$1400 SBP value - What about cruises over 14 days?

[scm1848]

We are currently booked on a 12 night European cruise for next September with the SBP, in a Neptune Suite with the $300 OBC plus dinner package. We are looking at changing to a 19 or 24 night cruise. Is the SBP only good for the first 14 days? If we don't drink 15 drinks/day (unlikely), is there some sort of carry-over for the remaining days? Has anyone had this on a cruise greater than 14 days and how did it work? Thanks.

[POA1]

I think that the description is simply based on 2 people times the roughly $50 per day it would cost to buy the package. If the Signature Beverage Package is included, it's for the whole cruise.

[cabinluvn]

You can have the Explore 4 removed and save a ton of money

 

 

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[POA1]

You can have the Explore 4 removed and save a ton of money

 

 

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You have to check your particular sailing and cabin. Our Alaska cruise is the same price with or without the Explore 4. In addition, we get a $300 OBC, dinner in the Pinnacle Grill & Canaletto, and the Signature Beverage Package. So, in our case, we'd lose a lot of stuff and save exactly zero.

[RuthC]

There's no carry-over of unused drinks from one day to the next with the Signature Beverage package. It's use it or lose it.

 

Unless... you buy your extra drinks, bring them back to the cabin, and keep them for another day. Nah. That won't work. ;)

Actually, if any of those unused drinks are things like bottles of water, or cans of soda, then you could stock up. But why, if you get another 15 tomorrow?

[Alberta Quilter]

I think that the description is simply based on 2 people times the roughly $50 per day it would cost to buy the package. If the Signature Beverage Package is included, it's for the whole cruise.

 

This is correct. For two cruises for which I'm booked, one 18 days and the other 21 days, the Explore4 is offered on both (we chose not to pay extra to get the E4 on the 18 day cruise). I think HAL is just using a 14 day cruise as an example of the value since the past examples proved to be confusing for some people where they thought the maximum was $50/day.

[cabinluvn]

We had it removed from our Panama cruise and saved $2000. You can't order drinks in your cabin and the limit is $8/drink, so you can't order a bottle of wine. We don't drink soda pop or coffee, so it was pretty much useless. We ordered a wine package that included dinners in the Pinnacle Grill for a fraction of the Explore 4

 

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

We have two cruises booked that are 21 days -- No Signature Beverage Package offered.

So I think you will find that you will only get it for the 14 day portion.

[Alberta Quilter]

We have two cruises booked that are 21 days -- No Signature Beverage Package offered.

So I think you will find that you will only get it for the 14 day portion.

 

I don't believe that's true, KK. Perhaps, for your cruises, the Explore4 is not offered at all? As I said, I have two longer cruises and the E4 is offered for both - 18 and 21 days. The 21 day cruise is in Feb/17.

 

I can't see how HAL can provide a perk for only a portion of a cruise.

[kftw]

We got it for 29 day cruise. Had already booked months ago & agent was able to get it for us for an additional $100 total.

[POA1]

We got it for 29 day cruise. Had already booked months ago & agent was able to get it for us for an additional $100 total.

Are you really going to be able to drink $1.75 worth of beverages each? Every single day? For a month?? :D

[kftw]

Are you really going to be able to drink $1.75 worth of beverages each? Every single day? For a month?? :D

 

We're going to try our best.:D

[rajkr74]

You can have the Explore 4 removed and save a ton of money

 

 

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I called HAL on a cruise out of Rotterdam Netherlands and asked for the price without the Explore 4 package. The rep said they are not removing the Explore 4 packages. Have any of you been able to get it removed lately?

[rajkr74]

We have two cruises booked that are 21 days -- No Signature Beverage Package offered.

So I think you will find that you will only get it for the 14 day portion.

 

Just looked at a number of Panama Canal cruises over 14 days (19 & 21 days) that the Explore 4 package is not being offered. These are out of Fort Lauderdale to Seattle or Vancouver.

[Lizzie68]

I called HAL on a cruise out of Rotterdam Netherlands and asked for the price without the Explore 4 package. The rep said they are not removing the Explore 4 packages. Have any of you been able to get it removed lately?

 

When I recently booked a cruise I was offered a price with and a price without the Explore4 promo. I ended up taking the price with it as I was slightly ahead taking into consideration the OBC that went with it. And it is a 21 day cruise.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Lizzie68

[rajkr74]

When I recently booked a cruise I was offered a price with and a price without the Explore4 promo. I ended up taking the price with it as I was slightly ahead taking into consideration the OBC that went with it. And it is a 21 day cruise.

 

I checked with a major on-line TA for this cruise a month ago and they offered both with and without the Explore 4 package. Now they only offer the cruise with the Explore 4 and do not give the option to opt out. This matched the phone call with HAL the other day in that they only offered the cruise with the Explore 4 package. Wonder if they changed this "either with or without" option".

[POA1]

I called HAL on a cruise out of Rotterdam Netherlands and asked for the price without the Explore 4 package. The rep said they are not removing the Explore 4 packages. Have any of you been able to get it removed lately?

Not everyone sells the cruises with and without Explore 4. You know the travel site whose mascot is a gnome? (If not, Google it. I can't post it here.) If you look at your cruise there, you can see both prices.

[rajkr74]

Not everyone sells the cruises with and without Explore 4. You know the travel site whose mascot is a gnome? (If not, Google it. I can't post it here.) If you look at your cruise there, you can see both prices.

 

Interesting, thanks. The TA I was using is a large "warehouse store" with a travel division. (Hope that does not get me in trouble?) They had offered both with and without the Explore 4 package previously. They do not offer the cruise I was looking at "without" it now....confusing...:(

[cabinluvn]

I find his very unfortunate. The $300 OBC, the Pinnicle dining and the Canaletto dining, along with then$50/pp/pd drink allowance was certainly not worth the $1000pp extra charge on our trip. I would have done it if we could have had alcohol ordered to our room to enjoy on our verandah or been able to order a nice bottle of wine in the MDR or Pinnicle, but being constrained to drinks under $8 was the deal breaker, not being able to have it delivered to our suite was just silly. We can drink a lot of alcohol for $1000/pp. We got the wine package with two Pinnicle dinners and will bring our 1 bottle/pp on board and be happy as clams!

 

 

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[RuthC]

... along with then$50/pp/pd drink allowance ...

It is NOT a $50 pp/pd drink allowance! It never was a $50/pp/pd drink allowance!

It's a 15 drinks per person, per day, with a cap of $8 per drink allowance.

 

The price of the package is approximately $50/pp/pd, but the worth of the drinks is up to $120/pp/pd.

[cabinluvn]

It was my understanding that you could not order any drink above a value of $8. Even if it was $15 you still could not get a bottle of wine...maybe a glass of cheap wine

 

 

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[RuthC]

It was my understanding that you could not order any drink above a value of $8. Even if it was $15 you still could not get a bottle of wine...maybe a glass of cheap wine

You are correct on that part.

Most cocktails are under the $8 per drink limit. Some glasses of wine are under the $8 per drink limit, too.

[POA1]

You are correct on that part.

Most cocktails are under the $8 per drink limit. Some glasses of wine are under the $8 per drink limit, too.

Absolutely. There are many, many beverages you can get on the Signature Beverage Package. (Trust me on this one.)

 

Here's a post with what you can and cannot get. There's been a slight increase in drink prices since I compiled the list, but the Signature Beverage Package now covers more expensive drinks, so the list still applies.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42154126&postcount=351

[chrismch]

Per HAL website... Explore4 offers are per stateroom based on double occupancy, for 1st and 2nd guests sharing a stateroom and excludes 3rd/4th guests, except as provided herein. Explore4 offers are available for new bookings only, are not combinable with any other discounts, are not transferable, are capacity controlled, and may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice. Offers are applicable on select 2015, 2016 and 2017 departures. The Signature Beverage Package value has a daily limit of 15 beverages, which includes all beverages priced $8.00USD or lower including service charges. Signature Beverage Package excludes purchases made in Signature Shops, Mini Bar and In Room Dining, or beverages on Half Moon Cay.

[POA1]

Per HAL website... Explore4 offers are per stateroom based on double occupancy,.

... The Signature Beverage Package value has a daily limit of 15 beverages, which includes all beverages priced $8.00USD or lower including service charges. Signature Beverage Package excludes purchases made in Signature Shops, Mini Bar and In Room Dining, or beverages on Half Moon Cay.

 

The $8 is based on menu prices EXCLUSIVE of the service charge.