Removing Drinks Package When Included In The Price

[BackNow]

A week before our cruise to Alaska, I checked to see what the last minute deals are for our itinerary.  The price had gone up but it includes the Have It All drinks package.  The price went up by $50 a day.  Basically, you are forced to buy the HIA package if you booked then.

 

After the cruise, I checked the cruises to the Mediterranean a year from now.  HAL doesn’t travel that route much but Princess and Celebrity do.  They are all part of the Carnival Group.  On some itinerary, the drinks package is included.  Same with some Far East itineraries.  When you are on shore more than on board, you would not want to buy a drinks package.  By including the drinks package in the price, they are forcing you to buy the drinks package.  They are not in the business of giving you something for nothing.

 

My question is, has anyone been able to remove the drinks package for a lower price?  By how much?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

You then ask to purchase the cruise with Advantage Fares,, No perks included but is a refundable deposit. Although Deposits may be higher. You can also purchase with no perks with a Non refundable fare, pricing will be even less. But you may want to take a financial look at it. Add up what you most likely will spend on drinks including specialty coffees, water sodas etc, shore excursions, and even gratuities because most of those cruises for next year have the Have It All Plus that includes Pre paid Crew Incentive. In many cases it is a wash, pay it now or pay it later. But even if it is slightly less not adding the Have It All, often it just makes it a lot easier to have it.

[Tampa Girl]

First, HAL does cruise the Mediterranean a lot.  Secondly, I do not believe that Celebrity is part of the Carnival Corporation's family, unless it is a very new addition.   I think Laffnvegas has answered the rest of your question.  Enjoy your cruise!

[Blackduck59]

I'm not sure what you are asking. Are you asking about a HAL cruise? I'm pretty sure you can book a HAL cruise without "have it all", that being said, for many people (including us) the HIA bundle is an attractive option.

I just read the @LAFFNVEGAS post and they pretty much sum up my thoughts, they just posted first.

I hope you can find a solution for your issue. I don't think you are being "forced" into having a drink package. They are simply bundled into an attractive package that you can take or not. Just don't expect your not included fare to be discounted by the cost of the individual parts of the package. You can choose your itinerary, your ship and your cabin. Then you can choose the basic fare or the HIA, don't expect to renegotiate the basic fare based on the "per day" value of the individual parts of the HIA bundle.

[oaktreerb]

Celebrity is not part of the Carnival Corporation cruise lines.  When I pull up cruise prices on the HAL  website it gives me two choices.  With and without HIA.  Call Holland America for the third fare choice.

[cbr663]

22 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

You then ask to purchase the cruise with Advantage Fares,, No perks included but is a refundable deposit. Although Deposits may be higher. You can also purchase with no perks with a Non refundable fare, pricing will be even less. But you may want to take a financial look at it. Add up what you most likely will spend on drinks including specialty coffees, water sodas etc, shore excursions, and even gratuities because most of those cruises for next year have the Have It All Plus that includes Pre paid Crew Incentive. In many cases it is a wash, pay it now or pay it later. But even if it is slightly less not adding the Have It All, often it just makes it a lot easier to have it.

 

This.  We typically book with the Advantage Fare with a refundable deposit.  You have to call and get the fare price though as it isn't advertised online.  With the Advantage Fare you can sometimes add HIA or you can simply select the cruise only option.  

[BackNow]

Regardless of cruise lines, we all have the freedom to chose.  What is a good deal for someone, may not necessarily be for another.

 

[BackNow]

I'll check into the Advantage Fare.

 

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, BackNow said:

Regardless of cruise lines, we all have the freedom to chose.  What is a good deal for someone, may not necessarily be for another.

 

There in lies the point, you know you have a choice, it just seems you don't like the choices and want a special rate just for your specific needs. with multiple choice there is A, B, C or none of the above which means you stay home.

[oaktreerb]

5 hours ago, BackNow said:

 

 

My question is, has anyone been able to remove the drinks package for a lower price?  By how much?

Rebook at the current published fare without the drinks package and you should save $50 per day.  That seems to be the drinks package add on rate.  You can always refare prior to final payment. (unless you have a nonrefundable situation).

Edited September 23, 2023 by oaktreerb

[Reagan0712]

Agree with @LAFFNVEGAS, you need to work it out financially with and without the HIA.

I’m on the 28-day Alaska cruise next June. I rarely drink alcohol, don’t drink coffee, and am not a fan of the speciality restaurants. I still decided to check the HIA versus rock bottom price. For this cruise HAL’s upsell was around $1000 over the actual prices of everything I’d get. Since I’m already getting $400 OBC and can buy HAL gift cards at reduced prices at Target, I’m keeping the rock bottom pricing.

On the other hand, I booked a 2025 35-day Voyage of the Vikings and did take the HIA because in that case with the OBC I get and the cost of what they’re giving me, this time the upsell is only a little over $300.

Thank goodness after Alaska I’ll start getting free laundry.

[BackNow]

Thanks.  Need to check all options and priorities.  I am more of a land person than a cruiser.

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by BackNow

[Cruising Is Bliss]

On 9/23/2023 at 11:09 AM, BackNow said:

A week before our cruise to Alaska, I checked to see what the last minute deals are for our itinerary.  The price had gone up but it includes the Have It All drinks package.  The price went up by $50 a day.  Basically, you are forced to buy the HIA package if you booked then.

 

After the cruise, I checked the cruises to the Mediterranean a year from now.  HAL doesn’t travel that route much but Princess and Celebrity do.  They are all part of the Carnival Group.  On some itinerary, the drinks package is included.  Same with some Far East itineraries.  When you are on shore more than on board, you would not want to buy a drinks package.  By including the drinks package in the price, they are forcing you to buy the drinks package.  They are not in the business of giving you something for nothing.

 

My question is, has anyone been able to remove the drinks package for a lower price?  By how much?

 

Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean, not Carnival.

[Nodakboiler]

We have found the advantage fare to cost $10/day pp for the refundable deposit without HIA. In some cases we have later added HIA through our PCC for less than the original posted price.

[BackNow]

Thanks.  I'll have to review all angles.  Certainly will have a look at advantage fares.  I understand advantage fares are not advertised.  Seems like pricing is all over the map depending on  whether you are dealing with HAL online or in person on the phone or through TA.

 

HIA is not a whole lot of use for us.  I may have one drink a day and my wife none at all.  We may each have 2 coffee and an orange juice a day.  Makes no sense to have a BP.  Better to pay as we go.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2023 by BackNow

[Banditswife]

Sometimes a travel agent can find a better fare.  Don't forget that the HIA includes an internet plan.  Our Travel agent quotes us several prices for a single cruise-base rate (probably advantage rate) with non refundable deposit & with refundable deposit, then the price with HIA.  She is able to use our mariner ID to look for any discounts available to us specifically.  

[BackNow]

Thanks.  When I am on vacation, I turn off WIFI.  

 

For our next trip, I'll am open for various scenarios.  I am not restricted to HAL.  Sometimes, a special deal may pop up for a short period of time.  I am not counting on it but am open to it.

 

I will be talking to a TA.

 

In the past, we have been on land tours and touring on our own.  Been on trains, buses, cars and ferries.  Been all over Europe and parts of Asia.

 

[sandiego1]

On 9/23/2023 at 6:12 PM, Reagan0712 said:Since I’m already getting $400 OBC and can buy HAL gift cards at reduced prices at Target, I’m keeping the rock bottom pricing.

How do you get gift cards at Target at a reduced price? I see them at full price. I know AARP sells them with a discount.

[Reagan0712]

1 hour ago, sandiego1 said:

How do you get gift cards at Target at a reduced price? I see them at full price. I know AARP sells them with a discount.

If you pay for them with a Target MasterCard they deduct 5% at checkout.

What’s the AARP discount?

[sandiego1]

21 minutes ago, Reagan0712 said:

If you pay for them with a Target MasterCard they deduct 5% at checkout.

What’s the AARP discount?

Ahh, I don’t have a Target cc.

 

You don’t need to be a member of AARP to purchase HAL gift cards. You can buy up to 5/month  with a 10% discount. You can buy $500 GC for $450 each.

Edited September 26, 2023 by sandiego1

[Reagan0712]

9 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

Ahh, I don’t have a Target cc.

 

You don’t need to be a member of AARP to purchase HAL gift cards. You can buy up to 5/month  with a 10% discount. You can buy $500 GC for $450 each.

That’s a better deal than getting them at Target. Plus I can get fewer because Target only sells in increments of $100 and $200. Thanks.

[POA1]

Every time you get a hard mailer or email, there's a campaign code associated with it. Hard mail will start with HAL23 and email starts with HEP23. (23 is the year.) There is usually a fare connected to the campaign. Odds are that you have 4 or more fares available to you. Casino players probably have a lot more. When our TA explained that to me years ago, I gave up on trying to find the best fare online. I use the website for reference, but I have booked a whopping ONE cruise online and that was in 2014. We're 4* so you can pretty much guess that we had someone else book a very high percentage of our sailings.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

You never HAVE to book at the Have It All fare. Sometimes though, you really have to hunt amongst the garbage and the flowers on the website to find the Cruise Only fare. And the big promotions are usually for the HIA package. They hope you THINK that HIA is your only option, but it isn’t.

[BackNow]

When I booked the Alaska cruise, the deal sound like HIA was included.  As I went through the booking process, I discovered that it is an added offer.  I have known people who have click on to it and paid it.  Thinking they got something for nothing, they don't use it.  They sit there in the MDR and have the free orange juice and coffee.

 

They make it sound like not everybody can get HIA.  When we got on board we even got a flyer in the cabin saying it's not too late to get HIA.

 

I have been checking deals lately.  A lot of them implied that HIA is included when it fact it is an option you have to pay for.  You have to read the deals very carefully.

 

Edited September 26, 2023 by BackNow

[shadow 123]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:29 PM, sandiego1 said:

Ahh, I don’t have a Target cc.

 

You don’t need to be a member of AARP to purchase HAL gift cards. You can buy up to 5/month  with a 10% discount. You can buy $500 GC for $450 each.

Great information. Thank you