Hal Offers Free Interior Staterooms On Selected Cruise Sales

[BermudaBound2014]

I also received the latest free inside offer. I haven't sailed HAL in many years. Lowly 2* mariner. Spend less than a couple hundred dollars in the casino on any cruise.

 

BUT... I did have two cruises booked with HAL that hal cancelled due to covid. I did not accept FCC and took my cash back. I'm thinking that these offers maybe going to people who had HAL cruises cancelled but have yet to rebook. Just a theory.

[HUNKY]

I received my first free obstructed balcony offer on June 9, 2022.  Booked and loved a 7 day Alaska out of Vancouver.  Received a complimentary double upgrade to an extended balcony.  Returned home October 8, 2022.

 

The week of Halloween I received a second offer for a free interior cabin.  Cruises ranged from a 5 day West Coast up to a 16 day transatlantic.  Could not take any due to my other halves schedule.

 

On November 3, 2022 I received a third offer.  Several 11 day southern caribbean cruises on the Rotterdam, along with many others.  Booked it today.  $190 in port charges/taxes/fees per person.  Had to "buy" $200 OBC per person.  $780 all in.  Will apply the OBC to service charges, a few drinks, etc.

 

Using discounted AARP Holland America gift cards, paid $702 all in.  Hopefully, AARP will use a travel or entertainment merchant category so I can get an additional 2% back from my credit card.   😀

 

No casino spending, very low onboard purchases, 2 star Mariner, last cruise 2017.

[SilvertoGold]

3 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I think it's a giveaway when people say they don't gamble that's its not a casino offer 😉.  From the many, many threads about this there are casino offers and there are free cruise offers.   Maybe all you have to do is walk by the casino.

 

Hmm!  We do that all the time! I wonder if the non-casino pax play bingo and/or buy the scratch cards? Both are Casino events, but not actual slots or tables.

[daisy-mae]

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 

BUT... I did have two cruises booked with HAL that hal cancelled due to covid. I did not accept FCC and took my cash back. I'm thinking that these offers maybe going to people who had HAL cruises cancelled but have yet to rebook. Just a theory.

Same scenario in our case. Our booked cruise was cancelled and we asked for a full refund. A short time later we were called and asked if we wished to book another cruise. We declined, as it was too soon and things were in flux.

The casino offer arrived within about a year after the call.

[albingirl]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I think it's a giveaway when people say they don't gamble that's its not a casino offer 😉.  From the many, many threads about this there are casino offers and there are free cruise offers.   Maybe all you have to do is walk by the casino.

And breathe that heavenly smoky air.  Let's not do anything but call it what it is. 🤷 this is ridiculous.

[trixiee]

On 11/4/2022 at 10:45 PM, FlaMariner said:

So what's the magic formula?

 

So far, from what I'm reading, it is not....

 

casino patronage

Mariner not having booked cruises

Mariner having booked cruises

 

Could it be high level Mariners?

3 Stars here and no offers

 

Could it be folks who have high onboard spending? 

That's not us

 

Any other thoughts on why some are lucky?

 

 

3 star, a cruise booked for Dec and one in July.  Received the offer.

[FlaMariner]

9 hours ago, trixiee said:

3 star, a cruise booked for Dec and one in July.  Received the offer.

 

gotcha.....so now....

 

9 hours ago, trixiee said:

So far, from what I'm reading, it is not....

 

casino patronage

Mariner not having booked cruises

Mariner having booked cruises

 

adding:

Mariner status

 

Could it be large onboard spending? 

 

What else could be what determines who gets lucky?

[trixiee]

16 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

gotcha.....so now....

 

 

adding:

Mariner status

 

Could it be large onboard spending? 

 

What else could be what determines who gets lucky?

If a $600.00 bill at end of voyage is considered big? 
 

[RedneckBob]

A casino group based in Las Vegas also offered same thing. I could have booked interior cabin on Eurodam in May 2023 to Alaska for only port charges of $300 per person. The total savings would be $1000.

[FlaMariner]

16 minutes ago, trixiee said:

If a $600.00 bill at end of voyage is considered big? 
 

 

maybe we should toss out our "spending per day" and see if that tips the scale...or perhaps too much trouble and not really worth it?  LOL.

 

I just looked at my past OBC account on navigator and it does not add it up to a grand total...so not going to fool with that....

 

Any other ideas?

[trixiee]

4 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

maybe we should toss out our "spending per day" and see if that tips the scale...or perhaps too much trouble and not really worth it?  LOL.

 

I just looked at my past OBC account on navigator and it does not add it up to a grand total...so not going to fool with that....

 

Any other ideas?

Book one “free” cruise, and you’ll be added to the list?

[FlaMariner]

11 minutes ago, trixiee said:

Book one “free” cruise, and you’ll be added to the list?

 

Good one....but how does one book a "free" cruise if one does not get the magic list?

 

Has anyone who has not gotten the list called and tried to book one?  

 

(Maybe there is nothing special about who can take advantage but they have a random number of folks they send to so it does not get out of hand...until it is published on cruise critic?)  LOL

 

 

[cruisemom42]

40 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

maybe we should toss out our "spending per day" and see if that tips the scale...or perhaps too much trouble and not really worth it?  LOL.

 

I just looked at my past OBC account on navigator and it does not add it up to a grand total...so not going to fool with that....

 

Any other ideas?

 

At the end of the day I'm not sure it does us any good to know the criteria. They have likely fed a ton of "big data" into a computer and these are the names that popped out. 

 

I'm pretty sure I'll never be the beneficiary: does anyone know of a solo cruiser who has ever gotten this offer? 😒

[KAKcruiser]

I know of a solo cruiser who got the offer but he doesn't know why.  He does occasionally spend money in the spa so maybe that could be the reason?

[FlaMariner]

42 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

I know of a solo cruiser who got the offer but he doesn't know why.  He does occasionally spend money in the spa so maybe that could be the reason?

 

Wish this was true but we both buy the spa pass and Her Majesty always gets a couple of things done in the spa and no free cruise for us.  

 

LOL...we will never know the answer to "why?"

[Iamthesea]

My DH and I would love to get this offer.  We recently booked our first cruise since before the pandemic.  The cruise will be on HAL, and the first since the holidays of 2018.

 

I wonder if the offer is being sent out to persons that have, in the past, completed the post-cruise survey giving either a negative, or a really fantastic review!