Unlocking Holland America Mariner Levels and Rewards

By earning points and reaching certain milestones, you can climb the ranks of Holland America's Mariner Levels, which unlocks exclusive rewards and perks.

There are six levels in total, each with its own set of benefits. You'll start at the Explorer level and work your way up to the top-tier Ambassador level.

At each level, you'll earn more points and unlock new rewards, such as discounts on cruises, free shore excursions, and even a complimentary upgrade to a suite.

To give you a better idea of what to expect, let's break down the rewards at each level.

The Holland America Loyalty Program is a great way to reward repeat cruisers, and it's surprisingly easy to earn benefits. To start, you'll need to complete your first Holland America cruise to reach the Star Mariner tier, which includes perks like a free drink voucher and a collectible gift.

As you take more cruises, you'll earn Cruise Day credits, which determine your loyalty tier. For every actual day sailed, you'll receive one Cruise Day credit, and if you book a suite or penthouse, you'll receive double the credits. You can also earn bonus credits by spending money onboard the ship through HAL's Onboard Spending Bonus.

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Here's a breakdown of the benefits you can expect at each loyalty tier:

It's worth noting that your loyalty status will be updated 7-10 days after your cruise or cruisetour ends, so you may not see the benefits reflected immediately.

The Holland America Mariner Society loyalty program has five tiers, each with its own set of perks and benefits.

To reach the 2-Star Mariner level, you'll need to accumulate 30 to 74 cruise day credits, which can be achieved after just two to four seven-night cruises, depending on your onboard spend and cabin type.

Star Mariners receive a few perks, including up to $400 in onboard spending credit, an onboard gift, a voucher for an onboard cocktail, and a 50% discount on cruise fares for kids and extra guests.

The 3-Star Mariner level adds a 25% discount on specialty restaurant surcharges, specialty coffees, and minibar purchases, which can amount to real cash savings.

You'll need to accumulate 75 to 199 cruise day credits to reach the 3-Star Mariner level, which can take around five to nine seven-night cruises, depending on your onboard spend and cabin type.

At the 3-Star Mariner level, loyal fans also get discounts on select treatments from the shipboard Greenhouse Spa & Salon venues, and kids can sail free on select sailings, which can save you a lot of money if you have kids.

Here are the Holland America Mariner Society tiers and their corresponding benefits:

The Holland America Mariner Society program has five tiers, each with its own set of benefits. These tiers are Star Mariner, 2-Star Mariner, 3-Star Mariner, 4-Star Mariner, and 5-Star Mariner.

The Star Mariner tier is the first level, which you can reach after taking just one cruise. This tier doesn't come with many valuable perks, but it's a great starting point for building your loyalty rewards.

At the 2-Star Mariner level, you'll receive discounts on Holland America-branded items, a complimentary photo of your ship, and up to $400 per cabin in onboard spending credit when booking a cruise within 90 days of a new season launch.

The 3-Star Mariner level adds a 25% discount on specialty restaurant surcharges and on specialty coffees in various venues, which can amount to real cash savings. This tier also brings discounts on select treatments from shipboard Greenhouse Spa & Salon venues.

To reach the 3-Star Mariner level, you might need to take five to nine seven-night cruises, depending on your onboard spend and cabin type. However, if you sign up for longer voyages, you could reach this level much sooner.

Here's a summary of the first three tiers:

As a Holland America Mariner, you'll earn rewards and benefits with each tier you climb. You'll receive a free drink voucher and a collectible gift at the 1-Star tier.

At the 2-Star tier, you'll get a complimentary photo of the ship, plus a 10 percent discount on select Holland America Line logo clothing sold in the onboard shops. This is a great way to save on souvenirs or gifts.

The 3-Star tier brings even more discounts, including 25 percent off select spa treatments, Sommelier Suite packages, specialty restaurants, specialty coffees, and mini-bar purchases. This can really add up to some significant savings.

At the 4-Star tier, the discounts get even better, with 50 percent off select Sommelier Suite packages, specialty restaurants, specialty coffees, and mini-bar purchases. You'll also get a 15 percent discount on Holland America logo clothing and more.

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Cruise Day credits, the currency of Holland America's loyalty program, never expire, so you don't have to worry about losing your hard-earned credits.

You can earn Cruise Day credits for each actual day sailed, which is defined as each overnight on the ship.

If you book a suite or penthouse, you receive double the Cruise Day credits, making it a great way to boost your status.

Cruise credits can also be earned for Alaska cruisetours, where both the cruise and land portions count towards your credits.

Bonus Cruise Day credits can be earned by spending money onboard the ship, through HAL's Onboard Spending Bonus, where one bonus credit is earned for every $300 in eligible onboard purchases.

Your Cruise Day credits accrual will be updated seven to 10 days after the cruise or cruisetour ends.

Once you reach any status, you will never be downgraded, so you'll have at least that status or higher forever, unless Holland America changes its program in the future.

As you continue to cruise with Holland America, you'll start to earn Cruise Day credits that will take you up the loyalty program tiers. The first tier, Star Mariner, is achieved after just one cruise and comes with a free drink voucher and a collectible gift.

You'll also receive a 50 percent discount on cruise fares for the third and fourth guests in a cabin on select sailings, as well as up to $400 per cabin in onboard credit for cruises booked within 90 days of a new season launch.

As you move up to the 2-Star Mariner tier, you'll get a complimentary photo of the ship and a 10 percent discount on select Holland America Line logo clothing sold in the onboard shops.

At the 3-Star Mariner level, you'll receive everything the 2-Star tier has, plus an invitation to the Mariner Society Welcome Onboard Reception and discounts on select spa treatments, Sommelier Suite packages, specialty restaurants, specialty coffees, and mini-bar purchases.

The discounts at the 3-Star tier are significant, with 25 percent off on these items, which can really add up to real cash savings in your pocket.

At the 4-Star Mariner level, you'll get even more perks, including a 50 percent discount on Sommelier Suite packages, specialty restaurants, specialty coffees, and mini-bar purchases, as well as a complimentary regional wine tasting and laundry and pressing service.

You'll also get priority check-in, priority tendering and disembarkation, and free cruise fare on select cruises for the third and fourth passengers in the stateroom.

Here's a breakdown of the benefits at each tier:

Holland America's loyalty program has some notable differences compared to other cruise lines. It doesn't offer a free cruise at the top tier, unlike Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line.

One perk that stands out is the 50% discounts on specialty restaurant charges and some drinks-related charges for 4-Star and 5-Star Mariner status. This can add up to significant savings for frequent cruisers.

If you're a member of the Holland America Mariner Society, you'll be happy to know that your next tier benefits won't kick in until your next cruise, unless you're sailing on a longer Grand Voyage.

You don't need to ask for your Mariner Society discounts, they'll be applied automatically.

You can earn points towards your Mariner Society status on every Holland America cruise, and it's a great way to save money on future sailings.

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