NCTribeFan

I give up. I looked at the Alaska B2B and the actual charges were slightly more for the 2nd week than the first, yet I received 7 spending points for week 1 and only 4 for week 2. So I looked at Eurodam when I did NOT have HIA. I added up every charge except for the draws to my card in the casino. I *should* have earned only 2 spending points but I actually was given 5. The only way I could have earned 5 was if they counted the casino draws. I just added up my casino draws and, you guessed it, the total now comes out to 5 spending days. That doesn't explain the differences on Z'dam, though. I spent more in "regular" spending during week 2 and also drew more for the casino during that week. I give up! 😄

Ah. It's getting a little clearer with each explanation. I thank everyone for their input. I'll look at actual spending (excluding casino draws) and take a stab at what I think the SBP/HIA might have been. Hard to know without having a receipt for every drink! I'm mostly a beer & wine drinker but I did get used to having an Aperol Spritz or 2 every evening before dinner on Rotterdam. I had HIA on the 16 night TA but did not have it on the 2 x 5-nights following. I had drinks while gambling and would stop in the casino to get a pre-dinner drink. But other bar charges should be listed on that statement. When I get some spare time this week, I'll see if I can make sense of it for those 10 days.

I did at least figure out why I could download some statements and not others. On the B2Bs, the 2nd week is included on the first although the statement only shows the date of the first leg. That's why I couldn't open one for the 2nd. I think I'm slowly getting the idea. I'm putting casino draws one place and other onboard spending in another column to separate it out. Does any OBC cancel out the spending or is it treated as a payment rather than an offset of expenses? Am I correct that purchasing CO has no impact because that's considered as part of the base fare? What value is allocated to HIA? $50/pp/day?

Well, that explains why I got so many points on Zaandam. There were 3 of us in the cabin. We did ship tours in two ports, took advantage of the old BOGO Happy Hours daily, and I'm pretty sure I bought a wine package. I even purchased a photo. I did Zuiderdam B2B Alaska in June 2022. These were "free" casino bookings. I added HIA and CO for both weeks. I also booked a pre-cruise hotel in Seattle with the transfer to Vancouver. I earned 7 spending points on the first leg but only 4 on the 2nd. The only ship excursions were the ones covered by HIA. It doesn't make sense that I earned 3 more points that first week where my spending probably was probably much the same. Sure seems like that pre-cruise hotel & transfer had an impact. Surprise! Looks like suddenly I can access my statements! Yee Haw! Time to put my accounting skills to the test and see if I can make any sense of my spending points earned. LOL. Just kidding. I was able to download the statement from the 6-1-22 sailing but the others say it's unavailable. Sigh.

Well, since I cannot access the PDFs at all (tried different browsers, the app, and Chrome on my phone), I can't see the detail. Their website really is frustrating. The amount of Spending days I got for my first cruise on Zaandam (14 nights Hawaii) seem way out of line with whatever spending I did. No HIA back then and I didn't spend nearly as much as it seems I should have to get 8 additional points. That was my only HAL sailing where I wasn't solo. Did they give me credit for my cabinmate's spending? Many of the others, I purchased HIA and/or Club Orange after my initial booking. I do have those amounts on my spreadsheet, but I really would like to see my statements to see if I think any casino spending was included. I do gamble, but I am very far from a high roller but it really seems like I got some credit for that spending. Of course, I was doing some "cleaning" recently and pitched out all the documents I had stacked up from several years of sailing. 😄

I know I've stated this before. I'm a CPA and I've never been able to understand why I've received whatever points I've received. Maybe I'll try again. I'm getting semi-close to making 4* but if casino spending doesn't count, then I won't reach it on my upcoming Eurodam sailing. Why would spa and shops count but not casino? They're all separate entities so why would they be treated differently? I don't really expect a logical answer, so this may just be a rhetorical question! 😄

Yes, the shape (and size) on the deck plans isn't always accurate. That's why I try to find actual photos (again, I use cruisedeckplans dot com). So while I'm happy with my upcoming J cabin, I'll keep an eye out for some I category cabins in the future on those ships.

Are those Cat I cabins shown above considered "large" insides? I thought it was just J (and maybe K). I know that deck plans don't always display the dimensions accurately. If those are truly large insides, I'll have to check them out. I absolutely love the J cabins on Vista-class and Eurodam/N. Am ships. My inside cabin on Rotterdam (for 26 nights) was quite small. I'm looking forward to again begin in a J cabin on Eurodam in January. Just need to be careful of the location. I wouldn't want to be portside and under BB Kings. I use cruisedeckplans dot com and use their "deck drag" option to see what I'm under. And I prefer the cabins that are not connecting because of the bed layout and trying to watch TV. EDIT: I just found a photo of 8045 and it does appear to be a large inside. So, maybe I've been paying a few dollars more for a J when I could have an I and still have all that room (and not have to worry about being under BB Kings! Thanks, Ruth!

Besides allowing us to use Whatever Credit to pre-purchase items, wouldn't it be nice to be able to apply a Gift Card prior to sailing? It takes FOREVER to get it done at Guest Services and since I typically have multiple cards (usually for $100 each), it takes even longer. And the paperwork is just ridiculous. Hmmm. I suppose I could use a Gift Card to purchase Shipboard Credit which, hopefully, would be preloaded to my account, assuming I opt to have it "delivered" on embarkation day. That would save the time wasted at the Service Desk and allow those folks to spend more time helping people log onto the wi-fi. Really, they need a separate desk with 2-3 CS people for the first couple of days phones/wi-fi help only. That doesn't help with the issue of not being able to use OBC prior to sailing. I have lots for my January Carnival cruise (B2B with Eurodam) and have pre-purchased water, wi-fi and grats. Next, I'll book my specialty dining and use some more. It's so easy. HAL does need to keep up.

Mine looks like the above with both the Classic and CO options. Only the Pinnacle-class ships have dedicated CO dining rooms. The others, CO people eat in the MDR and they can order the CO daily offering. Looks good to me! I'll be on Eurodam in 2 months.

My CCL S/H OBC has never shown up on any booking confirmation (I've owned CCL since 2009 and have many, many times on Carnival and a few on HAL since then). I always print out my email from the cruise line that says it's been credited to my account. I'm not sure I understand the pre-paying via credit card for a shorex and then having it switched to OBC once on board. But I never have so much OBC that I would need to do that to use it up (I typically spend it in the spa). Are you saying it gets refunded to my credit card and charged against the onboard account, and uses up OBC? But then it takes a full billing cycle to be refunded to my credit card, right? Or do they just credit your onboard account, regardless of what CC you used to pay for the excursion originally? Is this a "trick" to convert spending to refundable OBC which I could then use in the casino? I rarely book ship excursions unless I'm using the HIA credit, but it would be nice to know just how this works. Thanks!

As a 3* who had purchased CO, pointing out the Priority on my boarding pass didn't help. The person asked multiple times if I was 4 or 5* or in a Neptune. I finally said I had Club Orange and she realized I was in the correct line. Now I know to immediately tell whomever that I have CO so they don't just look at the stars on the pass.

I have the Rotterdam TA booked for next October. I got the HIA early booking which includes crew appreciation. I don't really need the upgraded drink package or wifi. Checked the price last night and the base fare for a gty is about $300 less (I book gty and add CO), so that would offset not getting tips included. I'm going to check with my PCC and see if I can do this if she re-fares it with the "normal" HIA. I believe the current HIA also includes more for shore excursions.

Cruising is much more popular than it was even a couple of decades ago and the loyalty programs just end up getting watered down because there are So Many people at the higher levels these days. I don't really care about pins, either, but if they're giving them out, and I've "earned" one, then I'd like to receive it. But, yeah, the perks do matter. HAL's perks are so much better than Carnival's loyalty perks. Yes, I get free laundry on Carnival and have for years, but I rarely use it, so getting to 4* on HAL just for free laundry doesn't excite me that much although it would've come in handy on the 26 nights I spent on Rotterdam this past spring. The 50% discount on wine packages and specialty dining does interest me for when I don't purchase HIA. And on ships with Tamarind, I'll use it even if I have HIA because I want to dine there more than once per sailing. And in Canaletto. These are tangible benefits that I will use.

Yes, I counted actual nights and I'm mid-90s now. I'm also approaching 4* but probably won't hit that until during the Rotterdam TA next October. Of course that depends on how much I spend while on Eurodam in January (I added HIA and CO and haven't yet been able to figure out how any of my points have been calculated - and I'm an accountant 😄 ). I'll ask about it early on and also ask about having never received a 3* pin.

I believe I'll pass 100 nights while on Eurodam in January. Does that mean I'll receive a medal? Yay! Something else to put in my nightstand drawer. 😁

Just for fun (!) I just went digging through the nightstand's 2 drawers which is where I toss all my cabin cards and pins. I found all my cruise cards, going back to 2001 when I first started sailing except for the one RCI cruise I took in 2003 and the Carnival Vista inaugural sailing in 2016. That was my 25th Milestone sailing (separate recognition from their usual rewards). That's a little disappointing. So, all those Carnival cards (I've sailed them 37 times), 3 MSC, 1 NCL, 1 X, and 10 HAL (I count B2Bs as separate sailings because that's how I've booked them). I have over 30 Carnival pins. What's nice about those is they show the ship name. I really do not need duplicates, though. I sailed the old Carnival Fantasy enough times that I could've earned Platinum status on that ship alone. I did NOT find a 3* HAL pin. The only HAL pins I have were from my first Z'dam sailing. During trivia, they gave out small pins showing a region that HAL sails (Alaska, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Med, etc). I have 5 or 6 of those. But no 3*. I don't really need one but I might ask about it when I sail in January. I'm happy enough just to get some perks.

I may reach 4* on my January Eurodam sailing (depending on my onboard spending, probably). I do not recall receiving a 3* pin. I'll have to look. Carnival "upgrades" you to the next level while on that cruise, which is nice. But I know HAL doesn't because of the calculation for days + spending. Would be nice to have laundry for next October's Rotterdam TA. I've been Platinum on Carnival for many cruises and don't use the laundry service often (I really don't trust those gigantic industrial machines to not ruin my semi-delicate clothes) but I've read posts here that HAL's laundry folks are very good at following specific instructions and requests, so I'll be tempted to try sending out something other than light/white cotton t-shirts, undies and socks! I do appreciate the 3* discount on wine packages and specialty dining for those sailing where I haven't booked HIA and look forward to additional discounts when I reach 4*.

OK, back to the topic of seeing where your SH OBC is in your account... I never can see it on HAL. Maybe if I apply for the credit prior to making final payment, I could see it when I look at the booking/manage payments as 0bnxshs said above. Since I paid my January cruise off recently, I see nothing there but the fare, taxes/fees, and total. The booking confirmation I received after payoff shows the same OBC I had when I first booked despite my paying the balance off early to receive the extra OBC that (supposedly) is being offered for early payoff. So, since online doesn't show me OBC anywhere, I have no idea whether the early-payoff or my SH OBC has been applied. Yes, I did receive the email saying the SH OBC had been applied. It has always appeared on my account once I board but, yes, I do print out the email and take it with me because you just know the one time I don't will be the time it doesn't get applied! Anyway, if there is actually a way to see an OBC breakdown somewhere after you've paid off the cruise, I'd love to know how!

I was on Eurodam in November 2021 on the first sailing when she arrived from Europe (and my first post-Covid cruise). There were only 500 passengers. It was wonderful! Our sailing was shortened by 2 days because they did a "deep cleaning" after arriving from Europe. The ship was spotless. The foor good to very good. I didn't use the spa except for a massage so can't comment on anything else. I'll be on her in January for 11 nights. Really looking forward to it. So far, she's my favorite HAL ship (probably biased because that 500 pax sailing spoiled me). I'll again be in a large inside cabin on Main. Love those! So much space for a solo cruiser.

I've sailed Carnival over 30 times. Food has always been decent to very good. As has already been noted multiple times, food is very subjective. And, it can vary from week to week as those who have sailed B2B2B may have discovered. The handful of sailings I've done on HAL, I thought the food was good to very good. My first HAL sailing on Zaandam, about a dozen years ago, had the best food of any cruise I've ever been on. The casinos on HAL ships are definitely more sedate than those on Carnival, which tend to be packed (and have way too many smokers who ignore the smoking areas and stink up the whole place). Having said that, I get much better casino offers from HAL (starting after that first cruise), than I get on Carnival. I didn't get a free offer from Carnival until after I'd sailed 30 times. Small discounts, yes, but never the free cabin offers until recently. I don't need a party atmosphere in the casino anyway. So, sail HAL with it's beautiful ships, great service, good food, and fewer party passengers or continue to sail Carnival with the same entertainment, jokes, bad entertainment, and ugly decor? Well, I'm sailing Carnival again in January but only because I was able to tack on a 6-night sailing with friends to the front of my 11 night Eurodam sailing. It's all subjective. If someone isn't happy, so be it. I tend to think one experience can be an anomaly but I also understand why someone wouldn't want to try again to find out. But when it's free? I'd try another time just to confirm that it wasn't for me.

OK, so maybe my OBC won't show up until later. I paid my balance on Wednesday; it was due 10/15. Where will I see that? I never see OBC online. Will they send a new invoice?

I finally heard back from my PCC this afternoon. She said I'd get the OBC if I paid by 10/31. Since I had to pay it off by 10/15 anyway, I went ahead and just did that (I had $700 in AARP Gift Cards, so didn't have a huge balance to put on my CC anyway). My new invoice does NOT show $100 more in OBC than I had to start. I'll have to contact her again. I booked while on Rotterdam last spring and booked a NR fare, so can't help anyone needing to know if it converts a refundable deposit to NR.

I didn't get the offer. My January cruise is due 10/15. Maybe I'll call my PPC and see if I'll get the $100 OBC if I go ahead and pay it now. My pitiful bank account won't earn $100 this year, let alone in two weeks! 😉

My experience has been that when I book my "regular" sailings, I still always get a casino discount (usually 20-30%). On those bookings, I've received my CCL OBC. When I book a free or deeply-discounted casino rate, I do NOT get my CCL OBC. When I asked to have the AARP OBC applied to my two upcoming cruises (Eurodam in January and Rotterdam next October), it was applied to the Rotterdam sailing but not Eurodam. Eurodam was not a deeply-discounted casino fare, so I'm not sure why. Both booking confirmations show a casino discount, but neither was a "almost fee" fare. Oh well. Consistency is not a strong point with any cruise line I've sailed! I have no experience/knowledge regarding the fares (veteran/educator/etc). Yes, the Priority Check-In is only for "special" casino cruises Those are not frequent. And it doesn't say Priority Boarding, does it? On Carnival's special casino sailings, those folks get priority check-in and board AFTER the Diamond/Platinum loyalty members, after Suite pax, and after those who "buy" their priority via Carnival's Faster to the Fun program. So, it really isn't much of a perk. Boarding Envy is not an attractive trait! 😄