HI HAL cruisers, Just wondering what your thoughts are re: the pros and cons of an oceanview cabin with a smaller window on the 4 deck VS an oceanview with a larger window on the 1st deck? I'll be on the Zuiderdam in January. Many thanks in advance :-)
Hi everyone! I'm just curious - those of you who have sailed on HAL a fair bit in the past 5 years and get casino comp offers...If you initially got a free interior cabin offer and maybe drinks in the casino and/or a bit of free play, what did it take for you to start receiving OCEANVIEW cabin offers? Did you gamble a lot more (I know that's the logical answer!) or do you think it was more that you'd now been on HAL for say, 5-10 cruises? Many thanks in advance for sharing. The HAL FB group is off-limits to me so I appreciate your sharing here on redditt. Happy cruising!
Hi HAL cruisers, I lost my only sister a week ago. She had a strong dislike for all things funeral home/cemetery/visitations, etc.. and an equally strong passion for the environment/nature. I know that HAL (at least per Dr. Google) offers burial at sea as long as it's at least 15 (maybe 12?) miles offshore in international waters. I've looked on the website and know about needing certificates, biodegradable container, etc. My question -- **Has anyone ever done this on HAL? How did it go? Any other things that I should be aware of? I'm thinking of either an Alaskan cruise next May or the Mexican Riviera this coming January. Many thanks in advance.
Hi everyone... just curious..I have a couple free interior cabin offers .I really want some natural light in my cabin-- whether it's an oceanview or balcony. Does HAL allow you to book the comp casino free interior cabin offer and bid to upgrade it later, before sailing? I know Princess does this. Many thanks in advance ☺️
Hi everyone...I have a free interior cabin offer that does *not* have free play or drinks in the casino. How many points do you have to earn while playing on a cruise to get free drinks in the casino? My last interior cabin offer had drinks but this current one doesn't.. Many thanks!
Hi everyone...If I book a free interior casino offer for myself - go as a solo - do I prepay the gratuities up front also? I understand that at the time of booking a casino offer you have to pay the $100 deposit and the taxes and fees and that this is **non-refundable**
If I add a traveler in the cabin before departure - is there a charge for that?
Can I pay the gratuities once I'm on board? Many thanks!
I've never booked a suite on any cruise although as I get older I'm like, 'hey, just once - go for it!' It sounds like great space, a nice large balcony (important to me) and it also says: "One complimentary mini-bar set up" ---exactly what does this include? It also lists free daily bottled water and other things like laundry service, etc... Many thanks in advance for your comments...
Does anyone have any experience with having a *marketing offer EXTENDED just 1 month? I have 2 Free Interior Cabin offers that are set to expire July 28-Aug 6 because they cover travel only through Dec. 31 this year...just can't go anywhere until mid-late January. Has anyone had them extend an offer for such a short period of time? Many thanks - fingers crossed :-)
Hi everyone...Has anyone ever booked a balcony guarantee? I'm not too comfortable with the "The room may have an obstructed view" --is this code for 'You'll be staring at the lifeboats'?? I'm thinking of booking on the Enchanted Princess for NEXT September because these are the only balconies left!! I'm also thinking instead of the balcony I might book the premium oceanview with the floor to ceiling windows - it's actually $200 MORE than the balcony guarantee.
Thoughts? Any experience, especially on the Enchanted?
Hi HAL players...just curious what recent (say, within last 6 months or so) experiences have been--I earned a CBS on a 14d May 10 Rotterdam sailing of: $500 off, $300 freeplay and drinks in casino for 1; 30 cruises offered of varied destinations and durations, travel had to be completed by May 2027, but book by June 28. I did NOT book on this offer. I earned 3,365 points on this 14 day cruise, played on 11 out of 14 days. The next 4 offers have been: (and I have not booked any of the below offers at this point. I'm hoping to see a Free interior or oceanview for January 2027 and 6-8 months beyond)---
Free Interior cabin with drinks in the casino for 1, exp. July 28
Free interior cabin, exp Aug 6
Both of the cabin offers are for travel to be completed by Dec 2026, good for 3 cruises on each offer.
$500 off, $100 freeplay and drinks in casino for 1, exp. Aug 18, good for 3 cruises --**for cruises through summer 2028**
"Special discounts", $200 freeplay and drinks in casino for 1, exp Sept 7, good for 3 cruises--**for cruises through May 2027**
This appears, on the surface at least, to be consistent downgrading of my offers. Have others seen this lately? I had only been on 1 previous HAL cruise in July 2023, a 7d where I played very little/earned no CBS, so I do NOT have a long track record with them, to be sure.
Is HAL like Princess in that If you don't book the CBS or first marketing offer, then your offers basically dry up? I just have no time to cruise before the end of the year. Many thanks in advance -- appreciate hearing what seasoned HAL comp cruisers are experiencing.
I'll be on Princess for the first time this Oct - Regal for 7day cruise. I plan to go for a free interior w/$400 freeplay, which I understand has to be used in 6 months.
QUESTION--More often than not, are the marketing offers *stronger* than the SYS- meaning -in this example- *could I get a balcony? Do the marketing offers give greater variety **in destinations** with higher cabin category? For example--do the free marketing interior offers usually include just Caribbean, and Mexico; then the balcony marketing offers with cover those and ALSO Europe? Many thanks in advance and happy cruising :-)
Hi there....just wanted to check with people that have cruised on MSC...I've done a little poking around and they do have HUGE newer ships --I'd opt for the older, smaller ones, like the Magnifica - 3,200 passenger capacity
I have a Holland America free interior cabin casino comp offer. Has anyone matched a casino offer from HAL to MSC or any other main line to MSC? Seems like I read somewhere that MSC is the only line that does NOT charge port taxes/fee on comped cabins.. The only thing I see on their casino page from their website is a "Want a Free Cruise?" form--fill it out and a casino staff member will contact you and then you submit your offer/s...
Pros/Cons of this line? All info appreciated - I virtually never see them advertised.
Hi HAL players,
Quick question -- do you usually use one of the HAL personal cruise consultants when you book a casino offer? If I price out a balcony cabin on the webiste for a cruise that is part of my free interior cabin offer and get $3,070 --then that's exactly what she should quote me?
Also, do you ever opt to save a few bucks and let HAL choose your cabin?
Many thanks - my first comped cabin booking....don't want to mess it up :-)
I know that the $100pp deposit is given back as OBC; also that the full amount of the cruise is due within 24 hours after booking.
Hey HAL players, just a quick question - if you got a CBS offer (slightly less than an interior cabin) didn't use and then a month later HAL sends you a marketing offer for a free interior cabin that you can't use on HAL because of the short 6 month travel window (I did get it matched for a great cruise on NCL for next spring) ---in your experience is this enough to get them to stop sending you CABIN offers? Many thanks in advance :-) and happy cruising!
Hi HAL casino players,
Today I received my first marketing casino comp offer for an *interior cabin with drink in casino for player* I had been on HAL last month for a 14d and received a CBS - just shy of an interior offer.
Q- it's just for 26 cruises, book by July 28, none of the cruises are later than Dec. 2026. Would they likely extend it to include Jan/Feb sailings - anyone ever ask about that? I don't think we can squeeze in a cruise before the end of the year and I would like to use the offer; think that will strengthen our footprint with HAL.
If I send it in to URcomped, does that effect the offer in any way? Do I lose any flexibilty/value by involving a third party etc?
It is good for 3 separate cruises with HAL --if Royal or NCL or Celebrity matched it - would they also honor it for 3 cruises?
I've booked a cruise for next April w/NCL - great itinerary . My thinking is that NCL would not honor it for one of their cruises that I've already put a deposit on --agree?--anyone with experience with this angle? I'd need to cancel that cruise, then submit the offer to them to see if they'd honor my comp on the cruise that we want to go on --thoughts on that?
Is it best to book with a HAL personal cruise consultant? I've had a lady call me a couple times this spring about the cruise we took in early May. Perhaps she may know the more detail/exceptions about booking a casino comp.
Many, MANY thanks for your time and shared info in advance in helping out this cruise casino comp newbie! Happy sailing :-)
Good morning! I've never been on NCL but we're booked on them next April. I saw some 2-3 year old comments about their offers but wanted to find out what they require for a comped cabin currently...do they do marketing offers once you get home from a cruise? If so, are they as good or maybe better than the offer that you'd receive on board? **Do they still charge the $20/night "admin fee" on casino bookings? What deposit is required and does it count as OBC once you get on board for a comped cruise? Do they charge a single supplement? (I know that Princess does NOT but Holland does..Thanks so much for your time and info :-)
I've never been on NCL but we'd like to take a cruise w/friends next spring and the best itinerary is the one that NCL offers.
I have a Holland America Come Back n Sail (on board) offer from May of this year--it's $500 off cruise, $300 free play and Drinks on Us in the casino.
Will NCL match/accept/improve on this offer, which on HAL is good through May of 2027? I've thought about turning it into URcomped to see what they can do rather going directly to NCL with a less than cabin offer.
Many thanks!
Hi everyone! We'll be sailing on the Regal --Princess for the first time--later this fall. A couple questions - many thanks in advance :-)
What the selection of **draft**beer? I've seen the bar menu for Crooners on-line and there are quite a few beers listed but I doubt that all of those are on tap.
Do the bartenders measure the alcohol for your mixed drink (like they do on HAL) or do they tend to give you a more generous pour?
I've read on-line in a few places that the Princess casinos are moving to being SMOKE-FREE. Is this true - any recent experiences to share?
If you play slots for a couple of hours most nights of the cruise, $1-3/spin, but *DON'T get enough points for a See You Soon offer while on board, will you still receive marketing offers for a free cabin? (I assume likely an interior cabin, which is fine)
Thanks again -- appreciate all that you can share :-) Happy Cruising!
Question for those of you getting casino marketing offers-- especially for *interior cabins*-- have you taken many cruises with HAL? how long are the offers usually good for-' 18 months? How long of a sailing-- at least 14 days? Are your recent marketing offers including any free play? Drinks on Us in the casino? ... Many thanks in advance-- I'm a newbie- just completed my 2nd HAL cruise, 14d on the Rotterdam and my CBS offer was: $500 off a future cruise, Drinks on Us and $300 free play.