Two interesting observations from booking a casino deal.

[Mary229]

2 hours ago, albingirl said:

Bragging is the key word here. No need to rub it in guys.  But, just think.  Pretty soon, all of us 4 and 5 stars, and the gazillion  other priority guests can maybe shift over to the non-priority lines.  They will surely be shorter if HAL keeps this up!

I think it is a perfectly good and valuable discussion on this forum but , yes, once on the ship it is all water under the bridge and people should only look forward in their discussions about travel arrangements 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Mary229

[DaveOKC]

8 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I think it is a perfectly good and valuable discussion on this forum but , yes, once on the ship it is all water under the bridge and people should only look forward in their discussions about travel arrangements 

I agree 100%.  I see nothing wrong about discussing fares in general, but getting specific can cause alot of hard feelings plus often times people do not even know what they paid exactly.  Further, there are so many items involved (perks, OBC, discounts, taxes, fees, etc.) that you are likely comparing Apples and Oranges anyway.

[ChinaShrek]

On 9/6/2023 at 9:20 AM, Real NHDOC said:

In a slap in the face to all of us who worked to earn priority boarding through the mariner program or who pay for a neptune suite it now seems like casino guests are given priority boarding in addition to their steeply discounted or free fares! This was at our embarkation today in Copenhagen and resulted in combining the typical priority boarding with Casino guests in one line for check in. 

This is great! Who is eligible to use this line? People on a casino rate (discount) or people getting a free cruise? 

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

This is great! Who is eligible to use this line? People on a casino rate (discount) or people getting a free cruise? 

The priority boarding for casino guests are ONLY for when the casino division holds special events such as a slot or blackjack tournament. Those are not that often. I can remember that benefit for special event casino cruises for at least 10 years. 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Laminator

[TheMichael]

15 minutes ago, Laminator said:

The priority boarding for casino guests are ONLY for when the casino division holds special events such as a slot or blackjack tournament. Those are not that often. I can remember that benefit for special event casino cruises for at least 10 years. 

 

It seems like people are looking for reasons to feel "slapped in the face" or otherwise slighted. Even if it DID extend to all ports and all sailings (repeating here that it does not), the number of people that would be using casino-specific priority boarding would be very small compared to the rest of the ship, and certainly not enough to cause whatever catastrophic impact might be imagined to elite frequent travelers.

 

As far as HIA, I booked on a casino status-match, and could not get access to it initially - I eventually "got in from outside" (from the HAL front page, the HIA promotion page under "Cruise Deals," then the "Upgrade Now" button). I can't vouch that they haven't "plugged that hole" (if it was a hole in the first place) but maybe give it a try.

[Sunseeker810]

On 9/5/2023 at 5:07 PM, DaveOKC said:

I just booked a casino offer (not a free cabin but only $199 for an Inside) and found two interesting items (IMO):

 

First, in the recent past it was difficult to book a specific cabin rather than take a guarantee.  This time we were finally able (even online) to select our own cabin.  Of course we had to pay a bit more for this, but the end fare was very good and not that much more than the guarantee rate.

 

Second, I booked an aft view balcony cabin for LESS than I would have paid for using Club Orange to upgrade the guarantee, by about $45 pp.  In the past, purchasing Club Orange was the way to go as it would save me $100 or more per person. Since the ship was not a Pinnacle class one, the value to me was minimal for Club Orange.

 

It seems that HAL has made some good changes in how they are handling casino bookings and I am happy to see this.  Still needs some work, but its improved fro prior cruises.

 

I too have gotten some great offers, but the inability to speak directly with a casino rep is driving me away.  I tried to email them and got a response 4 months later.  Ridiculous! Although I hate NCL's casino fee of $20 a day, at least I can speak to a host and know what exactly can be done for me.

[highscar]

Priority boarding?  Who cares. I’ll get on anyway before sailing.  

[Laminator]

29 minutes ago, Sunseeker810 said:

I too have gotten some great offers, but the inability to speak directly with a casino rep is driving me away.  I tried to email them and got a response 4 months later.  Ridiculous! Although I hate NCL's casino fee of $20 a day, at least I can speak to a host and know what exactly can be done for me.

Call your PCC. They can help you. 

[Sunseeker810]

Just now, Laminator said:

Call your PCC. They can help you. 

I think that my girl is kind of useless.  She told me that she can only email them.  And, who knows if she really does?  I have one more booked in November and will have to see how it goes. My last cruise was supposed to be free drinks everywhere.  It took 3 days with going back from the desk and the casino to finally make it happen.  Then, they said that it was just for me!  I had to get drinks 2 at a time.

[Laminator]

1 minute ago, Sunseeker810 said:

I think that my girl is kind of useless.  She told me that she can only email them.  And, who knows if she really does?  I have one more booked in November and will have to see how it goes. My last cruise was supposed to be free drinks everywhere.  It took 3 days with going back from the desk and the casino to finally make it happen.  Then, they said that it was just for me!  I had to get drinks 2 at a time.

I had the same issue on my Feb cruise with the beverage package. They tried the same BS with me. I won that argument due to HAL's policy that the Signature Beverage Package MUST be purchased by both guests in the cabin. They have since changed the wording in their offer as you can see below. It is imperative that you print your offer and bring it with you.
As for your PCC I can tell you that the casino division is tough to get a hold of even for them.
 

[Sunseeker810]

3 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I had the same issue on my Feb cruise with the beverage package. They tried the same BS with me. I won that argument due to HAL's policy that the Signature Beverage Package MUST be purchased by both guests in the cabin. They have since changed the wording in their offer as you can see below. It is imperative that you print your offer and bring it with you.
As for your PCC I can tell you that the casino division is tough to get a hold of even for them.
 

Thanks for your help.  I will print everything from now on.

[Laminator]

3 minutes ago, Sunseeker810 said:

Thanks for your help.  I will print everything from now on.

There are some great resources here that have tons of experience booking casino cruises. @DaveOKCis one of them. There is a good chance one of the resources here can help you with your question/s. 

[Hlitner]

There is an ugly truth about HAL.  The line attracts lots of older cruisers, many of them long time HAL fans who are 4-5* Mariners who feel entitled to some perks for their loyalty.  But these are the very same cruisers who are not very helpful at "maximizing onboard revenue."  Many go to dinner at 5, to the show (if there is a show) and then to their cabin/suite by 9:30.  A lot of these folks do not buy adult beverages, or perhaps only have 1 or 2 drinks per day.  Most do not spend a lot of money on photos, are not overly generous in the spa, etc.

 

Younger (and some older) gamblers are a different breed They happily donate their money to the casino (often more than we might pay for an entire cruise), gobble down adult beverages, etc.  The gamblers do more than their part "maximizing onboard revenue" for HAL.  While a majority of HAL cruisers are in bed (before 10pm) the gamblers are still donating money to the cruise line, buying adult beverages, etc. And for HAL, that is what it is all about, making a profit.  Talk to gamblers and many will tell you about their winnings.  But go to a place like Las Vegas, and you might wonder how if all those gamblers are winning, how can the big corporations build such an amazing city (much funded by their profits from gambling).  

 

In fairness to HAL, they are simply one cruise line (of many) that do their best to attract gamblers.  We just returned from a Princess cruise where the large casino was packed, every night, until at least midnight.  One table players told me that he "goes through withdrawal" when the ship is in a port and the casino closed.  But he pointed out that some of the ports did have casinos that were open during the day :).

 

Hank