AARP OBC Recent Experiences

[BaltimoreCruise]

I returned from a HAL land/sea trip last week.  While onboard I booked a 22 night cruise for October, 2025.  I just received my Sheer ID verification email.  Recently, have any members been successful adding the AARP OBC after the initial booking?  What process did you use?

 

I should have mentioned it to the onboard Cruise Consultant but failed to do so.  In the past I  was able to add it to my bookings after the fact.  

 

I appreciate hearing about your most recent experiences.

 

Thank you.

BaltimoreCruise

[MikeD4134]

Once you verify your enrollment with AARP to HAL, they add it to your profile and automatically puts it on your reservation.

Edited June 10 by MikeD4134
clearer statement

[twincheryl]

I became aware of this benefit after booking two different cruises... one in 2025 and one in 2026.  I emailed Holland America and within a week I got a response from the agency transfer dept asking for: 

1. Full Name of all of the guests in the booking

2. Cruise Number or Departure Date; and

3. Phone Contact and Home Address

I provided that information and within a couple of days they emailed and said the obc had been applied to my 2025 booking, but that it would need to be re-verified within a year of the 2026 booking.  Very easy!

[hummingbird_206]

I went to the HAL AARP page (link below), clicked the Verify tab and entered the requested info.  HAL verified the info and came back with a screen saying info verified (suggest you take a screen shot of that verification page in case there is any question later.)  I talked to our PCC about something else, and at that time asked if he could verify the AARP OBC.  He said it takes about a week to show up so he sent himself a reminder to check in a week.  A week later PCC sent us a booking confirmation showing the OBC had been added.

 

Exclusive AARP Member Offer | Holland America Line

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

 You have to do the verify every year .

[jagger16]

For me it was not automatic. I did the Verify then asked my TA to contact HAL and ask them to add the OBC to an existing cruise. HAL said it was only for new bookings. Several months later I did Verify again, asked my TA to contact HAL and this time they added it to both cruises I now had booked. I also get the teacher OBC and my TA has had to ask for it to be added every time. Just be proactive and stay on it until it gets added.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I have noticed that Back to Backs it doesn't work automatically.

[RRFan]

We have had Carnival stock since 2010 and never had any problems getting the OBC benefit, although it had to be applied for each time we cruised.  I only read about the AARP and teacher benefit early this year.  We had one cruise already booked for April.  I was told the benefit was only for new cruise bookings, but I used the HAL site to apply for it for our April cruise anyway.  I had already been notified that we had the $250 owner's benefit (14 day cruise).  I could never find the OBC on the Navigator app or my online booking either.  When we got on the ship, we had a total of $300 of new OBC that I hadn't expected.  We both have AARP numbers and I am a retired educator.  Not sure if we both got the AARP or what, but that was in addition to the owner's OBC we already expected.

 

So now we have 2-week cruises in July, August and October coming up.  Again, I tried to verify the AARP and get the message that they're glad I'm excited to cruise, but I'm already verified.   

The teacher one tells me congratulations, I've been verified and redeem it now.  When I click the redeem link it takes me to the HAL site to search for a new cruise.  How do I apply it to an existing booking?  Both of them?  Seems like this requires us to book through HAL, and that doesn't make sense.  

 

When we were onboard a ship in April, we actually booked the August cruise.  I asked the onboard future cruise consultant to make sure our AARP and teacher benefits are both added.  We were having her transfer the booking to our TA (as we always have done) and she told us to just tell our TA to apply them.  When I told our TA, this was the first time he had ever heard of that.  He called HAL and they told him he (the TA) couldn't do it and that we (passengers) had to apply for it.  I HAVE and are verified, but can't find where I put in a booking number to apply it to a specific cruise.  VERY FRUSTRATING!   

 

I am hoping that it is attached to our Mariner's numbers and will automatically show up in our onboard account when we board.  It seems no one really has a handle on these benefits as of yet and adding the 3rd part (such as StockPerks app and the SheerID verify) just muddies the water even more.  They only verify ownership or eligibility but have no authority with HAL to apply the benefit.  UGH!

[57redbird]

Slightly off topic but does the HealthCare Worker status need to be re-verified every year/every cruise or is it noted on your Mariner account?  TIA.

 

[Sea42]

10 minutes ago, RRFan said:

We have had Carnival stock since 2010 and never had any problems getting the OBC benefit, although it had to be applied for each time we cruised.  I only read about the AARP and teacher benefit early this year.  We had one cruise already booked for April.  I was told the benefit was only for new cruise bookings, but I used the HAL site to apply for it for our April cruise anyway.  I had already been notified that we had the $250 owner's benefit (14 day cruise).  I could never find the OBC on the Navigator app or my online booking either.  When we got on the ship, we had a total of $300 of new OBC that I hadn't expected.  We both have AARP numbers and I am a retired educator.  Not sure if we both got the AARP or what, but that was in addition to the owner's OBC we already expected.

 

So now we have 2-week cruises in July, August and October coming up.  Again, I tried to verify the AARP and get the message that they're glad I'm excited to cruise, but I'm already verified.   

The teacher one tells me congratulations, I've been verified and redeem it now.  When I click the redeem link it takes me to the HAL site to search for a new cruise.  How do I apply it to an existing booking?  Both of them?  Seems like this requires us to book through HAL, and that doesn't make sense.  

 

When we were onboard a ship in April, we actually booked the August cruise.  I asked the onboard future cruise consultant to make sure our AARP and teacher benefits are both added.  We were having her transfer the booking to our TA (as we always have done) and she told us to just tell our TA to apply them.  When I told our TA, this was the first time he had ever heard of that.  He called HAL and they told him he (the TA) couldn't do it and that we (passengers) had to apply for it.  I HAVE and are verified, but can't find where I put in a booking number to apply it to a specific cruise.  VERY FRUSTRATING!   

 

I am hoping that it is attached to our Mariner's numbers and will automatically show up in our onboard account when we board.  It seems no one really has a handle on these benefits as of yet and adding the 3rd part (such as StockPerks app and the SheerID verify) just muddies the water even more.  They only verify ownership or eligibility but have no authority with HAL to apply the benefit.  UGH!

Our TA takes care of having our AARP and veterans obc applied to our bookings.

I handle the CCL obc myself.

[BaltimoreCruise]

Thank you for your responses.  Today I emailed HAL with the confirmation email from SheerID.  I used the email approach in August 2023 when I applied for the AARP benefit for three booked cruises (2023-2024).  I will keep you posted.

 

BaltimoreCruise

[jagger16]

@RRFan I’ve gone around in the same circles as you have. I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but I do know to get AARP, teacher OBC and stockholder OBC added to cruises takes a lot of legwork. I don’t ever assume that it will be automatically added.

 

You can’t see OBC on your bookings. Sometimes if I call HAL myself I’ll get a representative to tell me how the OBC breaks down. But sometimes they won’t and I have to ask my TA to check for me. The good thing about that is that they email me HAL’s response and then I’ll have it in writing.

 

I’ve started keeping a Google Doc for each cruise to keep track of things like OBC, Retreat Cabana reservations, dining reservations and any other notes. This way I have everything in one place and I can refer to it at any time.

[Emme1233]

We have the military OBC, and is it too late to get the AARP one. It is somewhat confusing as HAL says new bookings only, etc. thanks in advance. 

[iflyrc5]

On 6/11/2024 at 12:18 PM, jagger16 said:

For me it was not automatic. I did the Verify then asked my TA to contact HAL and ask them to add the OBC to an existing cruise. HAL said it was only for new bookings. Several months later I did Verify again, asked my TA to contact HAL and this time they added it to both cruises I now had booked. I also get the teacher OBC and my TA has had to ask for it to be added every time. Just be proactive and stay on it until it gets added.

We have had to do the same thing.  

[jagger16]

@Emme1233 It’s been my experience that it is worth a try. Apply for AARP, take a screenshot when you are verified and forward it to your TA to see if you can get it applied. Or advocate for yourself if you don’t have a TA. Success depends on who answers the phone on any given day! Good luck.

[RRFan]

4 minutes ago, iflyrc5 said:

We have had to do the same thing.  

So the TA can't just do it themselves in their computer I guess?  My TA did call but was told I had to do it.  I'll wait a bit and have him try again.  It really seems like it's whoever happens to answer the phone.  If they are going to offer the benefit, they need to make it easier to apply it to our account.  If they want to limit it to one cruise a year (or whatever), just say so and we'll know.  I just want whatever benefit we qualify for--stock ownership, AARP and teacher.  I also want all vets to automatically get their benefit every cruise.  UGH.  Just very frustrating.  I appreciate all the comments about your experiences.  Thanks!

[RRFan]

12 minutes ago, Emme1233 said:

We have the military OBC, and is it too late to get the AARP one. It is somewhat confusing as HAL says new bookings only, etc. thanks in advance. 

We got ours applied to our April cruise that we had booked several months before we found out about the benefit.  I somehow got it applied myself because I didn't know the TA could or needed to be involved. 

 

 Here's the link to get your AARP membership verified

Exclusive AARP Member Offer | Holland America Line

 

You'll get a notification email that you've been verified.  Print that to keep.  Talk to your TA and see if they can get it applied to your upcoming cruise.

[Emme1233]

2 minutes ago, RRFan said:

We got ours applied to our April cruise that we had booked several months before we found out about the benefit.  I somehow got it applied myself because I didn't know the TA could or needed to be involved. 

 

 Here's the link to get your AARP membership verified

Exclusive AARP Member Offer | Holland America Line

 

You'll get a notification email that you've been verified.  Print that to keep.  Talk to your TA and see if they can get it applied to your upcoming cruise.

Thank you. We have two coming up. 

[iflyrc5]

We get the AARP and Teacher Credit through our TA and had it for 3 cruises this year and already have it on 4 cruises for 2025.  I did have to call the Mariner society about the Teacher credit on one but they took care of it in just a couple of minutes.  It had to do with the verification - it seems that even though you have qualified as a retired teacher you have to requalify which makes no sense since once you are a retired teacher you are always a retired teacher unless you go back into teaching in which case you still qualify.

[57redbird]

Our PCC submitted my Healthcare Worker verified status to our existing reservation & within a couple of days it showed up on Navigator.  Still wondering if I need to verify every year or if it's automatically applied.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I have noticed that Back to Backs  it doesn't work well.

[Roz]

I was unable to get the AARP credit applied to my account because HAL says I booked under a Special Account Promotion offered by my TA's agency. 

[BaltimoreCruise]

I was successful with having the AARP OBC added to my cruise.  It took less than one hour from my initial email to HAL.  I used email for previous cruises (Reservations_submit@Hollandamerica.com) and it worked again.  I forwarded the SheerID confirmation email with a request to have the OBC added to my future cruise.

 

BaltimoreCruise

[jabcruiser]

On 6/14/2024 at 2:28 PM, BaltimoreCruise said:

I was successful with having the AARP OBC added to my cruise.  It took less than one hour from my initial email to HAL.  I used email for previous cruises (Reservations_submit@Hollandamerica.com) and it worked again.  I forwarded the SheerID confirmation email with a request to have the OBC added to my future cruise.

 

BaltimoreCruise

Well, Thank you so much.  Just used this address and submitted request for 1 cruise this fall and two next year(June and Nov, 2025). These were booked several months ago during the $1 down payment promo.  Didn't know about the AARP discount until recently. Within 5 minutes Madison sent new confirmations on all three with the AARP OBC   Wow, it's Sunday.  Didn't even expect reply until tomorrow and pleasantly surprised they applied the credit.  $400 total.  Thank you, BaltimoreCruise

Jane

 

[Emme1233]

My TA was told by HAL we could not have the military OBC and AARP . Which is not correct. I wish HAL would have some consistent answers 

Edited June 17 by Emme1233