Casino offers - be sure to check the website!

[kangforpres]

in my experience the offers with a free room do not charge a single supplement. The offers that have a reduced fare do. The last casino offer I booked which I'm bringing the wife, my PCC asked if we both wanted our own cabin, since she had a matching offer. So I guess we could have both gone solo for the same price.

 

-Paul

[DaveOKC]

Just back today from a casino offer to Alaska, so I was not able to respond to kazu, but I think that has been answered.

However, I just checked our account and noticed that the casino offer I was looking at booking next is now GONE!  It had a Sept 15 expiration date on it, so not sure what is up - surely not ALL of the cruises offered have filled up??

 

[jeff74]

8 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Just back today from a casino offer to Alaska, so I was not able to respond to kazu, but I think that has been answered.

However, I just checked our account and noticed that the casino offer I was looking at booking next is now GONE!  It had a Sept 15 expiration date on it, so not sure what is up - surely not ALL of the cruises offered have filled up??

 

DaveOKC, how do you check your account to see what casino offers are available?  Is it just logging into the website to see which cruises show up as costing $200 pp and assuming all those are also casino offers as well?

 

Unfortunately I've been in the situation for the past 18 months where all communication about casino offers have been going into a black hole somewhere.  When I called HAL they said they've been sending me about 5 offers a month to my email but they haven't been showing up in my inbox, spam or anywhere.  I gave them a different email address and they said that should take effect in about 14 days.  I've got my fingers crossed that works but unfortunately I've missed out on a ton of free cruises and only found out about this when I received a random email from a PCC that an offer was about to expire.

 

Thanks!

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, jeff74 said:

DaveOKC, how do you check your account to see what casino offers are available?  Is it just logging into the website to see which cruises show up as costing $200 pp and assuming all those are also casino offers as well?

 

Unfortunately I've been in the situation for the past 18 months where all communication about casino offers have been going into a black hole somewhere.  When I called HAL they said they've been sending me about 5 offers a month to my email but they haven't been showing up in my inbox, spam or anywhere.  I gave them a different email address and they said that should take effect in about 14 days.  I've got my fingers crossed that works but unfortunately I've missed out on a ton of free cruises and only found out about this when I received a random email from a PCC that an offer was about to expire.

 

Thanks!

There are 2 offers out there that I am aware of. One that expires 9/15 and this one that I received Thursday that expires 10/15. These are the cruises on the 10/15 offer.
HEP2239CO_Sailings.pdf (hollandamerica.com)

 

I receive 3 different types of offers. One offer is for when the casino division is holding a special event on a cruise. That offer is for a free NS guaranty. The 2nd offer I receive is for a free NS guaranty, the signature beverage package and casino cash. The 3rd offer I receive is for a free NS guaranty and casino cash only.

 

There are other differences in these offers. If I book on the 2nd type offer, which I never do, the cost for me to choose my cabin, I like the aft wrap cabin, is in the $2500 to $3000 area. There is a deposit of $200 per person which I receive in onboard credit. If I book the 3rd type offer the aft wrap cabin costs in the area of $800 to choose. The deposit is $100 per person which I get back from the casino cashier. You need to do the math to figure out which offer works best for you. 

[DaveOKC]

42 minutes ago, Laminator said:

There are 2 offers out there that I am aware of. One that expires 9/15 and this one that I received Thursday that expires 10/15. These are the cruises on the 10/15 offer.
HEP2239CO_Sailings.pdf (hollandamerica.com)

 

I receive 3 different types of offers. One offer is for when the casino division is holding a special event on a cruise. That offer is for a free NS guaranty. The 2nd offer I receive is for a free NS guaranty, the signature beverage package and casino cash. The 3rd offer I receive is for a free NS guaranty and casino cash only.

 

There are other differences in these offers. If I book on the 2nd type offer, which I never do, the cost for me to choose my cabin, I like the aft wrap cabin, is in the $2500 to $3000 area. There is a deposit of $200 per person which I receive in onboard credit. If I book the 3rd type offer the aft wrap cabin costs in the area of $800 to choose. The deposit is $100 per person which I get back from the casino cashier. You need to do the math to figure out which offer works best for you. 

Thanks for the update - question though - can you still see the Sept 15 expiring offers when you log into your account?  Our disappeared last week while we were onboard the Eurodam.  One or even several dates I can understand, but ALL of them??  I wonder whats up with this.

 

 

[Laminator]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Thanks for the update - question though - can you still see the Sept 15 expiring offers when you log into your account?  Our disappeared last week while we were onboard the Eurodam.  One or even several dates I can understand, but ALL of them??  I wonder whats up with this.

 

 

I can't help you as I never login to check. I always go by the offers in the email.

[DaveOKC]

22 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I can't help you as I never login to check. I always go by the offers in the email.

Thanks anyway.  I like to check the various options, so I also use the website for which cruises and which category.

Dave

 

[Laminator]

31 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Thanks anyway.  I like to check the various options, so I also use the website for which cruises and which category.

Dave

 

As an FYI I have seen mentioned in here before where pax see the $200 casino offer when they look at cruises online. That only works for the offers where there is the $200 deposit per pax where you get that back as onboard credit. On the $100 per pax offer that is returned to you by the casino cashier those cruises don't show online at the $200 rate. So by checking for the $200 rate online only you may be missing out on several other offers.

 

[Suncoastsailors]

On 8/28/2022 at 7:04 AM, jeff74 said:

DaveOKC, how do you check your account to see what casino offers are available?  Is it just logging into the website to see which cruises show up as costing $200 pp and assuming all those are also casino offers as well?

 

Unfortunately I've been in the situation for the past 18 months where all communication about casino offers have been going into a black hole somewhere.  When I called HAL they said they've been sending me about 5 offers a month to my email but they haven't been showing up in my inbox, spam or anywhere.  I gave them a different email address and they said that should take effect in about 14 days.  I've got my fingers crossed that works but unfortunately I've missed out on a ton of free cruises and only found out about this when I received a random email from a PCC that an offer was about to expire.

 

Thanks!

I have the same problem. Have changed e-mails and have had multiple attempts to fix by HAL. Still no e-mails. Let us know if it works for you.  

[jeff74]

58 minutes ago, Suncoastsailors said:

I have the same problem. Have changed e-mails and have had multiple attempts to fix by HAL. Still no e-mails. Let us know if it works for you.  

No luck unfortunately.  I’ll have to periodically keep tabs on any casino offer threads on this board.

[grest]

3 hours ago, jeff74 said:

No luck unfortunately.  I’ll have to periodically keep tabs on any casino offer threads on this board.

I can't find where to sign up for casino offers, nor do any show up on my account.  DH and I like to play blackjack, and we play generally every night, not for mounds of money, but steadily for an hour or two or more.   Where do I get information about casino offers?

 

[DaveOKC]

10 minutes ago, grest said:

I can't find where to sign up for casino offers, nor do any show up on my account.  DH and I like to play blackjack, and we play generally every night, not for mounds of money, but steadily for an hour or two or more.   Where do I get information about casino offers?

 

Email the casino department.  They will let you know if you qualify.  However, unlikely that this will work as they come looking for you if you are a big enough player (we were turned down the time we tried this).

One thing to add - if you are a "decent" player you will likely get a card in your cabin mail the day before you disembark, offering you some freeplay on a future cruise.  Amount varies considerably and terms are fairly limited.  If you get one of these "COME BACK AND SAIL" cards, you likely will be getting other offers via email in the future from the casino department.  If not, unlikely you will qualify.

Edited September 6, 2022 by DaveOKC

[grest]

26 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Email the casino department.  They will let you know if you qualify.  However, unlikely that this will work as they come looking for you if you are a big enough player (we were turned down the time we tried this).

 

Funny, we get casino offers from Carnival, Royal, NCL...and we sail most often on HAL...it's a mystery.

[DaveOKC]

29 minutes ago, grest said:

Funny, we get casino offers from Carnival, Royal, NCL...and we sail most often on HAL...it's a mystery.

You should contact the casino department.  Perhaps there is a problem with your email or HAL account.

 

[Laminator]

41 minutes ago, grest said:

Funny, we get casino offers from Carnival, Royal, NCL...and we sail most often on HAL...it's a mystery.

The same casino entity that runs HAL's casino runs the Carnival casino. Let them know you receive Carnival offers and see if they will match your offer or come close to matching your offer.

[grest]

1 hour ago, Laminator said:

The same casino entity that runs HAL's casino runs the Carnival casino. Let them know you receive Carnival offers and see if they will match your offer or come close to matching your offer.

I don't know how to contact the person/department I need to contact....I have searched the website....I see that you can chat with someone, but after waiting for a very long time for someone to connect, I gave up.   Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Laminator]

21 minutes ago, grest said:

I don't know how to contact the person/department I need to contact....I have searched the website....I see that you can chat with someone, but after waiting for a very long time for someone to connect, I gave up.   Any advice would be appreciated.

 

They are nearly impossible to get a hold of. All you can do is wait. 

[DaveOKC]

Update - I JUST booked two casino offers B2B using the Sept 15 expiring promotion.  I still cannot see it online. but my PCC could and did the booking easily.

One thing to consider, sometimes the free cabin offer is not the best deal out there, since you cannot combine offers with it.  I priced a Verandah using the casino rate, HIA package, Comeback and Sale Freeplay, stockholder promotion and the Welcome Back (code VPM) offer and the to came out very close in value (depends on the value YOU place on each item.  Thus, keep you mind open on this and do some homework before you book.

 

[pamssanity]

On 6/22/2022 at 2:12 PM, NCTribeFan said:

The Free casino offers are for guarantees only (at least all of mine have been) so that happens when you try to select a cabin.  YMMV.

 

The January cruise I was going to book under a casino offer (when I got home from Alaska) is no longer available.  I was going to add it onto the front of a Carnival sailing I have booked.  Instead, I found a free offer from Carnival (which although I have >30 Carnival sailings, I almost never get free offers; after 3 HAL sailings, I started getting them - go figure).  So I added that (even got the same cabin) to make a 6+8 B2B.  Keep trying to get away from Carnival, but at least this is on Spirit (which is a similar size/layout to the Vista class ships).

 

And I'm not seeing any HAL casino offers for me right now.  That's OK.  I really don't "need" to book anything else!

I was offered a specific cabin for an additional $350 per couple to upgrade to the Orange Club. It was a nice perk (we just returned). Didnt have to wait on the customer service line. Special dining line and menu. 

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, pamssanity said:

I was offered a specific cabin for an additional $350 per couple to upgrade to the Orange Club. It was a nice perk (we just returned). Didnt have to wait on the customer service line. Special dining line and menu. 

The Club Orange deal can work out very well, especially if you are in a guarantee cabin AND if you are on one of the Pinnacle class ships (3). 

[Suncoastsailors]

On 9/6/2022 at 6:45 PM, DaveOKC said:

You should contact the casino department.  Perhaps there is a problem with your email or HAL account.

 

Carnival casino department is not available by phone, email only. E-mails go to a third world country. The e-mail response is just a  scripted response that does not answer your questions. 

[curmudgeon98]

8 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

The Club Orange deal can work out very well, especially if you are in a guarantee cabin AND if you are on one of the Pinnacle class ships (3). 

But don't they charge twice as much for CO on the Pinnacle class (where you get the actual separate CO dining room )?  But my memory (or information) could be faulty...  We did the CO to get a specific cabin for one of our upcoming cruises, but didn't bother for a different shorter one.  

 

We haven't been on HAL in a few years, so we'll be seeing how we like the HAL cruises we've got on the schedule this fall.  By the time you add up all the additional charges, I'm not sure whether the "free" casino cabins will prove worthwhile for us versus just paying the price for a cruise where we have more selection choice.  We'll see.

[rwmiller]

42 minutes ago, curmudgeon98 said:

But don't they charge twice as much for CO on the Pinnacle class (where you get the actual separate CO dining room )?  But my memory (or information) could be faulty...  We did the CO to get a specific cabin for one of our upcoming cruises, but didn't bother for a different shorter one.  

That may have been what was done in the past but we are sailing on a casino fare this week and Club Orange on Nieuw Statendam was $25/ day per person for a 7 day cruise. Our PCC has told us that price is for cruises up to 13 days; it is $15 / day for longer cruises. 
 

Bob

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, curmudgeon98 said:

But don't they charge twice as much for CO on the Pinnacle class (where you get the actual separate CO dining room )?  But my memory (or information) could be faulty...  We did the CO to get a specific cabin for one of our upcoming cruises, but didn't bother for a different shorter one.  

 

We haven't been on HAL in a few years, so we'll be seeing how we like the HAL cruises we've got on the schedule this fall.  By the time you add up all the additional charges, I'm not sure whether the "free" casino cabins will prove worthwhile for us versus just paying the price for a cruise where we have more selection choice.  We'll see.

There are a couple of downsides to the free cabin deals.  For one, they only cover guarantees, even if you pay up to get a higher category. While you CAN select a specific cabin. you pay even more for that.

Second, you cannot combine with other offers, such as the Welcome Back (code VPM), stockholder credit, and casino freeplay from a handout you get onboard. And others I am sure.

 

After researching this for an upcoming cruise, I think the value really comes in for the free cabin offers if you are booking a higher ranked cabin, such as a suite (you do save a ton on these), plus these higher categories are less likely for you to end up in a "bad" cabin IMO.  

 

I just researched a free Oceanview cabin offer versus paying the going rate WITH a casino discount of 20%.  I moved us up to a Verandah and paid $299 more pp for the Obstructed Verandah than an Oceanview.  My rate for the Obstructed Verandah on the website was $439 (so $140 more).  By taking the website deal I got $50 pp for VPM deal, $100 for new Sunshine deal, and $50 for stockholder credit ($200 in total).  PLUS now we can use the $400 in freeplay we have.  DOing this analysis for the free Oceanview titled the deal slightly in favor of the free cabin Oceanview.

 

As I already mentioned, where you save alot is by booking the higher categories, such as suites (when using the free cabin offer), otherwise the difference is not great IMO.  

Edited September 14, 2022 by DaveOKC

[DaveOKC]

Adding to my above comment.  Your results on this type of comparison will vary considerably, depending on the base cost of the cruise.  My comparison was on a fairly inexpensive cruise (Mexico sailing in Dec).  All I am saying is to do a detailed comparison on the options before you decide.