Four **** & Five Star ***** Milestone Award Ceremonies

[2LoveBikes]

Have the Four & Fiver Star Award ceremonies been abandoned?  I saw some post where the pins were delivered to your stateroom and/or mailed.

Does anyone have positive knowledge on this subject?  I remember going to award ceremonies, usually with the Captain, Hotel General Manager and Cruise director and other awardees followed by a Mariner luncheon.  It was very nice and memorable.  The Mariner tiles were given out then.

[sailingdutchy]

We have not seen it at all on our last 4 cruises , think it went the way of the Dodo bird , unless it returns when the Covid completely disappears so the Captain does not have to hug and kiss , or it is another cost savings matter decreed coming from Seattle !  

I always enjoyed going to this ceremony to see all the happy faces and it is the least the company could do for the well earned rewards.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I was to receive my gold medal yesterday and was invited to the  presentation. I didn't go because I'm super annoyed with hearing one lie after the other from guest services.  Everyone on the ship is great otherwise.  I think my medal debarked by itself today.   It's  Mia.

[albingirl]

There was no mention of this on the past few cruises we've taken.  Yes, they were enjoyable while they lasted. Free wine and all that.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is being done on every cruise ...

[Mary229]

It was removed temporarily as part of the anti gathering clause of Covid protocols.  It has returned. 

[Mary229]

27 minutes ago, albingirl said:

There was no mention of this on the past few cruises we've taken.  Yes, they were enjoyable while they lasted. Free wine and all that.

I think the current versions are only for new inductees and President Club members 

[St Pete Cruiser]

31 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I think the current versions are only for new inductees and President Club members 

I was invited last month aboard the Nieuw Statendam.  Captain Noel O'Driscoll told us that it had just been reinstated.  Last winter, when i wasn't invited, the cruise director told me you had to have over 1000 days, which was just a way to keep the gathering very small!

[kazu]

Just off the Oosterdam and I was invited to the medallion ceremony.  

Ceremony was short.  Those receiving bronze medallions found them on their bed the night before but were still invited.  Silver and up were awarded.

 

[Crazy For Cats]

When we were on the Zaandam they held the medallion ceremony for both weeks.   Just off the NA and no medallion ceremony for either week.  A friend on hoard had his medallion delivered to his room. (He got a medallion on both weeks when he dhould have received only one)

[Mary229]

Maybe, like mask protocols, it is up to the captain.   That would explain the variations in experience 

[AV8rix]

As I’ve stated before on another thread, the new policy makes the medallions (except for platinum) meaningless.  There is NO OTHER time that we actually wear them, except to the medallion reception.  But now no one – except platinum and PC members – is invited to that reception. Someone on the other thread commented that the new policy (instituted after the covid restart) was probably to limit exposure for the HD and captain.  That made sense when there was a high probability of exposure.  But now when – on most cruises – even the crew don’t wear masks, the exposure theory doesn’t hold up. I believe that it is yet another cost-cutting measure. 

 

I’m due to receive another medallion on the NYE segment of my next cruise in December.  I intend to mail my medallions and a note to the Mariner Society telling them that I don’t want to just discard them but, since there is no longer an event at which I can wear one, they are useless to me now.

 

JMO, but – of all the cost-cutting measures since the stock implosion – this is the one that I really resent.  End of rant.

[CruiserBruce]

@AV8rix, the cost cutting has nothing to do with the "stock implosion". Its because Carnival Corporation has lost money for almost 3 years due to Covid. The "stock implosion" is due to that fact.

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

@AV8rix, the cost cutting has nothing to do with the "stock implosion". Its because Carnival Corporation has lost money for almost 3 years due to Covid. The "stock implosion" is due to that fact.

Just carnival corp? I would think all the cruise lines have.  You still have to treat passengers with respect.  That costs absolutely nothing.  I’m pretty sure a very large percentage of every company on the face of the earth lost money during Covid.  

[CruiserBruce]

2 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Just carnival corp? I would think all the cruise lines have.  

Absolutely true. But this is a discussion on HAL.

[Djptcp]

DH and I are 4* Mariners and have sailed on 2 Holland cruises since we reached 4* status. We were not invited to any awards ceremony, but DH did notice one being held on the NA in October. We will be sailing on the Rotterdam for 11 days starting on Nov. 30th so we'll see what happens. Truthfully, we didn't know 4* received any kind of recognition, although we used to enjoy attending the Mariner luncheons.

[DaveOKC]

Two cruises on Eurodam this year.  Frist one we were invited to the ceremony (only 5 Stars and above I was told).  Six weeks later (in Oct) no invite but ceremony was held (found out afterwards) - was told list was restricted due to too many people and low 5 Stars did not make the cut.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We were just on Royal Caribbean.    People with 700 sea days - or points - (double sea days for a suite) get a $2500 cruise voucher plus 6 free drinks a day...

 

But - no free laundry or priority tender for anyone of any status.  only suite people or "key club"  sorta like club orange

 

I am hardly an expert on RCI - so please correct me if I have something wrong.

 

What do the HAL presidents club get for twice the sea days?   hmmmmmm

 

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[SilvertoGold]

My take on this from several cruises on the Koningsdam, Volendam and Noordam this year is that it depends on the ship, the HGM and Captain. However, all the 9 ceremonies we were invited to were limited to 4 and/or 5 stars plus any Gold and higher medallions awardees.  Photos limited on some cruises to 1000 + day pax and the new awardees.  On other cruises anyone invited to this party could have photos taken with Captain and HGM. I think HAL is moving to recognizing 1000+ day pax only as this was fairly consistent over the 3 ships.  Maybe that will be 6 star some day.

[Sea42]

3 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

My take on this from several cruises on the Koningsdam, Volendam and Noordam this year is that it depends on the ship, the HGM and Captain. However, all the 9 ceremonies we were invited to were limited to 4 and/or 5 stars plus any Gold and higher medallions awardees.  Photos limited on some cruises to 1000 + day pax and the new awardees.  On other cruises anyone invited to this party could have photos taken with Captain and HGM. I think HAL is moving to recognizing 1000+ day pax only as this was fairly consistent over the 3 ships.  Maybe that will be 6 star some day.

Seems odd to me because those people over 1000 days probably have a great many photos with captains. How many could you possibly want and what would you do with them? I think it would be nice for 5* and lowest medallion people but after that??

[Florida_gal_50]

42 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

My take on this from several cruises on the Koningsdam, Volendam and Noordam this year is that it depends on the ship, the HGM and Captain. However, all the 9 ceremonies we were invited to were limited to 4 and/or 5 stars plus any Gold and higher medallions awardees.  Photos limited on some cruises to 1000 + day pax and the new awardees.  On other cruises anyone invited to this party could have photos taken with Captain and HGM. I think HAL is moving to recognizing 1000+ day pax only as this was fairly consistent over the 3 ships.  Maybe that will be 6 star some day.

That's what it was like on the koningsdam in March.  It's a totally different vibe of indifference from the officers on the ship now.

[Scrapnana]

We just had a Medallion Ceremony on Zaandam two days ago.  All of the Mariners who were on the 2020 GWV were invited and those who had made 100, 300, 500, or 700 actual days were given their medallions.  Mariners lunch followed.  We were told there will be two other ceremonies before the end of the Grand Africa.

 

Keep in mind there is not a ceremony for becoming four or five stars because the stars are based on days plus spending not just days like the medallions.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Scrapnana

[idiebabe]

Our last NS Cruise on November 5th had no Medallion Ceremony.  This was our 3rd time on NS since the Restart with same Captain (Noel O'Driscoll) and the other two Sailings we did have the Medallion Ceremony and everyone had an opportunity to get a Pic with him and Hotel Director.  I thought no one must have been getting a Medal on this Cruise!  It seems many onboard were new to HAL and many young people and even those not so young were not your "typical" HAL Cruiser.  Lots of tatoos, flesh hanging out of bathing suit tops and bottoms!  😲   

 

All our other Sailings since the Restart (Rotterdam, Zandaam, Eurodam, NA) had the Medallion Ceremony.  Most of them limited the invites to the Mariners with the highest number of days (20 - 30 ppl) but on NA for the PC Transit held it in the BB King Lounge and probably had about 70 people there.