NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Mrs. Squirrel]

I have done it a few times and I will try to explain how it works. Before the cruise, you call in and ask to redeem points for the slot play. On done, you should get an email showing the redemption and your NCL bill summary should have a CAS code in the promo code area. I take that stuff with me, just in case. On the cruise, you should receive paperwork in your cabin. go to the casino host desk and sign up for a CAS player card. take your card and the paperwork from the cabin to the casino cashier desk, wher they will place the $100 slot play credit on your player card and give you a passcode.

 

when ready to play, insert your player card in the slot and follow the instructions, including your passcode. You can transfer all or part of your $100 to the machine...I recommend transferring just a part of it (afterall, you may not like the machine or may be interrupted). Once you transfer credits on the machine, you must play those credits on that machine right then. Say you transfer $20 to a $1 slot machine...Playing $1 at a time, you must play at least 20 times...at that point you can cash out any winnings from those twenty plays (or you can keep playing). You can then transfer more credits that machine or move on to another or wait for another day.

 

I hope that helps..if not ask away.

 

Any idea if you can just cash out the player's card without gambling or by just gambling a little? Would make good use of points and could function as DS's spending money.

[Birdnutty]

No, you must play all of it. You can try to cash it out, but the machine will not let you. They will allow you to take out your winnings on the amount you play, but that is all. The rest of what you transferred from your players card stays in the machine until you use it up.

 

I'm sure just about everyone has tried to make it turn into cash, but it just doesn't happen.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

Thanks Birdnutty for the prompt reply!

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We applied for the card on board and received a bonus for this. We both applied for a card and received the bonus. It was for OBC and points. We were approved immediately and used the cards for our bill and therefore received more points. So far this has been a great bonus for using a credit card for a specific product. We are taking another cruise next year and will use the card and our points for OBC and the casino. I think I will look up and see if applying for another will be a benefit to us. You need gas and food so why not get something in return.

 

Take a look at cash back, its a much better deal.

G

[kewpie]

Did you receive an email or anything after you applied stating that you had been approved? My screen just went to the verification but I got no email or anything stating that I would be receiving the card.

[cbannerman]

About a week after I applied online I received a response in the mail that I had been approved for a credit card from Bank of America. About two days later I recieved the cards and some basic information about the card and the rewards points program.

[kewpie]

So, can the OBC be used for everything that you would normally put on your ship account?

[punkincc]

So, can the OBC be used for everything that you would normally put on your ship account?

 

From what I understand, an OBC can be used for anything except the daily service charge put on your account daily to cover gratuities for room stewards, etc. Can be used for drinks, spa, tours, specialty dining cover charges etc.

[punkincc]

We applied for the card on board and received a bonus for this. We both applied for a card and received the bonus. It was for OBC and points. We were approved immediately and used the cards for our bill and therefore received more points. So far this has been a great bonus for using a credit card for a specific product. We are taking another cruise next year and will use the card and our points for OBC and the casino. I think I will look up and see if applying for another will be a benefit to us. You need gas and food so why not get something in return.

 

I do not yet have the card. Can anyone tell me what the current offer is when you apply on board the ship? I still have my old flyer from the last time we cruised and it was for 10,000 pts and 2 for 1 dinner. We are cruising 9-30 and trying to decide if there is any advantage to applying onboard. Is there currently an OBC being offered in addition to the points?

 

Also, if both my DH and I apply for a card, would be get 2 OBCs applied to our cabin if still offered?

[kewpie]

So can you use the card to prepay the gratuities?

[punkincc]

So can you use the card to prepay the gratuities?

 

I don't see why not. You can use any card you want to prepay grats as long as the card has been issued.

[coach411]

Hello, just received my card and was wondering what is a qualifying transaction to get my 10000 points, and can I make a payment towards my cruise (500) and pay it off and that would count. Any info would be great. Thx.

[JerseyGem]

Yes, that should qualify for the 10,000 points.

Edited August 18, 2012 by JerseyGem

[Starry Eyes]

Hello, just received my card and was wondering what is a qualifying transaction to get my 10000 points, and can I make a payment towards my cruise (500) and pay it off and that would count. Any info would be great. Thx.

 

That should count...if the charge is from NCL (not under the travel agencies name), you will also get extra points (2x500).

[coach411]

Thx, yup making payments through NCL website!

[Seamo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starry Eyes :

......"I have done it a few times and I will try to explain how it works. Before the cruise, you call in and ask to redeem points for the slot play. On done, you should get an email showing the redemption and your NCL bill summary should have a CAS code in the promo code area. I take that stuff with me, just in case. On the cruise, you should receive paperwork in your cabin. go to the casino host desk and sign up for a CAS player card. take your card and the paperwork from the cabin to the casino cashier desk, wher they will place the $100 slot play credit on your player card and give you a passcode.

 

when ready to play, insert your player card in the slot and follow the instructions, including your passcode. You can transfer all or part of your $100 to the machine...I recommend transferring just a part of it (afterall, you may not like the machine or may be interrupted). Once you transfer credits on the machine, you must play those credits on that machine right then. Say you transfer $20 to a $1 slot machine...Playing $1 at a time, you must play at least 20 times...at that point you can cash out any winnings from those twenty plays (or you can keep playing). You can then transfer more credits that machine or move on to another or wait for another day.

 

I hope that helps..if not ask away. "

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Thanks for that answer/explanation .... now one more for you ... if you don't mind .... doing b2b2b and if we apply for

a slot credit ... will it end at THAT FIRST leg conclusion ??

Will it 'carry-over to the Others.??

 

Thanks.

 

assume it would require three separate card credits ... one for each of the three cruises.

 

thanks, :)seamo:)

[kylenyc]

I do not yet have the card. Can anyone tell me what the current offer is when you apply on board the ship? I still have my old flyer from the last time we cruised and it was for 10,000 pts and 2 for 1 dinner. We are cruising 9-30 and trying to decide if there is any advantage to applying onboard. Is there currently an OBC being offered in addition to the points?

 

Also, if both my DH and I apply for a card, would be get 2 OBCs applied to our cabin if still offered?

 

I'm curious too. Has anyone applied for the MC onboard recently and what did you receive (points, dinner, etc)?

[Sandyshore]

I just applied for the NCL MC with the 10,000 bonus points offer. Found out about it from an email from NCL. When I got the email, I was confused, because I already have a NCL World Points MC from a few years ago, before it was World Points, when the exchange structure was much more favorable. But they converted me to World Points and sent me a new card, which I haven't been using at all.

 

So, on a lark, I called customer service, and lo and behold, my existing card did NOT give me double points for every $1 spent on NCL. I wonder how many offers I've ignored in the past few years thinking I already owned the card?? :confused:

 

Anyway, I was approved, so as soon as I get the new card, I'll cancel the old card, and see if they'll move over some or all of my credit line.

 

Does anyone know if this offer has any connection to Latitudes? Meaning, would a 1st time NCL cruiser be able to apply for the card and get the bonus? I have friends booked on their first NCL cruise in November and I would forward them my email with the link if they could apply and get the OBC in time.

 

Thanks!

[mikeerdas]

Don't know specifically about the NCL card. But for every other points/miles credit card I've ever owned, $1 worth of gas would qualify. Maybe $2 to be safe. Typically what you want to know with bonus sign-up offers is how much "spend" you need to complete within how many months. For example, some cards require a $1,000 spend within the first 3 months of getting the card to qualify for the bonus.

 

Still, I'd like to know if 10K is a typical WorldPoints MC offer. Or if there are better ones floating around. Like the one someone mentioned getting on-board. Specifically, I'll be on the Jade. But by then, it would be too late to apply the OBC to my cabin, right? By the time I'd be approved the cruise would be over.

 

So I am looking for Best Current Bonus Offers. All I see is 10K points on First Purchase which = $100 OBC. Not bad. But I wonder if anyone has seen better. Don't care about coupons. Just OBC.

[kylenyc]

I agree with posts that say "cash is king". The $100 OBC offer is nice but beyond that, there are better reward card (even from Bank of America itself). BoA Worldpoints has a sliding scale to get cash back. For example, at 2,500 points, you only get $12.50 cash back (0.5%). You need to redeem 25,000 to get $250 (1% back). There are other cards that offer 1% back without the sliding scale (even from BoA itself).

 

The double points from NCL is not unique either. With BoA and other banks, you can get extra points when you log into the bank's site before proceeding to a participating retailer. Example: Log in to BoA Worldpoints and you get 1 or more bonus points for shopping with participating retailers including some travel sites. So you can shop at an online travel site and get double points no matter who you book with (all things being equal for cards without the sliding scale).

 

The BoA card I have is Upromise World Mastercard which puts 1% on net purchases into an education 529 plan and more for dining, gas, etc. If I were to get the NCL card, I'd probably use it exclusively for NCL charges. Another card that I have gives 1% cash back but it also has higher late penalty fees and interest rate which can easily wipe out the benefits of any rewards points you've been earning.

 

There are so many factors that go into choosing the best card for you.

 

The minimum purchase and how/when you'll get your bonus points is described in the fine print. http://www2.ncl.com/world-points#tab2

Edited August 30, 2012 by kylenyc

[chemist661]

I do not bother signing up for a credit card unless there is at least $400-500 in value. Alot of the travel CC's (airline/hotel, etc) offer that much signup bonus (in value or even more) but those may require some moderate min spend to get there. Of course, one has to be able to know what works best for the particular applicant(s).

 

For $100 worth of value the NCL card offers for the signup bonus, it is not worth it for me. I just signed up for two American Airlines CC's (50,000 bonus each card) and another one (US Bank's Olympic promo 33K pts that ended on 8/31/12 worth $400-$600 to me).

 

If one charges alot of NCL cruises on this card and do not want to mess without having keeping track of various CC's, this card may be for you.

 

For me, there are better cards that I have in my wallet.

 

Bottom line: This card works for most NCL cruisers but not for me.

[brizon]

I was wondering if anyone had trouble redeeming their points for a upgrade? We are sailing on the Epic on November 10th and tried to upgrade to a balcony, just be told they are not available(Even though you can book it online).

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I was wondering if anyone had trouble redeeming their points for a upgrade? We are sailing on the Epic on November 10th and tried to upgrade to a balcony, just be told they are not available(Even though you can book it online).

 

 

If you have enough cash value, request cash back, then book your own non restricted upgrade, with your card, of course, for double points.

[halos]

If you have enough cash value, request cash back, then book your own non restricted upgrade, with your card, of course, for double points.

this is the best way to redeem points. The cash winds up in your bank account in a matter of days...easy as can be.

[sue402001]

Since this thread is so long, would someone mind repeating on how to get the cash back from the cc? Is there a website just for that purpose? I have a NCL card through BOA. Thanks a bunch!