovered that BoA has a program called Preferred Rewards.  You can earn 25-75% more on your card spending if you have a 3-month combined avg of $20k or more in combined BoA accounts…which also includes Merrill investing.  I just opened a Merrill account and initiated a 401k rollover for an old employer account.  Unfortunately with the holiday I doubt the funds will rollover quick enough to get the bonus this time…but will be nice for future spending.  
 

as an example…$3000 spend on NCL expenses = 9000 WP and with a 50% bonus one would earn 4500 WP for a total of 13,500 WP.  Sweet.

[mscdivina2016]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

I am thrilled to report that my BoA NCL WP card has arrived and I will be able to use it for final payment.

 

This may not be new info to the thread…but, in reading through the small print (which I typically don’t do), I discovered that BoA has a program called Preferred Rewards.  You can earn 25-75% more on your card spending if you have a 3-month combined avg of $20k or more in combined BoA accounts…which also includes Merrill investing.  I just opened a Merrill account and initiated a 401k rollover for an old employer account.  Unfortunately with the holiday I doubt the funds will rollover quick enough to get the bonus this time…but will be nice for future spending.  
 

as an example…$3000 spend on NCL expenses = 9000 WP and with a 50% bonus one would earn 4500 WP for a total of 13,500 WP.  Sweet.

Are you sure the NCL card is one of the cards in that program?

 I know several others are eligible.

[laudergayle]

58 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Are you sure the NCL card is one of the cards in that program?

 I know several others are eligible.

I believe it is as I read about the program on the T&Cs that came with the NCL card…and they used the cruise purchase as an example of how the bonus worked.

[WYB!]

I believe it's the Merrill edge that laudergayle is referring to.

 

Summary:
If you have a average of $20k or more in a Merrill account then your BoA card could receive a additional 25% Rewards bonus.

Additional information can be found here: https://www.merrilledge.com/preferred-rewards

All you need to qualify is an eligible Bank of America^® personal checking account and maintain a three-month combined averaged daily balance of $20,000 in your Merrill investment accounts and/or your Bank of America deposit accounts.

Certain credit cards are eligible to receive a Preferred Rewards bonus. Enrolled Preferred Rewards members with eligible Bank of America^® credit cards can receive a Preferred Rewards bonus of 25% for the Gold tier, 50% for the Platinum tier, or 75% for the Platinum Honors, Diamond or Diamond Honors tier on each purchase. If your card receives the 10% customer bonus, the Preferred Rewards bonus will replace the 10% customer bonus. You will not receive the Preferred Rewards bonus when you redeem your Cash Rewards or Points. The Preferred Rewards bonus for eligible cash rewards credit cards will be applied after all base and bonus cash rewards have been calculated on a purchase. For example, a $100 purchase that earns 3% ($3.00) will actually earn $3.75, $4.50 or $5.25 based on your tier when the purchase posts to your account. For all other eligible card types, a purchase that earns 100 base points will actually earn 125, 150 or 175 points based on your tier when the purchase posts to your account. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to any account opening bonus, if applicable. The Preferred Rewards bonus also does not apply to the bonus earn for certain programs. This information can be found in the Program Rules associated with those credit cards. Other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to your card's Program Rules for details about how you will receive the Preferred Rewards bonus. Program Rules are mailed upon account opening and are accessible through the rewards redemption site via Online Banking or by calling the number on the back of your card. 
 

Card eligibility guidelines

Most Bank of America® branded consumer credit cards (such as the Unlimited Cash Rewards, Customized Cash Rewards, Travel Rewards, Premium Rewards® and Premium Rewards® Elitecredit cards) are eligible to receive the Preferred Rewards bonus as long as the card account is open with active charging privileges. If your credit card receives the 10% customer bonus, the Preferred Rewards bonus will replace the 10% customer bonus.

Cards not eligible for the rewards bonus:

• Non-rewards credit cards
• Business purpose credit cards
• BankAmericard Better Balance Rewards®
• AAA® Gas Rebate
• Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®
• Alaska Airlines®
• Allegiant World MasterCard®
• Amtrak Guest Rewards®
• Amway™
• Celebrity Cruises®
• Royal Caribbean International®
• Sonesta World MasterCard®
• Spirit Airlines®
• Virgin Atlantic Airways®

This list is subject to change without prior notice.

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by WYB!

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, WYB! said:

I believe it's the Merrill edge that laudergayle is referring to.

 

Summary:
If you have a average of $20k or more in a Merrill account then your BoA card could receive a additional 25% Rewards bonus.

Additional information can be found here: https://www.merrilledge.com/preferred-rewards

All you need to qualify is an eligible Bank of America^® personal checking account and maintain a three-month combined averaged daily balance of $20,000 in your Merrill investment accounts and/or your Bank of America deposit accounts.

Certain credit cards are eligible to receive a Preferred Rewards bonus. Enrolled Preferred Rewards members with eligible Bank of America^® credit cards can receive a Preferred Rewards bonus of 25% for the Gold tier, 50% for the Platinum tier, or 75% for the Platinum Honors, Diamond or Diamond Honors tier on each purchase. If your card receives the 10% customer bonus, the Preferred Rewards bonus will replace the 10% customer bonus. You will not receive the Preferred Rewards bonus when you redeem your Cash Rewards or Points. The Preferred Rewards bonus for eligible cash rewards credit cards will be applied after all base and bonus cash rewards have been calculated on a purchase. For example, a $100 purchase that earns 3% ($3.00) will actually earn $3.75, $4.50 or $5.25 based on your tier when the purchase posts to your account. For all other eligible card types, a purchase that earns 100 base points will actually earn 125, 150 or 175 points based on your tier when the purchase posts to your account. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to any account opening bonus, if applicable. The Preferred Rewards bonus also does not apply to the bonus earn for certain programs. This information can be found in the Program Rules associated with those credit cards. Other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to your card's Program Rules for details about how you will receive the Preferred Rewards bonus. Program Rules are mailed upon account opening and are accessible through the rewards redemption site via Online Banking or by calling the number on the back of your card. 
 

Card eligibility guidelines

Most Bank of America® branded consumer credit cards (such as the Unlimited Cash Rewards, Customized Cash Rewards, Travel Rewards, Premium Rewards® and Premium Rewards® Elitecredit cards) are eligible to receive the Preferred Rewards bonus as long as the card account is open with active charging privileges. If your credit card receives the 10% customer bonus, the Preferred Rewards bonus will replace the 10% customer bonus.

Cards not eligible for the rewards bonus:

• Non-rewards credit cards
• Business purpose credit cards
• BankAmericard Better Balance Rewards®
• AAA® Gas Rebate
• Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®
• Alaska Airlines®
• Allegiant World MasterCard®
• Amtrak Guest Rewards®
• Amway™
• Celebrity Cruises®
• Royal Caribbean International®
• Sonesta World MasterCard®
• Spirit Airlines®
• Virgin Atlantic Airways®

This list is subject to change without prior notice.

 

Yes this is what I was referencing. We’ve had BoA accounts for years and years, but they are low balance accounts used mostly for in/out transactions…so I was happy that a Merrill Edge account would qualify us for the bonus WPs.

 

Thanks for sharing the detail.

[mscdivina2016]

11 hours ago, laudergayle said:

I believe it is as I read about the program on the T&Cs that came with the NCL card…and they used the cruise purchase as an example of how the bonus worked.

I called boa a little awhile ago and was told no to the NCL card.  I will go personally into a branch in a couple of days and see. I have both the balance in BOA for years and I also have a ML account. Let's see how I can capitalize on this as I prefer Haven's.

[laudergayle]

10 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

I called boa a little awhile ago and was told no to the NCL card.  I will go personally into a branch in a couple of days and see. I have both the balance in BOA for years and I also have a ML account. Let's see how I can capitalize on this as I prefer Haven's.

So being that you prefer the Haven, the upgrade option wouldn’t be your choice since you can’t upgrade above a BA basic balcony cabin.  However the more points/ bonus you earn will provide a nice statement credit.

 

one thing I should mention…once you have the NCL card you need to enroll in BoA Preferred Rewards program to link everything together.  So when you go into the Branch as them to enroll you in PR.

[laudergayle]

Looking for upgrade insight from all you seasoned WP cruisers.

 

I want to book a 9-day cruise in November 2025…which is a long way off.  I Weill want to do a OV to Balcony upgrade.

 

Current pricing can go up or down.  At what point would be best to request the upgrade?  I’m thinking after final payment if that is possible.

 

thoughts?

 

 

 

[julig22]

15 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Looking for upgrade insight from all you seasoned WP cruisers.

 

I want to book a 9-day cruise in November 2025…which is a long way off.  I Weill want to do a OV to Balcony upgrade.

 

Current pricing can go up or down.  At what point would be best to request the upgrade?  I’m thinking after final payment if that is possible.

 

thoughts?

 

 

 

I rarely request my upgrade until near to or after final payment.  Sometimes earlier if the cruise is looking like it's selling out.  And yes, you can upgrade after final payment, I just did that recently.

I usually book an obstructed OV as early as possible, then use the on-board bump-up to get an OV with a window - just as insurance in case I can't get a balcony.  Then watch pricing to decide on a paid upgrade, a bid or a points upgrade.  A lot depends on the itinerary as well as pricing - no way was I taking a risk on not getting a balcony when I went to Antarctica, so upgraded early.  On a port intensive cruise I'll take a bigger chance.

[laudergayle]

4 minutes ago, julig22 said:

on-board bump-up to get an OV with a window

Thanks for your help.  May I ask…what is this?

[julig22]

1 minute ago, laudergayle said:

Thanks for your help.  May I ask…what is this?

If you book onboard, they will give you a bump-up within the category.  So book an obstructed OV get a window.  Book a balcony, you get a better location on the ship. I don't believe that applies to anything above balcony tho.

 

Also, book onboard is a loose description.  The CruiseNext staff will usually look at your existing reservations and make pricing adjustments/upgrades.  However, I have been told that they can't just do the bump-up unless there is something else changing as well, such as a price change. I also ran into a situation where they wouldn't work with an existing reservation unless I bought some CruiseNext certificates.

[laudergayle]

Ok, I see what you’re saying.  Thanks.  I believe you have a longtime PCC that you work with.  Do you then ask your PCC to take over the reservation?

[julig22]

Just now, laudergayle said:

Ok, I see what you’re saying.  Thanks.  I believe you have a longtime PCC that you work with.  Do you then ask your PCC to take over the reservation?

Do you mean booking onboard?  I've actually never booked onboard, just made adjustments.  However, it is my understanding that if you book onboard, the credit for the booking goes to the person who booked the cruise you are currently on.  CruiseNext staff do not get credited for bookings from what I've been told.

 

One reason I've booked ahead of time is because of some staff turnover.  I have a cruise booked for next year that I booked in 2021 - that PCC was great but got promoted.  Her replacement was a disaster and I still have one cruise booked through him and I do NOT want any future credits going to him (if he even still works for NCL). So I want to make sure that my current PCC, who is a keeper IMHO, gets any credits for future bookings. I usually do a mock booking, look it over then call my PCC to make the payment.  The person submitting the payment gets the credit from my understanding.

 

I don't know who "owns" the booking if you booked through a TA.

 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

18 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Looking for upgrade insight from all you seasoned WP cruisers.

At what point would be best to request the upgrade?  I’m thinking after final payment if that is possible.

 

thoughts?

 

 

 

I have found in recent years it is more difficult to get price adjustments after upgrading.  Several here have also reported this and there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.  I would advise you of a few things.

 

Familiarize yourself with the deck plan, especially note how many categories of balconies there are and which you would like to be in.  (I’ll explain that in a minute). Make yourself a list of preferred cabins and absolutely nots.

 

watch the deck plan for remaining cabins closely as time passes to see if balconies are filling up then decide if you feel okay with waiting until after FP, or whether you want to proceed sooner.

 

I have a 2025 cruise booked in May and it is a unique itinerary and since I booked it has risen in price tremendously.   If yours is also one of those, it bears watching closely.

 

IMHO, it is better to call and speak to a human than upgrade online.  If no other reason. You can often times pick up some good information while you’re waiting for something to process.  There is not usually much of a hold time, so I see it as time we’ll spent.

 

NOTE about balcony categories.  On smaller ships like the Dawn, there are now only two categories of balconies., BA and BX.   We will be on a family cruise and in order to choose our cabins and be close to one another, we had to book a top or next below it category.    This may not apply to you at all, but in these times of ever changing rules, it’s good to have a full arsenal of information.

 

I hope it turns out well for you.  Have a wonderful voyage!

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by MagnoliaBlossom

[WYB!]

Just wondering, as BoA worldpoint have an expiration of about 4 years, has anyone ever earned or redeemed enough points for the 7-Day Caribbean Or 7-Day Mexican Riviera Cruise For Two?
I myself have not but just wondering who has earned enough points in a 4 year time frame.
227,900 world points would mean that you spent about $76,000 over 4 years or $19,000 per year on NCL using the BoA card.

 

- WYB

 

Inside Stateroom	137,900
Oceanview Stateroom	157,900
Balcony Stateroom	227,900

Edited July 10, 2023 by WYB!