I received this from HAL: Booking #XXXXXXX: Bonus $100 Onboard Credit Offer

[Native Floridian 26]

I received a $100 OBC offer directly from HAL for making my final payment less than a week earlier in January.  Since I am booked through a travel agent and have to make my payment  through them, will this offer still be valid?  I don't see how they would not honor it as they know I'm booked through an agent.

[CruiserBruce]

I got it as well...we are booked through a TA. Not sure why it wouldn't be available to you or me.

 

In our case it would be 6 months before actual payment is due.

[Native Floridian 26]

1 minute ago, CruiserBruce said:

I got it as well...we are booked through a TA. Not sure why it wouldn't be available to you or me.

 

In our case it would be 6 months before actual payment is due.

Wow, cash flow issues?  Is yours to pay by January 3rd?

[Crazy For Cats]

I got this offer for a cruise that sails on 12/10/23.  I’m not taking advantage of the offer.  If it was for our May cruise I’d be on that pretty quick.

[Crazy For Cats]

Just now, Native Floridian 26 said:

Wow, cash flow issues?  Is yours to pay by January 3rd?

That’s my concern.

[CruiserBruce]

Just now, Native Floridian 26 said:

Wow, cash flow issues?  Is yours to pay by January 3rd?

I would think they need some cash.

 

My offered is the same as yours. 

[Native Floridian 26]

Or trying to lock some of us with $1 deposits in.

[Crew News]

Received offer for cruise next October but not for two cruises in May.

 

Learned to pay nothing on cruise until a few days before final payment date after delays in refunds over the past two years.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Crew News

[Crazy For Cats]

I’m wondering if this promotion is combinable with the share holder benefits.

[Sea42]

We received this for our cruise in May. It would be about a month early for FP. It's not enough of an incentive for us to do it.

[Sea42]

3 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

I’m wondering if this promotion is combinable with the share holder benefits.

I would think so. We have the shareholders credit applied and received the offer.

[Crazy For Cats]

Just now, Sea42 said:

I would think so. We have the shareholders credit applied and received the offer.

That’s good to know.  If we got it for May I’d go for it.

[Mary229]

I received an offer for my May sailing which I cancelled yesterday. I would have done this otherwise 

Edited December 7, 2022 by Mary229

[tupper10]

I received it for a Feb 2024 sailing - no way I would do this.  I assume they are hurting for $$ and want people to pay in full well in advance of when cruises are actually sailing.  

[Hobby3333]

I have a cruise from Amsterdam in July. I would take the offer but was not offered.  LOL

[Native Floridian 26]

I too have the Shareholder Credit so this is totally independent of that.  The extra $100 OBC is icing on the cake to seal the deal.  Our April TA is selling today at twice the amount we're booked at.

 

 

[KAKcruiser]

They mention that you will receive a bonus $100 onboard credit on or before January 31 when you pay in full by January 3.  Does this mean they do not give you the credit right away and you have to hope that they will give it to you weeks after you make final payment?  HAL does not have a good track record for following through with their promises.  

[mcrcruiser]

Yup I put up a new post  because did not see this one . We got the offer for $100 if we paid by Jan 31st 2023  for our  April 13 ,2024 cruise .Heck i can make more buying short Term T Bills than that $100  

 

 I see this tactic as a need for cash to help them pay the interest that comes due  periodically   . high CCL debt requires  imaginative  thinking  .what ever sticks to the well they will use aggressively   .Can't blame them  for trying . This way they don't need to borrow more to pay a higher interest rate as rates going higher 

[AFNavigator]

6 hours ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Or trying to lock some of us with $1 deposits in.

This may be the most compelling reason.  It's very possible a lot of those "record bookings" on Black Friday could have been due to the extremely low deposit.  Super low deposits are a risk to the cruise line (or popular hotels, etc.) because you are out almost nothing if you cancel before final payment.  The cruise line taking a $100 hit to lock in your booking is definitely in their best interest.

[mcrcruiser]

38 minutes ago, AFNavigator said:

This may be the most compelling reason.  It's very possible a lot of those "record bookings" on Black Friday could have been due to the extremely low deposit.  Super low deposits are a risk to the cruise line (or popular hotels, etc.) because you are out almost nothing if you cancel before final payment.  The cruise line taking a $100 hit to lock in your booking is definitely in their best interest.

[mcrcruiser]

Don;t know how the above happened  when trying to reply to your post .Sorry 

 

 In our case april 13 ,2024   cruise date not a good deal  .as we can make more holding the cash    in T bills   .Some people should take advantage if their cruise is i in the first half of 2023

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I don’t have an active booking but this would do zero to make me pay sooner.  

[jeff74]

I would be fine with paying a month early but wouldn’t do it for a cruise that was a year away from final payment.  My in-laws have one coming up on May that they are going to pay to get the OBC.  $100 for paying $1500 around 6 weeks early seems worth it imo.

[Native Floridian 26]

Mine is a nobrainer.  In fact the date HAL wants it is later than the travel agent lol.  TA wants it 10 days before HAL.

[Native Floridian 26]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t have an active booking but this would do zero to make me pay sooner.  

OBC is money in our pocket to us.  With this incentive we now have enough OBC to cover the daily service charges on our 14 night Transatlantic.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Native Floridian 26