Consolidating Loyalty Programs

[Randyk47]

What about the medallions after 200 days!:confused: (Or have they been eliminated, again)?:rolleyes:

 

I'm a little confused about the medallions. I actually thought they had been eliminated and the only reason they're still handing them out is because some ships still have a supply. Once those are gone, they're gone and there won't be anymore. Right??? :confused:

[Jade13]

What the cruise lines really want to do is to get the casual regular cruiser to be loyal. If you're going to take one vacation a year, they want it to be on their cruise line rather than a competing line or a land-based vacation. So in that sense they offer perks to keep you coming back, which would be worthless if they reset every January 1st.

 

HAL's program does not do that. The Celebrity and Azamara programs do. You need 10 points to reach their Elite/Discoverer or top status and cruises of 12 days or longer get two points and Concierge class, Aqua class, and Suites get two points. One can become Elite in as little as 4 cruises. Their shortest cruise is 2 nights, and since the 2 night cruise would not qualify for the maximum of 3 points, than one could take that cruise every year for 5 years and would reach the top tier after 10 nights on the ship. They than have reciprocal benefits on Azamara and Royal Caribbean.

[ironin]

FWIW, these are the benefits provided to Celebrity's top public elite level members:

 

Elite Member Benefits* (After 10 earned tier credits)**

• Exclusive Captain's Club Celebration event

• Complimentary pressing of 2 garment items

• One complimentary bag of laundry (wash, dry, fold) on every sailing‡

• One standard bag of laundry (wash, dry, fold) at a discounted price of $20 on all Celebrity cruises of 12 nights or longer

• Complimentary dry cleaning of 1 garment item

• Complimentary 90 minute Internet package (can be applied towards a larger Internet package)

• Access to the Captain's Club Lounge for coffeehouse style breakfast and evening social hour (open daily except embarkation and the evening of the Senior Officers’ Cocktail Party)

• Complimentary access to Persian Garden (on one (1) port day of your choice, while the ship is in port)

 

 

• Complimentary use of the Loyalty Desk member service center between cruises

• Complimentary access to the onboard Loyalty Host during your cruise

• A premium onboard discount booklet filled with special offers during each cruise

• Complimentary upgrade from ChoiceAir to ChoiceAir Plus when booking travel for your cruise

• Pre-sailing specialty restaurant reservations available before your cruise

• Annual member Reunion Cruise with additional member events

• One category upgrade prior to sailing (when available)

• Complimentary online Captain's Club newsletter with the latest program news and information

• Priority embarkation while boarding the ship (where available)

• Invitation to a complimentary wine seminar event

• Priority status on the shore excursion waitlist

• Invitation to the exclusive Senior Officer's Cocktail Party

• Access to the private shipboard departure lounge with continental breakfast during disembarkation

• Priority tender service status

• Priority waitlist status for dining room seating

• Invitation to attend the Elegant Tea Service event

• Ability to enroll in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society Diamond Tier

 

 

*Benefits are exclusive to Celebrity sailings (excluding Celebrity Xpedition®)

[ironin]

And these are the benefits provided to HAL's top public elite level members:

 

Guests who collect 200 or more Cruise Day credits join our elite group of 4-Star Mariners. These premier travelers will receive all the following benefits:

 

* Welcome Back Embarkation Lunch in the dining room (from 12:00pm to 1:30pm) as well as a complimentary Mariner Champagne Brunch

* A collectible gift presented to you on board

* A 50% discount on specialty restaurant surcharges, wine packages†, beverages in the Explorations Café† and all mini-bar purchases†

* A complimentary winetasting session

* Complimentary laundry and pressing services†

* A 15% discount on Holland America Line logo clothing sold in onboard shops (may exclude already discounted merchandise)

* A 15% discount on merchandise from http://www.shophollandamerica.com

* Discount on select spa treatments from the Greenhouse Spa & Salon

* Priority disembarkation†

* Priority tender†

* Priority check-in†

* Early notification of shore excursions available for prebooking*

* A complimentary photo of the ship

* A special recognition lapel pin

* A complimentary one-year subscription to Travel + Leisure or Food & Wine magazine (one per household)

* A free subscription to the print or digital* version of Mariner magazine

* An annual cruise planner

* Advance notice of new itineraries*

* Offers to special sailings hosted by a representative of the Mariner Society

* Special offers on select sailings

* Waiver of air deviation fees†

* Complimentary cruise fare on 3rd/4th guest in your stateroom on select sailings

_____________

 

As with most things in life, what benefits one person finds valuable another may consider worthless.

[sail7seas]

Great summary, Ironin. Thanks.

[ironin]

I cheated: copy & pasted direct from their websites ;)

[sail7seas]

Doesn't matter...... you brought us the information. :)

[iancal]

There is absolutely no comparison between cruise line loyalty programs and airline or hotel loyalty programs. When was the last time a high frequency cruiser got rewarded with a free upgrade (a real one, not a category upgrade) or a complementary cruise????? As an example, we received our copy of the Mariner magazine last month. It had a big printed $5. price on the front. Who on earth would pay $5. for an advertising feature? Not us.

[topspot]

I really feel that the cruise lines have missed the boat (pun intended) when it comes to loyalty programs. It should be run more like a points system. You earn points for each dollar you spend and have ways to earn bonus points (such as using the HAL credit card, or bonus point for certain cruises, etc). Then they should have a menu of available items “for sale” for a set amount of points.

Want a free Pinnacle Grill meal? That will x points.

Want a category upgrade? That will be y points.

Want a free cruise? That will be z points.

Kind of like how Dam Dollars used to work. They could even call them Dam Dollars or Dam Points or some such dam name. This way loyal cruises can get the type of reward that appeals to them.

[sail7seas]

I really feel that the cruise lines have missed the boat (pun intended) when it comes to loyalty programs. It should be run more like a points system. You earn points for each dollar you spend and have ways to earn bonus points (such as using the HAL credit card, or bonus point for certain cruises, etc). Then they should have a menu of available items “for sale” for a set amount of points.

Want a free Pinnacle Grill meal? That will x points.

Want a category upgrade? That will be y points.

Want a free cruise? That will be z points.

 

Kind of like how Dam Dollars used to work. They could even call them Dam Dollars or Dam Points or some such dam name. This way loyal cruises can get the type of reward that appeals to them.

 

 

I like that plan. That way people get to select from things that matter to them and not be presented rewards that have no value to them. If in the end, there is nothing on the list the cruiser wants, give them OBC or $$ off cruise fare - so many $$ for so many points

 

Of course, we need to remember, they don't have to offer anything. We millions of mariners keep returning. If they keep giving us the cruises we love, we keep coming.

 

Good idea, topspot.

[Randyk47]

I like that plan. That way people get to select from things that matter to them and not be presented rewards that have no value to them. If in the end, there is nothing on the list the cruiser wants, give them OBCor $$ off cruise fare - so many $$ for so many points.

 

Good idea, topspot.

 

I also agree. Makes a lot more sense to me than the present program.

[iancal]

A points based system would allow people to pick and choose the benefits that have value to THEM. The mariner lunch, the medallions, the special boarding have absolutely no value to us. Others may feel differently and want to spring for these. An upgrade, a free cruise, and X dollars of shore tours would appeal to us.

 

We use our ailine and hotel points sparingly to yield the most benefit to us according to our own preferences and habits. As an example, we have only used hotel points in Europe where hotels are much more expensive and we usually use them for airport hotels or in other locations where there are not a lot of hotels to choose from. When we go to Europe, we always take advantage of the one free stopover/open jaw that our program allows for.

[Hawaiidan]

For the most part the " rewards" one gets from cruise lines like Holland America are, well laughable. I recall my wife and I getting these "special mariner pins" recently that we promptly filed in the trash....whoopie doo.

 

Come on... 20% off a wine marked up 200%... what a deal and those special lunches.... gimme a break 25% off a speciality dinner... a whopping $4 !!!! Forgive me if I dont buy into it

 

Hotels give points Airlines give points.. CCL could give points and have awards you could redeem them for.... Airlines give more points for first class than coach, Hotels do too. Marriott has 6 classes of hotel 10,000 points for a Fairfield 30,000 for a Lux Resort per night.

 

Just set up a simple points system.

1 point per dollar on Carnival to 10 points per dollar on Seabourn...

ues them for anything... on any shore, meals, liquor, internet., the cruise its self, an up grade, hotel and flights to the cruise......

 

As an example I accrue points with my airline and its partners and every few years get flights for free that would have coat me over $20,000.!!!

[kazu]

I'm a little confused about the medallions. I actually thought they had been eliminated and the only reason they're still handing them out is because some ships still have a supply. Once those are gone, they're gone and there won't be anymore. Right??? :confused:

 

Hi Randy, I'm not sure, when we were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in the fall (a brand new ship) we got our medallions and they were handing out all levels at a special cocktail party that the captain held.

 

i did ask the captain and he said that the medallions were not being eliminated as far as he knew. (no guarantees though) ;)

[iancal]

Hawaiidan...don't forget the instrinsic value of those potential invites to the captain's table, those wonderful medallions, that highly acclaimed magazine (aka advertising feature), priority boarding, or the few dollars worth of drycleaning/laundry! I would certainly consider giving up my airline and hotel programs for something like this! Not.

[Randyk47]

Hawaiidan...don't forget the instrinsic value of those potential invites to the captain's table, those wonderful medallions, that highly acclaimed magazine (aka advertising feature), priority boarding, or the few dollars worth of drycleaning/laundry! I would certainly consider giving up my airline and hotel programs for something like this! Not.

 

Speaking of the Captain's Table....when is the last time anybody remembers even seeing a Captain's Table much less being invited to dine at it? We've been once and that one and only time was our one and only time on a Celebrity ship. :) That would be some perk....to get invited to a Captain's Table that maybe happens once in 20 cruises. :rolleyes::D

[dadecitycruiser]

Lots of interesting responses. I do like the one about giving points based on dollars spent. If they wanted to weight them based on the different lines so be it, or allow redemption at different values on different lines but it seems to me there should be some recognition of spending at the corporate level not just at the line level.

 

HAL doesn't cruise areas during the hurricane season but that is when school is out. Why be penalized (or not recognized) because you took one of their lines that does cruise during that period? I would like to do a cruise on Cunard but again, no recognition so do I select another line based on price alone? Just doesn't seem like the smart thing to do from an overall corporate standpoint.

 

I agree the perks are minimal, but that even argues more to do it since there really isn't much involved. Just my opinion but it seems others feel that way also.

 

DCC

[erewhon]

Speaking of the Captain's Table....when is the last time anybody remembers even seeing a Captain's Table much less being invited to dine at it? We've been once and that one and only time was our one and only time on a Celebrity ship. :) That would be some perk....to get invited to a Captain's Table that maybe happens once in 20 cruises. :rolleyes::D

 

Each Formal night on the Volendam, September 24th to October 22nd, Captain Visser hosted a goup at a large round table in the Lower Dining room. On one occasion we recognised the occupiers of the Penthouse among the group, another night a couple from one of the suites were at the table.

[Randyk47]

Each Formal night on the Volendam, September 24th to October 22nd, Captain Visser hosted a goup at a large round table in the Lower Dining room. On one occasion we recognised the occupiers of the Penthouse among the group, another night a couple from one of the suites were at the table.

 

That would be a special treat but our experience on HAL has been that's really pretty rare. In fact, we were on the Volendam with Captain Visser and he didn't hold one during any of the three formal nights.

[erewhon]

Ooops, got the date wrong, should be September 22nd to October 22nd.

 

Randy, this is what we observed.

The selected group of passengers were led down the stairs into the Lower Dining room by the Dining room Manager, who seated them at the appropriate seats.

The Captain's wife attended at least one of these dinners, she was seated directly opposite the Captain at the large round table.

We were seated by the rail upstairs so we had a good view of proceedings!!

We were curious as to who qualifies to be invited?

 

Do not recall a Captains Dinner table the week prior, on the cruise to Alaska.

Maybe these dinners only occur on the longer cruises

[Randyk47]

It really beats me on how they figure who to invite when and if they have a Captain's Table. On Celebrity it was the Penthouse and Royal Suite passengers who got the invites and they had them every formal night. We got invited to the first one which was the second cruise night. We got a letter in our cabin inviting us and asking us to meet as a specific time in one of the smaller lounges. An area had been roped off and there was a hostess standing there checking to see if we were "on the list". They gave us free cocktails of our choices and warm appetizers before the captain joined us. After 30-40 minutes of conversation the hostess led up into the MDR and down to the main floor to a long oval table. The captain ordered wine for the table....a number of bottles....that were supposedly his favorites. They also had one of the photographers shoot a picture of the table from the upper level. I've heard HAL runs it about the same way. It is really a nice experience and unfortunately I don't see it happen often on HAL. Other than the one Celebrity cruise I think I've only seen two or three Captain's Tables total on HAL in eight cruises of 10 or more days long.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Hal should plain for the baby-boomers

[iancal]

The fundamental challenge with HAL's loyalty program is threefold- as others have noted. First, the rewards have little actual value. Second, once a cruiser has reached the top level there are no further reward enhancements based on spend or days at sea. Third, there is really no choice in rewards-the basket of products are there and one has to take them or leave them.

 

This is a not a program designed to reward customers, it is designed to placate them and nudge their egos a little.