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Going for 4*, help

ZSandy25

By ZSandy25,
in Holland America Line

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ZSandy25

ZSandy25

Posted
Posted

We have 151 days with HAL, our next cruise which is 21 days and in a suite will give us the double days. We will now have 193 days and need only 7 more credit days to get us the 4*.

We really want to hit that mark as we are taking our longest cruise in September for 38 days.

We have $1680 in SBC going into the Feb. cruise. I have already pre-purchased several dinners, beverage cards, an excursion totaling $425. on my CC. So that's one credit, right.

Now the other 6, what is your best advice as to how to hit our mark. Do our bar sales count? How about Bingo cards? Do my pre-purchased dinners etc. count? Buying FCC? Should I look at the ships excursions, there are a number that are of interest to us. If I am using SBC for qualifying purchases do they count towards my goal?

Thanks for all your good advice and helping me hit my goal....**** here we come.

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sppunk

sppunk

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FCCs do not count, every other purchase does (might be wrong about the casino but doubt it seriously).

 

$425 will net you 2 days most likely as the Marner Society rounds up after $25-50 after the threshold).

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Vict0riann "Live from...." Rare

Vict0riann

Posted
Posted (edited)

We were in that same predicament, once.:) HAL is very generous at rounding up, so you may find that $425 gets you two days. I'm not sure. We had a problem after the cruise that got us to 4 stars, because they gave us 3 extra days! I could not figure it out - but now I think that they had already given us one extra day for our pre-purchases, and maybe one for OBC that I hadn't figured in. Everything on board that you use your room card for should count toward your days. And, as I said, they are generous with the rounding-up. Even the HSC counts, I believe.

 

Sorry, spunk, I guess I'm slow at typing!

Edited by Vict0riann
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catl331

catl331

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Posted (edited)

Bar bills and shop purchases count ... basically everything that appears on your final bill, plus your pre-bookings. (FCC are charged separately) You could book some expensive excursions and a large internet package to blog!

 

If you can't think of enough ways to use up the $1680, go to the front desk and increase your HSC. That will count toward the spending bonus just as the standard HSC does, and benefit the crew.

Edited by catl331
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take us away

take us away

Posted
Posted (edited)

If you charge on your room card in the casino, it counts toward days as on your bill, so if you gamble, do not use cash but charge a lot, cash out and pay off the credit card as soon as you get home. As several have mentioned, everything except FCC counts toward 'days'. The free laundry is well worth it!

Edited by take us away
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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Sometimes when people cannot figure out why they got more days credited than they expected it is because they received gifts in their cabin. If someone sends flowers, a bottle of liquor, dinner in alternative restaurant etc, the value of those gifts count toward spending days for you.

 

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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... unless Mariner Society rules have been changed in the last couple of months, all of your HSC does count toward your on board spending. Good luck and smooth sailing ...

 

Yes, that counts toward Mariner credit days.

 

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HELENPSL

HELENPSL

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Posted
If you charge on your room card in the casino, it counts toward days as on your bill, so if you gamble, do not use cash but charge a lot, cash out and pay off the credit card as soon as you get home. As several have mentioned, everything except FCC counts toward 'days'. The free laundry is well worth it!

 

Thanks so much for this info. Last cruise over Thanksgiving was the first time I began charging my casino charges on my card. And...I will do it again beginning tomorrow!!

 

One quick question - is there a maximum number of days you can get for expenditures?

 

Helen

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jtl513

jtl513

Posted
Posted (edited)
One quick question - is there a maximum number of days you can get for expenditures?

Yes - one credit per day sailed: for a 7 day cruise in a suite the max is 21 credits whether you spend $2100 or $5000 ... or what days you spend it.

.

Edited by jtl513
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Crew News "Live from...." Rare

Crew News

Posted
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Some Spa treatments are expensive and could be a nice way to spend your way to that 4th star. Two nice watches in the Shops would also be a good way to celebrate your 4th star.

 

Also look at some higher-priced shore excursions. Advance bookings as well as on-board bookings still count.

 

Any excess SBS/OBC should be spent opening a Casino account, pull the slot machine a few times, and cashing out.

Edited by Crew News
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DaveOKC

DaveOKC

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If my math is correct, your hotel service charge will be $567. Thats a good start.

 

Can you take a short cruise between now and Sept? Perhaps a 3 or 4 day Pacific Coast cruise in April or May? Prices on these are very reasonable. Of course airfare could be an issue from Michigan.

Edited by DaveOKC
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jtl513

jtl513

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Posted (edited)
Any excess SBS/OBC should be spent opening a Casino account, pull the slot machine a few times, and cashing out.
But they don't want cash back ... they want suggestions of ways to use up the $1680 OBC, which, when added to the $425 already pre-charged, will be just enough to get them to 4-star. That's why I suggested spending any excess by increasing the HSC.

 

Can you take a short cruise between now and Sept?
No need. They just have to splurge all of the OBC they've got on the 21-day cruise so they'll be 4-star on the 38 day cruise in Sept.

 

OP: another way to blow some of that OBC is buy more expensive wines than you normally would. Maybe even buy some (or liquor) to take home.

.

Edited by jtl513
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DaveOKC

DaveOKC

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Posted
But they don't want cash back ... they want suggestions of ways to use up the $1680 OBC, which, when added to the $425 already pre-charged, will be just enough to get them to 4-star. That's why I suggested spending any excess by increasing the HSC.

 

No need. They just have to splurge all of the OBC they've got on the 21-day cruise so they'll be 4-star on the 38 day cruise in Sept.

 

OP: another way to blow some of that OBC is buy more expensive wines than you normally would. Maybe even buy some (or liquor) to take home.

.

 

Good thoughts, but being from Michigan, the OP might have a hard time getting it home.

 

Speaking of wine, getting a Navigator or Admiral wine package would be a nice way to drink up some the money. Being a 3 star you get a 25% discount and with that the price per bottle is not all that bad (IMO). The OP could even take a bottle or two back to the cabin.

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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I hate to say this, but for the OP, we've never had a hard time spending our obc and having a bill at the end ;)

 

Guess that is we are 5* now:o:eek:

 

Seriously, play a bit of bingo too - that will help and if you never play, you'll probably be one of the winners - it seems to happen a lot ;)

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