NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Clay Clayton]

I'm thinking about reserving an oceanview cabin and using the 30,000 points to upgrade to a balcony. That way we could qualify for the pick 2 promos running now that comes with an oceanview or above and it would only cost the equivalent of $300 for the two of us rather than $310 pp which is the current difference between an oceanview and a balcony on the Dawn on the dates we're looking at for 2017. Am I missing something?

 

Only if you have given up on banking 60K points to do a double cross meta upgrade which can result in much great "savings".

[zuke2323]

I'm sure this has been answered in this thread but I was unable to find it in my searches:

 

If I use my points to get OBC before my cruise, is that OBC refundable or non-refundable? In other words, can I use that OBC to pay the DSC?

 

Trying to determine whether I should pre-pay the DSC to get the extra points or use the points to get OBC to pay the DSC.

 

Thank you in advance, and I apologize for what I'm sure is a common question.

[TifffanyD]

I'm thinking about reserving an oceanview cabin and using the 30,000 points to upgrade to a balcony. That way we could qualify for the pick 2 promos running now that comes with an oceanview or above and it would only cost the equivalent of $300 for the two of us rather than $310 pp which is the current difference between an oceanview and a balcony on the Dawn on the dates we're looking at for 2017. Am I missing something?

 

It's not a bad idea - but if you have plans for any future cruises where the savings might be greater then I'd save it. For example, alaska and hawaii cruises have a bigger difference between oceanview and balcony.

[gochina]

How do I find the number of points needed for upgrade and how do I use them if I have enough?

[$hip$hape]

How do I find the number of points needed for upgrade and how do I use them if I have enough?

 

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

[gochina]

Thank you, ShipShape, for that useful link. My other question is, I have enough for 4 category upgrade. What does that mean? Which room do I book to ensure I ended up with a balcony if I use points for upgrade?

[$hip$hape]

Thank you, ShipShape, for that useful link. My other question is, I have enough for 4 category upgrade. What does that mean? Which room do I book to ensure I ended up with a balcony if I use points for upgrade?

 

It tends to be complicated... you have to check and see how much $ you will save.

take a look at the tab "offer terms and conditions"

I assume you have 20,000 points

Up to 4-category upgrade on cruises 5-days or longer 20,000 points

Call 1-866-954-4077 to have them explain and redeem points. You don't have to make an immediate decision, but you should have an idea about what cruise you want to be on.

 

You may be better off just cashing in your points(for cash).

Or save for a meta or double meta upgrade.(Post#3814)

Edited February 22, 2016 by $hip$hape

[kjquilts]

Thank you, ShipShape, for that useful link. My other question is, I have enough for 4 category upgrade. What does that mean? Which room do I book to ensure I ended up with a balcony if I use points for upgrade?

 

 

You have to book a balcony to receive a balcony. When NCL says four category upgrade they mean within the "meta" (inside, oceanview or balcony). You do need to look at the terms and conditions on the link ShipShape posted. Changing category within a meta can gives you a better location or in case of oceanview could be going from porthole to a window stateroom. The number of stateroom categories within a "meta" varies by ship classes. Usually it is not cost effective to use 20,000 points for this option.

 

We much prefer saving our points and use 60,000 to do the double cross meta upgrade from an inside to a balcony. With 30,000 points you can do a cross meta upgrade from an inside to a oceanview or an oceanview to a balcony. We use the points on more expensive cruises to maximize the savings.

[Clay Clayton]

I knew I liked you KJ! LOL

I see you are on Sun for Alaska....that will be great. Did you get one of the forward facing balconies?

[TifffanyD]

For alaska they would only let me have a balcony guarantee

[kjquilts]

I knew I liked you KJ! LOL

I see you are on Sun for Alaska....that will be great. Did you get one of the forward facing balconies?

 

 

Yes I did :) On this cruise I didn't do any meta upgrade. I booked the balcony through my PCC. A couple days later the pick two promo started and she was able to change our booking to include dinners along with the drinks :) I intended to call NCL Worldpoint person and do the double cross meta upgrade but the price jumped so quickly it wouldn't have been an efficient use of points. I will watch pricing - hopefully it will go down and I can do something then.

 

Next year is going to be an expensive one for cruising. We're booked (using double cross meta upgrade) on the Jewel Panama Canal cruise in February. It is a bucket list cruise and we're going with friends so can't cancel it. We're booked on the Sun special 14 day Alaska cruise in May. We REALLY love the one of a kind itinerary and having the larger stateroom and forward facing balcony would be very special.

 

Our 50th wedding anniversary is in September 2017 and Larry and Rich both have birthdays that month. We wanted to experience some of Europe for the first time and thought it would be on an NCL cruise. Unfortunately the cruise that has really caught our eye is a repo cruise on the Regal Princess that starts in Copenhagen and ends in New York. We would fly Iceland Air and spend two or three days layover in Iceland and a couple days pre cruise in Copenhagen. It's unfortunate because we all have Cruise Next Certificates and are platinum on NCL and we're almost nobodies on Princess. Our very first cruise was on Princess, then one Costa and then 16 NCL because they've been such a good fit for us. We haven't booked anything yet - lol should probably just drive an hour and a half and spend a week on the Oregon coast.

[Clay Clayton]

Don't want to hijack this thread but congrats on the upcoming 50th!

 

I take it the newly announced itineraries didn't do it for you compared to the Princess one?

 

We have a cruise reward that is going to expire in September but because of the River Cruise, I don't think we are going to be able to use it....hate not being on Norwegian this year...and especially not being on Sun since that always feels like coming home.

[debnpaul]

Has anyone successfully booked an Inside Guarantee and then used the 60,000 point Double Cross Meta Upgrade to get a Balcony Guarantee cabin? I,e. Moving from an category IX to a category BX.

 

I am looking at a Hawaii cruise where the IX category cost is $1199/pp and the BX category cost is $1699/pp. However if you have to select an actual cabin category and get an assigned room in order to take advantage of the Double Cross Meta Upgrade, the insides START at $1909/pp and go up from there. I've never seen such a large gap in guarantee pricing to assigned cabins.... On this sailing the cheapest assigned Inside is $210/pp MORE than the guarantee balcony.

[Clay Clayton]

We did it the other way around...we selected the balcony we wanted and then they repriced it as an inside. It was not the guarantee price but it was comparable to the category balcony we booked....hope that makes sense. In otherwords, we wanted to be in a BC so we paid for whatever an inside similar to a BC is....I forget the Inside nomenclature.

 

I suggest calling and talking to NCL just tell them when you first call you need to talk to someone to help you with using your world points. Don't be surprised if you have to educate them about the double cross meta award....we did!:eek::D

[hawk1972]

Has anyone successfully booked an Inside Guarantee and then used the 60,000 point Double Cross Meta Upgrade to get a Balcony Guarantee cabin? I,e. Moving from an category IX to a category BX.

 

I am looking at a Hawaii cruise where the IX category cost is $1199/pp and the BX category cost is $1699/pp. However if you have to select an actual cabin category and get an assigned room in order to take advantage of the Double Cross Meta Upgrade, the insides START at $1909/pp and go up from there. I've never seen such a large gap in guarantee pricing to assigned cabins.... On this sailing the cheapest assigned Inside is $210/pp MORE than the guarantee balcony.

 

That's a good question. Hope someone can answer.

[Kfamilycruise]

Does anyone know if you are able to start using the card right after you are approved even if you don't have card in hand yet?

[debnpaul]

Has anyone successfully booked an Inside Guarantee and then used the 60,000 point Double Cross Meta Upgrade to get a Balcony Guarantee cabin? I,e. Moving from an category IX to a category BX.

 

I am looking at a Hawaii cruise where the IX category cost is $1199/pp and the BX category cost is $1699/pp. However if you have to select an actual cabin category and get an assigned room in order to take advantage of the Double Cross Meta Upgrade, the insides START at $1909/pp and go up from there. I've never seen such a large gap in guarantee pricing to assigned cabins.... On this sailing the cheapest assigned Inside is $210/pp MORE than the guarantee balcony.

 

Hopefully this will help someone else. I called to book my Hawaii cruise this morning and I was indeed able to book an IX (inside guarantee) and get a BX (balcony guarantee) with 60,000 points. However, the reservation agent did say that the ability to do this with a guarantee cabin depends on a number of factors, including the ship, the sail date, capacity, etc., so YMMV depending on the circumstances.

 

Happy sailing!

[NayRN]

I haven't really paid too much attention to my points balance....until just now! I have over 17,000 points! I guess I'm just dense because I don't understand what to do with them? Ships I hold off and use them to book a cruise in 2017? Should I use them to pay off my cruise in 2016? :confused:

 

I'm really not a "stupid" person....but this seems like a lot of points! Is my best bet to just call the number on the back of my card?

[$hip$hape]

I haven't really paid too much attention to my points balance....until just now! I have over 17,000 points! I guess I'm just dense because I don't understand what to do with them? Ships I hold off and use them to book a cruise in 2017? Should I use them to pay off my cruise in 2016? :confused:

 

I'm really not a "stupid" person....but this seems like a lot of points! Is my best bet to just call the number on the back of my card?

IMHO, Wait until you have at least 25,000 points, then just take the $250.00 cash, instead of the OBC, and use the cash to help pay for the cruise.

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

 

Your points are worth more, the longer you wait.

[NayRN]

IMHO, Wait until you have at least 25,000 points, then just take the $250.00 cash, instead of the OBC, and use the cash to help pay for the cruise.

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

 

Your points are worth more, the longer you wait.

 

Thanks! I'll wait then until my 2017 cruise!! :D

[buckeye rob]

IMHO, Wait until you have at least 25,000 points, then just take the $250.00 cash, instead of the OBC, and use the cash to help pay for the cruise.

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

 

Your points are worth more, the longer you wait.

 

Just got my card to get the bonus and double NCL points in November. I have over 29,000 points now and was told to call before my cruise in August and have that put on my shipboard account as a credit. Is that $290 ? Does that make sense ? My cruise is already paid in full. How does that work ? Do you do this through Bank America or NCL ? How close to the cruise do you wait to do this ? Thanks Gerry.

Edited March 19, 2016 by buckeye rob

[travelinmoma]

Just got my card to get the bonus and double NCL points in November. I have over 29,000 points now and was told to call before my cruise in August and have that put on my shipboard account as a credit. Is that $290 ? Does that make sense ? My cruise is already paid in full. How does that work ? Do you do this through Bank America or NCL ? How close to the cruise do you wait to do this ? Thanks Gerry.

 

They only redeem in increments of 5,000 (which equals $50). If I were you, I would try to get 1,000 more points and then call to redeem for $300. That is assuming you want to redeem for OBC rather than use them for an upgrade. You can get an upgrade with 30K points.

Call this number when you are ready to redeem: 1-866-954-4077

Edited March 20, 2016 by travelinmoma
add info

[buckeye rob]

They only redeem in increments of 5,000 (which equals $50). If I were you, I would try to get 1,000 more points and then call to redeem for $300. That is assuming you want to redeem for OBC rather than use them for an upgrade. You can get an upgrade with 30K points.

Call this number when you are ready to redeem: 1-866-954-4077

 

Thanks. That is my plan to use for OBC. Do they then transfer it to my cruise so it will show on my onboard account ? Thanks Gerry

Edited March 21, 2016 by buckeye rob

[travelinmoma]

It doesn't show up on your NCL account when you are looking at it online, but it's there. They can see it. They will also send you an amenity email immediately following your redemption. I plan on printing this off (just in case). I always like to bring extra "proof" in case there is a problem.

Edited March 21, 2016 by travelinmoma

[Eva 51]

I am Canadian. I have a account in USA funds. So I'd like to pay for my cruise with my American money. Problem is. I need a us card to be able to use this money. Does anyone know if the Norwegian cruise line. MasterCard would help me in this situation? My final payment is due on May 30 2016