Wines and corkage and bars, Oh my! (Signature Beverage Pkg, Beverage Cards & Corkage)

[POA1]

LOVE your comments - what a refreshing (pun intended) thread. So....we have the SBP on an upcoming cruise that ends with an overnight in Venice. Based on your experience, when do you think we will have to surrender the vaunted card?

 

You get to keep your card. However, we can state with nearly one hundred percent certainty (95.5%, with Z=2) that the SBP card will not work after your last night onboard.

 

It doesn't seem to work in airport lounges, on planes, or even in Fort Lauderdale area drinking establishments. We forgot to see if you could get a Bloody Mary in a "to go" cup when HAL security is scanning you off the ship during debarkation, but I kind of doubt it.

[POA1]

SeaWatch see you on board and we can share an SBP cocktail :)

 

Ciao,

 

Cristiano

 

Don't forget: Grappa is covered if you want to have an Italian Breakfast of Champions. (I don’t know what brand of grappa they serve. We're hoping to procure additional research funding to uncover this and other mysteries. There are so many unanswered questions.)

[Cristiano]

Don't forget: Grappa is covered if you want to have an Italian Breakfast of Champions. (I don’t know what brand of grappa they serve. We're hoping to procure additional research funding to uncover this and other mysteries. There are so many unanswered questions.)

 

Thanks POA1 perhaps I can share one with SeaWatch :)

I think I can entice him into joining me for at least one drink whilst we are on board for the 26 days :D

 

Ciao,

 

Cristiano

[SeaWatch]

:) life is good

[SeaWatch]

Well then, we must complain to HAL upper management! Seriously I was wondering if it's available for dinner and after dinner drink drinks on the last night?

[VermeulT]

Attached is the Beverage Events Schedule for the Eurodam Western Caribbean (3/2-3/9, 2014)

beverage events.pdf

[POA1]

Well then, we must complain to HAL upper management! Seriously I was wondering if it's available for dinner and after dinner drink drinks on the last night?

 

Yes, it was good all night. Or at least until we called it a night and went back to put our suitcases out.

[POA1]

Attached is the Beverage Events Schedule for the Eurodam Western Caribbean (3/2-3/9, 2014)

 

Thanks for posting that. I suppose you'll want credit when our research is published in the beer peer reviewed journals. :rolleyes:

 

The Noordam didn't have a pub crawl, and our mixology classes were a little different. We also had a wine and chocolate tasting.

Edited March 12, 2014 by POA1

[SeaWatch]

We're you able to reach the 15 drink limit? I am strategizing on ways to accomplish that noble feat.

[VermeulT]

Thanks for posting that. I suppose you'll want credit when our research is published in the beer peer reviewed journals. :rolleyes:

 

The Noordam didn't have a pub crawl, and our mixology classes were a little different. We also had a wine and chocolate tasting.

 

 

Since I didn't take part in true research - I'll be happy to let you guys take credit. ;) You did a lot of hard work on that trip and provided an awesome amount of information. Thank you.

[frankc98376]

This is half the caviar service in the Pinnacle. Since DW and I split it, they gave us two plates. There is no creme fraiche despite the menu's indication to the contrary. We also expected to see some capers, but the menu didn't say anything about them, so they might not be part of HAL's caviar set up.

 

 

It's not the most attractive caviar service we've ever had. Face it. It's downright pedestrian. But for $45 an ounce, it is a good deal. It would be even better if it had the creme fraiche. The Pinnacle on our Noordam voyage was a huge source of complaints from our fellow passengers, so it might be better on other ships.

 

Would we order it again? Of course.

 

What is under the Caviar?

[POA1]

What is under the Caviar?

 

Buckwheat blinis. (AKA oh-so-tiny pancakes.)

[POA1]

We're you able to reach the 15 drink limit? I am strategizing on ways to accomplish that noble feat.

 

One of our brave researchers was able to accomplish it by abstaining from everything but Coors Light. In related news, all of the men's rooms were in good working order. :D

 

We also maxed out on a technicality on the last day. We didn't buy our SBP cards until Day 2 of the cruise. That meant that the ship's accounting staff had to back out anything we drank on the first and second day. When they were trying to get the account straight for DBIL and DSIL, the Neptune concierge somehow applied Day 1 & 2 drinks against the Day 10 total, effectively zeroing them out at 7 and 9 drinks apiece.

 

Cut off early on the last night of the cruise made for some pretty annoyed scientists. To keep the peace, I just charged a few rounds to our room for them so we could keep up our important, groundbreaking work. (That's why I get to be head researcher - leadership under pressure.) :cool:

 

Realistically, you could probably get close to the maximum if you had specialty coffee in the morning and wine with your meals. We brought on a lot of of our own wine for Project Corkage , which cut down on mealtime SBP consumption. You can also get bottled water to maintain hydration or even Vitamin Water for hangover mitigation.

Edited March 12, 2014 by POA1

[julia]

POA:

 

Am I understanding you correctly that your SBP purchase on day 2 was made retroactive?! :eek: I'm a bit surprised by this, because on Celebrity (where they have their beverage packages "down to a science"), they start on the day of purchase only....

[frankc98376]

Buckwheat blinis. (AKA oh-so-tiny pancakes.)

 

Looks like pate'

Odd- I've usually had small toast points with it

[POA1]

Looks like pate'

Odd- I've usually had small toast points with it

 

Blinis are pretty traditional. They're not always served because they're a little more work. You need a teeny tiny griddle and a miniature spatula. ;)

[POA1]

POA:

 

Am I understanding you correctly that your SBP purchase on day 2 was made retroactive?! :eek: I'm a bit surprised by this, because on Celebrity (where they have their beverage packages "down to a science"), they start on the day of purchase only....

 

Yes. They charge you $44.95 + 15% service charge for each day going back to day 1. In retrospect, I would make sure I purchased the cards either before I left home, or before we had our first drink. HAL definitely has some work to do on the accounting side of things.

 

The SBP is posted to your account, but it's a separate card. Anything that needs to be reversed out is done by the night auditor. Let's just say that it's a good thing we checked our bill early and that we were just steps away from the Neptune lounge concierge. If we had to run down to the front office repeatedly, that would have been enough to drive us to drink.

[bumperoo]

Did the cards roll over at midnight for calculating the 15 drinks per day? Thanks for all your research! The thread has kept me and my husband very entertained and thinking we need to start Spring training for our upcoming cruise.

[POA1]

Did the cards roll over at midnight for calculating the 15 drinks per day? Thanks for all your research! The thread has kept me and my husband very entertained and thinking we need to start Spring training for our upcoming cruise.

 

Yes, it rolls over at the stroke of midnight. One of our research assistants (bar waiter in Northern Lights) told us so. However, we designed a carefully constructed, meticulously controlled experiment whereby the aforementioned Coors Light drinker would run out prior to twelve. He then switched over to his Explore 4 $50.00 beverage card briefly to keep his research going. (We were running double blind, controlled buzz trials as well.)

 

At midnight, our bartender green-lighted our dedicated scientist and he was again back on his SBP allotment.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is half the caviar service in the Pinnacle. Since DW and I split it, they gave us two plates. There is no creme fraiche despite the menu's indication to the contrary. We also expected to see some capers, but the menu didn't say anything about them, so they might not be part of HAL's caviar set up.

 

 

It's not the most attractive caviar service we've ever had. Face it. It's downright pedestrian. But for $45 an ounce, it is a good deal. It would be even better if it had the creme fraiche. The Pinnacle on our Noordam voyage was a huge source of complaints from our fellow passengers, so it might be better on other ships.

 

Would we order it again? Of course.

 

 

Looks wonderful.

[northernphoenix]

Is it necessary to place an order in advance for the caviar ?? DBIL and. I will share thus, while DH will enjoy the Ceasar salad

Marilyn

 

 

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[POA1]

Is it necessary to place an order in advance for the caviar ?? DBIL and. I will share thus, while DH will enjoy the Ceasar salad

Marilyn

 

 

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No. Just show up and order it. The prep work for caviar is mostly chopping. And the cooking of the blinis can't take but a few minutes. After all, how long can a tiny griddle take to preheat? ;)

 

I believe it's also available from room service at the same price, but have not ordered it from them.

Edited March 16, 2014 by POA1

[K&RCurt]

I believe it's also available from room service at the same price, but have not ordered it from them.

 

Oh, I am now intrigued. There is some follow on research to be done! This is an experiment that I will conduct and report back on the results!

Edited March 16, 2014 by K&RCurt

[northernphoenix]

I must say that I am a caviar "virgin". Will this presentation give me a decent representation?

Marilyn

 

 

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[POA1]

I must say that I am a caviar "virgin". Will this presentation give me a decent representation?

Marilyn

 

 

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This wasn't the best caviar presentation we've ever had. That said, I'd take caviar and a Ritz cracker over no caviar at all.

 

Seriously though, there's a bit more helpful information here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1994688

 

 

Pinnacle Caviar Serving Size?