Coupon Book

[Napi's Mom]

Because the reservation people at HAL really screwed up our reservations made in Dec., so that our need for a "Shower only room", which we had been assured was what we'd reserved, but found out only a GTY reservation was on record, and no more of these cabins were available at the price we'd paid...they, after much online holding and hemming & hawing agreed to upgrade to a higher cabin...not for free sorry to say, 500$pp extra. BUT they said we'd be given 2 books of coupons worth $700 of services etc.....free dinners at Specialty rest. drinks, soda, water photos etc etc. for our trouble. What I'd like to know is has anyone info on the content of these coupons...are they really any good??? So many Coupons on Cruise ships are really useless for us...1/2 price on 1 drink we wouldn't use etc. We are people who don't do a lot of extra expenses usually, (that's how we can afford to cruise.) If these are really good coupons perhaps we can get a little of the "extras" we usually avoid.

Also would you advise we actually obtain something in writing... like vouchers, about these coupons (We've had major problems twice collecting some cruiseline OBC not Travel agents, but promised by the cruise line, because of the message not being delivered to the ship from the main office...not HAL):confused:

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have gotten the coupon books a couple of times -- they are worthless to us.

A 2 year subscription to Porthole cruise magazine (12 issues) for $10 -- Value $49

 

Complimentary La Therapie Age Zone treatment with any purchase of any youth-enhancing La Therpie Facial -- Value $20

 

Receive $25 off Elemis Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap with Massage Treatment while in port -- Value $25

 

20% off a 2nd Spa Treatment -- book any luxurious spa treatment (minimum of $100) and receive 20% off your next treatment -- Value $20

 

10% Discount on Just For Us package purchased on board -- Value $50

 

A complimentary glass of House Champagne with the purchase of $50 of Casino chips -- Value $5

 

Two entries for the price of one for any slot or blackjack tournament -- Value $20

 

Internet Café 10 complimentary minutes with the purchase of $25 or more of internet time -- Value $7.50

 

 

$10 off Holland America Line logo items with purchse of $60 or more of logo articles -- Value $10

 

Free raffle ticket at the Grand Finale Art Auction for a $500 b id credit -- Value $25

 

$2 per minute discount on one call made from your stateroom -- Value $10

 

$5 off monogrammed Holland America Line bathrobe purchased on board -- Value $5

 

$10 off the purchase of a second telephone card -- Value $10

 

Buy any frozen alcohol drink and receive a free souvenir glass -- Value $3.95

 

Dinner for two at the Pinnacle Grill with purchase of 7 bottle Admiral’s Choice Wine Package -- Value $50

 

$10 off on any 5 bottle Admiral’s Choice Wine Package -- Value $10

 

Receive a discount of $2 when purchasing a $20 bingo card -- Value $2

 

Get 5 free prints with your photo processing order of $20 or more (digital media) -- Value $2

 

Get 10% off on the creation of a digital media CD -- Value $1.50

 

Take 10% off any item on the online store at shophollandamerica.com (there is a special code) -- Value 10%

 

Receive a risk-free 3 month subscription to Food & Wine magazine (form to fill out) -- Value 65%

[sapper1]

I agree with KK. The only thing of value to us was the extra ten minutes of internet time.

[m steve]

every 2 years, just change names. The rest is junk. About as valuable as the free charm from DI.

[cruie4ever]

Yeah those coupon books are generally bad news . The only one's that are truly worth while are the coupon perks given to Elite members (10 or more cruises) on Celebrity Cruise lines. We know as we are Elite & the perks are fantastic .Check them out on thye Celebrity web site & see for your self.

[Napi's Mom]

every 2 years, just change names. The rest is junk. About as valuable as the free charm from DI.

All of this seems to not add up as worth 700$ tho... Have to call back to the reservation people ...as you can see this is just again an example of mis-information by the reservationists.:rolleyes:

[DutchByAssociation]

All of this seems to not add up as worth 700$ tho... Have to call back to the reservation people ...as you can see this is just again an example of mis-information by the reservationists.:rolleyes:

 

As I replied on your inquiry on my thread...

 

The Onboard Value Booklets have values around $350/each. I believe most or all are free and discounted things with a purchase. (Also keep in mind these are Onboard VALUE Booklets' date=' not Onboard FREEBIE Booklets. Depending on what you do or don't do, buy or don't, whether or not you shop, drink, participate in art auctions, use the spa etc... you may or may not find much benefit from them.

 

Do you stay in your room, drink coffee and ice tea and never buy anything onboard (is your onboard bill only the Hotel Service Charge amounts)?

You won't like it much.

 

Do you do a fair amount of the:

 

Depending on what you do or don't do, buy or don't, whether or not you shop, drink, participate in art auctions, use the spa etc...

 

that I mentioned above?

Then you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

I received one as a promotion on a sailing in 2008 and actually got a fair amount of use from it. Others here will say things like "not worth the paper its printed on." It's in the eye of the beholder.

[bob brown]

I find these coupon books as mostly worthless. You almost always have to buy something to get something. Usually, the price of what you buy more than covers the cost of the 'extra' that you receive.

 

My bank awards me these 'bonus' points redeemable in a bonus catalog.

You need to always add real money to the bonus bucks that are in your account when buying something.

For example...you can get a coffee maker for $15 plus 15 bonus bucks.

I called them offering my entire account of 2,000 bonus bucks and no real dollars. Of course, they declined.

I might add you could get that same coffee maker at a discount store for $15. or even less.

My point is that these coupon books are nothing more than a sales tool.

[iancal]

We hate coupon books of any description. I don't need any help purchasing things that I never knew I needed/wanted prior to recieving the coupon book.

 

We find them useful as coasters and for levelling shakey tables on the topside decks. Not sure I could place a value on this because a napkin or cardboard drink coaster do the job just as well. . A lot of coupon books that we get throught the door have fine print that indicates the value of each coupon is 1/10 of one cent. That sums it up for me.

[whogo]

We got a few free minutes of internet time off of our $350 coupon book. Anyone who gets $350 of discounts with the book is spending way too much money on board. Our book was as Krazy Kruisers detailed.

 

If the coupon book is worth $350, ask for the cash instead. I know that HAL won't give you $350 for it. They will give you exactly what the coupon book is worth. Nothing.

[suse]

Are those the souvenier glasses that suspiciously lose their decorative veneer? Crazy. Like when you wash them, it washes off. Kind of useless, don't you think? :confused:

[bob brown]

We got a few free minutes of internet time off of our $350 coupon book. Anyone who gets $350 of discounts with the book is spending way too much money on board. Our book was as Krazy Kruisers detailed.

 

If the coupon book is worth $350, ask for the cash instead. I know that HAL won't give you $350 for it. They will give you exactly what the coupon book is worth. Nothing.

Yes--the few minutes of internet time is a legitimate benefit. However, it is so short that it is really just a tease to try to get you hooked into purchasing more time. Again....just a sales tool.

[m steve]

i guess that that makes them better than the ones sold on Princess that has the same coupons they give away in each port guide book. You just pay $30 for the same thing.

[kickin904]

Last year on the Veendam we used 3ea of the 2 for 1 $20.00 entry coupons and won $500.00 plus a bottle of Crown. Not bad for a $60.00 investment---yeah, yeah I know that gambling is not an investment!!!

[m steve]

coupons are usually not.

[Napi's Mom]

Do you stay in your room, drink coffee and ice tea and never buy anything onboard (is your onboard bill only the Hotel Service Charge amounts)?

You won't like it much.

 

This sounds like an elitist statement to me....not everyone who doesn't spend mega bucks on a cruise "Stay in their rooms and drink coffee & tea..." But I'll admit We don't drink wine or other alcoholic drinks in any great amount...I because of medications...plus prices onboard ships are stupidly high. Ditto Art Auctions...(never saw anything t those art auction displays I'd want) We cruise not for onboard ambiance but for the Ports...seeing new places and people.We go to the shows etc. Our major extra expenses are rather large...tours in port...doubt they'll have coupons for those (But since I've long since discovered setting up private tours that are 1/2 the price I save anyway!) This way we who actually live on Social Security and small pensions can actually enjoy seeing the world, in style too.:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We are like Napi's Mom.

We don't drink a lot of wine -- so buying the wine package is a waste for us.

We don't do the spa, I don't need a souvenir glass, don't go to the art auctions (have read and watched TV about how they are a rip off), don't have the ship print my digital photos. and I could go on.

It's not about being cheap -- it is just things and stuff we don't want or do.