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

[honey-bunny]

You can purchase a Beverage Card which can be used in Explorations Café, but you don't get the 4* Mariner discount when you use it. In order to get the Mariner discount you have to use your cabin card for the purchase.

 

thank very much for your reply so it is much simpler to just charge it to my cabin on my room card ?

[POA1]

thank very much for your reply so it is much simpler to just charge it to my cabin on my room card ?

Yes. Here's the reason: The Mariner discount is applied to charges that hit your room account. If you used a beverage card, the Explorations Cafe charge wouldn't hit your account and you'd lose the discount. You can still use a beverage card for other things. Just remember to use your room card for your coffees.

[HALrunner]

Hey POA1, this has nothing to do with SBP but I'm looking for some wine transport advice and thought you would be the best person to ask.

 

We want to bring back a case of wine on our TA this fall, have you ever done this? If so, do you recall if the extra duty you paid was based on the value of the wine or the amount over the allowed amount of 1L/person? Also, any product recommendations for transporting it after we hit FLL? We will be flying home, but have free checked luggage and plan to check it. I have used wine skins in the past for a few bottles, but there has to be a better product for a case, right?!?

[POA1]

Hey POA1, this has nothing to do with SBP but I'm looking for some wine transport advice and thought you would be the best person to ask.

 

We want to bring back a case of wine on our TA this fall, have you ever done this? If so, do you recall if the extra duty you paid was based on the value of the wine or the amount over the allowed amount of 1L/person? Also, any product recommendations for transporting it after we hit FLL? We will be flying home, but have free checked luggage and plan to check it. I have used wine skins in the past for a few bottles, but there has to be a better product for a case, right?!?

 

We've never returned home from a cruise with a case of wine, so I can't really answer the duty question from personal experience. The CBP website says that it's generally $1-$2 per liter for non-fortified wine.

 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/212/kw/wine duty rates/

 

We have flown with wine already and we prefer to use boxes from Spirited Shipper.

 

https://spiritedshipper.com/

 

The boxes are very reasonably priced and extremely durable, but it can cost a lot to have them shipped to you. We usually buy a whole bunch of the boxes at one, which makes the per-box shipping cost less.

 

You might want to check with U-Haul as they sell wine shipping boxes and you might be able to pick them up and save on the shipping.

 

You can also buy the styrofoam inserts (Polar Tech brand and others) and put them in a heavy duty cardboard box. Don't forget the strapping tape.

Edited August 28, 2016 by POA1

[FATJACK]

I have brought a case of wine back from Europe several times through different airports and once on a Holland America TA. Although I always declare the wine at customs, not once have I been required to pay any duty on the excess bottles of wine. I think the duty on a bottle of wine is just 30 cents or so and it is not worth the time for custom officials to fill out the forms for such a small amount of money. As far as Holland America goes, at check in to avoid the corkage fee, have Holland America hold and store the wine for you and it will be returned to you the last night of your cruise.

 

I have always packed the bottles in my checked baggage and have never had a bottle damaged in my many trips with wine. We always travel business/first class (award tickets) where there is a ample baggage allowance.

[HALrunner]

We've never returned home from a cruise with a case of wine, so I can't really answer the duty question from personal experience. The CBP website says that it's generally $1-$2 per liter for non-fortified wine.

 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/212/kw/wine duty rates/

 

We have flown with wine already and we prefer to use boxes from Spirited Shipper.

 

https://spiritedshipper.com/

 

The boxes are very reasonably priced and extremely durable, but it can cost a lot to have them shipped to you. We usually buy a whole bunch of the boxes at one, which makes the per-box shipping cost less.

 

You might want to check with U-Haul as they sell wine shipping boxes and you might be able to pick them up and save on the shipping.

 

You can also buy the styrofoam inserts (Polar Tech brand and others) and put them in a heavy duty cardboard box. Don't forget the strapping tape.

 

Great advice, POA!, I knew you would have the answers!

Thanks also FATJACK for the first hand account of bringing wine on the TA. Do you know if there is limit to the amount of wine we bring through customs? Maybe we should up that number to two cases;)

[POA1]

No limit as long as you pay duty. Just make sure to factor in the transportation costs of getting them home.

Edited August 29, 2016 by POA1

[FATJACK]

No limit as long as you pay duty. Just make sure to factor in the transportation costs of getting them home.

 

My wife and I have brought more than a case back several times without every paying a duty. I do make sure to declare everything and have always been waved through customs in a very dismissive manner as if they couldn't be bothered. But if Customs was to crack down, I still would be willing to pay the $3.60 duty for a case of wine.

 

I do limit my wine to higher quality purchases. I have just one bottle of 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva left from my last trip.

[FATJACK]

A quick word of warning on shipping wine independently of your checked luggage. Some states prohibit having alcoholic beverages shipped into their borders. Most shipping companies know the rules.

[dakrewser]

If you'll be buying from the wineries have them pack the wines - their boxes are made for shipping. We've brought wines back from Europe and also had the wineries ship directly to us (we can buy direct from wineries here in Maryland). Interestingly, we've more often had to pay duty on shipped wine then on wines we've carried in.

[qak]

We are getting a beverage package on the Explore 4 deal.

 

The TA said something like - while drinks (under $7? $8?) are included, but we still have to pay the gratuities on the drink, which will be charged to the room account - is that correct?

[POA1]

We are getting a beverage package on the Explore 4 deal.

 

The TA said something like - while drinks (under $7? $8?) are included, but we still have to pay the gratuities on the drink, which will be charged to the room account - is that correct?

 

No. Explore 4 covers drinks up to $8 (menu price) and the gratuity. So, look at the menu prices, and if it's $8 or less, it's covered.

 

The most recent drink prices I know of are on CrewNew's site:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bar-Menu1-1.pdf

 

These scans are from early season Alaska, so they're pretty fresh. (Thanks, Roger!)

 

If you want to see everything, here's the main page with all the sub-menus.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/hal-beverage-menus/

 

HAL's beverage package includes bottled water, sodas, juices, and specialty coffees in addition to alcoholic beverages.

[qak]

No. Explore 4 covers drinks up to $8 (menu price) and the gratuity. So, look at the menu prices, and if it's $8 or less, it's covered.

 

The most recent drink prices I know of are on CrewNew's site:

...

HAL's beverage package includes bottled water, sodas, juices, and specialty coffees in addition to alcoholic beverages.

 

Wow, thank you!

My mouth is watering looking at all the cocktails! Looks like I'll have to try every one - might need to up the exercise routine :D

[jim80134]

So, DW drinks a lot of diet coke @ 2.25. Can we pay for this and keep the 15 drinks for, shall we say, more flavorful beverages? Or will the first 15 drinks of the day be counted against the total no matter what the cost?

[qak]

In amongst all the menus I saw a reference to 'a splash of Frangelico', but is Frangelico available?

 

And what is a 'call' spirit?

[POA1]

In amongst all the menus I saw a reference to 'a splash of Frangelico', but is Frangelico available?

 

And what is a 'call' spirit?

 

I know I've seen Frangelico, but I don't see it on the list. On my old bar menus, it was priced around the same as all the other cordials, in the $6.25 - $6.95 range.

 

A "call" spirit is anything that's not a "well" spirit. It's something you ask for by name. Basically, it's a name brand liquor. It can be anything from a basic name brand, like Jim Beam, to a single malt like Macallan 12 year old. The well brands are low end and are fine in some of the sugary or frozen drinks. However, you don't want something like well bourbon on the rocks.

[Emoliash]

We are going on a Christmas cruise with the kids (Noordam from Sydney) and have brought the SBP to partake in the festive spirit. However with no separate SBP card how do they know which non-alcoholic drinks are ours and which are the kids? I love my kids but I don't want them using my drink for their mock tails and milkshakes!

[RocketMan275]

We are going on a Christmas cruise with the kids (Noordam from Sydney) and have brought the SBP to partake in the festive spirit. However with no separate SBP card how do they know which non-alcoholic drinks are ours and which are the kids? I love my kids but I don't want them using my drink for their mock tails and milkshakes!

 

It sounds like you may have only bought one SBP. If that's the case:

 

The SBP cannot be shared. There must be one card per person.

Edited December 6, 2016 by RocketMan275

[RuthC]

However with no separate SBP card how do they know which non-alcoholic drinks are ours and which are the kids? I love my kids but I don't want them using my drink for their mock tails and milkshakes!

As noted, your kids aren't supposed to use your SBP card.

They can charge their own drinks to their cabin card, and the charges will show up on your bill. If you want to put them on a budget you can purchase a Beverage Card (this is not at all the same as a Signature Beverage Card), in $50, $100, and $250 amounts. There is no discount, but when those funds run out---they are gone.

[POA1]

We are going on a Christmas cruise with the kids (Noordam from Sydney) and have brought the SBP to partake in the festive spirit. However with no separate SBP card how do they know which non-alcoholic drinks are ours and which are the kids? I love my kids but I don't want them using my drink for their mock tails and milkshakes!

 

If I understand you correctly - and it's entirely possible that I don't - the adults in your party have the Signature Beverage Party and the children do not. The SBP, while not a separate card, is indeed tied to each room keycard. In this case, it would be the two adults' cards. The kids would have their own keycards. If you give the children charging privileges, then their non-alcoholic beverages would be charged to their cards and wouldn't affect your SBP.

 

If you didn't want the children to have charging privileges, then one of the adults would have to purchase the children's beverages. If that's the case, just tell the server that you want to pay for the sodas and not have them charged against the SBP. They should be able to do that. (We paid for the occasional low cost non-alcoholic beverage separately, just to test this.)

 

Or, as RuthC suggested, you can buy a standalone, dollar value beverage card for the children to use. Any unused amount on a purchased card gets credited back to your account at the end of the voyage.

[Emoliash]

Thank you POA1, RuthC and Rocketman275 for the advice. You are correct POA1 the two adults have the SBP. I will just ensure when we order the drinks at bars and cafes we let them know we want them charged.

 

By the way this thread is one of the classics! Have visited your blog and will be reading your other cruise reviews for entertainment.

 

 

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[POA1]

Glad to be of assistance!