Explore 4

[Wineojim]

Has anyone heard of the Explore 4 Promotion coming back soon

[CruiserBruce]

To my knowledge it is not on some publically available calendar, so not sure how anyone would know with real certainty.

[crystalspin]

One of the TA's that keeps a [low] profile on this board leaked August 1st as the day.

 

Said there would be "changes" but not what they were.

Edited July 21, 2019 by crystalspin

[RocketMan275]

One can only wonder how much fares will increase to cover the cost of all the 'free stuff'.

[kazu]

Worth checking the price now and when (if) Explore4 comes out.

 

that way, you can do your math easily 😉.  Of course, you can also ask for pricing with and without.

 

The Explore4 offered earlier was a true promo it seems as the price was no different if you didn’t take it (unless you wanted the non refundable cruise option - I asked.) So, it will be interesting to see what happens when it comes out.

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

Worth checking the price now and when (if) Explore4 comes out.

 

that way, you can do your math easily 😉.  Of course, you can also ask for pricing with and without.

 

The Explore4 offered earlier was a true promo it seems as the price was no different if you didn’t take it (unless you wanted the non refundable cruise option - I asked.) So, it will be interesting to see what happens when it comes out.

 

Your right Jacqui!

we booked our Koningsdam 24 day cruise 

for 1/9/21 while in Maui in May .they had a email at the time showing cruises with the Explorer 4. Price was

no different if you didn’t take it! No brainer for us as it was RT San Diego to Mexico and Hawaii!

Denise😊

[TAD2005]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

Worth checking the price now and when (if) Explore4 comes out.

 

that way, you can do your math easily 😉.  Of course, you can also ask for pricing with and without.

 

The Explore4 offered earlier was a true promo it seems as the price was no different if you didn’t take it (unless you wanted the non refundable cruise option - I asked.) So, it will be interesting to see what happens when it comes out.

 

The promotion offered earlier was not Explore-4, it was called Early Booking Bonus, (EBB), which ended June 30, and you are right, the Signature Beverage Package (SBP) was added to 2019 and 2020 cruises with no change in price.   We got the SBP and a PG dinner added to our 29 day Rotterdam to FLL cruise on Oct 3, 2020, on the Rotterdam, for no change in price.  The SBP, if purchased for 2 people for a 29 day cruise would cost $3000.

Explore-4 promotion usually is added to future cruises by the end of July or first of August, and lasts until late November, just before Cyber Monday kicks in, but it usually increases the cost of a cruise by the amount of the SBP.  ($44.95 per day plus 15%, or $51.70 per day)   If you don't feel it is worth the cost, you can ask HAL PCC or your TA to price the cruise without Explore-4.  The remaining 3 perks of Explore-4 are a PG dinner, reduced deposit, and reductions to 3rd & 4th passengers in the cabin.  The biggie is the SBP, valued at $51.70 per day if you buy it online, before the cruise.  If you wait to buy it onboard, on the first day, you would pay $54.95 plus 15%.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

The recent “Early Booking Bonus” that ended was basically Explore4 under a different name. The refundable deposit fares were essentially the same under that promotion with or without it included. If they relaunch Explore4 in August I wouldn’t be surprised to see  them to only offer the SBP on balcony and above and maybe quench for oceanview/interior.  That would be in line with the recent Sip&Sail offer from sister line Princess. 

[crystalspin]

I think, though, that Early Booking Bonus was only for itineraries where it was EARLY, but don't know what the cut-off date was.

 

I got the EBB on two Obstructed Verandah cabins for 21-day Southern Caribbean in Jan2021. Just checked and the base fare is down $300pp (and deposit is doubled). SBP for three weeks is definitely worth that!

 

I don't even count the PG dinners because we wouldn't buy it if not given.

[RocketMan275]

10 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

The biggie is the SBP, valued at $51.70 per day if you buy it online, before the cruise.  If you wait to buy it onboard, on the first day, you would pay $54.95 plus 15%.

I know HAL says the SBP is "valued" at $51.70 but it would be more correct to say it is "priced" at $51.70.  The "value" isn't the same as price.  Typically, we spend less than $50 per day on beverages for the both of us.  Therefore, we consider the SBP to have a value of around $25 per day per person.  We have FCC so the reduced deposit has no value.  Nor does the reduced price for 3rd 4th passengers.  The PG dinner is $39 PP.  So we figure the value of $xplore4 to be slightly less than $400 for a seven day cruise.  

[TAD2005]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I know HAL says the SBP is "valued" at $51.70 but it would be more correct to say it is "priced" at $51.70.  The "value" isn't the same as price.  Typically, we spend less than $50 per day on beverages for the both of us.  Therefore, we consider the SBP to have a value of around $25 per day per person.  We have FCC so the reduced deposit has no value.  Nor does the reduced price for 3rd 4th passengers.  The PG dinner is $39 PP.  So we figure the value of $xplore4 to be slightly less than $400 for a seven day cruise.  

To each his own.   We have either purchased the SBP or received it as a promotion on every HAL cruise we have taken over the last 6 years.   We always total our drinks over the whole cruise (including the 15% SC) and we have always come out on the winning side by many hundreds of $$$ with the package.   If all you have is a few glasses of wine with dinner, then, of course, the SBP is not worth the expense.  But our typical cruise is 21 days and up, usually way up,  with many sea days.   The SBP pays off for us in spades.   Based on current HAL drink prices, plus the 15% SC, you break even with the SBP on your 5th drink of the day, and everything after that is free.   And no.... we are not bordering on mandatory attendance at the Bill W. meeting onboard.

[kazu]

26 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

The promotion offered earlier was not Explore-4, it was called Early Booking Bonus, (EBB), which ended June 30, and you are right, the Signature Beverage Package (SBP) was added to 2019 and 2020 cruises with no change in price.   

 

Thanks for the correction.  

 

I considered it like Explore4 as it was basically the same except maybe ( ?) for the OBC for suites. 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

13 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I know HAL says the SBP is "valued" at $51.70 but it would be more correct to say it is "priced" at $51.70.  The "value" isn't the same as price.  Typically, we spend less than $50 per day on beverages for the both of us.  Therefore, we consider the SBP to have a value of around $25 per day per person.  We have FCC so the reduced deposit has no value.  Nor does the reduced price for 3rd 4th passengers.  The PG dinner is $39 PP.  So we figure the value of $xplore4 to be slightly less than $400 for a seven day cruise.  

 

Everyone has to do their own math and you are wise to do it.

 

I’ve only had SBP once (I dropped it other times for better pricing or upgrades) and it was definitely nice to have the luxury of not worrying about ordering a drink BUT the wine choices for me are not good enough for dinner.  We still ordered wine at dinner.  Our wine steward was shocked.  LOL.

 

We do longer cruises - on a port intensive cruise it has little value IMO but on a TA or any cruise with a lot of sea days it can be worthwhile.  It all comes down to math, what you like, etc.

[TAD2005]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

Thanks for the correction.  

 

I considered it like Explore4 as it was basically the same except maybe ( ?) for the OBC for suites. 

 

 

 

 

This was a very unusual promotion.  I'm a firm believer in "there's no free lunch".   But we have been watching this 29 day cruise on the Rotterdam for 6 months prior to booking in March.  The price had stayed stable.  When we booked onboard the Eurodam last March, the FCC told us that we had a free SBP and PG dinner.   I immediately said "what is the price increase" ?  She said the price stayed the same.  I was shocked, based on prior experiences with Explore-4 and the huge price jumps.  The FCC tole me the cost of my cruise was the same, with or without the EBB promotion.   My Lanai cabin on this 29 day cruise is $4499 P/P at the time I booked.   The SBP cost to purchase online would be $1500 P/P.   This is a huge benefit for a trans-atlantic cruise with so many sea days.

[kazu]

13 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

This was a very unusual promotion.  I'm a firm believer in "there's no free lunch".   But we have been watching this 29 day cruise on the Rotterdam for 6 months prior to booking in March.  The price had stayed stable.  When we booked onboard the Eurodam last March, the FCC told us that we had a free SBP and PG dinner.   I immediately said "what is the price increase" ?  She said the price stayed the same.  I was shocked, based on prior experiences with Explore-4 and the huge price jumps.  The FCC tole me the cost of my cruise was the same, with or without the EBB promotion.   My Lanai cabin on this 29 day cruise is $4499 P/P at the time I booked.   The SBP cost to purchase online would be $1500 P/P.   This is a huge benefit for a trans-atlantic cruise with so many sea days.

 

Our FCC Annette on the Prinsendam (who is one of the FCC’s I have respect for) told me the same thing.  It’s a bonus and there is no price difference.  short term thing.

 

My TA confirmed it.  So, for once it seems like we both might have a deal.  Time will tell after Explore4 comes on and off but so far, I haven’t seen a drop either after it went off.

 

Enjoy your time on the Rotterdam.  Hope you have the same fantastic crew we did 😄 

 

 

[boze9999]

We benefited from the EBB - however it was only good on "select 20/21" sailings. We tried to get our 19 voyages covered, as well as a Caribbean in 20 and no luck on those. We are happy with the ones we got covered!!

[KAKcruiser]

There is a promo for a beverage package on a couple of Canada/New England cruises for 2019.  It is promo NB.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

18 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

There is a promo for a beverage package on a couple of Canada/New England cruises for 2019.  It is promo NB.

yes - select summer cruises have this offer to Alaska and Eurpoe as well.  fares with the NB promo are higher than any flash-fare offers, but still less of a fare increase than buying outright when booking a flash-fare