Alternatives to Explore 4 Promotion?

[Alberta Quilter]

One last question - and I apologize if this has already been answered - but what happens if you order a drink costing $8.00? Do you just get charged the extra dollar or do you not even get the benefit of the $7.00 and have to pay the full $8?

 

The drink is charged to your room card for the full amount. So no benefit.

 

This thread will answer any questions that you haven't thought about yet on the SBP: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1999316

 

It's also a very entertaining read!

Edited August 17, 2014 by Alberta Quilter

[SilvertoGold]

We have explore4 for our next cruise on Maasdam - 42 days. When we get back I'm joining AA!:D

 

You will need to!

Looking at the pricing right now and found the category we want has decreased by 35% since we started looking at this cruises a few months ago. Not enough to pay for the Explore4, but we would never, ever use it all.

 

Have to make up our minds eventually about this cruise!

[POA1]

One last question - and I apologize if this has already been answered - but what happens if you order a drink costing $8.00? Do you just get charged the extra dollar or do you not even get the benefit of the $7.00 and have to pay the full $8?

You pay $8 for it. My normal go-to cocktail is Maker's Mark on the rocks. It's $7.95 on the menu. When using the Signature Beverage Package, I simply switched things up and had Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, or Wild Turkey. (Yes, I know that Jack is Tennessee Whiskey and not a true Bourbon.)

 

Most people should be able to find a workaround if their drink of choice is over $7. Wine drinkers may have a problem, as will folks who only drink single malt Scotch or Cognac.

[esimon]

plenty to drink for 7 and under -- and bottled water anytime you want - love the specialty coffee. you have to work at spending the max for a day I really enjoy the Explore 4 package -- glad to have it

[fuzzywuzzy]

plenty to drink for 7 and under -- and bottled water anytime you want - love the specialty coffee. you have to work at spending the max for a day I really enjoy the Explore 4 package -- glad to have it

 

What happens if you don't drink the max each day? What is the max each day? 10 drinks? How do they keep track? Is your card punched or something?

 

My cocktail of choice is a martini straight up with an olive and gin, shaken not stirred. lol. Is this over $7.00?

[Hlitner]

It may be smarter to wait to book until after the promotion is over, as prices should go down.

 

We booked an Oosterdam cruise for about $22,300...which included the drink promotion. By the time of our final payment (a few weeks ago) we had been able to reduce the price of that same cruise/cabin to $12,200 by giving-up the drink promotion. DW did not think we could possibly justify more then $10,000 for "free" drinks. Even our TA had a good laugh about the promotion when I spotted the first of 3 price drops which dropped the price from $22,300 to less then $17,500 (2 additional price drops got it down to the 12,200 level). That initial $4,800 drop happened as soon as they ended the so-called "promotion."

 

So my only advice to those booking promotions is to keep checking the prices of your cruise right up until the final payment. Sometimes the promotions might actually be a great deal...but other times.............

 

Hank

 

P.S. I posted the details because previous posts have shown that some "cheerleaders" refuse to believe these price drops. We speak the truth and can back it up with actual invoices!

Edited August 17, 2014 by Hlitner

[SilvertoGold]

We booked an Oosterdam cruise for about $22,300...which included the drink promotion. By the time of our final payment (a few weeks ago) we had been able to reduce the price of that same cruise/cabin to $12,200 by giving-up the drink promotion. DW did not think we could possibly justify more then $10,000 for "free" drinks. Even our TA had a good laugh about the promotion when I spotted the first of 3 price drops which dropped the price from $22,300 to less then $17,500 (2 additional price drops got it down to the 12,200 level). That initial $4,800 drop happened as soon as they ended the so-called "promotion."

 

So my only advice to those booking promotions is to keep checking the prices of your cruise right up until the final payment. Sometimes the promotions might actually be a great deal...but other times.............

 

Hank

 

P.S. I posted the details because previous posts have shown that some "cheerleaders" refuse to believe these price drops. We speak the truth and can back it up with actual invoices!

 

I am a 5 star cheerleader and I believe the price drops, having seen them myself. The cruise I am watching right now has decreased in price 35% so far.

 

Mind if I ask what category you have booked?

Edited August 17, 2014 by SilvertoGold

[Alberta Quilter]

What happens if you don't drink the max each day? What is the max each day? 10 drinks? How do they keep track? Is your card punched or something?

 

My cocktail of choice is a martini straight up with an olive and gin, shaken not stirred. lol. Is this over $7.00?

 

The max is 15 drinks per day. If you don't drink them, you lose them. But that's okay; what you do drink (within the SBP's parameters) are FREE!

 

They keep track through the card used for ordering the drinks, like a gift card. That's why the drinks purchased have to be done through a POS machine.

 

Sorry, I don't know the price for martinis. Someone else, I'm sure will provide that info.

[tandemcruzr]

What happens if you don't drink the max each day? What is the max each day? 10 drinks? How do they keep track? Is your card punched or something?

 

My cocktail of choice is a martini straight up with an olive and gin, shaken not stirred. lol. Is this over $7.00?

 

Never shake gin, just vodka. Gin is to be stirred. James Bond's character only drank vodka martinis -- "shaken not stirred." :D

[Rockfan2]

What happens if you don't drink the max each day? What is the max each day? 10 drinks? How do they keep track? Is your card punched or something?

 

My cocktail of choice is a martini straight up with an olive and gin, shaken not stirred. lol. Is this over $7.00?

 

Cost for a martini is $6.95, the same as a Manhattan my drink of choice.

 

We had the SBP on our 18 night Panama Canal cruise. That was a $900/person value for no cost to us.

 

Rockfan2

[Hlitner]

I am a 5 star cheerleader and I believe the price drops, having seen them myself. The cruise I am watching right now has decreased in price 35% so far.

 

Mind if I ask what category you have booked?

 

Would prefer not to say the category since there is a tradition on CC not to get into price war comparisons on the cruise boards (we have sometimes seen that kind of info on the Roll Calls). Price comparisons can often cause some folks to feel real bad...and that is not our intention. And once folks get into price comparisons one also needs to consider other factors like OBCs (we always get decent OBCs by using certain cruise agencies).

 

Hank

Edited August 18, 2014 by Hlitner

[fuzzywuzzy]

Cost for a martini is $6.95, the same as a Manhattan my drink of choice.

 

We had the SBP on our 18 night Panama Canal cruise. That was a $900/person value for no cost to us.

 

Rockfan2

 

 

But you have to realize too that when the Explore4 has been offered free as an incentive to book early, the cost of the cruise is usually higher. So it's all relative.

[JudiK]

I just booked a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean on the Nieuw Amsterdam for late Jan

While I can see a price drop of about $100 or so pp occurring in my cabin category( a VE) I can not see that it would equal or exceed the cost of the beverage package and the free dinner for two at the Pinnacle Grill

Longer cruises for sure

[dfish]

But you have to realize too that when the Explore4 has been offered free as an incentive to book early, the cost of the cruise is usually higher. So it's all relative.

 

Just booked the Westerdam for Alaska in 2015 and we received the Explore 4 promotion. We are in the same category stateroom as we were when we did Alaska on the Zuiderdam in 2007 and the price, with the Explore 4, is actually cheaper than what we paid before. I can't imagine the price dropping much from what it is right now.

 

Debbie

[fuzzywuzzy]

Never shake gin, just vodka. Gin is to be stirred. James Bond's character only drank vodka martinis -- "shaken not stirred." :D

 

Oh. Good to know. However they make them they're good.

[Oceanwench]

The cruise we were looking to book did not go up when the Explore 4 promo came along.

We don't have the luxury of waiting for price drops anyway, as DH requires a HC cabin. :(

 

There still seems to be confusion among some about the SBP.

The only limit is the number of beverages. (And they must be under $7 of course.)

You get 15 a day.

It could be 15 waters. Or 15 beers. Or a combination of water, beer, mixed drinks, etc.

It's not the amount of money, it's the number of drinks.

[ETinCA]

The flip side is that we booked the last available SB for our cruise next year. So had we waited the cabin may have been gone. We will watch for price drops for sure but it'll only drop if a cabin is avail.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[lilybay]

I am interested in the smoothie thing. Where do they make them?