Signature Beverage Card worth it for wine drinker?

[Mrsfrz]

I've been looking at the beverage menus, and there are very few wine selections that are at or under the $8 limit. I don't drink, but my husband does like wine with his meals. Has anyone had the lower priced wines and liked them? I was considering rebooking our cabin at the cheaper rate, giving up the beverage card and just paying outright for our drinks so he could have a better selection. Any opinions out there which way to go? I don't drink, and I don't even care if I have many sodas or specialty coffees, so my beverage card will go to waste. I'm torn about which way to go. I suppose crunching the numbers would be the best way to approach this, but I'm half asleep as I type this. Perhaps tomorrow I'll figure it out! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We are traveling on the Eurodam Thanksgiving week.

[Boytjie]

If only one of you are drinking (and you both would have to get it), I doubt it would be worth it. Just pay for his wine as you go. 15 drinks per person per day is a lot to aim for (not as if you have to drink that many!)

[take us away]

Once you do the math, you will see it may be better to lose the package, pay the lower fare and pay for your DH's wine at dinner - plus he can select better bottles of wine and not just the cheaper wine by the glass (which are IMO, okay but not great)! Maybe check out a wine package or just order while at dinner.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would suggest that you buy the regular Beverage Cards even though there is no savings with them.

This way you can buy whatever you want with them and your husband can buy the better wines.

The nice part of the Beverage Cards is that you won't have a ton of receipts to check at the end of the cruise. Once you get the new receipt back, just throw out the old one.

[RJ2002]

I would suggest that you buy the regular Beverage Cards even though there is no savings with them.

This way you can buy whatever you want with them and your husband can buy the better wines.

The nice part of the Beverage Cards is that you won't have a ton of receipts to check at the end of the cruise. Once you get the new receipt back, just throw out the old one.

 

Can any remaining unused value on the card at the end of the cruise be applied to your stateroom account?

[POA1]

There aren't many choices of wine by the glass on the Signature Beverage Package. I'd probably skip it if you drink wine exclusively.

[Lizzie68]

Can any remaining unused value on the card at the end of the cruise be applied to your stateroom account?

 

Any unused amount gets credited back to your onboard account on the last day, on regular beverage cards.

[DaveOKC]

I've been looking at the beverage menus, and there are very few wine selections that are at or under the $8 limit. I don't drink, but my husband does like wine with his meals. Has anyone had the lower priced wines and liked them? I was considering rebooking our cabin at the cheaper rate, givingHAL up the beverage card and just paying outright for our drinks so he could have a better selection. Any opinions out there which way to go? I don't drink, and I don't even care if I have many sodas or specialty coffees, so my beverage card will go to waste. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

To address your question on the cheaper HAL wines, I have heard that people like the wines in the Canelleto specialty dining room, but I have not tried them.

 

Personally, I like the house Chardonnay, Santa Carolina. It is under your $8 limit. As to the reds, I find HAL's house wines to be a bit too harsh for my taste and I avoid them.

 

My DW does not always drink wine at dinner, so when we both have the beverage cards we each order a glass of wine and I just drink her's. Of course this really does not matter much as we never get close to the limit, but we do it so that the waiter does not have to go get me a second glass in the middle in serving dinner (they have so much to do anyway).

[Krazy Kruizers]

Can any remaining unused value on the card at the end of the cruise be applied to your stateroom account?

 

Yes -- any amount that you don't use from the Beverage will be applied to your shipboard account.

And if you still have money left after your final bill has been paid, it will be credited back to your credit card.

That happened to us on our last cruise as I came down with bronchitis and couldn't drink much as I was taking medication.

[rgruenhaus]

With these drink cards couldn't/wouldn't you just pay the extra above the $8 limit to get the drink you want?

[DaveOKC]

With these drink cards couldn't/wouldn't you just pay the extra above the $8 limit to get the drink you want?

 

No - not an option.

[RJ2002]

Any unused amount gets credited back to your onboard account on the last day, on regular beverage cards.

 

Thanks!

 

Yes -- any amount that you don't use from the Beverage will be applied to your shipboard account.

And if you still have money left after your final bill has been paid, it will be credited back to your credit card.

That happened to us on our last cruise as I came down with bronchitis and couldn't drink much as I was taking medication.

 

Thank you. The idea of not having to verify lots of individual drink charges at the end of the cruise is appealing.

[rgruenhaus]

No - not an option.

 

I read that the UBP on NCL Breakaway has a new max price for any drink of $15!

Edited October 13, 2015 by rgruenhaus