NCL MBNA Cruise Points

[peachquilter]

Have any of you had experience with points earned on the MBNA NCL credit card? I have $2,500 in points and my cruise is $2,300. So what happens to the other 200 points. I called MBNA and they said use it or lose it. NCL said I must make a cash/credit card down pymt of $500, but they will credit back the$500 once they receive my $2,500 in gift certificates. I would like your input.

[immargaret]

You will loose the points if you send in 5-$500 certificates... If it were me I would send in 4-$500 certificates and have them charge the remaining $300 to your credit card. If you already requested the certificates be careful with the expiration dates on them.

 

Can you go up to a better cabin for the $200 difference?

 

:)

[peachquilter]

Because of the great price I obtained for the cruise, the next upgrade will take all of my points plus an additional $450. I could add on a hotel prior to cruise, but I am not sure if they will let me include that to be paid for by the points. Do you know?

[trtllovr]

When I asked them what I could do with my extra points they said I can upgrade my room. Thats all I know but they definately said I could!

[Nickymjw1]

I too have a MBNA NCL Credit card. I have some points, but not accumulating fast enough to use for our March cruise.

 

I think I might have our Mortgage or car note paid by the credit card monthly, and then pay it off right away. Do you know if this is an accepted charge to earn points?

 

Also, what is the minimum amount of points you need to have to get a free cruise? Is it $ or $?

 

Thanks,

[mbisson]

If your Mortgage & car lenders will accept the NCL card, than MBNA has no problem giving you the points.

 

Think of the points as dollars. 500 points = $500. When you have enough points to pay for the cruise, then the cruise is (in essence) free. That is if they equal in $500 increments.

 

Don't forget that points can expire and there are max amounts you can earn each month/year.

 

-Monte

[Cruise_More_Often]

We just got our third certificate, and we were going to send them in prior to our final payment. But, right on the back certificate itself and on the bottom portion with more explanation, it says: "The Certificate must be presented by you or your Travel Agent with your final payment to Norwegian Cruise Line or Orient Lines."

 

That contradicts what I've read on this Board about sending them early. I am Confused! What have others done?

 

Adele

[CSM]

I've used point for my last five cruises & never sent them in until the final payment was due. If you have to cancel for any reason, you will lose the points. I don't think they are reimbursed by travel insurance.

[Cruise_More_Often]

The final payment is almost due, but we're doing the final payment by credit card, not sending it in.

[Bennett'sCruise]

Adele: I talked to our TA today on our Panama cruise. NCL has credited us with the $1500 MBNA Rewards Certificates I sent in and gave us our total due, which we will pay the end of this month. Everything worked fine:)

 

~dianne

[Big Al B.]

I used two certificates for our March cruise. I called my TA and she said that I could send them to her anytime. I sent the certificates to her in October for our March cruise (final payment was last week - Yay!) and had no problem.

[immargaret]

We just got our third certificate, and we were going to send them in prior to our final payment. But, right on the back certificate itself and on the bottom portion with more explanation, it says: "The Certificate must be presented by you or your Travel Agent with your final payment to Norwegian Cruise Line or Orient Lines."

 

That contradicts what I've read on this Board about sending them early. I am Confused! What have others done?

 

Adele

 

I think that just means that it can't be sent in/used towards your deposit. Any payment after your deposit is considered as going toward your final payment, even if it isn't the entire remaining balance.

 

We've always made the deposit, then sent in our reward coupons and if there was a remaining balance we called with our credit card info on the day that the final payment was due.

 

Pay a couple dollars extra and send the reward coupons to NCL with a return receipt required, so you know they arrived and who accepted them...just in case.

 

:)

[Budget Queen]

I too have a MBNA NCL Credit card. I have some points, but not accumulating fast enough to use for our March cruise.

 

I think I might have our Mortgage or car note paid by the credit card monthly, and then pay it off right away. Do you know if this is an accepted charge to earn points?

 

Also, what is the minimum amount of points you need to have to get a free cruise? Is it $ or $?

 

Thanks,

 

 

Absolutely CHARGE EVERYTHING!!!

[Cruise_More_Often]

Thanks, everyone, for the info about sending in the Certificates. I'll do it today. This is one fine group!

 

Adele

[peachquilter]

I booked my cruise today -- NCL Sun, Alaska, 5/20/06. I put our deposit on my charge and am told that once I mail in my MBNA points, my deposit will be credited back to my charge card. I've got my fingers crossed. Thank you for all of your input.

 

Marilyn

[mbisson]

I put our deposit on my charge and am told that once I mail in my MBNA points, my deposit will be credited back to my charge card.

 

Marilyn

 

That's how it's worked for me. Gotta love it.

 

-Monte

[Maddie444]

We have 2 different ncl MBNA credit cards. One in my name and one in my husbands name. We did this because of the limit of the amount you can get monthly or yearly. I'm not sure what the limit amount was, I read it somewhere in one of these post. Someone recommended getting one in each of you and your husbands name so you don't go over.

 

Question: How does this work when you want to redeem them?

Do you send in both certificates, the ones in my name and the ones in my husbands name and can they be credited towards our cruise together?

I hope so because?

Thanks for any info

Maddie

[immargaret]

 

Question: How does this work when you want to redeem them?

Do you send in both certificates, the ones in my name and the ones in my husbands name and can they be credited towards our cruise together?

I hope so because?

Thanks for any info

Maddie

 

That's the way it works... Remember when setting up your onboard account on the cruise ship you can each use your own credit card as well.

 

:)

[peachquilter]

I would highly recommend reading all of the fine print from MBNA. If you didn't keep it, you can rerequest it. Some of the things I was told by MBNA were incorrect, so I referred back to the fine print. Also, I read on this board a while back that if my cruise was $2,300 and I mailed in $2,500 in points, the balance ($200) would be credited back to my charge card. I am told by MBNA and NCL that that is incorrect. According to NCL, I would lose the extra 200 points. You can use your points for pre- and post-hotels, so keep that in mind. Another thing I learned is once you send in your MBNA certificates, if you cancel your cruise you loose all of your points (although NCL said they may consider it on a case by case basis). Please also note that travel insurance WILL NOT cover replacement of your MBNA points if you cancel. What we did was purchase separate travel insurance which only covered medical/luggage loss and it was $25 each.

 

Marilyn

[mbisson]

Also, I read on this board a while back that if my cruise was $2,300 and I mailed in $2,500 in points, the balance ($200) would be credited back to my charge card. Marilyn

 

I think you may have misinterpeted what some have said about this. If your cruise is (for instance) $2700 and you have paid $500 cash for your deposit you have a balance owed of $2200. You could send in $2500 in coupons and the difference of $300 will be credited on your card. But they will not refund any excess over the total amount of the cruise ($2700).

 

If you send in $3000 in coupons they will credit back the $500 deposit you paid BUT you will lose the difference ($300) between the price of the cruise and the amount of the coupons.

 

-Monte

[shoreguy]

I would highly recommend reading all of the fine print from MBNA. If you didn't keep it, you can rerequest it. Some of the things I was told by MBNA were incorrect, so I referred back to the fine print. Also, I read on this board a while back that if my cruise was $2,300 and I mailed in $2,500 in points, the balance ($200) would be credited back to my charge card. I am told by MBNA and NCL that that is incorrect. According to NCL, I would lose the extra 200 points. You can use your points for pre- and post-hotels, so keep that in mind. Another thing I learned is once you send in your MBNA certificates, if you cancel your cruise you loose all of your points (although NCL said they may consider it on a case by case basis). Please also note that travel insurance WILL NOT cover replacement of your MBNA points if you cancel. What we did was purchase separate travel insurance which only covered medical/luggage loss and it was $25 each.

 

Marilyn

 

Never read the overage was credited to your card as described. If your cruise cost 2300 and you paid 400 deposit and then sent 2000 in certificates they would credit the extra $100 you paid. If you send more then the cruise costs the balance is in fact gone.

 

Good point about once submitted no return. That is way you should not send them in until just before final.

 

Insurance - one thing to keep in mind there is no sense purchasing coverage for the value of the vouchers as pointed out. If the total cost of your cruise is 3000 and you use 2000 in vouchers get a price quote based on $1000 cost of the cruise. You save a little money but still get the full value of the other coverages - medical, lost luggage etc.