You can get NCL gift cards through HSN.com on a pretty good promo -- you get a $100 HSN gift card for buying a $500 NCL card. Plus, HSN tends to sell through miles and cash back portals, whic allow earning even on gift card purchases. I used ultimate rewards -- I'll get 5x points this way instead of getting 2x by paying for the cruise costs directly with my sapphire card.

NCL gift cards are a reasonably new product, so there doesn't seem to be much out there on them. One concerning thing is that T&C of this promo, which seems to indicate that only 1 card can be used toward a reservation. So, I guess I would be a bit reluctant to buy 10 of them for a $5,000 cruise given this odd reference. (It says only 5 per household, but who knows if that can be worked around.) I bought a couple -- at worst I'll use them for onboard account charges and gratuities on a cruise this summer.

I also don't really know what use HSN gift cards are. I assume HSN sells a lot of crap. The obvious upside, of course, would be a double dip opportunity -- if HSN is still selling NCL gift cards when the HSN gift cards arrive, and if HSN gift cards can be used to purchase more NCL gift cards, it works out to a 20 percent discount.

Please share experiences or thoughts!

http://www.hsn.com/products/norwegia...n-card/7322867

Buy 5x$500 NCL, Get 5 X $100 HSN= 1 free $500 NCL + 1 Free $100 HSN

Yes, assuming that NCL gift cards will still be on sale when you receive the HSN cards, and assuming that HSN cards can be used to buy NCL gift cards.

Do you have any experience to know it will work?

I purchased yesterday, and it says that delivery will take about 2 weeks, so there's no guarantee that NCL cards will still be for sale when the HSN gift cards are received.

No. But a phone call to HSN might expedite the process.

I really wouldn't do that.

Unless by "expedite the process" you mean, "potentially kill a great way to get 22.5 percent off NCL cruises." I've ordered some and will post my results as soon as the HSN cards arrive.

Watch "Defending Your Life" with M. Streep.

I'll, um, get right on that.

I wonder if this gift card can only be used to buy from NCL, how about if we book thru TA, can we still use them? Thanks!

I will note the following from the NCL faq
"Q: How many Gift Cards can be used for each purchase?
A: Up to 3 Gift Cards can be used for each Norwegian purchase."

http://www.ncl.com/giftcard/faq

For cruise reservation purchases, the HSN site says
"Limit of one (1) Norwegian Gift Card can be applied towards the purchase of a new reservation"

Of course, the deal is over.

You are getting 20 percent MORE, not a 20 percent discount.
A discount is a subtraction from the retail price
So, you are getting $100 off $600, not $100 off $500, or 16 2/3 percent discount.

On cruise critic, they are reporting being able to use multiple gift cards to pay down an existing reservation. They also can be used to prepay gratuities or purchase OBC online.

Right. Good point. Actually, though, it would be a 20 percent discount, because the chain would have gone further if it all worked. $500 >> $100 >> $25, so $625 worth of cruising for $500. But, it didn't work. They waited to ship out the HSN gift cards until after HSN stopped selling the NCL gift cards. I think I'll hold on to mine for a while, just in case they bring them back. The stuff on HSN isn't that great, so no harm in waiting a bit.