AARP Credit on 2025 Cruise (be sure to verify credit received)

[Ready2go11]

On Monday I booked a Spring 2025 TA 15 day cruise. My confirmation reflected OBC for using FCD and $200 in other OBC. I was thinking it was for AARP but yesterday was thinking the OBC should have been $450 for FCD, AARP and Mariner bonus for booking within 90 days of launch. 
 

Called customer service and I was short $200 because AARP had not been automatically applied. The phone rep had to call another department and they said they could see I had registered for AARP but needed my membership number again. After applying that they manually added the AARP OBC and reminded me I would need to reverify the AARP membership annually. I requested and received an updated confirmation reflecting the full OBC. 
 

I am not certain if the need to add the credit manually was because they just launched these cruises and the systems have not been set up properly yet, if it was  because the cruise was over a year away and membership would need to be certified again, or something else.
 

Before calling I checked my online profile and the OBC section did not reflect the place holder $50 credit that it had been showing for AARP since registering at the end of July. 
 

Point of all of this- when booking a new cruise that is far out (again this was spring 2025) make sure you get the AARP credit applied. It was not automatic for me like I thought it would be after registering my membership number. 
 

Pleased this was corrected in one phone call. Now just have to wait 590 days to embark 😄

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the info, glad it worked out for you.

[TAW1963]

16 minutes ago, Ready2go11 said:

On Monday I booked a Spring 2025 TA 15 day cruise. My confirmation reflected OBC for using FCD and $200 in other OBC. I was thinking it was for AARP but yesterday was thinking the OBC should have been $450 for FCD, AARP and Mariner bonus for booking within 90 days of launch. 
 

Called customer service and I was short $200 because AARP had not been automatically applied. The phone rep had to call another department and they said they could see I had registered for AARP but needed my membership number again. After applying that they manually added the AARP OBC and reminded me I would need to reverify the AARP membership annually. I requested and received an updated confirmation reflecting the full OBC. 
 

I am not certain if the need to add the credit manually was because they just launched these cruises and the systems have not been set up properly yet, if it was  because the cruise was over a year away and membership would need to be certified again, or something else.
 

Before calling I checked my online profile and the OBC section did not reflect the place holder $50 credit that it had been showing for AARP since registering at the end of July. 
 

Point of all of this- when booking a new cruise that is far out (again this was spring 2025) make sure you get the AARP credit applied. It was not automatic for me like I thought it would be after registering my membership number. 
 

Pleased this was corrected in one phone call. Now just have to wait 590 days to embark 😄

I recently booked a Spring 2025 TA 15-day cruise as well.  Perhaps it is the same cruise as you.  I did the booking by calling HAL for I wanted to add CO for paying for a VH cabin but being upgraded to our desired aft-facing VS cabin.  I also wanted the Advantage fare, which makes the deposit refundable.  The HAL representative was extremely nice.  Near the end of my call, I asked if my AARP OBC had been applied and she said it didn't appear that it had.  We had received the $100/pp OBC for it being a new HAL sailing, but it said nothing about the AARP OBC.  This was on a Friday evening, so she said she was putting detailed notes in my booking and then emailing the correct HAL representative and asking why my AARP credit was not appearing.   On Monday morning, I received a new booking confirmation which, indeed, now showed my $200 OBC for AARP.  

 

Your advice for others to make sure to check that the AARP OBC is being applied to a 2025 booking is great advice.  Yup, only 590 days to embark!

Edited August 23, 2023 by TAW1963

[Ready2go11]

I also booked obstructed balcony and added CO to upgrade to a VS so we might be neighbors in 590 days!

[Mary229]

The AARP membership must be updated yearly so you can’t get credits for 2025 yet.  Ditto for the Shareholder OBC.  If  these are being applied to your account that is in error 

[TAW1963]

Just now, Ready2go11 said:

I also booked obstructed balcony and added CO to upgrade to a VS so we might be neighbors in 590 days!

How awesome is that!  Too bad it is 590 days away!

[TAW1963]

9 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

The AARP membership must be updated yearly so you can’t get credits for 2025 yet.  Ditto for the Shareholder OBC.  If  these are being applied to your account that is in error 

That may very well be the case but if it is, it doesn't make sense.  You can only get the AARP credit for new bookings, so it would seem that it makes more sense that you should be a verified member of AARP when you first booked and not necessarily when the actual sailing takes place.  The Shareholder OBC is always applied after booking, and in the case of 2025 bookings, cannot be applied for yet.   

Edited August 23, 2023 by TAW1963

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, TAW1963 said:

That may very well be the case but if it is, it doesn't make sense.  You can only get the AARP credit for new bookings, so it would seem that it makes more sense that you should be a verified member of AARP when you first booked and not necessarily when the actual sailing takes place.  The Shareholder OBC is always applied after booking, and in the case of 2025 bookings, cannot be applied for yet.   

Read the rules.  The linkage between AARP and HAL must be reestablished yearly.  OBC is set in the spring for the following fiscal year (July to July).  They will, in error,  occasionally place it on the booking but you must understand it can be revoked. 

[TAW1963]

34 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Read the rules.  The linkage between AARP and HAL must be reestablished yearly.  OBC is set in the spring for the following fiscal year (July to July).  They will, in error,  occasionally place it on the booking but you must understand it can be revoked. 

I wasn't arguing that you were not correct, I was just stating that if that is the policy, it doesn't make sense.   I realize that you need to reestablish yearly.  I am not necessarily an argumentative person, but please do not tell me what I must understand.

Edited August 23, 2023 by TAW1963

[Ready2go11]

When they added my credit last night on the phone, they reminded me that I would need to be verified again  I am fine with that as likely to book others cruises before this one and want to apply for credit. 
 

TAW1963 is correct though. If we did not ask for it now, it would not be a new booking when we did ask and they could deny it. Having it added now and reverifying membership next year is the safest course in my opinion. If they cancel the promotion, and take it away I will deal with that in due course. And the rules i just looked at say:

 

“Eligibility for this offer expires one year after validation is approved. Guests must submit the validation form annually to maintain eligibility for the promotion.”

 

I do not see anything about fiscal year, although I know the separate shareholders credit is based on that.  What if I did not validate membership until October this year. According to the current published rules, I would need to revalidate next October, not in July when the promo was announced. 
 

If it was indeed only good for one year as a rule, it would only be able to be applied to cruises that are booked one year or less in the future. Fortunately so far, it does not seem that is their intention. 
 

 

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, TAW1963 said:

I wasn't arguing that you were not correct, I was just stating that if that is the policy, it doesn't make sense.   I realize that you need to reestablish yearly.  I am not necessarily an argumentative person, but please do not tell me what I must understand.

I was simply stating the rules.   I didn’t tell you how to feel about it.  

[ECCruise]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:09 AM, Mary229 said:

The AARP membership must be updated yearly so you can’t get credits for 2025 yet.  Ditto for the Shareholder OBC.  If  these are being applied to your account that is in error 

That is exactly what our TA was told.  That the AARP for the 2025 sailing could not be applied until we updated our AARP membership next year.

[Hogladyrider]

@Ready2go11... I had to call HAL twice to get my AARP OBC applied to the 3 cruises I booked.

 

First gal told me I would see the credit in a couple of days.  So in a couple of days I checked, nope no OBC.

 

I called HAL a 2nd time explained I had called on Saturday and still no OBC for my 3 cruises.  This gal wound up getting a supervisor involved who applied my AARP credit to my 3 cruises I had just booked for 2025.  One cruise at $50 OBC and two cruises at $100 each OBC.  I had saved my verified AARP membership email that I had received.  My AARP membership is paid thru 2028.

 

Such a hassle to go thru this for sure.  My TA sent me updated info showing the OBC's on all three cruises.  I think if people don't follow thru it will just slide thru the cracks.  HAL uses a 3rd party to verify your AARP membership.

[Ready2go11]

Complicated promotions and terms (especially when stacking promotions are involved) means computer systems can not always keep up. I always double check everything and get written confirmations like you did. I know it is also frustrating when there is so much inconsistency. Being polite but firm about the details usually works for me, as it did for you. 
 

I am glad you were diligent and able to get the credit added, especially since your membership is prepaid past 2025. 

[Hogladyrider]

16 minutes ago, Ready2go11 said:

Complicated promotions and terms (especially when stacking promotions are involved) means computer systems can not always keep up. I always double check everything and get written confirmations like you did. I know it is also frustrating when there is so much inconsistency. Being polite but firm about the details usually works for me, as it did for you. 
 

I am glad you were diligent and able to get the credit added, especially since your membership is prepaid past 2025. 

Thank you....spot on comments and I agree 100%!

[Haljo1935]

As the terms clearly state AARP membership is to be verified/reconfirmed every year, I would not be surprised if 2025 cruises (and possibly EOY 2024) we're asked to resubmit membership verification to maintain the OBC that had been posted. Hope not, but wouldn't be surprised. 

I didn't submit anything over a year out, just as I don't for Shareholder just to minimize the chance of having to resubmit.

[drowelf]

How does one register for this AARP promotion? Is this something that can be done online via the HAL Site. I looked on the site and can't find anything to link with my AARP Account. 

[Haljo1935]

16 minutes ago, drowelf said:

How does one register for this AARP promotion? Is this something that can be done online via the HAL Site. I looked on the site and can't find anything to link with my AARP Account. 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/community-appreciation-cruise-offers/aarp-member-benefit-offer#

Scroll down to the orange "verify your AARP membership" box, click it and follow the promots. You do need to already be registered w/AARP before you do it.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

FYI It is one credit per Cabin. 

[Mandalay1903]

When I first registered my AARP membership on HAL's site, I had three future cruises already booked for winter/spring 2024. I did not request it, but after I registered HAL automatically added a $200 AARP credit to my next upcoming sailing--January 2024--but not the other two bookings in March/April 2024. Nice of them to credit me despite it not being a new booking.

 

Two weeks later I made a new booking of a cruise in September 2025, but the AARP credit did not get applied by HAL for this new booking. I discussed this with my HAL PCC, who after two attempts was able to get supervisory approval and the onboard credit was added as a "one-time" exception in his words. Again, I appreciate his going to bat for me but I'm not sure why his intervention should have been required.

 

As with others on this thread, I am not sure why receiving the AARP credit would need to be a "one-time" exception when HAL's stated policy does not differentiate the time period when the booking is made.  That is, for bookings made after AARP membership had been successfully registered.

 

Has anyone verified with HAL that their intent was for the credit to be applied only to new bookings made within one year of their most recent AARP registration, or for ANY future cruise so long as the guest is currently registered?  Or something else?

 

I appreciate the new marketing relationship between HAL and AARP--it got me to join AARP--but the customer-facing policy and the coding in HAL's booking engine leave a lot to be desired despite their complexities.

[putty27]

I was told by HAL that the AARP OBC for bookings in 2025 can’t be applied now because they aren’t sure it will be offered in 25. They said to check back mid 2024 and if they continue with it they will add it to your 2025 bookings.

[Hogladyrider]

2 minutes ago, putty27 said:

I was told by HAL that the AARP OBC for bookings in 2025 can’t be applied now because they aren’t sure it will be offered in 25. They said to check back mid 2024 and if they continue with it they will add it to your 2025 bookings.

All I can say is I have 3 cruises booked for April & May 2025 and all 3 have AARP credited applied and I have receipt showing OBC

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

10 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

All I can say is I have 3 cruises booked for April & May 2025 and all 3 have AARP credited applied and I have receipt showing OBC

I also just got it on 9 bookings 

[TAW1963]

If I do a mock booking online for a 2025 spring transatlantic on the MS Rotterdam, it shows that the AARP Member Benefit onboard credit has been applied (see bottom of attached picture).  When I recently booked a 2025 spring transatlantic on the MS Nieuw Statendam, I did so by calling HAL and not online.  I had done a mock booking online and saw that the AARP OBC had been applied, but I needed to call for I usually book with the Advantage Fare (refundable deposit) and I add Club Orange to get a cabin upgrade from a VH cabin to a VS aft-facing cabin.  When I called and the booking was near complete, I asked if the AARP OBC was showing up for I had seen that it did if I book online.  The representative said it hadn't and was unsure of the reason why, but she thought it was likely due to it being a 2025 booking.  I informed her that it showed up in my online mock booking.  I also informed her that if I didn't get the credit when booking, I would not be able to get it later on for it was for new bookings only.  She said she was making detailed notes to put on the booking explaining just what I had told her and then sending it on to another department that takes care of the AARP OBC.  This was late Friday afternoon and by early Monday morning I had an updated booking confirmation showing that the AARP OBC had been applied.  

 

I do have a 3-year membership with AARP.  I don't know if this makes a difference or not, for HAL says that one needs to reestablish yearly.  I do know that this is different from the shareholder credit, in that it is added at the time of a new booking and the shareholder credit is added after the booking is made and within a certain time before the cruise begins, so the two cannot be directly compared.  Perhaps HAL didn't fully think this through before implimenting it.

[glorialagos]

So many different answers on this (from HAL) - my AARP was "verified" on the day I booked my cruise but wasn't "official" from HAL yet.  For this reason, I put the cruise on a courtesy hold to wait the 48-72 hours it stated was needed.  No luck but the HAL rep assured me the OBC would be applied because it was a new booking.  So, I paid my deposit.

 

Two weeks later - still no OBC.  The last time I called, I was told I must send an email to "resolutions", which I did.  I am still waiting.

 

I will continue to call and will get my TA involved also.  Seems unnecessarily complicated.  But, $100 will pay my crew appreciation (almost) so it is worth making the calls, sending the emails, etc.

 

Has anyone else been told they must email "resolutions"?