NCL Gift card

[albycruisin]

Has anyone ever seen NCL anything like a Black Friday deal on the purchase of cruise gift cards?  There are other cruise lines that offer 10% off gift cards through various rewards programs but I have yet to see anything for NCL.  

[ColeThornton]

I've never seen the NCL gift cards on sale.

[fshagan]

I would never use a NCL gift card. From https://www.ncl.com/giftcard/faq

Q: Do any fees apply to the Gift Card?
A: Yes, the following fees apply: 1) Dormancy Fee of $3.00 will apply after 12 months of inactivity and every month thereafter. 2) Replacement Fee of $6.95 for Lost or Stolen cards to be reissued. 3) Expedited Shipping Fee of $15.95 for expedited shipping service.

 

There is no reason to pay NCL $3 a month for gift cards you hold over a year. For a $250 gift card held for three months past the deadline the $3 a month would be over 20% interest if expressed as an APR.

[Gizmosmum]

I purchased 3 USD$100 gift cards which I used as my onboard credit on my cruise last month. The exchange rate was better than if I had paid later using my C/C.

[LrgPizza]

We use gift cards on all cruises. I've never seen them go on sale. 

 

Regarding the post about fees - that isn't an issue if you buy them within the time frame you intend to use them and then use them. 

[fshagan]

1 hour ago, LrgPizza said:

We use gift cards on all cruises. I've never seen them go on sale. 

 

Regarding the post about fees - that isn't an issue if you buy them within the time frame you intend to use them and then use them. 

 

That's correct; as long as you use the balance completely within one year there are no fees. After that, they charge you an equivalent of 20% APR on the remaining balance. It's a very bad deal if you are buying them as a gift for someone who doesn't have a cruise booked already.

[salty dingo]

I recently received a Visa gift card as a reward from work. It was restricted to a long list of merchants (can't just use it anywhere Visa is accepted) and that list included Carnival, Disney and RCL but not NCL.

 

Just thought that was a bit odd, that NCL is not as competitive with its gift cards.

[PTC DAWG]

Gift cards are a gift to the folks selling them.  Around 1/3rd of them are never used.  Brilliant scheme by the sellers.  

Edited November 14, 2019 by PTC DAWG

[disneykins]

I have 3 upcoming cruises on NCL and want to buy some gift cards for obc. If I buy $1,000 worth of gift cards on the website for my Pearl cruise, can I use what ever I don't spend on Pearl on my next cruise on Dawn, 3 weeks later? Or do the gift cards only apply to the reservation you buy them on?

Another question, can they be used to pay your bill at the end of the cruise which includes your service charges?

Thanks,

Tony

[LrgPizza]

8 minutes ago, disneykins said:

I have 3 upcoming cruises on NCL and want to buy some gift cards for obc. If I buy $1,000 worth of gift cards on the website for my Pearl cruise, can I use what ever I don't spend on Pearl on my next cruise on Dawn, 3 weeks later? Or do the gift cards only apply to the reservation you buy them on?

Another question, can they be used to pay your bill at the end of the cruise which includes your service charges?

Thanks,

Tony

You don't buy them on a reservation. You just buy them like any other gift cards to any business. Anyone can purchase them as a gift for anyone, regardless of whether either has anything booked. These are physical gift cards that get mailed. You are not buying OBC but actual gift cards.

 

Yes, they can be used to pay anything on board, or to pay for bookings themselves.

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by LrgPizza

[disneykins]

13 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

You don't buy them on a reservation. You just buy them like any other gift cards to any business. Anyone can purchase them as a gift for anyone, regardless of whether either has anything booked.

 

Yes, they can be used to pay anything on board, or to pay for bookings themselves.

 

 

 

Thanks. Do they mail you an actual gift card or is it just attached to your account? Any benefit to buying one of these over pre-purchasing obc? We are in Canada so exchange rates vary and right now they have a favourable rate for the gift cards.

Tony

[cruisekitty22]

They mail an actual gift card. I have one.

[LrgPizza]

53 minutes ago, disneykins said:

Thanks. Do they mail you an actual gift card or is it just attached to your account? Any benefit to buying one of these over pre-purchasing obc? We are in Canada so exchange rates vary and right now they have a favourable rate for the gift cards.

Tony

Nothing is attached to an account. Any Joe Blow off the street can buy a gift card, just as if you were buying one for Starbucks or anywhere else in the world. It's a gift card. It's a card. It has nothing whatsoever to do with any cruise or account.

[LrgPizza]

56 minutes ago, disneykins said:

Thanks. Do they mail you an actual gift card or is it just attached to your account? Any benefit to buying one of these over pre-purchasing obc? We are in Canada so exchange rates vary and right now they have a favourable rate for the gift cards.

Tony

 

If you click the link, you can see a giant image of one. 

https://www.ncl.com/giftcard