Don't Discounts Annoy you??

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jim vegas

Guest
KRISTEN

I have sailed both HAL and CARNIVAL and did not receive any information on PROMO 6 or any PROMO'S.

A m sailing ROTTERDAM this MAY 23 and did not save anything through HAL .

JIM
 
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wendyandbarry

Guest
Hi Jim:
The last promo that I can find is #XXX dated 4/3, for your cruise on the Rotterdam on 5/23.
You might see if your T/A has this, and if it will save you a few pennies.

Barry



Post Edited (04-09-03 17:11)
 
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jim vegas

Guest
WENDY and BARRY

Ishould have said i didn't get anything from HAL about PROMO'S.

I appreciate all you have done for us and i checked and HAL doesn't have anything for us s suite people i guess they think we have a sweet deal as it is (pun intended)

Thank you again and hope to see you and yours on a cruise sometime and that goes for SAIL and the rest of the gang.

JIM and MAXINE
 
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KismetCruiser

Guest
Jim,

I signed up to recieve promotional e-mails from HAL while I was on the cruise. I am aware that not all previous cruisers get the mailing, as my boyfriend does not, but he recently called the Mariner Society and asked to be added to the e-mailed promo listing and is now recieving them. That is how I knew about the Promo #6.

Hope this helps.
 
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Santa Fe Jim

Guest
I was recently thrilled to be one of the anointed when I received an email from HAL with some very good Early Booking teaser rates. There was a link to a HAL site, with scads of tremendous discounts -- the fine print read in part: "*Zuiderdam 5/3, 5/17 and 5/24 based on promo #6. All other fares based on promo #2002. Featured fares shown are based on minimum stateroom categories and per person, based on double occupancy. Fares are in US dollars, and include non-discountable amounts. Taxes are additional."

Hey, a Zuiderdam cruise on Dec. 13th for only $659 per person for a deluxe balcony stateroom (aka verandah mini-suite) !!!!! "Wow, they really take care of Mariners!! I wonder how much I'm saving over getting an internet rate?" So I go to Expedia to calculate how much the huge discount is [can you see where this is heading?]. Hmmm, they also quote $659 pp including port charges, plus taxes for the same cruise, category BB. So I go to Travelocity -- same price. Finally to Orbitz. Same price (with a note that past patrons may receive additional discounts).

So fares are a matter of shopping well (or having a conscientious TA do it and stick with it) and timing. Luck plays a part too -- I booked a cruise on Feb. 28 this year. On March 1 the price *increased* by $600 (on Expedia, where I booked it). My plane ticket would have increased also. At the higher price, I probably still would have gone, but chosen a different category of stateroom.

SFJ
 
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Santa Fe Jim

Guest
Hi csj,

In my case, I think it was from the evaluation card I turned in at the end of a cruise. There was a line to enter my email address for: "Request Info on Future Cruises" or words to that effect. On the HAL site there are various ways to request information and on a literature request, there is a similar line to enter an email address -- which may or may not get the Promo numbers.

However, the point of my post was to illustrate that there are many internet sites that will give the exact same discount as the Promos would without a person even realizing that there were such things as promos.

SFJ
 
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cleacat

Guest
We just got upgraded from a category J inside to a category AA for no additional charge. How I find out about discounts is by being on a lot of cruise company e-mails. When I saw 5 day flash savings on the date we are sailing I contacted my travel agent who got us the upgrade. We also could have upgraded to an SS for 400.00 more. It helped because we have sailed Holland America 2 times before.
 
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ShipMaven

Guest
The SS on Zuiderdam is considerably larger than the AA, and with more cabin amenities, but it's really your call whether or not you wish to spend the extra $$. I, myself, go for the larger cabins - but that's my personal preference only.
 
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wendyandbarry

Guest
Hi ShipMaven
Sorry I did not post sooner, but had to get away for 10 days. Now my question, What differant cabin amenities do you get from a SS to a AA, I have seen the listed ones and they are all the same for BB though SS, I belive, except a bigger cabin.

Barry



Post Edited (05-18-03 10:08)
 
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ShipMaven

Guest
Barry,

Here are HAL's descriptions of the two Categories...

SS Superior Verandah Suites:
2 lower beds convertible to 1-queen size bed, sofa bed for 1, bathroom with dual sink vanity, full-size whirlpool bath & shower & additional shower stall, private verandah, DVD, floor-to-ceiling windows

AA Deluxe Verandah Outside:
2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, bath & shower, sitting area, private verandah, floor-to-ceiling windows.
 
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wendyandbarry

Guest
Now I have not been on the Zuiderdam, so I am sorry I was thinking all the B thru SS was the same except for size, but it look as they have taken some away and added very little.
"Verandah Suite
Floor-to-ceiling windows lead to a private verandah spacious enough for lounging or dining. Queen-size bed, whirlpool bath, sitting area, VCR, mini-bar and refrigerator.
Approximately 284 square feet including verandah
Category A, B"
This is from the Rotterdam on HALs site, it makes you think unless you are in a suite, that you may want to stay with the older S Class.
I thank you for your info and time, I know you must be busy on your last min. bookings for Alaska and the fall/winter in the Crib.

Barry
 
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ShipMaven

Guest
Barry,

Zuiderdam is very different from Statendam and her sisterships, Volendam/Zaandam and Rotterdam/Amsterdam where you can go from one ship to another and feel pretty much at home. You cannot go by descriptions of their staterooms and transfer them exactly to Zuiderdam.

There are those who like Zuiderdam's new look, and those who prefer the traditional HAL ships. There's no right or wrong - it's a matter of personal taste. The SS category on Zuiderdam is not found on the other ships except for Prinsendam - and Prinsendam is very different because she's the former Royal Viking Sun, not a HAL ship to start out with. At any rate, the SS is a category in between the full Suite and the Cat. A and B on the rest of the fleet from Statendam forward.

Yes - I'm busy with Alaska and other destinations, but truth be known, very few of my Clientele choose the Caribbean. And...as you can see below, I'm a few days off from boarding my personal favorite (so far) the the HAL fleet, Volendam.

Hope your next cruise is an enjoyable one!
 
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wendyandbarry

Guest
ShipMaven
We will be in Alaska after you, not till September on the Amsterdam. Wanted the ship not the ports this time, at first we were going to Hubbard Glacier but they changed that to Glacier Bay, so we have been there done that before on everything.
There is some in our group that have not even been to Alaska, so with us on one side and our kids across the Hall it should be fun for everyone. We are having a lunch in our cabin on the day of Glacier Bay, so they can eat and watch the ice at the same time, sure hope we stay at 14 or maybe 16 at the most, anymore and it might be hard to serve everyone.
I hope you will have smooth waters and a great cruise.

Barry



Post Edited (05-19-03 18:24)
 
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ShipMaven

Guest
Barry,

Your idea of lunch sounds great. I've had my dining room set to accommodate as many as 20 people without problem - they're experts at rearranging furniture. ;)

Last year on Volendam, my colleague took a suite on the opposite side of the ship to my PS. How lucky for our group as we congregated on their verandah - the glaciers in Glacier Bay were mostly off our port side at the time, and we witnessed the most spectacular calving that I had ever seen in my then 16 years of cruising to Alaska. The only way I can describe it was that the drop of cascading ice into the Bay was reminiscent of Mount St. Helen's blowing its top years ago. The impact was so forceful that it rocked the ship as one wave after another broadsided us.

Thank you for your good wishes which I heartily reciprocate for your Amsterdam cruise - I always look forward to my HAL cruises (admittedly, I'm addicted to those gorgeous penthouses).
 
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kimberlite66

Guest
Speak of the devil, I just came here to rave about this great deal I got on HAL's website, 10 day Wayfarer Volendam Nov. 1, inside guarantee for total of $529.39. I was planning to book it anyway.... glad I waited...re-checked the rate today and WOW saved almost half!!! Need Mariners number to book, using rate code 408683. Sorry for those of you who got shafted. This is so cheap, I'm sure somebody else out there is ending up paying for a good bit of MY cruise!
 
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