Mariner Brunch Questions

[kazu]

OK, 1of4... thanks for the idea. It certainly wasn't a complaint, just an observation. But I will email them and see what happens.

 

The Mariner's Society is very helpful. I am sure they will see you get your tiles. I didn't get them on one cruise and they kindly sent them to us.

 

by all means, do email them.

[Caribbean Chris]

The mariner brunches have limited menus, brusque service and a jam packed dining room in my experience, we usually skip them...

 

We've had that experience only once, and attended some that were so-so - but we've also enjoyed a much more gracious Mariner brunch, so we keep going. Seems to vary by ship and sailing.

 

I have to disagree with a suggestion early on that if there are too many Mariners on board not everyone is invited. It is a promised benefit. Cruises crawling with Mariners and double brunches seem to be almost the norm.

[bonvoyagebites]

Thanks, everyone for the input. I have emailed customer service and shall see what happens. I apologize if it turned into me hijacking this thread. We now resume our previous discussion, already in progress.

[POA1]

Just don't wait too long before you call, write, or email for the tiles. The designs change occasionally, and you probably want to to get the one that matches what you would have gotten on your cruise. I know some people don't like the tiles, but the Delft tiles are kind of cool - even if you just bring them out as coasters when you're serving a crowd.

 

I always think this was a cool patio table.

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2013/06/14/a-creative-tile-table/

 

Our tiles haven't made it to "crafty" status.

Edited June 11, 2015 by POA1

[kazu]

Just don't wait too long before you call, write, or email for the tiles. The designs change occasionally, and you probably want to to get the one that matches what you would have gotten on your cruise. I know some people don't like the tiles, but the Delft tiles are kind of cool - even if you just bring them out as coasters when you're serving a crowd.

 

I always think this was a cool patio table.

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2013/06/14/a-creative-tile-table/

 

Our tiles haven't made it to "crafty" status.

 

We haven't gotten to that stage yet, but we are close :)

 

They do make nice coasters and the collection is in the living room (gotta move it - we don't need them all there) for ready access.

[david,Mississauga]

We recently attended our first Mariner brunch on the Noordam. There were not a lot of people there. We sat at a large table and thoroughly enjoyed the conversations. The food was no better - and maybe worse - than the other lunches. Some tables got a refill of the sparkling wine and the offer of coffee or tea but our table did not. I'm glad we went because of the interesting people we chatted with.

[KruzPrincess]

Thanks for all your comments.

 

In addition to not receiving an invitation to the brunch, I did not receive a tile. I didn't even know about the tiles until I read this. I always wondered what the gift was. LOL.

 

I will look for my invitation and tile on my next cruise.

 

Crew News: I was able to open your link today. Thanks for sharing.

Edited June 12, 2015 by KruzPrincess

[Caribbean Chris]

Just don't wait too long before you call, write, or email for the tiles. The designs change occasionally, and you probably want to to get the one that matches what you would have gotten on your cruise. I know some people don't like the tiles, but the Delft tiles are kind of cool - even if you just bring them out as coasters when you're serving a crowd.

 

I always think this was a cool patio table.

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2013/06/14/a-creative-tile-table/

 

Our tiles haven't made it to "crafty" status.

 

Been thinking about making one like that with our tiles for years, and actually have a metal base already...an especially nice idea with the coordinating blue fabric on the chair cushions in that photo.

 

Then there's the vest or skirt to make out of the collection of cloth HAL bags I can't bear to toss...

[bunnyrab]

Thanks for all your comments.

 

In addition to not receiving an invitation to the brunch, I did not receive a tile. I didn't even know about the tiles until I read this. I always wondered what the gift was. LOL.

 

I will look for my invitation and tile on my next cruise.

 

Crew News: I was able to open your link today. Thanks for sharing.

 

Statendam May 18th cruise had the brunch on the last Saturday 11:00 A.M. for us, same day as the last formal night. Don't know if there was a 2nd one at a later time. Champaign & tiles were already on tables when we arrived.

We both enjoyed the lunch very much. All the food we had in the dinning room was very good.

[sail7seas]

Thanks, everyone for the input. I have emailed customer service and shall see what happens. I apologize if it turned into me hijacking this thread. We now resume our previous discussion, already in progress.

 

I would suggest you e-mail or call Mariners Society, also. They usually very good about sending tiles for those who did not get them on their cruise.

 

 

[KruzPrincess]

Does anyone recall what year the tiles started?

[Alphen]

Does anyone recall what year the tiles started?

 

Looking at the Mariner website, it looks like 1995;

http://nl.hollandamerica.com/ennl/marinerSociety/Main.action#

[rslinky]

We were on our first HAL mid may - Alaska. We had sailed once before with Carnival. We did get an invitation to the brunch, which I believe was the sea day between Ketchikan and Vancouver. We weren't expecting the invite as it was our first HAL, but we did go and have lunch - we always prefer the dining room to the Lido. There was only one seating, it was listed in the daily log, and the dining room wasn't close to full. Must be that many don't like going because I would have figured that 98% of that ship had to have had a previous HAL cruise. We met only one couple who was on their first ever cruise. We just don't know if we got invited because we were in a suite or due to the previous carnival cruise.

 

Had read about the "tiles" and had no idea what they were - everyone refers to them as "tiles". We surprised that they were what I would call a "coaster". Yes, read the back and they are certified Delft. When I think of tiles I think of the letter pieces in scrabble, so was just surprised to find this coaster sized tile.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We were on our first HAL mid may - Alaska. We had sailed once before with Carnival. We did get an invitation to the brunch, which I believe was the sea day between Ketchikan and Vancouver. We weren't expecting the invite as it was our first HAL, but we did go and have lunch - we always prefer the dining room to the Lido. There was only one seating, it was listed in the daily log, and the dining room wasn't close to full. Must be that many don't like going because I would have figured that 98% of that ship had to have had a previous HAL cruise. We met only one couple who was on their first ever cruise. We just don't know if we got invited because we were in a suite or due to the previous carnival cruise.

 

Had read about the "tiles" and had no idea what they were - everyone refers to them as "tiles". We surprised that they were what I would call a "coaster". Yes, read the back and they are certified Delft. When I think of tiles I think of the letter pieces in scrabble, so was just surprised to find this coaster sized tile.

 

Your previous Carnival cruise is the reason you were invited. If you've ever sailed on any of the other Carnival Corp lines, you start your first HAL cruise as a one-star Mariner. You don't have any "days" yet, but your time on a sister line makes you a Mariner before you board. Without that connection, you would become a Mariner at the end of the cruise. It isn't a big deal, but it's more than the other lines under the Carnival umbrella do to recognize past passengers of sister lines. (You also were entitled to the Mariner's welcome luncheon on embarkation day, but they don't give invitations to that. You just have to know about it.)

[Vict0riann]

This was our menu from the Volendam last week. They were stingy with the champagne, and we didn't get our petits fours, either! But an interesting table, and we were given our tiles on the way out of the dining room.

 

[cruz chic]

They always seem to have petit fours on the menu but I don't ever recall seeing them. That said, they are not what I think of when I think petit fours. I only recall seeing them on formal nights. I remember having petit fours as a kid and they were little squares of cake covered in icing with nice decorations on the top.

[KruzPrincess]

Looking at the Mariner website, it looks like 1995;

http://nl.hollandamerica.com/ennl/marinerSociety/Main.action#

 

Thanks. I was on the Volendam in 2001. I had been on Costa prior to that and Carnival acquired HAL and Costa before 2001, so technically I should have been a one star mariner on that cruise. Who knows if they had Mariner luncheons then or if this process was in place, but I wasn't invited to the luncheon nor did I get a tile then. As I mentioned before I didn't get an invitation or tile last year on the Veendam. I guess I will mention this to the Mariner people and see if I can get the past tiles. It will be interesting to see what happens. I wonder if I'll get an invitation on the Statendam this summer??

[SilvertoGold]

They always seem to have petit fours on the menu but I don't ever recall seeing them. That said, they are not what I think of when I think petit fours. I only recall seeing them on formal nights. I remember having petit fours as a kid and they were little squares of cake covered in icing with nice decorations on the top.

 

You have to ask for them, usually.

 

The only place we've ever seem "real" petit fours was in a small hotel in Halifax and they called them "Fairy Cakes".

[RuthC]

Thanks. I was on the Volendam in 2001. I had been on Costa prior to that and Carnival acquired HAL and Costa before 2001, so technically I should have been a one star mariner on that cruise.

HAL didn't start the "star" Mariner system until 2009. Before that it was based strictly on days sailed on HAL only.

 

It was sometime along in that era that HAL changed its definition of "Mariner" to include anyone who had sailed on a sister line, but initially that didn't get you anything.

It got HAL more Mariners, though, so they could claim a higher repeat passenger rate than under the previous definition of HAL cruiser only. In 2001 you wouldn't have been considered a Mariner if it was your first cruise on HAL.

[sail7seas]

I just looked at my Mariners Record on HAL site and first time we received "bonus days' for spending and being in a Suite was November 2009 so I think Ruth is correct about the date.

 

In 2001, Kruz Princess would not have been a Mariner until the completion of her first HAL cruise.

[KruzPrincess]

I just looked at my Mariners Record on HAL site and first time we received "bonus days' for spending and being in a Suite was November 2009 so I think Ruth is correct about the date.

 

In 2001, Kruz Princess would not have been a Mariner until the completion of her first HAL cruise.

 

Thanks for that clarification.

[clogaltocruise]

That is correct, the Bonus program began in September 2009.

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[cruz chic]

You have to ask for them, usually.

 

The only place we've ever seem "real" petit fours was in a small hotel in Halifax and they called them "Fairy Cakes".

 

It was an observation only. I don't need or want them. I believe you can still get real petit fours in Calgary .

Edited June 19, 2015 by cruz chic

[bonvoyagebites]

I emailed the customer service email address, and got the tiles mailed to me already. Thanks everyone for the tips. Anyone else that is missing them, I encourage you to email... response was quick, and mailing was quick as well. The review for the cruise is upcoming on my blog. Pre-cruise is there, but I am working on embarkation day now. :) Thanks for the encouragement of getting the tiles sent. :)

[KruzPrincess]

Well, I emailed HAL Mariner Society yesterday and received an email today! They said they will be mailing me two tiles for my past cruises. Very nice and very quick response. I'm impressed. Now, in the future, I'll know what to look for and ask questions if I don't get an invitation. Thanks for your help.