All-inclusive

Anybody know when the free all-inclusive deals for next summer end?

Anybody know when the free all-inclusive deals for next summer end?

They never state when any given offer will end. They can be removed at any time, it's frustrating!

They'd already removed the free drinks package from Discovery for next summer, only then to reinstate it!

It depends on a number of variables, the most likely reason being how quickly the particular ship in question is booked up etc. For the past three years (Dream twice and Majesty), we have went all inclusive and have generally found June, July and August to have been the best months to book to ensure the package remains available. After that it can be a hit or a miss, depending on demand.

We booked in June for the AI. offer on Discovery next year, as we reasoned it may be a popular choice due to it being the first summer as a Thomson ship. However the overall cruise price in our case has reduced by around £20 since we booked, therefore it's very hard to judge when the offer may be removed. But it can be removed on any ship without any prior warning, and not re-appear.

Thomson advert today 'book before end September for free all inclusive next summer' states free (not £10/day) and does not restrict it to any ship:p

Just one caveat it can be withdrawn without notice and they say summer is 1st May-31st Oct:rolleyes:

Thomson advert today 'book before end September for free all inclusive next summer' states free (not £10/day) and does not restrict it to any ship:p

Just one caveat it can be withdrawn without notice and they say summer is 1st May-31st Oct:rolleyes:

They must be aiming to keep the offer on until the end of the month then :)

They've already withdrawn the offer from Discovery's sailings once, but then reinstated it!

Of course it isn't really free. A week in the Med on the Dream Sept 15 is currently £712 flying from M/cr whereas a week in the Med on the Discovery Sept 16 is currently £1232 also flying from M/cr. If you're going to drink £500+ worth of booze each in a week you need a clinic not a cruise ;)

I was just answering all-afloaty's question as some people, like myself, like to book early to ensure the cabin and its nice to know, theoretically, if you are getting the best deal when you do book early. We go next week and that has been booked for over a year and the cabin type we like has not been available for the past five months, similarly our cruise in Feb next year is, if you add on the AI, still cheaper:rolleyes:

All that said we do intend to try late availability next year because you are correct that's a lot of drink to consume:p

I agree that the All Inclusive is obviously built into the price and not free as such, but like Pensioncruiser says booking early gets you the deck, cabin, airport etc. that you want, and it's hard to compare a cruise departing this month to one a year away. The one later this month would have been on a similar footing if you'd have booked it last year.

Whilst there probably are some bargains to be had this month (and I'd do the same and wait for one as cabin, airport etc. aren't important to us as a good deal), booking early for departures in August probably isn't a bad shout as the prices won't drop much, if at all, so it probably does make the drinks package free, or very nearly!

I was just answering all-afloaty's question as some people, like myself, like to book early to ensure the cabin and its nice to know, theoretically, if you are getting the best deal when you do book early. We go next week and that has been booked for over a year and the cabin type we like has not been available for the past five months, similarly our cruise in Feb next year is, if you add on the AI, still cheaper:rolleyes:

 

All that said we do intend to try late availability next year because you are correct that's a lot of drink to consume:p

We are booked for next year already thanks pensioncruiser [emoji3] like you we prefer to book early get our cabin airport and early flight time! I don't know how much our drink would cost during the course of 1 week but we definitely wouldn't go without the all-inclusive upgrade. We do love to enjoy ourselves [emoji12] Thanks for letting me know [emoji106]🏻

Well its just nice to know you are not in for a big bill even if you only like soft drinks and coffee and yes I will miss it if we do go late availability. We don't just drink coffee☺☺

Well its just nice to know you are not in for a big bill even if you only like soft drinks and coffee and yes I will miss it if we do go late availability. We don't just drink coffee☺☺

It will be interesting to see if dream and discovery are £10 per day for the drink,s pac or £100 spend for 2016-17 when home based in the Caribbean , by booking early i got the £10 drink,s pac on Celebration for 2016 previous year,s it has been £100 spend on Dream just a thought :)

It will be interesting to see if dream and discovery are £10 per day for the drink,s pac or £100 spend for 2016-17 when home based in the Caribbean , by booking early i got the £10 drink,s pac on Celebration for 2016 previous year,s it has been £100 spend on Dream just a thought :)

It will be interesting to see what they do, although my instinct will probably say just the OBC for both ships.

They've offered the £10 a night drinks package on the Celebration for early bookers the past couple of years as it's treading the same waters they've done for years, and an older ship, so it was to tempt people I guess, whereas the Dream has been chartering (mainly) previously unsailed waters for Thomson.

Of course it isn't really free. A week in the Med on the Dream Sept 15 is currently £712 flying from M/cr whereas a week in the Med on the Discovery Sept 16 is currently £1232 also flying from M/cr. If you're going to drink £500+ worth of booze each in a week you need a clinic not a cruise ;)

I have to agree, the free drinks packages on any cruise are rarely free. We had a week on Majesty in March 2014 cruise only in a plus cabin with a "FREE" drinks package from Malaga for £499 pp later on the same cruise without the Drinks package was £275 pp . I'm not complaining because we got what we wanted . We have already booked a weeks cruise only on Spirit from Malaga in Oct2016, happy with the price including a drinks package but in sure it will get cheaper once the "FREE" drinks package is dropped. I shall be keeping an eye on the Thomson Spirits prices from Malaga for summer 2016 hopefully we can get a cheap late deal albeit with a drinks package.

Two things to bear in mind here. As others have said there is no such thing as free all inclusive. The price you pay for booking so early is extremely high. Just looked at Celebration 1 week in Croatia cost £1000 plus extras in July.

Bear in mind you can fly to Caribbean and have a week on the Celebration for less.

When the 'free' offer is withdrawn the price will go down. Also Thomsons are clever at manipulating the extras costs ie cabin charge. When the cost of the cruise goes down the cabin prices go up.

All inclusive here anyway is not all inclusive you do still have to pay for many of the drinks albeit on a reduced cost.

We are regular Thomson customers and love them but don't be fooled, its rare that there are any bargains just a re shaping of the prices

Two things to bear in mind here. As others have said there is no such thing as free all inclusive. The price you pay for booking so early is extremely high. Just looked at Celebration 1 week in Croatia cost £1000 plus extras in July.

 

Bear in mind you can fly to Caribbean and have a week on the Celebration for less.

 

When the 'free' offer is withdrawn the price will go down. Also Thomsons are clever at manipulating the extras costs ie cabin charge. When the cost of the cruise goes down the cabin prices go up.

 

All inclusive here anyway is not all inclusive you do still have to pay for many of the drinks albeit on a reduced cost.

 

 

 

We are regular Thomson customers and love them but don't be fooled, its rare that there are any bargains just a re shaping of the prices

Yeah it's all swings and roundabouts but for us we prefer to book early and get exactly what we want there aren't many of the type of cabin we like so don't want to miss out and are happy to pay the higher prices by booking so far in advance. We have never had to pay any additional prices for the drinks we like but I suppose that's just lucky for us. Wouldn't go without drinks package anyway whether we pay for it or not.

Just off the dream loved every second so thought try for next year although they're offering free drinks package it's over €400 dearer than we paid this year with paid drinks package !! Advice of TA wait till just after Xmas as the cruise price always drops although you might have to pay for the drinks package you'll get free cabin upgrades . This year we booked in March for 29 August and got €450 off cruise with free cabin upgrade to deck 7 but had to pay €239 for drinks package , so still worked out cheaper than original brochure price !!

We have booked early on the Spirit for next year and got the "free" drinks package which is fine .

But I'm not sure if it weren't included I would buy it at £239 pp . Whilst I enjoy a drink and have been known to enjoy a drink too much on the odd occasion. I think I would have to go some to get a bar bill of £478 for the two of us on a 7day cruise.

I think I would have to go some to get a bar bill of £478 for the two of us on a 7day cruise.

That's what we thought too. However, we got a great deal on a last minute 'Dream; cruise at the end of June and decided to pay the £398 AI package. Hubby cannot drink much alcohol due to medication but, as we were on board each day from lunchtime onwards and it was SO hot, we had a lot of soft drinks. Added our bill up at the end of the week and we were about £35 better off than if we had paid as we went along.

We always have AI whether we pay for it or not. It all adds up really quickly if you think about it soft drinks during the day plus lovely coffees, iced virgin cocktails in the afternoon, hubby has wine with dinner, I have a couple of drinks from the bar with dinner and then cocktails in the evening! We are definitely better off with drink package lol [emoji3]

We always have AI whether we pay for it or not. It all adds up really quickly if you think about it soft drinks during the day plus lovely coffees, iced virgin cocktails in the afternoon, hubby has wine with dinner, I have a couple of drinks from the bar with dinner and then cocktails in the evening! We are definitely better off with drink package lol [emoji3]

You are paying for it, one way or another, as other forum members have said.

Thomsons don't do free.

My reservation about paying for the drinks package as an extra is that it encourages you to drink more than you would normally, or if paying as you go - there is a mindset to "must get our money's worth" in this situation.

We did on one cruise as it was a really attractive price though !!!

You are paying for it, one way or another, as other forum members have said.

 

Thomsons don't do free.

 

My reservation about paying for the drinks package as an extra is that it encourages you to drink more than you would normally, or if paying as you go - there is a mindset to "must get our money's worth" in this situation.

 

We did on one cruise as it was a really attractive price though !!!

Each to their own [emoji33]

Each to their own [emoji33]

Agreed.