Military OBC Benefit

[canadianbear]

9 minutes ago, beach spring said:

FWIW, when we booked this cruise, the next day we applied for my husband's military credit, which was approved.  Within two weeks the OBC was showing on our invoice.  OTOH, I am a retired teacher, and HAL also offers OBC for that, but my TA was told only one "appreciation" could be applied to our booking.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Seems unfair.  We have been so busy lately, I have not even had time to think about calling and requesting again.  Do you think that would seem greedy?  Please give me your thoughts, as i just may call before we depart in a few days.  Ten Days!!!  But who's counting?

From what I’ve read only one or the other-so military or teacher.  It’s like the CCL stocks, only one per cabin.  

[PaperSniper4]

11 hours ago, canadianbear said:

From what I’ve read only one or the other-so military or teacher.  It’s like the CCL stocks, only one per cabin.  

That is also my understanding. However, I certainly would not fault anyone's checking to see if they might receive two of those "appreciation" credits. When CCL stock was so low (I bought our first 100 shares at the all time high in the 60s.....and I don't mean the 1960s!), but then I remembered only one credit per 100 shares.

 

 Doug

[PaperSniper4]

11 hours ago, beach spring said:

FWIW, when we booked this cruise, the next day we applied for my husband's military credit, which was approved.  Within two weeks the OBC was showing on our invoice.  OTOH, I am a retired teacher, and HAL also offers OBC for that, but my TA was told only one "appreciation" could be applied to our booking.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Seems unfair.  We have been so busy lately, I have not even had time to think about calling and requesting again.  Do you think that would seem greedy?  Please give me your thoughts, as i just may call before we depart in a few days.  Ten Days!!!  But who's counting?

You are not greedy at all to think that, but sorry, only one of those "appreciation" OBCs per booking. Thanks for your service BTW, being a teacher today can be like being in a war zone. I know. My daughter was and my SIL still is and a public school teacher; a tough and important job.

 

 Doug

[Guest debbiejohncruise]

On 5/16/2023 at 8:11 PM, beach spring said:

FWIW, when we booked this cruise, the next day we applied for my husband's military credit, which was approved.  Within two weeks the OBC was showing on our invoice.  OTOH, I am a retired teacher, and HAL also offers OBC for that, but my TA was told only one "appreciation" could be applied to our booking.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Seems unfair.  We have been so busy lately, I have not even had time to think about calling and requesting again.  Do you think that would seem greedy?  Please give me your thoughts, as i just may call before we depart in a few days.  Ten Days!!!  But who's counting?

We are both military vets and understand and agree it should only be $100 OBC per cabin. We don’t want to be greedy and ask for more and appreciate HAL giving us the OBC.

 

[Guest debbiejohncruise]

On 5/4/2023 at 7:52 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

So have we, but I am US Navy. However, I think the HAL military appreciation is rather new, and one must apply for the discount using SheerID.com, the link on HAL's web page. Once that is complete your military appreciation credit (refundable, at least with other CCL cruise lines) will show under Future Cruise Credits on your HAL account page. We booked a HAL cruise about 3 months ago and I applied for the military OBC about a month ago. Once "approved" by SheerID/HAL, I sent an email to world_cruise_reservations@hollandamerica.com asking if my military FCC could be applied to the bruise I had booked a few months prior. They sent a positive reply in just a couple of days.

 

 Doug

 USN retired

Doug, our TA phoned HAL and they said Canadian military and vets do not get the military OBC but today we received an email from HAL telling us to apply for our military OBC through SheerID. All done but I think we are going to have to send an email as well because our agent said HAL said it was for new bookings only.

[Guest debbiejohncruise]

On 5/3/2023 at 6:21 AM, coldinerie said:

We booked the cruise prior to me knowing about the military OBC. I applied for the program, was accepted and received the email stating so, but after the booking.  The credit did not appear, so thanks to CC I called HAL. I was told, to send a copy of the approval via email to submit_@hollandamerica.com.  I did just that and within 3 hours my credit was on my account. 

I tried that email address and it came back as undeliverable

[Guest debbiejohncruise]

On 5/3/2023 at 7:38 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

Same for me, word for word, except I sent my request for my military appreciation to 'world_cruise_reservations@hollandamerica.com', and it took all of 3 days for approval. The agent at that email address also kindly told me the total OBC I'd have once on board, and broke it down as to military, shareholder, TA offer, etc. That was much appreciated as I have not been able to find that information at hollandamerica.com.

 

Doug

hoping your email address works as I tried the submit_@hollandamerica.com it was returned as undeliverable.

[PaperSniper4]

14 hours ago, debbiejohncruise said:

Doug, our TA phoned HAL and they said Canadian military and vets do not get the military OBC but today we received an email from HAL telling us to apply for our military OBC through SheerID. All done but I think we are going to have to send an email as well because our agent said HAL said it was for new bookings only.

Yes, my TA said the same thing; new bookings only. He was only saying what HAL told him. However, I emailed HAL (world_cruise_reservations@hollandamerica.com> on 5/1 and asked if my military appreciation could be approved to our upcoming HAL cruise 10/2023. I had recently submitted my military (info to SheerID.com) on 4/1 and gotten an "approval" email from SheerID in a few days. In that email to HAL I requested verification of my Stockholder Benefit (which I had sent to that email 4/29) and requested that my military appreciation be applied to the upcoming cruise. Never hurts to ask y'know.😉 If they said no I'd have had no problem with that.

 

I received an email within a week or too that delineated my OBCs, which was nice because they cannot be seen at HAL.com. The agent also explained " Onboard credit on your booking will not display in your cruise planner at HollandAmerica.com or on the Navigator app because it is for onboard spending because you do not have access to use it prior to boarding your cruise.

Your travel agent can confirm the amount of onboard credit on your booking, and once you are onboard the ship you will see the credit in your onboard account via the Navigator app or the smart TV in your stateroom.

If there is anything further, please contact General Reservations 877-724-5425."

 

The next day I asked my TA to send me an revised invoice for the cruise, and it included the military and stockholder benefits. The underlined section above is unique to HAL in my experience. So we cannot see that OBC until we're onboard. If you apply for the benefit, ask your TA for an updated invoice.

 

BTW, to best of my  knowledge, the military appreciation credit is refundable and the stockholder benefit is not refundable. That is the case on at least Princess with whom we sail the most. Each cruise line probably decides about that. I don't know how it will work with HAL since this is the first time I've had a military appreciation benefit on the 5 or 6 HAL cruises we've taken. I was not aware they offered that benefit before.....they may have and I was just not aware of it. Our last HAL cruise was about 5 years ago.

 

BTW and not asked but answered here anyway, HIA OBC (specialty dining, excursion) can be used prior to sailing. I have already booked <at HAL.com> a specialty dining for our Oct 2023 cruise, but the excursions are not yet available for booking by anyone with or without a HIA excursion credit. I was told a month ago the excursions would become available at HAL.com about 120 days prior to sailing. Every cruise line seems to have vastly different and random restrictions on that; even within the Carnival Corporation umbrella.

 

 Doug

[PaperSniper4]

15 hours ago, debbiejohncruise said:

I tried that email address and it came back as undeliverable

Try this one, it worked a few weeks ago: world_cruise_reservations@hollandamerica.com

[queen_kathy1]

We applied for military credit about 2 months after booking our summer cruise, had it approved and within days, we could see it listed on our HA acct.  so it doesn't need to be new bookings only.

[*Miss G*]

On 5/25/2023 at 10:42 PM, debbiejohncruise said:

hoping your email address works as I tried the submit_@hollandamerica.com it was returned as undeliverable.

 

Use Reservations_Submit@hollandamerica.com.

 

Include your name, mariner #, and booking #.  You will get an auto-response immediately and I received a personal response two days later.

[talhaanwar28]

UNABLE TO GET RESPONSE ANYWHERE. PLEASE HELP

 

Has anyone in the past able to attach $100 Military OBC to their comped casino cruise booking?

 

If you were successful please advise how. Thank You!

Edited November 19, 2023 by talhaanwar28

[adoris]

21 hours ago, talhaanwar28 said:

UNABLE TO GET RESPONSE ANYWHERE. PLEASE HELP

 

Has anyone in the past able to attach $100 Military OBC to their comped casino cruise booking?

 

If you were successful please advise how. Thank You!

I was told I was not eligible for Military OBC on a casino comped cruise.