Viking Silver Drinks package.

[Clay Clayton]

8 minutes ago, zelker said:

Possible first-timers here.  How much does the drink package typically run per person?  We’re looking at a 17 day TA but haven’t booked yet so just trying to get an idea.  Also, to be sure I understand correctly, they will allow us to bring on a bottle of vodka or buy one onboard from their shop to consume during the cruise?  If so, wonder how the onboard price compares to a US land liquor store. 

 

Thx.

Package costs $19.95 (includes taxes and gratuities) per person per day. All parties in the stateroom have to purchase. You are allowed to bring as much liquor, wine, soda aboard as you wish. To my knowledge, Viking does not sell bottles on board. 

[Azulann]

29 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Package costs $19.95 (includes taxes and gratuities) per person per day. All parties in the stateroom have to purchase. You are allowed to bring as much liquor, wine, soda aboard as you wish. To my knowledge, Viking does not sell bottles on board. 

Correct, no liquor store on board. 

I liked buying a bottle of good wine  when in port and bring it back to ship  and having it for dinner. No corkage fee either. Viking treats its passengers as adults , not like Celebrity  rules ,which I had sailed on previously. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by Azulann

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Or the north woods to cut pulp.

 

Fail!!

 

Might apply to North Americans, but certainly not an option from where I come from.

[Jim Avery]

51 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

And I can only afford to cruise multiple times (on the cheapest Viking Cruises offered) because we “obsess” over what you are referring to as “small” change. $1280 doesn’t qualify as small change to us. Now I’m sure if I was able to afford multiple World Cruises like you (where the package is already included) I might feel differently. 😂

It's just an old saying where I came from.  I certainly did not mean it personally at you Clay.  And I am old fashioned enough to consider $1,280.00 to be worth having.  All cruises are expensive these days.  I'll give one example of what I meant though.  On the Inaugural WC we arrived at LAX to find the red paddles.  Went outside to a large line of fellow passengers waiting on the "free" bus transfer to the ship.  I asked the guy in front of me how long he had been there and he replied "about an hour".  I went to the Viking rep and asked her what the hold up was and she alluded to a problem with the vendor.  And there just happened to be a long line of cabs right behind us so we grabbed one.  We are not waiting in the hot sun on a bus.  We arrived shortly at the checkin tent, the only ones there with about 20 nice Viking folks waiting to help us.  Instant checkin, escorted onboard for a glass of champagne and immediately on to our room to settle in.  About two hours later we were sitting at the Viking Bar in the Living Room when a couple of busses showed up with hot passengers.  Were we stupid to blow off the "free" ride for a $75 cab?  All of us had paid what I consider a lot of money to be there so for $75 we got our cruise off to a great start.  That's the kind of stuff I was alluding to. 🍸

[Squawkman]

What I like best about SS is you don’t have to purchase it as part of an inclusive package like on other cruise lines. We aren’t drinkers, so as it is we don’t take advantage of free wine and beer during meals. I do take advantage of the free diet soda - so this works for me.

[Twitchly]

For newbies: if you book a Penthouse Veranda or suite, your fridge will be stocked with various small bottles of alcohol as often as needed. Something else to consider.

[duquephart]

4 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

For newbies: if you book a Penthouse Veranda or suite, your fridge will be stocked with various small bottles of alcohol as often as needed. Something else to consider.

 

Once a day = "as often as needed?"

[Jim Avery]

37 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Once a day = "as often as needed?"

Haha, good one.  I book the "cheap" cabins and on a WC they put 4 liters of your choice of spirits on the desk and do replace "as often as needed".  What a deal...🍸

[Heidi13]

50 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Haha, good one.  I book the "cheap" cabins and on a WC they put 4 liters of your choice of spirits on the desk and do replace "as often as needed".  What a deal...🍸

 

DV4 for us. Don't forget the supply of IPA's in my fridge, in addition to the Grand Marnier & Bacardi bottles for DW🍺 

[broker1217]

The SS drink package pays for itself on any days that you dine at Chef's Table where the upgraded wine pairings are $25 PP (assuming you want the upgraded pairings).

We are wine drinkers and it was well worth it for the expanded offerings--and Viking has improved the premium offerings considerably.

We like being able to order whatever we want, whenever we want and DH likes scotchy things. The daily included white and red wines are sometimes okay, sometimes not terrific. 

 

I want to be able to have Sauvignon Blanc with sushi and Pinot Noir with salmon. Or a sweet white with foie gras or Cabernet with steak or a sauterne with a cheese plate.  We found that Viking would let us pick our premium wine to pair with our courses--even in World Cafe.

The package also helped when we ordered Roederer Cristal--15% discount with SS package brought it from $175 to $148.75 (that includes gratuity).

We can't buy it for less than $220 around here at a liquor store and it would be $350+ at a restaurant.

 

But--depends on what and how you drink. If you are fine with the included beers and wines--you don't need the package. Maybe pay for an occasional cocktail if you imbibe.

And as others have said--in certain cabins you get 4 mini bottles per day.

 

 

[Clay Clayton]

5 hours ago, broker1217 said:

 . Or a sweet white with foie gras 

 

 

I quite enjoyed the Uby4 with foie Gras two nights in a row. 😋

[zelker]

9 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

DV4 for us. Don't forget the supply of IPA's in my fridge, in addition to the Grand Marnier & Bacardi bottles for DW🍺 

DH is curious as to which IPAs he might be able to enjoy onboard. 🍺

[duquephart]

Can it possibly matter?

[CCWineLover]

35 minutes ago, zelker said:

DH is curious as to which IPAs he might be able to enjoy onboard. 🍺

Yes, I would also like to know, as an IPA appreciator! 

 

I do know that in past cruises, I felt that the Norweiigan IPA that they carried was quite sufficient to satisfy my taste buds - but wondering if they will carry any others depending on locale - such as the Hawaii/Polynesia trip that we are booked on.

[ericosmith]

51 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Yes, I would also like to know, as an IPA appreciator! 

 

And are the IPA's included with lunch and dinner.  A free Bud Light just doesn't cut it!

 

[duquephart]

3 minutes ago, ericosmith said:

 

 

They wouldn't do that to you.

[haydn12]

My wife loved the Uby4.  That brought it to her a couple nights even though we didn't have the SS package. 

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

Yes, I would also like to know, as an IPA appreciator! 

 

I do know that in past cruises, I felt that the Norweiigan IPA that they carried was quite sufficient to satisfy my taste buds - but wondering if they will carry any others depending on locale - such as the Hawaii/Polynesia trip that we are booked on.

 

The Norwegian IPA was available most of the time. After we left San Pedro, we didn't load any additional IPA's until NZ and Australia. Didn't receive any from any of the S/Pacific Islands.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, zelker said:

DH is curious as to which IPAs he might be able to enjoy onboard. 🍺

 

The Norwegian IPA is normally carried on board.

[PasadenaDave]

20 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The Norwegian IPA was available most of the time. After we left San Pedro, we didn't load any additional IPA's until NZ and Australia. Didn't receive any from any of the S/Pacific Islands.

They didn’t load up on Stone or Green Flash departing from San Pedro?  Shame

[LinnieRed]

Question: Our scheduled upcoming cruise is in a penthouse Veranda . I’ve looked at pictures of the mini bar and We are not drinkers of hard liquor, aside from the occasional gin. Is it possible to have them substitute the little mini bottles of booze for wine? 

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, LinnieRed said:

Question: Our scheduled upcoming cruise is in a penthouse Veranda . I’ve looked at pictures of the mini bar and We are not drinkers of hard liquor, aside from the occasional gin. Is it possible to have them substitute the little mini bottles of booze for wine? 

Yes. We are not hard liquor drinkers either, and the staff is happy to remove it and replace it with wine of your choice (Chardonnay, Merlot, etc., not brand names).

 

[CCWineLover]

3 hours ago, janetcbl said:

Yes. We are not hard liquor drinkers either, and the staff is happy to remove it and replace it with wine of your choice (Chardonnay, Merlot, etc., not brand names).

 

Thanks, janet.   On our last cruise (Bermuda), we were in PV and asked to exchange the liquor bottles for wine, and the steward said they didn't have any small bottles of Chardonnay or Merlot to put in there.  They did check and were able to exchange the sparkling wine bottle you get on boarding, for a Chardonnay of our choosing, but that was a one-time thing.

I think in the future I will just push a little harder to get the liquor bottles exchanged and not take no for an answer 🙂

 

[duquephart]

What would you consider a fair exchange for four tiny bottles?

[Not a Georgia Peach]

We have had a PV in the past, and the small bottles were replaced with a full size bottle of wine.