Explore 4 - Drinking Package

[ithaca gal]

We will be sailing on the Zuiderdam next July and have a question about the beverage package. I am assuming that even though it says "no sharing" DW and I would be able to use it to get sodas for our teen sons. Also, if all 4 of us sit down at a table and order something to drink, would we be violating the "one at a time" rule?

 

Not only does the package info state "no sharing", it says that all participants must be 21 (whether they are drinking alcohol or not). So your teens would not be able to benefit from the package.

[midwest 852]

We will be sailing on the Zuiderdam next July and have a question about the beverage package. I am assuming that even though it says "no sharing" DW and I would be able to use it to get sodas for our teen sons. Also, if all 4 of us sit down at a table and order something to drink, would we be violating the "one at a time" rule?

 

You can only get 2 drinks at a time (one on each card) then you have to wait 5 mins before you can scan that card again. As long as you get the soda you can give it to who ever you want. You cannot share your card.

[ithaca gal]

You can only get 2 drinks at a time (one on each card) then you have to wait 5 mins before you can scan that card again. As long as you get the soda you can give it to who ever you want. You cannot share your card.

 

Do you really think it is only the card you cannot share ...... But you can share the drinks?

[wldflr]

What about the 15% gratuity on the bar drinks? Included as well on the Explore4 card or will I see it added to my cabin tab?

[POA1]

What about the 15% gratuity on the bar drinks? Included as well on the Explore4 card or will I see it added to my cabin tab?

The gratuity is included. :)

[Linda&Vern]

You can only get 2 drinks at a time (one on each card) then you have to wait 5 mins before you can scan that card again. As long as you get the soda you can give it to who ever you want. You cannot share your card.

While I haven't had the SBP or E4 yet ... I don't think that is the intent. I can see this program going to way of the "all you can drink" Soda Card. Abused so much it is no longer offered.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can only get 2 drinks at a time (one on each card) then you have to wait 5 mins before you can scan that card again. As long as you get the soda you can give it to who ever you want. You cannot share your card.

 

Do you really think it is only the card you cannot share ...... But you can share the drinks?

 

So far we have not qualified to get the Explore4 card nor have we bought the Signature Beverage Card.

But keep in mind that once you hit the $50 limit for the day, then you have to pay for drinks on your own. And you can hit that $50 limit pretty quickly considering that the 15% is also added onto the cost of the drink and that is included in your $50 limit.

[OVgirl]

So far we have not qualified to get the Explore4 card nor have we bought the Signature Beverage Card.

But keep in mind that once you hit the $50 limit for the day, then you have to pay for drinks on your own. And you can hit that $50 limit pretty quickly considering that the 15% is also added onto the cost of the drink and that is included in your $50 limit.

 

I think the daily limit is 15 drinks that cost $7 or less. There is no $50 daily limit.

[Folk Singer]

Does the Explore 4 cover the coffees available in the explorations cafe as well?

 

 

I perk right up and say "Yes".:)

[POA1]

I think the daily limit is 15 drinks that cost $7 or less. There is no $50 daily limit.

That is correct. It's up to 15 drinks per day, subject to the $7 per drink limitation.

 

We bought the Signature Beverage Package earlier this year. It costs $51.69 per day ($44.95 + 15% Service Charge) per person. If they limited you to $50, that would be pretty senseless.

 

Despite a fair amount of effort to dispel the rumors, this misinformation seems to persist.

[esimon]

But keep in mind that once you hit the $50 limit for the day, then you have to pay for drinks on your own. And you can hit that $50 limit pretty quickly considering that the 15% is also added onto the cost of the drink and that is included in your $50 limit.

 

Really- you hit 50 quickly- must be drinking all day -- We did bottled water - special coffee - cocktails - wine with dinner and after dinner drinks -- never came close to our limit -- WAY too much worry over whether this is a good deal or not. unless you drink 24/7

[POA1]

But keep in mind that once you hit the $50 limit for the day, then you have to pay for drinks on your own. And you can hit that $50 limit pretty quickly considering that the 15% is also added onto the cost of the drink and that is included in your $50 limit.

 

Really- you hit 50 quickly- must be drinking all day -- We did bottled water - special coffee - cocktails - wine with dinner and after dinner drinks -- never came close to our limit -- WAY too much worry over whether this is a good deal or not. unless you drink 24/7

We exceeded the $50 pretty much every day. It's easy when you factor in a couple large bottles of water, some specialty coffees, a couple glasses of wine and a few cocktails.

 

HOWEVER - the limit is 15 drinks per day. The stated value is $50 (though technically $51.69.) The stated value is not the limit. The 15 beverages is the limit.

[Alberta Quilter]

But keep in mind that once you hit the $50 limit for the day, then you have to pay for drinks on your own. And you can hit that $50 limit pretty quickly considering that the 15% is also added onto the cost of the drink and that is included in your $50 limit.

 

Really- you hit 50 quickly- must be drinking all day -- We did bottled water - special coffee - cocktails - wine with dinner and after dinner drinks -- never came close to our limit -- WAY too much worry over whether this is a good deal or not. unless you drink 24/7

 

No, sorry, that is NOT true, as POA stated in the post directly above your posting.

 

The $50 is the VALUE of the package, the price at which HAL sells the package. The LIMIT is 15 drinks that are under $7. That means that you can have 15 mojitos if you wanted to, which would normally cost over $104; $119.89 with the 15% gratuity.

[Landlubber54]

While on a cruise last week we put a deposit down for one of the cruises that qualified us for the Explorer4 package. When I saw that it included the "Signature Beverage Package" I thought that was a great deal - until I read the fine print. My wife and I are not heavy drinkers, and the package does include some alcoholic beverages. But by the "letter of the law" you would not be able to purchase a carafe of wine with dinner. And other than house wine, you would not be able to have even a glass. I was hoping for a little more from a "Signature" package. :cool:

[Alberta Quilter]

While on a cruise last week we put a deposit down for one of the cruises that qualified us for the Explorer4 package. When I saw that it included the "Signature Beverage Package" I thought that was a great deal - until I read the fine print. My wife and I are not heavy drinkers, and the package does include some alcoholic beverages. But by the "letter of the law" you would not be able to purchase a carafe of wine with dinner. And other than house wine, you would not be able to have even a glass. I was hoping for a little more from a "Signature" package. :cool:

 

Yes, the package does "suck" from a wine drinker's point of view. Even we (who are not wine connoisseurs by any stretch of the imagination) did not enjoy the house wine.

 

But the package does include many alcoholic drinks (some exceptions for some premium liquors, I believe), specialty coffee at the Explorations Cafe, soda/pop, and bottled water for your excursions.

[sail7seas]

I would like to jump in on this as well.... We are on the Eurodam next march and we have the bar program for the first time on Holland America but we have had it on other lines. Hubby ( who is usually wrong ) said he read that it only includes house wine ... that you cannot order anything off the wine list as they are all over $ 7 per glass. This did not sound right to me ... but I wanted to make sure before I let him know he was wrong .. again ...

 

The Signature Beverage Package only covers House Wine -- which is Santa Carolina.

 

 

I don't care for the Santa Carolina and order a wine that is slightly over $7 but they will not permit someone to pay the extra. I'd be fine if they cut back the number of drinks and let me order a wine that is very moderately priced but I like. They won't. Free is worth nothing to me if I don't care for what they are giving.

[socalcruisers2]

We will be sailing on the Zuiderdam next July and have a question about the beverage package. I am assuming that even though it says "no sharing" DW and I would be able to use it to get sodas for our teen sons. Also, if all 4 of us sit down at a table and order something to drink, would we be violating the "one at a time" rule?

 

Only one drink can be ordered at a time. When my husband and I had the beverage package and ordered drinks, we each had to produce our own key card so that they could both be run.

[MaxThrusters]

The signature beverage package is great. No surprises on the bill. Almost everything is under the $7 limit, except choices in wines by the glass. A wine package solves that.

 

The one time I hit the 15 drink daily maximum(!) was New Year's Eve, oops.

[HenryK]

:confused::confused::confused: I'm totally confused. Can somebody explain succinctly the prices of each of the Explorer 4 package and Signature Beverage package. Are there any entry qualifications (we are on a 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam)?

From this thread I take it that the only wine covered is the house wine and that you can order only one drink at a time per card. But information on the exact cost of each package would be very helpful.

Many thanks.

[Alberta Quilter]

:confused::confused::confused: I'm totally confused. Can somebody explain succinctly the prices of each of the Explorer 4 package and Signature Beverage package. Are there any entry qualifications (we are on a 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam)?

From this thread I take it that the only wine covered is the house wine and that you can order only one drink at a time per card. But information on the exact cost of each package would be very helpful.

Many thanks.

 

To purchase the SBP, the cost is $44.95/day plus the 15% gratuity, for a total of $51.69. Everyone over the age of 21 in the same cabin MUST purchase the package. So, for a couple, the cost is over $103/day. Multiply that by the length of your cruise and you'll get the total cost.

 

The Explore4 is a promotion, in which the SBP is one of the perks. It is "free" with certain cruises. Free is in quotations because some cruise fares went up accordingly when the promo was introduced.

 

To find out if the cruise you're interested in has the Explore4, look up the cruise on the HAL website, click on Details. The Explore4 icon, if available for your cruise, will be flashing at the top left of the Details page, next to the cruise name.

 

I did take a look. The three 33 day cruises, in the Med, in the Zuiderdam that I found all have the Explore4 promo.

[wldflr]

Since the gratuity is included with the Explore4 card, has anyone tipped a little cash 'extra' to a special bartender in a favorite bar?

[Vict0riann]

:confused::confused::confused: I'm totally confused. Can somebody explain succinctly the prices of each of the Explorer 4 package and Signature Beverage package. Are there any entry qualifications (we are on a 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam)?

From this thread I take it that the only wine covered is the house wine and that you can order only one drink at a time per card. But information on the exact cost of each package would be very helpful.

Many thanks.

 

Everything you wanted to know - and then some :D is in this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1999316

[midwest 852]

Since the gratuity is included with the Explore4 card, has anyone tipped a little cash 'extra' to a special bartender in a favorite bar?

 

When the bartender would see me walking towards the bar she would have my drinks ready when I got there. And yes I did tip her on the last day.

[POA1]

Since the gratuity is included with the Explore4 card, has anyone tipped a little cash 'extra' to a special bartender in a favorite bar?

Yes.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't care for the Santa Carolina and order a wine that is slightly over $7 but they will not permit someone to pay the extra. I'd be fine if they cut back the number of drinks and let me order a wine that is very moderately priced but I like. They won't. Free is worth nothing to me if I don't care for what they are giving.

 

 

We do not like the Santa Carolina wines either.

Other cruise lines have different drink packages which you can upgrade to and get the better wines.