AMEX - spend $800 get $250 credit back on Oceania

[FlyerTalker]

3 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

I do need to look into redeeming the MR points for travel points. I actually have 40,000 from a targeted card upgrade offer last year that I haven't used.

 

Do your research first.  MR points are quite valuable due to their conversion ability.  Highest and best use is usually transferring into an airline program and then redeeming those points for international business class tickets.  Transfers into hotel programs are generally a bad value proposition.  Paying directly with points is another bad proposition, since you can often get more value elsewhere.

 

Biggest warning - transfers from MR are one-way.  You cannot get them converted back to MR if you change your mind or situations change.  So be sure that you have an assured use before moving them out of MR.  Or any other transferable "currency", such as Chase, Citi, Marriott or CapitalOne.

[Pizzasteve]

9 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

My offers are on my Blue and Blue Cash cards. That's interesting that you had both offers on one card. It's possible that I did as well, but I look at the Blue Cash offers first, and once an offer is loaded there it's no longer available on another card. In my case, I'm looking at booking a cruise that, with the $500 FCC I have would barely  allow me to redeem all four offers that I have, so not a big deal that I have the offers on different cards, other than the fact that I'd get a better rebate on the other money by charging it on a different card. Still, cannot complain about $1000 back on $3200 of charges!

 

I do need to look into redeeming the MR points for travel points. I actually have 40,000 from a targeted card upgrade offer last year that I haven't used.

 

I have the Celebrity offer on seven different cards. Three for cash and four for MR.

Did these alo expire 1/31 or could I apply for a card and possibly get in on this in Feb?

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 minutes ago, Pizzasteve said:

Did these alo expire 1/31 or could I apply for a card and possibly get in on this in Feb?

You probably can't get a new card and immediately get these offers.

[MisterBill99]

12 minutes ago, Pizzasteve said:

Did these alo expire 1/31 or could I apply for a card and possibly get in on this in Feb?

 

Are you talking about the Celebrity or Oceania offers? The Celebrity $150/500 is valid through 3/27/22.

 

9 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You probably can't get a new card and immediately get these offers.

 

Agreed. Offers like this are often assigned based on previous charge activity. And these offers came out a few months ago and may not even be available for "clipping" anymore if you had it on your card and did not load it.

 

[TFree]

We had the spend $800 on Oceania, get $250 back offer loaded on one of our cards (Judy's Amex Platinum).  We had booked a 2023 cruise onboard on October 25 (so within the time parameters).  We didn't book it online, technically, or by calling the 1-855 number, because we were onboard.  We decided to pay $800 toward the cruise today through our TA, to see if the offer would be honored.  Almost immediately, Judy got an email message starting with "Way to go JUDY!  You used your enrolled Amex Offer."

 

I have put a note on my calendar for 90 days out to check to see if the credit came through.  We will see.

 

Tom & Judy

Edited February 12, 2022 by TFree
Correct typo

[ORV]

2 hours ago, TFree said:

We had the spend $800 on Oceania, get $250 back offer loaded on one of our cards (Judy's Amex Platinum).  We had booked a 2023 cruise onboard on October 25 (so within the time parameters).  We didn't book it online, technically, or by calling the 1-855 number, because we were onboard.  We decided to pay $800 toward the cruise today through our TA, to see if the offer would be honored.  Almost immediately, Judy got an email message starting with "Way to go JUDY!  You used your enrolled Amex Offer."

 

I have put a note on my calendar for 90 days out to check to see if the credit came through.  We will see.

 

Tom & Judy

My experience on these offers is that you will see them much sooner than 90 days. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, TFree said:

We decided to pay $800 toward the cruise today through our TA, to see if the offer would be honored.  Almost immediately, Judy got an email message starting with "Way to go JUDY!  You used your enrolled Amex Offer."

When I have had these Amex offers (on various cruise lines) they were never limited to new bookings even though that language may be in the fine print.  Any payment toward a cruise on that line will work.  [One time we got the same offer on four different Amex cards between DW and me, and were able to use all four because we had set each card up with its own web log-in.  Now the Amex website knows who you are and limits it to one offer per person...]

[TFree]

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

When I have had these Amex offers (on various cruise lines) they were never limited to new bookings even though that language may be in the fine print.  Any payment toward a cruise on that line will work.  [One time we got the same offer on four different Amex cards between DW and me, and were able to use all four because we had set each card up with its own web log-in.  Now the Amex website knows who you are and limits it to one offer per person...]

@Host Jazzbeau: This actually was a new booking, made onboard on October 25 (within the booking window of the offer).  So it is certainly within the spirit of the offer.  The only technical point where somebody could say we did not qualify is that we neither booked it online at Oceania Cruises, nor by calling their 1-855 number, because we booked it onboard on a ship in the future cruise office.  I don't know why either Amex or Oceania would have any interest in denying the offer in this case, so I assume we will get the statement credit.  But if you were examining it with a magnifying glass, you could say it does not qualify.

 

Tom & Judy

[ExArkie]

15 hours ago, TFree said:

We had the spend $800 on Oceania, get $250 back offer loaded on one of our cards (Judy's Amex Platinum).  We had booked a 2023 cruise onboard on October 25 (so within the time parameters).  We didn't book it online, technically, or by calling the 1-855 number, because we were onboard.  We decided to pay $800 toward the cruise today through our TA, to see if the offer would be honored.  Almost immediately, Judy got an email message starting with "Way to go JUDY!  You used your enrolled Amex Offer."

 

I have put a note on my calendar for 90 days out to check to see if the credit came through.  We will see.

 

Tom & Judy

This was the same approach we took - my wife had the same offer. We used it to make a payment on an existing reservation, and the “you used your offer” message came through immediately. The credit posted about four or five days later.

 

Our booking had been made through a call to a travel agency (AmEx affiliated) and not online nor with Oceania.

Edited February 13, 2022 by ExArkie

[Wheelhouse]

My travel agent placed my $800 charge for me and I was immediately notified of my offer redemption.  Two days after the charge posted the $250 credit appeared.  Since my Oceania cruise is not until late 2023, I am hoping though not expecting, that I get an additional future offer that I can use for this same cruise.

 

I made my initial deposit with my Chase Sapphire Reserve for the point and insurance benefits.  My final payment, when due, will be made with the Chase card.

[PhD-iva]

2 hours ago, Wheelhouse said:

My travel agent placed my $800 charge for me and I was immediately notified of my offer redemption.  Two days after the charge posted the $250 credit appeared.  Since my Oceania cruise is not until late 2023, I am hoping though not expecting, that I get an additional future offer that I can use for this same cruise.

 

I made my initial deposit with my Chase Sapphire Reserve for the point and insurance benefits.  My final payment, when due, will be made with the Chase card.

Hmmm. To get the Chase travel insurance benefit (limited in amount), I believe you must use that Chase card for all payments. If you made a payment using your AMEX card, that voids the travel insurance coverage. Best to double check on that. 

[Croooser]

53 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Hmmm. To get the Chase travel insurance benefit (limited in amount), I believe you must use that Chase card for all payments. If you made a payment using your AMEX card, that voids the travel insurance coverage. Best to double check on that. 

One would think so, but not true with the Chase Reserve - from the T&Cs "The Cardholder and Immediate Family Members are covered when the Cardholder’s name is embossed on an eligible Card issued in the United States, and the Cardholder charges all or a portion of a Trip to his or her Credit Card Account and/or Rewards programs associated with the Account."

 

I once called and spoke to a rep to verify this. However, the insurance corresponds to the amount on the Chase card, not any other payments.

 

Disclaimer: This info can be trusted but should be verified. 🙃

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, PhD-iva said:

Hmmm. To get the Chase travel insurance benefit (limited in amount), I believe you must use that Chase card for all payments. If you made a payment using your AMEX card, that voids the travel insurance coverage. Best to double check on that. 

 

7 minutes ago, Croooser said:

One would think so, but not true with the Chase Reserve - from the T&Cs "The Cardholder and Immediate Family Members are covered when the Cardholder’s name is embossed on an eligible Card issued in the United States, and the Cardholder charges all or a portion of a Trip to his or her Credit Card Account and/or Rewards programs associated with the Account."

 

I once called and spoke to a rep to verify this. However, the insurance corresponds to the amount on the Chase card, not any other payments.

 

Disclaimer: This info can be trusted but should be verified. 🙃

Croooser-

That's what my Chase Reserve card benefits explanation says.  However, before my AMEX dropped it's travel insurance, it was an all or nothing benefit.  So it pays to read the fine print.

Edited February 14, 2022 by 1985rz1

[TFree]

On 2/12/2022 at 10:16 PM, TFree said:

@Host Jazzbeau: This actually was a new booking, made onboard on October 25 (within the booking window of the offer).  So it is certainly within the spirit of the offer.  The only technical point where somebody could say we did not qualify is that we neither booked it online at Oceania Cruises, nor by calling their 1-855 number, because we booked it onboard on a ship in the future cruise office.  I don't know why either Amex or Oceania would have any interest in denying the offer in this case, so I assume we will get the statement credit.  But if you were examining it with a magnifying glass, you could say it does not qualify.

 

Tom & Judy

Just following up on my own message, the $250 credit came through 4 days after the $800 charge.

 

Tom & Judy

[MisterBill99]

Just a reminder that today is the last day to redeem this offer. I had it in both the $250 and 25,000 MR points versions on both DW and my cards. Redeemed it on Tuesday, and it was showing as redeemed yesterday, although I do not have the $250 back (I do have the MR points). 

 

I actually have a 0% APR offer on one of the cards and a $0 fee Plan-It offer on the other, so if I wanted, I could also postpone paying these charges for a while.

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

On 10/19/2021 at 12:45 AM, basor said:

We have AMEX Platinum and has every cruise line but Oceania(😪

 

We have "O" benefits on Platinum here in the UK, but the benefits are the worst of the bunch, $300OBC then you have to book through Amex Travel Service & get no other benefits, so why would you?

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by LaCroisiereS'amuse

[marieps]

Due to an FCC we owed only $1350 on next February's Riviera.  On 2/16 I had my TA put $800 on AMEX and as my account closes on the 21st, the charge and the credit appeared on the very same statement.  If only Capital One's system worked so well.