Fly and Sail

There is plenty of security and CCTV on the ship. Not the ideal place for any kind of shenanigans.

That's fine, I need access to pretty much everything. Where can I upgrade the service though?

How would one go to upgrade the speed from the "Have it all" Surf package? Is there something online or can that be done on the ship only?

Yes, we don't care. We didn't do the match because we want to become permanent HA customers, it was simply a promotion we took up just like joining any other players club that offers $xxx Freeplay to open an players card account. Fine print alone doesn't count as notice for a charge, at least not in the EU. You need to be presented with a receipt/order form and sign off on it. In any case, casinos on cruise ships are usually operated by a different entity that also takes over the fare and pays the cruise line their negotiated rate. HA would get paid for this cabin.

Thanks, I appreciate it. The taxes are minimal on this sailing ($160/pax), so even if those won't flow back, that's not really relevant in the bigger picture.

I quoted the offer terms above, there is no such language. Either way, no matter what they write in their conditions it wouldn't allow them to charge without prior notification in the EU. T&C don't supersede valid consumer law. I'll risk it and report back how it went.:)

Barcelona isn't much of an inconvenience for me and the city itself is quite nice to spend a weekend. In the worst case, I could always go back home, 8000 United miles for a short-haul flight on Lufthansa. By blind charge, I mean if they wanted to charge me anything, they would have to do so at the time of sailing, allowing me to decline. They can't just charge the card at the end of the trip. Not that I'd give them a card that'd allow an unauthorized (high) charge in the first place.

Well, we obviously have the T&C, but those aren't saying much about this situation. There is no language in it regarding the retail rate being charged, as some quoted above from their own offers. Not that they'd get with a blind charge in Europe anyway, they'd have to tell the passengers in advance. GENERAL FREE DEAL TERMS (APPLICABLE TO ANY/ALL AVAILABLE MATCH PROGRAM FREE DEALS (“DEAL(S)”)) Free Deals exclude any deposit and Taxes, Fees, and Port Expenses (“TFPE”). The promotional offer is applicable for 1st/2nd guests only; 3rd/4th/5th guests are responsible for prevailing cruise rates. Holland America Line reserves the right to assess a change fee according to the date of the request, the length of the cruise, and the actual cruise sail date. Cancellation penalties apply. Must be 18+ to play in the casino. Invited Guests under the age of 21 must travel with a relative or guardian of 25 years of age or older. Exclusions may apply to certain Deals. Deals (and any parts) are not transferable, not substitutable, not redeemable for cash and not combinable with any other offer/deal. Deals are only applicable to new bookings, on select sailings, and are capacity controlled (regardless of stateroom availability). Each Deal is only available on select sailings through the date set forth in the Deal’s specific terms. Free Play offers are only valid for the first two guests in the stateroom. Carnival Corporation (“Carnival”) is not responsible or liable for any printing errors. Any Deal may be changed or revoked at any time. Guests must be eligible for passage on Holland America Line ships to be eligible for these Deals. There is no guarantee of availability at time of booking. © 2022 Carnival Corporation. All rights reserved. Ship Registry: The Netherlands.

Ethics aren't my concern at this point. And we don't expect to get any additional offers from HAL as Celebrity is our primary cruise line. We only took this offer because it was attractive and advertised, no intention to play much in the casino unless they have my favorite slot.

Because I don't want them to annotate my booking or flag it in some way. Usually, the CC community always has better answers than cruise line representatives, especially when asking them a hypothetical case.

The offer is always for two people per cabin.

Is the Vista Suite on the Oosterdam anything special or pretty much the same as the Verandah rooms? From what I understand, HA isn't like Celebrity, where an entry-level suite confers suite benefits.

We received a free casino comp via the HA status match in a Visa Suite for which I booked a 12 day Med cruise. The comp cruise certificate is in the name of my girlfriend, and we booked for both of us quite a while ago. Due to some last-minute developments, she will have to sit for an exam and wants a few weeks to study for it. She can't take this cruise but needs alone time either way so I'd still go because it won't make a difference other than the free cruise expiring otherwise. I wonder if HA will bat an eye if she (as the lead passenger on the reservation) won't check in on embarkation day. In the end, people get sick or miss their flights all the time. My parents had a similar situation on Celebrity last year, and they didn't care; even refunding the taxes for the no-show. Thanks to anyone with IRL experience.

Book for two pax, one will be a no show. Refund the taxes.

Nope. Takes forever to arrive and you'll have surge pricing since everybody wants to get one. Easily exceeds the $20 for a cab.