Is HAL over marketing or

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

is HAL desperate for business? This is the first time in 10 years that we have not had at least one HAL cruise booked or any cruise line booked for that matter. We are taking a break from cruising. However, that does not mean I am not playing around and looking on the HAL website. And as we all know or should know, one is “tracked “ when doing this. I have been getting copious emails and now even phone calls asking to help me in booking a cruise. We are also getting much snail mail from HAL which we did not get previously. To be honest, I do not like getting phone calls from HAL. The emails and mail I can ignore.

We are in the 65+ age group – not the younger crowd which I assume would be the ones HAL is after. Anyone else experiencing this or is it just because we have no cruise booked? I’m curious!! Barbara

[momatibm]

We don't have a cruised booked. We haven't received a different amount of email, snail mail, and the last phone call we received from HAL was when my husband missed a drawer and left a large amount of exercise clothes,my bad, I didn't check his side.

 

By the way, we cruise yearly, at least.

 

 

Apparently you must be special.

[aliaschief]

We don't get a lot of mail/brochures from Hal and that may be due we usually have two or three cruise booked on Dam ships.

 

On the other hand, Oceania is deluging us with brochures, full annual catalogs at a rate of a couple a week times 8 months.

 

They really want our business but are happy with our choice of cruise line.

[celticduchess]

I hadn't cruised in awhile and was searching for our upcoming HAL cruise. I got a couple calls and emails when I didn't finish my booking. My dad was doing the same thing except also on other cruise lines as well. He got a call and email from each one. It's not just HAL that is doing this.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[SilvertoGold]

We are in a similar boat (!)

 

No cruise booked, keep looking at the pricing on the HAL website. Some emails, some snail mail, off and on. More of both than usual.

 

Sometimes when I look at a cruise on the HAL website and go as far as the taxes page, I get an (auto, generic) email saying that they noticed I didn't complete the booking and to call a phone number for help with that booking.

 

Also had a few (auto, generic) emails from one PCC. These amuse me a lot, because they say, "welcome to HAL", here is all the info you need about HAL.......... and I am a 5 star.

 

Is HAL desperate for business? I don't think so. The pricing has been much higher over the past several months, for the cruises I am looking at, than I can remember. They must be selling OK or the pricing would be down.

Edited February 21, 2014 by SilvertoGold

[silvercruiser]

That's why I do my research on an online site that makes it easy to check numerous cruise lines. Can't give the name on CC, but it's a great resource place and also has a place to check good deals that occur after final payment, 90 days before the cruise.

[POA1]

Consider it a good thing. You must have desirable demographic characteristics. :)

 

I'd rather get cruise ship junk mail that junk mail about how to prevent bad breath, bad credit, and mortgage foreclosure.:o

Edited February 21, 2014 by POA1

[cbr663]

We are in the midst of the cruise wave season which is why you are seeing an increase in cruise line marketing. We are also getting lots of it.

 

As for any cruise line tracking your visits to their websites, I would suggest that you stop that in its tracks. A quick search on how to protect your privacy while online and how to erase your tracks can be very beneficial. I use a VPN which helps tremendously. One advantage to the VPN is that I can see all the regional promotions that the cruise line offers.

[igraf]

I have noticed that lately we have been receiving less in the way of mailed HAL advertisements. We used to get a steady stream of mailed brochures. Just the emails and never any sales phone calls. Perhaps in your profile you checked a box giving HAL permission to call you?

 

Maybe it is because we don't gamble, run up a big bar tab or go on a lot of ship excursions. It is also possible that they are targeting past customers who have recently stopped cruising with HAL like you described.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

..I have been getting copious emails and now even phone calls asking to help me in booking a cruise. We are also getting much snail mail from HAL which we did not get previously. To be honest, I do not like getting phone calls from HAL. The emails and mail I can ignore.....

[EbayCruiser]

We get HAL mailings/brochures weekly, sometimes two in one day.

 

We do not get emails or phone calls from HAL. I do get emails from Celebrity and have never sailed on Celebrity.

[Krazy Kruizers]

After an incident -- actually a few -- on one cruise a few years ago, we did one more cruise only because it was paid off while we were away. If we had known what was going to happen -- that next cruise we would never have gone on.

When we did get home, we cancelled several cruises. Had nothing on the docket so to speak. Never got any e-mails, snail mail -- phone calls -- nothing -- to encourage us to return.

We did -- quite a few months later. But HAL certainly didn't do anything to encourage us to return.

We just cruise HAL because we like the crew and larger cabins.

[TiogaCruiser]

I've been getting regular emails and flyers since I returned from my last cruise. DH was getting them all along. Our deals and specials are different- HAL wants DH to go to exotic places for weeks and they have chosen the Carribean for me apparently. They got us both wrong. DH doesn't have much vacation and isn't "exotic" and I'm not interested in Carribean. Unfortunately HAL won't let me take DH's deals. :(

[RJ2002]

It is interesting to see that some people report getting emails. We never get emails, but lots and lots of snail mail. No phone calls either, thankfully.

[durangoscots]

Well, I get alot of emails and brochures from another cruise line... one I last sailed in early 2008. I think they are all out hustling buiness and who can blame them... they need full ships.

 

Susan

[Nghthawke]

We get both HAL snail mail and emails. As soon as we book a cruise the mail stops but will restart again soon after our cruise ends. I kind of like getting those mail offers. Hubby always walks in the door and says you got a "love letter" from HAL. :D

[mamaofami]

We don't get a lot of mail/brochures from Hal and that may be due we usually have two or three cruise booked on Dam ships.

 

On the other hand, Oceania is deluging us with brochures, full annual catalogs at a rate of a couple a week times 8 months.

 

They really want our business but are happy with our choice of cruise line.

 

 

We have no cruise booked now with HAL or anyone and are not getting any emails, snail mail or anything from HAL, but almost everyday we receive a beautiful brochure from Oceania.It's tempting.

[JDinWA]

is HAL desperate for business? This is the first time in 10 years that we have not had at least one HAL cruise booked or any cruise line booked for that matter. We are taking a break from cruising. However, that does not mean I am not playing around and looking on the HAL website. And as we all know or should know, one is “tracked “ when doing this. I have been getting copious emails and now even phone calls asking to help me in booking a cruise. We are also getting much snail mail from HAL which we did not get previously. To be honest, I do not like getting phone calls from HAL. The emails and mail I can ignore.

We are in the 65+ age group – not the younger crowd which I assume would be the ones HAL is after. Anyone else experiencing this or is it just because we have no cruise booked? I’m curious!! Barbara

 

If you log in to hollandamerica.com and click "My Preferences", you can select yes or no for mail, email, or phone.

[MaggieHans]

Interestingly, I had signed up on the HAL website, but booked through a travel agency back in December and accidentally ended up with two Mariner numbers. HAL recently sent an email offering "not available to the general public" price on the cruise I had booked. When I called for the price reduction, there was some confusion, as the deal available through the email was valid for the Mariner # that wasn't booked (not for the one that was). Luckily, after sorting out the issue with the Mariner numbers, I was able to get a lower price on the cruise for my whole family (10 of us).

 

So most definitely, their advertisements are targeted. When I initially signed up on the HAL website, I had indicated that I was planning to go on a cruise this summer and where, and wanted special offers communicated to me by email or mail. I declined phone calls and haven't received any. I just checked and if you log onto their website, you can indicate what type of communication you would like, the areas you are interested in traveling to, etc, under preferences. Based on this recent experience, there may be some good deals to be had. :)

[aliaschief]

We have no cruise booked now with HAL or anyone and are not getting any emails, snail mail or anything from HAL, but almost everyday we receive a beautiful brochure from Oceania.It's tempting.

 

 

Just a thought. When we first signed up for Hal Account view on Hal site one of us clicked on no E-mail or phone calls. Hence, we never got some things that we saw mentioned here on CC.

 

So I suggest all check your Holland America Account settings. Did you check no E-mail on your initial enrollment?

 

PS: Book another cruise soon.

Edited February 22, 2014 by aliaschief

[iancal]

Maybe. Since we moved we no longer get any of the trashy junk mail that we previously did. A lot less for the recycle bin.

 

And we like it that way. We used to get lots of it but I could not tell you what was in it since it went straight to the bin-along with the other cruise line mailers. We essentially got fed up of all the 'special offers' that, after some checking, turned out to much more special for the cruise line than they were for us. Our next cruise is on Princess-a freebee 'move over' cruise.

Edited February 22, 2014 by iancal

[Krazy Kruizers]

Well, I get alot of emails and brochures from another cruise line... one I last sailed in early 2008. I think they are all out hustling buiness and who can blame them... they need full ships.

 

Susan

 

 

I get e-mails from Costa, Sea Bourn and Carnival -- and we have never sailed on them.

Also get snail mail from Cunard, NCL and Princess -- and it has been years since we sailed on them.

[superoma]

I have actually sent an email to customer service for several cruise lines to take us off the snail mail list, most notably Viking river Cruises. It seems to have stopped.

 

In addition, the no phone calls is checked in my preferences for HAL and others. I have had a couple of emails since our December cruise on the ryndam. We did book a FCC and HAL CSR's were all trying to get us booked. I ended that with an email as well.

 

Annoying to have to deal with but they can be stopped or at least slowed down considerably.

[buckirj1]

Despite never having sailed on HAL, that's the cruiseline that sends me the most snail mail. Followed by Oceania (not my style), Royal Caribbean (not again, thanks, unless the price/itinerary were very good), Cunard (might sail again if the price/solo supplement was right), and Celebrity (really not my style). I receive little to no email from these companies.

 

I receive very little snail mail from the lines I've sailed most (NCL and Carnival), but tons of email.

 

No cruiseline has ever called me on the telephone. The telephone is the devil's instrument, and being tortured by one would be a dealbreaker for sure.

[chrispb]

And as we all know or should know, one is “tracked “ when doing this.

 

 

I was told by someone who's a lot more IT savvy than I am, that I should delete my history and cookies after doing searches. That way, companies are unable to identify that I'm still researching quotes for flights/hotels, etc.

[BruceMuzz]

is HAL desperate for business? This is the first time in 10 years that we have not had at least one HAL cruise booked or any cruise line booked for that matter. We are taking a break from cruising. However, that does not mean I am not playing around and looking on the HAL website. And as we all know or should know, one is “tracked “ when doing this. I have been getting copious emails and now even phone calls asking to help me in booking a cruise. We are also getting much snail mail from HAL which we did not get previously. To be honest, I do not like getting phone calls from HAL. The emails and mail I can ignore.

We are in the 65+ age group – not the younger crowd which I assume would be the ones HAL is after. Anyone else experiencing this or is it just because we have no cruise booked? I’m curious!! Barbara

 

You make the mistake of assuming that cruise lines market to individuals.

They don not.

 

You are just a small number is a very large group of small numbers.

When your number is found in a certain spot, or doing a certain thing, a very large impersonal computer decides to send you something, because it was programmed to do that when your number has certain characteristics.