Included Beer

[ericosmith]

I see lots of posts and comments about included wines at lunch and dinner, but nothing about included beer.  Being a beer snob I have to have an IPA and not just some watered down American brew.  Are all beers included or just certain ones?  If only certain ones are included can I either pay for an upgrade or get one with a Silver Spirts package?  

[PasadenaDave]

34 minutes ago, ericosmith said:

I see lots of posts and comments about included wines at lunch and dinner, but nothing about included beer.  Being a beer snob I have to have an IPA and not just some watered down American brew.  Are all beers included or just certain ones?  If only certain ones are included can I either pay for an upgrade or get one with a Silver Spirts package?  

I found both in the Mediterranean and on the Nile that the included beers at lunch whether they be a lager, a Pilsner, of dark to be enjoyable.  They are not Bud or a gawd awful light beer, but a decent European beer without a huge alcohol content which is appreciated in a a beer at lunch.  I am at the point at 60 that I rarely have a heavy IPA at lunch unless they serve an 8 ounce pour otherwise my afternoons are for laying around.  Yes I have become a lightweight.

 

Seriously, the beers are like I would get in London in 1990 when the better beer was in Europe.  Remember Heineken in Europe is better than what you get in North America.  Also it is poured from a tap.

 

Beer lovers like to try new stuff…..except for IPA snobs and even they once tried an IPA after drinking Bud.

[LindaS272]

No, all beers are not included at mealtimes. Yes, you can pay for the beer you want (if they have it). SSBP is just another way to pay—it doesn’t give you better access than paying a la carte.

[duquephart]

Typically a quite good lager when I would ask for a beer. When asking for a dark beer always a very decent bavarian or porter. If you can tear yourself away from the IPA fad you will do just fine. You can always get anything available off of any list as per above.

[CILCIANRQTS]

We’ve gotten Bitburger in the past - a wonderful German beer.

Just say “Bitte ein Bit!”.

[duquephart]

7 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

We’ve gotten Bitburger in the past - a wonderful German beer.

Just say “Bitte ein Bit!”.

 

Yeah. It was the standard pour on our river cruise. Don't know what they served when asked for a dark. Homelands I think Carlsberg was poured and I would get Carnegie Porter or Grimbergen.

[CCWineLover]

On the Ocean ships, they have several good Norweigian beers from Aeigir Brewery, which happens to be in Flam, Norway.

https://www.flamsbrygga.no/

We did happen to stop by when on a Viking Cruise that went to Flam.

On the ship, we've tried the Amber and the IPA.   Having been an IPA fan since the late 1980's in Seattle, I think it just might be that IPA is not a "fad" anymore.

[duquephart]

I lean heavily towards the maltier and perfectly balanced Bavarian lagers, Marzens, festbiers, doppel bocks, dunkels, monastery beers, etc. many of which have been a "fad" for centuries.

[CHuntMD]

Just got back from the Orion (Alaska, southbound). I'm at approx 2800 unique beers on untappd.

On-board beer, decent for meals.  What I like is either finding a local brewery (every port except Icey Straight) and/or a local adult beverage store and pick up a 4-pack local brews. 

CEH in MD

[cmmaxwell03]

4 hours ago, CHuntMD said:

Just got back from the Orion (Alaska, southbound). I'm at approx 2800 unique beers on untappd.

On-board beer, decent for meals.  What I like is either finding a local brewery (every port except Icey Straight) and/or a local adult beverage store and pick up a 4-pack local brews. 

CEH in MD

Awesome!!  I like your idea of a local brewery.  We aim for the same thing.  

 

How was the cruise?  We are doing the same route in Sept.  

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by cmmaxwell03

[duquephart]

19 minutes ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

Awesome!!  I like your idea of a local brewery.  We aim for the same thing.  

 

How was the cruise?  We are doing the same route in Sept.  

 

 

Local brewery doesn't necessarily mean good beer.

[cmmaxwell03]

18 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Local brewery doesn't necessarily mean good beer.

 

Haha...Touché.  But it is an experience.  So that's a win.

 

[CHuntMD]

1) Use the untapp'd app see what others think.

2) Every brewery I've rated since 2015 have flights, 2-4ozs 3+glasses. No issue if a taster is mostly full.

3) Know what you like, I detest sours, smoked/tobacco flavors but you have me a Belgium any day.

 

As for the cruise, never had any rain! More sun than clouds, warmer weather than expected.  Delay in luggage availability and a medical situation (EMS) made the disembarkation at Vancouver a $h1tshow.

Edited June 11, 2023 by CHuntMD
forgot to add info about the cruise as requested

[cmmaxwell03]

9 minutes ago, CHuntMD said:

1) Use the untapp'd app see what others think.

2) Every brewery I've rated since 2015 have flights, 2-4ozs 3+glasses. No issue if a taster is mostly full.

3) Know what you like, I detest sours, smoked/tobacco flavors but you have me a Belgium any day.

 

As for the cruise, never had any rain! More sun than clouds, warmer weather than expected.  Delay in luggage availability and a medical situation (EMS) made the disembarkation at Vancouver a $h1tshow.

The info on the beer was almost as important as the cruise info.  Sorry to hear about the crap show with disembarkation.

[phil1107]

During our recent cruise, I drank copious amount of the excellent Norwegian Double Amber.

[wolfie11]

On 6/10/2023 at 6:00 PM, CHuntMD said:

Just got back from the Orion (Alaska, southbound). I'm at approx 2800 unique beers on untappd.

On-board beer, decent for meals.  What I like is either finding a local brewery (every port except Icey Straight) and/or a local adult beverage store and pick up a 4-pack local brews. 

CEH in MD

I hope you tried the Spruce Tip Ale at the Skagway Brewery.  One of my favorites!

[Mr. Baloo]

What beers are normally on the Eastern Europe cruises?

[islandchick]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:24 PM, duquephart said:

 

Local brewery doesn't necessarily mean good beer.

I can assure you that the local Alaskan breweries are amazing. I don't drink beer but my husband is a real beer snob and his all time favorite have been from Alaska. On our upcoming Alaska trip we are also planning on going to a brewery or brew pub in every port possible. 

[duquephart]

1 hour ago, islandchick said:

I can assure you that the local Alaskan breweries are amazing. I don't drink beer but my husband is a real beer snob and his all time favorite have been from Alaska. On our upcoming Alaska trip we are also planning on going to a brewery or brew pub in every port possible. 

 

Had lots of good beer in Alaska. But the more there are the better the chance of a so-so one and breweries/wineries are getting to the saturation point. It reminds me of the 70's when waterbed stores were about three to the block.

[islandchick]

52 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Had lots of good beer in Alaska. But the more there are the better the chance of a so-so one and breweries/wineries are getting to the saturation point. It reminds me of the 70's when waterbed stores were about three to the block.

HAHA, I Had one of those in the early 90's. 

[formernuke]

Still do! Nothing more comfortable than a waterbed. Great temperature control!