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Mariner On-Board Spending Credit?

NukeTim

By NukeTim,
in Holland America Line

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

Posted
Posted
excuse me - I thought OBC had to be spent on the ship --?? that you can't pre book spa or specialty restaurants

 

Correct, you can not use OBC for items you pre-book but you do get Mariner day credits for items you pre-book ($300 spending = 1 Mariner day).

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ger_77

ger_77

Posted
Posted
excuse me - I thought OBC had to be spent on the ship --?? that you can't pre book spa or specialty restaurants

 

The Mariner Onboard Spending Bonus and OBC are two different things. The first gives you 1 day sailing credit for every $300 you spend onboard (or before you board). OBC is meant for use while you are physically on the ship. Here's a link to the Mariner Society page: https://www.hollandamerica.com/marinerSociety/Main.action

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted (edited)
We have had friends send us gifts -- we did NOT get credit for their purchase of the items.

 

 

KK, sorry you don't get the credits but really, all thoese extra days mean nothing to you or me. We have e so maxed out on the strar Mariner program that an extrta 500 days have no value. If it bothers you, contact Marinerrs society when you return from your cruise during whidch you received gifts and confirm you will be credited those extra days. What will you do with the extra days? I am looking for suggestions. . :)

Edited by sail7seas
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laurap414

laurap414

Posted
Posted
Correct, you can not use OBC for items you pre-book but you do get Mariner day credits for items you pre-book ($300 spending = 1 Mariner day).

 

What?! I was told the opposite by Customer Service. I always seem to get the Customer Service rep who doesn't know anything. I would have totally pre-booked spa appts and Thermal Suite had I known this.

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catl331

catl331

Posted
Posted (edited)
What?! I was told the opposite by Customer Service. I always seem to get the Customer Service rep who doesn't know anything.
It seems the odds are high! You can usually get more accurate answers here. :D

 

From the FAQs:

15. Are any onboard charges excluded from the onboard purchases bonus?

All casino charges, cash advances, Future Cruise deposits, and associated fees are excluded. All other onboard purchases, for example, Hotel Service Charge, Beverage Service Charge, taxes, shore excursions and all gift items purchased online or through Ship Services count towards bonus Cruise Day credits.

 

(HAL considers things you book for yourself as gifts to yourself.)

Edited by catl331
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  • 2 weeks later...
NTNAARDVK

NTNAARDVK

Posted
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In conjunction with booking a cruise today on the Veendam to Cuba, where pursuant to current regulations a U.S. citizen can only get off the ship if one is engaging in a sanctioned shore expedition that meets the "People-to-People" requirement so that HAL can issue a tourist card/visa, asked my travel agent to ask HAL. She reported back that pre-booked shore excursions do not count. I was able to find an earlier thread that quoted the HAL webpage FAQs whose current language is set forth above, and the earlier language specifically included pre-booked shore excursions. The fact the language has been changed indicates to me a change in policy. Perhaps we should all start asking the question, as certainly both my travel agent (and I when I used to try to book directly with HAL) have had multiple incidents where whoever we were communicating with gave us wrong information.

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  • 1 month later...
BVsmurfette

BVsmurfette

Posted
Posted

If you have one of the HAL promotions where HAL pays your HSC for you (i think "ready set sail," or something similar), how does that work with the mariner credit for onboard spending?

I know that normally HSC does count towards the mariner onboarding spending, but is that case even if HAL is crediting you for the HSC? I couldn't find an answer to this on HAL's site, but i figure someone here would know for sure!

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
In conjunction with booking a cruise today on the Veendam to Cuba, where pursuant to current regulations a U.S. citizen can only get off the ship if one is engaging in a sanctioned shore expedition that meets the "People-to-People" requirement so that HAL can issue a tourist card/visa, asked my travel agent to ask HAL. She reported back that pre-booked shore excursions do not count. I was able to find an earlier thread that quoted the HAL webpage FAQs whose current language is set forth above, and the earlier language specifically included pre-booked shore excursions. The fact the language has been changed indicates to me a change in policy. Perhaps we should all start asking the question, as certainly both my travel agent (and I when I used to try to book directly with HAL) have had multiple incidents where whoever we were communicating with gave us wrong information.

 

anything booked in advance (other than OBC and casino) on the HAL website is credited with the mariner credits. My friends recently went to Cuba and like you, had to book HAL's shore excursion. They received their mariner credits for it.

 

Wrong information from Seattle is too frequent, sadly. I find information here far more reliable. ;)

 

Or, alternatively, call Seattle at least 3 times and if you get the same answer 3 times, it MIGHT be right ;)

 

If you have one of the HAL promotions where HAL pays your HSC for you (i think "ready set sail," or something similar), how does that work with the mariner credit for onboard spending?

I know that normally HSC does count towards the mariner onboarding spending, but is that case even if HAL is crediting you for the HSC? I couldn't find an answer to this on HAL's site, but i figure someone here would know for sure!

 

Yes, you will get credit for it. From what I have understood, you see it as obc and then it will be deducted daily as usual. HAL doesn't care about your obc, just what you spend.

 

We have it on our 2nd segment so I will certainly report if it is different on my live thread. But, it seems quite straight forward to me, so far.

 

If things have changed I hope someone corrects me ;)

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