CHEATED OUT OF OBC FROM HOLLAND AMERICA

[Hobby3333]

Right or wrong, I always book with the cruise line first and then transfer the booking to my TA to get his extra perks.   I keep all the original booking info from the cruise line to use as reference if needed.   Having said that, things happen and I am not going to let OBC (lack of) influence my cruise enjoyment.

Edited January 19, 2023 by Hobby3333

[Mary229]

19 minutes ago, Hobby3333 said:

Right or wrong, I always book with the cruise line first and then transfer the booking to my TA to get his extra perks.   I keep all the original booking info from the cruise line to use as reference if needed.   Having said that, things happen and I am not going to let OBC (lack of) influence my cruise enjoyment.

I do the same but I tend to make changes and that original invoice is so important to compare notes.  $350 would have been an extreme cost savings for a 7 day Caribbean cruise and it leads me to believe there was a miscommunication not a removal of benefit 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Mary229

[Iamthesea]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

The one i get is the dude with a bottle of champagne and there is a pdf attached which details the perks and OBC.   I save that PDF under the heading “original invoice” 

I did not get that.  Does HAL send it, or your travel agent?

[Laminator]

7 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I did not get that.  Does HAL send it, or your travel agent?

Here is from the PDF for my upcoming cruise. Anything that is casino cash or onboard credit related we always bring the hard copy. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Laminator

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I did not get that.  Does HAL send it, or your travel agent?

HAL sends it   

[HALcruiser2001]

10 minutes ago, Laminator said:

Here is from the PDF for my upcoming cruise. Anything that is casino cash or onboard credit related we always bring the hard copy. 

 

Why?    Is HAL really that horrific that you can't just trust them to deliver to your order?

 

I spend about $150k/year in travel.   Never dream of taking a hard copy somewhere.

 

 

[Laminator]

8 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Why?    Is HAL really that horrific that you can't just trust them to deliver to your order?

 

I spend about $150k/year in travel.   Never dream of taking a hard copy somewhere.

 

 

I get $10,000 in free play from the casino on my cruises. On more than one occasion the onboard casino staff was not aware of the free play offer. Plus my wife and I both receive free Neptune suite offers from the casino. We bring friends so we need to go into the Neptune Lounge to switch keys and accounts around when we get onboard. It makes it much easier for the Neptune Lounge concierge to make sure all of the perks follow us when we make the switch. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Laminator

[Florida_gal_50]

12 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Why?    Is HAL really that horrific that you can't just trust them to deliver to your order?

 

I spend about $150k/year in travel.   Never dream of taking a hard copy somewhere.

 

 

Do what you like but hal misplaces things.  I’m armed with every bit of paperwork.  That said they never seem to misplace debits, at least in my experience. 

[Laminator]

Just now, Florida_gal_50 said:

Do what you like but hal misplaces things.  I’m armed with every bit of paperwork.  That said they never seem to misplace debits, at least in my experience. 

This is the first thing I think we have ever agreed on. LOL!!!!

 

[HALcruiser2001]

1 minute ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Do what you like but hal misplaces things.  I’m armed with every bit of paperwork.  That said they never seem to misplace debits, at least in my experience. 

 

What is wrong with HAL?

 

I have no "paper" from HAL.

 

They can't even provide me an invoice for my exc or cabana.   Just a manual email.   Stuff mystically disappears and reappears from web and navigator.   Hard to believe they have a loyal customer base.

 

HAL won't be my next cruise at this rate.    Completely unprofessional.

[Laminator]

12 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

What is wrong with HAL?

 

I have no "paper" from HAL.

 

They can't even provide me an invoice for my exc or cabana.   Just a manual email.   Stuff mystically disappears and reappears from web and navigator.   Hard to believe they have a loyal customer base.

 

HAL won't be my next cruise at this rate.    Completely unprofessional.

I receive an email confirmation from HAL for any excursion, dinner reservation or cabana booking the day after I book. 

[Florida_gal_50]

22 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

What is wrong with HAL?

 

I have no "paper" from HAL.

 

They can't even provide me an invoice for my exc or cabana.   Just a manual email.   Stuff mystically disappears and reappears from web and navigator.   Hard to believe they have a loyal customer base.

 

HAL won't be my next cruise at this rate.    Completely unprofessional.

That’s all you get is an email from hal when you book a cabana.  I would never dream of not having proof from a hotel of a rate either.  Do so at your own peril.

[HALcruiser2001]

46 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I get $10,000 in free play from the casino on my cruises. On more than one occasion the onboard casino staff was not aware of the free play offer. Plus my wife and I both receive free Neptune suite offers from the casino. We bring friends so we need to go into the Neptune Lounge to switch keys and accounts around when we get onboard. It makes it much easier for the Neptune Lounge concierge to make sure all of the perks follow us when we make the switch. 

 

I  just spent $10k on a week in a n.s.

 

Why do you get a free room and 10k free play?

[Laminator]

1 minute ago, bdd123 said:

 

I  just spent $10k on a week in a n.s.

 

Why do you get a free room and 10k free play?

I am a big loser in the casino!

[HALcruiser2001]

28 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I receive an email confirmation from HAL for any excursion, dinner reservation or cabana booking the day after I book. 

 

Not me.   Asked numerous times.

 

Only formal invoice was my main itinerary.

 

Only thing on cabana is a manual email typed by a human.

 

Nothing on anything else, just online or navigator.

[HALcruiser2001]

6 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I am a big loser in the casino!

 

Lucky man.    I dont have the money to lose.

[Laminator]

1 minute ago, bdd123 said:

 

Lucky man.    I dont have the money to lose.

You mean unlucky man!

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

Why?    Is HAL really that horrific that you can't just trust them to deliver to your order?

 

I spend about $150k/year in travel.   Never dream of taking a hard copy somewhere.

 

 

Do not know about you but I carry or can access on my phone the details about any bookings or reservation with any hotel, airline, Cruise line, car service, etc.  Cones in handy if any questions come up. Better to be prepared and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Especially when you are dealing with smaller entities or in countries with poor communication access.

[Arizona Wildcat]

When I board I always have a copy of my booking in emails from BOTH my TA and the cruiseline.  Have had OBC from my TA that did not appear by day 3 - took my phone to guest relations and in an hour it was there.  If the OBC from the cruisline after boarding is less than shown on my invoice then I get it fixed with no hassle.

[HALcruiser2001]

28 minutes ago, Laminator said:

You mean unlucky man!

LMAO.  Got me there.

Lucky man to be able to entertain yourself and guests.  Good on you dude. 

I have never gambled in 60 years, other than a few mega millions tickets recently.

My wife will get some money on her 60th cruise,  just to blow.  I am certain will will share your luck.

Edited January 20, 2023 by bdd123

[mfanderso]

2 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

I did not get that.  Does HAL send it, or your travel agent?

HAL sends mine to my TA and I request my TA to forward it to me. 

[leerathje]

2 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

What is wrong with HAL?

 

I have no "paper" from HAL.

 

They can't even provide me an invoice for my exc or cabana.   Just a manual email.   Stuff mystically disappears and reappears from web and navigator.   Hard to believe they have a loyal customer base.

 

HAL won't be my next cruise at this rate.    Completely unprofessional.

This is EXACTLY what I get from my TA (her name blocked out, and our fare blocked out) when we pay our deposit.  Page 1 shows my OBC, page 2 shows our promos.

 

L.

 

[Blackduck59]

2 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

Why?    Is HAL really that horrific that you can't just trust them to deliver to your order?

 

I spend about $150k/year in travel.   Never dream of taking a hard copy somewhere.

 

 

 

Apparently you are immuned from the thieves that steal from people which you have used to describe HAL in several posts on this thread.

[Iamthesea]

24 minutes ago, mfanderso said:

HAL sends mine to my TA and I request my TA to forward it to me. 

I think that mine did not get forwarded.  I have looked through everything I have received.

 

leerathje - What you are showing is from a Holland American TA.  My travel agent is from an outside agency.

[OlsSalt]

2 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

What is wrong with HAL?

 

I have no "paper" from HAL.

 

They can't even provide me an invoice for my exc or cabana.   Just a manual email.   Stuff mystically disappears and reappears from web and navigator.   Hard to believe they have a loyal customer base.

 

HAL won't be my next cruise at this rate.    Completely unprofessional.

 

HAL moving larger ships and installing a CEO a while back who had never even taken a cruise himself but started changing things is when HAL started losing its customer base loyalty. Hard to know what HAL also would have lost, had they not tried to change.

 

So yes,  there is deep affectionate loyalty from HAL cruises who like the smaller, interesting itinerary slow paced HAL ships. These bigger one are not the HAL so many of us became so devoted to.  

 

The entire "covid' nightmare was so devastating  and expensive, one wonders how HAL will ever get back what it once was. I fear never now.  So very glad I had my over 600 days with the older model of HAL.  Other larger cruise lines were not in the middle of reinventing themselves when things shut down like HAL.

 

A lot easier to start up floating large hotel ships than HAL which is still spreading itself too thin  to be something for every market.  HAL earned our loyal -- to the old model. Our recent experience on a Pinnacle class ship  made us realize what they have now lost .