2019 bar prices on HAL

[dbits]

Just finished a NCL cruise, where they raised the prices on that cruise, so many of our usual drinks were out of the package.  Any one have access to or are familiar with HAL prices this year.  Trying to decide if should buy the Signature package for $9 drink limit, or the Elite for $15 drink limit. 

 

[puppycanducruise]

A lot of cocktails on HAL are under the $9 limit.

But there are very few wines by the glass under $9.

If you post this question on the Holland America board, I'm sure someone will post a link to some bar menus for you.

 

[rkacruiser]

HAL's prices has increased and their wine list by the bottle prices have really increased with some favorites of mine eliminated in favor of more expensive ones.

[MicCanberra]

HAL had happy hour several times a day where the second drinks is only $2.

[rkacruiser]

17 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

HAL had happy hour several times a day where the second drinks is only $2.

 

That is still in effect. 

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is still in effect. 

We got off in mid Feb (around 4 weeks ago) so yeah.

[RocketMan275]

On 3/15/2019 at 1:56 PM, dbits said:

Just finished a NCL cruise, where they raised the prices on that cruise, so many of our usual drinks were out of the package.  Any one have access to or are familiar with HAL prices this year.  Trying to decide if should buy the Signature package for $9 drink limit, or the Elite for $15 drink limit. 

 

This should help:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Beverage-Packages.pdf

 

Roger has a great website featuring lots of menu's etc for Holland.  You might want to poke around some.

[MicCanberra]

Cool.

[George C]

On 3/15/2019 at 3:25 PM, rkacruiser said:

HAL's prices has increased and their wine list by the bottle prices have really increased with some favorites of mine eliminated in favor of more expensive ones.

Hal’s wine list has always been extremly high . 

[rkacruiser]

18 minutes ago, George C said:

Hal’s wine list has always been extremly high . 

 

No disagreement there.  But, now its worse, in my opinion.

 

Villa Maria was previously available at $41/bottle.  Now, on NS, replaced by Cloudy Bay at $73/bottle.  Villa Maria was overpriced; Cloudy Bay is now obscenely overpriced.  

 

On HAL's highest tier of wine packages, the Drylands Savignon Blanc  was the featured New Zealand wine of that type.  Acceptable?  OK, just.  Was it of the quality of Villa Maria?  No.

 

Matua was offered as a selection in the lower cost of the wine packages.  Matua is acceptable to my palate and I would order that more inexpensive wine package on future cruises than the more expensive one that includes Drylands.  Doing so, HAL looses some $$ and the wine stewards who share in the gratuity when those packages are sold loose some $$.  And, HAL ends up with a guest who is less than totally pleased with the Company's wine offerings.

[George C]

When we cruised hal about 7 years ago they let you bring on all the wine you wanted then charged a corkage fee of about 18 , we brought on at least a case of good wine on all those cruises. 

[MicCanberra]

People can still do that, still $18 a bottle (after the first 2 per cabin).

[zqvol]

On 3/15/2019 at 2:56 PM, dbits said:

Just finished a NCL cruise, where they raised the prices on that cruise, so many of our usual drinks were out of the package.  Any one have access to or are familiar with HAL prices this year.  Trying to decide if should buy the Signature package for $9 drink limit, or the Elite for $15 drink limit. 

 

 

Having just gotten off a HAL cruise, I can tell you that we bought the Elite package, and it was a waste of money. You are better off paying as you go unless you drink a lot, and I mean a whole lot.

 

Having said that I would go with the Elite, if you are going to get one. We decided that the Quench package which includes the water and soda was a better value for us.