CHEATED OUT OF OBC FROM HOLLAND AMERICA

[richrhon1]

@Blackduck59definitely did not make or break us going on the cruise as we were going with my best friend of almost 60 years and his DW, but it did factor into our decision as to how to spend our money on the cruise.  

[HALcruiser2001]

10 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks for the clarification, I'm sorry that you feel "cheated". Just a question, was that OBC the thing that made a go or no go in purchasing the cruise? I look at OBC as a bonus, found money if you will, it isn't the make or break for my cruise purchase. 

 

Then you don't purchase on price/value.  Most people do.

[richrhon1]

@bdd123for most cruises we do, however, we had specific date that we needed to go due to a number of different factors so it didn't afford us the option to really shop around for the best value.  

 

[Blackduck59]

8 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Then you don't purchase on price/value.  Most people do.

My first priority is the itinerary. Second is cruise line (does my preferred line and ship class do that itinerary). Then I look at pricing as to what I can afford. After those factors are in then I try to get the best deal I can. If someone throws in some OBC that's a bonus. 

[HALcruiser2001]

2 minutes ago, richrhon1 said:

@bdd123for most cruises we do, however, we had specific date that we needed to go due to a number of different factors so it didn't afford us the option to really shop around for the best value.  

 

 

I am with you.   My wife said cruise is easiest and 3 days later I threw 10k at her vaca.

 

The HAL forum here is not comforting.

 

😉

[ontheweb]

20 hours ago, CruiserN1 said:

I had a similar thing happen on my last X cruise. Ultimately it was an error made by the corporate office at X in their agreement with my TA (which wasn't CNM) about $100 bonus OBC. Seems like corporate makes deals with TA who have a large volume of bookings to award extra OBC from corporate. It "fell off" my booking somehow. It took a bunch of emails, but TA sent me a check in the end. I wouldn't fault guest services on the ship because they are not able to fix it since it isn't showing on their end. If you enjoy HAL, you might re-think boycotting them over this incident. 

Our TA once said to me if there is any issue with stuff like OBC, instead of letting it ruin the cruise, contact him afterwards and let him handle it.

[Guest ldtr]

3 hours ago, richrhon1 said:

@Blackduck59This is from my Final Payment invoice from my agent.

"Notes to Customer

·       Your booking has an instant discount compliments of CNM, and Holland's $350 on board credit. Please note, this booking is under a Non Refundable Deposit Program. CNM never charges any fees. Thank you for your business!"

No changes were ever made to our booking at all.  In all our cruises that we have booked with CNM, all OBC's were honored.  Obviously HA knew they were somewhat in the wrong since they did issue another $150 after CNM consulted with them.  We are still waiting for the additional $50 based on what was agreed upon when the booking was made.  Not sure what more I should have watched for when getting the Final payment invoice

So all of your documentation  concerning the OBC was from your TA, not from HAL So you do not know for certain that your TA was properly reflecting the HAL terms in place at the time. 

 

Do you know what HAL was offering on direct bookings at the time you booked?

 

I would not make the assumption that HAL was wrong because they extended the $150. Most likely if they knew they were wrong the entire amount would have shown up quickly. More likely the $150 was a goodwill gesture to you or your travel agent.

 

Really no way to tell without seeing a booking confirmation from HAL not the agent or knowing what terms HAL was extending at the time the booking was made by the TA.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, bdd123 said:

 

Then you don't purchase on price/value.  Most people do.

1. itinerary

2. Value

3 Price 

 

are my primary criteria. 

[Mary229]

It is too bad the OP didn’t save the original confirmation email from HAL then there would be definite confirmation 

[OlsSalt]

OBC is not real money; they are rather promotional freebies.

 

Sounds like all that was "lost" was maybe $50 of a credit, but not a real cash outlay. Deal gone bad and lost somewhere in the deeper technicalities of the offer. HAL does need to up its game so this can be tracked and clarified better.

 

Hate lurid threat titles like this one. "Cheated" is pretty profane. Warnings however about OBC tangles are helpful.  

[Hlitner]

I do understand the angst of the OP since it is not only about money (always nice) but also a matter of principle.  We cruise on many different lines and for some strange reason have had more "accounting" issues with HAL than any other line.  The most common issues seem to be with OBC and also free or discounted meals at alternative restaurants.  In our case, HAL has always made the necessary corrections, but I will admit to being annoyed that we must spend unnecessary time at Guest Relations (the last place we want to be when on a cruise) or having to bug our cruise agent to get the issue resolved.

 

I do agree with some of the posts, that when one uses a cruise/travel agency it can be confusing as to what is provided by the cruise line vs what is provided by the cruise agency.  The agencies we use do carefully differentiate on their invoices, but not all cruise/travel agencies make this clear.  

 

We do think that the OP's issue should be handled by the cruise agent/agency.  They are paid a nice commission to handle their booking, and this is one way they earn that commission.  Otherwise, the OP might want to seek out a better cruise agency for future bookings.

 

Hank

[HALcruiser2001]

13 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

OBC is not real money; they are rather promotional freebies.

 

Sounds like all that was "lost" was maybe $50 of a credit, but not a real cash outlay. Deal gone bad and lost somewhere in the deeper technicalities of the offer. HAL does need to up its game so this can be tracked and clarified better.

 

Hate lurid threat titles like this one. "Cheated" is pretty profane. Warnings however about OBC tangles are helpful.  

 

Are you a HAL marketeer?

 

OBC is equal to dollars on the ship.   Taking them away is theft.

 

Cheated is only profane to cheaters.  😉

 

Not living up to contractual obligations is illegal.

[albingirl]

2 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Are you a HAL marketeer?

 

OBC is equal to dollars on the ship.   Taking them away is theft.

 

Cheated is only profane to cheaters.  😉

 

Not living up to contractual obligations is illegal.

 

[Laminator]

4 hours ago, richrhon1 said:

@Blackduck59This is from my Final Payment invoice from my agent.

"Notes to Customer

·       Your booking has an instant discount compliments of CNM, and Holland's $350 on board credit. Please note, this booking is under a Non Refundable Deposit Program. CNM never charges any fees. Thank you for your business!"

No changes were ever made to our booking at all.  In all our cruises that we have booked with CNM, all OBC's were honored.  Obviously HA knew they were somewhat in the wrong since they did issue another $150 after CNM consulted with them.  We are still waiting for the additional $50 based on what was agreed upon when the booking was made.  Not sure what more I should have watched for when getting the Final payment invoice

I feel your pain. I booked a flight one time on Travelocity.com way back in the day. There was an issue with the flight and the airline washed their hands from it. I had to deal with Travelocity. From there on out I have always booked direct unless I use Flight Ease. And Flight Ease has caused me grief. I am glad you're TA stepped up to help. 

[albingirl]

5 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

 

Are you a HAL marketeer?

 

OBC is equal to dollars on the ship.   Taking them away is theft.

 

Cheated is only profane to cheaters.  😉

 

Not living up to contractual obligations is illegal.

Theft.  Them's strong words.  Why be so negative? He's not a HAL marketeer.  Why say that?  I guess this ruined somebody's cruise.  Like I said, not worth a heart attack.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, bdd123 said:

 

Are you a HAL marketeer?

 

OBC is equal to dollars on the ship.   Taking them away is theft.

 

Cheated is only profane to cheaters.  😉

 

Not living up to contractual obligations is illegal.

The problem is that the OP was dealing with a TA, not directly with HAL so there is a lack of clarity if the mistake was by HAL or the TA. Is possible that the TA applied terms to the booking that the cruise was not eligeable for.

 

Technically the obligations were from the TA and as such that is who should have solved it. After restart there were some sales from some TAs that were applicable to cruises taken before a specific date, not just booked during a particular period as with most sales. Those were to specifically try to increase occupancy during 2022. I suspect that this was one if those offers that somehow the TA applied to a cruise after the end date.

 

Unless he had a booking confirmation that stated the terms from HAL, instead of just the notes section from the TA, the TA should have made him whole and then worked with HAL to resolve the matter.

 

One of the main reasons I work directly with the providers such as cruise lines these days, have been burned too often in the past by TAs as well as the large internet travel companies.

Edited January 19, 2023 by ldtr

[Iamthesea]

If one booked through a TA directly (not HAL first, and then switching to a TA), is there any way to check what incentives are attached to the booking on the HAL website when putting in a reservation number?  I cannot find anything under my reservation, but the following is the invoice that I received directly from my TA.  The header/name of the TA's company, our booking number, and personal info. have been bleeped out.

[HALcruiser2001]

1 hour ago, albingirl said:

Theft.  Them's strong words.  Why be so negative? He's not a HAL marketeer.  Why say that?  I guess this ruined somebody's cruise.  Like I said, not worth a heart attack.

 

Theft is a single word. What if that lost money was for crew appreciation?   Now you cannot tip.

 

You order a car with a v8 paid in advance knowing you NEEDED a v8.

 

Car arrives and it has v6. 

 

Manufacturer says, you cant have refund, sorry.  No such thing as v8, sorry our brochure had a typo.

 

What would you do?   Would you just deal with a v6?   Do you think car mfg would keep this strategy for long? 

[HALcruiser2001]

1 hour ago, ldtr said:

The problem is that the OP was dealing with a TA, not directly with HAL so there is a lack of clarity if the mistake was by HAL or the TA. Is possible that the TA applied terms to the booking that the cruise was not eligeable for.

 

Technically the obligations were from the TA and as such that is who should have solved it. After restart there were some sales from some TAs that were applicable to cruises taken before a specific date, not just booked during a particular period as with most sales. Those were to specifically try to increase occupancy during 2022. I suspect that this was one if those offers that somehow the TA applied to a cruise after the end date.

 

Unless he had a booking confirmation that stated the terms from HAL, instead of just the notes section from the TA, the TA should have made him whole and then worked with HAL to resolve the matter.

 

One of the main reasons I work directly with the providers such as cruise lines these days, have been burned too often in the past by TAs as well as the large internet travel companies.

 

Thanks.

 

I agree.   I don't see any reason for a TA.

[Mary229]

45 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

If one booked through a TA directly (not HAL first, and then switching to a TA), is there any way to check what incentives are attached to the booking on the HAL website when putting in a reservation number?  I cannot find anything under my reservation, but the following is the invoice that I received directly from my TA.  The header/name of the TA's company, our booking number, and personal info. have been bleeped out.

I always receive a welcome email from HAL after my TA pays the deposit. I keep the invoice attached to that welcome email as it shows the HAL benefits of the cruise.  

[tuolumne couple]

On 1/18/2023 at 10:35 AM, albingirl said:

So, if I get this straight, you let a 200 dollar difference on obc ruin your cruise.What a drag. Going back and forth to guest services all week would have given me a heart attack. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this has nothing to do with the OP or your post content, other than to mention that i have noticed that your posts lately come with a lot of empty space at the end, in case you were not aware. you can edit all that extra space out... just in case you didnt notice you were leaning on the enter key or something LOL. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by tuolumne couple

[Iamthesea]

26 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I always receive a welcome email from HAL after my TA pays the deposit. I keep the invoice attached to that welcome email as it shows the HAL benefits of the cruise.  

Hmmm...I do not remember getting a Welcome email.  I will have to check back through old emails.  Perhaps I did and did not know how important it was.  Thank you.

[albingirl]

25 minutes ago, tuolumne couple said:

this has nothing to do with the OP or your post content, other than to mention that i have noticed that your posts lately come with a lot of empty space at the end, in case you were not aware. you can edit all that extra space out... just in case you didnt notice you were leaning on the enter key or something LOL. 

Thanks. 

[Iamthesea]

While I found the Welcome Letter (I remember getting it, now 😁), it mentions nothing other than the HIA.  Nothing about onboard credit from HAL. 

 

I had researched before booking this cruise with my TA.  There was a promo at the time (October 2022) where that HAL OBC was offered (as mentioned in the invoice from the TA).  I had written the following in an email to my TA: 

The incentives from HAL will include: $300 OBC, and a Reduced Deposit.  We will also purchase the Have It All at the reduced price of 50% off.

I had also sent my TA a screenshot of a mock booking that I made on Holland America's website that day.  On the booking, it listed the following.  Notice there is no mention of the "spending money" amount.

 

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

While I found the Welcome Letter (I remember getting it, now 😁), it mentions nothing other than the HIA.  Nothing about onboard credit from HAL. 

 

I had researched before booking this cruise with my TA.  There was a promo at the time (October 2022) where that HAL OBC was offered (as mentioned in the invoice from the TA).  I had written the following in an email to my TA: 

The incentives from HAL will include: $300 OBC, and a Reduced Deposit.  We will also purchase the Have It All at the reduced price of 50% off.

I had also sent my TA a screenshot of a mock booking that I made on Holland America's website that day.  On the booking, it listed the following.  Notice there is no mention of the "spending money" amount.

 

The one i get is the dude with a bottle of champagne and there is a pdf attached which details the perks and OBC.   I save that PDF under the heading “original invoice”