I recently visited Las Vegas to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday and had to treat her to a stay at The Wynn Las Vegas because it’s such a five-star luxury experience. I am a Wynn Rewards card holder and while I rarely earn enough casino credit or comp dollars to buy a candy bar, the real value for me, even in the basic tier level red card, is the access to hotel discounts. My trips to Las Vegas are infrequent, so, when Wynn announced a new benefit for reward members that included a cruise partner with discounts, I was curious to know more. It was the 30% discount on Holland America (HAL) Cruise line for my tier level that got my attention.
Wynn Reward Program
The Wynn Rewards program allows guests to earn points for casino play. You can sign up online, no need to sign up in person. You will earn credits and slot dollars for your gambling in person at the Las Vegas Wynn & Encore resort or Boston Encore. If your U.S. states allows online gambling, you may earn points for that spend as well. The total spend allows you to move through the various tier levels of the rewards program (Red, Platinum, Black and Chairman’s Club). The new partnership with Holland America cruise line offers benefits for the year based on your rewards tier. If you are basic (red card), you can request the 30% discount on HAL cruises, if you are platinum or black, you can request your “free cruise” and if Chairman’s Club, well that high roller tier moves up to the luxury Seabourn cruise line.
Wynn 30% Discount on Holland America Cruises
As a basic level red card holder, you get access to a 30% discount on Holland America cruises “subject to availability”. The discount is based on double occupancy (of course!) so if you are a solo traveler, you’ll have to pay the single supplement (SS) of 200% in order to get the discount (net SS of 170%). Solo travelers rarely have discounts on Holland despite the handful of single cabins on the newer ships. A deposit of $200 is required for the cruise and this will convert to an on-board credit (OBC) of $200 that can’t be transferred.
While Holland offers many longer cruises, this offer is limited to a seven-day cruise to the following locations: Caribbean, Mexico, Coastal California, Alaska, New England – Canada, and Northern Europe. The sweet spot for me that I would recommend is the Alaska cruise which Holland America is known for. Yes, other cruise lines sail to Alaska but Holland and Princess are known to be the best to explore Alaska. While Holland (HAL) is also known for an older demographic, the Alaska cruises tend to have multi-generation families so you will see children on the ship, not as many as the family friendly NCL or Royal Caribbean. The Alaska cruises leave from Seattle which makes them easy to access without the hassle of connections and cost to fly to Vancouver.
When I sailed to Alaska from Seattle with Holland America on Eurodam, the ship cruised Glacier Bay for the day and had a stop at Sitka which was fantastic (not all ships stop at Sitka).
Alaska Cruise Stops – Seattle, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay
Tips for Planning Alaska Cruise
Free Holland America Cruise for Wynn Rewards Members
Now while I will never be confused for a big spender at the casinos, I do know a few friends who have quickly reached the Platinum and Black levels of loyalty at a few casinos. Those folks get priority access, free stays and so much more. The ironic part for me is that these friends can afford to pay for everything and are likely in the “never cruising” category of traveler based on their cruise bias and luxury travel preferences. The cruise industry has rolled out the “cruise only” fare vs the “cruise included” fares so the “free cruise” offer for Wynn Rewards members is limited to the “cruise only” fare. Drinks, gratuities, spa, Wi-Fi, excursions, shopping, etc. are at an additional cost to you. See the Wynn Rewards T&C to learn more.
Wynn Platinum member you qualify for a “free cruise” on Holland in 2023 once you complete two trips (unsure from the fine print if these are visits or overnight hotel stays) to Wynn during the calendar year of the “free cruise”. The cruise is for two people in an Oceanview cabin (window but no balcony). The free cruise does limit the cruise length to a seven-day cruise to the following locations: Caribbean, Mexico, Coastal California, Alaska, New England/Canada and Northern Europe. A welcome amenity and OBC of $100 will be provided as well.
Wynn Black status, you can book the “free cruise” on HAL without the trip requirement to Las Vegas. Wynn Black Status Holland Cruise award is for two people in a verandah (balcony) cabin, ideal for Alaska cruise. Seven days is also the limit for this tier award to the destinations listed above. A welcome amenity and OBC of $200 will be provided once onboard. Again, the “free cruise” is cruise only fare so gratuities, drinks, spa, tours, transfers, shopping, etc. are additional costs to you. So, reading the fine print this is free cruise only fare. It is not a free all-inclusive cruise.
Wynn Chairman’s Club which is higher than Black, will get a “free cruise” on the luxury Seaborn cruise line. Double occupancy in an Ocean View Suite with a $300 OBC and welcome amenity. The Seabourn Venture and excursions are excluded.
Wynn & Holland America Discount Cruise Request Form
Of course, in order to redeem either the 30% discount or “free cruise” offer you can’t just book online with your Wynn Rewards card. You need to fill out the request form and submit it online. Wynn allows one redemption per calendar year. Once the form is submitted a representative from Holland America (or Carnival, the parent company) will reach out to you to book the cruise. You will be booking directly with the cruise line; you can’t use your travel agent to book the cruise. Definitely talk to your travel agent though so you understand the airfare, travel insurance and pre/post cruise hotel needs. You may feel more comfortable with a trusted advisor to handle the other details for you. That said, booking airfare through the cruise line provides additional benefits like discounts and guarantees for delayed or interrupted flights.
Cruise Redemption Form | Wynn Las Vegas
Holland America Wynn Rewards Deposit
A deposit of $200 is required at the time of booking and will convert to $200 on board credit (OBC) for the sailing. It is not transferrable or refundable so use it onboard to pay for all the things the “free cruise” doesn’t cover like gratuities, drinks, spa, WIFI, port excursions, transfers and so much more. If you are booking a “discounted” cruise fare, an additional $99 per person will be required. Cruise deposits run the gambit in my experience from lower non-refundable to higher refundable so the exact amount will vary. The cruise representative can help you understand all the details as a cruise vacation is a complicated list of line items, deadlines, terms and conditions.
Overall Thoughts Wynn & Holland America Partnership
This is an interesting partnership for sure. The 30% discount will be welcomed by Wynn rewards members, like me, who already enjoy cruises and are comfortable booking direct with the cruise line. As for the “free cruise” offered, I’m not sure how many folks will redeem this benefit. It seems like incompatible populations with little overlap (I’m generalizing and applying my own bias to be fair). But at the same time trying to lure luxury Wynn travelers, likely many in the “never cruise” population, to bring new customers to the cruise line is a new strategy as the cruise lines need to get creative with replacing their older customer base for future growth and sustainability. Time will tell how this Wynn Rewards benefit does and if Holland America sees an influx of new cruise customers for its Holland America and Seabourn lines.