Royal Caribbean Bank of America Card

[AshleyDillo]

6 hours ago, BigKarl said:

Any thoughts?  I am always up for hearing your thoughts on ways to improve my method.

My method is to use a card that gives better than 2X points on the $1

[TXCoastPatriot]

1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

use a card that gives better than 2X points on the $1

What CC is that, and can you redeem OBC on Royal Caribbean?

[DoomSlayer]

2 hours ago, TXCoastPatriot said:

What CC is that, and can you redeem OBC on Royal Caribbean?

The RC credit card is really not a good card for points or onboard credit.  A lot of travel cards provide better points and cash redemption that can be used to fund your cruise.  To set some base lines for discussion, each point with the Royal Caribbean card is worth $0.01, so 5,000 points = $50.  This means you earn 2% on cruise purchases and 1% on everything else.

My Navy Federal Flagship card has an identical point value ($0.01, so 5,000 points = $50), but I earn 3% for ANY travel related purchase (Airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, Royal Caribean's slot machine  room charges, charters -- think fishing excursions or 3rd party port excursions, and much more).  For all other purchases I earn 2%.  These points are redeemable for cash that you can stick in an account and later use to pay for parts of your cruise (or anything else you want to use cash for).  There really is no point in converting this to onboard credit as you can pay in cash (or pay with your card and use the cash to pay off your card), but if you really wanted to, you could buy a gift certificate and use it for onboard credit.  On top of this, you also get some other freebies like free a TSA precheck and a free amazon prime subscription which more than pays for the $49 annual fee.

My Amex Platinum card guarantees onboard credit of $100 for an interior cabin, $200 for a balcony, and $300 for a suite if I use my card to pay for the cruise.  I get 2 points per dollar for the cruise booking itself and 5 points per dollar for flights and hotels, in addition to hotel credits that I usually use on stays right before my cruise. I get 1 for everything else.  I can redeem points as statement credits to pay for part of the cruise, or use them for something else if I want.  Again, you could convert to onboard credit by using points to pay for Royal Carribean gift cards, but why bother.  If I pay for the trip (airfare, hotel, and cruise) using this card, I get full coverage trip insurance that covers car rentals, trip cancellations and trip interruptions, trip delay reimbursements, emergency medical transport and evacuations, passport assistance, and translation services.  I never buy 3rd party insurance because of this coverage.  Admittedly, it does not cover actual medical issues (just provides medical evacuations), but I have global medical coverage through my employer that includes cruise ships, so I am covered.  You could get away with just medical only coverage if you used this card.  This card does have a high annual fee, but I get tons of rebates and cash back on it and it more than pays for itself each year.  And all the free travel status perks are extremely nice too and make the trip a lot more enjoyable.

I have both of these cards that I use in tandem to maximize my points.  I'll use the Amex card to pay for trips and the Navy Federal card to use for onboard expenses and trip incidentals.  I use another card for restaurants which gives me 3% cash back when I travel too to helps maximize points, cashback, and insurance value.

[sleepy425]

7 hours ago, TXCoastPatriot said:

What CC is that, and can you redeem OBC on Royal Caribbean?

My Citi Costco card is 3% back for travel, I get the money every February to use as I please (my cash back is always over $300 so it qualifies to be direct deposited into my bank account.  Super easy).

[AshleyDillo]

8 hours ago, TXCoastPatriot said:

What CC is that, and can you redeem OBC on Royal Caribbean?

There's tons of options out there.  If the point redemption for OBC was better it might be worth using the Royal one. I have a card that gives me 3% cash back on travel so that's a guaranteed 3% return on my slot machine room charges

[DoomSlayer]

2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

... that's a guaranteed 3% return on my slot machine room charges

Best casino perk ever!!!

[BigKarl]

19 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

My method is to use a card that gives better than 2X points on the $1

Good point!  I only pay for RCL related items such as Bookings and packages on the RC Visa card.

I never stopped to calculate my card redemption values. Thank you all for your input. I am going to rething this and switch to an actual % cash back card.

This is exactly why I put my questions out there !

[RCIfan1912]

27 minutes ago, BigKarl said:

Good point!  I only pay for RCL related items such as Bookings and packages on the RC Visa card.

I never stopped to calculate my card redemption values. Thank you all for your input. I am going to rething this and switch to an actual % cash back card.

This is exactly why I put my questions out there !

Same here, I only use it for the deposit on Royal Caribbean cruises and cruise planner stuff.

[TXCoastPatriot]

9 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

have a card that gives me 3% cash back on travel so that's a guaranteed 3% return on my slot machine room charges

Brilliant and very wise.  A lightbulb moment.  It is all about 1) purchase points earned and 2) redemptive value?

So practically speaking, instead of taking cash for casino play, I am better off charging my casino play (slots) to my Seapass card, which is charged without fee, to my new 3% cash back credit card?

In effect, the $100 room charge is theoretically $97.

Ashley, I owe you a dinner at 150 Central Park.  I’ll put it on my Sailpass card for a 3% discount!

[TXCoastPatriot]

17 hours ago, DoomSlayer said:

A lot of travel cards provide better points and cash redemption

Pure genius.  I’m embarrassed I didn’t recognize this sooner.

Thank you

[DoomSlayer]

1 hour ago, TXCoastPatriot said:

Brilliant and very wise.  A lightbulb moment.  It is all about 1) purchase points earned and 2) redemptive value?

So practically speaking, instead of taking cash for casino play, I am better off charging my casino play (slots) to my Seapass card, which is charged without fee, to my new 3% cash back credit card?

In effect, the $100 room charge is theoretically $97.

Ashley, I owe you a dinner at 150 Central Park.  I’ll put it on my Sailpass card for a 3% discount!

Thats the way it works!  Just don't go too wild, you still have to pay the bill at the end of the month.

[AshleyDillo]

3 hours ago, TXCoastPatriot said:

So practically speaking, instead of taking cash for casino play, I am better off charging my casino play (slots) to my Seapass card, which is charged without fee, to my new 3% cash back credit card?

I would never

I would also never use a brand new credit card with a sign-up bonus (spend X in the first 90 days and get a Y bonus!)  

I save all my $1 and $5 bills but keep all other cash in the bank and get it at the casino rather than travel there with it. Of course you have to travel back with your winnings.  I think there's a $5K/day limit at the casino and they will freeze your account for 24 hours from making room charges if you don't play through some of it at the slots.

4 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Same here, I only use it for the deposit on Royal Caribbean cruises and cruise planner stuff.

That stuff is still coded as a travel purchase and a 3% cash back card is still a better choice. Every so often the Royal Caribbean card will have a bonus offer...I think I saw one for 8X points when using the card onboard Wonder of the Seas which is great if you were sailing on Wonder during that period of time.

[TXCoastPatriot]

2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

 

I save all my $1 and $5 bills but keep all other cash in the bank….I think there's a $5K/day limit at the casino

I assume the $1 and $5 is tip cash?  I tip all bartenders and beverage server $1 per drink and the $5-$10 goes to the waiter in specialty restaurants, room service, or porters.

My bank roll is limited to ~$500/day $3,500/week. The $5k/day is safely avoided.

[AshleyDillo]

On 3/28/2024 at 12:31 AM, TXCoastPatriot said:

I assume the $1 and $5 is tip cash?  I tip all bartenders and beverage server $1 per drink and the $5-$10 goes to the waiter in specialty restaurants, room service, or porters.

Yup..I hold onto the smaller bills to use as tips. I never spend cash in real life..Can't get credit card points on cash purchases

[RestingBird]

On 3/17/2024 at 8:58 PM, RCIfan1912 said:

Sorry to break in on this thread but do points ever expire? Can you just keep building up points forever? Cap? 

The do expire, after 5 years I believe.

[Fastfaller]

Almost 3 weeks still no OBC showing up, I guess it's time to call again and force the issue.

[RCIfan1912]

3 minutes ago, Fastfaller said:

Almost 3 weeks still no OBC showing up, I guess it's time to call again and force the issue.

Yeah that would worry me as well. 

[barjpoe]

I did call and they made an exemption.  I'd be curios to see what they tell you.

[Fastfaller]

I called this afternoon, talked with a rep then sat on hold for about 10 mins. When she came back she said your all set, check your account. I logged into the website and sure enough my $600 was sitting there in my planner. I feel a lot better now 

[barjpoe]

Fantastic!!

We shouldn't have to call.

[Bestcee]

On 3/29/2024 at 11:48 AM, AshleyDillo said:

Can't get credit card points on cash purchases

Question: if you get 3% back, but pay a fee of 3.75 % to use the credit card (average fee to use CC over cash at many local businesses), aren't you losing money still? Because the rewards amount is eaten up by the surcharge? 

[Bestcee]

 

On 4/5/2024 at 7:15 PM, barjpoe said:

Fantastic!!

We shouldn't have to call.

I didn't have to call. Requested online and credited within 2 days. It sounds like not everyone has to call? I wonder what causes some to not process as quickly

 

[DoomSlayer]

9 hours ago, Bestcee said:

Question: if you get 3% back, but pay a fee of 3.75 % to use the credit card (average fee to use CC over cash at many local businesses), aren't you losing money still? Because the rewards amount is eaten up by the surcharge? 

Depends where you are shopping and using your card.  Credit card surcharges are banned in a lot of states, so no, you are not losing money if you live and shop in an awesome state like Texas.

[Bestcee]

3 hours ago, DoomSlayer said:

Depends where you are shopping and using your card.  Credit card surcharges are banned in a lot of states, so no, you are not losing money if you live and shop in an awesome state like Texas.

Well, okay. Not a credit card surcharge, a cash discount. To-may-toe, Ta -ma-toe. Still allowed in Texas. But, that answers my question. I'll stick to the cash discounts and save money. 

[DoomSlayer]

1 hour ago, Bestcee said:

Well, okay. Not a credit card surcharge, a cash discount. To-may-toe, Ta -ma-toe. Still allowed in Texas. But, that answers my question. I'll stick to the cash discounts and save money. 

Not many cash discounts here.  Most merchants assume the extra fees as a cost of doing business and price their items around them.  The real losers are the ones that pay cash with these merchants because there is no discount.  Try walking into a local Kroger or Costco and try bargaining with the cashier about why you should be getting a discount for paying cash.  It's just not going to happen in Texas.

[AshleyDillo]

14 hours ago, Bestcee said:

Question: if you get 3% back, but pay a fee of 3.75 % to use the credit card (average fee to use CC over cash at many local businesses), aren't you losing money still? Because the rewards amount is eaten up by the surcharge? 

Oh obviously if there's a cash discount I pay with cash. It's rare though. I actually see it most often with gas club prices where you have to tie a debit card to their loyalty program for the 10 cent a gallon discount. I have a special separate bank account with a debit card just for that. I don't keep a lot of money in there and never use a debit card elsewhere.

[Ditchdoc]

I have had this card for maybe 15 years or more. I don't really care for it that much

Interest rate is high and to claim even a cheap 2 for 1 cruise means charging 60k plus on the card. In all those years, we have taken advantage of the twofer twice. We have cashed in a few hundred here and there for OBC, excursions etc.

For some people that have a lot a cash flow and are able to channel that through the card, you could get some nice perks. Then again, those that have that much cash flow are probably not that concerned about the perks.