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

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Is there a code you got for this???

[fsufancc]

I too received this offer.  We sail in August.

 

I was able to book during the Best Sale Ever (or whatever it was called).  Supposed to get $100 OBC with that special pricing.  I wonder if it would not allow the OBC due to "fine print" of not to be combined type wording?

 

My final payment isn't until 04/30.  I have to think this is a cash flow issue/grab for CCL. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

2 minutes ago, fsufancc said:

I too received this offer.  We sail in August.

 

I was able to book during the Best Sale Ever (or whatever it was called).  Supposed to get $100 OBC with that special pricing.  I wonder if it would not allow the OBC due to "fine print" of not to be combined type wording?

 

My final payment isn't until 04/30.  I have to think this is a cash flow issue/grab for CCL. 

Is there a code??

[disneyochem]

Have two cabins booked for November 2023.  Daughter received offer, we did not.

 

Here’s the code: Campaign ID: HETRESPF7

[disneyochem]

I’m thinking about encouraging my daughter to take advantage of this offer.  She’s booked as a single so is paying a bit more for her cabin and decided not to buy the drink package.  Currently has $150 OBC for booking on board as well as crew gratuities prepaid.  This will give her $250 OBC to be used for drinks, etc. on a 7-day cruise.  

[fsufancc]

2 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Is there a code??

Sorry no code.  See below.  You have to log in to redeem.

 

Screen shot of the actual e-mail.

 

[fsufancc]

2 hours ago, disneyochem said:

Have two cabins booked for November 2023.  Daughter received offer, we did not.

 

Here’s the code: Campaign ID: HETRESPF7

Not sure the Campaign ID is a promo code.

 

I looked at the fine print (I did not look at this before) @Gail & Marty sailing away

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by fsufancc
earlier mistake

[Destiny0315]

2 hours ago, jeff74 said:

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.

For your in-laws I would suggest using the current gift card offer from HAL to pay it off. They would get $150 in gift cards back by using that offer and also get the $100 OBC. In my case I have two $1 deposit cruises waiting on final payment, a 7 day in May for around 1,700, and the VOV in July which is for nearly 10 times that amount. So for me they only sent the offer out for the larger amount which puts money in their pocket rather than mine for almost four months early which makes sense if your behind on your bills.

[Roz]

I didn't see this thread and started another one about this same subject.  Sorry....I'm sure the HAL forum "police" will beat me about the head.

[Native Floridian 26]

5 minutes ago, Roz said:

I didn't see this thread and started another one about this same subject.  Sorry....I'm sure the HAL forum "police" will beat me about the head.

There are 2 others.

[sfaaa]

Dang it, no offer for me. I would love to jump on this for $100 OBC.

[Native Floridian 26]

Has anyone with the offer actually clicked on Log in to Redeem button?  Does it do anything other than log you into HAL?  I am with a TA and want to make sure I know the process to redeem the offer.

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, Roz said:

I didn't see this thread and started another one about this same subject.  Sorry....I'm sure the HAL forum "police" will beat me about the head.

 

🤣🤣

 

Here ya go:

 

[510picker]

4 hours ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Has anyone with the offer actually clicked on Log in to Redeem button?  Does it do anything other than log you into HAL?  I am with a TA and want to make sure I know the process to redeem the offer.

Clicking on the “Redeem” button did exactly as you said….took me to the log in page. After logging in there was no place to “Redeem” the offer. Typical HAL website technology. 

[BermudaBound2014]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:22 AM, Native Floridian 26 said:

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.

 

Are you certain that cruise line issued OBC can be used for daily service charges? 

[KAKcruiser]

It always has been in the past.

[CruiserBruce]

55 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Are you certain that cruise line issued OBC can be used for daily service charges? 

Absolutely. Never been a problem.

[Destiny0315]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Are you certain that cruise line issued OBC can be used for daily service charges? 

What you can't use to pay the daily service charges is gift cards as they are not allowed to be used for travel planning items. But you can use those gift cards to buy OBC to pay the daily service charges.

[Native Floridian 26]

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Are you certain that cruise line issued OBC can be used for daily service charges? 

Yes.

[BermudaBound2014]

 Nice that so many were successful using non-refundable OBC on gratuities. This came directly from HAL's website and states that, at least some forms (non-refundable) of OBC can not be used on gratuities.  

Holland America Terms and Conditions of Low Fare OBC

 

 

This came from the pointsguy so it's not directly from HAL, but it is dated June 22, 2022 so fairly recent. The author is absolutely correct about NCL. Non-refundable OBC can not be used to pay gratuities on NCL (I learned this the hard way). I'm wondering if HAL has a new policy and that's why he included HAL in this article? Or, the author is just wrong about HAL (but that doesn't explain the quote above that did come directly from Holland America's  website). https://thepointsguy.com/guide/cruise-onboard-credit/

 

 

 

 

I know that most cruise lines differentiate between refundable and non-refundable OBC so it's confusing for guests. At the very least, there is some discrepancy based on the type of OBC issued per HAL's website. Hopefully the policy isn't enforced onboard. 

 

[RuthC]

Not allowing non-refundable OBC to be used for gratuities may be HAL's policy. However, we all know how well the HAL computers are programmed, and that is what matters here.
The computers subtract gratuities from OBC. I have had that little computer blessing bestowed on me. 

[BermudaBound2014]

@RuthC I figured that was likely the case, however cruise lines are all desperately trying to save money.

 

When consumers purchase a $10 drink with nonrefundable obc it likely cost the cruise lines less then .50 cents. When you purchase a shore excursion for $100 it likely costs the cruise line Pennies on the dollar. Same with photos, gift shops, Etc….
 

However when you use nonrefundable obc to cover $100 of gratuities it “should” cost the cruise line the full $100. That’s why other cruise lines have stopped allowing nonrefundable obc to be used for gratuities. It would not surprise me if HALs computers eventually catch up. 
 

In the meantime it’s good to know that passengers are reporting that the policy is not being enforced. But I wouldn’t wait until the last day onboard to confirm with guest services. Once bitten twice shy for me. 

[kazu]

12 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

In the meantime it’s good to know that passengers are reporting that the policy is not being enforced. But I wouldn’t wait until the last day onboard to confirm with guest services. Once bitten twice shy for me. 

 

 

There is no need to wait until your last day on board.  You can track it on your Navigator app.  It clearly now shows how much refundable and non refundable OBC you have left.  HAL always uses non refundable first and I can ascertain that having gotten off a few weeks ago.

And yes, gratuities were charged to my non refundable OBC and when it was gone to my refundable.  Absolutely - and I could see it every day.

[BermudaBound2014]

Just now, kazu said:

….It clearly now shows how much refundable and non refundable OBC you have left. 

And yes, gratuities were charged to my non refundable OBC and when it was gone to my refundable.  Absolutely - and I could see it every day.

Now this is interesting. The HAL app distinguishes between refundable and nonrefundable OBC? You can tell how much of each you have left and what “pot” they have pulled from? Is it color coded? How do they differentiate? This will help consumers navigate the confusion that will arise if (when) HAL’s computers catch up. 😉 

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Now this is interesting. The HAL app distinguishes between refundable and nonrefundable OBC? You can tell how much of each you have left and what “pot” they have pulled from? Is it color coded? How do they differentiate? This will help consumers navigate the confusion that will arise if (when) HAL’s computers catch up. 😉 

 

Yes.  It is broken down - no colour coding - it simply says OBc - X

 

and non refundable OBC - x.  

It doesn’t take much to do the math if you check it daily (which I do).

 

How do they differentiate?  I don’t work for HAL but they know which OBC is refundable and which is not.  It’s the first thing I check when I am on board and settling - make sure all the OBC I should have is there.  And I usually have both and yes, I could see they are still using non refundable first.

 

In the old days it did show as “on board credit - not used for casino or cash” but you never knew how much of each you had left.  Now you do - at least I did on my cruise.