Explore 4

[donnadoll]

I have recieved 2 complimentary dinners at the Pinnacle Grill and 1 dinner at Caneletto as part of Explore 4 promotion and also a AAA promotion, where the double dipping was allowed. How do I receive these free specialty dinners? When I try to make a reservation, I am forced to pay the upcharge on my credit card. Thank You to anyone who could help clarify.

[msmayor]

When you receive the dinners via HAL promotion, you will find a card in your stateroom upon embarkation that will tell you the day and time that has been reserved for you. If it isn't to your liking, you can go to the Pinnacle/Canaletto and ask about having it switched.

 

OR....this is what I did.

 

There was a specific day and time I wanted for our Pinnacle dinner, so I booked AND paid for it on-line before our cruise. Once on board, I asked that my complimentary dinner reservation be 'applied' to the existing reservation already booked. It was no problem at all.

 

A credit for what I paid on the original reservation was applied to my onboard account on the last day for the $70 I paid in advance. In effect, the $70 I paid in advance just went towards my spa visits, but I got the exact day and time I wanted for my complimentary Pinnacle dinner.

[donnadoll]

Thank You very much.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We had the Explore4 two times.

One time we had trouble getting a refund for booking the Pinnacle and then using the free dinner for that night. The Pinnacle Manager was not agreeable to anything and we ended up contacting HAL at the end of cruise to get money back for a free dinner.

Good Luck.

[msmayor]

The Pinnacle Manager was not agreeable to anything and we ended up contacting HAL at the end of cruise to get money back for a free dinner..

 

 

 

I never went to the Pinnacle...since we were in a Neptune I asked the Concierge to handle it for me, and he made the switch in minutes.

[anonmom]

I can never seem to catch the Explore 4 promo. :/ When did you book?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Forums mobile app

[papaflamingo]

I can never seem to catch the Explore 4 promo. :/ When did you book?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Forums mobile app

We also have Explore 4. We booked end of March, but changed the booking in July 24, 2016 to get the Explore 4 advantage. It only went up a few hundred for both so well worth it. Then Sep. 3, 2016 the rates came down but Explore 4 was still available. So net "upcharge" for Explore 4 was $80 TOTAL for both of us to get Explore 4 (we have a Vista Suite).

Anyway, to answer your question. The Explore 4 program ran from before July 24, 2016 to after Sep. 3, 2016. Don't know actual date it started or ended. But don't think it ran much longer or started much earlier. I am pretty aggressive at checking rates and promotions.

[donnadoll]

I can never seem to catch the Explore 4 promo. :/ When did you book?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Forums mobile app

 

We booked last September of 2016. AAA had a Holland Amercia Alaska Presentation and if you went to the presentation AAA had some really nice promotions also.

[anonmom]

Ok, I guess I need to just be patient, then. I've never cruised HAL before and I thought Explore 4 would come up more often, like the bonus promotions NCL often adds to Free at Sea on holiday weekends. Thanks!

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Forums mobile app

[msmayor]

We changed our booking to the Explore 4 promotion the weekend of 7/16 last year...I believe it was out less than a week at that time. I sent my PCC an email to ask about applying it to our reservation, and we were able to at an additional cost of $85pp...for a 10-night cruise. No-brainer for the benefits we received.

[Tinknock50]

We had the Explore4 two times.

One time we had trouble getting a refund for booking the Pinnacle and then using the free dinner for that night. The Pinnacle Manager was not agreeable to anything and we ended up contacting HAL at the end of cruise to get money back for a free dinner.

Good Luck.

I am also leery of booking something that should already be paid for too. I just hate the hassle of having to get my money back afterward. I avoid that like the plague.

[Appalachian Mountain Mama]

I booked my Sept 2017 cruise on Oct 30 2016 and received the Explore 4 promotion, I think it ended the next week though.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[POA1]

We've always pre booked and prepaid to get the times we want. We've been successful in getting a credit for the complimentary Pinnacle dinner 100% of the time going back years. Not all were Explore 4. A bunch were American Express Platinum free Pinnacle dinners (sadly discontinued benefit.) We operate under the realization that there's a risk that we might be stuck without the credit, but it's never actually happened to us.

[Luvsnorkeling]

Can you tell me more about the AAA promotion? Did you have to book the cruise through AAA? Or was it an offer for any AAA members?

[donnadoll]

Can you tell me more about the AAA promotion? Did you have to book the cruise through AAA? Or was it an offer for any AAA members?

 

We were thinking of taking as Alaskan Cruise and just noticed AAA had a Holland America Alaska Show in our City. My husband and I attended the show. There were many perks for those people who attended the show. I think you had to be a member to attend the show and definately a member for the AAA perks. Unfortunately we had to put Alaska on hold for a year. So I knew what to wait for. Holland America's Explore 4 promotion came around July of 2016. We knew the AAA/Holland America night was in August. We attended the show and had 2 weeks to book to get the additional AAA promotions.

We recieved from Holland America the Explore 4 package

From AAA we recieved: Dine around: a Pinnacle Grill dinner and a Cannaletto Dinner

$100 beverage card we will use to buy a bottle of wine at the Pinnacle Grill

$50 shipboard credit

$50 Denali money and the Coupon Booklet!!!

We booked our cruise in September 2017.

In Oct, we were notified, if we wanted to pay in full by Oct. 31, we would recieve an additional $75 shipboard credit from HAL.

Keep your eyes open

Donna

[donnadoll]

We were thinking of taking as Alaskan Cruise and just noticed AAA had a Holland America Alaska Show in our City. My husband and I attended the show. There were many perks for those people who attended the show. I think you had to be a member to attend the show and definately a member for the AAA perks. Unfortunately we had to put Alaska on hold for a year. So I knew what to wait for. Holland America's Explore 4 promotion came around July of 2016. We knew the AAA/Holland America night was in August. We attended the show and had 2 weeks to book to get the additional AAA promotions.

We recieved from Holland America the Explore 4 package

From AAA we recieved: Dine around: a Pinnacle Grill dinner and a Cannaletto Dinner

$100 beverage card we will use to buy a bottle of wine at the Pinnacle Grill

$50 shipboard credit

$50 Denali money and the Coupon Booklet!!!

We booked our cruise in September 2017.

In Oct, we were notified, if we wanted to pay in full by Oct. 31, we would recieve an additional $75 shipboard credit from HAL.

Keep your eyes open

Donna

 

You did have to book with AAA to get the AAA promotions

[donnadoll]

Another question. If you let HAL reserve your complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner, is there any chance they would reserve on Gala Nights or any other special nights??

Donna