I will NEVER prebook pop up Sel de Mer again EVER - Heads up to 4 & 5* Mariners.

[VennDiagram]

The letter from the Mariner Society that is being paraded here like a Wonka golden ticket says it all. It specifically list Sel de Mer as qualifying for the Mariner discount but....it specifically DOES NOT address the POP-UP Sel de Mer. Therefore I am inclined to believe that the POP-UP version does not qualify for the discount. Thanks to all who posted that letter.

 

So the fact that that on this particular sailing it was as a POP UP and not a fixed Sel de Mer may be why HAL has taken such a position. Or, was there another reason given by HAL top brass why the full refund was declined, only the OP knows for sure.

 

The OP has acknowledged that they intended to 'know before they go' but has subsequently confessed that they relied upon another party to inform them.

 

I agree with Bennybear that 'mistakes need to be fixed' , including posts that may be misleading or inaccurate.

 

I posted earlier in the thread that we pre booked and paid for the pop-up Sel de Mer. Noordam May 2018. We received our discount automatically on board. So you may want to consider what recent post is "inaccurate".

[KirkNC]

Kazu was probably referring to me when she said someone had told her Sel de Mer was included in the Mariner discounts. We definitely got the reduced price - 4 or 5 times - on Koningsdam, there was no question about it (which usually brought dinner down to about $25 per person). There were other posts on CC about 4 and 5-star Mariners getting the discount at the pop-up, on other ships. It seemed at the time that only Prinsendam was excluded from it!

 

We got it on the Koningsdam as well but have never eaten at a pop up version.

[Vict0riann]

We got it on the Koningsdam as well but have never eaten at a pop up version.

 

It was good, but not worth $50!

[MajMom96]

Perhaps you might want to re-read your own post which I quoted earlier. The "IF's" have been used several times so I was simply making things as crystal clear as I could.

 

 

 

I thought it had been in post #1, but the insinuations by some that I must have been trying to take advantage of benefits are tiresome and untrue.

 

 

 

All I was trying to do was give people a heads up and a warning so they are prepared IF it happens to them on their cruise. I, for one, will not book Sel de Mer in advance in the future. If it's booked up, it's booked up. It's not worth 7 trips to try to get fixed and feel like you are batting your head against the wall.

 

 

 

Thanks! I appreciate the “heads up”. I agree that you should have gotten a discount that you were expecting without having to “fight” so much.

 

We’ve pre-booked SdM on the Oosterdam at the end of August so this post has simply given me some info that will lead me to a call the Mariner’s Society to confirm whether the discount will apply. If so, I’ll get a confirmation email and just watch my account to see if the discount is applied. If they tell me it doesn’t apply, I always have the choice to cancel my reservation before I cruise. But since I’ve never done SdM, I’ll probably still go regardless of what they tell me. For me, it’s all about the experience and not the “business decisions of HAL” that keep me a loyal Custer....and the SdM menu looks incredible! But thanks for the heads up! This will help me avoid any frustration on my part during the cruise.

 

 

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[SilvertoGold]

I called the Mariner Society on Monday to request the same letter to be emailed to me and suggested that the PG managers on all ships be reminded of what is and isn't subject to a Mariner discount. I have yet to receive my requested email. I'll be calling again next week and making the same suggestion.

 

Thanks for noting this. By the way, the Mariner Society is usually quite fast, one day or same day sometimes!

[dfish]

Thanks to all who posted in this thread. I precooked Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill and Sel de Mer. I received my mariner's discounts for Canaletto and Pinnacle Grill the first full day of the cruise, but not Sel de Mer. Because of the information here, I knew to question that. Perhaps because of the calls to the Mariner Society, the ships have been instructed to give the discount because there was no question in my case and they said the discounts will show up tomorrow.

[Hlitner]

Does HAL really value their 4 and 5 Star Mariners? A great question. One of our very high volume cruise agents has told us her newbie HAL cruisers tend to get many more free upgrades (and some terrific upsell offers) then her 4-5 Star Mariner customers. We have heard this from another cruise agent while on a HAL cruise.

 

Also consider that cruise line business plans rely on maximizing onboard revenue as a major enhancement to the bottom line. We have done our share of longer HAL cruises where a large majority of the passengers are 4-5* Mariners. What do we observe on those cruises? In the MDR we see a lot fewer folks drinking wine then on other cruise lines. Bars are generally not very busy (except during Happy Hours) and the ship's are usually dead by 10pm.....a time when younger cruisers are normally just getting started. On the Aug 2017 Voyage of the Vikings cruise (mostly 4-5 Star Mariners) we used to close the piano bar on most nights...along with 2 other couples. That is 6 passengers...out of over 1200.... and Barry from Boston would generally end his evening by around midnight. A few months later we were on a Celebrity cruise that had a late night (about 11:45) adult comedy show and it was SRO with hundreds of cruisers.....most of whom had a drink in their hand. After that show ended at 12:30 the Martini Bar was still packed with cruisers. I have walked around HAL ships at 12:30 and am often the only passenger among some crew working the late night cleaning detail.

 

How many 4-5* Mariners run up large tabs with the Photo folks? We cannot recall the last time we purchased a photo on a cruise (we are 5*). Younger cruisers will buy photo packages that cost hundreds of dollars, take the overpriced excursions, drink lots of booze, etc. So ask yourself....would HAL like to replace some of us old folks..with younger cruisers?

 

Hank

[Alberta Quilter]

Thanks to all who posted in this thread. I precooked Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill and Sel de Mer. I received my mariner's discounts for Canaletto and Pinnacle Grill the first full day of the cruise, but not Sel de Mer. Because of the information here, I knew to question that. Perhaps because of the calls to the Mariner Society, the ships have been instructed to give the discount because there was no question in my case and they said the discounts will show up tomorrow.

 

Thanks for reporting back. What ship are you on? I am armed with an email (that took three calls to the Mariner Society to get). I hope that some form of communication went out to all the PG managers about this. I'll find out if the situation has changed on the Prinsendam when we go to SDM in a few weeks.

[kazu]

Thanks to all who posted in this thread. I precooked Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill and Sel de Mer. I received my mariner's discounts for Canaletto and Pinnacle Grill the first full day of the cruise, but not Sel de Mer. Because of the information here, I knew to question that. Perhaps because of the calls to the Mariner Society, the ships have been instructed to give the discount because there was no question in my case and they said the discounts will show up tomorrow.

 

Good news Debbie :) I'm glad you were proactive and successful.

 

I have been in touch with HAL (not the usual sources ;) ) and they have done their thing and say this issue should no longer occur (yn).

 

The Sel de Mer dinner - whether it be the Koningsdam or the "pop up" DOES qualify for the Mariner's discount.

[kazu]

Thanks for reporting back. What ship are you on? I am armed with an email (that took three calls to the Mariner Society to get). I hope that some form of communication went out to all the PG managers about this. I'll find out if the situation has changed on the Prinsendam when we go to SDM in a few weeks.

 

You should be fine on the Prinsendam now ;)

 

Sel de Mer was good when we were on her. enjoy it and your P'dam cruise :)

[lastlook]

No issues for us this past June on the Prinsendam. Received the discount for PG and also for the "pop-up" Sel de Mer. We made our reservations after boarding. Even with the 4* discount, I didn't think Sel de Mer was anything to write home about.

[syesmar]

The letter received from the Mariner Society in Post 119, as well as other communications Mariners have received, is very clear that the discount applies to all evenings in the Pinnacle Grill (“. . . The 5 Star 50% discount for the surcharge does apply to all evenings in the Pinnacle Grill, Le Cirque, de Librije, Sel de Mer, Dutch Cafe and Farm to Table. . . . “).

 

On page 197 of the 2019-2020 Cruise Atlas, however, there is an asterisk by the Mariner specialty dining discounts. The footnote says, “Does not apply to discounted dining packages, Master Chef Dinner, Cellar Master Dinner, Chef’s Table or Aficionado Dinner.” See http://digital.cenveomobile.com/publication/?i=513356#

 

I know most of those special dinners occur in the Pinnacle Grill, yet the Mariner Society is clear that the discount applies to ALL evenings in the Pinnacle Grill. There appears to have been some inconsistency on the discount policy when the Atlas went to print, as others are attesting with their on board experiences.

 

Thanks to the members who have worked to get this clarified and corrected across the board!

Edited August 28, 2018 by syesmar
spacing

[Hlitner]

The previous post is interesting because we do not recall the 5* Discount ever applying to Le Cirque nights. Have yet to be on a cruise with Sel de Mer...although we will certainly consider trying that dinner experience on our next HAL cruise...if it is offered.

 

Hank

[avian777]

The letter received from the Mariner Society in Post 119, as well as other communications Mariners have received, is very clear that the discount applies to all evenings in the Pinnacle Grill (“. . . The 5 Star 50% discount for the surcharge does apply to all evenings in the Pinnacle Grill, Le Cirque, de Librije, Sel de Mer, Dutch Cafe and Farm to Table. . . . “)...

 

The previous post is interesting because we do not recall the 5* Discount ever applying to Le Cirque nights. Have yet to be on a cruise with Sel de Mer...although we will certainly consider trying that dinner experience on our next HAL cruise...if it is offered.

Hank

 

FWIW, the 50% Mariner discount was definitely applied to all (13 or so) An Evening at Le Cirque PG dinners that we enjoyed on our HAL cruises. My onboard account statements also confirm not only my memory of things but also the accuracy of the HAL material quoted by syesmar above.

Edited August 28, 2018 by avian777

[kazu]

The previous post is interesting because we do not recall the 5* Discount ever applying to Le Cirque nights. Have yet to be on a cruise with Sel de Mer...although we will certainly consider trying that dinner experience on our next HAL cruise...if it is offered.

 

Hank

 

5*'s basically get the 4* discount Hank (50% off).

 

We always received it when we did Le Cirque with no issue whatsoever :)

[ON cruiser]

Three observations to hopefully not prolong this thread:

 

1) I am very glad that Kazu has confirmed that the Mariner's discounts do apply in these cases--hopefully there will be consistent application of this through all ships.

2) Specialty dinners at Sel de Mer, etc., are different from what are often called "themed dinners", such as the Cellar Masters dinner for which I understand that no discount applies.

3) Addressing Hank's post on the prior page, asking if HAL values its long-time Mariners (4 and 5 star), in my view the answer is likely "yes". Otherwise, it would be easy enough not to have a loyalty management program which costs them hard dollars to run, and which provides significant discounts. It would appear that, despite the discounts (free laundry, discounted wine packages, discounted specialty dinners, etc.) the 4 and 5 star mariners must still generate sufficient profit to HAL, or the program would be revamped, downgraded, or discontinued.

 

Also, while Hank has experienced what he describes as a quiet ship after 10PM, that has not been my usual experience--and at age mid 50's my wife and I do some longer cruises (crossings, etc.). We find the piano bar or now, the new area with two pianos, to be often very well attended until closing. More people are up in the Lido for the late-snack than I would have expected, more people in the Crows nest, etc. Perhaps I have been fortunate to be on HAL ships with a lively crowd--people a decade older than me partying like its "1969", while I toddle off to bed!

 

Happy cruising, all.

[MekesMom]

I like pre-booking dinners in the PG for a couple of reasons. Had no problem in April getting the 50% credit on Volendam for Sel de Mer. On Rotterdam, the solution was that Gerry in the PG canceled my pre-paid full priced and then re-booked when I got there. Guest Services didn't get it and evidently the night auditor didn't either. Doesn't seem like rocket science but they also can't seem to remove the Evening at Le Cirque *ad* on the Crow's Nest receipts. I will probably not pre-book again for a while.

[Aruba]

I am coming to this thread late, not having noticed it when it originally started in July.

I have had the same experience on multiple cruises as the original poster. Now I no longer pre-pay for specialty restaurants but instead make reservations once on-board. It was becoming too much of a hassle otherwise.

[dfish]

Thanks for reporting back. What ship are you on? I am armed with an email (that took three calls to the Mariner Society to get). I hope that some form of communication went out to all the PG managers about this. I'll find out if the situation has changed on the Prinsendam when we go to SDM in a few weeks.

I'm currently on the Rotterdam and having a blast! I have received my discounts for the Sel de Mer dinner, which was excellent. Good thing, to, as I drank them with dinner.

 

I really didn't have a problem correcting this. Apparently, they wait until the day of the dinner to apply the discount, unlike Canaletto and Pinnacle Grill.

[dfish]

Good news Debbie :) I'm glad you were proactive and successful.

 

I have been in touch with HAL (not the usual sources ;) ) and they have done their thing and say this issue should no longer occur (yn).

 

The Sel de Mer dinner - whether it be the Koningsdam or the "pop up" DOES qualify for the Mariner's discount.

Glad to hear that it should not be a problem in the future. Thanks for your work on this.

[Vict0riann]

We booked the Sel de Mer when we boarded Zaandam on Monday, and Eva, the Pinnacle manager, assured us we will get the discount. We'll see if it all works out!

 

 

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[kazu]

We booked the Sel de Mer when we boarded Zaandam on Monday, and Eva, the Pinnacle manager, assured us we will get the discount. We'll see if it all works out!

 

 

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I hope it does Ann. Do let us know.

 

From what I heard, the problem was not fleet wide but one ship and they have taken care of that, however, I do believe that the mariner's society checking with all the ships inadvertantly gave them a little reminder ;) You should be fine :)

[MajMom96]

Just an update on the Oosterdam and pre-booking the Sel de Mer. Because of this thread, I knew to watch for the discount. Near the end of the cruise I watched for the credit but it didn’t show up so I called guest services. There was no need to wait in the line at the desk, they handled everything over the phone (and picked up after the first ring). They verified that I had pre-booked the Sel de Mer and that we had arrived for our reservation. They were great! They contacted the Mariner’s Society for me, verified that the credit should have been applied, and told me that accounting would correct the error overnight. And true to their word, the credit showed up on my statement the next day. So even though I needed to follow up, they took care of the issue very quickly with no argument. So I would still pre-book specialty restaurants because we enjoy the experience. And the pop up Sel de Mer was outstanding!

 

 

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[avian777]

... They were great! They contacted the Mariner’s Society for me, verified that the credit should have been applied, and told me that accounting would correct the error overnight. And true to their word, the credit showed up on my statement the next day. So even though I needed to follow up, they took care of the issue very quickly with no argument. So I would still pre-book specialty restaurants because we enjoy the experience. And the pop up Sel de Mer was outstanding!

 

(y)(y)(y) Very good Post - always refreshing to see Posts that acknowledge good service. Thanks. (y)(y)(y)

[Vict0riann]

I hope it does Ann. Do let us know.

 

From what I heard, the problem was not fleet wide but one ship and they have taken care of that, however, I do believe that the mariner's society checking with all the ships inadvertantly gave them a little reminder ;) You should be fine :)

 

It worked! And the fresh catch of the day was excellent - I took photos of some courses, but the black cod (picked up that day in Sitka) looked so good I ate it before remembering! I should have done the "empty plate" photo like you did, Kazu!