New policy ... using HAL OBC to pay for excursions before embarking?

[zelker]

I called HAL ShoreEx yesterday to inquire about availability of a couple of tours we plan to book on an upcoming cruise (less than 3 weeks until we sail). I mentioned that we had more than enough OBC to cover both of them and planned to book them with the Neptune Lounge concierge as soon as we boarded.  The rep told me that I can call back 3 days prior to embarking and tell them that we want to book them as "Late Bookings" (her words) and they will apply the OBC to pay for them.  I was surprised!!  I asked if this was a new policy and she said yes. Has anyone else had any luck doing this?

[puppycanducruise]

Interesting.

Anyone done this successfully?

[madera1]

Can you come back here and post if you end up phoning and it works.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is the first that I have heard of this new policy.

 

OP -- if you do decide to book excursions right before the cruise, please let us know if you really can use your shipboard credit.

[DaveOKC]

Step in the right direction, but HAL still needs to allow us to book excursions well in advance of boarding, so that we get the ones we want.  Waiting until three days (or less) helps, but really does not solve the problem IMO.

 

[zelker]

Will definitely post one way or the other.  I have to wait until Feb. 13th to try it though.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree with Dave -- some excursions sell out very quickly.

[thinfool]

Princess, HAL and Cunard are all in the same division of CCL.  Princess went thru a serious passenger revolt about this a year or so back.  It was solved by allowing excursion booking and payment from OBC, including shareholder OBC.

It's not surprising that HAL has adopted the same basic policy.

[taxmantoo]

28 minutes ago, thinfool said:

Princess, HAL and Cunard are all in the same division of CCL.  Princess went thru a serious passenger revolt about this a year or so back.  It was solved by allowing excursion booking and payment from OBC, including shareholder OBC.

It's not surprising that HAL has adopted the same basic policy.

They have not ... HAL's policy is restricted to 3 days prior to embarkation.  That is practically useless for most people.

[thinfool]

1 minute ago, taxmantoo said:

They have not ... HAL's policy is restricted to 3 days prior to embarkation.  That is practically useless for most people.

 

It is more than coincidence that this resembles the Princess policy...not exactly....but give it time.

[DaveOKC]

25 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

They have not ... HAL's policy is restricted to 3 days prior to embarkation.  That is practically useless for most people.

AGREE!!!  Come on Holland America, give us a REAL program for excursions and OBC!!!

 

[Cruising-along]

2 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Step in the right direction, but HAL still needs to allow us to book excursions well in advance of boarding, so that we get the ones we want.  Waiting until three days (or less) helps, but really does not solve the problem IMO.

 

I agree.  Besides the possibility of not getting the ones we want, who has time 3 days before a cruise to be booking shore excursions?  I know I don't, and am usually in the middle of traveling to the embarkation port.

[Caribbean Chris]

Celebrity does it, very seamlessly in my experience, and not just close to departure. In fact, when you enter the shore ex info for your booking online, they display a banner telling you the amount of your OBC available to use for purchases.

 

If you cancel the tour later online before departure (IIRC, allowed up to a few days before sailing), the OBC used is returned to your available OBC account.  If it’s too close to sailing day, you can cancel onboard the ship for a credit, following the usual deadline policies.

 

Edit to add: you can also use the OBC in advance for spa (I think, I never did it) and specialty restaurant reservations on Celebrity. Same thing about being able to cancel online before sailing and get your OBC returned to the total.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Caribbean Chris

[Alberta Quilter]

Update - This worked!  My cruise also starts on Sunday.  This morning, I called HAL Shore Excursions to book the tours for both of our cabins under two different booking numbers.  I was able to get all tours for both parties.  (One was not at a preferred time as it was already sold out for that time.) 

 

The request is sent to the ship.  The tickets will be in our cabins when we embark and our onboard account will be charged.  Most of our non refundable OBC is used up before we even board!  Very nice.  

 

Thank you, Zelker, for alerting me to this possibility!

[StartrainDD]

5 minutes ago, Alberta Quilter said:

Update - This worked!  My cruise also starts on Sunday.  This morning, I called HAL Shore Excursions to book the tours for both of our cabins under two different booking numbers.  I was able to get all tours for both parties.  (One was not at a preferred time as it was already sold out for that time.) 

 

The request is sent to the ship.  The tickets will be in our cabins when we embark and our onboard account will be charged.  Most of our non refundable OBC is used up before we even board!  Very nice.  

 

Thank you, Zelker, for alerting me to this possibility!

Glad this worked for you.  While we don't often take ship's excursions we have booked them in advance using OBC with both Azamara and Celebrity.  Absolutely seamless as Caribbean Chris reports above.  We also booked two Celebrity tours that we would NOT have booked through the ship except for the ability to book in advance using OBC.  Making it easy and painless is a great way to boost revenue!

[zelker]

As promised, I'm posting to confirm that HAL Excursions were able to do a late request booking for our excursion this morning (3 days prior to embarkation) and that as long as the tour isn't filled up, it will be added to our reservation and tickets delivered to our stateroom.  She said it will be paid for with OBC since that's always used first.  I asked if we would be able to see the tour added to our online account now or get an email confirmation and she said no because it's not actually added until the day we board, but the only reason we wouldn't have tickets waiting for us is if for some reason either the tour is cancelled or is filled.  In our case there's plenty of availability so we should be good to go!  

 

@Alberta Quilter  YAY!!  Glad you were able to get yours done as well!  Enjoy your cruise!!  👍

[puppycanducruise]

Great news.

Thanks for the follow-up report Alberta Quilter and zelker.

[Alberta Quilter]

56 minutes ago, zelker said:

As promised, I'm posting to confirm that HAL Excursions were able to do a late request booking for our excursion this morning (3 days prior to embarkation) and that as long as the tour isn't filled up, it will be added to our reservation and tickets delivered to our stateroom.  She said it will be paid for with OBC since that's always used first.  I asked if we would be able to see the tour added to our online account now or get an email confirmation and she said no because it's not actually added until the day we board, but the only reason we wouldn't have tickets waiting for us is if for some reason either the tour is cancelled or is filled.  In our case there's plenty of availability so we should be good to go!  

 

@Alberta Quilter  YAY!!  Glad you were able to get yours done as well!  Enjoy your cruise!!  👍

 

Thanks for the information (that I bolded above); I forgot to ask about it.  I hope you enjoy your cruise as well!

 

Next challenge is to talk to the FCC about the change in FCDs!  (Although I've pretty much decided to stay with purchasing FCDs instead of onboard booking even though it means lower OBC due to being able to book when I want to book.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

1 hour ago, zelker said:

As promised, I'm posting to confirm that HAL Excursions were able to do a late request booking for our excursion this morning (3 days prior to embarkation) and that as long as the tour isn't filled up, it will be added to our reservation and tickets delivered to our stateroom.  She said it will be paid for with OBC since that's always used first.  I asked if we would be able to see the tour added to our online account now or get an email confirmation and she said no because it's not actually added until the day we board, but the only reason we wouldn't have tickets waiting for us is if for some reason either the tour is cancelled or is filled.  In our case there's plenty of availability so we should be good to go!  

 

@Alberta Quilter  YAY!!  Glad you were able to get yours done as well!  Enjoy your cruise!!  👍

 

That is great news.

 

Hope all works out once you get on the ship.

[Cruising-along]

Wow, great news Zelker!  Hopefully HAL will eventually catch up with the other lines that let you use OBC for excursions well before 3 days prior, but I'll take what I can get. 🙂  

 

3 days before we board the Noordam we'll have just landed in Sydney (jet lagged I'm sure) but will try to remember to do this.  So you have to call, it can't be done online, correct?

[zelker]

3 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Wow, great news Zelker!  Hopefully HAL will eventually catch up with the other lines that let you use OBC for excursions well before 3 days prior, but I'll take what I can get. 🙂  

 

3 days before we board the Noordam we'll have just landed in Sydney (jet lagged I'm sure) but will try to remember to do this.  So you have to call, it can't be done online, correct?

 

Correct.  No way to do it online.  (yet 🙃)

[highland cruiser]

17 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

Correct.  No way to do it online.  (yet 🙃)

Thank you for posting this.  We use a TA.  Will she have to call for us as she is our contact with HAL? Or are shore excursions handled differently.  We can obviously book everything online but never had tried to call!  Our TA handles the phone calling! 
 

[Alberta Quilter]

14 minutes ago, highland cruiser said:

Thank you for posting this.  We use a TA.  Will she have to call for us as she is our contact with HAL? Or are shore excursions handled differently.  We can obviously book everything online but never had tried to call!  Our TA handles the phone calling! 
 

 

I had transferred my booking to a TA and was able to call the Shorex department myself this morning.  Absolutely no issues with doing it yourself.  Frankly, I prefer to do it myself - less chance of screwing it up!

[zelker]

1 hour ago, highland cruiser said:

Thank you for posting this.  We use a TA.  Will she have to call for us as she is our contact with HAL? Or are shore excursions handled differently.  We can obviously book everything online but never had tried to call!  Our TA handles the phone calling! 
 

 

We also use a TA and did it directly with HAL.  The direct phone # to the Excursions desk (in the US) is 1-888-425-9376.

[highland cruiser]

Thank you for the information.  We will have time to call before we fly out on our next cruise.  I watch the tours we are interested in and in availability becomes limited, I just book them online.  But it is very helpful to know there is a possibility of using OBC before we board ship.