On Board spending

[rucrazy]

I had a couple of questions regarding on board spending.

1)I understand that for every $300 you spend on board you get a bonus day is that correct?

2)Does HAL also count any pre-cruise purchases i.e. gifts, beverage packages etc in the total calculations.

Thanks 

[taxmantoo]

Yes and Yes.  They are very generous with the allocation based on $300 a day spending.  If you end the cruise, for example, at $675, chances are you will get 3 bonus days.

[DaveOKC]

Its tough to say how HAL counts the $300/day credit.  Recent cruise we spent approximately $795 ( of which $190 was in the casino, so a net of $605 without) and received 4 days.

 

Here is what HAL says about it:

 

All casino charges, cash advances, Future Cruise deposits, and associated fees are excluded. All other onboard purchases, for example, Hotel Service Charge, Beverage Service Charge, taxes, shore excursions and all gift items purchased online or through Ship Services count towards bonus Cruise Day credits. 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by DaveOKC

[catl331]

1 hour ago, rucrazy said:

2)Does HAL also count any pre-cruise purchases i.e. gifts, beverage packages etc in the total calculations.

Also any gifts from friends/family/TA's count. But if the gift is OBC it doesn't count unless you spend it, since it is refundable.

[Mary229]

Maybe slightly off topic but does the points credited go to the credit card holder on file or to both people in the cabin?  How is that worked out.   Thank you for your input

[Sea42]

Both people in the cabin receive the bonus days.

If you are paying for another cabin the people who stay in that cabin receive the bonus days, not you.

Edited April 20, 2019 by Sea42
Additional info

[oceanmom]

Both

[rucrazy]

Thanks all for the responses... you provided the information I was seeking....👍

Edited April 20, 2019 by rucrazy

[sppunk]

We have been rounded up when $7 over the threshold so if you are at say $595 I recommend ordering another Wang Wang, you know - so you can take one for the team.

[oceanmom]

Interestingly enough, on our last two cruises where we paid for a second cabin for the (adult) kids, I had the folios for both cabins all put on my folio (so all the excess OBC would be refunded to my credit card)--the first cruise (18 months ago) all four of us got the combined total of mariner days, but on the second cruise (four months ago) it was split appropriately. Well, it was nice while it lasted.....

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, oceanmom said:

Interestingly enough, on our last two cruises where we paid for a second cabin for the (adult) kids, I had the folios for both cabins all put on my folio (so all the excess OBC would be refunded to my credit card)--the first cruise (18 months ago) all four of us got the combined total of mariner days, but on the second cruise (four months ago) it was split appropriately. Well, it was nice while it lasted.....

Just one more example of how things are handled differently on different HAL ships.

 

 

[cruisebie]

Does anyone know if they give credit for flight ease purchases, or if you book a pre or post cruise hotel stay?

[catl331]

44 minutes ago, cruisebie said:

Does anyone know if they give credit for flight ease purchases, or if you book a pre or post cruise hotel stay?

No, they do not count.

[cruisebie]

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

No, they do not count.

 

Thanks for the info.  I guess it makes sense since those aren't purchased for on board use, but would have been nice. 😄

[tntornadox]

I can attest to the fact that they are very generous with this credit. It seems like I got more days than I should've but I'm not complaining!

[syesmar]

Is the amount of any Onboard Credit subtracted from your spending total with regards to the Onboard Spending Bonus for Mariner Society Cruise Day credits?  Or are the Cruise Day credits given for the gross of the folio charges, even if you had Onboard Credits?

 

THANKS!

Edited May 1, 2019 by syesmar

[DaveOKC]

12 hours ago, syesmar said:

Is the amount of any Onboard Credit subtracted from your spending total with regards to the Onboard Spending Bonus for Mariner Society Cruise Day credits?  Or are the Cruise Day credits given for the gross of the folio charges, even if you had Onboard Credits?

 

THANKS!

Gross amount.  OBC has no affect. 

 

[Alberta Quilter]

13 hours ago, syesmar said:

Is the amount of any Onboard Credit subtracted from your spending total with regards to the Onboard Spending Bonus for Mariner Society Cruise Day credits?  Or are the Cruise Day credits given for the gross of the folio charges, even if you had Onboard Credits?

 

THANKS!

 

It's based on the debits to your onboard account, not the credits.  For example, you purchase a shorex and then the port gets cancelled so you get a refund of the excursion to your account.  You will get the cruise day credit(s) for the purchase; it is not reduced for the refund you received.

[catl331]

4 minutes ago, Alberta Quilter said:

You will get the cruise day credit(s) for the purchase; it is not reduced for the refund you received.

Are you sure about that? If you purchase something in an on-board shop and then return it for a refund it is not actually a purchase.  If it counted as a purchase you could rack up credits by buying a lot of jewelry and then returning it at cruise end. Why would a shore excursion  be different?

[palolake]

What does that mean?  That you get a bonus day?

 

[Alberta Quilter]

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

Are you sure about that? If you purchase something in an on-board shop and then return it for a refund it is not actually a purchase.  If it counted as a purchase you could rack up credits by buying a lot of jewelry and then returning it at cruise end. Why would a shore excursion  be different?

Positive (about the shorex, anyway; we don't buy jewellry).  I speak from experience when we were on our noro infested Canada/NE cruise a few years ago.  My DM was close to making 4 Star and I was keeping track of our expenses to make sure we achieved that goal.  My calculations went out the window when I got sick and we had to cancel the shorex.  She still made 4 Star that cruise.

[Alberta Quilter]

59 minutes ago, palolake said:

What does that mean?  That you get a bonus day?

 

 

One receives a cruise day credit for every $300 spent on HAL shore excursions, specialty dining, any onboard expenses (whether purchased prior to or during the cruise).  The additional cruise day credits help one achieve a higher Mariner status and more perks.

[catl331]

9 minutes ago, Alberta Quilter said:

Positive ...  I speak from experience ...

I think you were the beneficiary of a mistake.  

[Alberta Quilter]

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

I think you were the beneficiary of a mistake.  

I suppose that's possible.  But there is no disputing the fact that cruise day credits are earned on debits.  If they were offset by credits then I wouldn't have gotten any on my past few cruises where I had more OBC (and refunds for Mariner discounts on specialty dining) than I had in spending.  On my 28 day cruise last September, we earned 19 cruise day credits (on top of the 28 actual days) and walked off the ship with $300 in refundable OBC.  Our last cruise, we earned 9 cruise day credits and our final bill was $45.  We only prebooked some specialty dining and one inexpensive shorex.

Edited May 2, 2019 by Alberta Quilter

[catl331]

1 hour ago, Alberta Quilter said:

But there is no disputing the fact that cruise day credits are earned on debits. 

Of course. OBCs are a way of paying for your debits, just like a cash deposit. They have nothing to do with how much you spend.  But if you return something you purchased and get a refund then you didn't finally buy it, you just put a "deposit" on it for a while.

Edited May 2, 2019 by catl331