How do I cash in my Visa points?

[stompy]

Stompy, If you go on any of the three or four day cruises, the 25000 will allow one of you to cruise for free (up to $500) worth. The way you are looking into using it, will only give you $250 off or a $250 shipboard credit - still nice, but only giving you half the value.

 

Yeah we've debated about that but they don't do short cruises out of Galveston and anything else we're looking at $1000 in airfare so amortized over 4 days it doesn't work out to be worth it.

 

Also, it's at the minimum cabin level and we tend to stay in D1's and would have to pay the upgrade fee.

 

Thanks for the advice though, it is certainly appreciated

[Benita]

I guess it only works well when you live in South Florida, like we do. We actually stopped using the card a couple of years ago, because they will only credit you the price of the cheapest outside cabin, which is usually far less than the 2% of the point value, like they used to give. The only cruise we found where the cheapest cabin is more than the $500 maximum (for 25000 points) was the four night Enchantment, so we used up the last of our points on it. We have since switched to the Starwood Amex card, which has more a more generous program (got two business class tickets to the Philippines for 90000 points each, which would have cost us amost 12000 dollars)

[isles1]

If you book your cruise with a TA, should the discount (not OBC) certificates still be sent to Kansas? If so, is it up to me to notify the TA of the discount being applied or will RCCL notify the TA of the new balance due?

 

I'm asking because I think I'd like to use the first 15,000 bonus points for the $150 discount and any other points that I rack up in 5,000 point denominations for additional OBCs. Is this just asking for trouble because a TA is in the middle?

[Linda/Ohio]

I just called to redeem some Royal Rewards and the customer service rep said "You know you can do this online?". I told her I had just been at the BofA site and didn't see anything that would allow me to do so. After I ordered the certificates with her--I went back to site and I don't see any hyperlink or tab to allow me to redeem online. Anyone else able to do so?

[stompy]

I think you can only redeem the savings certificates online

 

I think the BofA certs still need to be sent to Wichita.

 

I did get my coupon in the mail and, sure enough, the $250 cruise discount was nowhere to be found on the certificate. I called C&A and they said NO and I explained the whole sob story to him, that the credit card rep ASSURED me the cruise discount was available still... Anyway he was nice, put me on hold, asked his boss, and they said NO again.

 

Well we're getting $250 OBC-my fear is that DW is going to rack up a HUGE BINGO bill...

[alwalaska]

If you book your cruise with a TA, should the discount (not OBC) certificates still be sent to Kansas? If so, is it up to me to notify the TA of the discount being applied or will RCCL notify the TA of the new balance due?

 

I'm asking because I think I'd like to use the first 15,000 bonus points for the $150 discount and any other points that I rack up in 5,000 point denominations for additional OBCs. Is this just asking for trouble because a TA is in the middle?

 

I'm curious about this too. This is what we are planning on doing.

 

Also, I just want to make sure, we can order and apply the $150 discount at any point in time even if our cruise is more than 6 months away.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[waterbugohio]

I sent in certificates about three weeks ago for $300 off my cruise. Called TA yesterday and she called RCI for a new balance due. The balance due had not been adjusted and she said that they normally don't apply the certificate until 60 days prior to sailing. I wanted to make my final payment, so she advised me to make the payment, minus the $300 they will come off. Then she said the computer will show once it gets to within 90 days. Hopefully this all works, I will keep checking on it, as is my TA.

 

Miki Dee, I am also sailing in November and hoping to wait till after the SEptember statement and redeem the last of my points for OBC. The only difference is, I already redemmed most of my points, which I already sent in, then I know that I have that much. Then the last two months of charges I can hopefully have time to redeem at the very last minute