Compass Rewards Program Ends

[halos]

OUCH. We weren't cruising again until 3/2010 (Sandals next year) and were hoping to have about a $2,000 credit by payment time in 2010. I'm anxiously awaiting all the "fine print".

 

Those letters didn't give us much information, did they? And from what I am reading from people who called BOA with questions, nobody at BOA had answers.

 

I guess my questions will be...Are they going to automatically roll your points over into the new program in January if you do not request to cash your points into a voucher?

If they do force you to take a voucher in January, are they going to stick with that 12 month timeline to book a cruise and use it?

And like everyone else I am dying to know if the vouchers will be EXACT...meaning if I have 600 points, will I just lose 100 points, or will they give me $600 in vouchers?

 

They say point accumulation stops at the end of your billing cycle in December. This sucks, especially for people who's account closes early in the month (mine closed around the middle). Especially since Dec is a big spending month for some of us with the holidays and all. The new system doesn't go into effect until January.

I guess I want to get a new card ASAP then.......

[coka]

Gosh, I go away for four days and come home to this news!

 

Although sad about it, I am thankful I had the credit card for many years and enjoyed many NCL cruises at a discount. I feel bad for those who did not get to experience the longevity of the program.

 

After thinking about this news since finding out 45 minutes ago, maybe I will save money in the long run by charging less. Sometimes I rationalized charging a product not really needed because of that 3%...I bet I will save money in the long run by reverting to checks and cash. The money saved can be put towards cruising...

 

I am also going to count on how the program is currently run: I speculate by the end of December, it will not be dollar-for-point as we all would like (although wouldn't THAT be nice). I doubt I will get 843 dollars off cruise for 843 points. I am going to count on 500 dollar voucher and the hundred dollar increments for upgrade certificates. The remaining points will be the ones to get converted into world points (the 43).

 

It has crossed my mind to ask all my family members if they are paying cash for a big ticket item to let me charge it on my card...then give me the cash. Maybe I can make it to 1,000 points by then.

 

Regardless, I am going to stop charging now because in the end, I think I am going to save a lot more...

 

coka

[WinnieinWA]

Bye Bye NCL. You just lost 4 couples from cruising with you. I'm looking forward to trying other lines but I'd continue to be loyal to NCL if they were loyal to we credit card holders. :cool: Too Bad.... So Sad!

[OrangeAndBlue]

I agree. I'm so disappointed with the news :(!

 

Time to find a new rewards card.

[mkad1109]

:confused: We were also very disappointed. Have 415 points and were hoping to get to the 1000 mark each April so we could make our next NCL cruise affordable. Does anyone know if there is a problem using them on the 1 nighters? :confused: I live near NY and it seems at this point my best bet might be to go on the Dawn April 30...... thanks!

[Birdnutty]

Ok.. here is my suggestion.. Right now the way you are looking at it YOU ONLY have cruises to choose from until Jan 2010. And I do know that is what the rules for the certificates state, however not only have we had them apply the certificates to cruises that were more than a year out, we have read on here of many people who have had the certs credited towards cruises more than 12 months out. If the cruise you are looking at for your family is avialable at this point to be booked, I would request the certs, book the cruise, and send the certs in as a payment. ALL they can do is come back and tell you that you can't use those certs for that cruise and THEN you can narrow your search for a cruise between now and Jan 2010. Does that make sense what I'm saying? Let them tell you that you are that limited in your choice, do YOU limit yourself. Hope that explains what I'm trying to say.

 

Be real careful with this approach. I would CALL before sending in my certs to make sure they would be accepted as payment. I'd call several times, making sure I got the same answer that the certs would be applicable, take down dates, names and phone numbers of those you speak to. Once those certs get sent in, NCL considers them REDEEMED, and it could be extremely difficult to get them credited to another cruise. They're real sticky on that. And they will do absolutely nothing without the ORIGINAL certificate. (Believe me - I went thru 5 weeks of hell trying to get $1000 worth of certs credited to my cruise that BoA didn't send me in time. NCL wouldn't accept the certificate number, a faxed copy - nothing but the ORIGINAL. And once you send in the original, you no longer have it to apply to a different cruise. I highly doubt they would send it back to you if it was inapplicable to the cruise in 2010.)

 

Maybe you'd be lucky and get a particularly understanding rep with lots of pull, but you don't want to jeopardize such a large amount of money without having a good amount of certainty that it would work.

[hazeleyes]

Be real careful with this approach. I would CALL before sending in my certs to make sure they would be accepted as payment. I'd call several times, making sure I got the same answer that the certs would be applicable, take down dates, names and phone numbers of those you speak to. Once those certs get sent in, NCL considers them REDEEMED, and it could be extremely difficult to get them credited to another cruise. They're real sticky on that. And they will do absolutely nothing without the ORIGINAL certificate. (Believe me - I went thru 5 weeks of hell trying to get $1000 worth of certs credited to my cruise that BoA didn't send me in time. NCL wouldn't accept the certificate number, a faxed copy - nothing but the ORIGINAL. And once you send in the original, you no longer have it to apply to a different cruise. I highly doubt they would send it back to you if it was inapplicable to the cruise in 2010.)

 

Maybe you'd be lucky and get a particularly understanding rep with lots of pull, but you don't want to jeopardize such a large amount of money without having a good amount of certainty that it would work.

 

I can confirm that they only accept the originals. When we got ours the 1st time we sent it to our TA via Fed ex so it wouldnt get lost. I was extreamly worried it would get lost.

[logan1_2000]

I wonder if RCCL will be next with their Visa ????

That was my thought--and I switched to using the NCL card instead of RCI, based on the better incentive and to try NCL as a change of cruise experience from RCI and Disney. I've gotten my thousand points, so it looks like in January I will get a certificate, good for 12 mos., that I can use for a $1,000 discount, correct? At least I can use it over the holidays, RCI has a blackout period. But I won't use the card in its new World points form.

[Host Kewlguy]

That was my thought--and I switched to using the NCL card instead of RCI, based on the better incentive and to try NCL as a change of cruise experience from RCI and Disney. I've gotten my thousand points, so it looks like in January I will get a certificate, good for 12 mos., that I can use for a $1,000 discount, correct? At least I can use it over the holidays, RCI has a blackout period. But I won't use the card in its new World points form.

 

You can request two $500 vouchers. You then mail them directly to NCL.

[noreddye]

We still have not received our letter from BOA but I guess it is coming. I have tried to search on the NCL website and can not find any reference to the Compass Reward Program ending. Has anyone seen any reference on this through NCL?

[Preds]

We still have not received our letter from BOA but I guess it is coming. I have tried to search on the NCL website and can not find any reference to the Compass Reward Program ending. Has anyone seen any reference on this through NCL?

Click on the following link: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=Compassrewards

 

Then click on the FAQ link to open up a PDF of the impending changes.

[Preds]

Click on the following link: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=Compassrewards

 

Then click on the FAQ link to open up a PDF of the impending changes.

Actually, the following link will take you straight to the download of the PDF FAQ on the changes: http://www.ncl.com/csimages/1000/73/CompassRewardsFAQ.pdf

[*Wink*]

Thanks, Mike.. I was searching like crazy to find that information... Not that it really explains much!!

[Preds]

Thanks, Mike.. I was searching like crazy to find that information... Not that it really explains much!!

No problem. Happy to help, though I have to give credit to defreeze who first pointed out how to find this FAQ in post 160.

 

I have to agree, it says very little and doesn't help much!

[noreddye]

Actually, the following link will take you straight to the download of the PDF FAQ on the changes: http://www.ncl.com/csimages/1000/73/CompassRewardsFAQ.pdf

 

Thank you for the quick reply.

[mbisson]

This is neat. If we stick with the program, we'll now get 1/3 of the benefit when we cruise NCL. The spin doctors have a different view of value than I do:

 

What about my NCL MasterCard is changing?

To bring you more value, NCL is replacing the current Compass Rewards program with the brand new NCL WorldPoints program.

[hazeleyes]

We got our letters today.

[Scoop_MSU]

OK - so here's a trick question. We're booked for April 09 (3 cabins) with final payment not due until January. While one would normally wait until the very end to make final payment, does it make sense to pay early (prior to Dec closing date) to get the extra credit? We're not getting to 500 any which way we do it anyway and this SOUNDS logical but sometimes when passing logic through my brain, it reaches a fork and takes it!

[retiredonthesea]

We now have a huge problem. Our compass rewards where always used to get us the suites as we had between $1500.00 to $2500.00 for each cruise. We're addicted to the "suite life" it's going to be really hard to go back to a balcony----no Butler, no Concierge, no VIP treatment, no insuite parties, no more being spoiled:o !! NCL has the best suites!!!! OH, I guess I can go back to work to continue with my addiction!:D

[Lyman713]

Here's another question and something to watch out for...

 

In my letter, in bold, it says "Transactions made after your December 2008 statement closing date will not earn points towards the Compass Rewards program."

 

It also says, "...you will begin earning NCL WorldPoints rewards on January 1, 2009."

 

So.... what happens with any charges from your statement closing date in December to January 1, 2009? For last minute shoppers, this might be the height of holiday shopping...

 

Of course, there is also the question of what happens to points that don't meet the 500 point certificate cut-off... that one seems unanswered still...

 

 

Finally, if I may put on my optimist hat... it does say "Redeem your points for exclusive NCL rewards..." Maybe the "exclusive" NCL rewards will amount to more than the 50,000 points needed for $500! (Although, I'm not holding my breath for this!)

 

I'm off to try calling them!!

[dgakapluto]

So I called in to ask what happens to my extra points (107 pts)? I'm hoping the customer representative is incorrect because she said that they will just rollover to the new program as 107 points in the new program.. meaning i spent about $3500 dollars to get 107 points in the new program...

 

Please tell me she is incorrect... PLEASSEEE!:(

[martinchem]

I wonder if it's possible to call B of A and request a change of closing date to the 30th or 31st of december to allow those of us with early month statements to get xmas shopping points and other pruchases in order to get the points to a useable level.

[Lyman713]

So I called in to ask what happens to my extra points (107 pts)? I'm hoping the customer representative is incorrect because she said that they will just rollover to the new program as 107 points in the new program.. meaning i spent about $3500 dollars to get 107 points in the new program...

 

Please tell me she is incorrect... PLEASSEEE!:(

 

I got a different response... I was told that any odd number of points that does not qualify for a Compass Reward Certificate will be forfeited. Not good at all!!

 

I was also told that, beginning on your statement closing date in December, you will earn Worldpoints (contrary to the letter, which says you start earning then on January 1, 2009).

 

I think this is an example of call 10 times get 10 different answers. If I can try again later, I will call again on these two questions and see what kind of answer I get!!

[mbisson]

I'm still trying to figure out if/when I'll need to request the certificates. I'd hate to find out they automatically roll the points over to the new program on Jan 1 and not give me a chance to get my certificates out of them (our billing cycle ends in late Dec and that last month will probably be necessary to get to the next 500 pt level). By the time I get that last bill and they post the payment, it could be several days after the new year.

 

So at this point, I'm just trusting that everything will work out for the best.

[noreddye]

I signed on to my BOA account and sent an email inquiry regarding what happens to the unused Compass Reward Points. This way I will have it in writing in case they change their minds in January. I will let everyone know their answer.

 

Maybe others might want to try this method also.