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questions on changing explore 4


creel5857
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The more I read on here and think about Explore 4 package I just don't think we will benefit from keeping it if we could get a fair credit to change to rate without explore 4.... I think our travel agent said it would save 100 dollars off each fare.....does that sound right for it to just reduce the cruise by 200?? and if we do decide to change it I guess that means I lose the room location that I had gotten assigned to me and have to start over finding a room??

 

thanks

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The more I read on here and think about Explore 4 package I just don't think we will benefit from keeping it if we could get a fair credit to change to rate without explore 4.... I think our travel agent said it would save 100 dollars off each fare.....does that sound right for it to just reduce the cruise by 200?? and if we do decide to change it I guess that means I lose the room location that I had gotten assigned to me and have to start over finding a room??

 

thanks

 

According to various member reports here on CC, the savings from dropping Explore4 varies by cruise and cabin category. In my case, it was a $500 pp savings on a 10 day cruise. For that amount, I took the lower price and gave up Explore4.

Edited by DaveOKC
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If the price difference is only $100 pp, I'd keep the explore 4. Figure $29 of that is a Pinnacle dinner, $10 is a Canaletto dinner. So you'd come out ahead if, over the course of a cruise, you drink $61 worth of bar drinks, bottled water (bought from a bar, not at the gangway), soda, or specialty coffees.

 

And if you're in a suite, there's some OBC to consider, too.

 

edited to add:

According to various member reports here on CC, the savings from dropping Explore4 varies by cruise and cabin category. In my case, it was a $500 pp savings on a 10 day cruise. For that amount, I took the lower price and gave up Explore4.

 

For $500 pp I'd give up the explore 4, too.

Edited by 3rdGenCunarder
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I'd ask your TA or check at the online site with the gnome mascot (travel o city) where you can see the difference. It varies quite a bit among different sailings and cabin categories.

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The more I read on here and think about Explore 4 package I just don't think we will benefit from keeping it if we could get a fair credit to change to rate without explore 4.... I think our travel agent said it would save 100 dollars off each fare.....does that sound right for it to just reduce the cruise by 200?? and if we do decide to change it I guess that means I lose the room location that I had gotten assigned to me and have to start over finding a room??

 

thanks

 

We were already booked on a 22-day transatlantic. Explore for 4 was added to our booking at no extra charge. So, it seemed like a decent deal to us. I'll be watching to see if the prices for this cruise change after the promotion is over and perhaps change back. The OBC was quite generous, I thought. If the change for your cabin is only $100 pp, I'd keep the Explore for 4.

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We were already booked on a 22-day transatlantic. Explore for 4 was added to our booking at no extra charge. So, it seemed like a decent deal to us. I'll be watching to see if the prices for this cruise change after the promotion is over and perhaps change back. The OBC was quite generous, I thought. If the change for your cabin is only $100 pp, I'd keep the Explore for 4.

 

Unless they've changed it, the OBC (and maybe the Canaletto dinner) was only for suites. The OBC does improve the value of the package.

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Unless they've changed it, the OBC (and maybe the Canaletto dinner) was only for suites. The OBC does improve the value of the package.

I believe that you are correct. We're traveling with my father in law who is in a verandah cabin. He didn't get the Canaletto or the $300 OBC. He did get a smaller OBC as part of National Plan a Cruise month though.

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I have been quoted a saving of £500 ($750) per person to not take explore 4. It increases the deposit by £120 but is still worth it. I don't think we would benefit from the beverage package which only covers drinks less than $8 including tax and tip. Does anyone have an idea of beer/wine/soft drink prices to compare.

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As everyone has stated it varies with length of cruise and cabin category. I am booked in a 9 day Koningsdam cruise in one of the new single ocean view cabins. It was $300 more for the Explorer 4 package. I get the following: Drink package, Pinnacle Grill dinner and $25 OBC. I don't drink much but I decided if I have a mimosa for breakfast and a couple glasses of wine in the evening and maybe an additional drink I would probably break even so decided to keep it.

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I have been quoted a saving of £500 ($750) per person to not take explore 4. It increases the deposit by £120 but is still worth it. I don't think we would benefit from the beverage package which only covers drinks less than $8 including tax and tip. Does anyone have an idea of beer/wine/soft drink prices to compare.

 

 

Whiteowl -

 

The $8 figure is based on the menu price of the drink before tax & tip. It covers quite a bit. I put this list together last spring, before the price increases went into effect, but the Signature Beverage Package limits increased to keep pace, so the information is still valid as far as what's covered. This link is going to drop you into post #351 of the thread. Post #351 has links to "what's covered & what's not."

 

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

 

Some things have changed since I wrote up the information, but they're more about program mechanics than anything else. You used to have a separate card for the SBP, but now it's tied to your stateroom key/ship ID.

 

The wine selection is limited, but all the beer choices are covered. We can work within the program's confines with respect to wine, although we did bring several cases of our own and paid corkage.

 

Roger Jett (Crew News) has bar menus from May, which is pre-price increase. Just remember that the SBP limit was $7 under the old pricing and that it's $8 under the new pricing - which means that things that were covered before are covered now. Things that weren't covered before probably still aren't.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/

 

My scan of the bar menu from the Nieuw Amsterdam is here:

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/POA.12.pdf

 

but it's a few months older. It is, however, an OCR'd PDF, which means you can search for text in it.

Edited by POA1
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Whiteowl -

 

The $8 figure is based on the menu price of the drink before tax & tip. It covers quite a bit. I put this list together last spring, before the price increases went into effect, but the Signature Beverage Package limits increased to keep pace, so the information is still valid as far as what's covered. This link is going to drop you into post #351 of the thread. Post #351 has links to "what's covered & what's not."

 

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

 

Some things have changed since I wrote up the information, but they're more about program mechanics than anything else. You used to have a separate card for the SBP, but now it's tied to your stateroom key/ship ID.

 

The wine selection is limited, but all the beer choices are covered. We can work within the program's confines with respect to wine, although we did bring several cases of our own and paid corkage.

 

Roger Jett (Crew News) has bar menus from May, which is pre-price increase. Just remember that the SBP limit was $7 under the old pricing and that it's $8 under the new pricing - which means that things that were covered before are covered now. Things that weren't covered before probably still aren't.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/

 

My scan of the bar menu from the Nieuw Amsterdam is here:

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/POA.12.pdf

 

but it's a few months older. It is, however, an OCR'd PDF, which means you can search for text in it.

 

 

First of all-- very funny Q and a here. Thanks for the links and the helpful info.

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First of all-- very funny Q and a here. Thanks for the links and the helpful info.

Thanks for the compliment. It was fun researching and writing it. We have two cruises with Signature Beverage Packages next year, so I hope to be able to provide some vaguely informative updates.

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