No Result
View All Result
Eye of the Flyer
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

BOOKED – 11 Day “Free” Holland America Cruise Thanks to Points and Perks!

René by René
February 6, 2023
in Cruises
7
Oslo, Norway: MS Koningsdam, a Dutch Pinnacle-class cruise ship of Holland America Line. Built in 2016, she is the largest ship ever constructed for HAL. (©iStock.com/aquatarkus)

Oslo, Norway: MS Koningsdam, a Dutch Pinnacle-class cruise ship of Holland America Line. Built in 2016, she is the largest ship ever constructed for HAL. (©iStock.com/aquatarkus)

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

If you notice the tag line for FrequentFloaters it is “SAND • SEA • POINTS” and today I want to focus on the points part of this blog. I always try to use points as much as I can to cover my air, hotel and many times even the cruise itself with points – hello, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points!

a body of water with mountains in the distance

My fellow BoardingArea blogger FrequentMiler, Nick to be specific, had a great post the other day and I immediately went for the deal. Here is how I did it and how you should be able to as well.

First up, I hold Wyndham Diamond status thanks to the Barclays Wyndham business card. Keep in mind anyone can get a business credit card, that is, you don’t need to have a corporation etc. You just use your name for the business name and I find this is one of the things so many do wrong, that is, not going for business cards and leaving so many points on the table.

The next step is to take your Wyndham Diamond and status match to Caesar’s Diamond. This had died for a while but it seems to be working again as it has for many years (see EyeOfTheFlyers post here and it also worked for me with only gifted status). I personally was able to recently match even though I did not stay enough nights to earn Diamond. I love holding this and other status just for the perks because I don’t care for gambling. As an example, I have many times in the past used NCL’s Casinos at Sea to book getting 10-20% off using my Caesar’s Diamond status perk.

Half Moon Cay island, Bahamas: Holland America cruise ship Eurodam docked at sea near the Bahamas. (©iStock.com/Marina113)
Half Moon Cay island, Bahamas: Holland America cruise ship Eurodam docked at sea near the Bahamas. (©iStock.com/Marina113)

Now, with Ceasar’s Diamond in hand I was able to use the Holland America match link to have a shot at a free cruise. I was offered the following:

Certificate Number: xxxxxx
Offer Type HALMatch 1: Complimentary Interior Cabin + $100 Freeplay with Drinks for two (2) while playing in the casino
Offer Description: Valid on eligible sailings to Alaska, Mexico, Caribbean, Coastal, and Canada/New England from 2022-2023

I was further told it was good for up to 10 day cruises but the rep told me the 11 day did qualify and others have mentioned they were able to book 12 day sailings with the certificate number.

So how much did this “free” cruise cost me? I don’t like interior cabins so I paid an upgrade fee to get an aft balcony cabin on the Eurodam that you can see here. The total cost breakdown per person is this:

  • Upgrade fee $330
  • Tax & fees $200
  • Tips $176

So the total all-in per person was $706 or $64 per day for an 11 day cruise. Had I not gone with the stateroom upgrade and taken the inside offer it would have only cost $34 per day even including mandatory daily tips of $16 per day! That is insanely cheap for an amazing 11 days at sea. I was even informed that I may have a chance at further upgrades as we get closer to sailing. Having never sailed Holland America I look forward to the entire experience.

a sunset over the ocean

Rounding this out I will use my Delta Skymiles to fly free to the port city. I will use hotel points to stay free before the cruise for a few day at the port city. . I will even use a bunch of free inKind cash to pay for dinner pre-cruise thanks to a targeted Amex offer that if I spent $50 I would get $50 back!

This is the power of stacking and using points and all the perks that come along with it to score sweet vacations at prices we can afford. While you are not guaranteed to get the same offer I received, the next great offer may be just around the corner and it is good to be ready when that deal pulls into port! – René

Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Previous Post

Delta Agent Demands First Class Passenger Who Paid $7500+ Fly Coach Due to Broken Video System

Next Post

Big Sale: Save Over $100 on a Nomad Lane Bento Bag!

René

René

René de Lambert is a contributing writer for EyeoftheFlyer.com - He is an avid Delta and SkyTeam flyer who has held Delta’s top Diamond Medallion status for many years and flown millions of miles.

Next Post
a purple bag with a black handle

Big Sale: Save Over $100 on a Nomad Lane Bento Bag!

Comments 7

  1. CJH says:
    2 years ago

    I was also able to book an 11 day cruise with an upgrade to Verandah stateroom at $330/person. Still having Caesar Diamond status must have made the match possible, because I have never gambled on any of my previous HAL cruises.

    Reply
    • René de Lambert says:
      2 years ago

      @CJH – Congratulations and enjoy your cruise!

      Reply
      • CJHJ says:
        2 years ago

        And maybe I will receive another upgrade offer closer to departure date.

        Reply
        • René de Lambert says:
          2 years ago

          @CJHJ – Outstanding. Come back please and let us know what happens after you sail.

          Reply
          • CJH says:
            2 years ago

            I sail out of Ft. Lauderdale this Saturday. Any chance you are on the same cruise?

          • René de Lambert says:
            2 years ago

            @CJH – No sorry but let me know how it goes and any tips please!

  2. DLPTATL says:
    2 years ago

    That’s an awesome deal! Thanks for the detailed explanation of the matching/booking process.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

➤ Search Eye of the Flyer

No Result
View All Result

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

GREAT Travel and Cash Back Card Offers for Spring 2025!

Eye of the Flyer may receive a commission from the links below. See our Privacy Policy

See some of the biggest and best offers now!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card CardBIGGEST EVER OFFER! Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases within three (3) months of being approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card! (Learn here how to apply. All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was gathered independently by Eye of the Flyer. It was neither provided nor reviewed by the card issuer.)
Capital One Venture X Business
Capital One Venture X Business: Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Then, earn an additional 200,000 miles after you spend a total of $200,000 within the first six (6) months. That's a total of 350,000 miles. Learn here how to apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 185,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. (Terms Apply. This offer expires on May 14, 2025.). Read more and learn here how to apply.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year. Learn more here.

 

American Express® Business Gold Card

American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, enjoy a 0% introductory APR for the first six (6) months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.49% to 27.49% variable APR. (See Rates & Fees) Terms apply.. Learn more here.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 150,000 bonus American Express® Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on the card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. This offer expires on June 30, 2025. Terms apply.. Plus, enjoy select airport lounge access, statement credit opportunities galore, and more! Read here why we love this card.

 

Eye of the Flyer partner offer!CardMatch™CardMatch™
Offers may not be available to all users.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eye of the Flyer with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Resources

  • ✍ Editors Disclaimer
  • 💰 Advertiser Disclosure
  • 🔒 Privacy Policy
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.

Cleantalk Pixel
No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • CardMatch™
    • Eye of the Flyer Recommended Cards
    • Best Welcome Offers
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • Gas Rewards Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Student Credit Cards
    • Visa Credit Cards
    • Mastercards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit or Limited Credit
    • Secured Cards
  • CardMatch™
  • Cruises
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2025 Eye of the Flyer. All Rights Reserved.