NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Eggs2Go]

Simple question: If I use my points for OBC, is the daily service charge paid for accordingly. Yes, I know upgrades are the better option, but as a solo cruiser I'm happy with what I've got and would much prefer taking OBC. Just having difficulty figuring out if the DSC would be covered (seems it used to be),

[julig22]

2 minutes ago, Eggs2Go said:

Simple question: If I use my points for OBC, is the daily service charge paid for accordingly. Yes, I know upgrades are the better option, but as a solo cruiser I'm happy with what I've got and would much prefer taking OBC. Just having difficulty figuring out if the DSC would be covered (seems it used to be),

If you are asking if the OBC can be used to pay your DSC, I believe it's considered refundable so yes. However, that's the worst way I can think of to use your points. Use them as a statement credit. That way you are still collecting points when you use your card to pay your DSC - and any other onboard charges.

[Eggs2Go]

Now I see. Didn't know what a statement credit meant exactly, but figured out that among the available options I can click on Cash and then put whatever points amount back on my card as a credit. I get same value as taking OBC but so much easier since I don't have to figure out how to spend the OBC in a worthwhile way. The statement credit will give me a very nice discount when I make final payment on my next cruise. (I only use the NCL credit card for NCL payments.) Thanks so much.

[jds2001]

On 2/21/2024 at 6:37 PM, julig22 said:

If you are asking if the OBC can be used to pay your DSC, I believe it's considered refundable so yes. However, that's the worst way I can think of to use your points. Use them as a statement credit. That way you are still collecting points when you use your card to pay your DSC - and any other onboard charges.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think it is - if you read the terms when redeeming for OBC, it says this, which would imply to me it's non-refundable OBC, which makes no sense but whatever. Best to use for a statement credit if you're going to go that way:

 

Onboard credit must be used or WorldPoints® points will be forfeited. Onboard credit may not be used toward onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities. 

 

[julig22]

1 hour ago, jds2001 said:

 

Unfortunately, I don't think it is - if you read the terms when redeeming for OBC, it says this, which would imply to me it's non-refundable OBC, which makes no sense but whatever. Best to use for a statement credit if you're going to go that way:

 

Onboard credit must be used or WorldPoints® points will be forfeited. Onboard credit may not be used toward onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities. 

 

Good catch. Makes no sense since you are paying for it but it's NCL...

[MagnoliaBlossom]

NCL, who are nothing if not consistently inconsistent 

[Eggs2Go]

8 hours ago, jds2001 said:

 

Unfortunately, I don't think it is - if you read the terms when redeeming for OBC, it says this, which would imply to me it's non-refundable OBC, which makes no sense but whatever. Best to use for a statement credit if you're going to go that way:

 

Onboard credit must be used or WorldPoints® points will be forfeited. Onboard credit may not be used toward onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities. 

 

Yes, that's why I hesitated before redeeming for OBC and came here for help first. I'm quite certain that in past when I took some OBC it would pay down my DSC so this must be a new T&C. But no matter. Julig and jds have set me straight. I didn't realize that a statement credit is a choice. It is the far better option for me.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I’m pretty sure that in the past when I had OBC on NCL, it could not be used for DSC.  Granted it wasn’t WP OBC, but it was nonrefundable so same difference.

[Eggs2Go]

Right. I'm only talking about taking OBC from NCL's world points card. It was considered refundable OBC and paying for the DSC was a nice way of using it up. It was deducted automatically each day. Sometimes I also used it to purchase cruise next certificates, and I know you can't do that with nonrefundable OBC. Whatever. No more OBC for me.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Taken from the TCs on the BOA site

 

Onboard credit may not be used toward onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities

[kismetique]

On 2/24/2024 at 8:03 AM, MagnoliaBlossom said:

Taken from the TCs on the BOA site

 

Onboard credit may not be used toward onboard service charges or pre-purchased activities

Yup... on my last cruise,  they gave us OBC for a missed port.  I've always been able to have it applied to gratuities, so the night before when I got my bill and they hadn't offset the amounts,  I went and asked and was told,  no more.  We hadn't spent a penny on the ship so I had to go to the shops and spend $250 on crap I had no room in my bags to carry around on the rest of my trip.  Either that or leave money on the table,  and that wasn't happening!!!!  If I had known,  I'd have eaten better!!!

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Yikes!   What a disappointment! 

[dmwnc1959]

On 2/21/2024 at 7:45 PM, Eggs2Go said:

The statement credit will give me a very nice discount when I make final payment on my next cruise. (I only use the NCL credit card for NCL payments.) Thanks so much.

Makes a lot of sense. I’m planning on using it (within the first 90 days) to purchase just over $1000 worth from the NCL website, then pay off the cruise when the balance comes due. With triple points that’ll give another 15,000 points, so 40,000 total. 

[dmwnc1959]

Wanted to also double-check that NCL CRUISE DEPOSITS count towards the triple point accruals. 
 

In the Terms and Conditions it says this: 

 

“To qualify for the 3 points per $1 for Norwegian Cruise Line Net Purchases, the eligible transaction must appear on your monthly credit card statement and contain either “Norwegian Cruise Line” or the name of a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel.”

 

So, if I’m booking future cruises and using the NCL BofA card to make reservation deposits, this counts and gets 3x points? 
 

😁

[smillerholmes]

5 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Wanted to also double-check that NCL CRUISE DEPOSITS count towards the triple point accruals. 
 

In the Terms and Conditions it says this: 

 

“To qualify for the 3 points per $1 for Norwegian Cruise Line Net Purchases, the eligible transaction must appear on your monthly credit card statement and contain either “Norwegian Cruise Line” or the name of a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel.”

 

So, if I’m booking future cruises and using the NCL BofA card to make reservation deposits, this counts and gets 3x points? 
 

😁

True.

[dmwnc1959]

14 minutes ago, smillerholmes said:

True.

 
Sort of heard this in my heard as if Spock was saying it in his voice. 🤣
 

True = correct, I assume? 😉

[smillerholmes]

2 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 
Sort of heard this in my heard as if Spock was saying it in his voice. 🤣
 

True = correct, I assume? 😉

LOL - yes, I guess we could say Spoke was succint.

 

Enjoy the triple points!

[nhtravels]

So silly (or maybe not) question.  I have the NCL BOA card.  We only sail Haven, so we typically just use it to book and take a statement credit... and repeat and repeat.  I don't use the card for anything else other than NCL purchases, as I'm not doing upgrades or anything of real value.

 

This month we've needed to use the card for $15k in business purchases ( will be paid in 15 days), but may need to be a repeat order every 45 days.  That means the card will earn more points than normal.   What is the points per $ for non NCL purchases?  If I were putting $15,000 on every 45 days (paid off with 30 days), would that equate to 15,000 points? (Is it 1 point per $1?). We do have other business cards we use (Amex, Chase Sapphire), but for budgeting, the dates work best with this card.  Just trying to maxize our points. 

 

Our thoughts are even if it takes 8-10 months, we could end up with a Haven cruise every year - 18 months!

[mscdivina2016]

10 hours ago, nhtravels said:

So silly (or maybe not) question.  I have the NCL BOA card.  We only sail Haven, so we typically just use it to book and take a statement credit... and repeat and repeat.  I don't use the card for anything else other than NCL purchases, as I'm not doing upgrades or anything of real value.

 

This month we've needed to use the card for $15k in business purchases ( will be paid in 15 days), but may need to be a repeat order every 45 days.  That means the card will earn more points than normal.   What is the points per $ for non NCL purchases?  If I were putting $15,000 on every 45 days (paid off with 30 days), would that equate to 15,000 points? (Is it 1 point per $1?). We do have other business cards we use (Amex, Chase Sapphire), but for budgeting, the dates work best with this card.  Just trying to maxize our points. 

 

Our thoughts are even if it takes 8-10 months, we could end up with a Haven cruise every year - 18 months!

You will get 15,000 points each time which is worth $150.

 So after 50 months you would have enough points for a cash out to pay for the Haven.

But after you cashed all the points in for $7500 and pay the Haven you would get triple points for that which would be worth $200.

If not doing upgrades it's lousy.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

There is the free cruise option if you have tons of points, but it’s balcony, not Haven.

[Stowaway LFC]

New to NCL here. Have an August 2025 British Isles cruise booked.  I applied for and got the NCL card (with the 25,000 point bonus) and paid NCL 1078.00 with it.  I checked my account today and have 28,234 points.

 

Not really interested in upgrading my cabin. It's one of the cheaper cabins, no view or balcony but I don't plan to be in there much.  I will likely redeem points for a statement credit instead.

 

I used a cruise first and still have a significant amount to still pay, prob about 6K total for me and my spouse. Includes free at sea plus for both of us does not include the pre cruise trip in London or the excursions I plan to book. Thats why I booked so early, so I'll have plenty of time to pay everything up.

 

If I pay the rest of my NCL purchases with my NCL card then I will get 3 points per each dollar spent, correct?

Does the 3 points per dollar apply to excursions booked through NCL too?

If I am calculating correctly NCL will be a much greater return than using my 2% cash back card.

 

Thank you 🤩

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1 by Stowaway LFC
left something out

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, Stowaway LFC said:

New to NCL here. Have an August 2025 British Isles cruise booked.  I applied for and got the NCL card (with the 25,000 point bonus) and paid NCL 1078.00 with it.  I checked my account today and have 28,234 points.

 

Not really interested in upgrading my cabin. It's one of the cheaper cabins, no view or balcony but I don't plan to be in there much.  I will likely redeem points for a statement credit instead.

 

I used a cruise first and still have a significant amount to still pay, prob about 6K total for me and my spouse. Includes free at sea plus for both of us does not include the pre cruise trip in London or the excursions I plan to book. Thats why I booked so early, so I'll have plenty of time to pay everything up.

 

If I pay the rest of my NCL purchases with my NCL card then I will get 3 points per each dollar spent, correct?

Does the 3 points per dollar apply to excursions booked through NCL too?

If I am calculating correctly NCL will be a much greater return than using my 2% cash back card.

 

Thank you 🤩

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything including excursions and even casino will pay 3x

[mscdivina2016]

7 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

There is the free cruise option if you have tons of points, but it’s balcony, not Haven.

And you will get the chance to upgrade but you will not get it even if you bid max.

Reason is because your cruise is zero $ in the system.

[thesnoopster2]

What do people do when the NCL App shows a bonus of 25k, then you click the link and it takes you to a page with 20k bonus?

 

I don't want to apply for it and then get the smaller bonus

[mscdivina2016]

9 hours ago, thesnoopster2 said:

What do people do when the NCL App shows a bonus of 25k, then you click the link and it takes you to a page with 20k bonus?

 

I don't want to apply for it and then get the smaller bonus

You need to screen shot it and call unfortunately but they will fix it.