Tom_Cruise

8 hours ago, POA1 said:

The tote bag, of course! 😁 And the chance to show off your orange key card. You'll be so proud buying drinks in front of the non-Co passengers. But then a Neptune Suite guest will show up with their gold card and you will realize just how sad and worthless your life is, your salty, bitter tears dripping onto your orange tote bag - the one that brought you joy only moments before. Now, it's a tragic reminder of your pathetic existence.

LMAO 😂

3 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

Here's the URL for information on the Shareholder Benefit OBC

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/50351a91-4dc0-4f6b-bfec-684647e6129f

 

The vote to authorize it for cruises past July 31, 2023 has not yet been taken.

Check the latest (2022) Carnival Annual Report.  The ever popular OBC is good for another year 😀

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/bc1b7f04-a3e8-4176-91ac-a529290fe45d

I like a Vodka Diet Tonic.  In my experience, there is less than a 30-40% chance of getting the Diet Tonic, more so recently than years ago.  It used to be one could pickup canned/bottled Diet Tonic at the Explorer's Cafe if the bars were out.

7 hours ago, roomba920 said:

Did you choose the correct status to match the DD214?

My husband is both an active duty veteran, and currently serving in the Guard.

I made the mistake of choosing active Guard, but uploaded his DD214 discharge form.

That got rejected obviously. I had to email with a SheerID customer service rep to get it corrected.

 

I'm all good now.  The only difference is I submitted the DD214 in .pdf format instead of .jpg.  They indicate both are OK, but ....  Go figure.

I tried (twice) using my DD 214 form for the military program but it was not accepted.  What are other people using?

10 hours ago, Btimmer said:

On a back to back cruises of lets say 14 days on each segment, book them separately but have the bookings linked.  That way you can get $250 CCL shipboard credit for each segment instead of just one $250 credit.

I understand the separate bookings re: the CCL credit but what is "linking" and what does that get you?

I have done B2B before and the ship was always able to figure out I was staying aboard.

Has anyone had experience with Mariner Day credit.  Is it computed on spending for each segment of the B2B or total spending at the end?

Question:  Is there still a paperback book exchange?

You are only talking a couple of weeks away.  Check https://weather.com (or any of the other weather sites) for a few of the spots on the cruise for the actual forecast.  Of course that assumes you actually believe those people 😉

I wonder how this testing requirement will work with a B2B.

I believe there has always been a limit on the number of bonus days, currently 1 per sailing day per person.  You can't buy more.

22 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

We also liked the Oosterdam and have sailed on her several times.  As most things, I have several pros and cons (vs the other HAL ships).

 

Pros - Alot more Signature and Neptune suites, which often mean some good fares and better opportunities for upsells/upgrades to them.

        - The deck 5 Neptunes have HUGE balconies.  We once hosted a party for 40 people on it.

        -  The Screening Room - great place to watch movies, with lounge type seating (but limited #).

 

Cons - No Tamarind dining venue.

          - No separate Club Orange dining.

No 'New York Pizza'

DIY floats are also very easy to make.

Is it possible to get a fare out of Flight Ease without having first booked a cruise?

In my experience, Vancouver has one of the best boarding process.  Seattle is OK.  As an earlier post noted, arrival time can make a big difference.  Also, on these 're-start' cruises, I would expect lighter passenger loads, so loading may go faster (or not, depending on additional health checks.)

13 hours ago, leerathje said:

So, on Black Friday DH and I booked Oosterdam's Mexican Riviera, departing from San Diego this Saturday.  We were offered a VE, room 7004 and took it.

This Saturday?  HAL's site shows Oosterdam leaving San Diego Mar 7.  Still 10 days out.

Got my Mar 1 departure room 10 days out.

12 minutes ago, richwmn said:

How long was your cruise? If it was a 7 day cruise, the spending points max out at 7 - doesn't matter how much over $2100 you spend.

 

Much longer than 7.

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

Are you sure? Port fees etc are not part of on-board spending and the refund should not have changed that total.

Very sure.  Here is an excerpt from one of my email exchanges with HAL.

"Due to the missed ports your onboard spending account was reduced by the refunded amount of the missed ports $273.96. This was refunded to your onboard account. After this was refunded to your onboard account it reduced your onboard spending total to $2151.67."

After 7 or 8 email exchanges, they finally credited my Mariner account with 1 additional day.  Maybe they just got tired of me 🙂  Note however, that they never admitted an accounting issue, just added the Mariner day.  Bottom line, check your final bill.  I knew I spent over $2400 and expected to see 8 Mariner days credited instead of the 7 they first gave me.

My first question would be:  "How much did the 'non-North American' passengers initially pay?"  Maybe there was not a charge to refund.

Also, after your trip, carefully check your on-board spending total.  I had the case were the refund amount was subtracted from my on-board spending total resulting in 1 less "Mariner Day" credit.

Tom

22 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

On my last cruise, I earned 6 on-board spending points with a total bill of only $300.  I'm not complaining but to this day, I don't know how I earned those 6 points.  

 

Point is, I think any question including the OP's is a good question.  

The final bill usually does not equal the total onboard spending due to credits, rebates, etc.

10 minutes ago, freestyling said:

I would contact the Mariners Society about this. You should not be dinged in my opinion. It’s worth a phone call or email to them. 

Oh believe me I have tried.   After multiple emails with the MS, they are now pointing their finger at the Onboard Billing Dept.  I'll start on them next week 😫

On 9/6/2018 at 10:01 AM, richwmn said:

Spending is totaled without regard to where the money to pay for it came from. The port credits are just that, credits against your final bill - they do not decrease the total of your spending.

Actually, I just had the opposite experience.  Refunded port charges specifically reduced my onboard spending total costing me 1 mariner day.  Maybe policy changed in the last year?

8 hours ago, westcoastcruiser said:

We were on Nieuw Statendam in July and had the cloth bags.  Celebrity has the paper bags and they tear so easily.  

Hence, the suggestion to take along a roll of "duct tape" 🙂

In my experience... HAL has three levels of internet service.  For me, the cheap, bottom level would not work for email.  Upgrading to the second level got email working.