Wine packages on Royal?

[Adventures ahead]

Can you use unused punches on your next cruise, or does the card expire on the cruise you purchased it on?

[Astro Flyer]

Can you use unused punches on your next cruise, or does the card expire on the cruise you purchased it on?

 

The wine card punches can only be used during the cruise it is purchased.

 

One time during a 31 day cruise that we booked as a B2B (14 & 17 day cruises) we purchased the wine card on the 14 day cruise. Because it is to be used during the cruise it was purchased, we asked our traditional dining room waiter if we could use it on our 17 day cruise & after checking he said we could do it. Although even if it was not allowed we could've gotten the remaining bottles at the end of the 14 day cruise and brought them to the dining room during the 17 day cruise without any additional fees because we purchased them from Princess.

 

This is probably the only exception to the must be used during the cruise purchased restriction but may vary based on how it is enforced.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[sjobz]

One other thing to note is that there is of course a 15% gratuity added. Our 7 bottle / Silver was a total of $185.15.

[Murphey]

This is probably a dumb question, but why would you buy the Gold package when you can buy any priced bottle and just pay the difference. What am I not getting???

[Astro Flyer]

Based on what I've read availability is primarily based on length of your cruise and having sufficient inventory. Generally it's available on cruises longer than 7 days which I'll do soon on the Regal.

 

The details on the wine packages are:

 

Note: A 15% gratuity is added to all package prices (like any other drink purchase).

 

Silver Package (wines up to $29 per bottle list price)

7 bottles -- $161 (average of $23 per bottle)

10 bottles -- $210 (average of $21 per bottle)

12 bottles -- $240 (average of $20 per bottle)

 

Gold Package (wines up to $45 per bottle list price)

7 bottles -- $217 (average of $31 per bottle)

10 bottles -- $290 (average of $29 per bottle)

12 bottles -- $336 (average of $28 per bottle)

 

You get a punch card which can be used at any of the dining locations.

 

You may choose any wine on the regular wine list. If you want to buy a wine that costs more than what the package covers, you just pay the difference without any additional tip.

 

Here is a link to the most recent wine list that has been posted:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=45583943&posted=1#post45583943

 

This is probably a dumb question, but why would you buy the Gold package when you can buy any priced bottle and just pay the difference. What am I not getting???

Depending upon your desired wine price range it could affect whether it's cost-effective for you but the Gold wine package is best for me.

 

I purchase the 12 bottle Gold package which costs $12 per bottle more than the 12 bottle Silver package. I get wine costing $45 & that would cost me an extra $21/bottle with Silver vs. $12/bottle with Gold. Even after considering there's no extra gratuity added to the $21, Gold is still more cost-effective for me. I enjoy trying higher priced wines to discover new ones I like & can purchase them at home for a lower price.

 

If someone gets $35 wine then it may work out best to get a Silver package & pay extra for each bottle over the $29 maximum for the Silver package. That isn't my situation so the Gold package is more cost-effective for me. Their are several variables to decide whether it's best for you or not & you can do the math to determine what is your best option. :)

Edited June 25, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[IECalCruiser]

Depending upon your desired wine price range it could affect whether it's cost-effective for you but the Gold wine package is best for me.

 

I purchase the 12 bottle Gold package which costs $12 per bottle more than the 12 bottle Silver package. I get wine costing $45 & that would cost me an extra $21/bottle with Silver vs. $12/bottle with Gold. Even after considering there's no extra gratuity added to the $21, Gold is still more cost-effective for me. I enjoy trying higher priced wines to discover new ones I like & can purchase them at home for a lower price.

 

If someone gets $35 wine then it may work out best to get a Silver package & pay extra for each bottle over the $29 maximum for the Silver package. That isn't my situation so the Gold package is more cost-effective for me. Their are several variables to decide whether it's best for you or not & you can do the math to determine what is your best option. :)

The Gold Package costs $8.00 more per bottle than the Silver Package. If your average wine purchase is $36 or less than the Silver Package is the cheaper option. There is usually a number of decent wines in that range and we have gone that route.

[Flocosa]

We've never purchased the wine plan but as we're going to be on the Royal for 12 days it could be worth the cost this time around especially given all the at-sea days on this cruise. I know unfinished bottles can be stored for you in the dining room but I wonder if they can also be taken back to your stateroom.

 

Would you be on the Aug.13th-24th Royal Princess British Isles cruise? If so, maybe we can gather a group for land excursions.....

[Astro Flyer]

The Gold Package costs $8.00 more per bottle than the Silver Package. If your average wine purchase is $36 or less than the Silver Package is the cheaper option. There is usually a number of decent wines in that range and we have gone that route.

Oops! :o

 

Note to self: Do NOT post after waking up & before coffee! :eek: :o

 

Thanks for catching my miscalculation & that makes it even more cost-effective for me wanting more expensive wines to use the Gold package ($8 is better than $21) while for you a Silver package is best...it's good to have options. :)

[Murphey]

Got it...note to self....do the math!! :rolleyes:

[nreeder]

I've tried to delete this mis post, but it won't take it!

Norm

Edited September 6, 2015 by nreeder
mis posted

[kauai2]

I can only guess at what the message is supposed to be on this from Princess, though I suspect this is something they like to have the waitstaff offer based perhaps on how well laid-in they are with wine on any particular voyage.

Happy to get info about this - we cruise Princess a lot and never really heard about/considered wine cads/pkgs -just never bothered, I guess. However, we leave on a 28 day in about 2 weeks, so I am definitely looking into it this time! We survived a 31 day on the Ocean Princess last year without the deal, but it would have been nice to know. Our dining room waiter was horrid - we changed tables after 3 nights - he never mentioned anything to us except "Are you done yet?".

Marcie

[vickie_bernie]

here is a detailed description of the wine card packages

 

http://vickieandbernietravel.blogspot.ca/2014/04/ordering-wine-on-board.html

[candigirl41]

I am surprised they don't offer this on the 7 day cruises. I really wish they would. I actually purchased a wine package on a 5 day Royal Caribbean cruise. It was a great way to have wine at dinner.

 

Candi

[calbuc]

Do you have to buy a bev. Pak. For everyday of your cruse or can I buy for let's say 5 days out of a 10 day cruse

[Astro Flyer]

Do you have to buy a bev. Pak. For everyday of your cruse or can I buy for let's say 5 days out of a 10 day cruse

 

For all drink packages you have to buy for the entire cruise.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[newparks]

[quote name='Astro Flyer']K
You caught your mistake...wine package bottles are only available "at all dining locations" but not from any bar or from room service.

If you take a full bottle from any dining room you're allowed to enjoy it without any additional fee because you bought it from Princess. You could take a bottle to your cabin & take a glass of wine to enjoy anywhere on the ship. However you couldn't take a bottle of wine to a bar and ask them to pour you a glass which can only be done at a dining location.

If you want to buy wine by the glass there are other options that I have recently experienced. In the past 6 months during 3 cruises they have always had a BOGO drink promotion between 3:00-4:00 and 11:00-midnight. Also the TA provided better 50th anniversary coupon books had 2 other wine coupons: BOGO glass of wine at the Princess Theater and a free 375ml bottle of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay at a specially restaurant. :D[/QUOTE]
On the Emerald last week, the hours were 4:00-5:00 held in the Wheelhouse bar and it was buy one and get the 2nd for a dollar. The 2nd had to be the same as the first and they were brought at the same time. You were also entered in
a raffle, the 1st prize was a $135 bottle of Mondovi Cabernet.

[StLouisCruisers]

We are taking a 14 day cruise in the Caribbean on Regal Princess this December. It is actually two 7 day cruises B2B. Will they allow us to purchase a wine package since it is booked as 14 days? We like to purchase a 12 or sometimes a 10 bottle package on our cruises.

[Astro Flyer]

[quote name='StLouisCruisers']We are taking a 14 day cruise in the Caribbean on Regal Princess this December. It is actually two 7 day cruises B2B. Will they allow us to purchase a wine package since it is booked as 14 days? We like to purchase a 12 or sometimes a 10 bottle package on our cruises.[/QUOTE]

I was able to use a wine package on b2b (14 & 17 days) cruises & ensured that I could use the package on both segments. If not, then I would've gotten our remaining bottles at the end of the 1st segment & brought them to dinner without a fee during the 2nd segment.

However each segment individually qualified for a wine package unlike your b2b where each segment is only 7 days & thus ineligible for a wine package. So it's doubtful to me if you'll be able to do it on your 14 day cruise & I've never read of anyone being able to do it.

On the Regal in April the headwaiter at Alfredo's said there were no wine packages & offered to sell us the AIBP instead. We declined & at dinner our waiters sold us the wine package. Recent posts say that the soda package was not available to purchase on the ship but could be purchased in advance. Princess seems to be pushing the AIBP which is understandable because it's probably very profitable for them.

[IECalCruiser]

[quote name='StLouisCruisers']We are taking a 14 day cruise in the Caribbean on Regal Princess this December. It is actually two 7 day cruises B2B. Will they allow us to purchase a wine package since it is booked as 14 days? We like to purchase a 12 or sometimes a 10 bottle package on our cruises.[/QUOTE]We were on a similar B2B in Alaska several years ago. I was working with the group services co-ordinator to set up a Meet and Greet and asked her if I could get the wine package because we would be on for 14 days. She contacted me the next day and told me yes. Once on the Golden I was told no because they we two 7 day cruises. The Golden was going to be doing the 15 day Hawaii cruises the next month and was told that the wine packages would be offered on those cruises.

The short answer is NO [emoji26]

[vickie_bernie]

we have seen it sold only on voyages of ten days or longer (and even then it sometimes is not avail) so i doubt it will be available on a seven day cruise even if doing it as a back to back.

We have done b2b2b on ten day each itineraries. We have bought two wine cards Silver and Gold and got to use them over the entire 30 days with no issue.