Holland America's Elite Signature Drink Package

[terrydtx]

On ‎9‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 6:24 PM, fatcat04 said:

IF you are not a wine drinker, I think the Signature Beverage package is a better deal. We wineauxs like the Elite Beverage Package because it almost completely covers the wine by the glass menu but the Signature Beverage Package covers most cocktails and non wine alcoholic beverages. 😄

We have the Explore 4 SBP and for the same reasons you site, we will upgrade to Elite  for the extra $10pp/day for the better wines. One glass of wine per day more than pays for the upgrade. We like a cocktail before dinner and like you a white or sparkling with the appetizer and red with main course. Having looked at the wines by the glass in the SBP, the two cheap Cabernets from Chile and Australia are not something we would drink off the ship.

[fatcat04]

41 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We have the Explore 4 SBP and for the same reasons you site, we will upgrade to Elite  for the extra $10pp/day for the better wines. One glass of wine per day more than pays for the upgrade. We like a cocktail before dinner and like you a white or sparkling with the appetizer and red with main course. Having looked at the wines by the glass in the SBP, the two cheap Cabernets from Chile and Australia are not something we would drink off the ship.

Exactly how we viewed it. 1 glass of wine a day was the difference in price but the difference in variety really was vast. We had Nicholas F Champagne everyday. Whites or cocktails with lunch generally and then 2 to 3 glasses of wine with dinner and that lovely late harvest Sauvignon Blanc for dessert. For us, the wine alone everyday easily equalled the price of the EBP so everything else from Mixology classes to fancy lattes to bottled water to chocolate milkshakes with a shot of Frangelico or Baileys to Armagnac Sidecars and Hemingway Daiquiris were gravy. Everyone is different but we were very pleased with the selection and value in the EBP.

Edit: also, another fun thing we did. Since the beverage packages afford you lots of room to have fun with old standards and new cocktails, we would just hand off our card to the other and say "Surprise me." Dh won but he had researched ahead of time. He brought me a Grasshopper complete with antenna. I about fell out laughing but it was quite tasty and the antenna thing was cute. 

Edited March 9, 2019 by fatcat04

[sarahjaneb]

Question about the Elite wines for all who have bought the package:  Do all of the bar venues have both Elite and Signature wines available or just in the Main Dining Room? I am sailing on the Oosterdam and would do the Elite for Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne and Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc alone but if those are not available throughout the ship, maybe the Signature is better for me?

Thank you!

Sarah

[RevNeal]

Does anybody have a link to the current drink menu, with prices, for the Koningsdam?

 

Thanks!

[Overhead Fred]

Try the link @crystalspin put in post #4 of this thread and work your way backwards - Roger (@Crew News) has many bar menus posted and keeps them pretty current. 

[RevNeal]

7 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

Try the link @crystalspin put in post #4 of this thread and work your way backwards - Roger (@Crew News) has many bar menus posted and keeps them pretty current. 

 

Thanks ...

I figured out how to go from the url and find the website main entrance and the links to the menus from there.

 

[Double D Cruisers]

We did a 50 day cruise with the Signature Beverage package.  At the end of the cruise I totaled up all the "free" drinks we got.

Free drinks included the bottled water and specialty coffees.  We would have saved over $1200 if we paid as we went.   This was to the South Pacific with many sea days.  If my wife had consumed as much as I had we would have been closer.  Also note the drink prices have gone up a couple bucks since our cruise but the Signature Beverage Package has stayed the same price.  I don't regret buying the package.  It was fun to do ONE time.  Tried many new drinks knowing I was not wasting any money if I did not like it.  I even had a Becks Beer Ice Cream float they offered at the pool when we crossed the Equator.  I think I was the only one that got one.  And as expected it was really terrible.  Fun to try though.

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, Double D Cruisers said:

...Also note the drink prices have gone up a couple bucks since our cruise but the Signature Beverage Package has stayed the same price.  

Actually, the SBP now covers drinks up to $11 (up from $9). But it does cost more too. 

 

It's not for everyone. But it is more affordable than some lines, Princess for one! We just switched a Princess So.Pacific cruise for a HAL one, largely due to Princess failing to make their Sip'n'Sail package apply for OceanView cabins, and what it would have cost for their PBP. (They also removed the second chair from OV rooms, leaving a deskchair and the bed!)

[kazu]

3 hours ago, Double D Cruisers said:

We did a 50 day cruise with the Signature Beverage package.  At the end of the cruise I totaled up all the "free" drinks we got.

Free drinks included the bottled water and specialty coffees.  We would have saved over $1200 if we paid as we went.   This was to the South Pacific with many sea days.  If my wife had consumed as much as I had we would have been closer.  Also note the drink prices have gone up a couple bucks since our cruise but the Signature Beverage Package has stayed the same price.  I don't regret buying the package.  It was fun to do ONE time.  Tried many new drinks knowing I was not wasting any money if I did not like it.  I even had a Becks Beer Ice Cream float they offered at the pool when we crossed the Equator.  I think I was the only one that got one.  And as expected it was really terrible.  Fun to try though.

 

I hear you completely.

We normally drop the Explore4 and opt for a better price or an upgrade, but when we booked there was no difference in the price.

 

Actually the FCC had also told me on the cruise - it was truly a “special”.

 

so, i’ll Just watch and wait - if the price drops enough, I’ll happily drop it.  And if it doesn’t, we’ll take it (and hopefully Elite has some good offerings) but still get decent wine for dinner 😉 

[TAD2005]

29 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Actually, the SBP now covers drinks up to $11 (up from $9). But it does cost more too. 

 

It's not for everyone. But it is more affordable than some lines, Princess for one! We just switched a Princess So.Pacific cruise for a HAL one, largely due to Princess failing to make their Sip'n'Sail package apply for OceanView cabins, and what it would have cost for their PBP. (They also removed the second chair from OV rooms, leaving a deskchair and the bed!)

The SBP only costs more now if you wait to buy it onboard.  The price for purchasing it online, ahead of your cruise, is the same as it has been for years, $44.95 per day + 15% SC.   If you wait to buy it onboard, the new price is $54.95 per day + 15%.   It does cover drinks with a menu price up to $11, which opens up a lot of wines, and the 15 drink limit only applies to alcoholic beverages.   Water in bottles (330 ml or 500 ml) flat or sparkling, all sodas, specialty coffees are unlimited.   When you buy the SBP, you effectively get the Quench soda package for free.

We had friends who sailed on Sapphire Princess recently and they said "never again".   Many of the staff were eastern Europeans,  unfriendly,  rude.  Plus the premium beverage package was over $70 per day including the service fee.  And they did complain about the removal of the 2nd chair.  If you want to eat breakfast in your room, one person has to sit on the bed.   I guess Princess wants you out of the cabin, spending money around the ship.

Edited July 25, 2019 by TAD2005

[IslandThyme]

I definitely don't drink enough to warrant the Elite package under most circumstances, but I do have a question. Since you get 15 drinks, if I wanted to compare two merlots, or three sauv blancs, or even two cognacs side by side, would they bring me multiple glasses all at once for taste test purposes?

[crystalspin]

17 minutes ago, IslandThyme said:

I definitely don't drink enough to warrant the Elite package under most circumstances, but ...would they bring me multiple glasses all at once for taste test purposes?

I believe there is supposed to be a time-passage between orders (maybe 10 minutes?) but -- disclaimer -- don't know where I got that information, probably on CC and not necessarily HAL specific. If there is such a limit, it is probably controlled by the master computer, as they do slide your card for each drink even though included. I suspect the bartender or beverage steward would try to make you happy!

 

The Elite vs the Signature BP are the same in how much they cover, just not WHAT is covered.

[IslandThyme]

Thanks! And just one more question - I'm 4 Star, but when I look on the HAL site I see 50% off wine packages, but it doesn't say "beverage package." Is that a correct interpretation?

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, TAD2005 said:

The SBP only costs more now if you wait to buy it onboard.  The price for purchasing it online, ahead of your cruise, is the same as it has been for years, $44.95 per day + 15% SC.   If you wait to buy it onboard, the new price is $54.95 per day + 15%.   It does cover drinks with a menu price up to $11, which opens up a lot of wines, and the 15 drink limit only applies to alcoholic beverages.   Water in bottles (330 ml or 500 ml) flat or sparkling, all sodas, specialty coffees are unlimited.   When you buy the SBP, you effectively get the Quench soda package for free.

 

We had friends who sailed on Sapphire Princess recently and they said "never again".   Many of the staff were eastern Europeans,  unfriendly,  rude.  Plus the premium beverage package was over $70 per day including the service fee.  And they did complain about the removal of the 2nd chair.  If you want to eat breakfast in your room, one person has to sit on the bed.   I guess Princess wants you out of the cabin, spending money around the ship.

Thanks TAD for the info on SBP pricing. If we can't refare So.Pacific under Explore4 next month, we will be buying ahead of time. How much is the Elite BP price now? as it used to be $54.95pppd (plus grats)?

 

We sailed with many eastern European crew on RCI last December. While they were different in personas, less smiley than the Filipinos and Indonesians we are used to on HAL, more serious in affect -- we did find them concerned about our satisfaction and experience. Will have to see what we make of it on our Alaska cruise on the Golden Princess. 

 

I was actually contemplating bringing a Quad chair and a case of wine (sailing from our home port). But then I found HAL's similar itinerary without those contortions! I will only entertain the possibility of sailing with Princess when a MiniSuite makes financial sense and preferably when I can book or refare under SnS. 

 

"I guess Princess wants you out of the cabin, spending money around the ship." Yes, and apparently trying to bring back steerage class!

[crystalspin]

17 minutes ago, IslandThyme said:

Thanks! And just one more question - I'm 4 Star, but when I look on the HAL site I see 50% off wine packages, but it doesn't say "beverage package." Is that a correct interpretation?

Correct, no additional discount over the pre-sailing price for SBP. Discount only on wine packages, not bottles or glasses.

 

But 50% on packages AND Exploration Cafe espresso drinks, makes doing the math over the beverage packages more complicated! When lattes and wine probably account for 3/4 by number of our drinks (~2 foo-foo drinks on a sea-day).

[IslandThyme]

Thanks, crystalspin. I'm going to be cruising next in New Zealand, so I will also want to buy wine on shore and pay the corkage.  It's a complicated calculation. Last fall when I was on Amsterdam for 89 days I just took three cases of my own wine on board, so it was much simpler. But this time I'm sailing out of Sydney, so that won't work.

[crystalspin]

Oh I remember your 3-case cruise! Hmm, maybe get a foldable crate-on-wheels and fill in at the NZ vineyards?

 

I am not entirely in jest.

 

There are "sample" wine lists for the wine packages, either on the HAL websites or on RogerJett 's website. Somewhere I have seen them any way.

 

OIC sailing from Sydney around New Zealand. Well, OZ has wineries too, we visited a couple on our land-trip to Sydney. You won't be able to bring NZ wines on board to drink, unless you do a ship's tour of a winery... and then I think just one per adult.

[dillpickle48]

Why not buy a case in Sydney and then stock up in New Zealand?  Both countries produce excellent wines.

[IslandThyme]

Not sure why I wouldn't be able to bring NZ wine on board, so long as I pay the corkage. I have this nifty thingie for travelling with wine. Ship on a plane like a dream.

[crystalspin]

32 minutes ago, IslandThyme said:

Not sure why I wouldn't be able to bring NZ wine on board, so long as I pay the corkage.

 

You are correct and I was mistaken that it was embarkation port only. Is this a change? I swear when we did northern Mediterranean on Nieuw Amsterdam they were going to hold it for us only... Current policy is this:

"Wine and champagne bottles (no larger than 750ml) purchased in ports of call are welcome to be brought onboard subject to a US$18.00 (subject to change) corkage fee each, irrespective of where they are intended to be consumed. Alternatively guests can choose to have these bottles stored and returned on the last evening of the voyage at no charge."

[kazu]

4 hours ago, crystalspin said:

You are correct and I was mistaken that it was embarkation port only. Is this a change? I swear when we did northern Mediterranean on Nieuw Amsterdam they were going to hold it for us only..

 

It’s not a change.  We have been able to bring it on in ports since the corkage policy came into play.  HOWEVER, we have hit some stewards at the wine table who wanted to hold it for us. They didn’t know about the corkage possibility until we insisted that we wanted to pay corkage and they went to check.  After that, it was smooth sailing 😉 

 

I suspect you had the misfortune of experiencing one of those people who didn’t know.

 

 

[crystalspin]

Or just bad memory of the policy! Thanks for setting me straight.

 

It took me a while to figure out corkage can be the lesser of evils and even economical. Now I have obtained 6-bottle carriers!

[TAD2005]

22 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Thanks TAD for the info on SBP pricing. If we can't refare So.Pacific under Explore4 next month, we will be buying ahead of time. How much is the Elite BP price now? as it used to be $54.95pppd (plus grats)?

 

The Elite beverage package is $59.95 per day, plus 15% SC, and it doesn't matter if you buy it online, before your cruise, or buy it on the ship.   The max drink menu price is $15, and don't worry about the 15% service charge, you have already paid it when you got the package.   You only have to concern yourself with the menu prices for drinks.

Things get sticky when you try to upgrade the SBP to Elite.  The cost all depends on how and when you got the original SBP.   If you purchased it online before the cruise, or got it with a promotion (Explore-4 or EBB) then you pay $15 plus 15% per day to upgrade.  If you purchased your SBP onboard and decided to quickly upgrade, then you only pay $5 plus 15% for the upgrade.   But whatever you do, be sure to upgrade before you order any drinks with the SBP.  You will be spending a long time at the front desk getting it all sorted out if you have a few drinks before upgrading.

[kazu]

6 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

If you purchased it online before the cruise, or got it with a promotion (Explore-4 or EBB) then you pay $15 plus 15% per day to upgrade. 

 

Well, that’s a disappointment.  It was $10 per day last thing I heard which I was thinking might work for us.  I’m sure it will go up again before we cruise 😞😉 

 

Since only wine is the issue with the SBP for us, I guess I will just pay some corkage on some wine if it’s now $15 per day pp.  thanks 🙂 

[TAD2005]

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Well, that’s a disappointment.  It was $10 per day which I was thinking might work.

 

Since only wine is the issue with the SBP for us, I guess I will just pay some corkage on some wine if it’s now $15 per day pp.  thanks 🙂 

Yes, it used to be $10 to upgrade, but that was when the Elite package was $54.95 per day.  However, HAL does not even talk about upgrading on their website.  So, this is all feedback from CC and members who made the upgrade.