When does recipient find out about purchased gift?

[kokopelli-az]

When purchasing a gift via Holland America's website (like a gift card) for someone going on a cruise, when does the recipient find out about the gift?  Does HAL advise the recipient as soon as you purchase the gift or do they find out after they get on board?

[oakridger]

I have always received the gift notification or the gift itself (flowers, wine, chocolate covered strawberries, etc.) in my cabin on embarkation day.

 

~Nancy

 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by oakridger
added

[Krazy Kruizers]

The gift and/or card should be in their cabin on embarkation day.

[Alberta Quilter]

I believe that when you purchase the item, you are asked for a delivery date.  I once purchased chocolate covered strawberries for a birthday midway during the cruise.  The card was delivered with the strawberries on the birthday.

[Cruise Suzy]

If the recipient checks their itinerary, the gift will appear on it.  I could see the name of floral arrangement and amount of OBC purchased by children for us before boarding. (They had alerted us, so it wasn't a surprise.) Cards were in the stateroom stating from whom they were from.

[richwmn]

I just did a dummy gift purchase and as I thought I remembered there is a box that asks if it is a gift. If the box is checked it won't be disclosed until date/location chosen.

[Cruise Suzy]

1 minute ago, richwmn said:

I just did a dummy gift purchase and as I thought I remembered there is a box that asks if it is a gift. If the box is checked it won't be disclosed until date/location chosen.

 

Thanks for the update. Procedure/Website probably changed since my experience. Our gifts were for a February 2019 cruise.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

Thanks for the update. Procedure/Website probably changed since my experience. Our gifts were for a February 2019 cruise.

 

The “is this a gift” box to check has been there for a number of years.

 

[fatcat04]

We have always had cards in our cabin for the gifts sent us  (wine, chocolate cover strawberries, obc, flowers) however, this last time we were given a bottle of bubbly from some wonderful person, no clue who as we never found a card, but we didn't realize it was a gift and not part of the minibar set up literally until we were packing up. We asked the minibar attendant about it, first time we had seen her that cruise, and she confirmed it was a gift. Not being ones to waste, we drank that bottle of bubbly while packing. It made packing easier. Should probably make drinking bubbly while packing up to disembark a cruise tradition just on principal. 🤣

Edited February 1, 2020 by fatcat04

[kokopelli-az]

Thank you everyone.   I was hoping I would be able to make this a surprise (by checking the box and the gift waiting in the stateroom).

[highscar]

I purchased a HAL coffee cup to be in my daughters cabin.  She received a card saying they had none on board. Later that day I saw them for purchase in the crows nest and at wine stations. Very disappointed. .  No apology at the desk. She got a refund for the cost. 

[projecthandbag]

Our friends traveling with us bought us a drink card.  We received it when we checked in at the port, along with our room key.  Our friends were a little disappointed, they thought it would be in our room.  

[Gail604]

We were on the Oosterdam beginning of December for a 7 day cruise, we went down guest relations on the 5th day to get a printout of our bill and put some money against it. We got our bill on the final day and it said that we had been reimbursed for 2 Pinnacle Grill dinners. We did not purchase these, didn’t get any card stating we had dinners gifted to us and they didn’t show on our previous statement. We never found out who they were from until we got back back home and got a phone call from my sister in law to ask how we enjoyed our dinner. Was very embarrassing and very disappointed in HAL.

[kokopelli-az]

2 hours ago, projecthandbag said:

Our friends traveling with us bought us a drink card.  We received it when we checked in at the port, along with our room key.  

How do you buy a drink card as  gift?  I didn't see it listed.     This will be on the Koningsdam.

[projecthandbag]

2 hours ago, kokopelli-az said:

How do you buy a drink card as  gift?  I didn't see it listed.     This will be on the Koningsdam.

Perhaps I misspoke.  I didn't see it listed on the website either.  Maybe they gave us $50.00 in OBC (which came as a gift card/credit card) and they said to use as a drink card.  Which we did!  🍹