Increasingly, guests appreciate knowing what their total vacation costs will be ahead of time, rather than separately accounting for cruise fare, drinks, dining, excursions, and more. For guests on Holland America Line, the new “Have It All” package can provide clearer pricing while also offering substantial savings for many.
What’s Included in HAL’s “Have It All” Package
For cruises 6 to 9 days:
- One shore excursion up to $100 value or $100 off any one tour for all guests in a stateroom.
- Signature Beverage Package for all guests in a stateroom. This includes beer, wine, cocktails, specialty coffee, bottled water, and more. Non-alcoholic beverages are unlimited, and each guest can enjoy up to 15 alcoholic beverages per day with the package. Gratuities are included.
- One night of specialty dining for all guests in a stateroom. On ships with Tamarind (Asian fusion), guests will receive one night at Tamarind or Pinnacle Grill. On ships without Tamarind, guests will enjoy one night at Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto (Italian).
- A Wi-Fi package for the first and second guests in a stateroom.
Cruises of 10 to 20 days:
- All of the extras included in the package for six- to nine-day cruises, PLUS an additional $100 shore excursion or tour credit ($200 per guest total).
- Two nights specialty dining: guests on ships with Tamarind receive one night at Pinnacle Grill and one night at Tamarind. Guests on ships without Tamarind receive one night at Pinnacle Grill and one night at Canaletto.
Cruises of 21+ days (excluding Grand Voyages):
- All of the extras included in the package for 10- to 20-day cruises, PLUS an additional $100 shore excursion or tour credit ($300 per guest total).
- Three nights specialty dining: Guests on ships with Tamarind receive one night at Pinnacle Grill, one night at Tamarind and one night at Canaletto. Guests on ships without Tamarind receive two nights at Pinnacle Grill and one night at Canaletto.
The Savings with HAL’s “Have It All” Package
HAL claims that the benefits included with the Have It All package on seven-night sailings represent a value of $99 per guest, per day, and that this works out to a savings of 50% or more compared to purchasing these amenities separately.
To quantify the value, we can look at each amenity:
- The Signature Beverage Package costs $54.95/night, plus a 15% gratuity, though it is available for $49.95 when purchased before your cruise – so we’ll round to $57.50/night.
- A $100 shore excursion credit, divided by seven nights, is just over $14/night.
- There are several WiFi packages offered, but HAL, so until "Have It All" package is available for booking, we’ll assume the most economical Social Voyage plan is included, which is $69.99 when ordered for an entire seven-night sailing – or the equivalent of about $10/night.
- HAL’s Pinnacle Grill costs $39 per person, which works out to about $5.60/night.
Everything above comes out to just over $87/night, but it’s possible Holland America is calculating things differently, such as drink package pricing for onboard purchases, different WiFi packages, etc. We could, of course, see price increases once they start sailing again.
Regardless, with the line’s promise of a savings of “50% or more” compared to purchasing these amenities individually, we’d expect that the package will cost around $700 for a stateroom with two guests on a seven night sailing. We should get a better idea when the package becomes available on April 21, 2021. Keep in mind the cost (and value) will vary if you have three or four guests in a stateroom.
Billy’s Take
For guests already planning on purchasing beverage packages and WiFi, the “Have It All” package will likely be a no-brainer – especially since we’re likely to see that guests wishing to disembark in ports of call must purchase cruise-line sponsored shore excursions as part of new protocols to ensure the safety of guests and locals. The additional specialty dining benefit will be welcome as well, as despite being vegetarian, we really enjoyed Pinnacle Grill on our Nieuw Amsterdam sailing.
More than just adding convenience in pricing as well as, for many, overall savings, this change puts Holland America in a position to more easily compete with other premium cruise lines in North America, specifically Celebrity Cruises with their Always Included fares, and Princess Cruises' Princess Plus fares.