Gift Card Promo

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Holland America is offering an extra $100 on a $500 gift card purchase, or $200 on a $1,000 purchase.  This is no doubt an effort to raise much needed cash.  Given Carnival's equity and Saudi backing, I view this as a safer bet than the other mass market competition.  We just used our FCC for 2022, and are considering this offer as well.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/giftcard.html?ICID=HECIV042020961

[iancal]

If you are a 'committed' HAL customer this may seem like a good offer.  We are not committed to any cruise line.  More like ship, itinerary, price for us.  The logo on the funnel is not much of a draw to us.

 

So, we would never consider giving any cruise line a dime of our money at this point in time, let alone taking an FCC in lieu of a cash refund.  That is because we do not want to be confined to a specific cruise line or, in the the case of an FCC, tied into the limitations of using that FCC.   

 

The discount/savings today would be immaterial to us.  We would rather have the choice to select the ship we preferred in a competitive marketplace.   It has been our experience when shortlisting ships to see differences in pricing on equiv. cruise lines/ships as much as 30-35 percent.    We prefer to take our chances with the market, not the cruise line.  And we feel that the very best place for our cash at the moment is in our pocket, not someone else's.

Edited April 24, 2020 by iancal

[AlanF65]

1 hour ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Holland America is offering an extra $100 on a $500 gift card purchase, or $200 on a $1,000 purchase.  This is no doubt an effort to raise much needed cash.  Given Carnival's equity and Saudi backing, I view this as a safer bet than the other mass market competition.  We just used our FCC for 2022, and are considering this offer as well.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/giftcard.html?ICID=HECIV042020961

You need to spend the promotional (discount card) by the end of the year, if you don't then you are paying $1 for $1

Promotional gift card expires on 12/31/2020.

 

from

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/legal-privacy/gift-card-terms-and-conditions.html

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by AlanF65

[iancal]

Oh...that sounds like a wonderful offer.  NOT

 

Like always, the important details are in the fine print that vendors count on you not reading or understanding.

 

Clearly, that is one gift horse that I would look in the mouth as it were.   Does HAL really think it's customers are that naive?

Edited April 24, 2020 by iancal

[AlanF65]

3 hours ago, iancal said:

Oh...that sounds like a wonderful offer.  NOT

 

Like always, the important details are in the fine print that vendors count on you not reading or understanding.

 

Clearly, that is one gift horse that I would look in the mouth as it were.   Does HAL really think it's customers are that naive?

They probably used the same terms as the last pre covid-19 sale, which I think was Valentines Day and the were open for business

[Stateroom_Sailor]

5 hours ago, AlanF65 said:

You need to spend the promotional (discount card) by the end of the year, if you don't then you are paying $1 for $1

Promotional gift card expires on 12/31/2020.

 

from

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/legal-privacy/gift-card-terms-and-conditions.html

 

 

Thanks for that.  Perhaps makes sense for those who can apply it to an upcoming booking immediately, not for those who have other travel plans.  Like anything, I'm sure they're counting on 50-75% of these to go unredeemed.

[AlanF65]

41 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Thanks for that.  Perhaps makes sense for those who can apply it to an upcoming booking immediately, not for those who have other travel plans.  Like anything, I'm sure they're counting on 50-75% of these to go unredeemed.

I was going to buy $500 or $1000 to use next May for my excursions but I figured even if I spent it before 12-31 if the cruise cancelled that money is gone.

 

[bouhunter]

We wouldn't send a penny to any cruise line right now.  Not risking any more than the deposits they currently have.

[DaveOKC]

At first it seemed like a good offer, but having to use by the end of 2020 is the problem for me.  Who knows what HAL will be offering in cruises for the rest of 2020?

[LMHSRN]

2 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

At first it seemed like a good offer, but having to use by the end of 2020 is the problem for me.  Who knows what HAL will be offering in cruises for the rest of 2020?

Only the promotional portion has to be used by 12/31/20.  Not the actual gift card.....That can be used anytime.

 

[DaveOKC]

30 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

Only the promotional portion has to be used by 12/31/20.  Not the actual gift card.....That can be used anytime.

 

Still an issue IMO.

[billbunger]

29 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

Only the promotional portion has to be used by 12/31/20.  Not the actual gift card.....That can be used anytime.

 

It is still a poor deal, you still need to use the”bonus” ( I use that term loosely) by year end. If you think your going on a cruise by the end of the year go for it but I think that is not going to happen. Purchasing one of their cards is nothing more than a crap shoot, in my opinion your throwing dust in the wind.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

I would use the promotional portion in advance towards our April 2022 cruise.   These cancellations are not likely to extend for the next two years.

[victory2020]

Can't you use the promo card for the deposit on a cruise in 2021 or 2022?

[FlaMariner]

If HAL would return my $500 in port charges and deliver my FCC from our cancelled cruise, I'd buy one and use it towards a 2021 cruise that I'd book now.......

 

HAL sitting on my money is not sitting well with us.......

[KirkNC]

7 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

If HAL would return my $500 in port charges and deliver my FCC from our cancelled cruise, I'd buy one and use it towards a 2021 cruise that I'd book now.......

 

HAL sitting on my money is not sitting well with us.......

Nor us, in fairness, all the cruise lines are sitting on refunds.  Our worst is O which has said it could be as long as 90 days.

[johnlcruise]

We are thinking of buying the gift cards as we are booked for a cruise for Mid-January 2021. (13 Nights)

The offer seems like a good deal to us. And we can apply it to our payment.  I'm sure we will be cruising again by then.

[PandaBear62]

5 hours ago, KirkNC said:

Nor us, in fairness, all the cruise lines are sitting on refunds.  Our worst is O which has said it could be as long as 90 days.

Or maybe, they're just the most honest about the time frame?

[VacationCharlene]

I would love to take advantage of this promo card for our 2021 cruise that I KNOW will happen.  I just would feel a whole lot better, about giving them anymore money, if people were getting their monies back from cancelled cruises this year.  We are owed about $8300 from Holland from our March cruise that was cancelled and hoping that goes well 🙂 

REALLY TRYING to stay positive, and patient, but would feel a whole lot better if they started refunding people by now!