Pre-Sail Purchases/Onboard Spending Bonus

[djhsolara]

I'm sure someone out there knows the answer to this...

Do things that I purchase for our sailing prior to sailing via the HAL website or through Ship Services count toward my onboard purchases for the Mariner Onboard Spending Bonus?

Thank you!! :) :)

[Jemima]

yes

[sail7seas]

Yes..... any pre-cruise purchases you make are included in 'on board spending' total.

Excursions, Pinnacle, Drink cards etc

[djhsolara]

Great...thank you for the info!! :) :)

[pms4104]

Also ... any gifts (flowers, drink packages, etc.) purchased by friends and family for your sailing count toward the spending bonus days, up to the max of one bonus day for each itinerary day. Except for the casino, all monies spent for any booking number count for the bonus days.

[BoiseIdahoSpud]

Also ... any gifts (flowers, drink packages, etc.) purchased by friends and family for your sailing count toward the spending bonus days, up to the max of one bonus day for each itinerary day. Except for the casino, all monies spent for any booking number count for the bonus days.


I'm assuming the exception to this is if the gift purchaser is also a passenger on the same sailing, then the credits would accrue to the purchaser and not the recipient...?

[JJGlanton]

I'm assuming the exception to this is if the gift purchaser is also a passenger on the same sailing, then the credits would accrue to the purchaser and not the recipient...?

On a cruise last year with HAL, my wife and I travelling in the same cabin we were both given credits (one day per $300 charged to the cabin) for spends during cruise and the pre-cruise prepays.

So I guess both passengers in the cabin get credit? Don't know how that would work if you're traveling with a 3rd/4th person.

[kazu]

On a cruise last year with HAL, my wife and I travelling in the same cabin we were both given credits (one day per $300 charged to the cabin) for spends during cruise and the pre-cruise prepays.

So I guess both passengers in the cabin get credit? Don't know how that would work if you're traveling with a 3rd/4th person.

Yes, both people get the credit for the spending. I do not believe it is extended to the 3rd or 4th passenger though.

[BoiseIdahoSpud]

Yes, both people get the credit for the spending. I do not believe it is extended to the 3rd or 4th passenger though.

And what if the recipient is in another cabin? For example, you are on the same sailing with friends and you buy them a gift. I'm assuming the purchaser still gets a credit.

[kazu]

And what if the recipient is in another cabin? For example, you are on the same sailing with friends and you buy them a gift. I'm assuming the purchaser still gets a credit.

I know if you order it on line before you go that the purchaser gets the credit. I've never ordered anything on board, but I don't see why they wouldn't. Might be someone more knowledgeable than myself (quite a few actually) on the board who can confirm this for you.:)

[pms4104]

I'm assuming the exception to this is if the gift purchaser is also a passenger on the same sailing, then the credits would accrue to the purchaser and not the recipient...?
You might contact the Mariner Society for the answer to that one ... but I think that the spending bonus days are calculated based on monies against specific booking numbers, in which case the recipient would get the credit for the extra days.

If you call Mariner and get an answer, please let us know their response.

[mains_dream]

Well, this may seem odd, but I have never heard of this. Can someone explain to me what this is? I am leaving in a few days for the Eurodam.

[sapper1]

Well, this may seem odd, but I have never heard of this. Can someone explain to me what this is? I am leaving in a few days for the Eurodam.
You will be credited with one cruise day for every $300 you spend on the ship. This includes any pre-booked items as well. If you are travelling in a suite you will be credited with double cruise days for the length of your cruise.
It makes reaching a higher mariner staus and thus, better perks, happen a lot quicker.

[boards]

I hope you don't mind me asking this question here, so here goes, I would like to pre order something to be in our cabin when we board, but right now we do not have a cabin number. Can I still pre order or would it be wiser to just wait till we get on board the ship? We will be boarding the Eurodam in Dover, England. Thank you in advance.

[jtl513]

Yes, both people get the credit for the spending. I do not believe it is extended to the 3rd or 4th passenger though. Correct. Only the first two in a cabin get it.
You might contact the Mariner Society for the answer to that one ... but I think that the spending bonus days are calculated based on monies against specific booking numbers, in which case the recipient would get the credit for the extra days.Correct. I booked Tamarind dinners and excursions for ourselves and my DB/DSiL (on just my credit card) and we each got the bonus days allocated to our respective booking numbers.

I hope you don't mind me asking this question here, so here goes, I would like to pre order something to be in our cabin when we board, but right now we do not have a cabin number. Can I still pre order or would it be wiser to just wait till we get on board the ship? We will be boarding the Eurodam in Dover, England. Thank you in advance.No problem. We book guarantees, so we don't have a cabin number until close to sailing, and all of our pre-purchases months before get credited correctly.

Many of the questions being asked here are answered on the Mariners' Society FAQ about the program. CLICK HERE (http://www.hollandamerica.com/marinerSociety/Main.action) and then click FAQs on the left side.

[BoiseIdahoSpud]

You might contact the Mariner Society for the answer to that one ... but I think that the spending bonus days are calculated based on monies against specific booking numbers, in which case the recipient would get the credit for the extra days.

If you call Mariner and get an answer, please let us know their response.

I have been informed by a contact inside HAL that if you are a passenger on a sailing and you purchase pre-sail gifts for another passenger in a different cabin/booking on the same sailing, the mariner spending bonus accrues to the purchaser, not the recipient.

This means we have already earned one extra day credit by buying gifts for our friends and we haven't even sailed yet. Hooray.

One point of clarification on the previous posts... Your onboard spending bonus is limited to the number of days in the itinerary. So a 10 day cruise will earn you 10 base points, up to an additional 10 points for onboard spending of $3000 (1 point per $300 in spending), and an additional 10 points if you are in a deluxe veranda or penthouse suite for a total of up to 30 points for a 10 day cruise.

[jtl513]

I have been informed by a contact inside HAL that if you are a passenger on a sailing and you purchase pre-sail gifts for another passenger in a different cabin/booking on the same sailing, the mariner spending bonus accrues to the purchaser, not the recipient.IF that's the case now, then the rules have changed since our 9/24/10 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I did NOT receive bonus days for the $722 worth of excursions and Tamarind reservations that were charged on my credit card for my DB and DSiL, who were on a different booking number.

Before we went I was wondering this myself, so I emailed HAL. The reply (which unfortunately I can no longer locate and post) said that it didn't matter who paid, the bonus days would be credited to their booking, just as if it was a gift given by someone not on the cruise.

After the cruise DW and I got just 4 bonus days for our own excursions and on-board spending, and not any for spending for them.

[BoiseIdahoSpud]

Bummer on your loss of bonus points. This will be my first experience with the bonus point system so I'll report my experience in April when we return. I have a hunch that what you experienced is what I'll experience. But we'll see. I don't buy the gifts to get the points but it would be a nice added perk.

[jtl513]

Bummer on your loss of bonus points.It didn't bother me. It took us almost 9 years to get 117 credits, and I very much doubt we'll ever make 200, so the extra 2 credit are pretty meaningless. :)

[VermeulT]

Thanks for the confirmation.

[serendipity1499]

You might contact the Mariner Society for the answer to that one ... but I think that the spending bonus days are calculated based on monies against specific booking numbers, in which case the recipient would get the credit for the extra days.

If you call Mariner and get an answer, please let us know their response.

We purchased flowers for our Friends who were joining us on the second half of our B2B while we were on board the Noordam in Nov.-Dec..Since that was a gift to them, charged on our account we received credit for them...

IF that's the case now, then the rules have changed since our 9/24/10 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I did NOT receive bonus days for the $722 worth of excursions and Tamarind reservations that were charged on my credit card for my DB and DSiL, who were on a different booking number.

Before we went I was wondering this myself, so I emailed HAL. The reply (which unfortunately I can no longer locate and post) said that it didn't matter who paid, the bonus days would be credited to their booking, just as if it was a gift given by someone not on the cruise.

After the cruise DW and I got just 4 bonus days for our own excursions and on-board spending, and not any for spending for them.

John believe you are correct, but could not swear to it!;)

We travel with Friends & to be sure that we get on the same excursion, my friend & I take turns booking our excursions & our Pinnacle Res...My Friend books for the 4 of us at times & other times I book for the 4 of us..Each couple receives the confirmation in each of our cabins..

Believe that we received credit for only the excursions my Friend pre-booked for us & My Friends only received credit for just the excursions we booked for them..

However, when we got home & added up our accrued days, against the number of days on board & our spending account, thought we missed our 4 star status by one day.. However when I checked our Mariner Account HAL had 3 more days than I could account for..:confused: Our Mariner Total indicated we had 202 days...We received our 4 star pins in the mail in January..

Have no idea where those 3 days came from, but we're certainly not going to question it..;)LOL

Cheers...:)Betty

[Willsot]

I just did the "chat" feature with HAL customer service and was told that, yes, pre-booked shore excursions do count towards bonus Mariner days.

I don't think that this happened on our recent Alaska cruise, so I'll see what happens on our New Zealand cruise as we have pre-booked many excursions.

[jtl513]

We purchased flowers for our Friends who were joining us on the second half of our B2B while we were on board the Noordam in Nov.-Dec..Since that was a gift to them, charged on our account we received credit for them...Were these friends on-board at the time? If not, that could explain why the credit was given to you, but I repeat: everything I pre-booked on my credit card on behalf of my DB/DSiL was credited to their account just as if it was an "outside" gift to them. (They repaid me, but HAL has no way of knowing that.)


I don't think that this happened on our recent Alaska cruise, so I'll see what happens on our New Zealand cruise as we have pre-booked many excursions.If your didn't get credit for pre-booked excursions, reservations, and amenities it was an error.

[serendipity1499]

Were these friends on-board at the time? If not, that could explain why the credit was given to you, but I repeat: everything I pre-booked on my credit card on behalf of my DB/DSiL was credited to their account just as if it was an "outside" gift to them. (They repaid me, but HAL has no way of knowing that.)

If your didn't get credit fo pre-booked excursions, reservations, and amenities it was an error.

No, we were on board at the time & ordered them to be delivered the day they boarded the ship..

Cheers...:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

No, we were on board at the time & ordered them to be delivered the day they boarded the ship..

Cheers...:)Betty


Another thought..Could it be because we paid for it on board on our account & it came from the gift section, also I did not have their Booking Number, only the Cabin No. of our Friends...Also with the flowers (gift purchase )included a note which said:

"Welcome Aboard Friends, we're so happy you joined us on this special cruse..Happy Anniversary..Love Betty & John"

Any on-line bookings I made for shore excursions for our Friends, I included both booking Numbers.. When we booked Pinnacle Res, we were all together & the Matre'd took down all three cabin No's ..Perhaps, that's the reason, as we all received the Pinnacle credits & two couples received 25% off while the other couple paid full price for the Pinnacle..Believe each couple received the credit days for the booking made on the ship..

If it were me & I paid for the Pinnacle on my Credit Card, I would send HAL a copy of my CC bill & ships invoice asking why this purchase was not included in my day count...

Cheers....:)Betty