Silver Spirts Included wines

[gymfreak]

Hello all

First an apology because I am sure this question may have been raised before

We embark on our 1st Viking Ocean cruise in March 2022

We have the Silver Spirits  package included.

As wine lovers but not experts, let’s say we know what we usually enjoy, we can’t seem to find a Wine menu of the Premium wines that can be enjoyed within the 15$ price point per glass in the package.

Can anyone point the way to this information or perhaps offer an opinion on the quality of wines available in the package ( I realise this is subjective but appreciate any feedback)

Thank you

Looking forward to joining the Viking cruise experience very soon.

Also welcome any tips from you more experienced Viking cruisers 

Vicki

 

[Jim Avery]

Hi Vicki,

First, not a wine freak but enjoy a nice glass or bottle.  Also, wines change from time to time depending on availability.  I'll just give one example and you can take it from there.  The SSBP wine list gives you some decent choices at no extra charge.  It also shows you several "better" wines and their prices.  As having the SSBP you get 15% off those listed prices.  We found a nice Valpolicella and bought several bottles.  With the 15% off I found out when we got home that Viking charged me almost to the penny what I could buy the same wine for at our local Total Wine.  Not sure you will find such reasonable pricing on any other cruise line. 🍷  

[Mich3554]

We were drinking a very nice Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand by the glass and those were $6.  I don’t remember glasses of wine costing more than that.  DH occasionally had a double single malt, I think those were $16.  If he ordered cognac, it was $10.  Prices are very reasonable.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Mich3554

[JeriGail]

1 hour ago, gymfreak said:

Hello all

First an apology because I am sure this question may have been raised before

We embark on our 1st Viking Ocean cruise in March 2022

We have the Silver Spirits  package included.

As wine lovers but not experts, let’s say we know what we usually enjoy, we can’t seem to find a Wine menu of the Premium wines that can be enjoyed within the 15$ price point per glass in the package.

Can anyone point the way to this information or perhaps offer an opinion on the quality of wines available in the package ( I realise this is subjective but appreciate any feedback)

Thank you

Looking forward to joining the Viking cruise experience very soon.

Also welcome any tips from you more experienced Viking cruisers 

Vicki

 

As noted, the choices will change from cruise to cruise, but here are some that were available.

[takemewithyou]

11 minutes ago, JeriGail said:

As noted, the choices will change from cruise to cruise, but here are some that were available.

Appreciate you posting the wines available from your cruise.

first timer here…..so just to clarify, if you have the Silver Spirits Bev package, these wines are available at no extra charge…..correct?

[JeriGail]

5 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

Appreciate you posting the wines available from your cruise.

first timer here…..so just to clarify, if you have the Silver Spirits Bev package, these wines are available at no extra charge…..correct?

Any drinks (wine or cocktails) up to $15 are included.  Plus, you get a 15% discount on bottle purchases.  I also did a wine tasting and received a discount on that.  I attached the drink menu from the Living Room that shows the beers and cocktails that are served.  Any cocktails $15 or less are included.

LivingRoomMenu.pdf

[KBs mum]

Found the wine choices to be acceptable. As might be ecpected in a decent UK gastropub, but at more reasonable prices. Nearly all old world

[takemewithyou]

@JeriGailthanks so much!  
That’s helpful to see the LR menu.

I read somewhere that you can order drinks delivered to your cabin if you have the drink package?

Are there wine tastings usually on every cruise?  

[rbslos18]

2 hours ago, gymfreak said:

Hello all

First an apology because I am sure this question may have been raised before

We embark on our 1st Viking Ocean cruise in March 2022

We have the Silver Spirits  package included.

As wine lovers but not experts, let’s say we know what we usually enjoy, we can’t seem to find a Wine menu of the Premium wines that can be enjoyed within the 15$ price point per glass in the package.

Can anyone point the way to this information or perhaps offer an opinion on the quality of wines available in the package ( I realise this is subjective but appreciate any feedback)

Thank you

Looking forward to joining the Viking cruise experience very soon.

Also welcome any tips from you more experienced Viking cruisers 

Vicki

 

We just took our first cruise. We had the SSP and did not recognize any of the wines. After a few days we just had the wine served at dinner and found it in some cases to be better than some of the upgraded wine. For our cruise, we had to wait for the sommelier to get the upgraded wine. We found waiting for the sommelier to be a minor nuisance.

[JeriGail]

5 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

@JeriGailthanks so much!  
That’s helpful to see the LR menu.

I read somewhere that you can order drinks delivered to your cabin if you have the drink package?

Are there wine tastings usually on every cruise?  

I think wine tastings tend to be held on sea days.  Our cruise was Barcelona to San Juan, so we had a lot of sea days and 4 or 5 wine tastings.  I did the premium red wine.  They also had Old World wine.  If you're interested in wine tastings, go to the Explorer's Desk on embarkation day and signup.  The spots are limited and they go fast.

[Jim Avery]

15 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

@JeriGailthanks so much!  
That’s helpful to see the LR menu.

I read somewhere that you can order drinks delivered to your cabin if you have the drink package?

Are there wine tastings usually on every cruise?  

You can have drinks delivered with or without the SSBP.

[stretchcruz]

We got room service for dinner a few times when we were really tired (5 week cruise) and it was so nice to order the beer and wine along with dinner. And we didn't have the package, just the included. "We would like 3 glasses of white wine and 2 beers please!"

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, JeriGail said:

I think wine tastings tend to be held on sea days.  Our cruise was Barcelona to San Juan, so we had a lot of sea days and 4 or 5 wine tastings.  I did the premium red wine.  They also had Old World wine.  If you're interested in wine tastings, go to the Explorer's Desk on embarkation day and signup.  The spots are limited and they go fast.

We also had single malt, gin, cognac and other tastings as well.  DH hit both the single malt and cognac tastings.  Both times he was waitlisted and got in.  They do apparently fill very quickly.

 

[KBs mum]

4 hours ago, rbslos18 said:

We just took our first cruise. We had the SSP and did not recognize any of the wines. After a few days we just had the wine served at dinner and found it in some cases to be better than some of the upgraded wine. For our cruise, we had to wait for the sommelier to get the upgraded wine. We found waiting for the sommelier to be a minor nuisance.

The grapes and regions are the usual type of selection seen in European hotels and wine merchants. 

The included house wines are decent quality, the SSP is worth it if you want to drink outside of meal times, or want more choice or cocktails/spirits etc.

 

After decades of drinking we don't need a somelliers help! 😁

[amypete]

I was wondering this as well. We did an all inclusive in Feb 2020 - and I was SO tired of that brand of wine at the resort by the time the week was up! Is it worth it to upgrade?? Might be for the wine tastings? How is the house wine? This is our first Viking cruise! 

[takemewithyou]

I am also wondering when are ordering wine on Silver Spirits package, do you need to present your room card or how will staff know you have the silver spirits package besides you telling them?  Is your card labeled with SSP or what?

[Jim Avery]

2 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

I am also wondering when are ordering wine on Silver Spirits package, do you need to present your room card or how will staff know you have the silver spirits package besides you telling them?  Is your card labeled with SSP or what?

All done on their iPhones.  You will be asked your room number, no more.  And soon they know your room number and don't even ask.  Hey, they know where you are and they have your credit card on file.....

[Jazmyn49]

And your photos pop up on their iPhones when you give your room number.

[KBs mum]

3 hours ago, amypete said:

I was wondering this as well. We did an all inclusive in Feb 2020 - and I was SO tired of that brand of wine at the resort by the time the week was up! Is it worth it to upgrade?? Might be for the wine tastings? How is the house wine? This is our first Viking cruise! 

The house wine is decent, but probably a bit dull after a few days. The optional drinks arn't particularly expensive, the break even point is probably about four non included drinks a day, three if you are keen on cocktails or spirits

[FlyerTalker]

Late last year, a number of wines were "not available".  Supposedly supply issues.  Others thought it might be a way to reduce the variety in the inventory.

 

In any case, we found a few of the wines that were quite acceptable.  And the advantage of the SS package - if you order a wine and don't like it, don't drink it.  Just order something else.  (And be sure to make a note of what you like and don't like for the next day.)

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, KBs mum said:

The house wine is decent, but probably a bit dull after a few days. The optional drinks arn't particularly expensive, the break even point is probably about four non included drinks a day, three if you are keen on cocktails or spirits

If you drink G&Ts or something similar the breakeven is 2.34 cocktails a day. ($19.95/$8.50)

 

If you want to search out the pricing of “your” drink, do a search using my name and “bar list”. I posted pictures of the bar lists from all the bars aboard our July 2021 cruise around Iceland. 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

I am also wondering when are ordering wine on Silver Spirits package, do you need to present your room card or how will staff know you have the silver spirits package besides you telling them?  Is your card labeled with SSP or what?

 

With Viking, the card is only required to open the cabin's door.

 

When eating in the MDR, the host/hostess requests you cabin number, which is provided to the waiter/waitress at the table you were assigned. After a few days they remember your cabin number, so they no longer ask.

 

Each emplyee has a mobile device, which provides a photo, whether you have SSBP and other preferences. Once they see you have SSBP they change the glass on the table, so you are not given the regular wine.

 

In World Cafe, we were asked our cabin number by new crew, but again once we had been a few times they quickly remembered our cabin number.

 

At dinner, as soon as we entered the MDR, the waiters were getting our preferred drinks, even before we were seated at the table.

[Clay Clayton]

Keep in mind that Heidi was on a world cruise and that this level of personalized service may not happen on a shorter cruise, but you will still find it very easy to get what you want. 
 

Our longest has been 14 days and usually the bartender and servers at our usual hangouts quickly asked if we wanted our usual or would say “Hendricks and tonic, correct?”  If we stopped at another bar where they didn’t know us, they’d simply ask for our room number. On one cruise, one of the World Cafe servers knew I liked the Gruner Veltliner and would stop by the table and interrupt another server trying to serve the daily selection and confirm I wanted the Gruner. 
 

So you will not have to worry about showing your card. Have a great cruise!

[takemewithyou]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Keep in mind that Heidi was on a world cruise and that this level of personalized service may not happen on a shorter cruise, but you will still find it very easy to get what you want. 
 

Our longest has been 14 days and usually the bartender and servers at our usual hangouts quickly asked if we wanted our usual or would say “Hendricks and tonic, correct?”  If we stopped at another bar where they didn’t know us, they’d simply ask for our room number. On one cruise, one of the World Cafe servers knew I liked the Gruner Veltliner and would stop by the table and interrupt another server trying to serve the daily selection and confirm I wanted the Gruner. 
 

So you will not have to worry about showing your card. Have a great cruise!

Love that we don’t have to keep showing our card!

On a recent cruise on another line, constantly had to present our card to get the wine or cocktail on the upgraded package we purchased, unless there was a server who recognized us and knew we had the upgraded package.   It was a pain after awhile! This seems much more efficient.

 

[Hottubmomma]

Anyone know what draft beers they have on board?