Sail Standby for $49 a day- new program

[Laurie59]

Yes we took it, lol our bargain stand by program blew up

[cccole]

Was it still less than if you had booked a veranda with HIA when you started the process?  And, does your HIA include gratuities?  Thank you and have a fabulous cruise, Cherie

[drtravel47]

Both my clients got cabins.  One, a Mariner took an upsell offer.

[Laurie59]

I never checked prices for a verandah. The price I stated included everything I had to pay for, port fees, gratuity and have it all package

[Laurie59]

Both got an interior and one upgraded to a verandah then

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Our TA was able to attach our stockholders benefit to our standby booking. She sent us a copy of HAL’s confirmation. 
So while the standby program can’t be combined with other offers, the stockholders benefit doesn’t fall in that catagory and still applies.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

3 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Our TA was able to attach our stockholders benefit to our standby booking. She sent us a copy of HAL’s confirmation. 
So while the standby program can’t be combined with other offers, the stockholders benefit doesn’t fall in that catagory and still applies.

Do you need to be cleared (i.e. have a cabin) for the stockholder obc to be applied?  I’m still waiting on standby for a sailing that embarks this Sunday, and do have 150 shares.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

4 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Do you need to be cleared (i.e. have a cabin) for the stockholder obc to be applied?  I’m still waiting on standby for a sailing that embarks this Sunday, and do have 150 shares.

No, you don’t need to be cleared. In fact, by the time you’re cleared it may be too late to have them apply it. Our standby sailing is April 30, so we won’t know if we’re cleared for quite some time.

[ChinaShrek]

On 3/26/2024 at 10:21 PM, cbr663 said:

 

You really want to keep an eye on HAL's numerous sales.  For instance, I am Canadian and HAL has the 7 day Zaandam Wine and Country sailing on the Stand by list.  At $49US standby it isn't a bargain when it is currently advertised for $349 CDN for an inside cabin.  Better to pay $49 CDN pp/pd right now than roll the dice on paying $49 US pp/pd on standby.

Still a better deal if you are traveling solo, no?

Edited April 5 by ChinaShrek

[Lauren Spray]

Our wait listed sailing is next Saturday.  I know we should not expect to hear until next Thursday (earliest of latest?) but that doesn't stop me from continuously checking and having my heart stop every time I see an email from Holland America.

 

Fingers crossed, but the sailing is showing sold out, so maybe not going.

 

Waiting is torture.

[Laurie59]

We’re on a standby cruise now. Heard 3 days before. We were offered an upgrade next day to a balcony.  Always people upgrading then a room available. Good luck

[rj59]

On 4/4/2024 at 1:52 PM, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Our TA was able to attach our stockholders benefit to our standby booking. She sent us a copy of HAL’s confirmation. 
So while the standby program can’t be combined with other offers, the stockholders benefit doesn’t fall in that catagory and still applies.

That's weird, I applied in Stockperks and was denied. It said it was a promotional fare not eligible for stockholder OBC. The same thing happened on Carnival several years ago, when they started randomly denying stockholder OBC, since the CCL shareholder page says anyone sailing at a 'reduced rate' fare isn't eligible. I think I got denied once, which made me cancel some cruises, so they evidently figured out angering loyal shareholders isn't a bad idea

[rj59]

17 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

Still a better deal if you are traveling solo, no?

It depends. I always travel solo, and get military and shareholder OBC, a minimum of $150, which has always covered gratuities. The only cruises I've seen that are comparable to standby are Pacific coastal ones, which I've done at least 20 of over the years, since they've usually been under $100/nt for a solo inside, and last fall I was on Eurodam for 4 nights at $220 or so. There are also some Zaandam to Alaska for decent solo prices--I'm going at the end of May for $750, with $200 OBC, or could go standby for $350 and and no OBC, so gratuities wouldn't be added on. I'm going standby on Noordam for 5 nights on April 30, already paid for Zaandam before standby for Alaska was announced, so I like having certainty for that cruise, but that also leaves all summer open for other standby attempts, since I live between Vancouver and Seattle and am retired. It creates interesting problems, though, since normal fares for Westerdam/Eurodam from Seattle are sky-high and will be full of kids, as will Koningsdam, but Zaandam has the lowest fares, meaning lowest demand, but also only 1400 passenger spaces. So I'm trying to gamble and guess on which ship and time to go, whether I want to repeat Zaandam and have smaller crowds and Glacier Bay and inside passage, or try bigger ships with potentially a higher chance of someone canceling. 

[Haljo1935]

18 hours ago, Lauren Spray said:

Our wait listed sailing is next Saturday.  I know we should not expect to hear until next Thursday (earliest of latest?) but that doesn't stop me from continuously checking and having my heart stop every time I see an email from Holland America.

 

Fingers crossed, but the sailing is showing sold out, so maybe not going.

 

Waiting is torture.

Mine are crossed for you, too. 🤞 I don't live close enough to sign up, so might as well throw some well wishes to someone 😊

[KirkNC]

Hal has finally become the Walmart of cruise lines I feared some years ago.

[FlorenceItaly]

7 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Hal has finally become the Walmart of cruise lines I feared some years ago.

How so?

[Lauren Spray]

1 hour ago, Haljo1935 said:

Mine are crossed for you, too. 🤞 I don't live close enough to sign up, so might as well throw some well wishes to someone 😊

Thank you for the good wishes and positive vibes!  

 

Not ready to pack yet, just in case, but I set Wednesday as a packing day so trying to multiply the positive vibes.  Not taking that much (haha!) so easy enough to unpack if not going.

 

What will also disappoint me is the after cruise temporary plans to visit friends I haven't seen in a very long time.

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

Hal has finally become the Walmart of cruise lines I feared some years ago.

Why is that?

[Horizon chaser 1957]

So three weeks out and our Standby cruise is now on sale through HAL for $3/ day less than what we payed for standby. That’s for an inside guarantee, which is what Standby gives us. For about $70 more in total, we could have chosen and locked in our favorite Special K cabin. However the point of this was to try out the program, so nothing lost.

Edited April 6 by Horizon chaser 1957

[Horizon chaser 1957]

11 hours ago, rj59 said:

That's weird, I applied in Stockperks and was denied. It said it was a promotional fare not eligible for stockholder OBC. The same thing happened on Carnival several years ago, when they started randomly denying stockholder OBC, since the CCL shareholder page says anyone sailing at a 'reduced rate' fare isn't eligible. I think I got denied once, which made me cancel some cruises, so they evidently figured out angering loyal shareholders isn't a bad idea

Stock perks may be the problem. Don’t ask me what she does, but our TA doesn’t go through Stockperks, and we have a confirmation letter from HAL that the stockholder credit has been applied to the booking. And you’re right, I’d guess that how they treat their stockholders may be different than how they deal with third party offers.

[HappyInVan]

Wow, HAL selling insides for less than the price of a standby fare!!!

 

Well, I'm happy to report that I bought suites at a good price and location for the last three cruises, as late or last minute bookings. Thank You HAL😁

[FlorenceItaly]

9 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

Wow, HAL selling insides for less than the price of a standby fare!!!

 

For the most part I believe this is only with Alaska.  Just an observation.

[Mary229]

55 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

So three weeks out and our Standby cruise is now on sale through HAL for $3/ day less than what we payed for standby. That’s for an inside guarantee, which is what Standby gives us. For about $70 more in total, we could have chosen and locked in our favorite Special K cabin. However the point of this was to try out the program, so nothing lost.

 It is an oh well moment.  I tell myself I was happy on the day I booked it to pay the stated price, that keeps me focused on anticipating my journey.

[ORTravelGal]

3 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

So three weeks out and our Standby cruise is now on sale through HAL for $3/ day less than what we payed for standby. That’s for an inside guarantee, which is what Standby gives us. For about $70 more in total, we could have chosen and locked in our favorite Special K cabin. However the point of this was to try out the program, so nothing lost.

Can you call HAL and just ask to be moved to the "confirmed" group of sailors and off the standby list?

[HappyInVan]

47 minutes ago, ORTravelGal said:

Can you call HAL and just ask to be moved to the "confirmed" group of sailors and off the standby list?

 

That's the risk of signing up for HAL's standby program. You might get a worse price and/or location.

 

Personally, I would rather wait for a late or last minute deal. Get the price and location that I find acceptable. 😌