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Princess/Barclay Credit Card Ripoff


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I had started a thread a while ago when Barclay announced "improvements" to their Princess credit card rewards -- and now I am sorry to have to report that this card does NOT live up to its promises. Rewards can only be redeemed in 5,000 point increments. After my recent Princess cruise I had 7,200 points -- I called Barclay customer service and was told that if I made more purchases to get to 7,500 I would get a $75 statement credit against the Princess cruise. Now that I have done that they say "No, you can't redeem 7,500 points only 5,000 or 10,000." So I took the $50, leaving $25 on the table, which means that I didn't get even the base 1% -- I got 0.67 percent. THIS IS THE WORST CARD IN MY WALLET -- only it's not in my wallet, it's in the garbage!

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I had started a thread a while ago when Barclay announced "improvements" to their Princess credit card rewards -- and now I am sorry to have to report that this card does NOT live up to its promises. Rewards can only be redeemed in 5,000 point increments. After my recent Princess cruise I had 7,200 points -- I called Barclay customer service and was told that if I made more purchases to get to 7,500 I would get a $75 statement credit against the Princess cruise. Now that I have done that they say "No, you can't redeem 7,500 points only 5,000 or 10,000." So I took the $50, leaving $25 on the table, which means that I didn't get even the base 1% -- I got 0.67 percent. THIS IS THE WORST CARD IN MY WALLET -- only it's not in my wallet, it's in the garbage!

I also learned the hard way what a bad rewards card this is. I opened up a credit card from a big box company that has a travel agency attached to it and they give 3% any travel related charges like hotels and cruises and airlines. I upped my membership to executive class and get another 2 % so I earn 5% now with no gimmicks.

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Can one of you kind cruisers please explain to me how this would work. I have 8300 points today which includes $200 down payment doubled to 400 points. Monday I will be paying the $1770 final payment on the cruise for 3540 more points, total 11840 Then I will be booking two shore excursions for my wife and I that will total $250 which I think gets doubled since it is through Princess making my total points 12340 points. How do I use these points towards my cruise? The down payment was made in September for a total cruise cost of $1970 and then the shore excursions for a total of $2220. I just got the card the end of August so I haven't tried using it for cruise yet. Thank you for any help you can give me.

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Can one of you kind cruisers please explain to me how this would work. I have 8300 points today which includes $200 down payment doubled to 400 points. Monday I will be paying the $1770 final payment on the cruise for 3540 more points, total 11840 Then I will be booking two shore excursions for my wife and I that will total $250 which I think gets doubled since it is through Princess making my total points 12340 points. How do I use these points towards my cruise? The down payment was made in September for a total cruise cost of $1970 and then the shore excursions for a total of $2220. I just got the card the end of August so I haven't tried using it for cruise yet. Thank you for any help you can give me.

 

You can continue to build up points, or cash in 10,000 for some OBC if I have read other posts on the Princess Card correctly. What you decide to do might depend on knowing how frequently you are going to cruise and when next one is.

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You can cash in your points as a statement credit after you pay for it. If the cruise cost is $4001 or more you will receive 2% return on your points, if $3001+ you receive 1.5%, if 2001+ you receive 1%. ( it may also have a smaller designation at a smaller dollar amount)

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I recently cashed in points from Princess purchases to be applied as a credit to my statement.

 

For 42,500 in points that was a credit of $850.00

For 5,000 in points that was a credit of $50.00

 

To take $900.00 off my $5000.00 charge was wonderful.

 

I just looked @ my statement and it was applied immediately to what is owed. That was good.

 

What myself and most others were having an issue with was not getting the double points for a Princess purchase. Well it seems they have finally fixed it (took over a year) and as long as they have no other issues we will continue to keep the card.

 

It takes time to build up the points that is for sure. We are not big credit card users and try to keep it to large purchases.

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I also learned the hard way what a bad rewards card this is. I opened up a credit card from a big box company that has a travel agency attached to it and they give 3% any travel related charges like hotels and cruises and airlines. I upped my membership to executive class and get another 2 % so I earn 5% now with no gimmicks.

 

The way I read the website, the credit card pays 3% on travel. Then there is an additional 2% direct from Costco. Is that correct?

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Yes. Costco offers 3% for all travel and 2% of everything else. Think 4% for Costco gas.

 

My Barclays sits in the safe. Barclays actually detected fraud and shut it down.....When the only tranaction that month was aboard the Pacific Princess. Had to go to the pusher desk and give them the Costco Visa card. That was it for me.

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Yes. Costco offers 3% for all travel and 2% of everything else. Think 4% for Costco gas.

 

The 2% appears to be in addition to the 3% paid by the credit card company.

Both the 2% and the 3% appear to be independent of the 8% in OBC given by the travel company. Total of 13%.

 

Someone want to explain again why I should book direct with the cruise line?

Maintaining "control" isn't worth 13% of the booking.

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My Barclays sits in the safe. Barclays actually detected fraud and shut it down.....When the only tranaction that month was aboard the Pacific Princess. Had to go to the pusher desk and give them the Costco Visa card. That was it for me.
That's the reason I notify my card companies when I'll be using them out of the country. I don't want them to be surprised by strange charges and decline legitimate ones.
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That's the reason I notify my card companies when I'll be using them out of the country. I don't want them to be surprised by strange charges and decline legitimate ones.

 

In my instance Barclays was notified. Nevertheless the princess cruise authorization ping from the pacific princess caused an automatic fraud detect and shutdown. Tried to call Barclays from Europe but finally decided .....why bother.

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