Marriott Rewards Changing Cruise Offer?

[MBeamTX]

I've been accumulating Marriott points, intending to book a Caribbean cruise for February 2009. Well, this week I hit the magic 185,000 mark and got a rude surprise: it looks like Marriott is changing the cruise rewards deal and they're not improving it, in my opinion.

 

The Marriott web site still lists the Holland America rewards, but it also now shows an offer where 70,000 points gets you a $250 rewards certificate for a certain online cruise consolidator; 110,000 gets you a $500 certificate; and 145,000 gets you a $1000 certificate. These are not great deals compared to the Holland America rewards. There, 185,000 points gets you a Caribbean cruise for 2 in an oceanview cabin on a Vista ship, which is worth $1500 or more. The only upside to the new offer is that it looks like you can use the certificates to book on any cruise line.

 

It seems as if the Holland America offers may be discontinued after this year. I called the Holland America and they are only booking Marriott rewards cruises through the end of 2008. They said that you have to book with Marriott for 2009 - which is ridiculous, of course. Marriott doesn't book cruises.

 

Which is what Marriott told me when I called the number that HAL provided. And Marriott didn't know if the agreement with HAL would even be renewed for 2009. When I asked when they would expect to know, the representative said, "Oh, those contracts aren't signed until December." Right. You'd have to wait until December 2008 to find out if you could use points to book a January 2009 cruise. I don't think that's how it's supposed to work.

 

As if all that wasn't confusion enough, there are 2 different links on the web site to the terms and conditions of the cruise rewards. One says that the HAL certificates can't be extended beyond December 31, 2008. The other says they can't be extended beyond June 30, 2009.

 

I've given up trying to find anyone at either HAL or Marriott who knows what's going on. Does anyone out there in CC-land have any solid information?

 

Thanks in advance,

Susan

[jmbaker65]

We used Marriott points to book two rooms on the Westerdam earlier this year in March 2008. Since it was during spring break we tried to book early, around May 2007. We ran into the same response you received, that the contract for the next year had not yet been negotiated. We checked periodically and around the end of August/ beginning of September the contract was signed and we were able to book the two rooms. The process was easy and painless once we receeved the certificates.

 

It sounds like the certificates have come down in points. We needed to use 210,000 for each of the rooms (but it was well workth it.)

 

HAL was also easy to work with in regards to upgrading from the entry level afforded by the certificate.

 

Hopefully this is helpful to you!

 

Good Luck and enjoy!

[MBeamTX]

Thanks very much for the information! Maybe the HAL offer will still be available for 2009. I'll keep checking with them later in the year. Although I'm impatient by nature - I'd like to get things booked NOW. :D

[BarbaB]

I am also using a Marriott cert for our July cruise on the Westerdam. I think the trip "cost" us 265,000 points, I don't remember. We have already received an upgrade from cat G, obstructed view, to a cat E, unobstructed. And I can still pay for an upgrade if the upgrade fairy doesn't visit anymore. :D But I just looked at the new program, and to me it looks pretty good - it certainly offers a lot more destinations than the old program. I can trade in my Marriott timeshare and get a $1000 cert for a cruise - sweet!

[iceman93]

The new program certainly offers more flexibility, but at a horrible exchange rate. I hope they keep the HAL contract in place, because for those few cruises they offer it is a MUCH better deal.

 

I've written to both Marriott and HAL and asked why they didn't expand their contract to include other HAL destinations, and why they don't allow the use of more points for upgraded cabins (instead of having to use cash to upgrade the standard free room). Both sides have said they don't know and that they think it would be a good idea, but I fear this new Marriott program is going to put an end to any of that.

[MBeamTX]

The new program certainly offers more flexibility, but at a horrible exchange rate. I hope they keep the HAL contract in place, because for those few cruises they offer it is a MUCH better deal.

 

I've written to both Marriott and HAL and asked why they didn't expand their contract to include other HAL destinations, and why they don't allow the use of more points for upgraded cabins (instead of having to use cash to upgrade the standard free room). Both sides have said they don't know and that they think it would be a good idea, but I fear this new Marriott program is going to put an end to any of that.

 

I fear the same, but I hope we're both wrong.

 

As for the HAL destinations they offer, they have 7-day cruises to Mexico, Caribbean (both Vista and non-Vista), or Alaska (Vista and non-Vista), and 10-day Caribbean or Mediterranean. That's a pretty good selection. But I think that some of the exchange rates are out of line. You can do the 7-day Caribbean for 165k on an older ship or 185k on a Vista. That's not much of a differential. But for Alaska, it's 165k for older ships and 270k for Vista. Yikes. The very best deal is Mexico on a Vista ship (Oosterdam) for 165k, but of course Oosterdam won't be doing that itinerary after early next year anyway. :(

[sail7seas]

Every year we wait to see if HAL and American Express Platinum will renew their agreements. It gives nice benefits to card holders but they only sign from year to year. We used to learn of its renewal around August but in recent years, it has been as late as January/February when we learned it was signed again.

 

These agreements are never guaranteed to go on unchanged beyond 12 months, it seems.

[The Big Booper]

This news s--ks. We used 210,000 Marriot miles to book an Alaskan cruise on the Amsterdam (OV) in 2003 and were upgraded to a large verandah with whirlpool for $500 each (rather than the usual $900 each). Definitely the best use of MM ever.

 

We now have over 500,000 MM and were looking to buy two HAL cruises. I guess we will have to inquire frequently to watch for the contract to be signed or else take the certificates and look around for deals and HAL rarely has the best deals. And HAL is slowly pulling back from the NY market anyway so that leaves Bayonne, Manhattan and Brooklyn.

[margretha]

MBeamTX,

We just got the same info from Marriott. We've used points for the past 3 years and paid for upgrade to suite and it was a great deal!. Of course it was a lot of points too for the more basic cabin. We're owners so we'd turn over a week at a resort for the points and it seemed a good trade to us. We made our reservations on HAL indicating that we'd be using a certificate as soon as the contract was signed a couple of months ago and paid a deposit. Usually Marriott and HAL sign contracts in the spring. We called to get the certificate, got the certificate and it arrived with an expiration date of 12/2008. I called Marriott and found they are going to offer a new option: using "world famous/biggest online cruise company" yadda, yadda, yadda...I suggested this was less than a satisfactory deal (trade in 100,000s of points for small amounts of money to apply on a cruise) and was told it wasn't all decided yet and to call back in Sept. So we sent back the certificate, got our points restored and now we'll wait until Sept and either Marriott and HAL will once again sign the contract or we'll get our deposit back and do something else. But it was a shock. And oddly enough the new deal is not anywhere as good as the old deal. One of the big Marriott sales pitches is the usefulness of trading owner weeks for cruises and trip packages. I'll bet a lot of owners and Marriott Reward people will be raising the roof. First AmEx cuts out the Marriott point exchange and now this. Sigh. margretha:eek:

[iceman93]

IAs for the HAL destinations they offer, they have 7-day cruises to Mexico, Caribbean (both Vista and non-Vista), or Alaska (Vista and non-Vista), and 10-day Caribbean or Mediterranean. That's a pretty good selection.

 

Oh, I agree. And I've used points for Alaska, the Baltic, and soon Mexico. But there are dozens of other HAL itineraries I'd like to be able to use points for--Canada/NE, Panama Canal, Antarctica, Australia/NZ, to name a few.