Guess What Happens After Explore4 Ends?

[SightCRR]

The HAL web site for our upcoming Alaska cruise says the Explore4 ends Nov 15. Any guesses what will happen then?

Explore4 gets extended?

Price goes down without it? (the one I'm hopping for to rebook without it)

Not much change at all with same price and new bookings don't have it?

Something else?

TIA

sightcrr

[Crazy For Cats]

I'm hoping that the prices drop after the promotion ends. It would be a challenge to use $50.00 per day on drinks.

[solocanadian]

Who knows what they will do. I first booked my May 2013 B2B Alaska cruises in September and got Explore4. There was a huge price drop in October so my original bookings were cancelled and rebooked. Because of the price drop [approx. $2200] I lost Explore4. That's OK with me. Therefore, prices may go down after Explore 4 goes. However that is only a "guess" on my part.

[DaveOKC]

Based on what I can see on he cruises I am looking at, HAL has priced in the Explorer 4 program on those cruises. Similiar ones are alot less.

 

So, I expect prices to drop, but not right away, perhaps in a week or two afterwards.

 

I would rather have the lower prices.

 

DaveOKC

[kazu]

Based on what I can see on he cruises I am looking at, HAL has priced in the Explorer 4 program on those cruises. Similiar ones are alot less.

 

So, I expect prices to drop, but not right away, perhaps in a week or two afterwards.

 

I would rather have the lower prices.

 

DaveOKC

 

I think Dave's best guess is the best guess :D

[boards]

We will be checking closeld for the change in the rates after the Explore4 promotion is finished because of the cruise we have booked next Sept. 2014. With the new rates or new promotion you will have to factor in the cost of drinks involved in the present Explore4 promotion to compare rates. We will be watching to see how this pans out.

[sedbandmom]

I'm hoping that the prices drop after the promotion ends. It would be a challenge to use $50.00 per day on drinks.

 

I know what you mean.

Sandy

[sevenseasnomad]

I'm hoping that the prices drop after the promotion ends. It would be a challenge to use $50.00 per day on drinks.

 

Particularly since you can only purchase a drink that costs $7 or less with that plan. Very disappointing when we read the fine print and realized that all our dreaming of trying out the exotic drinks was just that, a dream.

[tangerinebunny]

Particularly since you can only purchase a drink that costs $7 or less with that plan. Very disappointing when we read the fine print and realized that all our dreaming of trying out the exotic drinks was just that, a dream.

 

So while HAL may have gained your booking, they probably now have to work harder to impress you?

 

PR campaigns can be short sighted that way.

[Vict0riann]

As it is a "promotion", I think they are trying to promote their Signature Drinks Package, which costs $49.95 a day, I believe. They want to get people hooked on the thought they can drink all they want; hopefully, more than they would normally. Certainly, it would be that way for us. Normally, on board, we would have wine with dinner (usually Navigator's package, now 1/2 price for us) and perhaps, if we go to the show, a Bailey's or other liqueur. Our 42-day TA next year, we have the explore4 added. I've been planning! I think I'd have a specialty coffee (or 2) midmorning, then perhaps a mimosa with lunch, a proseco or 2 in one of the bars before dinner, maybe 2 glasses of wine with dinner, and 2 liqueurs after dinner, maybe a decaf cappuchino. What would that come to - perhaps $35 or $40. I probably couldn't keep that up for too long, however, and of course, on port days wouldn't be able to get anywhere near that! As fun as it might be to have the "free" stuff, I would never be tempted to purchase the Signature Beverage Package, having tested the freebie. For 42 days, that has a "value" of $2100 for each of us. I guess I will have to watch and see if our category comes down that amount, to make it worthwhile to rebook at the lower price.

[cruz chic]

As it is a "promotion", I think they are trying to promote their Signature Drinks Package, which costs $49.95 a day, I believe. They want to get people hooked on the thought they can drink all they want; hopefully, more than they would normally. Certainly, it would be that way for us. Normally, on board, we would have wine with dinner (usually Navigator's package, now 1/2 price for us) and perhaps, if we go to the show, a Bailey's or other liqueur. Our 42-day TA next year, we have the explore4 added. I've been planning! I think I'd have a specialty coffee (or 2) midmorning, then perhaps a mimosa with lunch, a proseco or 2 in one of the bars before dinner, maybe 2 glasses of wine with dinner, and 2 liqueurs after dinner, maybe a decaf cappuchino. What would that come to - perhaps $35 or $40. I probably couldn't keep that up for too long, however, and of course, on port days wouldn't be able to get anywhere near that! As fun as it might be to have the "free" stuff, I would never be tempted to purchase the Signature Beverage Package, having tested the freebie. For 42 days, that has a "value" of $2100 for each of us. I guess I will have to watch and see if our category comes down that amount, to make it worthwhile to rebook at the lower price.

Next stop might have to be AA :D:D;);).

[esimon]

lots of you live and drink way differently than we do - I've seen the 'drink menu' and most of what I'd be interested in is on that list. A glass of wine at dinner is nice and we drink '3 buck chuck' at home so wouldn't buy the expensive stuff. If my drinks are prepaid I will probably have a few -- if I have to pay at the end of the cruise will have a lot less.

 

The TA says our price (Alaska 4/14) was not effect by the promo so I'm good with the whole idea --

 

will be interesting to see what HAL does with this

[Vict0riann]

Next stop might have to be AA :D:D;);).

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Lorene! You might be right.:D

[trains]

I got an email from HAL that said the special Explore4 deal ends November 15, 2013. You get all 4 of the options if you book before then. I assumed that the Explore4 program itself would be continuing though.

[SeaBands]

to compete with Celebrity bonus 3 which I think is much better. They may try an all inclusive drink package with your booking as a bonus.

[nana51]

I'm on a cruise to Alaska next July and we all got the explore program. There are 8 of us and I'm the only non-drinker. They are all simple folk and are fine with "cheap" wine and are excited about the explore 4. I would much rather have a lower price but my roomie is a drinker and won't. Oh well, next time.

[sherilyn70]

I went ahead and booked with the offer. My husband prefers soda over other free choices of drinks. I like a latte with breakfast. Toss in a few drinks since we're on vacation and I think we'll get the value back even if it is caculated into our cruise price. The free dinner at Pinnacle is a good deal as well since we would definitely be doing it at least once on our own.

[bumperoo]

We booked a few months ago for our cruise to Alaska and received the Explore 4 promotion. The price for our cruise has decreased $140. So although the promotion is not "free", we are happy to keep our signature beverage package for the week for two people for that amount. Not sure how the prices have changed for others, but we will be happy in our aft cabin sipping a few Alaskan beers.

[lizzies_mom]

Trivia teammates who joined our team several days into the cruise said their original teammates quit trivia because they needed more time to drink.

[SightCRR]

Our 14 day cruise with eight port days to AK just dropped $200 p/p the day after Explore4 ended. Still deciding what to do. Actually I was thinking/hopping it would drop more.

Sightcrr

[boards]

It has been less than one day, but our cruise rate remains the same as it was with the Explore4 promotiom, so the Explore4 promotion looks like it is a good deal to us so far. Time will tell.

[Hlitner]

Like many other folks, we had our own internal debate about whether to take advantage of the Explore 4 promo or simply wait. In the end we booked a cruise (about 1 year in advance) during the promo and here is our reasoning. With the promo we got a reduced deposit which is always a nice thing although not a deal maker/breaker. We get the drink package...and since DW and I enjoy adult beverages this is a good thing. Our booking is for a shorter 38 day cruise and HA would have us believe the drink package is worth $3800. But given the restrictions built into the package and our personal drinking habits we estimate the value (to us) at about $55 per day (that is total per couple). This means it's worth about $2100 (which we would have spent without the package).

 

If the price of our cruise were to drop by over $2000 we would probably have our TA rebook at the new price. There is no penalty for doing so....although it means we would most likely lose the Explore 4 promo package. But we see it as a win-win since we have nothing to lose by booking now...and can still take advantage of future price reductions if they are worth it. Now some might say its better to wait until inside the final payment period and perhaps catch a great deal (we have done this on other cruises) but our particular booking involves a major undertaking since we plan on spending substantial land time in New Zealand after our cruise (it ends in Auckland). Because of the need for us to do some planning for self-drive land portion, and the potential advantages of booking our air a bit early...this is not a case where a last minute booking makes much sense.

 

Hank

[localady]

We hopped in just before the 15th as our TA was able to offer the lowest price we have seen yet for one of our "bucket list" cruises. :D:D

 

It will be interesting to see if the price drops further without the Explore4. DH can't have alcohol due to medical issues and I am a light drinker. It will be nice to have our coffee and bottled waters covered as we tend to drink more of them. It will be interesting to see if Pellegrino and still bottled waters are included, I am assuming since they are under $7.00 they would be.

 

Explore4 is not a make or break for us, so of course we will be watching the prices.

[lindaler]

We booked a year out yesterday and got the explorer 4 package. Like others, it is not a deal breaker but did have some benefits. DH does not do alcohol but likes his sodas and I like my coffees, bottled water for shore excursions is good too. Does that mean you can drink the bottles in your room and have that included in the daily amount? We will just have to wait and see if there is a price drop, will they take away the ex 4 package. Will they want more of the deposit then? We will be watching you other guys on your cruises to see how it works out since I think we got one of the latest possible bookings, for November 2014.

[Lkcossmfr]

We hopped on the promo yesterday too, figured we can always hop off if something better comes along.

Don't you think this new drink package thing is tied to the new wine restrictions ? I drink only wine , I would never pay 50 bucks a day for it when I can bring on unlimited bottles of wine. (I wouldn't pay 50$ a day either way.. That's a lot of wine for me)