Can I add prepaid gratuities to my final payment and pay for them w/Compass Rewards?

[zimmerjulie]

Hi Everyone,

I'm getting ready for final payment. I had my amount close to the dollar value of my Compass rewards certificates, but when the fuel surcharges were refunded, I was left with having to use a $500 certificate to cover the last $200. I am wondering if there is anything that I can add to final payment to bring it back up to my certificate amount so that I don't feel like I'm throwing away the points.

 

I've heard of prepaying the gratuities with final payment, but wasn't sure if this could be paid for with the Compass Rewards certificates.

 

Thanks a bunch,

Julie

[garycarla]

No, you can not pay for something that has not been billed. And these do not get billed until EACH evening.

 

You might be able to buy some other packages though. Go to ncl.com and check out the bon voyage type packages.

[cpcanuck]

Is it possible to purchase an On Board Credit Certificate in the $200 amount and then once on board can put it towards what ever is on your account?

[terrymtex01]

Is it possible to purchase an On Board Credit Certificate in the $200 amount and then once on board can put it towards what ever is on your account?

 

You can purchase OBC, but I am not for sure if they will roll that purchase into your invoice for your cruise fare. They may make you pay for it via credit card when you order it. That would be the only issue that I could see in doing that.

 

We are in a simular situtation. We have 1,500.00 in CRC's but our cruises are comp'ed via CAS. We can't use them to pay for the taxes, fees and port charges so I don't know what we are going to do with ours. We are going to try to book our 2010 cruise to Alaska this month sometime and we are hoping CAS will help us find some way to use them so we don't lose them.

[garycarla]

Is it possible to purchase an On Board Credit Certificate in the $200 amount and then once on board can put it towards what ever is on your account?

 

I think the ONLY thing you can with with a $200 OBC Certificate is to put it towards whatever is on your account. I can not think of one single thing that would not be.

 

BUT - as mentioned already, you may have to pay for that separately vs. having it part of your cruise.

 

Here is one way to spend MORE even when using certs, or if booked as a freebie with CAS. Go for a higher category room. The cost difference will be part of your final invoice. Final meaning BEFORE you go.

[terrymtex01]

I think the ONLY thing you can with with a $200 OBC Certificate is to put it towards whatever is on your account. I can not think of one single thing that would not be.

 

BUT - as mentioned already, you may have to pay for that separately vs. having it part of your cruise.

 

Here is one way to spend MORE even when using certs, or if booked as a freebie with CAS. Go for a higher category room. The cost difference will be part of your final invoice. Final meaning BEFORE you go.

 

You know.. We are actually looking at doinig that. The only thing with that is it would mean having to give up our beloved Aft. We could easily get a AA suite on the Star for the Alaskan cruise we are looking at by using our CRC's. But while I know the suite must be lovely, I am just so afraid we would miss being on the Aft that I am afraid for us to book that suite. We have actually offered my inlaws the opportunity to go with us on that cruise and we could use the certs towards their suite, but they haven't told us yes or no yet. Doug's Mom gets sea sick easily. So if they say no, we might just go ahead and book that AA and take a chance.

[pgm2786]

Can you retrieve the certificate and pay the $200 owed towards this cruise, then re-use the certificate to book another cruise within the year ?

 

Remember you only need to book the cruise within the year and the sail date has to be either 6 or 12 months of the booking

[weloverunning]

Julie

Did you pay for any part of your cruise out-of-pocket? They will credit your credit card the $200. Our upcoming cruise was $1218 when it included fuel surcharges. We used our future cruise certificate for the $250 deposit which left us a balance of $968. They automatically removed the fuel surcharge leaving us a final amount due on 1/13 of $814. I sent in $1000 in certificates last week and they have applied them to our reservation leaving us a credit of $186. I called and they said they would be crediting our cc for the $186. Since we have another reservation for the same cruise (kids), they agreed to move the credit from one reservation to another instead of crediting our BOA cc which I no longer use. Therefore, our only out of pocket was the $250 deposit which costs us $150.

[terrymtex01]

Can you retrieve the certificate and pay the $200 owed towards this cruise, then re-use the certificate to book another cruise within the year ?

 

Remember you only need to book the cruise within the year and the sail date has to be either 6 or 12 months of the booking

 

They actually changed this when they announced the end of the program. Now you have to use the certs within a year, however it can be for any cruise on sale as of this month. I think they said it was good for any cruise through 2011 or at least through June 2011. Used to it was as you stated. Thank goodness they changed it since they are stopping the program.

[SoccerMom9195]

I just asked customer service this question yesterday. They told me it's the downfall of the rewards program. . . . you don't get a credit, rather you lose the extra. If anyone has been told differently, please let me know.

[Ginny, not Hermione]

I just asked customer service this question yesterday. They told me it's the downfall of the rewards program. . . . you don't get a credit, rather you lose the extra. If anyone has been told differently, please let me know.

I booked a cruise only a month in advance, I had 2 $500 CERTIFICATES. I paid for the cruise with my credit card and submitted the cert. and NCL credited my credit card back the $1,000.:)

[zimmerjulie]

Thanks Everyone,

Great suggestions.

True, you can't add prepaid service charges or onboard credits to your final payment amount and pay with Compass rewards. Those prepaid OBC's are charged through a different department.

 

I don't want to upgrade cabins to make up the difference, because when I booked they were offering $200 worth of OBC that had to do with a "World's Largest Cruise Night" special. If I change my category, I book under the new booking codes and lose at least $100 of that.

 

Soccermom9195, that's my understanding as well. If the cost of your cruise does not come up to the full value of your certificates, you lose the number of points that you are short. Not a huge deal, but hey, I'd like to use as many as possible:). Interesting that they said differently for you, rpbcouple, but I wonder if you hadn't used it on this cruise, if it would have been a different story when it all shook out. Sometimes they can be too eager to please, then can't deliver when it actually comes time to go through the process.

 

 

Just to be safe, what I have decided to do is to hold back one of the certificates for future use ( I haven't mailed them in yet) and pay the $176 or so in cash rather than spend a $500 to cover that amount. Now to make it worth it, I'll definitely have to cruise in 2010! I like it!