Question about 4-Star Perks

[Vict0riann]

DH just came in and asked me a question I couldn't answer!:eek: He noticed that one of the 4-star perks is:

 

"A 50% discount on specialty restaurant surcharges, wine packages*, beverages in the Explorations Café* and all mini-bar purchases*"

 

and neither he not I had ever realized that it included beverages in the Explorations Cafe, which he and I both enjoy, now that we have had a cruise with a Signature Beverage Package as part of explore4. However, on our next cruise we had thought of getting a regular beverage card, say $250. Does anyone know if our 4-star perk counts when using one of those? Or will we have to use our key card to prove we are 4-star Mariners?

[1ANGELCAT]

I believe you would have to use your key card in order to get the 4Star disc. I know when I have used the beverage card no disc was applied in the Exploration Cafe

[Vict0riann]

Thanks, Angelcat!

[2ptu/000]

You can use the card from the Explore 4 package in the Explorations Café, and in a bar for bottles of water and cans of a soft drink.

[Vict0riann]

We had the explore4 card last on our last cruise, on the next, we were going to buy a card in a dollar amount, but will re-think!

[1ANGELCAT]

Thanks, Angelcat!

 

 

You are welcome. Enjoy your cruise.

[SilvertoGold]

Use your cabin card and get the 50% discount or use your Beverage Card for no discount.

[kazu]

Use your cabin card and get the 50% discount or use your Beverage Card for no discount.

 

exactly. You can't combine the Beverage card and the 4* mariner benefits. I could understand that when the beverage cards were discounted, but now it makes no sense. Be that as it may, it is the way it is currently working.

 

So, I will use my room card for the Explorations coffees/teas and my wine packages and the Beverage card for everything else. Mini bar in the room is automatically 50 % off ;)

[SilvertoGold]

exactly. You can't combine the Beverage card and the 4* mariner benefits. I could understand that when the beverage cards were discounted, but now it makes no sense. Be that as it may, it is the way it is currently working.

 

So, I will use my room card for the Explorations coffees/teas and my wine packages and the Beverage card for everything else. Mini bar in the room is automatically 50 % off ;)

 

I agree with the idea of why not let pax use their discount with the Bev Cards, after all they are just a form of cash, with no discount.

 

However, I can see that, with all these Signature Beverage packages/ Explore4 promos, it could be tricky. Since Explore4 is supposedly "free", it would be considered double dipping to let a pax use the discount and the card........messy!

[Vict0riann]

exactly. You can't combine the Beverage card and the 4* mariner benefits. I could understand that when the beverage cards were discounted, but now it makes no sense. Be that as it may, it is the way it is currently working.

 

So, I will use my room card for the Explorations coffees/teas and my wine packages and the Beverage card for everything else. Mini bar in the room is automatically 50 % off ;)

 

I agree. We had thought it would save a bit of accounting to use the beverage card, but we'll just have to use our room cards for our Explorations purchases.

 

Just to clarify, I was not talking about the SBP, but a dollar-amount beverage card, I think they come in $50, $100 and $250 amounts.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Vict0riann

[rkacruiser]

The 4 Star Mariner discounts appear on your final account statement. Those discounts would be applicable for any qualified purchases made other than by the Beverage Card.

 

You are correct as to the denominations for the Beverage Card. The major advantage of buying and using that card is that one does not have to save all of the individual drink receipts and compare those charges with the final bill.

[take us away]

We use the beverage card for bar and wine purchases, and use the room card for Explorer's Café. We do not use the room bar (we have it removed as just too many inaccurate charges) so this system works for us.

[kazu]

I agree. We had thought it would save a bit of accounting to use the beverage card, but we'll just have to use our room cards for our Explorations purchases.

 

Just to clarify, I was not talking about the SBP, but a dollar-amount beverage card, I think they come in $50, $100 and $250 amounts.

 

We are talking the same language ;) beverage card language that is;)