Help!! Signature beverage package with incorrect info everywhere?!?

[jane61]

Just booked a cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. Signature beverage package is included. I have been searching and searching for an answer on what the heck this includes. From my research I have uncovered the following. (Yes, I feel like Indiana freakin’ Jones because this is quite the internet adventure)

1. It used to be drinks up to $8

2. They raised it to $9

3. It is now for drinks up to $11 (per HAL website)

 

questions:

Anyone have a VERY recent bar menu that shows what it includes? I’m guessing if they raised the dollar amount prices likely raised as well. 

I like wine. What wines by the glass are included?

I can’t trust anything I read because I think it is out of date. 

 

Any help is is much appreciated!! 

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

21 minutes ago, jane61 said:

Just booked a cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. Signature beverage package is included. I have been searching and searching for an answer on what the heck this includes. From my research I have uncovered the following. (Yes, I feel like Indiana freakin’ Jones because this is quite the internet adventure)

1. It used to be drinks up to $8

2. They raised it to $9

3. It is now for drinks up to $11 (per HAL website)

 

questions:

Anyone have a VERY recent bar menu that shows what it includes? I’m guessing if they raised the dollar amount prices likely raised as well. 

I like wine. What wines by the glass are included?

I can’t trust anything I read because I think it is out of date. 

 

Any help is is much appreciated!! 

We’ve also booked a cruise on the Statendam. We are new to HAL and like you have had trouble finding information on the Signature Beverage package. It’s a good thing we have this forum because trying to navigate the HAL website (for newbies) is a nightmare. 

[CruiserBruce]

All you have to do is look at the date of the posts to determine currency. A thread from this month (doesn't get much more current!!!):

 

 

This set of bar menus is VERY current:

 

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

 

This has a variety of topics, but was posted today by someone actually on a HAL ship...not current enough?

 

 

[jane61]

26 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

All you have to do is look at the date of the posts to determine currency. A thread from this month (doesn't get much more current!!!):

 

 

This set of bar menus is VERY current:

 

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

 

This has a variety of topics, but was posted today by someone actually on a HAL ship...not current enough?

 

Thank you for the response, lets all be nice here. I appreciate the links but u fortunately they don’t full answer my question. From this article - https://travelingwiththejones.com/2019/04/02/holland-americas-new-wine-list-on-nieuw-statendam/

 

it is is my understanding this ship has perhaps a different wine list or inventory?

 

Please no passive aggressive responses, I’m just looking for some help. 

[CruiserBruce]

It is my understanding that wine list is being rolled out to the fleet. Anything $11 or less is available in the Signature Beverage package. That rule has not changed. If the old menu is still on the ship you happen to be on, anything on that menu under $11 is covered by the package.

 

Remember it was your statement was you don't trust anything here...

[ready2cruzagain]

9 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

All you have to do is look at the date of the posts to determine currency. A thread from this month (doesn't get much more current!!!):

 

 

This set of bar menus is VERY current:

 

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

 

This has a variety of topics, but was posted today by someone actually on a HAL ship...not current enough?

 

 

Thank you, this is very helpful

[Despegue]

The CORRECT INFO:

 

15 ALCOHOLIC beverages per day of 11$ or less

UNLIMITED non-alcoholic beverages (of 11 $ or less) excluding large bottles of Evian and San Pelegrino.

 

on Koningsdam and NS, Milkshakes are made by the Gelato bar and there everything is fee based.

on other ships, the milkshakes are made at other bars and are marked as smoothie and included in the SBP. 

 

The beverage menus on rogerjett are current and correct by the way.

 

 

[Palm Bay Cruise Couple]

Have You asked this question to Holland America Line or Your Travel Agent?  They will be able to answer your questions.

[TAD2005]

On 5/30/2019 at 9:01 AM, Palm Bay Cruise Couple said:

Have You asked this question to Holland America Line or Your Travel Agent?  They will be able to answer your questions.

The last place (unfortunately) you should go to for accurate information as to actual onboard policies is HAL's Seattle agents, or many travel agents.   The best source of information is actual passengers who just got off of a HAL ship and who post here on CC.   If you call Seattle for an answer, the number of conflicting answers you will get is directly related to the number of calls you make.

[crystalspin]

To the OP:

We were on the Zuiderdam 4/21-5/7 (one month ago) with the SBP. It appeared the increase to $11 per drink had not caught up to the beverage menus yet! There were more wines available to us and the "boat drinks" like pina colada were still under $9. Note we are not wine experts and those that are probably wouldn't like the under $11 glasses, but after sampling most of those covered, we were both able to find a few we could drink!

 

I understand your cynicism! People on the Princess board love to say BUT Princess package is up to $12! when in fact, their drinks are priced that much higher.

Edited June 2, 2019 by crystalspin

[TAD2005]

3 hours ago, crystalspin said:

To the OP:

We were on the Zuiderdam 4/21-5/7 (one month ago) with the SBP. It appeared the increase to $11 per drink had not caught up to the beverage menus yet! There were more wines available to us and the "boat drinks" like pina colada were still under $9. Note we are not wine experts and those that are probably wouldn't like the under $11 glasses, but after sampling most of those covered, we were both able to find a few we could drink!

 

I understand your cynicism! People on the Princess board love to say BUT Princess package is up to $12! when in fact, their drinks are priced that much higher.

Also, the sole beverage package on Princess is $59.99 per day plus 18% or $70.79 per day.  There is a discount of you buy it online, before the cruise.  You are still limited to 15 alcoholic beverages per day, and the drink price limit is $12, but their drinks are priced much higher than on HAL.   Here's the link to the details:

https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/beverages/

[crystalspin]

On 6/2/2019 at 3:56 PM, TAD2005 said:

Also, the sole beverage package on Princess is $59.99 per day plus 18% or $70.79 per day.  There is a discount of you buy it online, before the cruise.  You are still limited to 15 alcoholic beverages per day, and the drink price limit is $12, but their drinks are priced much higher than on HAL.   Here's the link to the details:

I am not seeing the discount pre-cruise?

[Fouremco]

7 hours ago, crystalspin said:

I am not seeing the discount pre-cruise?

Never mind.

Edited June 4, 2019 by Fouremco

[TAD2005]

I don't see the discount either for purchasing the Princess beverage package online.  I read on a CC post that you do get a discount.   It's similar to HAL charging a penalty of $10 plus 15% SC if you buy your Signature Beverage Package onboard.   HAL is trying to discourage people from using their free, HAL provided OBC to buy the package.  They would rather you use your own money to buy it online.   

[crystalspin]

Yes I understand HAL's "reasoning" and enjoy the $5pppd. I was just hoping to find the same on Princess, on which I have two cruises booked next year.

[TAD2005]

On 6/4/2019 at 7:43 PM, crystalspin said:

Yes I understand HAL's "reasoning" and enjoy the $5pppd. I was just hoping to find the same on Princess, on which I have two cruises booked next year.

HAL recently changed it's prices for the SBP.  It's still priced at $44.95 per day plus 15% (cheapest in the industry), but now the price for buying it onboard is $54.95 per day plus 15%.   It used to be a $5 penalty for trying to use HAL's free OBC to buy the package, and now it's $10.

Along with this price increase, they also increased the maximum drink price allowance from $9 to $11, menu price.   Amazingly, the drink prices have not increased proportionally with the maximum drink price.   

[crystalspin]

Ah, did not notice the onboard increase because we had it included with Explore4. 

 

Waiting for Sip And Sail on the one Princess cruise where we are in two "cabins with balconies" (mini-suites). Even then the promotion we have currently may make it only desirable for the one cabin, depending on how much they raise base fares.

[sdkaileygirl]

This may have been asked, but don't bite my head off, can you order signature cocktails with premium vodka as long as it doesn't exceed, $15?  Thanks

[RuthC]

7 hours ago, sdkaileygirl said:

This may have been asked, but don't bite my head off, can you order signature cocktails with premium vodka as long as it doesn't exceed, $15?  Thanks

If you have the elite beverage package, yes. If you don't, you pay for it via your cabin card.

[fatcat04]

7 hours ago, sdkaileygirl said:

This may have been asked, but don't bite my head off, can you order signature cocktails with premium vodka as long as it doesn't exceed, $15?  Thanks

Our experience on NA this past Feb with the more expensive Elite Beverage package was yes, you can order top shelf liquors in your drinks and as long as the extra charge still brought you in under the $15 limit, you were cool.

 

NOW, that said, some one posted that on a cruise within the last couple months they were being charged for 2 DRINKS on their plan when they did this very thing. So each 1 top shelf drink was logged as 2 out of your daily 15!! The beverage staff reportedly said the computer system would not accept the transaction any other way. Hmm?? Regardless of the veracity of that statement, that is a terrible deal. That poster did not followup the issue with the head of the beverage staff so I have no idea if this was just a one ship, one time fluke or more common.

 

Sadly with HAL's enormous issues with no universal conformity, every ship kinda makes up their own rules way of doing things, you just never know. I would have raised an unholy stink if my Elite Beverage Package which I paid cash for had been essentially devalued by half. 

[Despegue]

Once again the FACTS:

 

Signature Package:

ANY drink of 11$  Or less except large bottles of water is included. ( no self service tap beer and freestyle machines)

UNLIMITED NON-alcoholic drinks.

15 ALCOHOLIC drinks.

 

valid on ALL vessels.

full stop.

[2pbears]

On ‎5‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 6:09 PM, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

We’ve also booked a cruise on the Statendam. We are new to HAL and like you have had trouble finding information on the Signature Beverage package. It’s a good thing we have this forum because trying to navigate the HAL website (for newbies) is a nightmare. 

 

We are new to HAL as well and I totally agree with you!

[2pbears]

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 12:03 PM, crystalspin said:

To the OP:

We were on the Zuiderdam 4/21-5/7 (one month ago) with the SBP. It appeared the increase to $11 per drink had not caught up to the beverage menus yet! There were more wines available to us and the "boat drinks" like pina colada were still under $9. Note we are not wine experts and those that are probably wouldn't like the under $11 glasses, but after sampling most of those covered, we were both able to find a few we could drink!

 

I understand your cynicism! People on the Princess board love to say BUT Princess package is up to $12! when in fact, their drinks are priced that much higher.

 

We have primarily cruised Princess and will be on HAL for the first time next week.   From my research it does not appear that the Princess drink prices are higher than the HAL drink prices.   The big difference is in the cost of the beverage package.  The Princess price is significantly higher per day.  The biggest problem I have with the HAL package is their choice of wines that are included in the package.   Princess actually offers some drinkable wines by the glass that fall within their beverage package.   The fact that HAL charges $14 per glass for Clos du Bois Chardonnay is laughable!  I hate to think what the wines that are priced below the $11 per glass price point will be like.

[Despegue]

Most of the wines by the glass are actually fine.

Especially the Remole white is a good choice.

[2pbears]

1 hour ago, Despegue said:

Most of the wines by the glass are actually fine.

Especially the Remole white is a good choice.

 

That's good to hear.