Casino Offers - room selection - HAL

[SoniaAnne]

Good day,   

 

I took advantage of a casino offer (amazing) on the Oosterdam in March 2019.  This will be the 2nd time that I booking with a casino offer.  The first time was February 2018 and I think I booked it in November 2017.   I am certain that they allowed me to select my room when I booked (inside) initially and then a few days before departure when I took the upgrade.   This time I picked a small balcony initially and I don't have any plans to upgrade.  Is it certain that I cannot select a room now?

 

This may be a guaranty type of question, I have never booked a guaranty.  But I wanted to also mention that my rate is deeply discounted (same as last year).  I don't wish to discuss the discount, I only mention it in case it makes any difference as to weather or not I can select a room now.   You may be thinking just call HAL and ask .... 

 

On the February 2018  sailing the customer service agents were so accommodating, letting me call probably 7 or 8 times with questions and changing my mind.  This time ... well I had one agent hang up on me and another agent, I disconnected with her because she was extremely rude.  I have a personal cruise consultant, but those 2 calls were made at a time that my PCC wasn't available and to be honest my PCC seems to be a bit snarky too.  And this is all beside the point, my apologies 🙂.

 

The question is with this casino offer may I select a room?  To my knowledge, the offer doesn't specify that it is a guarantee.   

 

Thank you,

Sonia 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2018 by SoniaAnne
clarification

[NYteacher]

We are sailing on a casino discount on our up coming cruise and I could pick our cabin. I believe it is linked to my Mariner number. 

[dundeene]

In my experience, a casino offer and a casino discount are very different.  The casino discount is a set percentage off based on your past casino action and is valid on certain cruises you book.

The "casino offers" are greatly discounted specific sailings ex. a $1099 cruise for 399 and are usually guarantees only. 

 

[SoniaAnne]

From what I read this is a casino "offer" and apparently that differs from a casino discount.  But that is just my interpretation of the information available on the boards.   I do know that for this offer it must be booked by calling a PCC and not via the website.  It's about 75% off list price, as was the one I took last time.  

 

 

 

[DaveOKC]

5 minutes ago, SoniaAnne said:

From what I read this is a casino "offer" and apparently that differs from a casino discount.  But that is just my interpretation of the information available on the boards.   I do know that for this offer it must be booked by calling a PCC and not via the website.  It's about 75% off list price, as was the one I took last time.  

 

 

 

I have seen HAL's casino "offers" and their "discounts".  The offers are heavily discounted and only for guarantee cabins and for the lowest level within a category (Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, Vista, Signature and Neptune).  The strange thing about this is that if you want to move up to a higher level guarantee within your category (lets say from a M level Inside to a L level Inside), the price increase dramatically.  Same goes for wanting to pick your cabin - much higher price.  Now, maybe your could find someone at HAL who override this, but this is the standard program as I understand.

 

If you qualify for a casino discount (which can vary from 10% on up), you can apply this to any cabin on the ship, so you can select your cabin and get your discount applied at the end.

 

Perhaps others have had different experiences, but this is how it has worked for me and my friends.  Based on this, if I were to ever receive a casino offer (fat chance of that happening), I would select a category where I was satisfied with the worst cabin in that category.  Of course, since this situation only applies to GAMBLERS, you could always take a chance and see where you end up!

[Crusinsusan2]

For us when we get casino "offers" they have always been a mandatory guarantee in the category we choose and have not been able to pick our cabin. When we book with the casino "discount" we are able to choose the exact cabin. Just confirming DaveOKC gave you good information and that they are two completely different pricing structures.         

[Harleydog1!]

Hi... Cruised  on a Casino offer that was amazing. We did have to go guaranteed in the category we wanted[Signature Suite], but that was fine. However a few weeks before sailing  got an amazing upgrade to Neptune Suite offer...so 11 day cruise in Neptune suite for less than 3000 dollars![got to pick our suite then out of a group offered...fyi]

Edited November 10, 2018 by Harleydog1!

[Djptcp]

We are also sailing on the Oosterdam in March 2019 in a deeply discounted casino rated Neptune Suite, also a guarantee. On other deeply discounted casino rated HAL cruises, we have also sailed in Neptune Suites but were able to book specific Neptune Suites not guarantees. This must be something new making them guarantees. Ours is a SC guarantee and there are only four of them on Deck 7 near the aft elevators. We normally book NS near the fwd elevators, but did the guarantee anyway as we couldn't pass up this offer. The cruise cash is substantially less than we normally receive, but what the heck, it's still a great deal.

[Djptcp]

I just realized in my previous post that I said we are on the Oosterdam in March, but it's actually in February. Everything else is correct.

[tallyho8]

We are on the Oosterdam in 2 weeks in a guarantee balcony cabin. For our casino rate we were offered an inside cabin for free or an outside, balcony or suite for 75% off.

 

We have not been given a cabin number yet so I don't know if we will have a standard balcony or an upgrade.

[Crusinsusan2]

We have always been pleasantly surprised with the casino offer guarantee location as long as we book the category we want to begin with. We have not been upgraded without charge to a higher category (Balcony to Suite) or (Suite to Neptune) but have on occasion booked the lowest balcony guarantee to be upgraded to to a higher Cat balcony cabin.  Keep a look out for the email up-sell too they are really super if the ship is not full! 

Have a great trip! 

[SoniaAnne]

Thank you for all your information ! 

 

@tallyho8  .... I look forward to hearing about your upcoming trip 🙂

[OlsSalt]

Obviously HAL follows the cost/benefit of these casino offers. And since the house always wins, I wonder what the percentage benefit is for HAL to make these "free"  casino offers. 

 

There was virtually zero action in the Sept 2018 Maasdam casino day or night on our last cruise, until they offered smoking nights. Then it became a little more active though hard to tell if people were just sitting by the slots so they could smoke and were not dropping a wad in the machines. Very little table playing ever. Just nights of smoke-filled haze to bring 'em in.

Edited November 11, 2018 by OlsSalt

[DaveOKC]

19 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Obviously HAL follows the cost/benefit of these casino offers. And since the house always wins, I wonder what the percentage benefit is for HAL to make these "free"  casino offers. 

 

There was virtually zero action in the Sept 2018 Maasdam casino day or night on our last cruise, until they offered smoking nights. Then it became a little more active though hard to tell if people were just sitting by the slots so they could smoke and were not dropping a wad in the machines. Very little table playing ever. Just nights of smoke-filled haze to bring 'em in.

On our recent Zuiderdam 11 day cruise we noticed that the casino was not as busy as normal.  Since the Zuiderdam casino is now non-smoking, I was wondering if this was the reason.

[Arubababe52]

I booked a casino offer for the 4 day Nieuw Statendam on December 19th.  I booked a vista suite and there were only 2 rooms that I could pick from, so I took a guarantee. I believe they only alot a few rooms to pick then it’s guarantee. Looking forward to experiencing the new ship!!!

[Love2cruise77]

On 11/10/2018 at 9:46 AM, SoniaAnne said:

From what I read this is a casino "offer" and apparently that differs from a casino discount.  But that is just my interpretation of the information available on the boards.   I do know that for this offer it must be booked by calling a PCC and not via the website.  It's about 75% off list price, as was the one I took last time.  

 

 

 

 

May I ask how you qualified for such good offer?  I have sailed HAL only once, but will be doing another one this December, so want to see what I need to earn in points to get offers in the future...

[SoniaAnne]

Thank you for all your information ! 

 

@tallyho8  .... I look forward to hearing about your upcoming trip 🙂

[SoniaAnne]

20 minutes ago, Love2cruise77 said:

 

May I ask how you qualified for such good offer?  I have sailed HAL only once, but will be doing another one this December, so want to see what I need to earn in points to get offers in the future...

Love2cruise77,  ... I honestly don't know, this will be my 3rd trip on HAL, I gambled very little on my first trip, less on my second.  I wonder if they offers are made regionally.  I live in Oklahoma so driving to a HAL port is not really an option.  The offer came with $50.00 casino credit, I will be sure to use that.   Last time I didn't even realize there was an offer, I was trying to book the cheapest thing I could find and sort of backed into it with the help of one very wonderful cruise consultant who was paying attention.

Edited November 12, 2018 by SoniaAnne

[Djptcp]

I gamble a lot on all of our cruises as I consider it my entertainment and I receive many casino offers, mostly from Carnival and HAL because we cruise them the most. I don't go to shows or the other venues. With people who don't gamble much also receiving the casino offers, who knows how HAL and Carnival select people to receive the offers? Doesn't matter to me as long as I keep receiving them. Carnival's are better and are usually free or $50 per person and since we live 45 minutes from the Port of Tampa we sail from there the most. We take advantage of the HAL offers only when we can get a Neptune Suite very cheaply and our last 4 HAL cruises have been these. I actually prefer sailing on HAL than Carnival,  but I don't receive as many casino offers from HAL so we end up sailing on Carnival much more often.

[Arubababe52]

I receive the casino offers by email or snail mail.  Mostly email.  My husband and I both gamble on the tables for 2-3 hours after dinner.  We also consider this our entertainment and very rarely go to shows.  I also get offers from Princess by email. Just received one but looks like they’re trying to fill the ships at the last minute. The Princess offer was for certain sailings, November, December, January. Could have gotten a balcony for 7 days for under $900 for 2 to the Caribbean.

[OlsSalt]

Do you know how HAL shares the revenues from the casino operations with the franchise group that runs it onboard?  Percentage of house take or fixed fee to simply offer the casino operations onboard. Do the casino personnel get crew cabins or guest cabins?

[tallyho8]

I was finally assigned a cabin today, 11 days before we cruise. My balcony was upgraded 4 tiers leaving me 3 tiers from the top balconies. I was hoping maybe I would get a suite but not expecting one. I am quite happy with my assigned cabin.

[ssimon]

Received ours also. Booked guarantee Neptune SC and received an SB. Not sure it’s an upgrade but happy to be cruising soon!

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, ssimon said:

Received ours also. Booked guarantee Neptune SC and received an SB. Not sure it’s an upgrade but happy to be cruising soon!

 

Congratulations on the upgrade.  Generally speaking, SB is a "better" location than a SC, but it really depends on the ship and your personally preference. 

[ssimon]

We are sailing the Oosterdam.  It looks like a nice location, close to the elevators and able to walk up the stairs to the Neptune Lounge.