AmericanExpress Platinum and HAL ......

[sail7seas]

Does anyone know if they have yet signed a renewal of the contract for 'partnership benefits' for 2006? Last I heard from my TA, it was still pending and she was waiting for them to sign so she can get us the tracking number for our 2006 cruises/shipboard credits.

[dakrewser]

Does anyone know if they have yet signed a renewal of the contract for 'partnership benefits' for 2006? Last I heard from my TA, it was still pending and she was waiting for them to sign so she can get us the tracking number for our 2006 cruises/shipboard credits.

 

 

That was the last I heard from my TA, also.

[Rachelleh]

Unfortunately, or fortunately however you look at it, I kept checking the boards and found my own SS open, called AM EX and told them how to change it, still waiting on a reply from thier "customer service" to let me know how and why the system failed.

 

Rachelle

[Charliesmom]

For 2005, Holland America and American Express didn't get their agreement signed until either very late December 2004 or early January 2005. That's why we didn't book our upcoming December cruise while we were on board.

 

Also, the possibility exists that this particular deal won't happen. Amex and Princess did not (to my knowledge) have an agreement for Princess to be in the "Cruise Privileges". If someone knows something to the contrary on Princess - let me know. I have two cruises booked with them and would love to get an Amex shipboard credit.

 

Roberta

[Elizanessie]

Princess is showing up on the Amex site for platinum cruise privilege program...but not sure what year it is for...I only discovered this when checking to see if Cunard was still on it,as my parents are going on the QM2 in sept.....and strangely the UK Cunard office didnt know anything about it....thank goodness our Amex Plat.folks did.:D

Liz

[iceman93]

Does anyone know if they have yet signed a renewal of the contract for 'partnership benefits' for 2006? Last I heard from my TA, it was still pending and she was waiting for them to sign so she can get us the tracking number for our 2006 cruises/shipboard credits.

 

All I know is that by booking through AmEx Platinum travel I've got my 2006 cruise privileges benefits guaranteed in writing. Why are you using another travel agent and then trying to "back-feed" the benefits?

[sail7seas]

All I know is that by booking through AmEx Platinum travel I've got my 2006 cruise privileges benefits guaranteed in writing. Why are you using another travel agent and then trying to "back-feed" the benefits?

 

We have used an 'other than Platinum Travel' TA since we became very dissatisified with the agent who was doing our travel work at AmEx Platinum. For a number of years, we had a wonderful agent who handled all of our travel. When she left, the agent they turned our account over to was a nightmare.

We now (and for many years) have used a brick and mortar down the street and round the corner from our home.

We now (and have for many years) get all Platinum Benefits through the 'outside agent desk.'

[garydm]

Ice-Back feeding?

 

We book through a TA in Houston because their prices are always better than Amex Travel. The Houston agency pays Amex a substantial fee each year in order to offer these benefits.

 

Gary

[Krazy Kruizers]

Like sail7seas we have used the same agent for years - and not AmEx.

 

Todate, our TA has not mentioned any problems with getting our shipboard credit for cruises that we have booked for 2006.

[iceman93]

I did realize that you can book through another TA and still get platinum benefits, but I didn't know the TA has to pay AmEx for the privilege. It's just an arrangement I didn't really understand why anyone would use, until sail7seas explained her situation. I would imagine there is still marginal benefit to using PTS over an "affiliated" TA, as demonstrated here by my PTS agent knowing the 2006 benefits while other TA's might have to wait to hear. But if you've got a good one you've used for a long time (or if PTS lost your business through poor service), then that difference is more than outweighed by other considerations!

[Rachelleh]

Hi everyone and thanks for the posts

 

We sailed Princess 2x's last year and on both received Plat. benefits, although we did book through an independent TA and it was an effort to get the benefits.

 

1st cruise on Caribbean Princess - booked BA aft and received the 3 cat upgrade so we paid for 2 cat lower, also received a bottle of champagne upon arrival, 5x7 free photo and dinner at one of the pay resturants.

 

2nd cruise on Star Princess - booked mini suite and received $300.00 shipboard credit and same ammenities as above, I do understand that now mini suites do not qualify for the $300.00 shipboard credit only on FULL suites, but should still be able to get the 3 cat upgrade and a lower price on better cabin "if available" always a catch.

 

I finially resolved the HAL Plat. issue, I resolved it myself however - kept finding SS cat cabin avail. finially got in contact with at TA from AMEX who was able to contact HAL while I was on the line, we changed to booking to the SS, and instead of the 3 cat upgrade pricing discount, we have received in writing the notification of the $300.00 shipboard credit, dinner at the Pinnacle and a bottle of champagne upon arrival.

 

Great deal in the end as the SS on the AMEX site was onlty $365.00 more total and with the shipboard credit it was nearly a wash. Also to AMEX's credit, after 3 emails to customer service to find out why my booking was not automatically upgraded as I had been told - I was gived a $200.00 statement "goodwill" credit - although they never gave me an explanation for the problem.

 

Now the SS is about $100.00 less than the VA due to shipboard and "goodwill" credit.

 

Certainly pays for the $300.00 per year fee for the Plat. card.

 

Hope this helps someone and thanks for the input.

 

Lesson learned, email customer service in your online secure message site, if you have a Plat. benefits problem/issue and you just might get a credit!!!!!

 

I will say this for AMEX, even though I find it slightly silly to pay for a Plat card I could get anywhere else for no fee, in the end they do seem to care about their clients and for us at least it has more than paid for itself.

 

Looking forward to the Plat. benefits of the 1st class lounge for KLM airways on an upcoming trip to Europe. Hey, I'll take all the perks I can get.

 

Rachelle

[fb0075]

Depends on the class of ship!!

SS cat on VISTA only gets upgrade( which is meaningless) and does not recieve the SBC!

FRANK

[sail7seas]

Depends on the class of ship!!

SS cat on VISTA only gets upgrade( which is meaningless) and does not recieve the SBC!

FRANK

 

 

I don't understand your post.

Do you mean you would be upgraded from a lower cabin to an "SS"? If so, that is not meaningless IMO The "SS" cabins are very nice.

 

If you have booked an "SS", AmEx Benefits would not entitle you to an upgrade as that would be to an "S" (A,B or C) or a "PS". We always book the "S" (A) an receive the shipboard credit. We also receive a bottle of champagne and first night is free, if we wish, in Pinnacle.

[fb0075]

SAIL

No---- You only recieve SBC (ship board credit) in the S cat on the Vista ships!!

$300 SBC is avaliable on other class ship for "mini-suites"

Upgrades are only within the same category---outside to outside--ss to ss, etc.

so in an SS class they are meaningless as you cant upgrade within the SS category!!

FRANK

[sail7seas]

SAIL

No---- You only recieve SBC (ship board credit) in the S cat on the Vista ships!!

$300 SBC is avaliable on other class ship for "mini-suites"

Upgrades are only within the same category---outside to outside--ss to ss, etc.

so in an SS class they are meaningless as you cant upgrade within the SS category!!

FRANK

 

Thanks for explaining, Frank.

I see what you mean that there is no benefit if you are in an "SS" on a Vista. Doesn't seem quite right....there should be someway you get 'something'.

 

[dakrewser]

Upgrades are only within the same category---outside to outside--ss to ss, etc.

so in an SS class they are meaningless as you cant upgrade within the SS category!!

FRANK

 

Um, What used to be "SS" are now SS, SY, SZ (at least on Vista-class ships) so a 2-category upgrade is possible.

[sail7seas]

Aren't "SS" ONLY on Vista ships? None of the other ships have a category "SS", do they?

 

[dakrewser]

Aren't "SS" ONLY on Vista ships? None of the other ships have a category "SS", do they?

 

 

Correct

[lizzielady]

I have SS on Prinsendam in October. Grumpy1 has pictures linked from his WC thread.

[Rachelleh]

received $300.00 sbc + other plat. benefits , booked SS vista (zuiderdam)???? I'll take it!!

Rachelle

[sail7seas]

For what date is the booking? If it is before the end of the year, it would fall under the old contract. That would not shed light on cruises for 2006.

 

I booked two cruises yesterday and we booked a third one about a month ago. I am waiting to hear from my TA if the contract has been renewed for cruises sailing in 2006. I will post here when I hear from her as to whether she could get the usual tracking number and then the confirmation from HAL.

A fourth cruise we have booked for October 2005, qualified for the $300 shipboard credit etc and we have confirmation on that from HAL.

[sail7seas]

fb0075.....

 

 

You may wish to investigate why you did not get the shipboard credit for an "SS" but Rachael did. It may be worth making a few telephone calls. Hope it works out for you.

[joepeka]

received $300.00 sbc + other plat. benefits , booked SS vista (zuiderdam)???? I'll take it!!

Rachelle

My info is a year out of date but we received the $300 SBC for an SS on the Zuiderdam paying with the Amex Platinum card.

[fb0075]

In my haste---I WAS WRONG!!!!!

VISTA---ss cat $300 sbc

OTHERS---balconies get $300 cat BB to A\

SORRY FRANK