Hal Visa Coming Soon?

[prescottbob]

FYI:

 

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=PR&Date=20071106&ID=7765845&Symbol=CCL

[Krazy Kruizers]

I still prefer my AMEX Plat card.

[sail7seas]

Echo..... me too.

[Copper10-8]

FYI:

 

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=PR&Date=20071106&ID=7765845&Symbol=CCL

 

Carnival has one also:cool:

[LegalSailor]

I still prefer my AMEX Plat card.

 

I think it's a great idea, and having no annual fee attached to the deal sounds interesting, but I don't think I'll be leaving by Platinum AMEX anytime soon either!

[JimVrhovac]

I have heard a lot about this card but know little about it.

 

What are the yearly charges??

 

What are the benefits to a cruiser like Ruth and I????

 

Is there a site that I can go to to learn more about it?

 

Thank you in advance for the information.

 

Ruth & Jim

[tomc]

The college where I went has an affinity card. It gets .05% of all sales made on the card, which can add up, depending on the alumni base and how many people have the card.

 

I like HAL, but my affinity card money goes to my college.

[noblepa]

If its anything like the Carnival credit card, I think I'll pass. From what I've heard, it takes an awfully long time to build up enough points to receive a free cruise or even a significant discount. When you do, the starting price is the list price, not the advertised price.

 

This means that you can almost always beat their "discount" by simply using a TA who discounts. I've even heard that people have beaten the credit card deal using the Carnival website prices.

 

In general, most "rewards" programs from credit card companies are not, IMHO, not worth anything. They come with too many strings attached and usually a very high interest rate.

 

Just my $0.02. :)

[Jade13]

FYI:

 

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=PR&Date=20071106&ID=7765845&Symbol=CCL

 

Most cards are 5,000 points = $50.00 (including the Capital One card everyone raves about).

 

I am happy with my Bank of America Visa Platinum US Airways Visa. I have had enough points for the past 3 years to take two persons overseas every year including 4 roundtrip tickets to Rome. I think I get more using points for travel.

 

So, on most cards where 50,000 points equals $500.00, I have averaged 3 times as much with 50,000 points equally about a $1,500.00 international plane fare in high season.

[RuthC]

If it were a HAL card it sounds like something I could get interested in. I especially like that there's no annual fee, as I always pay off my balance when the bill comes in. It might take forever to earn a free cruise, but I'd be happy with smaller amounts going to on-board charges. Or flowers for my cabin :) .

[earl_m]

Thats all I need is another credit card!!

[the2ofus]

One benefit on the MC card I use is credits toward various perks on Celebrity. Haven't used that benefit yet. If all factors are equal, I'd certainly prefer a card which helped me enjoy future HAL cruises.

[sail7seas]

Amex Plat Card

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I have heard a lot about this card but know little about it.

 

What are the yearly charges??

 

What are the benefits to a cruiser like Ruth and I????

 

Is there a site that I can go to to learn more about it?

 

Thank you in advance for the information.

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Jim...... Seeing how often you and Ruth cruise so many times a year and that you sometimes take an "S" suite,,,, is that correct?

 

If so, you may wish to think about having a Platinum card.

 

If you book a Suite, for (almost) all cruises, we get $150 pp shipboard credit. When you multiply that $300 by how many cruises you do a year, the $400 or so membership fee is quickly eaten up and you actually start to make money on it.

 

If you take a cabin below a veranda, you get a two category upgrade but not into a veranda.

We get a bottle of champagne on embarkation and dinner in Pinnacle..when we remember to ask about it when we go to Pinnacle. Most of the time we forget to ask. They used to leave a gift card in our suite but no longer do.

 

It provides for emergency medical evacuation.

Concierge service by telephone for all sorts of assistance worldwide.

Reserved tables at top restaurants in major cities. Call by a certain time and the hard to get reservations are sometimes available.

 

Sometimes we get early hotel check-in and late check out. Depends upon how we made the booking and the various participation features of each hotel.

 

Those are the highlights but there are other benefits that I can't remember right now.

 

The card about which I am speaking is not affiliated with Costco or any airline or any other entity. It is simply American Express Platinum.

 

For more info, try http://www.americanexpressplatinum.

[LegalSailor]

Jim,

To update you on S7S post regarding the membership fee, it is $450 annually, and I have found it to be worth the cost. I travel quite a bit for business, and the card gets me access to AA's Admirals Club, as well as Delta, Continental, and Northwest. That by itself pays for the membership fee. The best feauture I have found is that it is a charge card, and not a credit card - i.e. the bill is paid in full each month.

I have had the Platinum card now for 3 years and have found it to be an extremely useful tool to have.

If I can help any further, please let me know.

Cheers,

[sail7seas]

Ahhh..... You are so right, LegalSailor. I forgot about the airline clubs. We used to belong to Delta, Northwest and AA and paid all those fees. It is wonderful they are included. One of their very excellent benefits.