NCTribeFan

My CCL S/H OBC has never shown up on any booking confirmation (I've owned CCL since 2009 and have many, many times on Carnival and a few on HAL since then). I always print out my email from the cruise line that says it's been credited to my account. I'm not sure I understand the pre-paying via credit card for a shorex and then having it switched to OBC once on board. But I never have so much OBC that I would need to do that to use it up (I typically spend it in the spa). Are you saying it gets refunded to my credit card and charged against the onboard account, and uses up OBC? But then it takes a full billing cycle to be refunded to my credit card, right? Or do they just credit your onboard account, regardless of what CC you used to pay for the excursion originally? Is this a "trick" to convert spending to refundable OBC which I could then use in the casino? I rarely book ship excursions unless I'm using the HIA credit, but it would be nice to know just how this works. Thanks!

As a 3* who had purchased CO, pointing out the Priority on my boarding pass didn't help. The person asked multiple times if I was 4 or 5* or in a Neptune. I finally said I had Club Orange and she realized I was in the correct line. Now I know to immediately tell whomever that I have CO so they don't just look at the stars on the pass.

I have the Rotterdam TA booked for next October. I got the HIA early booking which includes crew appreciation. I don't really need the upgraded drink package or wifi. Checked the price last night and the base fare for a gty is about $300 less (I book gty and add CO), so that would offset not getting tips included. I'm going to check with my PCC and see if I can do this if she re-fares it with the "normal" HIA. I believe the current HIA also includes more for shore excursions.

Cruising is much more popular than it was even a couple of decades ago and the loyalty programs just end up getting watered down because there are So Many people at the higher levels these days. I don't really care about pins, either, but if they're giving them out, and I've "earned" one, then I'd like to receive it. But, yeah, the perks do matter. HAL's perks are so much better than Carnival's loyalty perks. Yes, I get free laundry on Carnival and have for years, but I rarely use it, so getting to 4* on HAL just for free laundry doesn't excite me that much although it would've come in handy on the 26 nights I spent on Rotterdam this past spring. The 50% discount on wine packages and specialty dining does interest me for when I don't purchase HIA. And on ships with Tamarind, I'll use it even if I have HIA because I want to dine there more than once per sailing. And in Canaletto. These are tangible benefits that I will use.

Yes, I counted actual nights and I'm mid-90s now. I'm also approaching 4* but probably won't hit that until during the Rotterdam TA next October. Of course that depends on how much I spend while on Eurodam in January (I added HIA and CO and haven't yet been able to figure out how any of my points have been calculated - and I'm an accountant 😄 ). I'll ask about it early on and also ask about having never received a 3* pin.

I believe I'll pass 100 nights while on Eurodam in January. Does that mean I'll receive a medal? Yay! Something else to put in my nightstand drawer. 😁

Just for fun (!) I just went digging through the nightstand's 2 drawers which is where I toss all my cabin cards and pins. I found all my cruise cards, going back to 2001 when I first started sailing except for the one RCI cruise I took in 2003 and the Carnival Vista inaugural sailing in 2016. That was my 25th Milestone sailing (separate recognition from their usual rewards). That's a little disappointing. So, all those Carnival cards (I've sailed them 37 times), 3 MSC, 1 NCL, 1 X, and 10 HAL (I count B2Bs as separate sailings because that's how I've booked them). I have over 30 Carnival pins. What's nice about those is they show the ship name. I really do not need duplicates, though. I sailed the old Carnival Fantasy enough times that I could've earned Platinum status on that ship alone. I did NOT find a 3* HAL pin. The only HAL pins I have were from my first Z'dam sailing. During trivia, they gave out small pins showing a region that HAL sails (Alaska, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Med, etc). I have 5 or 6 of those. But no 3*. I don't really need one but I might ask about it when I sail in January. I'm happy enough just to get some perks.

I may reach 4* on my January Eurodam sailing (depending on my onboard spending, probably). I do not recall receiving a 3* pin. I'll have to look. Carnival "upgrades" you to the next level while on that cruise, which is nice. But I know HAL doesn't because of the calculation for days + spending. Would be nice to have laundry for next October's Rotterdam TA. I've been Platinum on Carnival for many cruises and don't use the laundry service often (I really don't trust those gigantic industrial machines to not ruin my semi-delicate clothes) but I've read posts here that HAL's laundry folks are very good at following specific instructions and requests, so I'll be tempted to try sending out something other than light/white cotton t-shirts, undies and socks! I do appreciate the 3* discount on wine packages and specialty dining for those sailing where I haven't booked HIA and look forward to additional discounts when I reach 4*.

OK, back to the topic of seeing where your SH OBC is in your account... I never can see it on HAL. Maybe if I apply for the credit prior to making final payment, I could see it when I look at the booking/manage payments as 0bnxshs said above. Since I paid my January cruise off recently, I see nothing there but the fare, taxes/fees, and total. The booking confirmation I received after payoff shows the same OBC I had when I first booked despite my paying the balance off early to receive the extra OBC that (supposedly) is being offered for early payoff. So, since online doesn't show me OBC anywhere, I have no idea whether the early-payoff or my SH OBC has been applied. Yes, I did receive the email saying the SH OBC had been applied. It has always appeared on my account once I board but, yes, I do print out the email and take it with me because you just know the one time I don't will be the time it doesn't get applied! Anyway, if there is actually a way to see an OBC breakdown somewhere after you've paid off the cruise, I'd love to know how!

I was on Eurodam in November 2021 on the first sailing when she arrived from Europe (and my first post-Covid cruise). There were only 500 passengers. It was wonderful! Our sailing was shortened by 2 days because they did a "deep cleaning" after arriving from Europe. The ship was spotless. The foor good to very good. I didn't use the spa except for a massage so can't comment on anything else. I'll be on her in January for 11 nights. Really looking forward to it. So far, she's my favorite HAL ship (probably biased because that 500 pax sailing spoiled me). I'll again be in a large inside cabin on Main. Love those! So much space for a solo cruiser.

I've sailed Carnival over 30 times. Food has always been decent to very good. As has already been noted multiple times, food is very subjective. And, it can vary from week to week as those who have sailed B2B2B may have discovered. The handful of sailings I've done on HAL, I thought the food was good to very good. My first HAL sailing on Zaandam, about a dozen years ago, had the best food of any cruise I've ever been on. The casinos on HAL ships are definitely more sedate than those on Carnival, which tend to be packed (and have way too many smokers who ignore the smoking areas and stink up the whole place). Having said that, I get much better casino offers from HAL (starting after that first cruise), than I get on Carnival. I didn't get a free offer from Carnival until after I'd sailed 30 times. Small discounts, yes, but never the free cabin offers until recently. I don't need a party atmosphere in the casino anyway. So, sail HAL with it's beautiful ships, great service, good food, and fewer party passengers or continue to sail Carnival with the same entertainment, jokes, bad entertainment, and ugly decor? Well, I'm sailing Carnival again in January but only because I was able to tack on a 6-night sailing with friends to the front of my 11 night Eurodam sailing. It's all subjective. If someone isn't happy, so be it. I tend to think one experience can be an anomaly but I also understand why someone wouldn't want to try again to find out. But when it's free? I'd try another time just to confirm that it wasn't for me.

OK, so maybe my OBC won't show up until later. I paid my balance on Wednesday; it was due 10/15. Where will I see that? I never see OBC online. Will they send a new invoice?

I finally heard back from my PCC this afternoon. She said I'd get the OBC if I paid by 10/31. Since I had to pay it off by 10/15 anyway, I went ahead and just did that (I had $700 in AARP Gift Cards, so didn't have a huge balance to put on my CC anyway). My new invoice does NOT show $100 more in OBC than I had to start. I'll have to contact her again. I booked while on Rotterdam last spring and booked a NR fare, so can't help anyone needing to know if it converts a refundable deposit to NR.

I didn't get the offer. My January cruise is due 10/15. Maybe I'll call my PPC and see if I'll get the $100 OBC if I go ahead and pay it now. My pitiful bank account won't earn $100 this year, let alone in two weeks! 😉

My experience has been that when I book my "regular" sailings, I still always get a casino discount (usually 20-30%). On those bookings, I've received my CCL OBC. When I book a free or deeply-discounted casino rate, I do NOT get my CCL OBC. When I asked to have the AARP OBC applied to my two upcoming cruises (Eurodam in January and Rotterdam next October), it was applied to the Rotterdam sailing but not Eurodam. Eurodam was not a deeply-discounted casino fare, so I'm not sure why. Both booking confirmations show a casino discount, but neither was a "almost fee" fare. Oh well. Consistency is not a strong point with any cruise line I've sailed! I have no experience/knowledge regarding the fares (veteran/educator/etc). Yes, the Priority Check-In is only for "special" casino cruises Those are not frequent. And it doesn't say Priority Boarding, does it? On Carnival's special casino sailings, those folks get priority check-in and board AFTER the Diamond/Platinum loyalty members, after Suite pax, and after those who "buy" their priority via Carnival's Faster to the Fun program. So, it really isn't much of a perk. Boarding Envy is not an attractive trait! 😄

Count me in as preferring shrimp to lobster. I wouldn't mind having that lobster roll, though. Was just thinking that when my company arrives tomorrow that we should go to Nantucket Grill for an early dinnner and I'll have a lobster roll!

FTR, HAL's afternoon is vastly superior to Carnival's. They just do not get it. Bring around a box of tea bags. Maybe 10 minutes later, bring around a tin of lukewarm water. Bring around the sweet items. 10 minutes later, maybe bring around the savory. And they only do tea on sea days. I gave up on them several years ago but tried again last january and it was still just wrong. HAL, otoh, brews the tea! The tables are set. The food items are there. I asked what tea they used back on Eurodam (my first post-Covid, November 2021) and was told it was PG Tips, which is my favorite. I think they do a very good job. Yes, it's the same every day. I'm OK with that. I tend to do my own afternoon tea at around 2:30 or 3 up on Lido. And I am thrilled that they have PG Tips bags on Lido. It makes "real" tea (which to me means it should be a dark reddish-brown, fairly opaque before adding milk). I've been a tea drinker all my life and having lived with an Englishman for several years, this was how we made it at home, and how I continue to make my tea. Tea should be strong. Greyish-tan water is not tea. Ick. Anyway, my friend is getting excited about sailing Zaandam on Sunday.

I've sailed Carnival over 30 times (next up, 6 nights in January from Miami; disembark, drive up to Port Everglades and board Eurodam for 11 nights). For the most part, I've found their food to be reasonably good. I did a B2B2B on Pride last October and the food wasn't great. Did a b2b on a sister ship, Spirit, in January, and the food was much better. So, of course, it varies from ship to ship and even, sometimes, from one week to the next on the same ship! I think HAL's food has been slightly better. I did really enjoy the meals on Rotterdam this past April (26 nights in Club Orange). And Carnival has nothing to compare to Tamarind, although I enjoy their sushi restaurant. One thing, though. Carnival still offers chilled fruit soups as starters. I love those and was very sad to see them dropped from HAL's menus.

Caught up and looking forward to the rest. My friends are boarding when you disembark. It's their first time on HAL as well and she's been asking me lots of questions. This morning, she was wondering how to pack. Would the weather be warm or cool? How do folks dress for dinner on HAL? If her DH doesn't want to dress, should they just have dinner in the buffet? My first HAL cruise was on Zaandam to Hawaii back in 2010, I think. I really loved the ship and the service was fantastic. I hope she's been well maintained and isn't showing her age too much!

I may change to a "regular" interior. The "I" cabins (the square midship ones) look larger, and maybe the accessible ones are, but that space is not well-planned, as noted with the sofa & tv locations. I'll do some looking at cruisedeckplans dot com for more photos. I have CO so should be able to pick any available interior. Cat "I" should be the top of that category, and the midship location is great. Plus, there's virtually no foot traffic in that little center hallway, so it's very quiet. I wonder what all that "white space" is on this class ships in the area between the midship and aft elevators. There are only a handful of "J" cabins and only on some decks. I always want a cabin that has other cabins on the decks above and below. Time to do a little more research. I did really like 6112 but I'm going to consider changing. Going to go see what's still available for the October 2024 TA.

My cabin(s) on Rotterdam this past spring (I had to move next door when I added 10 nights onto the 150th TA) had a full sofa. These were 6112 and 6127. Cabin was big enough for me, as a solo. The more space I have, the more I end up having my crap spread around the cabin. The main issue for me was just the layout. You enter and you're facing the foot of the bed. The sofa is against one wall, the closet against the other along with the bathroom. The vanity across from the foot of the bed. If you have plans to watch a lot of tv, it's very uncomfortable because the tv is at a right angle to the headboard. I preferred 6112 (have booked it again) because i sleep on the left side of the bed and the bathroom is on that side. Plus, sitting in bed "trying" to watch a little tv (I don't do much of that) was a little more comfortable because there was more distance between where I was and the TV. Pictures are of 6112. Cabin really can't compare to the large interiors on Vista and Signature ships. I absolute LOVE those. Just need to be careful of location on those. I'd be very unhappy under the BB Kings Lounge.

So, maybe I should call to see if I can get it added to the one that was declined. Is there a specific number to call to request this?

Well, this is interesting. As I said I would, I wrote to the reservations email address provided. I was approved for my Rotterdam TA in October 2024 but it was declined for my Eurodam Caribbean coming up in January. The reason given was that Eurodam was a casino booking. Well, confirmations for BOTH bookings show a casino discount was applied. I booked Eurodam while on the Rotterdam TA this past spring. The future cruise guy didn't mention it being a casino rate. It's only $50 for me, so I'm not going to complain. In fact, I'm not going to argue because someone might decide that neither qualifies and take it away from the Rotterdam booking. FTR, pretty much every single cruise I book with HAL has a casino discount applied. I always start a mock booking without logging in to see the fare, then I log in and see how much it drops. I do wish HAL was more transparent with their fares. They don't say WHY the fare dropped; just show a new fare, which is typically 20-30% less than it was without logging in. I can see denying the AARP OBC for a casino freebie, but if I'm given the CCL shareholder credit, seems I should also get the AARP credit. Oh well. Just another mystery of how HAL does things!

Thanks. As I noted earlier, I submitted my info on 7/25 and received confirmation immediately (I've been an AARP member for a few years). I'm going to forward that confirmation to the email shown above and request that the OBC applied to my two 2024 bookings which were booked this past spring. Hopefully, that will get it done.

I got my approval on 7/25. Has anyone here gotten it added to existing bookings that got there approval on a date after 7/24?