NCL Mastercard FAQ

[Clay Clayton]

Just now, gochina said:

Boy, that's great!  glad you know how to HUACB.  I don't know how to do that.  I am currently trying to get something like OBC for a cruise that was paid-in-full from a CAS, and the price has dropped to even lower than my discounted price.  Two days.  No luck!

Just hang up and keep calling back!😂

Can you cancel and rebook?

[julig22]

3 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

That is not totally correct. They will tell you that they are not refundable but in reality they are as long as you are not in penalty phase.  Now there is also another factor and that is how your confirmation is worded.

Once you upgrade, the confirmation may say "complimentary upgrade......."  or may just list your new cabin and category.

 

As far as price drops, I have always gotten them but that is prior to penalty and its based off your booked category price so you book a IB inside and get a BB balcony, your price is still based off the IB.

 

You can only go as high as a BA, afts are also off the table.

Bidding....I have never won one and I have bid max almost every time, and that is over a dozen bid attempts. On MSC, I bid max and always get it, so I still wonder if what we pay is a factor at the onset as I have had friends who have not used points bid less than me and win the bids?????

 

If you need to cancel and they tell you that you will lose the points, book another cruise far out using the deposit and just reuse the points as you are just shifting or hang up and call again till you get someone. It is not written anywhere about the points being lost.

 

 

Good to know that you can "withdraw" the upgrade.  In the past, I've basically waited until closer to sailing before getting the upgrade - but I've never actually used my points because everything keeps getting cancelled.  I went ahead and upgraded for a cruise this summer but the cost has gone way up so I doubt very much that I'll get a bargain on that one.  On the current market, my upgrade is more than $6k over my invoice.

[WYB!]

On 2/6/2022 at 9:14 AM, mscdivina2016 said:

Its not the 3% that many of us care about. It's the triple points.

Those points can be worth 10-20¢ per point.

I have a sailing I booked an ocean view cabin, I used 30,000 points for a balcony.

I paid $6000 for OV, balcony is $12,000 so I saved $6000. That is 20¢ per point value.

Keep in mind I also don't take 7 night cruises as a rule.

With the changes to Meta upgrades bookings in 2021, for bookings from 2022 and onward, do you have any idea what your target average or range (per point value) will be for your future bookings?

 

I can't imagine it can remain as high as $0.10 - $0.20 per point value. I'm guessing perhaps half of that?

 

Stay positive and Safe travels!

 

- WYB

 

 

[TifffanyD]

20 minutes ago, WYB! said:

With the changes to Meta upgrades bookings in 2021, for bookings from 2022 and onward, do you have any idea what your target average or range (per point value) will be for your future bookings?

 

I can't imagine it can remain as high as $0.10 - $0.20 per point value. I'm guessing perhaps half of that?

 

Stay positive and Safe travels!

 

- WYB

 

 

What changes?

[julig22]

18 minutes ago, WYB! said:

With the changes to Meta upgrades bookings in 2021, for bookings from 2022 and onward, do you have any idea what your target average or range (per point value) will be for your future bookings?

 

I can't imagine it can remain as high as $0.10 - $0.20 per point value. I'm guessing perhaps half of that?

 

Stay positive and Safe travels!

 

- WYB

 

 

I don' t understand what you are trying to say. The point value hasn't changed, nor have the upgrade terms as far as I know.  The upgrade value depends entirely on what/when you book.  If you use it on a 4 day cruise to Mexico your value won't be anywhere near what you'll see if applied to a 14 day cruise to Europe for example.

Last summer I booked a cruise for  summer 2022, cost about $4K for OV.  Current cost for the balcony is now over $10K (ov now about $6k).

Have a cruise LA to Mexico, cost for balcony just a few hundred over ov.  So my points would be worth very little in that case.

[mscdivina2016]

3 hours ago, WYB! said:

With the changes to Meta upgrades bookings in 2021, for bookings from 2022 and onward, do you have any idea what your target average or range (per point value) will be for your future bookings?

 

I can't imagine it can remain as high as $0.10 - $0.20 per point value. I'm guessing perhaps half of that?

 

Stay positive and Safe travels!

 

- WYB

 

 

You are correct to a point. Like one of the posts prior to this, it depends on the sailing.

I have a 36 night booked prior to the new rules which is 4 b2b2b2b s.

Since the new rules I have a 16 night and a 21 nighter booked all double meta.

 

For those asking about new rules. No meta upgrades on any b2b..... You are free to use points for "each" sailing.

Cabin category is maxed at  BA. No afts either.

 

[mscdivina2016]

3 hours ago, julig22 said:

I don' t understand what you are trying to say. The point value hasn't changed, nor have the upgrade terms as far as I know.  The upgrade value depends entirely on what/when you book.  If you use it on a 4 day cruise to Mexico your value won't be anywhere near what you'll see if applied to a 14 day cruise to Europe for example.

Last summer I booked a cruise for  summer 2022, cost about $4K for OV.  Current cost for the balcony is now over $10K (ov now about $6k).

Have a cruise LA to Mexico, cost for balcony just a few hundred over ov.  So my points would be worth very little in that case.

Same situation that I have. Value has sky rocketed.

 

Sometimes I look at the cost of inside to OV and if it's very little I will book OV and just single meta.

 That's what I did for my 21 night Encore sailing this fall.

[TifffanyD]

8 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

You are correct to a point. Like one of the posts prior to this, it depends on the sailing.

I have a 36 night booked prior to the new rules which is 4 b2b2b2b s.

Since the new rules I have a 16 night and a 21 nighter booked all double meta.

 

For those asking about new rules. No meta upgrades on any b2b..... You are free to use points for "each" sailing.

Cabin category is maxed at  BA. No afts either.

 

 

Ah right, thanks. I do remember hearing about that but we don't usually do B2B and use the upgrades so I guess I chose not to remember it lol

 

I thought it was maxed at BA and no afts a long time ago?

[mscdivina2016]

39 minutes ago, TifffanyD said:

 

 

I thought it was maxed at BA and no afts a long time ago?

It was, just a refresher for new visitors here.

[WYB!]

9 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

You are correct to a point. Like one of the posts prior to this, it depends on the sailing.

I have a 36 night booked prior to the new rules which is 4 b2b2b2b s.

Since the new rules I have a 16 night and a 21 nighter booked all double meta.

 

For those asking about new rules. No meta upgrades on any b2b..... You are free to use points for "each" sailing.

Cabin category is maxed at  BA. No afts either.

 

I get the impression that most people didn't know that up until 2021, you could use a 1 meta upgrade (single or double) across a B2B (or B2B2B2B etc) voyage under a single reservation.

I can see the value remaining constant ($0.10 - $0.20) if 30k was being used on single 16+ day voyage, but there are fewer of those voyages in 2022 then there were in 2020 and before and even fewer departing from NY.

 

Stay positive and safe travels,

 

- WYB

Edited February 18, 2022 by WYB!

[20YearsBetweenCruises]

FYI - I noticed my cruise that I had booked as an inside but upgraded to balcony using 60,000 points was cheaper today.  I am before final payment. I called and they were able to adjust the pricing in 5 minutes.  I was worried it might not be possible since besides the point upgrade, I also had a 10% discount applied from a cancelled cruise, and a cruise credit from a Cuba cruise (where we were not able to go to Cuba).    I did have to go with the new Free at Sea, which meant I lost 2 days of dining though.

[drumming cruisers]

I applied for the cc online today. Was approved, said i will get cc in the mail 7 to 10 days, but will see on my NCL account tomorrow.  I want to make a payment using the CC. Where do you see it on your NCL account?

 

Thank You

[mscdivina2016]

7 hours ago, drumming cruisers said:

I applied for the cc online today. Was approved, said i will get cc in the mail 7 to 10 days, but will see on my NCL account tomorrow.  I want to make a payment using the CC. Where do you see it on your NCL account?

 

Thank You

Go to your NCL account, choose the cruise if you have more than one and click on make a payment. Will take you to a payment page and it's self explanatory.

Or call NCL and do it over the phone.

If you have a TA, they must do it.

[LMKakaThing2]

Just redeemed points online for OBC. Is there a place on my reservation where I can see my OBC? 

[DT113DT]

Booked an NCL for myself, Mom and Daughter, Son, Wife and Grandbaby through the TA we use at work.  Offer for the card came in this morning.  I would maybe take a cruise a year at this point.  Not sure if the kids will enjoy it, but minimally 1 cruise a year for me.  Would there be any type of benefit to applying for this card, financing charging both cruises to it to clear the $1000 requirement ( I would pay it off) and then use it yearly to book a cruise (if we like NCL) or is that not frequent enough travel to do so?  Thanks!

[julig22]

10 hours ago, DT113DT said:

Booked an NCL for myself, Mom and Daughter, Son, Wife and Grandbaby through the TA we use at work.  Offer for the card came in this morning.  I would maybe take a cruise a year at this point.  Not sure if the kids will enjoy it, but minimally 1 cruise a year for me.  Would there be any type of benefit to applying for this card, financing charging both cruises to it to clear the $1000 requirement ( I would pay it off) and then use it yearly to book a cruise (if we like NCL) or is that not frequent enough travel to do so?  Thanks!

If you are wanting to upgrade inside-ov or ov-balcony on a higher-priced cruise, then there could be a benefit to you.  I think the current promo is 25,000 points, meaning you only need to spend a little under $1700 on NCL (NCL purchases give you 3x points) to get to 30,000 points, which gets you a single meta upgrade.  A meta upgrade can be worth anywhere between a few hundred $$s to several thousand, depending on the cruise.  The points do expire at some point, but I'm pretty sure it's at least 5 years, maybe more.

[hbrhonda]

On 2/26/2022 at 6:06 PM, LMKakaThing2 said:

Just redeemed points online for OBC. Is there a place on my reservation where I can see my OBC? 

Under Summery. It will state "onboard credit"

[petersw]

Booked on a cruise for this summer, in a family inside cabin on the NCL Star (for our family of 4).  I just received the bid offer, to either an Oceanview or Club Balcony.  I also have about 40,000 points to use.

 

If I bid on and "won" an upgrade to an Oceanview, could I then use 30,000 points for a single meta upgrade to a balcony? Or does the meta upgrade only work on the cabin originally booked?

[mscdivina2016]

11 hours ago, petersw said:

Booked on a cruise for this summer, in a family inside cabin on the NCL Star (for our family of 4).  I just received the bid offer, to either an Oceanview or Club Balcony.  I also have about 40,000 points to use.

 

If I bid on and "won" an upgrade to an Oceanview, could I then use 30,000 points for a single meta upgrade to a balcony? Or does the meta upgrade only work on the cabin originally booked?

Won't work.

Only on the original category, but....after you meta up you will still get new bid offers.

But, on about a dozen bid offers and my bidding max, I have never been successful in winning one.

 I always use 60k points for a double and I think those points factor into my bid failure.

 

I have also never read here about a meta going on to win a bid.

[TifffanyD]

9 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Won't work.

Only on the original category, but....after you meta up you will still get new bid offers.

But, on about a dozen bid offers and my bidding max, I have never been successful in winning one.

 I always use 60k points for a double and I think those points factor into my bid failure.

 

I have also never read here about a meta going on to win a bid.

 

I don't bid often... but on a 2 week southern i did 60k to go from insie to balcony then successfully bit up to a penthouse. 

[Sadric]

So I cant figure out how to redeem my points on NCL. I have 50,000 but I dont see anything related to NCL on the Bank of America World Point Redemption website. What am I missing?

[Shadygap]

I am new to using the points on this card. Sorry if I am asking questions that have already been asked. I tried reading through the pages but there are so many.  I just got to 60K points.  I am looking at using them for 9 or 10 day Caribbean cruise in January 2024.

 

Two questions: #1  Since it is so far out- Should I book now and make the double metaupgrade now?

 

#2 Do I book a regular inside or family inside?  Will a family inside since it costs more help my upgrade?

 

Thank you all so much for your help.  

 

 

[TifffanyD]

19 minutes ago, Shadygap said:

I am new to using the points on this card. Sorry if I am asking questions that have already been asked. I tried reading through the pages but there are so many.  I just got to 60K points.  I am looking at using them for 9 or 10 day Caribbean cruise in January 2024.

 

Two questions: #1  Since it is so far out- Should I book now and make the double metaupgrade now?

 

#2 Do I book a regular inside or family inside?  Will a family inside since it costs more help my upgrade?

 

Thank you all so much for your help.  

 

 

I was booked into an IF (cheapest inside) and when I called they repriced it to IB which was the cheapest level for me to go to BA. So I would just book a cheaper inside and they will reprice if needed.

 

I'd book now and do the upgrade. 

[TifffanyD]

26 minutes ago, Sadric said:

So I cant figure out how to redeem my points on NCL. I have 50,000 but I dont see anything related to NCL on the Bank of America World Point Redemption website. What am I missing?

 

Under the main banner there should be 3 boxes: Earn Points Quickly, Choose your Rewards, and Reward yourself (with a pic of a ship). Click the "Learn More" in that 3rd box. 

 

But if you buy it through there you still have to call to apply it

Edited March 16, 2022 by TifffanyD

[mscdivina2016]

7 hours ago, TifffanyD said:

 

I don't bid often... but on a 2 week southern i did 60k to go from insie to balcony then successfully bit up to a penthouse. 

I am impressed!!  Thanks for sharing.

You are the first I have ever heard of. I have redeemed over a million points and so many unsuccessful bids. I have a little hope now.