HAL Launches a New Look for Mariner Magazine

[sapper1]

I received mine yesterday---mailed from their Vancouver address.

[YXU AC*SE]

Something to think about: Given that marketing resources are finite, if you were a business owner, would you spend a lot of incremental $$$ to attract a customer that you are pretty sure you are are going to keep regardless? How many days are you at KK? a bazillion? (teehee ;)) I'm at 140 days and counting ... and I just tripped over being 40yo. Perhaps HAL has made some sort of loyalty and/or purchase propensity index which scores us being willing to book without having to spend incremental marketing dollars on us. Most marketing orgs do that. Why preach to the choir?

 

I do think it is poor customer service that when you specifically put your hand up (I did the online thing too, I even had my newly appointed PCC say that he would take care of it, and still nada) that they can't manually ship you out a copy. However, in the .pdf version (http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hal/mariner-winter10-cad/#/6) it does now mention in the legal copy below the masthead (page 6) that "a limited supply of Mariner copies will be available at 4,95$ per copy, with 2,00$ handling fee be calling the Mariner Society ..." Likely they don't want to be mailing them out, so they set the price at 7$ to discourage anyone from asking.

 

Or perhaps I am giving HAL's marketing team too much credit. :-)

 

Scott.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have only 583 days -- not as young as you -- way older -- and know that we wonlt make it to 700 days.

Would just like to receive the Mariner Magazine -- guess when HAL realizes that we are no longer cruising we'll start receiving them and then will just be throwing them away without bothering to read them.

[Storylady]

I called the Mariners Society on Monday of this week to tell them I had not received their new magazine. As I said previously, I also told them that I had not received the last two editions of the Mariners magazine until I had called their office. They said that they will check with their vendor as to why I wasn't receiving a copy (hopefully that will happen).

 

Today I received my copy of the new Mariners Magazine. My copy was mailed Tuesday since I called just before 5 PM on Monday. And it was hand addressed to us. The post mark was Seattle.

 

So Mariners do call the office if you haven't received your magazine. And do tell them that you haven't in the past. Maybe if they receive enough calls from you, your situation can be corrected. It is more fun to read an actual magazine than read a PDF file version on the computer.

 

Looking quickly through the magazine, I miss see the multiple destination articles and the Mariner pictures. But maybe they will correct some of that in future articles as they are asking for our photos.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yea!!

We just got our Mariner Magazine today!! My husband is already reading it!!

First one we have gotten in several years!!!

Thank you HAL!!!

[sail7seas]

I'm happy to hear you got a copy of Mariners Magazine, KK.

 

Enjoy it~!!!!!

[Gerd]

…

 

Hello all,

 

I read here a lot of remarks concerning international supply from HAL, and my understanding is, just do not expect too much….

 

Please have a look down below on my E-Mail exchange with its HAL Mariner Society at Seattle. As you can see, recently via E-Mail an essay from me was emited in order to understand they’re business behavior.

 

On the given answer from Seattle one can read from, that HAL really proceed in a random and meanwhile in an unacceptable manner they’re business.

 

 

They do not have any clue how they can satisfy "ALL" of they’re customers while using all its benefits from the cost-free possibilities the web is offering.

 

=> And as regularly mentioned on this very informative board, the answer from them was more then rudimentary – but just inacceptable.

That’s why I asked for an additional explanation – but because I bothered them with it, I was not fortunate to get another answer…..

 

 

There are more then my wife, myself and "English_in_Spain" who lives outside of there home country and also not in the US - but the majority of them are not deserved by HAL – what a pour customer service this is !!!

 

 

Concerning the new star system, and like I mentioned in my letter to the Mariner Society, how do we actually will get those new established amenities, if not requesting them ???

 

 

Conclusion, HAL do use the internet like one play dice, but an effort to equalize the effort to all of there customer they really does not start with.

 

 

 

Happy cruising from a likely frustrated HAL cruiser

 

G E R D

 

 

 

Dear Holland America Line Mariner Society

 

I read on a couple of web-based forums, that people receive from you via ordinary letters or E-Mails, statements about cruising info’s and much of other thinks, and even on a regular basis your Mariner Magazine.

 

=> But surprisingly, we with 136 loyal HAL cruising days, and 22 in view onboard of the MS Nieuw Amsterdam on her July 4 maiden voyage, we never got such kind of thinks from you ??

 

And while looking on your web-pages, we find out that 3 star Mariner will get like reward at least your Mariner Magazine, Annual cruise planner, Advanced information on new itineraries, special offers, and some more perks ..... How we would get all of them ?

 

Standard customer care react by them self, I do it my way and kindly ask you today via this E-Mail to please follow your statements.

 

 

We do understand that printed versions are certainly too expensive to be air-shipped to France.

 

 

But because sending E-Mails - including attachments - does really do not cost anything, but just a marginal effort and goodwill, hereby we politely ask you to put our name / E-Mail address into all your customer distribution lists.

 

 

Dear Mr. and Mrs….

 

Thank you for your email telling us that you are not receiving mailings from the Mariner Society.

We send limited emails outside of the United States and Canada at this time. We are working on expanding our International communications. In the meantime, you may view the current Mariner Magazine as well as information about cruise prices and availability via our website at http://www.hollandamerica.com.

 

If you have questions about rates you may send an email to reservations@hollandamerica.com or contact your local travel agent.

 

Holland America Line hopes to welcome you on board in the near future. We are confident our signature of excellence will surpass your expectations. Please let us know if we can be of futher assistance.

 

 

Kind Regards,

Mariner Society

Holland America Line

 

 

 

Dear Holland America Line Mariner Society,

 

the manner how your answer is given is really annoying to me – because it shows, that your Society don’t care about ALL of there customer.

 

Your "We send limited emails outside of the United States and Canada at this time" looks like that HAL do not really wants to have else then US and Canadian citizen on board of they’re vessels ?!?

 

Please be aware, that I work there, where the tool "Internet and E-Mail" is invented and build (CERN - Geneva), and by this I can tell you, that jour business-like and logical aim to serve ALL of your customers needs only a minor effort.

 

Please just add your entire Mariner list into your distribution data-base and that’s it. It does not harm and burn your homeland security indeed need, or something else one could imagine, and also it does not cost more then just sending it into the United States – but nothing.

 

And last but not least, the reference on your Mariner Society web-page concerning the Mariner Rewards i.e. for sending the Mariner Magazine "Email address required" and your today E-Mail statement does also not really fit together. =>> Mentioning on a Mariner Society answer to me the link for reading your Mariner Magazine "only" http://www.hollandamerica.com and not directly your proper one http://www.hollandamerica.com/marinerSociety/Main.action is incomprehensible ????

 

 

 

We hope that we will have definitely "We are confident our signature of excellence will surpass your expectations" on our 22 days inaugural cruise on the MS Nieuw Amsterdam – because the last cruises did not really reach your predication !!!

 

 

 

 

 

Our HAL cruises : :)

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars – July 2006

MS Veendam - Southern Caribbean – March 2007

MS Volendam – Panama Canal – April 2008

MS Noordam – Mediterranean Enchantment – September 2009

 

136 days - 34'665 Nm :

 

 

 

Future Cruise : :p

 

 

3+7 / 10-day Mediterranean Prelude & Inaugural Cruise :

 

 

 

12-day Mediterranean Empires :