Rare Vict0riann Posted November 8, 2013 #26 Share Posted November 8, 2013 They are very generous about "rounding up". We've been surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaM Posted November 8, 2013 Author #27 Share Posted November 8, 2013 The double days apply to any veranda cabins on R and S class ships and to any PH, S, or S_ cabin on Vista and Signature class ships. It is based on the originally booked cabin, not the upgrade. Precruise purchases for items/activities during the cruise count, but not pre or post cruise hotels, air, or land add ons other than Alaska cruise tours. Question...any veranda cabin? What about standard verandas on Prinsendam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sppunk Posted November 8, 2013 #28 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Question...any veranda cabin? What about standard verandas on Prinsendam? If it has suite in the name, it counts. On R & S ships, verandas are classified as Veranda Suites. I can't speak specifically to what they are called on the Prinsendam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted November 8, 2013 #29 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I asked my PPC about shore excursions booked before the cruise counting towards on board spending Mariner days and she said that they do NOT count. They only count if you purchase them while you are on the ship. This was the relevant part of the email: "Good afternoon! The accrual of Bonus Days are only good for onboard spending. You would have to book the Shore Excursions once you get on the ship for them to count towards the $300." I got this email on October 15 so I'm thinking it reflects the current policy. That must be brand new then. I'm thinking tha person is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted November 8, 2013 #30 Share Posted November 8, 2013 (edited) I asked my PPC about shore excursions booked before the cruise counting towards on board spending Mariner days and she said that they do NOT count. They only count if you purchase them while you are on the ship. This was the relevant part of the email: "Good afternoon! The accrual of Bonus Days are only good for onboard spending. You would have to book the Shore Excursions once you get on the ship for them to count towards the $300." I got this email on October 15 so I'm thinking it reflects the current policy. She is mistaken. She needs to learn the program better if she is going to provide answers to her clients' questions. To the best of my knowledge, HAL has not issued any recent changes in the 'rules'. No one here has mentioned hearing any announcements of changes to the Star Mariner Program. Edited November 8, 2013 by sail7seas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browser495 Posted November 8, 2013 #31 Share Posted November 8, 2013 She is mistaken. She needs to learn the program better if she is going to provide answers to her clients' questions. To the best of my knowledge, HAL has not issued any recent changes in the 'rules'. No one here has mentioned hearing any announcements of changes to the Star Mariner Program. We booked excursions on line before our cruise and they counted in the calculations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted November 8, 2013 #32 Share Posted November 8, 2013 We were like 1 from being a 3 star, and I purchased some land tours for our upcoming Antarctica cruise 1/8/14, and so far our account does not increase us to a 3 star????? any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sppunk Posted November 8, 2013 #33 Share Posted November 8, 2013 We were like 1 from being a 3 star, and I purchased some land tours for our upcoming Antarctica cruise 1/8/14, and so far our account does not increase us to a 3 star????? any suggestions? They won't take effect until your next voyage (they don't count toward the current booing and you don't get upgraded benefits for changing levels mid-cruise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemima Posted November 8, 2013 #34 Share Posted November 8, 2013 (edited) Again, "It is based on the originally booked cabin" that is not what their web site states. It states "pays a published fare". If you upsell or upgrade and what you paid is equal to or more than a published fare on HALs web site then you should get the double points. Doesn't matter if it is an upsell or upgrade but is based on what you paid versus what HAL tries to sell the suite for on their web site. Keep the screen shot of HAL's published fare and what you paid for your upsell or upgrade. Is this your interpretation or HAL's? I'd take "pays published fare" to mean that it doesn't or might not include special prices such as those available to some people in the travel industry. Don't know if I'm right. Anyway none of the upsell offers we've received would have brought the price up to the currently published price. Edited November 8, 2013 by Jemima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidson Duo Posted November 8, 2013 #35 Share Posted November 8, 2013 On the Prinsendam you would need to be in a Vista Suite, Neptune Suite, or Pinnacle Suite. The standard Verandah Cabins do not qualify. Question...any veranda cabin? What about standard verandas on Prinsendam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJSULIBRARIAN Posted November 8, 2013 #36 Share Posted November 8, 2013 You might book a shore excursion in advance and then cancel it so credits for star status are not posted until after you complete the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemima Posted November 8, 2013 #37 Share Posted November 8, 2013 From HAL's FAQs: "Beverage Service Charge, taxes, pre-booked shore excursions and all gift items purchased online or through Ship Services count towards bonus cruise day credits." Jemima who would rather be cruising than posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted November 8, 2013 #38 Share Posted November 8, 2013 We booked excursions on line before our cruise and they counted in the calculations. Same for us. :) Pinnacle and Tamarind Dinners and excursions pre-booked all counted toward our spending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda&Vern Posted November 8, 2013 #39 Share Posted November 8, 2013 This is a Mariner's Society program. If I had questions, that's who I would call. I think I would trust their answers. We have always gotten credit for pre-booked excursions, specialty restaurants, drink cards, etc. If there was a change, I think we would have heard about it. I think the HAL PCC was wrong ... unless they changed the program very recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksqueak Posted November 8, 2013 #40 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I asked my PPC about shore excursions booked before the cruise counting towards on board spending Mariner days and she said that they do NOT count. They only count if you purchase them while you are on the ship. This was the relevant part of the email: "Good afternoon! The accrual of Bonus Days are only good for onboard spending. You would have to book the Shore Excursions once you get on the ship for them to count towards the $300." I got this email on October 15 so I'm thinking it reflects the current policy. this must be a recent change because my past two cruises I have gotten credit for prebooked excursions. I just got home from my last one in September Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startwin Posted November 8, 2013 #41 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I asked my PPC about shore excursions booked before the cruise counting towards on board spending Mariner days and she said that they do NOT count. They only count if you purchase them while you are on the ship. This was the relevant part of the email: "Good afternoon! The accrual of Bonus Days are only good for onboard spending. You would have to book the Shore Excursions once you get on the ship for them to count towards the $300." I got this email on October 15 so I'm thinking it reflects the current policy. Sorry but she's wrong. All my excursions are booked and paid for long before we sail, and they count. They simply aren't credited until completion of the cruise, along with your onboard spending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted November 8, 2013 #42 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Thanks for all the responses. I still don't know what a published fare is. My TA quotes me a price, I say yes or no, and we go from there. As far as pre-booked excursions, HAL prefers that people pre-book rather than wait until they're onboard. There would be no incentive to do this (other than missing out on a popular excursion) if it didn't count towards Mariner days. Roz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retdon Posted November 8, 2013 #43 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're upgraded to a suite, you don't get the bonus points. It has to be that your original booking was a suite and that's what you paid for. Roz You are correct. We were upgraded last year from a veranda to suite, SY and did not get double days. I booked an SS this cruise and was verified that we will get double days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwijohn Posted November 8, 2013 #44 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Do you get any Mariner Days Credit for spending on the Explore 4 Signature Beverage Package?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarysmile Posted November 8, 2013 #45 Share Posted November 8, 2013 From HAL's FAQs: "Beverage Service Charge, taxes, pre-booked shore excursions and all gift items purchased online or through Ship Services count towards bonus cruise day credits." Jemima who would rather be cruising than posting Thank you Jemima! I'm going to send her an email quoting the FAQ and ask again. I normally book my shore excursions way ahead of time but haven't because I wanted the bonus cruise days. Really appreciate the information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Vict0riann Posted November 8, 2013 #46 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Do you get any Mariner Days Credit for spending on the Explore 4 Signature Beverage Package?? If you buy it, I imagine you do, but if it's the "free" promo Explore4, that remains to be seen - I wonder if it works like an OBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjw869 Posted November 8, 2013 #47 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I asked my PPC about shore excursions booked before the cruise counting towards on board spending Mariner days and she said that they do NOT count. They only count if you purchase them while you are on the ship. This was the relevant part of the email: "Good afternoon! The accrual of Bonus Days are only good for onboard spending. You would have to book the Shore Excursions once you get on the ship for them to count towards the $300." I got this email on October 15 so I'm thinking it reflects the current policy. She is wrong. We only book HAL shore excursions online before our cruise and have always gotten credit for Cruise Day Credits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted November 9, 2013 #48 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I remember a poster on this board that ripped me a new one because I dared to say HAL employees make a lot of mistakes. How dare I :D. This goes to show how uninformed they are about simple questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHOPPERTESTER Posted November 9, 2013 #49 Share Posted November 9, 2013 You are correct. We were upgraded last year from a veranda to suite, SY and did not get double days. I booked an SS this cruise and was verified that we will get double days. You did not get double days because you never paid at least or more than a published fare (HAL web site) for the SY. Start with a verandah at $1200, get upsell (say $199 more) or upgrade to SY so most you paid was $1200 (upgrade) or $1499 (upsell) but the HAL web site lowest price (published fare) for an SY was $1500. So no double points. Upsell for $200 instead of $199 and you paid $1500 which was a published fare for the SY so then you would get the double days. You could get an upgrade to a SY and if the price of the SY dropped on HALs web site to $1200 then you would get double days. Better to deal with HAL directly. You pay a TA `x` dollars and the TA pays HAL`y` dollars and you do not know what the TA pays HAL. That can complicate the whole upsell or upgrade issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaM Posted November 9, 2013 Author #50 Share Posted November 9, 2013 You did not get double days because you never paid at least or more than a published fare (HAL web site) for the SY. Start with a verandah at $1200, get upsell (say $199 more) or upgrade to SY so most you paid was $1200 (upgrade) or $1499 (upsell) but the HAL web site lowest price (published fare) for an SY was $1500. So no double points. Upsell for $200 instead of $199 and you paid $1500 which was a published fare for the SY so then you would get the double days. You could get an upgrade to a SY and if the price of the SY dropped on HALs web site to $1200 then you would get double days. Better to deal with HAL directly. You pay a TA `x` dollars and the TA pays HAL`y` dollars and you do not know what the TA pays HAL. That can complicate the whole upsell or upgrade issue. I don't agree with dealing with HAL directly. We got $250 OBC for a 2 week cruise from HAL, and $1000 from our TA. If you are looking for upsells, HAL is probably best, but you are still paying for it by paying more for your cruise initially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now