Only peripherally. Ok to ignore.

On the Explorer also
 

We will be on the May 8th trip, Monte Carlo > Barcelona. You? Perhaps we'll get a chance to meet up. Send me a message if you're on the same ship and we can exchange info.

Anyone know if cruise bookings are coded under "travel agency"? Last year, the charge posted as Viking so I would assume not (hard to tell with Chase).

Looking at Oceania this year and want to see if it'll trigger the Citi Prestige 3x "travel agency" category. TIA

Unfortunately May is Lisbon to London (Southampton) on Explorer. We have a small group (probably 15). Too bad you would have really liked everyone. Have fun. Our September ends in Barcelona and we're staying for a couple of days as we really loved the city when we stopped there on another cruise. Gaudi is amazing!

My Seabourn cruises have merchant code for "travel," thus earning triple points on my JPMR (and same withe CSR, I presume).

Does Ponant qualify here? I'm booked on one (via Tauck) next year.

Qualify for what? Never been in one but was docked with the then brand new Le Lyrial on Kotor a couple of years ago. We were on the Silversea Silver Spirit which is pretty nice but it was like a van parked next to a sports car. Beautiful ship. I read mixed reviews but mostly from Americans who didn't mix well with the majority French passengers, staff, and crew. I've heard Ponant has hired more English speaking staff and crew in an attempt to address some early on language problems.

I was asking whether Ponant qualifies as "high end" for this thread? The cruise I'm booked on is via Tauck, so am assuming they'll be ready for monolingual Anglos; I speak French, but the others I'm with do not. My only other cruise has been Windstar (Pride) so am kind of spoiled regarding a
small(er) ship.

Yes. They are a high end line but as I recall not all-inclusive like some of the luxury lines. Tips and gratuities are not included in the fare. I believe all liquor and wine consumption is by the drink/bottle.

many operators will use them, not sure if always full charter or what

abercrombie & kent and others have used them to antarctica for example

full charters (resold) make it different, kind of like special interest charters

Not too concerned about alcohol, although I thought I'd seen that wine is included?

Thanks, but I clarified with my TA on how it works. The cards are always charged via the cruise, even if handled through a travel agency. If I wanted to charge as a travel agency, there may or not be an extra fee by the TA.

I guess if you want 3X points, you'll have to use a CSR :)

whatssa CSR? whatssa

whatssa CSR? whatssa JPMR? where do the points go?