New Prepaid Card Program?

[ONLY-NCL]

A while ago on this board I read about a new program offered by NCL.

While on the ship you bought vouchers which could be used toward your next cruise, and you were automatically given an onboard ship credit for the cruise that you were on.

As I am sailing on Sunday, and would like to investigate this program, I called my TA today to see if they had heard of it. "NO!" and they called NCL and the rep. there hadn't heard of it either.

Does anyone know the name of this program

[shoreguy]

A while ago on this board I read about a new program offered by NCL.

While on the ship you bought vouchers which could be used toward your next cruise, and you were automatically given an onboard ship credit for the cruise that you were on.

As I am sailing on Sunday, and would like to investigate this program, I called my TA today to see if they had heard of it. "NO!" and they called NCL and the rep. there hadn't heard of it either.

Does anyone know the name of this program

 

Latitudes - The new Gold and Platium programs

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=293804&highlight=Latitudes

[ONLY-NCL]

Latitudes - The new Gold and Platium programs

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=293804&highlight=Latitudes

Thanks shoreguy, I figured you would know. I will get intouch with the TA (VTG) again and let him know.

[shoreguy]

Thanks shoreguy, I figured you would know. I will get intouch with the TA (VTG) again and let him know.

 

The program is only available onboard and I believe has only been rolled out to a limited number of ships so far. I would not expect your TA to know about it. It is not something they can sell. They can book your next cruise with the credit you purchase.

[immargaret]

The program wasn't offered on the STAR this last week, I asked a few of the staff on the ship and they didn't know anything about it.

 

:)

[ONLY-NCL]

The program is only available onboard and I believe has only been rolled out to a limited number of ships so far. I would not expect your TA to know about it. It is not something they can sell. They can book your next cruise with the credit you purchase.

 

I am sailing on the Jewel. I believe this is one of the ships selling the new program. My next question would be.

"Can it be used towards any NCL ship, or only the ships that are participating in the program?"

We are from Canada, and the exchange rate for us is the best that it has been in years.....this would be a great opportunity to save a few $$ on our next cruise.

[shoreguy]

I am sailing on the Jewel. I believe this is one of the ships selling the new program. My next question would be.

"Can it be used towards any NCL ship, or only the ships that are participating in the program?"

We are from Canada, and the exchange rate for us is the best that it has been in years.....this would be a great opportunity to save a few $$ on our next cruise.

 

Yes you can - any NCL or NCLA ship

[ONLY-NCL]

Yes you can - any NCL or NCLA ship

Thanks shoreguy...I will definetly be checking into this new program.

[snorklinbarb]

Hi again ONLY,

Don't worry, you'll have loads of opportunities on the Jewel to hear all about the Bonus Rewards program. There's a team of 4 with Nathan, Mark, Robert and Romeo. Everything from champagne to wine & cheese socials will be offered to informally tell you all about it (1 of them chatting with a few guests) and they seemed to send out little invitations.

 

Lots of people bought into it and thought it was a good deal. You can continue to work through your TA.

 

Whatever you do, do NOT miss Romeo in the crew talent show. He was such a hit that they had to drag him back onstage later in the week!

 

Have an absolute blast next week. Can you do me a favor? Pls give my best to HD Calvin and Asst HD Dwen as well as Arec J. (the head maitre d' from Poland), Mirsad & Moustafa (Food & Bev Dir. and Restaurant Mgr.) You'll probably see some of them at the CC "social" (gotta love it!) Big big hi from Barbara & Bob.

 

I'm still working on my review. Be sure to come home and tell us all about it.:D

[Chewmonkey]

We bought into the program on the Jewel in December. For $500 you receive a $50 shipboard credit on your current cruise, a $500 cruise voucher, a $100 hotel voucher and a $250 resort voucher.

 

They tell you you have two or three years to cruise on your certificate. This is technically true, but they fail to tell you that you need to book your cruise within 1 year.

 

To us, the Hotel and Resort vouchers are junk. There are minimum stays etc.. that mean you get $100 off of a 3 night hotel stay that they probably bump up the rate on to recoup much of the $100.

 

We tried to use our cruise voucher for our cruise in March. It took no less than six phone calls to get this straightened out. My travel agent was told numberous times that there was no certificate linked to my Latatudes number, and no one at NCL (other than the rep than took care of things) had heard of the program.

 

It was complicated further because we booked inside of the Final Payment window. Usually, you book your cruise and make a deposit. NCL then applies your certificate value to your balance due prior to final payment. However, because our full payment was due at the time of booking, this could not be done.

 

My travel agent had to adjust our cruise fare by $550, and said they'd work with NCL to recoup the $550. I'm still not sure that my Certificate was every applied to my reservation.

 

So yes, it works and can save you some money, but I wouldn't do it again.

[ONLY-NCL]

We bought into the program on the Jewel in December. For $500 you receive a $50 shipboard credit on your current cruise, a $500 cruise voucher, a $100 hotel voucher and a $250 resort voucher.

 

They tell you you have two or three years to cruise on your certificate. This is technically true, but they fail to tell you that you need to book your cruise within 1 year.

 

To us, the Hotel and Resort vouchers are junk. There are minimum stays etc.. that mean you get $100 off of a 3 night hotel stay that they probably bump up the rate on to recoup much of the $100.

 

We tried to use our cruise voucher for our cruise in March. It took no less than six phone calls to get this straightened out. My travel agent was told numberous times that there was no certificate linked to my Latatudes number, and no one at NCL (other than the rep than took care of things) had heard of the program.

 

It was complicated further because we booked inside of the Final Payment window. Usually, you book your cruise and make a deposit. NCL then applies your certificate value to your balance due prior to final payment. However, because our full payment was due at the time of booking, this could not be done.

 

My travel agent had to adjust our cruise fare by $550, and said they'd work with NCL to recoup the $550. I'm still not sure that my Certificate was every applied to my reservation.

 

So yes, it works and can save you some money, but I wouldn't do it again.

WOW!

Thanks for the great info. Thats good to know, as we usually book within the final payment window.

[intrepid_guy]

From what I learned on the SPIRIT, this program is only being sold on the DAWN and JEWEL. They advised us of this because we had our Latitudes Level on our card though they meant nothing on the SPIRIT. I have seen mixed reviews on this program... personally I am not convinced yet... but if Shoreguy says it is OK, it must be eh?

 

~Intrepid

[shoreguy]

From what I learned on the SPIRIT, this program is only being sold on the DAWN and JEWEL. They advised us of this because we had our Latitudes Level on our card though they meant nothing on the SPIRIT. I have seen mixed reviews on this program... personally I am not convinced yet... but if Shoreguy says it is OK, it must be eh?

 

~Intrepid

 

I never said it was OK. Never attended the presentations. As I see it if you toss out the hotel package as worthless it amounts to an addition 10% discount not all bad.

 

I will say I enjoyed the Platinum perks that I earned with 15 + NCL cruises.

 

Not sure what is in it for NCL except locking up their best customers for another NCL cruise and cash flow.

 

I did not buy the package but should have since I only lasted a few days without a cruise booked :D

[mbisson]

We bought into the program on the Jewel in December. For $500 you receive a $50 shipboard credit on your current cruise, a $500 cruise voucher, a $100 hotel voucher and a $250 resort voucher.

QUOTE]

 

We also bought into the program on the Jewel in Dec. and I agree with all you said except our cruise certificate was $550 instead of $500. We also had a hard time redeeming BUT I'll write that off to the program being so new, that not many of their people are familiar with it. Heck, You & I probably know more about this program than the majority of NCL employees (only because we have done it). Once it's been around a while, I think everything will be fine and even now, I think it's a good deal.

 

BTW-we went to several presentations and got the free drinks each time-hic

 

jmo

-Monte

[intrepid_guy]

I never said it was OK. Never attended the presentations.

 

Sorry about that Shoreguy... must have gotten you confused with someone else... :o

 

~Intrepid

[seasprite]

Beware!! For anyone reading this thread, look at the other current discussion on this topic. NCL is still saying this program is too NEW (months later) and still totally clueless on how the program works. Redeeming a certificate is a trial beyond belief. See my other postings in the web to get an idea...and I'm not done yet! Thanks to a few great cc people, things may be getting resolved, but NCL has shown no effort to train employees about the program or to be consistent with its application. The last phone call I received told me that my original latitudes number (3 numbers ago LOL) is where the certificate is located...right after a phone call from someone else with a different number and a promise to send me a new latitudes card. I let the last caller know that I am not alone in difficulty with redeeming these Bonus Rewards and asked him to please notify the powers that be that they are shooting themselves in the foot if they do not straighten it out. He told me that they read Cruisecritic and I told him that there were others out there with difficulty redeeming rewards and to read the boards. I also got a second address (the one in Miami) for the letter which I will be sending NCL. Hopefully, the effort we have put into "breaking in" this new program will be recognized by NCL and they will take action to remedy the problem. I, for one, am very discouraged....