Crystal Cruises is not a Cruise Line or a travel company??

[History&Wine]

Can You believe this?  I got a new card from US Bank since it pays 4X points on travel.  Cruises are considered travel.  However, Crystal is evidently neither a travel company or a cruise line.  Crystal identifies as  "CRYSTAL CRUISES USA, L 800-3237308 IL TRAVEL AGENCIES AND TOUR OPERATORS"

US Bank considers cruises as travel, but not travel agencies or tour operators.

Buyer Beware! 

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, History&Wine said:

Can You believe this?  I got a new card from US Bank since it pays 4X points on travel.  Cruises are considered travel.  However, Crystal is evidently neither a travel company or a cruise line. 

Did you contact them about it? It may be just a case of them needing to adjust their vendor categorisation.

What was their response? 

[bitob]

I had an issue with a vendor categorization on my Sapphire Reserve. I called and it got fixed. Definitely worth a call 

[Embowaf]

At least in the past, Crystal, including all onboard charges, were coded as travel when I used a CSR.

[Txcotn]

Yes but this is a new company and may not be on their radar. I would call them.

[History&Wine]

I did contact them.  Transcript below.  BTW, when I say Buyer Beware I'm talking about credit card companies...specifically US Bank....and not Crystal.  One would thing that "Cruise" "Travel agency" and "tour operator" signifies travel.....;

 

 

 

1:30 PM

Your agent will be with you shortly.

You have been connected to live agent Aluke

Aluke

1:30 PM

Thank you for contacting cardmember service. My name is Aluke, how may I assist?

Dwight

Sent at1:31 PM

I made a charge of 10,000 dollars to Crystal Cruises, which is of course a travel company. My card is supposed to pay 4X points on travel with no limit. But I see I was only credited with 1X points...10,000. Should be 40,000 points.

Aluke

1:32 PM

Got it! I can help with this. One moment please while I access your account.

Aluke

1:34 PM

U.S. Bank does not control how individual merchants or purchases are categorized.

Aluke

1:34 PM

Third party booking doesn’t qualify for the accelerated earn. EXAMPLES: priceline.com, hotels.com, etc.

Dwight

Sent at1:35 PM

It is NOT a third party! It is directly with the cruise line!

Aluke

1:36 PM

06/26/23 $10,000.00 CRYSTAL CRUISES USA, L 800-3237308 IL TRAVEL AGENCIES AND TOUR OPERATORS

Aluke

1:36 PM

U.S. Bank does not control how individual merchants or purchases are categorized

Aluke

1:36 PM

They identify their business as TRAVEL AGENCIES AND TOUR OPERATORS

Dwight

Sent at1:36 PM

A Tour operator is travel. Travel agency is travel.

Aluke

1:37 PM

If it identified as Cruise line it would apply, but they identify themselves as TRAVEL AGENCIES AND TOUR OPERATORS

Aluke

1:38 PM

I am sorry. U.S. Bank does not control how individual merchants or purchases are categorized

[Txcotn]

That's awful. Sounds like you need a new cc company. 

[bitob]

Do you use a travel agent?

 

You might have the TA write a letter

 

Even better -- escalate to s supervisor.

The basic rep can only spout the rules -- cannot take any independent action

I cannot believe this wont be rectified.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I have had similar issues with Citibank as well.  Credit card companies just follow the merchant code, which apparently is set by the merchant.  I think only Crystal can fix this [and should – it costs them nothing for us to get these credit card rebates]

[Jimmycruiser]

No issue with my chase sapphire reserve cc. Received 3% plus 1.5% bonus when I charged my Crystal deposit.

[May B]

We certainly can’t say you didn’t try, Dwight. Really annoying, isn’t it!

 

Now I’ll have to watch to see what my AAA credit card thinks Crystal is. I recently made an $8000 payment, actually putting me over the limit for the bonus for my travel spending for this calendar year. 
 

Good luck getting your own quest resolved.

[Jimmycruiser]

11 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

No issue with my chase sapphire reserve cc. Received 3% plus 1.5% bonus when I charged my Crystal deposit.

I should have added that it is not a Crystal coding issue if my cc recognized it as a travel category and only gives the 3% rebate on travel and dining and 1% on other.

[ctjon]

Not sure if it is relevant but I thought the new company was Crystal and not Crystal Cruises

[History&Wine]

1 hour ago, Jimmycruiser said:

I should have added that it is not a Crystal coding issue if my cc recognized it as a travel category and only gives the 3% rebate on travel and dining and 1% on other.

Thank you for that.  I would welcome others' experiences of positive results of travel card benefits with other banks when booking with New Crystal. 

Edited June 29, 2023 by History&Wine
add Crystal

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

I should have added that it is not a Crystal coding issue if my cc recognized it as a travel category and only gives the 3% rebate on travel and dining and 1% on other.

Or, your bank includes travel agents in its "travel" category.

[Keith1010]

10 hours ago, ctjon said:

Not sure if it is relevant but I thought the new company was Crystal and not Crystal Cruises

For the Credit Card purposes t does show up as Crystal Cruises, Downers Grove, IL Travel Agency.

 

Keith

 

[RLMSLL]

Can someone confirm that NC charges on Amex Green are generating 3 Membership Reward points for each dollar charged?  …Or does Amex consider the Crystal Cruises Travel Agency to be a third party, such that the charge would not be eligible for the bonus points according to their terms and conditions?

[Jimmycruiser]

16 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Or, your bank includes travel agents in its "travel" category.

Correct. It is still a cc issue not a Crystal coding issue. Booking with a travel agent has always been considered a travel category at least with Chase Sapphire reserve and I assume AE as well.

[Stickman1990]

18 minutes ago, Jimmycruiser said:

It is still a cc issue not a Crystal coding issue. Booking with a travel agent has always been considered a travel category

The payment is typically made to Crystal direct az opposed to via the TAs account. My TA never has access to my funds but I give them the CC details to be charged by Crystal or other cruise line

[Txcotn]

35 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

The payment is typically made to Crystal direct az opposed to via the TAs account. My TA never has access to my funds but I give them the CC details to be charged by Crystal or other cruise line

Our AE charge always says Crystal Cruises not xxxxtravel agency.

[goldengatecruisers]

If I am not mistaken American Express (Gold, Platinum, Centurion) pays 5X for airline ticket purchases either with Amex Travel or booked directly with the airline.   For all other travel related bookings my understanding is 1X point per dollar spent.  Not familiar with the Amex Green as noted by RLMSLL in comment #17.  I just checked my statements and for all cruise bookings it shows Crystal Cruises and I did not receive a bonus - just the standard 1X point per dollar spent.

[History&Wine]

Well folks...just got off a call with US Bank.  The rep said they would escalate the issue since cruises do qualify.  IF  resolved the bonus should appear after four weeks.  Four weeks??  My final payment is due July 21.  Not putting any more charges on that card! 

 

I guess I should have charged a few hundred to Crystal upon receipt of the card just to make sure I would get the bonus.  live and learn....

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, History&Wine said:

Well folks...just got off a call with US Bank.  The rep said they would escalate the issue since cruises do qualify.  IF  resolved the bonus should appear after four weeks.  Four weeks??  My final payment is due July 21.  Not putting any more charges on that card! 

 

I guess I should have charged a few hundred to Crystal upon receipt of the card just to make sure I would get the bonus.  live and learn....

 

Is that the US Bank Altitude GO card?  I only use it for Restaurants, with a 4% rebate (worldwide).  I use the Citi Costco Visa for travel, with a 3% rebate – but I might run into the same coding problem you did with Crystal since I don't think travel agents are covered [I don't know since I never have a payment direct to any travel agent].

[History&Wine]

@Host Jazzbeau  It is the Altitude Connect card.

[bitob]

On 6/30/2023 at 3:42 PM, History&Wine said:

Well folks...just got off a call with US Bank.  The rep said they would escalate the issue since cruises do qualify.  IF  resolved the bonus should appear after four weeks.  Four weeks??  My final payment is due July 21.  Not putting any more charges on that card! 

 

I guess I should have charged a few hundred to Crystal upon receipt of the card just to make sure I would get the bonus.  live and learn....

 

I think it will resolve in your favor.  It does not matter how they categorize it; it matters what it is -- it is clearly travel.