Future Cruise Options

[dazee8]

Does HAL offer Future Cruise Credit (FCC) options while onboard to purchase? If so, how much does it cost and do you get any onboard credit (OBC) when you use it? I am familiar with the Princess program where you can purchase FCCs for $100 each. Depending on how many days the cruise is and cabin location there is OBC available.

 

Thanks,

:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Actually HAL just recently changed their FCC to be very similiar to Princess. You can book a cruise while on board the ship for a $100 per person deposit. It can be an open booking or a specific cruise. I believe you have up to 4 years to use it. In doing this you receive ship board credit the credits depends on the length of the cruise and the category you book.:)

[dazee8]

Laffnvegas,

 

Many thanks for posting and giving your input. It's good to know there are perks to cruise with again with HAL. The FCC program has been successful with Princess and I am glad to hear that HAL has followed in that positive direction for loyal past passengers.

 

:)

[sail7seas]

Are you planning an HAL cruise, dazee8?

 

[Jemima]

The open booking wasn't mentioned in any of the "advertisements" we reiceved on the Veendam earlier this month. We talked very briefly to the cruise consultant early in the cruise, but weren't ready to book a specific cruise. We stopped by her desk several times, but she was always busy and was always booking cruises. They appeared to me to be specific cruises.

[tomc]

I tried to book while on the Noordam, but the FCC didn't seem to know which end was up. While I was dealing with her, I was also e-mailing my TA to straighten up the mess the TA could see from HAL's faxes. Not sure it was worth the $25 OBC, or the week it took to book onboard.

 

Make sure your FCC knows what's up. Mine didn't even know how to use the HAL catalogue in front of her.

[Tricia724]

Wow, did I ever have a different experience in February on Maasdam. We didn't have a specific cruise in mind, so we just bought a Future Cruise Credit for $100 each to be used later, and the consultant couldn't have been more accommodating.

 

I got the impression from our conversation with her that a lot of the people she had been speaking to didn't quite get the FCC concept. She had been booking cruises for people, but I don't think she had sold a lot of Future Cruise Credits at the time we bought ours. She took our credit card information and told us she would send a confirmation to our cabin.

 

The next day when we returned from shore, our confirmation was indeed there on the table along with a personal thank you from the FCC......resting atop a plate of chocolate covered strawberries! Obviously, tomc and some others who have reported on these boards have had a completely different experience.

 

Since this is new to HAL, they obviously have some kinks to work out and perhaps some consultants to train. It really is a nice opportunity to circumvent large cruise deposits and to get a little OBC to boot.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also booked a couple of cruises while we were on the Maasdam in February. Our cruise consultant was Sheryll Tiangco - her time was up at the end of our first cruise. She was great!! We also got a peronal thank you from her along with our confirmation but no chocolate covered strawberries.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can make a deposit of $100 per person on any future cruise even though you may not know exactly where and when you want to cruise. The letter we got in our cabin said that the shipboard credit was for cruises through 2010.

 

Shipboard Credit:

Length of cruise: 7 to 11 days: Inside Cabin - $25 per person; Ocean View - $25 per person; Verandah VA/A - VF/BC - $35 per person; Deluxe - PS - S/SY - $50 per person.

12 days or longer: Inside - $50 per person; Ocean View - $50 per person; Verandah - VA/A - VF/BC - $75 per person; Deluxe - PS - S/SY - $100 per person.

[sail7seas]

Do the FCC still send a bottle of wine to your table at dinner to thank you for your booking? The few times we did a booking on board in the past, we received a nice bottle of wine.

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Now don't get me wrong I am not complaining but....I have booked 3 times while on the ships the first was while we were on the Maasdam July 2005 we booked 3 cruises while on board all S Suite we received nothing, no wine, no strawberries not even a Thank You Note. Then while on the Veendam September 2006 once again we booked 3 cruises again nothing, not even a Thank You Note. This past cruise on the Oosterdam we booked 1 cruise we were going to book an open booking also but I did not care for the FCC's attitude so I only booked the one cruise which again was also a S Suite. There was a Thank You card later sent to our cabin but no Wine or Strawberries. All I am saying is Do Not expect to be getting anything when doing this. We were already having a wonderful time and certainly did not expect anything else. I just do not want others to book a cruise on board and think they will be sent wine or strawberries. I think it is most likely an act of kindness from the FCC some might do it and other do not.

[sail7seas]

Good point, Lisa.......and I should add that it has been a while since we booked on board so it may no longer be something that any of them do. It used to be fairly customary but not automatic but it is highly possible not something they now do.

[Tricia724]

We also booked a couple of cruises while we were on the Maasdam in February. Our cruise consultant was Sheryll Tiangco - her time was up at the end of our first cruise. She was great!! We also got a peronal thank you from her along with our confirmation but no chocolate covered strawberries.

 

KK.....we were on the same cruise (the first one of your B2Bs) and had the same consultant.

 

I debated about mentioning the strawberries because I figured it might mislead others to think that this was standard procedure, and I honestly felt that it was a spur-of-the-moment gesture on her part....perhaps because we were so enthusiastic about HAL offering these Future Cruise Credits and were somewhat lavish in our praise. Maybe we were the first to buy them that cruise.....I really don't know.....but I did want to emphasize that some of the Future Cruise Consultants are good at their jobs and provide excellent service.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The current FCC Program with HAL is relatively new, in the past they only had FCC on longer voyages. They now have them on every sailing. I think that HAL like any corporation that changes something is going thru some growing pains with this. I think that HAL needs to decided what type of image and personality they want for their FCCs. I feel there are some that have no sales or people skills and some that are great and love their job. I think HAL needs to be looking and willing to pay for someone with Sales experience, people skills and a passion for cruising.:D Right now not all have fit that mold.

[sail7seas]

So far we have only met the one who was on Noordam in January..... that was our first cruise since they started the FCC program. Actually, it was a man and a woman (I think they were married?) who were the FCC's. The first time we saw them was at the Mariners Party. They roamed over to where we were sitting and introduced themselves.

 

I had no mad urge to go look for them to quickly book my next cruise with them. They were trying the 'hard sell' on us in the few mintues we chatted waiting for the Mariners Party to start. Implying that if we didn't book right that day, we would not be able to get a Suite for Eurodam's Inaugural. Already they were saying if we left the ship without booking, we'd probably have to go on a waitlist. That did NOT fly real well with me. Couldn't she have figured out that if we had as many days as we did.....our medals indicated the minimum number it would be.....that line of selling was calling us 'stupid' and implying we obviously knew nothing about cruising and it was lucky we met her or we could miss out.

 

Obviously, we had no difficulty getting the booking we wanted after we arrived home.

 

[OldCodger73]

Are the $100 Future Cruise Options good only if you book the actual cruise through HAL or after purchasing the "FCO" can you use your regular TA to book? If so, how attuned are TAs to this program since it seems to be new?

[Stevesan]

To purchase an open Future Cruise Credit on a Princess ship it's not necessary to meet with the cruise consultant. There are blank forms available. You fill it out, it's very brief, and drop it in the cruise consultant's box. An FCC confirmation letter will appear in your mail box. You can also view the status on the Princess web site in a "circle savings account".

I'd suspect HAL has a similar form?

[Tricia724]

Are the $100 Future Cruise Options good only if you book the actual cruise through HAL or after purchasing the "FCO" can you use your regular TA to book? If so, how attuned are TAs to this program since it seems to be new?

 

No, you don't have to book with HAL. When you pay the $100, you are given a "Future Cruise Deposit ID" number. You can then book a cruise anytime up to four years after your deposit date, and at that time you give the deposit ID number to your travel agent. When your travel agent calls HAL to book and gives the number to the cruiseline, the $100 you paid will serve as your full deposit for the cruise and entitles you to a small shipboard credit based on the length of your cruise and cabin category.

 

There are a couple of limitations. The Future Cruise Deposit only applies to the first two passengers in a stateroom and is available for new bookings only. It also can't be used on a World Cruise, Grand Voyages, or segments and has to be used for new bookings only.

 

I can't answer the question about how quickly the TAs are picking up on this, but I would imagine that any TA who books a lot of cruises will quickly learn the program is out there. Princess has had this program for quite a while, so I imagine most TAs know how it works. I hope the reservationists at HAL have been informed!

 

At any rate, I've put the confirmation in my file cabinet where I can lay my hands on it quickly just in case there is any question down the road. I don't want to have to call the cruiseline and count on them to be able to locate my Future Cruise Deposit.

[sail7seas]

I believe it gets linked to your Mariner Number. If you name a TA you wish to use at the time you make the on-board booking, your TA is notified by HAL then you work the details with your TA later.

 

[dazee8]

Many thanks to all you well travelled HAL passengers on the info for the future cruise credits (FCCs). Yes, Princess has had this program for a while and they are listed under your Captain Circle webpage when you logon to their website. I am certainly glad to hear that HAL is going to have the same program available.

 

As for future sailings, we are considering the transatlantic of the Maasdam for next summer. Great schedule with wonderful ports! Anyone gone on this one?

 

:)

[tomc]

I did the onboard booking (second time; first was a few years ago) for a specific cruise the next year, in both instances. The TA got a fax from HAL and was given the booking and the commission. I have not done an "open" booking.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Old Codger 73

 

When we booked our future cruises, the cruise consultant looked up our records and asked if we wanted to use the same TA. We said yes and she forwarded everything to Seattle who in turn faxed everything to our TA.

 

By the time we got home, our TA had all the information and prepared copies for us (in addition to the copies given to us by the ship's consultant).

[Krazy Kruizers]

sail

 

We did not get a free bottle of wine sent to the table like we got several years ago when we booked while on a cruise. We just got the "Thank you" note.

[Jade13]

KK.....we were on the same cruise (the first one of your B2Bs) and had the same consultant.

 

I debated about mentioning the strawberries because I figured it might mislead others to think that this was standard procedure, and I honestly felt that it was a spur-of-the-moment gesture on her part....perhaps because we were so enthusiastic about HAL offering these Future Cruise Credits and were somewhat lavish in our praise. Maybe we were the first to buy them that cruise.....I really don't know.....but I did want to emphasize that some of the Future Cruise Consultants are good at their jobs and provide excellent service.

 

Do you think they send wine and give strawberries to those who they think will keep the booking within the Hal consultants vs those they are sending to an Outside TA?

 

I would assume the Hal Personal Cruise Consultants are on Commission and when/if these bookings get transfered to another TA those "Hal TA's" lose their commission. Anyone have any insight on this?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Do you think they send wine and give strawberries to those who they think will keep the booking within the Hal consultants vs those they are sending to an Outside TA?

 

I would assume the Hal Personal Cruise Consultants are on Commission and when/if these bookings get transfered to another TA those "Hal TA's" lose their commission. Anyone have any insight on this?

I am not for certain but I do not think so. They actually talk up the fact that you can transfer your booking to your own TA and they use this coment of transferring to your own TA in the Daily Program . It is my understanding that their commission part of their pay is based on the total sales for the week. Not sure how the open booking comes into play.