HAL Loyalty and senior perks

Maybe I'm missing something but, when booking and subsequently checking prices from time to time, there is no difference in price by checking the senior box or past mariner number. Just when are these relevant?

I doubt you will see any Senior perks on HAL, as virtually everyone IS a Senior!

Mariner discounts do exist, on certain sailings. Normally I get a mailing on them from HAL. You should register with HAL as to your interest in certain cruises.

For us, there seemed to be a difference after we returned from a fabulous, 14 night trip around South America.

Since then I regularly receive "Private Fares" in emails from HAL. Many weeks ago we received one for a nice 14 night itinerary in Tahiti that included "free" airfare from LAX.

You cannot go online to book it without the Promo Code. (it may have expired by now)

Frankly, I am waiting to see what the free airfare is all about. It isn't availble to book for another month. Being a confirmed skeptic, I expect some kind of hidden costs which will **ss me off and make me cancel.

My suggestion, with the "Private Offers" is to also price them out with 2 or 3 reputable high volume cruise agencies. I think you might be surprised at the result :).

Hank

Mariner discounts do exist, on certain sailings.

Indeed. I saw a difference of about $400pp on our TP when booking with my Mariner number.:)

Have never gotten anything for being a senior.

Have never gotten anything for being a senior.

Ditto. :(

... Frankly, I am waiting to see what the free airfare is all about. It isn't availble to book for another month. Being a confirmed skeptic, I expect some kind of hidden costs which will **ss me off and make me cancel.

Since you are a confirmed skeptic, you shouldn't be surprised or angered when things turn out exactly as you expect.

For us, there seemed to be a difference after we returned from a fabulous, 14 night trip around South America.

 

Since then I regularly receive "Private Fares" in emails from HAL. Many weeks ago we received one for a nice 14 night itinerary in Tahiti that included "free" airfare from LAX.

 

You cannot go online to book it without the Promo Code. (it may have expired by now)

 

Frankly, I am waiting to see what the free airfare is all about. It isn't availble to book for another month. Being a confirmed skeptic, I expect some kind of hidden costs which will **ss me off and make me cancel.

Healthy skepticism is a good thing :). A few years ago we booked a 36 day Oosterdam transpacific cruise which included then then, new, HAL drink package. It was a pricey booking but we loved the itinerary and the nice thought of the drink package. A few weeks later, HAL ended the promotion and we again priced out our cruise (already booked). We were shocked to see that the price (for our cabin category) has dropped about $11,000 (yes, that is eleven thousand). So a little math showed us that we were paying over $152 per person/day for the drink package. Of course we made a fast call to our cruise agent who quickly repriced the cruise at the lower rate (and of course we did lose that drink package). Our total cost for drinks on that cruise was about $3000.....so by rejecting the promo we saved around $8000.

So yes, be skeptical, book your cruise...and then monitor future price/promo changes.

Hank

I've never heard of HAL offering senior rates, but I know Carnival, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Pullmantur cruise lines do.

We cruise on several lines. We have only had a seniors discount once. It was a very nice discount on a last minute RCI cruise booked in Australia. It made me wonder if seniors discounts were more common in other countries.

We booked a verandah. Then the agent (phone booking)

said that if we moved down the hall two cabins we would be able to snag the seniors price.....$200 AUD less each for a total savings of $400. Essentially the identical cabin. We moved!

On a popular TA site, there are currently no senior discounts on HAL. HAL used to have the occasional Teacher discount (DW is!), and we used it a couple of times, but no longer.

Never got a senior discount on HAL but have received AARP discounts on NCL.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Never got a senior discount on HAL but have received AARP discounts on NCL.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Never got a senior discount. However, one day in Charleston, we were approached by a street vendor - I know, I know, about a 'deal'. Well we took the free lunch. And after listening to the pitch, we bought into the deal. They give us a percentage of the cost not to mention any deals that Holland America offered were included-- a significant amount -- and we've recouped our cost in less than 3 years, we are now collecting profit. You have to shop around.

I can understand HAL not offering discounts for seniors.

It would mean that they would have to give discounts to the vast majority of their customers. It would cease to be a 'special' discount.

I can understand HAL not offering discounts for seniors.

 

It would mean that they would have to give discounts to the vast majority of their customers. It would cease to be a 'special' discount.

It appears that HAL's marketing strategy is working just fine, so no need to add a senior discount feature.

I have no idea if HAL's marketing strategy is or is not working. I would have to know how their revenue per passenger day (or whatever gauge the industry uses) stacks up against their target, the other cruise lines owned by Carnival Corp, and by what is considered to be best in class.

Filling the cabins is hardly good enough. They need to fill them for he right price and with customers who will spend money on board. In order to do that they have to have amenities that attract spending and attract new customers.

Any cruise line can fill a ship. It is as easy as dropping the price prior to sailing. We leave on Thursday for a week long AI. The resort will be full. We bought it a few days ago on a very attractive offer.

Have never gotten anything for being a senior.

Umm ... a long life with many wisdom-building choices and results. That doesn't lower your cruise fare but, oh my, what a treasure. :)

Have never gotten anything for being a senior.

Ditto here as well .

If HAL offered senior rates the whole ship would be sailing at a discount

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Forums mobile app

Filling the cabins is hardly good enough. They need to fill them for he right price and with customers who will spend money on board. In order to do that they have to have amenities that attract spending and attract new customers.

This post may have been entered by voice recognition. Please excuse any typographical errors.

Perhaps if HAL really want to change their image and be more in line with their apparent marketing thrusts they should start charging seniors more than others. HAL's marketing challenge is not having too few seniors on their ships!

Give a good discount to their target market to help move the needle a little on the their current demographics.

And at the same time upgrade their existing ships and increase the speed at which the introduce new ships and retire the older ones.