Holland America Presidents Club

[bet410]

Well, I'm answering my own question...  Our TA contacted the head of the Mariner Society.  It is still 1400 days.   Guess the ship needs to get their facts straight!  

[Roz]

How does HAL decide who to invite and who not to?  I would be royally miffed if I sailed that many days and didn't get an invitation.  Just when you think you've left high school, more examples of the popular girls clique. 😒

 

Roz

[HamOp]

10 minutes ago, Roz said:

How does HAL decide who to invite and who not to?  I would be royally miffed if I sailed that many days and didn't get an invitation.  Just when you think you've left high school, more examples of the popular girls clique. 😒

 

Roz

The decision is a collateral duty of the upgrade fairy.

[St Pete Cruiser]

3 hours ago, HamOp said:

The decision is a collateral duty of the upgrade fairy.

Like most companies with a customer base such as cruise lines, they keep a "profile" on each customer.  Your profile would include if you are a Neptune Suite or inside, shore excursion or DIY, bar tab or not, etc.  Maybe equally as important: If you are a happy cruiser or a constant complainer.  I think If you are low spender who is never satisfied, you might not be invited.

[Roz]

17 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Like most companies with a customer base such as cruise lines, they keep a "profile" on each customer.  Your profile would include if you are a Neptune Suite or inside, shore excursion or DIY, bar tab or not, etc.  Maybe equally as important: If you are a happy cruiser or a constant complainer.  I think If you are low spender who is never satisfied, you might not be invited.

 

Talk about elitism.  This doesn't sound like a Club I want to be a member of.  You would think sailing 1,400 days on one cruise line would be sufficient, without the unwritten rules and snobby criteria.

 

Roz

[AncientWanderer]

30 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

Talk about elitism.  This doesn't sound like a Club I want to be a member of.  You would think sailing 1,400 days on one cruise line would be sufficient, without the unwritten rules and snobby criteria.

 

Roz

 

Roz, I bet it's not as selective as all that.  I think they do special things, like dinners with captain, stuff like that, in a small, intimate group.  By saying it's by invitation only, they at least have an out if there is some really unruly person who cruises a lot, but they might spoil these nice events for others.  I bet they in reality invite everyone with the 1400 days!  😊

[St Pete Cruiser]

27 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

Roz, I bet it's not as selective as all that.  I think they do special things, like dinners with captain, stuff like that, in a small, intimate group.  By saying it's by invitation only, they at least have an out if there is some really unruly person who cruises a lot, but they might spoil these nice events for others.  I bet they in reality invite everyone with the 1400 days!  😊

The PC members who we have gotten to know are actually some of the nicest cruisers.  They share a positive outlook and seem to realize their good fortune in life to be able to enjoy traveling as they do.

[cruisetheworld67]

On 1/3/2019 at 6:26 AM, goldengirl123 said:

So presidents club members get free wifi after 1400 nights.  Does anyone know of any other 'perks' someone will receive when they become president club members? Someone once mentioned that they get free upgrades and extra ship board credit and gratuities are included. Can anyone verify this?

We are only half way there, but just planning now to see if it is worth being loyal to Holland America to get to this level.  

All  President Club members  receive a free  burial at sea  if  they expire  during a  HAL  cruise.

Let's be honest. If you have been  cruising this long;  this is a real possibility!

Eulogy  by  the Captain  does  carry a  small  fee  but  onboard credit may be used for this.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

All  President Club members  receive a free  burial at sea  if  they expire  during a  HAL  cruise.

Let's be honest. If you have been  cruising this long;  this is a real possibility!

Eulogy  by  the Captain  does  carry a  small  fee  but  onboard credit may be used for this.

 

😁!!  There's not many posts that make me laugh out loud, but yours did!

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

The PC members who we have gotten to know are actually some of the nicest cruisers.  They share a positive outlook and seem to realize their good fortune in life to be able to enjoy traveling as they do.

 

I agree with your comment, mostly.  As in every segment of society, the bell curve exists.  The President's Club Members are not exempt from that.  

[G&G]

Sailed with several Presidents Club members over past few years. They do get some great benefits.

[goldengirl123]

Does anyone know what benefits or perks they get?

 

[HALrunner]

On 9/1/2019 at 3:32 PM, AncientWanderer said:

 

Roz, I bet it's not as selective as all that.  I think they do special things, like dinners with captain, stuff like that, in a small, intimate group.  By saying it's by invitation only, they at least have an out if there is some really unruly person who cruises a lot, but they might spoil these nice events for others.  I bet they in reality invite everyone with the 1400 days!  😊

I have never read about someone with that many days not being invited. Has anyone? Surely that would have been discussed on this forum! 

[SilvertoGold]

58 minutes ago, HALrunner said:

I have never read about someone with that many days not being invited. Has anyone? Surely that would have been discussed on this forum! 

 

 

I think this invitation only business is about the Interline people who rack up days at Interline pricing and TAs who get free cruises, etc.  

 

I don't think President's Club get free internet:  WCB on their recent 51 day South Pacific cruise had to purchase a plan after their free internet ran out.  They didn't say how they got any free internet or how much, but they did purchase a package.

[rafinmd]

10 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

I think this invitation only business is about the Interline people who rack up days at Interline pricing and TAs who get free cruises, etc.  

 

That sounds like the probable right answer.  I had a tablemate on my Nieuw Statendam transatlantic who was President's Club and pretty much complained constantly.  He went on and on for days after the Mariners Lunch about how the President's Club members should have been introduced individually rather than standing as a group and how that was a "slap in the face".  I think if he got in it is pretty easy, although I'll never live that long.

 

Roy

[St Pete Cruiser]

38 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

That sounds like the probable right answer.  I had a tablemate on my Nieuw Statendam transatlantic who was President's Club and pretty much complained constantly.  He went on and on for days after the Mariners Lunch about how the President's Club members should have been introduced individually rather than standing as a group and how that was a "slap in the face".  I think if he got in it is pretty easy, although I'll never live that long.

 

Roy

Hi Roy,

Interesting that you should comment that it was on the NS in as much as I wasn't even invited to the Mariners Reception on the NS, but on the smaller Zuiderdam was invited to it and had a reserved seat at the lunch with fellow PC and 5 star guests.  The hotel manager, Darrin Lewis, hosted the table.  Guess what?  Everyone was cordial and well spoken.  

 

The Pinnacle class ships are beautiful and have more entertainment choices to offer, but the older smaller ships are more guest friendly with some wonderfully well traveled people and crew.

[taxmantoo]

18 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Hi Roy,

Interesting that you should comment that it was on the NS in as much as I wasn't even invited to the Mariners Reception on the NS, but on the smaller Zuiderdam was invited to it and had a reserved seat at the lunch with fellow PC and 5 star guests.  The hotel manager, Darrin Lewis, hosted the table.  Guess what?  Everyone was cordial and well spoken.  

 

The Pinnacle class ships are beautiful and have more entertainment choices to offer, but the older smaller ships are more guest friendly with some wonderfully well traveled people and crew.

Was just on the NS in November for B2B 7 day cruises and were invited to the Mariners' Reception both weeks.  On both occasions, President Club members were introduced and had their photo taken with the Captain and Hotel Director.  No idea how the MDR part was handled as we prefer to have lunch in PG on those days.  So I guess it does depend on the Hotel Director or Cruise Director how these situations are handled or dictated by the number of PC members on board.

[St Pete Cruiser]

13 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

Was just on the NS in November for B2B 7 day cruises and were invited to the Mariners' Reception both weeks.  On both occasions, President Club members were introduced and had their photo taken with the Captain and Hotel Director.  No idea how the MDR part was handled as we prefer to have lunch in PG on those days.  So I guess it does depend on the Hotel Director or Cruise Director how these situations are handled or dictated by the number of PC members on board.

Curious, was the reception held in the Queen's Lounge?  On Zuiderdam, it was in the much larger theater/show room at sea.

[taxmantoo]

27 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Curious, was the reception held in the Queen's Lounge?  On Zuiderdam, it was in the much larger theater/show room at sea.

Both receptions on the Nieuw Statendam were held in the BB Kings/Lincoln Center area.  They were only 7-day cruises but both receptions were full.  It looked like they might have invited 3-star Mariners and, of course, those getting their bronze medallions, of which there were a lot.

[St Pete Cruiser]

7 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

Both receptions on the Nieuw Statendam were held in the BB Kings/Lincoln Center area.  They were only 7-day cruises but both receptions were full.  It looked like they might have invited 3-star Mariners and, of course, those getting their bronze medallions, of which there were a lot.

Well, it must be up to the officers in charge.  Thanks for the info.

[SilvertoGold]

Hotel Director and Captain decide. A lot depends on how many medallions are to be handed out, how many are invited, how involved the Captain wants to be in the reception and what kind of an event the HD wants to do. 

 

The Westerdam in Alaska this season did very, very elegant receptions in the Upper MDR, aft, for small groups (20ish) of awardees and high Mariners.  Then the hordes were let in :)

Edited December 29, 2019 by SilvertoGold

[DaveOKC]

Presidents Club here I come - only about 1000 days away!

 

[Stakeout]

they did make the same mistake on the Koningsdam last November  stating 1500 days instead of 1400 days.. then it finally was corrected

Edited December 30, 2019 by Stakeout