Using CruiseFirst certificate (should I buy another?)

[rodndonna]

OK - I've purchased a $500 CruiseFirst certificate - and it's burning a hole in my pocket 🙃

 

We've now the cruise we want to book - November 2025 (Canary Islands).

 

As it is some time out and we are not cabin picky (insiders), should we but a second certificate while they are $500 and then wait for a "double up" promo? We have $100 off as a "welcome back" good until April, so ideally would like to see a double up before them and use it as well. 

 

How often are the "double up" promos? Once a year? Every few months?

[MagnoliaBlossom]

The $500 certificates come up three or four times a year, I believe.   To mt knowledge you cannot use CFs for double up promos like CNs.   CNs now have a 2099 expiration date but I do not believe that is true for CFs.

 

onlt you can know whether you will have the opportunity to use the cert before it expires.  Make sure you read all the TCs on CF as they differ from CN.

[rodndonna]

Thanks! 

 

I hadn't realized the "double up" thing was a CN promo. Still getting my head around the 2 promos.

 

That being the case we will probably just book before April expiration of our $100 off welcome back offer and using our $500 CF.

[laudergayle]

We have an unused CF that also has a 2099 expiration date. 
 

And as magnoliablossom stated, there is no double up for he CF. 
 

We are also doing a Lisbon - Canary Islands cruise in Nov. ‘25.  It’s so far out…but I still get excited thinking about it! 

[rodndonna]

29 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We have an unused CF that also has a 2099 expiration date. 
 

And as magnoliablossom stated, there is no double up for he CF. 
 

We are also doing a Lisbon - Canary Islands cruise in Nov. ‘25.  It’s so far out…but I still get excited thinking about it! 

 

I checked this morning and there was no roll call - so I was kinda worried no one else booked it - PHEW!

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

The $500 certificates come up three or four times a year, I believe.  

 

they appear far more frequently than that.

 

we saw them recently for, if memory serves, thanksgiving, christmas and/or new year's, valentine's day, then president's day immediately following V day, without the offer disappearing.

 

4 hours ago, rodndonna said:

As it is some time out and we are not cabin picky (insiders), should we but a second certificate while they are $500...

 

the only thing you have to be cognizant of when using cruise first certificates is that the certificate must have been purchased at least 120 days prior to the sail date... so if you anticipate booking a cruise that's four months out, you're too late... otherwise, you're fine. 

 

that's the sail date... not the date you book the cruise. you can book a cruise for next week, provided the certificate is at least 120 days old.. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

21 hours ago, laudergayle said:

We have an unused CF that also has a 2099 expiration date. 
 

And as magnoliablossom stated, there is no double up for he CF. 
 

We are also doing a Lisbon - Canary Islands cruise in Nov. ‘25.  It’s so far out…but I still get excited thinking about it! 

I’m glad to know the cruise CFs have no expirations now either.   I’ve been using up my CNs so haven’t looked at them in a while.  We are doing the Canary Islands on our Lisbon to Barcelona cruise in 10/25, probably a week or two before you!  I used two CNs to book and two more for the Prima in 3/25 the day before the double up ended.

[ahrnemtp]

Just saw this today on the NCL site.  I'll be watching and hoping this is true......

 

LIMITED TIME OFFERS:
Click the File Top Right to view the Terms & Conditions of the Expired offers.

March 15, 2024 @ 12 am EST through March 21, 2024 @ 11:59 pm EST for NCLMIAMI, NCLASIA, NCLBRAZIL, NCLINTL & NCLMEA.

• Guests and travel partners pay $250 and receive a CruiseFirst Credit valued at $500.
• Certificates are only valid for sailings of six (6 days) or longer.