NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Planer's Edge]

[quote name='kewlguy']From what I have read your points stop accruing towards the Compass Rewards program after your December statement date (not December 31). So if your statement date is December 1 then that's your cut off date for the program.[/quote]

No, someone actually got the Dec. 31st date from BOA no matter what your billing cycle is.

PE

[Host Kewlguy]

[QUOTE=Planer's Edge;16549555]No, someone actually got the Dec. 31st date from BOA no matter what your billing cycle is.

PE[/QUOTE]

Can you really put much faith in what one person was told considering every person who calls is getting a different story?

[*Wink*]

[QUOTE=Planer's Edge;16549555]No, someone actually got the Dec. 31st date from BOA no matter what your billing cycle is.

PE[/QUOTE]
My letter states in Bold:

[B]Transactions made after your December 2008 statement closing date will not earn points toward the Compass Rewards program. You will receive Compass Reward Certificate(s) for your remaining points balance by January 31, 2009.[/B]

[Host Kewlguy]

[quote name='AWinkler']My letter states in Bold:

[B]Transactions made after your December 2008 statement closing date will not earn points toward the Compass Rewards program. You will receive Compass Reward Certificate(s) for your remaining points balance by January 31, 2009.[/B][/QUOTE]

And there's a reason why it's highlighted in the letter.

[Planer's Edge]

[quote name='kewlguy']Can you really put much faith in what one person was told considering every person who calls is getting a different story?[/quote]

I have heard it from more than one source and on more than one site.

Besides I have not received a letter, should I not believe that this even happening? I have been a member since 1994.

PE

[Salsera718]

PE . it's Marla...two questions..have you cruised to Hawaii (if so details please ship etc) and what Pearl trip are you doing in April 2009? thanks. Marla

[mbisson]

[QUOTE=Planer's Edge;16549961]
Besides I have not received a letter, should I not believe that this even happening?

PE[/QUOTE]


I think they're keeping the program just for you & I edge ;)

[Planer's Edge]

[quote name='Salsera718']PE . it's Marla...two questions..have you cruised to Hawaii (if so details please ship etc) and what Pearl trip are you doing in April 2009? thanks. Marla[/quote]

We cruised Hawaii on the Wind in 1999. April 12th on the Pearl.

We miss you on the Dawn roll call.

PE

[mrtractor]

.....John, I've received the letter. Almost threw it out since it looked like another fabulous cash advance checks letter. Basically, they are pulling back to the typical rewards program offered by other lines. They are trying to put a good face on it, telling us about all the wonderful new options we have to use out points. But we are getting screwed on the value of those points. Now, instead of 3% and 4%, we are getting 1% and 2%.

I'm going to be looking around at what the other lines and some other credit card companies are offering. Heck, even my bank offers 1-2% on my bank card as long as I use it as a credit card instead of a debit.

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.....:(..........

MrTractor<---------wonders if there is a site that has done the research for him on good credit cards to get............

[Planer's Edge]

dupe

[Planer's Edge]

I just received the letter today.

If you read a little closer, we are receiving 1 point per dollar spent and 2 points per NCL dollar spent as compared to 3 or 4 points per $100 on the card now. That being said we have no idea what the "gift" structure looks like. Plus there is no limit to the number of points you can earn per tear. That means we no longer need 2 cards.

We shall see.

PE

[mrtractor]

.....and I really HATE that POINTS crap. Then they get to decide what they're worth.

Oh, well, John, I guess it's just a sign of the times. Fun's over.

MrTractor<-----------wonders whether anybody in Congress is worried about our cruise points. Somebody should write a letter!!????!!!...........

[dalgirl]

I have 662 points. I was told by BoA that I can get a cash certificate and an upgrade. We are sailing in April on the Pearl. My TA said that as we are already in the highest balcony, we can't use the upgrade Should I go ahead and get the cash certificate? Wait till December? Advise?

[Lyman713]

[quote name='dalgirl']I have 662 points. I was told by BoA that I can get a cash certificate and an upgrade. We are sailing in April on the Pearl. My TA said that as we are already in the highest balcony, we can't use the upgrade Should I go ahead and get the cash certificate? Wait till December? Advise?[/quote]

If you think you will have enough points in the next two billing cycles to make it to 1000 (assuming you aren't at any annual cap, 338 points, about 11,300 in charges), it might be good to wait until your December billing cycle ends and get two certificates. Otherwise, there is no reason to wait... plus, if you wait, things might get very busy for them (BOA) in late December and January and it might take awhile to get the certificates...

Good luck!

[Planer's Edge]

[quote name='mbisson']I think they're keeping the program just for you & I edge ;)[/quote]

Now it is just for you....I received the letter today.

PE

[packercruising]

What a plethora (I'll go look that up later) of information today! :)

I wonder about the $1=1 point for WorldPoints too. We will probably need to wait a yearor two to see how that works.

This has probably been answered but can you combine points from 2 different accounts for Compass Points?

[Planer's Edge]

[quote name='packercruising']
This has probably been answered but can you combine points from 2 different accounts for Compass Points?[/quote]

Nope.

PE

[ute_fan]

[QUOTE=Planer's Edge;16552594]Now it is just for you....I received the letter today.

PE[/QUOTE]

They must be making their way westward. I got mine yesterday.

[CRUZIN TOM]

Their points value will probably be just like Princess. I just received an email from them announcing their new cards. Very similar to NCL's new cards. Most likely the same BAC. This is Princess's
[FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3][LEFT]10,000 $100 off any cruise with Princess
20,000 $200 off any cruise with Princess
40,000 $500 off any cruise with Princess
60,000 $750 off any cruise with Princess
80,000 $1,000 off any cruise with Princess
110,000 $1,500 off any cruise with Princess[/LEFT]
135,000 $2,000 off any cruise with Princess

[B][FONT=AGaramondPro-Bold][SIZE=3][LEFT]2 Princess Points for every $1 [/B][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3]spent
on Princess purchases[/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/FONT][B][FONT=AGaramondPro-Bold][SIZE=3][LEFT]1 Princess Point for every $1 [/B][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3]spent[/LEFT]
wherever Visa is accepted
[/SIZE][/FONT]

Looks very fimilar......Looks like I may begin to cruise other lines now...:)

[/SIZE][/FONT]

[mrtractor]

....POINTS SCHMOINTS!

That's why I said it's about 1%. It used to take us about $16,667 of normal charges to get to $500. Now it takes $40,000.

Let's do the math together!

$500 divided by 40,000 = WE'VE BEEN SCREWED!

(Or, if you don't like "reality math" 1.25%)

MrTractor<-------thought it was too good to last. Sort of like our economic policies......:rolleyes:......

[psmarkle]

OK, just called NCL Compass Rewards at 1-800-434-8313 and got a similar response to others on this thread...agent wasn't familiar and had to go look for info. After he tried to put a positive spin on the program, I asked him directly, "right now I have to charge a little under $34,000 yr to earn $1,000 cruise credits. How much do I have to charge under this new program to earn the same $1,000?" He hedged and tried to figure it out and said I get 1 pt per $1, so 1,000 pts = $1,000 off. So I figured $100,000 at 1% back = $1,000 cruise credits under the new program, to which he concurred.

So, looking objectively w/no loyalty to any cruise line, this is just an average deal under the new terms as we are going from a 3% back (3pts per $1 now) down to 1% back (1 pt per $1 charged). Objectively, there are better programs out there like Amex Blue Cash (no sponsorship or recommendation intended, just highlighting the #'s) w/ up to 5% cash back after you pass a $$ threshold or our bank's regular Master Card that gives 1.25% cash back.

For our family, we should have $1,500 earned by Dec for our Alaska cruise next summer, then we will canx our 3 NCL cards after the end of the year and use our cash back cards (unless we find a better cruise card!).

Any feedback on cruise cards offering better than 1% back are certainly welcome!,

Pete

[psmarkle]

I mistyped in my previous post when I said 3 pts per $1 and 1 pt per $1, I think. Somebody feel free to correct my new math! However, I did get the conversation correct w/ the rep when I asked about it taking $100,000 in spending to = $1,000 in cruise credits which is a 1% rebate similar to Disney's card. As posted a few messages above, it looks like another cruise line only requires $80,000 in spending to = $1,000 cruise credits, so that's marginally better.

Apologize if I confused some math!

Pete

[AFT_LOVER]

The Worldpoints card is a fallback card when a customer wants to close his offerings. SO NCL was going to ax the whole redemption credit card idea and B of A told them to get the Worldpoints card for their great sailers, so they did. Just like the Golf Course Club that closed their card leaving folks with 250,000 points having only 25,000 with Worldpoints. At least NCL is giving us something for what we have by December billing date.

I wonder when we get on Jewel in 10 days if the $250 deposit with $100 OBC will still be alive.

I have had the AMEX Blue since the SKymiles card fouled up at Hopkins Airport in 2005 cancelling our Hawaiian flight since we used Skymiles to buy passage. The CEO changed me to Blue so I get their TA dept to book us to a flight with the points we have. OR we can use them on cruises for OBC. Or restaurant gift cards.


[quote name='psmarkle']OK, just called NCL Compass Rewards at 1-800-434-8313 and got a similar response to others on this thread...agent wasn't familiar and had to go look for info. After he tried to put a positive spin on the program, I asked him directly, "right now I have to charge a little under $34,000 yr to earn $1,000 cruise credits. How much do I have to charge under this new program to earn the same $1,000?" He hedged and tried to figure it out and said I get 1 pt per $1, so 1,000 pts = $1,000 off. So I figured $100,000 at 1% back = $1,000 cruise credits under the new program, to which he concurred.

So, looking objectively w/no loyalty to any cruise line, this is just an average deal under the new terms as we are going from a 3% back (3pts per $1 now) down to 1% back (1 pt per $1 charged). Objectively, there are better programs out there like Amex Blue Cash (no sponsorship or recommendation intended, just highlighting the #'s) w/ up to 5% cash back after you pass a $$ threshold or our bank's regular Master Card that gives 1.25% cash back.

For our family, we should have $1,500 earned by Dec for our Alaska cruise next summer, then we will canx our 3 NCL cards after the end of the year and use our cash back cards (unless we find a better cruise card!).

Any feedback on cruise cards offering better than 1% back are certainly welcome!,

Pete[/quote]

[logan1_2000]

[quote name='CRUZIN TOM']Their points value will probably be just like Princess. I just received an email from them announcing their new cards. Very similar to NCL's new cards. Most likely the same BAC. This is Princess's
[FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3][LEFT]10,000 $100 off any cruise with Princess
20,000 $200 off any cruise with Princess
40,000 $500 off any cruise with Princess
60,000 $750 off any cruise with Princess
80,000 $1,000 off any cruise with Princess
110,000 $1,500 off any cruise with Princess[/LEFT]
135,000 $2,000 off any cruise with Princess

[B][FONT=AGaramondPro-Bold][SIZE=3][LEFT]2 Princess Points for every $1 [/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][LEFT][FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3]spent
on Princess purchases[/SIZE][/FONT][/LEFT]
[FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3]
[/SIZE][/FONT][B][FONT=AGaramondPro-Bold][SIZE=3][LEFT]1 Princess Point for every $1 [/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][LEFT][FONT=AGaramondPro-Regular][SIZE=3]spent[/SIZE][/FONT][/LEFT]

[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

Now that I'm in the mode of trying other cruise lines and the rewards cards are all falling into line maybe I'll try Princess (Disney did not, as I recall, give double points for charges with Disney, but if I am mistaken about that I apologize, I have not used that card in a couple years).

If I already have a card from the same issuer, would rather change the account to Princess than impact my credit rating by getting another credit card at this point.

[PSCruiser]

Two comments:

1. The RC card has the same 1%/2% structure as Princess and many others. Also, you can use 25000 points to get up to $500 off a 4 day cruise. We are doing this next month by adding a 4 day to Coz at the end of our transatlantic. Used in this manner it is a 2% reward.

2. For the problem of not having enough points to make an even 500 by the deadline, my brother (a CPA) suggested that you can prepay some of your estimated 2008 income tax on the card, just enough to get your points. There is a small fee for paying by credit card, but minor compared to losing the $500. Don't forget, however, about the monthly max (250 points).