Question for 5 Star Mariners

[iflyrc5]

We will become 5 Star on the second leg (separate booking number) of our upcoming cruise. According to the HAL documentation 5 Star mariners get 2 complimentary diners in the Pinnacle Grill. My question is can we use these to bring another couple or can they only be used by the 5 Star Mariner?

[Krazy Kruizers]

They can only be used by you.

Your friends will have to pay for their own PG dinner unless you want to pay for them as a treat.

[take us away]

You can use 1 of your free Pinnacle dinners for a guest if you are solo or if your travel companion is also 5-star, so you get 4 dinners between the 2 of you, you can use 2 of these for your guests but you need to be there with them.

 

You may or may not automatically get the 5-star amenities on your 2nd leg as per the HAL website, it takes a while for this to register after the cruise where they are earned. I would print out your Mariner days status and bring it with you, then ask the front desk on the 2nd leg for the 5-star amenities and a new key card with the 5-star discounts attached.

[OlsSalt]

We were once told you do not get a change in Mariner status during a cruise; only after completion of the cruise. If I read you right, you will reach your 5 star status during the second segment, not after the completion of your first segment?

 

This is different from the actual cruise day Medallion Awards - those come after the completion of the requisite numbers of days regardless. We got a bit of a run-around on our 5 star complimentary thermal spa day - the spa desk said it was only good for a few hours on a non-at sea day. However, guest relations later said this was misinformation from the spa desk - it was intended to be all day, any day..

 

So if you have any on-going questions about the perks, do check in with the Guest Relations person on board and see what they can do for you to enjoy your well-earned perks.

 

Also just read on another thread, the Prinsendam is not honoring automatic 4 or 5 star priority tendering (access to the line without having to get a tender ticket when disembarking). Instead you have to go to the show lounge and wait to get "priority" tendering. Let's just hope the small size of the ship and the probably higher numbers of 4-5 star Mariners made this a unique crowd management exception. However, some cruises have an awful lot of high-star Mariners so maybe HAL loyalty has become too much of a good thing?

Edited August 24, 2016 by OlsSalt

[sail7seas]

We often invited people be our guests at PINNACLE. THEY WERE NOT 5 tar VbUT We were charged the discxougted amount fottheir finnrts. dH told the Manager THEY WERE OUR GUESTS QND aLL cHARGES WERE TO GO ON Hsn BILL. how would the Manager know who th ese peo3e are or th3eir MARINER STATUS? It didn't matter. WEwe re paying.

Edited August 24, 2016 by sail7seas

[SilvertoGold]

OP:

 

Welcome to 5 star. You'll LOVE the rewards.

 

You have a very complicated situation. Please phone or email the Mariner Society and ask them. Get it straight and preferably in writing.

[kazu]

OP:

 

Welcome to 5 star. You'll LOVE the rewards.

 

You have a very complicated situation. Please phone or email the Mariner Society and ask them. Get it straight and preferably in writing.

 

ditto what Silver says.

[Harry1954]

We had friends on last WC 2016 that became 4 star mariners after the 2d segment of the cruise. They were able to get their 'upgraded' status at that point.

 

Regarding others joining you at PG .. as mentioned, they are responsible for their bill .. just like when you go regularly.

harry

[RuthC]

We had friends on last WC 2016 that became 4 star mariners after the 2d segment of the cruise. They were able to get their 'upgraded' status at that point.

The World Cruise, and the other Grand Cruises, are an exception to the higher star benefits start with the next cruise rule. It's written right into the rule.

So, the advice to speak to Guest Relations to push the new benefit level to the on-going cruise is excellent.

[kazu]

We had friends on last WC 2016 that became 4 star mariners after the 2d segment of the cruise. They were able to get their 'upgraded' status at that point.

 

Regarding others joining you at PG .. as mentioned, they are responsible for their bill .. just like when you go regularly.

harry

 

OP needs to clarify. We have had roll call members move to the next level of Mariner status at the end of the first segment IF all they needed were the sea days, had the email from the Mariner society and had the listing of their status from the log in site.

 

I think the OP said they will be getting it mid cruise??? If I am interpreting that right then no, it won't happen.

[SilvertoGold]

OP needs to clarify. We have had roll call members move to the next level of Mariner status at the end of the first segment IF all they needed were the sea days, had the email from the Mariner society and had the listing of their status from the log in site.

 

I think the OP said they will be getting it mid cruise??? If I am interpreting that right then no, it won't happen.

 

"on the second leg" could mean at the beginning of it, in the middle of it.

 

All the more reason for the OP to email the Mariner Society and find out the bottom line.

 

Kazu: your roll call member's certainly had their act together. Impressive!

[kazu]

"on the second leg" could mean at the beginning of it, in the middle of it.

 

All the more reason for the OP to email the Mariner Society and find out the bottom line.

 

Kazu: your roll call member's certainly had their act together. Impressive!

 

 

They had good advice on their roll call ;). Call the Mariner's Society.

 

It worked out well for them as they were 4* on the second segment :)

[sapper1]

They can only be used by you.

Your friends will have to pay for their own PG dinner unless you want to pay for them as a treat.

 

That was not true on the Nieuw Amsterdam in May. We are five star and were able to use one set of our 2 free Pinnacle dinners each to treat another couple. No problem at all.

[CaveDiving]

...We are five star and were able to use one set of our 2 free Pinnacle dinners each to treat another couple. No problem at all.

 

This has also been our experience on numerous cruises

 

Scott & Karen

[kazu]

That was not true on the Nieuw Amsterdam in May. We are five star and were able to use one set of our 2 free Pinnacle dinners each to treat another couple. No problem at all.

 

Good to know. Did you prebook for 4 of you please and then just ask for it to be applied or did you wait until you were onboard?

[sapper1]

Good to know. Did you prebook for 4 of you please and then just ask for it to be applied or did you wait until you were onboard?

 

Ours was pre booked and we just added Lizzie and her husband when we got aboard.

[RedmondCruiser]

When we were four star mariners we took another couple to dinner and they were afforded the 50% discount, as we were. I thought that was an adult approach by HAL. As five star mariners we actually didn't use both free dinners on our last cruise. We did get dinner with the captain though, which was very nice. Sometimes I get the feeling that the rules can change from one ship to another.

[iflyrc5]

Just to clarify. We now have 450 days. We are doing the Australian and New Zealand cruise on the Maasdam starting Sept 26. The first leg (booking number) is 52 days and goes from Seattle to Sydney - then around Australia and back to Sydney. That will give us 502 days (plus any days for $$ spent on board) so at that point we will be eligible to be 5 Star. We are then staying on the Maasdam for the second leg of the trip (a different booking number) and will be going from Sydney to Auckland. This same situation happened to us when going from 3 to 4 star and is worked fine. I contacted the front desk a few days before the end of the first leg and when we got back on board after touring on turn around day we went to the front desk and they had our new star level cards ready.

 

From reading the posts is looks like folks have had different experiences with respect to using the complementary Pinnacle diners to bring a guest. I think we will just make a reservation for 4 people and see what happens. If it does not work we will just pay for the other couples meal and get our 50% discount.

 

Looking forward to a great cruise on the Maasdam - our favorite ship.:D

[OlsSalt]

 

From reading the posts is looks like folks have had different experiences with respect to using the complementary Pinnacle diners to bring a guest. I think we will just make a reservation for 4 people and see what happens. If it does not work we will just pay for the other couples meal and get our 50% discount.

 

Looking forward to a great cruise on the Maasdam - our favorite ship.:D

 

Congratulations on all your days. I would also second the recommendations to check with the Guest Relations person about using your Pinnacle perks for guests. That way, no surprises and they just might make it happen for you. They said on our last cruise they enjoy pampering their five star mariners. And your HAL loyalty certainly deserves full recognition if it is available and doable.

[SilvertoGold]

When we were four star mariners we took another couple to dinner and they were afforded the 50% discount, as we were. I thought that was an adult approach by HAL. As five star mariners we actually didn't use both free dinners on our last cruise. We did get dinner with the captain though, which was very nice. Sometimes I get the feeling that the rules can change from one ship to another.

 

It seems that Seattle sets the basics "rules" or procedures and each ship decides how to handle them. It is very, very common to see the ships handling the same situation differently. This is often called "operational considerations".