Collectors cruises

[mancunian]

I have just discovered that our cruise next month is listed as a collectors.

 

Although we have done a collectors before I cannot for the life of me remember if there were any changes.

[sail7seas]

No Changes. Some inconsistencies.

Some ships, some cruises there might be 'extra treat' such as we had on Nieuw Amsterdam complimentary dinner at Tamarind, cocktail party once on Maasdam, cocktail party on Westerdam or nothing at all. :) Count on nothing and be pleasantly surprised if something special is offered.

 

Enjoy.

[Mary Ellen]

If you're doing the Sydney to Singapore boarding on the 22nd, that is part of a Collector's cruise. The Collector's cruise is starting in Melbourne. I wouldn't expect anything extra for being on one segment of a Collector's cruise. Sorry.

 

We've done the Sydney to Singapore on the Volendam. Hope you have a great time.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Mary Ellen

[mancunian]

Many thanks.

 

We are doing the Melbourne to Sydney trip. Originally we booked the Sydney to Singapore then the other six days was advertised so we jumped at it. Always wanted to go to Tasmania. I am however, fairly sure that when we booked the Melbourne bit -which is not a back to back they changed us to the full trip instead - they did not say on the site collectors. Our online travel docs have just appeared and it says collectors on there.

 

Thanks Sail - I didn't expect anything because although we have been on collectors before I could not remember which told me there was nothing significant. Oh I do remember you got the better carrier back.

[Krazy Kruizers]

And now they no longer give out those wonderful Mariner totes on Collector Cruises.

In fact on our last couple of Collector Cruises, we got only one of the new blue totes.

[pmd98052]

Yup just one of those "new" blue totes.

 

From recollection we had something like an afternoon cocktail party and if I recall a special lunch with wine for collectors voyage guests - I feel like I'm missing something but that was about it. This was the 41 night Seattle to Auckland cruise this time last year on the Oosterdam. Oh how I wish I was back on it :)

Edited October 2, 2014 by pmd98052

[fm6175]

I am sure this has been asked before but what is the difference between a back to back cruise versus a collectors cruise ?

 

 

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[oofroggie]

From my experience a back to back is booked as 2 cruises while a collectors voyage is the same trip but booked as 1 cruise.

[sail7seas]

From my experience a back to back is booked as 2 cruises while a collectors voyage is the same trip but booked as 1 cruise.

 

That is substantially accurate and I'd just add there is usually a small discount for booking Collectors. There have been times we booked a b-to-b and HAL at a later time went ahead and changed our booking to Collectors vs. our b-to-b and gave us a small discount. The odd thing was they never told us in advance or asked us. :D We found out when it was time for final payment.

 

Sometimes there will be some nice treat but it is hugely inconsistent. We have had a nice cocktail party a few times, a complimentary dinner at Tamarind and perhaps some other little goodies but we never know in advance and more often than not, nothing.

 

Edited October 2, 2014 by sail7seas

[Krazy Kruizers]

There were times when we booked the 2 cruises and it was up to me to keep track when HAL would combine them to make a Collectors Cruise. It was never done automatically -- but we use a TA and do not book through the cruise line.

I do like getting even a little bit of a discount.

We have done quite a few Collector Cruises. One time we had a lovely evening cocktail party -- on the Ryndam. On the Noordam there was an Indonesian Lunch which they made it sound like it was to be only the people staying on the second cruise. Wrong -- it was for the entire ship. So we really have only gotten 1 extra treat.

[Vineyard View]

I am curious as to why they are called Collectors Cruises? What is the significance? We are taking our first cruise on HAL next week, and I have read several threads around and about these cruises, but I haven't figured out what they are or what they are supposed to represent. Thanks much

[CruiserBruce]

I am curious as to why they are called Collectors Cruises? What is the significance? We are taking our first cruise on HAL next week, and I have read several threads around and about these cruises, but I haven't figured out what they are or what they are supposed to represent. Thanks much

 

HAL, and other cruise lines, I imagine, have realized that if ships don't do the same route consistently, they can sell more cabins to people who want longer cruises. For example, when we first started cruising in the early 1990s, many ships would repeat the same route, (for example a Western Caribbean route)week after week. We wondered why people would stay on board, just to see the same ports.

 

Now, that same ship will sail, for example, a Western Caribbean for 7 or 10 days, then an Eastern Caribbean for 7 or 10 days. For people like us, we see a 14 or 20 day cruise that goes to different places, and we book.

 

HAL uses the "Collector's Cruise" title to make this 14 or 20 day cruise sound more exotic, and throws in some little bennies (discount- we have seen as much as 23% of a Baltic/England 22 day Collectors Cruise, but not usually that great a reduction), a lunch, a cocktail party or two, or perhaps other little things, as way to make a Collector's Cruise special.

 

It doesn't matter to us about a HAL bag...blue or white??? Really??... but the discount, the different ports, the longer cruise in a warm climate (a high priority for us, but not all Collector's Cruises are in warm climates) are all nice little things that keep us loyal to HAL.

Edited October 3, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[RuthC]

You collect cruises! :D More than one at a time. Unlike other things that people collect, there's no need to clean, polish, store, or otherwise "do" anything except make memories, and have a good time.

 

There is a savings on the total cost, as opposed to purchasing both cruises separately. Not to mention the savings on air fare, getting in two cruises on one set of flights! :)

[fm6175]

So we booked what I thought was a b2b sailing on the NA Jan 2015 . It's an eastern / western 7 day each trip with FLL in the middle . Same cabin and booking # . It's a Collectors Cruise ??? Wow ! Guess we are moving on up .....

 

 

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[RuthC]

So we booked what I thought was a b2b sailing on the NA Jan 2015 . It's an eastern / western 7 day each trip with FLL in the middle . Same cabin and booking # . It's a Collectors Cruise ??? Wow ! Guess we are moving on up .....

Is the price of the combined cruise less than the total price of the two individual cruises?

If yes, it's a Collectors' Cruise. If no, then it's a back-to-back.

[fm6175]

I'm want my blue tote bag

 

 

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[fm6175]

I have not checked the prices but I will tomorrow Ruth

 

 

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[DeeniEncinitas]

 

We enjoyed 2 wonderful dinners at the Pinnicale Grill with a bottle of their house wine last summer on our 24 day Collectors Cruise from Barcelona to Venice!! It was a surprise, but we believe it is because possibly the sommiler on that cruise we knew from our 2 cruises on the Oosterdam!!! Such a small world. It was much appreciated!

 

3 STAR MARINER becoming 4 on next cruise

Sailing Nieuw Amsterdam B2B western/eastern Caribbean Cruise 3/15/2015 😄

[sail7seas]

So we booked what I thought was a b2b sailing on the NA Jan 2015 . It's an eastern / western 7 day each trip with FLL in the middle . Same cabin and booking # . It's a Collectors Cruise ??? Wow ! Guess we are moving on up .....

 

 

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All our b-to-b's, we had two confirmation numbers and our Collector's had only one.

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

All our b-to-b's, we had two confirmation numbers and our Collector's had only one.

 

 

Hi sail7seas!

We only have one confirmation, so this is a collectors cruise? When I look at the cruise site it says B2B. Just wondering😏

[pmd98052]

Oh yes that reminds me - we would have been much better off booking our collectors cruise as two separate b2b's because we would have received 2 x $250 shareholder benefits versus just the 1 x $250 with the collectors cruise!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Oh yes that reminds me - we would have been much better off booking our collectors cruise as two separate b2b's because we would have received 2 x $250 shareholder benefits versus just the 1 x $250 with the collectors cruise!

 

 

Carnival changed the rule a couple of years ago.

For many years when we did back-to-back cruises, with 2 different confirmations, we Carnival would only allow us to have shipboard credit on one of the cruises.

[Vineyard View]

Then I will need to start looking for these Collectors cruises. We are sailing a two week plus a one week starting a week from tomorrow on the Ryndam - one booking, same cabin....but it doesn't say anything about being a Collectors - where does one see this designation....I haven't really noticed this on the different itineraries I have looked at.

But Ruth, I like your idea of collecting cruises the best!! :D

And - the discount with unique itineraries has my attention!

[RuthC]

Except for the lower price of a Collectors' Cruise vs. back-to-back, there's no real difference, except for the terminology. Except for the cost, there's no reason to fret over which you are taking.

[rafinmd]

Just to be sure, if your star level changes on the first leg of a collectors cruise, the new benefits still don't kick in until after you disembark the ship?

 

Roy