Confused About Collectors Cruises.....

[sail7seas]

It is probably obvious but is eluding me...... :confused:

 

What is the advantage to HAL making our b-to-b's into Collector's cruises vs just plain old back-to-backs like we did for years?

 

Aside from a very small discount, is there any advantage to cruisers? We always had the same cabin for every b-to-b so no change there.

 

There must be something better about them but I don't have any idea what.

 

Thanks.

[Sea42]

Maybe it's the fancy title? Collectors Cruise sound so much nicer than back to back.

For our cruise in January the price difference was about 15% so I don't care what they call it!

Carol

[Big Dawg CC]

We (four in a D Quad cabin) are booked on the Collectors' Voyage on the Eurodam for July 31, 2012. Last time I checked, if we booked the two separately, it is about a $1,000 difference. So, I would not say the discount is only marginal.

[sail7seas]

I agree $1,000 is considerable difference....... if you get that kind of savings. We never have.

[CruiserBruce]

Sail, as I posted on the other thread you asked this question, the savings was about $500 for us changing from 2 7 day cruises to one 14 day Collectors.

 

Going back to our early days of cruising- the early 1990s-, in the Caribbean the ships seemed, for the most part, to do the same route, over and over and over again. It seems, about 6 or 8 or 10 years ago the cruise lines sensed a demand for the B2Bs, and probably realized they would get more business if they varied the routes. So, East 7 day, followed by West 7 day, by South 7 day, or just another East 7 day. Same varying of the 10 day routes as well.

 

What does HAL gain by offering these, and giving you a few hundred dollar discount? Well, whatever it takes to get you on board! Some will do the 7 day routes. Some will do 14 day Collectors. Some will sail for 10 days. We decided last year the best bang for our dollar was East and West 10 day Meds, for a total of 20 days. Best cruise I have ever been on. Would do it again in a heartbeat, and it convinced DW to do the B2B this December.

 

Variety pleases the most people and brings in the most customers.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail, the Only advantage is the savings/discount they give you. But there are differences. One less Mariner Lunch to be invited to.... to my understanding they treat it like one cruise. I have had clients tell me they were only received one Holland America Tote Bag and of course only counts as one cruise rather than two.

[Sea42]

Lisa,

Do the number of cruises count or is it just days on board?

Thanks,

Carol

P.S. I mean as far as Mariner status!

[bcd2010]

If you use FCCs it takes only 1 for a Collector's cruise and 2 for B2B (IIRC). We saved $800 for the 2 of us with the Collector's cruise.

[CruiserBruce]

If you use FCCs it takes only 1 for a Collector's cruise and 2 for B2B (IIRC). We saved $800 for the 2 of us with the Collector's cruise.

 

Per person, correct.

[Sea42]

If you use FCCs it takes only 1 for a Collector's cruise and 2 for B2B (IIRC). We saved $800 for the 2 of us with the Collector's cruise.

So that would be an advantage, correct?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

If you use FCCs it takes only 1 for a Collector's cruise and 2 for B2B (IIRC). We saved $800 for the 2 of us with the Collector's cruise.

 

So that would be an advantage, correct?

Yes it only takes one per person of the $100.00 each and in almost all of the categories the Future Crusie ship board credit comes out the same with the exception of two things. One if you book a regular verandah book two 7 day cruises you will get $35 PP each week where it is $75.00 for the 14 day. The second is occaisional a collectors series can be two 11 day cruises rare but it does happen and in that case you could get double ship board credit booking each one seperately ;)

7 - 10 days:

Inside - $25 per person

Outside - $25 per person

Verandah (VA/A - VF/BC) - $35 per person

Suite (PS - S/SY) - $50 per person

 

11+ days:

Inside - $50 per person

Outside - $50 per person

Verandah (VA/A - VF/BC) - $75 per person

Suite (PS - S/SY) - $100 per person

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa,

Do the number of cruises count or is it just days on board?

Thanks,

Carol

P.S. I mean as far as Mariner status!

Carol, in the grand scheme of things it really does not matter but.....I have been to Mariner Receptions where they actually mentioned the number of cruises along with the days. And it also does show on your Mariner page the number of cruises. I suppose at some time in the Future HAL could change the way they do things and be like all the other cruise lines and count number of cruises.

[Sea42]

Thanks for the information, Lisa.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our first cruise was back in the 80's -- Cunard -- eastern and souther cruises. Yes they were offered way back then. Also did them on Princess and NCL. And then those cruise lines did give you a little savings for booking the back-to-back cruises.

I liked it when HAL started doing the Collector's Cruises -- we save a little -- use only 1 future deposit instead of 2. And the best -- you actually get more shipboard credit with the combined cruises.

As for having only 1 Mariner's Brunch -- that is fine by me as ours haven't been that great the last few years -- nothing memorable about them.

The first segment we would get the regular tote bag -- the second segment we got the Mariner tote bag.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I've always felt there should be a discount for a B2B cruise; just makes both consumer and marketing sense. And the term Collector's Cruise is perfect because you're collecting cruises!:)

 

Sounds like a considerable discount involved. I'm wondering when you book a B2B do you pay 2 deposits? Because that would be an additional benefit to the combo.

 

What I would love to see, but logistically I'm sure it's now impossible, is the old "Sail and Stay" offered in the 80's by Cunard. It was a wonderful way to stretch a cruise to 2 weeks. We got off the ship on an island, stayed at a resort for a week, got back on the ship and continued the rest of the cruise. They were able to continue to circulate people on and off the ship on the 2 islands. You had the same cabin, same dining.

 

If HAL or any other line would offer that I would book it so fast. It was fantastic. Any gimmick to encourage people to book a longer period is a good idea.

[CruiserBruce]

If you are booking the B2B as two cruises, yes there are two deposits, as it is technically two cruises, and you will have two booking numbers. If it gets merged into a Collectors, you get the FCDs back for the second half, and you have only one booking number.

[sail7seas]

Yes, cruiserBruce, I did ask this question before but it was still niggling at me that there might be something obvious missed in the last discussion.

 

We have not gotten big discounts for any of our Collector Cruise bookings so happy for those who did.

 

It's nice to only put down one FFC per person for the whole cruise vs two each for b-to-b. We have had several times we put down double deposits, booked as b-to-b and HAL switched our booking to Collectors by telling rather than asking if we had any opinion about it but they credited back the extra FFC's to our Mariners account.

 

I prefer having b-to-b and two confirmation numbers and wish HAL gave us the choice as to how we wanted Our booking handled. We should be able to say no, leave the booking the way I made it. IMO

If we have to cancel one week, we had the option to still go the other segment under our b-to-b system. With Collectors, they take they ability away from us. One less choice....... This is something of significance to us. I would prefer to pay the two sets of FCD's and have the option of leaving my booking b-to-b vs. Collector.

 

Some cruises they offer a luncheon on turn around day for those on Collectors but we didn't go in Montreal as we'd rather be out and about in the that great city. Other times we have not been invited.

 

We have always gotten tote bags both segments.

 

Sorry for asking a question twice, some weeks or months apart, but clearly it is something I've been wondering about and thought someone who did not see the question last time might have something new to add.

[CruiserBruce]

I don't think you would be forced to change from B2B to a Collectors. We weren't. If you book later, they may scratch their heads if you insist on two bookings, but I am going to bet they will oblige you.

 

No problem asking twice. It has provoked a good discussion.

[sail7seas]

At least two and I think more of our b-to-b's were converted and we were 'told'.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail if you were booked thru a TA that would not happen. I have many clients do this because I can set up groups on each segment that these group prices tend to be lower than HAL's so the price difference comes out pretty good. And yes if you should need to cancel one week you can.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The few times we recently booked back-to-back cruises before they actually became a Collector's Cruise -- we were never asked if we wanted to change the booking to a Collector's Cruise -- nor were they ever done automatically. When I saw that they had become Collector's Cruises -- I was the one who called our TA and she in turn called HAL to make the switch.

It was just a little savings -- but it did give us extra shipboard credit.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The few times we recently booked back-to-back cruises before they actually became a Collector's Cruise -- we were never asked if we wanted to change the booking to a Collector's Cruise -- nor were they ever done automatically. When I saw that they had become Collector's Cruises -- I was the one who called our TA and she in turn called HAL to make the switch.

 

It was just a little savings -- but it did give us extra shipboard credit.

KK, that is because HAL will never automatically change it for TA's I have seen several occaisions where it may have been slight less money to turn it into a Collectors series but if there were group amenities on the various sailings then they loose those and often was a wash or better to stay with the two seperate sailings.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I've always felt there should be a discount for a B2B cruise; just makes both consumer and marketing sense. And the term Collector's Cruise is perfect because you're collecting cruises!:)

 

Sounds like a considerable discount involved. I'm wondering when you book a B2B do you pay 2 deposits? Because that would be an additional benefit to the combo.

 

What I would love to see, but logistically I'm sure it's now impossible, is the old "Sail and Stay" offered in the 80's by Cunard. It was a wonderful way to stretch a cruise to 2 weeks. We got off the ship on an island, stayed at a resort for a week, got back on the ship and continued the rest of the cruise. They were able to continue to circulate people on and off the ship on the 2 islands. You had the same cabin, same dining.

 

If HAL or any other line would offer that I would book it so fast. It was fantastic. Any gimmick to encourage people to book a longer period is a good idea.

 

I remember when Cunard offered cruises where you could get off on about day 3 or 4 and stay a week. When we did our back-to-back cruise we were asked by the TA if on either week we wanted to do that. But we couldn't get 3 weeks of vacation time together.

[Krazy Kruizers]

KK, that is because HAL will never automatically change it for TA's I have seen several occaisions where it may have been slight less money to turn it into a Collectors series but if there were group amenities on the various sailings then they loose those and often was a wash or better to stay with the two seperate sailings.

 

Right -- that is why I mentioned that as sail -- I think -- said that a couple of their's were done automatically -- and none of ours never were.

[Krazy Kruizers]

As for something being done for those sailing on the second part of a Collector's Cruise.

One time we had a lovely cocktail party just for those intransit guests -- that was on the Ryndam.

On the Nieuw Amsterdam -- on our cruise -- they set up an Indonesian lunch -- claimed it was just for the intransit guests -- on the first sea day. There were suppose to be only 109 of us there. But within a few minutes the upper level of the dining room was filled!! I asked about that. It seems that anyone could come to this lunch. So actually nothing special was done for those of staying on the second week. I made a comment about that on the survey at the end of the cruise. I did find out from someone was was staying on the week after our cruises that they were given a choice of a free dinner at either the Pinnacle or Tamarind.

So it seems that each ship, each cruise -- something different may happen.

There was never anything special on turn-around day.