Question about redeeming BOA Visa rewards points

Please bear with me...I've never redeemed points before.

I am about to book a Celebrity Summit cruise that is inside the final payment date, so when I book it, I have to pay in full.

I also have enough rewards points to qualify for a significant Celebrity discount, which I would like to put towards payment for this cruise.

What is the proper sequence? Do I request the discount certificate first, then when I receive the email with the info, book the cruise?

Also, is this combinable with the Take 2 resident discount?

Thank you!

I believe that in order to use the discount option you must book through the BOA travel agency, not through any other travel agency or directly with Celebrity.

You can also apply for On Board Credit.

To see if I am right, go to the Celebrity home page, look at the lower right hand corner, click on the card, and that takes you to the BOA offers. It might look like this is how you apply for a new card, but do it anyway.

It says that you can give the certificate to your TA, or Celebrity, RCI or Azamara (whichever is applicable)

It also says this: . Upon verification of your request, we will deduct the appropriate number of MyCruise Points from your total MyCruise Points earnings and a confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided. Once the MyCruise Points have been deducted from your account, those MyCruise Points cannot be restored to your account under any circumstances. Your MyCruise Reward Redemption will be sent electronically to Royal Caribbean and will be applied to your reservation close to final payment. If you redeem after final payment, please call Royal Caribbean at (888) 305-4626 to ensure your MyCruise Reward Redemption is applied to your reservation. Please allow 6-8 weeks for merchandise that will be delivered to a specified address.

Sorry, I edited my post once I realized that, and our posts crossed in the ether.

In any case, I think you have to book through the BOA travel agency, so start there. But if you can go to any agency, then just order the certificate and turn it in.

thanks, Im going to call the 1-800 # for BOA and see what they suggest.

It sounds like you can have the discount applied after final payment.

Please bear with me...I've never redeemed points before.

 

I am about to book a Celebrity Summit cruise that is inside the final payment date, so when I book it, I have to pay in full.

 

I also have enough rewards points to qualify for a significant Celebrity discount, which I would like to put towards payment for this cruise.

 

What is the proper sequence? Do I request the discount certificate first, then when I receive the email with the info, book the cruise?

 

Also, is this combinable with the Take 2 resident discount?

 

Thank you!

Sorry, I asked a question then found the answer right after.

To follow up: When I called the 1-888 number, it was actually for RCI, not Celebrity. They told me that I should book the cruise direct with the cruiseline and make final payment, and then once the points were redeemed, I would be issued the refund.

They also told me that it should be combinable with the residency offer, but that I need to call the 1-800 number for Celebrity just to be sure. They were already closed for the evening when I called, so I will have to call tomorrow.

Sorry, I edited my post once I realized that, and our posts crossed in the ether.

 

In any case, I think you have to book through the BOA travel agency, so start there. But if you can go to any agency, then just order the certificate and turn it in.

1- you do NOT have to use any specific travel agency to redeem the BOA rewards for the RCI/X/Azamara cards. The rewards post directly to your booking number (Make sure that you put it in the comments if you redeem online).

2- there are no longer any certificates. As I stated above, make sure that your booking number is in the redemption record.

Steve

Does anyone know what happens if you have to cancel after the discount is applied to a cruise? It says you can't get the points back, is that right?

Does anyone know what happens if you have to cancel after the discount is applied to a cruise? It says you can't get the points back, is that right?

Or would the discount from the points count toward the penalty for canceling after final?

To follow up: When I called the 1-888 number, it was actually for RCI, not Celebrity. They told me that I should book the cruise direct with the cruiseline and make final payment, and then once the points were redeemed, I would be issued the refund.

 

They also told me that it should be combinable with the residency offer, but that I need to call the 1-800 number for Celebrity just to be sure. They were already closed for the evening when I called, so I will have to call tomorrow.

Royal Caribbean owns Celebrity, so that's why it was them when you called. Same company :-)

Kinda sorta, both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean International are owned by the parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

From Wikipedia

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a Norwegian / American global cruise company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & plc. As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fully owns five cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, plus has a 50% stake in TUI Cruises.[2][3] Previously Royal Caribbean Cruises also owned 50% of Island Cruises, but this was sold to TUI Travel PLC in October 2008.[4]

Does anyone know what happens if you have to cancel after the discount is applied to a cruise? It says you can't get the points back, is that right?

We had a slightly different situation because we used our BOA points for OBC. We requested (& received)the OBC a week before sailing. Four days before sailing, DH suddenly became quite ill (finally diagnosed as pancreatitis). He was not discharged from the hospital until just after the ship sailed. Fortunately, we always purchase Trip Insurance (not from X), and all costs were eventually refunded (including the cancellation fees from the TA).

However, we did lose the points we had used for the OBC. We spoke with a supervisor at X for the BOA points program; although he was quite friendly and sympathetic to our situation, he explained that the program rules prevented him from reinstating the points. Nor could he transfer the OBC to any of our other booked cruises. He apologized repeatedly, but in the end, we "lost" the points (and, obviously, the OBC!).

Of course, I'm grateful that DH didn't wait until we were onboard to get so sick! Being airlifted off the ship or in a foreign hospital would have really tested the value of our trip insurance.

I also have a BoA Visa rewards card. To avoid all the issues brought up on this thread, I simple convert the rewards to cash into my savings account. That way I can pay for any aspect of the cruise I want. If I use it to pay for a portion of the cruise, and I have to cancel, I get the cash back minus any penalties per the booking agreement.

I was not aware of this option -- can you tell me more about it and how to access it on the Celebrity BOA Rewards site (if that's the right place). Is yours a branded Celebrity BOA Visa or some other form of BOA Visa card?

Looks like the best thing would be to wait til after Final Payment to redeem the points for a discount, does that seem right?