HAI and excursion credits

[pmjnh]

We are thinking about purchasing the HAI package on our January cruise. The only shore excursions that are of interest to us are all sold out. Will HAL allow us to use the excursion $ for something else?

[rodndonna]

5 minutes ago, pmjnh said:

We are thinking about purchasing the HAI package on our January cruise. The only shore excursions that are of interest to us are all sold out. Will HAL allow us to use the excursion $ for something else?

 

I would really, really doubt it.

[VMax1700]

Can you book transfers through HAL?  It is probably the only way to use Excursion credit, if you don't want to book excursions.

You could always go on the waiting list for the excursion you want.

[crystalspin]

13 hours ago, pmjnh said:

The only shore excursions that are of interest to us are all sold out. Will HAL allow us to use the excursion $ for something else?

I very much doubt it. (I have HIA on my coming K'dam cruises, and the Excursion credits show up in the same box as the Specialty Dining credits, one per person.) I recommend you use a PCC and get them to wait-list you. I suspect there will be cancellations over the next four months.

[zigdilcru]

Don’t waste your time. I was on a wait list it finally came through and I was told I could not use the credit on a wait list. Had to pay cash for the excursion. Not a happy camper.   Linda

 

[Kilkennygirl]

12 hours ago, zigdilcru said:

Don’t waste your time. I was on a wait list it finally came through and I was told I could not use the credit on a wait list. Had to pay cash for the excursion. Not a happy camper.   Linda

 

I paid cash for my waitlisted excursion, but was told I could apply the excursion credit once on board.

[ChinaShrek]

Can the HIA credit be applied when booking the shore excursion ahead of time or will I get a credit on the ship for the amount I paid? 

[crystalspin]

11 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

Can the HIA credit be applied when booking the shore excursion ahead of time or will I get a credit on the ship for the amount I paid? 

Mine, one each for B2B next winter, were applied by default, well ahead of time. In fact, I booked one ShoreX and immediately noticed one I wanted more -- was able to cancel on line and rebook immediately and the credit just followed like IT should always work!

[ChinaShrek]

1 minute ago, crystalspin said:

Mine, one each for B2B next winter, were applied by default, well ahead of time. In fact, I booked one ShoreX and immediately noticed one I wanted more -- was able to cancel on line and rebook immediately and the credit just followed like IT should always work!

Thank you for the quick response. I appreciate it.

[REOVA]

4 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

Can the HIA credit be applied when booking the shore excursion ahead of time or will I get a credit on the ship for the amount I paid? 

If you go to your booking and find an excursion, it should give you an option to use your HIA credit. If you have some left over it will show the balance of credit remaining. 

[pmjnh]

Thank you all. I appreciate the input. Will try the wait list.

If we purchase the excursion before purchasing the HAI package, will they give credit once on board if we purchase HAI?

Edited August 27, 2022 by pmjnh

[ChinaShrek]

10 hours ago, REOVA said:

If you go to your booking and find an excursion, it should give you an option to use your HIA credit. If you have some left over it will show the balance of credit remaining. 

Thank you for the information! 

[bozemanman]

I booked through a TA and have HIA....I tried to book the shorex online at HAL and it does not credit the HIA and asks to pay by CC. I have gobs of onboard credit so don't really want to pay upfront but then risk the excursions I want to be sold out by cruise time.....ohhh the dilemma!

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, bozemanman said:

I booked through a TA and have HIA....I tried to book the shorex online at HAL and it does not credit the HIA and asks to pay by CC. I have gobs of onboard credit so don't really want to pay upfront but then risk the excursions I want to be sold out by cruise time.....ohhh the dilemma!

That’s odd.  I bought mine through a ta and have had no problems booking my excursions and using the credit.

[bozemanman]

34 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

That’s odd.  I bought mine through a ta and have had no problems booking my excursions and using the credit.

Yes...that is odd...must be picking on me...lol. I'll just keep trying-thanks for letting me know it worked for you

[bozemanman]

39 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

That’s odd.  I bought mine through a ta and have had no problems booking my excursions and using the credit.

Quick question...were you able to reserve specialty dining and use the credit?

[IPB4IGO]

1 hour ago, bozemanman said:

I booked through a TA and have HIA....I tried to book the shorex online at HAL and it does not credit the HIA and asks to pay by CC. I have gobs of onboard credit so don't really want to pay upfront but then risk the excursions I want to be sold out by cruise time.....ohhh the dilemma!

Others have reported switching their excursions from credit card to OBC after they boarded. Perhaps the same will work with appying HIA credit.

I wish I had waited and tried that. After buying the HIA promo I canceled an excursion I had made earlier and tried to rebook it with HIA credit, only to find that it was sold out.

[oakridger]

14 hours ago, bozemanman said:

Quick question...were you able to reserve specialty dining and use the credit?

 

I booked both specialty dining and excursions with the credits.  On the Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

[REOVA]

On 8/27/2022 at 9:58 AM, bozemanman said:

I booked through a TA and have HIA....I tried to book the shorex online at HAL and it does not credit the HIA and asks to pay by CC. I have gobs of onboard credit so don't really want to pay upfront but then risk the excursions I want to be sold out by cruise time.....ohhh the dilemma!

If you have specific excursion allowance then you have to select to use that before you go to payment page. If its not specific for excursion ($200 per person) and its just onboard credit you can't book it prior to boarding (not being onboard). Once onboard you have 2 accounts, onboard credits which must be used by end of cruise or you lose it, and your credit card which you get any unused balance back. I booked everything prior to boarding on my credit card so it won't be sold out and then was able to go onboard and check which tours were not waitlisted or close to full (sitting with the excursion desk) and they could cancel the prepaid booking and rebook it from the onboard account. (You also need to look at what you paid and current onboard prices as they may have increased). The cancelled booking went back to credit card account (which I got back end of cruise) and I was able to use all of my onboard credits. 

[Florida_gal_50]

On 8/27/2022 at 8:45 AM, bozemanman said:

Quick question...were you able to reserve specialty dining and use the credit?

Yes, no problem.

[brovol]

I have two Holland America cruises booked; one on Nieuw Amsterdam during Christmas week, and another on Nieuw Statendam the first week of April.  I find Holland America's app to be schizophrenic, not user friendly at all, and the worst of all the cruise lines we've been on.  

 

The excursions do not pop up for me. Dinner reservations won't allow me to reserve for all the people in my party (My wife and two children).  I am planning on calling customer service Monday morning and hope they can assist with the reservations.

 

Kind of surprising that with all the technology available that Holland America can't get this right. Princess does an amazing job with technology in general, and has a great, very user-friendly, app. Surprises me that other cruise lines don't just mock what they are doing.

[REOVA]

6 hours ago, brovol said:

I have two Holland America cruises booked; one on Nieuw Amsterdam during Christmas week, and another on Nieuw Statendam the first week of April.  I find Holland America's app to be schizophrenic, not user friendly at all, and the worst of all the cruise lines we've been on.  

 

The excursions do not pop up for me. Dinner reservations won't allow me to reserve for all the people in my party (My wife and two children).  I am planning on calling customer service Monday morning and hope they can assist with the reservations.

 

Kind of surprising that with all the technology available that Holland America can't get this right. Princess does an amazing job with technology in general, and has a great, very user-friendly, app. Surprises me that other cruise lines don't just mock what they are doing.

I wasn't aware that the app worked before you got onboard. Have you tried on the website? But yes even onboard I had the wrong dinner times come up and the correct times not showing on the app. 

[DinkyDee67]

Can HIA excursion credits be used for post cruise transfers?
 

We both have US$20 remaining after we have booked excursions using the HIA excursion credits. Are we able to use these to offset the cost of post cruise transfers to the airport? The credits are displayed when viewing the basket containing the transfers but do not appear to have been credited.

[REOVA]

6 minutes ago, DinkyDee67 said:

Can HIA excursion credits be used for post cruise transfers?
 

We both have US$20 remaining after we have booked excursions using the HIA excursion credits. Are we able to use these to offset the cost of post cruise transfers to the airport? The credits are displayed when viewing the basket containing the transfers but do not appear to have been credited.

You may want to check with EXC desk but I believe unless you book a post tour excursion AND transfer, it may not work. 

[pghflyer]

We are first time HAL cruisers and don't normally take ship excursions and even with the "have it all credit", not really finding anything of interest on the online offerings for our cruise. Do they ever have any other things on board (ex. HOHO bus or bus shuttles etc.) or is what we see online truly all they will have on board too?

Edited December 15, 2022 by pghflyer