Anyone asked about selling or gifting Mariner Daysays/

[sail7seas]

I have excess of days and might think gto 'give some away' if that would be permitted.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by sail7seas

[jtl513]

10 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

I have excess of days and might think gto 'give some away' if that would be permitted.

 

 

 

Well, the Mariner FAQs say you can't buy them, so I would expect you can't sell or give them away either!   They're not like airline FF miles or credit card points that have some value for purchasing alternative goods.

Edited October 22, 2018 by jtl513

[sail7seas]

Thanks, jtl.   You are probab ly  correct.

 

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

They 'maxed '  out the Star program  too low and at some point, the days have no use.        Last thing I need or want is more days added to my account.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have tons of extra days as well.

 

Agree -- HAL shouldn't have made the Star days at such low levels.

[pirate_dad]

Well, I don't know about you guys but I can afford to go on a cruise 1 time a year until I retire. It's going to take me 20 cruises to get to 5 star which translates to about 20 years.. I will have retired by then. I think the # of days to get to 5 star is crazy high. I guess perspective is everything 🙂

[sail7seas]

They CAN   correct a bad program by  extending the bene fits to higher levels.  At 900     days give us some choices:    (a)  a predetermined dis count off  future  cruises.  one % for 7 day cruise,  another %  for b-to- b;  OR...     a token  percent off  for a Neptune or PInnacle suite,   Customer apprfeciation discounts.       We could pick w hich  discount we want    ,  from a n advance offering list.   Ddon't    tgell me you appreciate my business -----  sho me in real  dollars.     I would ask  for discount off solo rate  that is charged for  any verandah cabin.  Someone might want  % DISCOUNT  off HAL arranged air,    there are endless choices they could offer.  For those of us  who often b ook neptunes,  there is too much duplication of r priority this and that which has made it near   worthless.     

Explor 4 is a joke for high mariners who get free Pinnacle,   Especially for those of us who are li ght drinkers,     Have high  Mariners  a choice of moderate size and price bervage pakfg.

 

 why do we also  want free PINNCLE  from Exp 4???  

 

If Mariners   Socity is willing  to admit  the program is poorly designed, they could easily redconfigure      It has existed in this poor form for a long  time.  Woould be okay if  completely rework it  IMO

Edited October 22, 2018 by sail7seas

[dfish]

Someone asked on another site if they could inherit their deceased parent's mariner days.

[sail7seas]

I did not inherit my late Dh's  very large number of   days.

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

33 minutes ago, pirate_dad said:

Well, I don't know about you guys but I can afford to go on a cruise 1 time a year until I retire. It's going to take me 20 cruises to get to 5 star which translates to about 20 years.. I will have retired by then. I think the # of days to get to 5 star is crazy high. I guess perspective is everything 🙂

The only way any of us got to 5 star was  to purchase lots of cruises and  do on  board spending.    We just started before you,  I guess.  The day  they started  the program, some of us were already 4 star  and that was the highest star  level  at that time.  THAT is  part of  the  point I am making about how   poorly designed the program is and  that it could well benefit from being re-worked.         Mariners Society are you reading CC  ??  Any comment  ?

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

sorry, deleted

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by sail7seas

[TAD2005]

HAL is trying to encourage younger, not-yet retired people to cruise with them.  People who are still working, (unless you are a CEO) do not have the luxury of the free time to be able to take longer cruises multiple times per year.   Loyalty programs like Mariner, attract and keep people coming back.   But if the 4-star level, which is where the benefits really kick in, were at 500 or higher days, that would discourage many from even trying.    Keeping the target at level where the average customer could achieve in a few years will encourage repeat business, which is what loyalty programs are all about.  

[bennybear]

Well said Tad.  Princess recognizes earlier as well and provides some free internet.  

Sail, what about Presidents club,  is that an unofficial acknowledgement of more cruising?  Not sure how many days that takes. 

But I like the idea of some choices.  

[Sea girl 23]

Pirate Dad:Same with me.And I enjoy every day on a ship I can get.Alas,I’m only a lowly 2 star mariner,and am NOT cruising with HAL next time around *shock horror*😂

[OVgirl]

The reward program also benefits those who book suites over those of us who take the slow boat to China in non-suite staterooms.

It comes down to how much $$$$ you spend for you cruise and spending. I agree that the rewards should be better for the big spenders. Just don't take away my free laundry.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I don't think that will work. 

[sail7seas]

14 hours ago, OVgirl said:

The reward program also benefits those who book suites over those of us who take the slow boat to China in non-suite staterooms.

It comes down to how much $$$$ you spend for you cruise and spending. I agree that the rewards should be better for the big spenders. Just don't take away my free laundry.

You say the program benefits the  spenders   and  to  point you a re correct. However, you neglect to comment  those in  the suites (the spenders have bought included laundry in the price of the fare and  making  that a mariner benefit gives  the spenders nothing  We   pay   for   the laundry already, and priority embark   tender.   Those benefits were sold in the price of the suite booking.     as previously mentioned,  too much duplication.    (they  'take '  FRom   the spend ers)    They are 'not giving  '  anything to a spender when they have already paid for that benefit.  :rolleyes: 

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by sail7seas

[RuthC]

I was already a 4* Mariner when the program with benefits started, and was a 5* Mariner as soon as the program was extended. Since then I have continued to cruise, and have many extra days that may (someday) qualify me for a higher * status---should HAL extend the program again.

I am thankful for the benefits of the program that I do receive, since HAL didn't have to create the program at all. I am doubly thankful I have had the opportunity to earn all those * days in the first place! After all, I didn't start cruising to earn benefits---other than the benefits of travel throughout the world, on an elegant cruise ship.
I tend to focus on the positive of what I have received, rather than the excess days that seemingly are going to waste. Let everyone else earn their Mariner Days in the same fashion---appreciating the world, and their ability to travel it.

[oceanmom]

Thank you, Ruth, for your posts. I always appreciate them. You are informative and knowledgeable. You don't beat dead horses or post just to be posting. You are one of the few that keep me coming back to Cruise Critic.

[sail7seas]

 

 

Excellent to both of you.  :0

 

 

...."A proverbial    mile in my shoes, as  the saying goes"

 

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by sail7seas

[Krazy Kruizers]

Like RuthC, when the "star" program began we were already 4 star Mariners as well as Platinum medal holders.  When HAL announced the newest star -- 5 stars -- we were already way beyond the number of points needed for that level.

 

And you can be sure that many of the President Club members were also way beyond the points needed for the various star levels when they were announced.

[sail7seas]

1 hour ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Like RuthC, when the "star" program began we were already 4 star Mariners as well as Platinum medal holders.  When HAL announced the newest star -- 5 stars -- we were already way beyond the number of points needed for that level.

 

And you can be sure that many of the President Club members were also way beyond the points needed for the various star levels when they were announced.

 

Yes, likely so.  but   what is the point?     I am suggesting   I, for one, would welcome w re configuration of he MARINERWS TR progrm.     It wasn't so  great   when it was introduced  and has not gotten better through the years,  

 

No   problem if no one agrees  

1 hour ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

  IMO  I'd  be happy to see some  updates and attractive  new   benefits  🙂

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by sail7seas

[HokiePoq]

On 10/22/2018 at 6:54 PM, TAD2005 said:

HAL is trying to encourage younger, not-yet retired people to cruise with them.  People who are still working, (unless you are a CEO) do not have the luxury of the free time to be able to take longer cruises multiple times per year.   Loyalty programs like Mariner, attract and keep people coming back.   But if the 4-star level, which is where the benefits really kick in, were at 500 or higher days, that would discourage many from even trying.    Keeping the target at level where the average customer could achieve in a few years will encourage repeat business, which is what loyalty programs are all about.  

You are right.   We are elite on Celebrity and Platinum on NCL as well as four star Mariners.   The others were MUCH easier to attain and have far better benefits.  The only significant benefit for me at least is the laundry which i am looking forward to on our upcoming cruise.  Perhaps instead of saying the Mariner status is too easy to attain, a better approach would be further benefits for those with high numbers of days.

[sail7seas]

43 minutes ago, HokiePoq said:

You are right.   We are elite on Celebrity and Platinum on NCL as well as four star Mariners.   The others were MUCH easier to attain and have far better benefits.  The only significant benefit for me at least is the laundry which i am looking forward to on our upcoming cruise.  Perhaps instead of saying the Mariner status is too easy to attain, a better approach would be further benefits for those with high numbers of days.

  Yes, 

I out lined a few suggestions as to useful benefits they could offer high mariners.  There likely is an endless list of 'awards

 we could request/  🙂

[cbr663]

I have found nearly all customer reward programs to be disappointing.  And yes, this includes HAL.

 

My wish for HAL's program is that it offered more selection and choices.  Similar to a cafeteria style approach, I would like the opportunity to select and chose my benefits.  I don't want a free cocktail hour, for instance, as we rarely drink alcohol.  Priority boarding doesn't attract either.  But, discounted internet would be attractive to me.  Complimentary cabin upgrades would be attractive and as HAL gives out so many upgrades anyway, I would think it would be easy to offer this to Marniers.

 

The option to pick and chose would allow one to customize the rewards program to my needs that the current one size fits all approach simply does not allow.