Wine questions on board---Silver spirits package and premium wine list

[jmfdr]

We have been on one Viking Ocean cruise and did not get the Silver spirits beverage package.  We are debating about whether to get it for our up coming cruise. 

We don't generally drink liquor or cocktails but do enjoy wines.  I have been looking for updated Viking Ocean wine lists to determine what our options might be for premium wines by the glass.  So far we have found nothing that helps.  The menus we have seen list many, many $8.00 per glass wines with all other premium choices by the bottle only.   Can anyone provide further information about what premium wines might be available by the glass on our Orion sailing?  Perhaps it would be best for us to wait until on board to see the current wine list and then decide if we want to upgrade to a SS package?  And if one decides to purchase the SS package on board where does one do this----at a bar, guest services etc?

 

A second wine-related question while on board.  On our first Viking Ocean sailing, our experience was that the complimentary wine served at dinner was either a choice of white or red---one variety of each offered.  Once evening I declined the sauvignon blanc and asked for a chardonnay.  The waiter seemed stunned but reluctantly found a bottle of chardonnay.  Is it traditional that only a couple of wine options are offered for the complimentary dinner service?  Is it possible to pay for a premium glass of wine with meals, if one does not have the SS package?  

[OneSixtyToOne]

SSP is just a different way to pay for alcoholic drinks. You can purchase anything available on the SSP wine list. 

IMO unless you drink spirits, you are better off buying wine by the glass. I’m not a big wine drinker, but on one cruise a couple we were with sometimes preferred the included wine. The whole wine thing to me is totally subjective. As a joke I once took a bottle of Ralph’s plane wrap wine to a wine tasting and in a blind taste test, it placed 2nd.

[duquephart]

Unless you drink at least a cocktail or two apiece the SSP is probably overkill. Without the package, however, they may well just pour whatever they have - assuming that's what you want. If you wish to see a list to choose from make that known up front.

[CCWineLover]

Little talked about, but you can bring your own bottles of wine (or liquor) onboard.  We do that often.  And no charge or corkage fee by Viking.  

[Mich3554]

The SS package is only the way you pay for alcohol.  It does not give you any advantage of receiving something that a passenger without the package can’t pay for.  Wines that are sold by the bottle are not given by the glass for those with the SSP.  The wines available vary.  
 

Usually, a red and white are offered at dinner.  Yes, you can request another glass of wine if you do not like those offered at dinner and pay for them without the SSP.  We do this all the time.  We also make liberal use of any vineyard visit on the cruise and bring bottles we like back on board with us.  After our world cruise, it was a scramble to finish up the wine we bought before we got off the ship.  All our spare luggage space was taken up by the 8 bottles of single malt scotch DH bought in Scotland afterwards.

[SWFLAOK]

On our Viking River cruise, our first lunch onboard offered us a white and a red. We tried them both and they were not to our liking. We asked if there was anything else, and they brought us an alternate white that they told us would go well with our lunch. We each had a glass with lunch and enjoyed it. After we got settled in our cabin, we found that we had been charged 45 dollars for the bottle (which we didn't finish because it wasn't offered to us as our bottle and would have brought it to our cabin to enjoy later).

We had also paid for the SSP when we checked in onboard, but "unfortunately" as we were told, the computer hadn't recorded it when our account was charged for it. The bartender at happy hour figured this out, and got our SSP registered on our account, but could not remove the 45 dollar charge for our 2 glasses of wine at lunch.

For our upcoming Viking Ocean cruise, we bought our SSP recently when we booked our restaurant reservations. We might have better wine choices for the Panama Canal cruise than the River Cruise through Germany, but it only takes a few bottles of wine that you didn't expect to pay for to cover SSP, and we can have a happy hour drink and/or an after dinner drink at one of the bars without worrying about an extra charge. When we're already paying for a cruise, we don't like to be worry about upexpected overcharges.

[jmfdr]

Thanks for all the responses.

[WanderingBrit]

Champagne is now covered on the SS package, two glasses and you're ahead financially on any given day.

 

We struck up a relationship with one of the Head Waiters, and would take his recommendations from the "by the glass" list - provided nice variety at meals without committing to a bottle. Try a glass and if you don't care for it, just ask for something else.

 

We also found that, especially at the Aquavit Terrace bar, a G&T was always a double once it was established that you were on the SS package. A certain efficiency to that. It also empowered me to try cocktails I'd never ordered before simply because I didn't fear wasting money on something I didn't like.

[Breckski]

Get one each of everything on the bar list.  The next drink is free🥳

[Murt22]

1 hour ago, WanderingBrit said:

Champagne is now covered on the SS package, two glasses and you're ahead financially on any given day.

Yep.... definitely covered my (and probably my spouse's) SS cost! Of course the one I liked was not readily offered in the Restaurant, Manfredi's etc... they had a different one, but by the end of the cruise, i had managed to get it in the Restaurant. The non-included wines by the glass are not really "premium'', but you might like them better than the included. 

[Jim Avery]

Every time we bought a bottle, and you said you were charged for the bottle, the Sommelier corked any  not drank and it was available for us at any subsequent meal.  Also, SSBP gets you 15% discount on the :"premium" wines.🍷

[chaunceyb]

On 9/18/2023 at 6:59 AM, jmfdr said:

We have been on one Viking Ocean cruise and did not get the Silver spirits beverage package.  We are debating about whether to get it for our up coming cruise. 

We don't generally drink liquor or cocktails but do enjoy wines.  I have been looking for updated Viking Ocean wine lists to determine what our options might be for premium wines by the glass.  So far we have found nothing that helps.  The menus we have seen list many, many $8.00 per glass wines with all other premium choices by the bottle only.   Can anyone provide further information about what premium wines might be available by the glass on our Orion sailing?  Perhaps it would be best for us to wait until on board to see the current wine list and then decide if we want to upgrade to a SS package?  And if one decides to purchase the SS package on board where does one do this----at a bar, guest services etc?

 

A second wine-related question while on board.  On our first Viking Ocean sailing, our experience was that the complimentary wine served at dinner was either a choice of white or red---one variety of each offered.  Once evening I declined the sauvignon blanc and asked for a chardonnay.  The waiter seemed stunned but reluctantly found a bottle of chardonnay.  Is it traditional that only a couple of wine options are offered for the complimentary dinner service?  Is it possible to pay for a premium glass of wine with meals, if one does not have the SS package?  

We are on the Viking Star in October, Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles. We are not real cocktail drinkers but enjoy good wines, Proseccos, and Champagnes. With that said, the Silver Spirits pkg is not a good value for us. Viking allows you to bring your own wine on board and drink anywhere on the ship with no corkage fee. Planning on buying at least a dozen great reds in Miami to enjoy during the cruise. Regarding the "inclusive" wines on Viking and for that matter Regent, Silversea, etc,. they are everyday grocery store wines, not bad, but not great!🙂 

I agree with you that, even on Silversea, it was sometimes challenging to request an included Chardonnay instead of the wine they were featuring for that night. The sommeliers obviously focus their attendtion on those guests purchasing bottles off of their premium list.

[chaunceyb]

On 9/18/2023 at 7:57 AM, CCWineLover said:

Little talked about, but you can bring your own bottles of wine (or liquor) onboard.  We do that often.  And no charge or corkage fee by Viking.  

Exactly!

[ropomo]

Just an FYI, especially for those departing from Miami and possibly other ports near Total Wines. Total Wines will deliver your order (online) and if you are arriving the day or more before your departure, you can have whatever you want delivered to your hotel. Did this on a Panama Canal, Miami to San Francisco, cruise on Oceania last year. I got some six bottle carrier boxes from Amazon that easily fold down flat in our luggage for flight to Miami and had a case and a half of wines delivered to along with spirits to the hotel. Two-hour delivery.  Also, very good selection and prices. Easy peasy. Put luggage tag on them and they arrived in our cabin.

[OKCowboy]

Bought the SS package a year ago on a Western Caribbean/Panama Canal cruise. Halfway through the cruise I developed throat infection and ship doctor put me on antibiotics. No more alcohol from that point, so be prepared if any events on the cruise stop you from enjoying the SS package benefits. We only buy by the rink now and bring spirits on board.

[TominNC]

How can you tell in advance (like now, as we've just booked a river cruise) which wines on the lists are "Treasure" wines and not included in the SSP?

[Peregrina651]

16 minutes ago, TominNC said:

How can you tell in advance (like now, as we've just booked a river cruise) which wines on the lists are "Treasure" wines and not included in the SSP?

 

The wine list on any vessel is ever-shifting sands. You don't really know what is actually in stock until you arrive on board.

 

Your best bet for questions about river boats is River Cruising. There you can catch the attention of those currently on board or recently returned to answer your question.

[FetaCheese]

27 minutes ago, TominNC said:

How can you tell in advance (like now, as we've just booked a river cruise) which wines on the lists are "Treasure" wines and not included in the SSP?

Was just ready to respond, and  @Peregrina651 was faster.  Spot on advice.

 

Will add:  Wine lists on VO can, and do change mid voyage.  This has occurred on 2 of our cruises.  Have always been satisfied with included wines, if SSBP not purchased.  Remember, even without pkg, one can order any wine by glass for, in my opinion, a very reasonable charge, grat included.

 

[CCWineLover]

1 minute ago, FetaCheese said:

Was just ready to respond, and  @Peregrina651 was faster.  Spot on advice.

 

Will add:  Wine lists on VO can, and do change mid voyage.  This has occurred on 2 of our cruises.  Have always been satisfied with included wines, if SSBP not purchased.  Remember, even without pkg, one can order any wine by glass for, in my opinion, a very reasonable charge, grat included.

 

Me too!

I can agree that wine lists do vary by itinerary.  Having been on several different itineraries on Viking, I have seen different wine lists.  There have been a usual group of wines they've likely contracted with for awhile and then there is always a fresh batch of wines.  Often they are dictated by the locale (i.e. we just had some wonderful Portugal, Spain, and Italy wines on our recent Rome-Athens cruise, that I had not seen before).

 

Also - Viking RIVER cruises are a completely different story.  As Peregrina said, you'd need to look at the CC board/forum.   My only recollection on European River Cruise is that it was dominated by European wines, most of which I never heard of and weren't on Viking ocean cruises, but tried them of course!.

[TominNC]

Thanks for the quick responses.  

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, TominNC said:

How can you tell in advance (like now, as we've just booked a river cruise) which wines on the lists are "Treasure" wines and not included in the SSP?

 

Don't forget that you can bring any wine on board and they will chill it, open it, serve it for you.

 

On River cruises we do this.  We go to a winery as one of the excursions and if we like what we tasted we bring a bottle or two back to the ship.  If we had paid for the SSBP we would feel more obligation to drink Viking's wine, but if we don't do the SSBP (which we don't anymore) we bring wine back.  Sometimes we will share with the table at dinner and sometimes not.

[CCWineLover]

9 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Don't forget that you can bring any wine on board and they will chill it, open it, serve it for you.

 

On River cruises we do this.  We go to a winery as one of the excursions and if we like what we tasted we bring a bottle or two back to the ship.  If we had paid for the SSBP we would feel more obligation to drink Viking's wine, but if we don't do the SSBP (which we don't anymore) we bring wine back.  Sometimes we will share with the table at dinner and sometimes not.

We do the same thing!   (At least with white and sparkling).  We like to bring bottles onboard at the beginning and shop for some in some of the ports.  For us it is so easy, but I realize many don't want to "lug" bottles onto the ship.   

I have brought bottles even from California - what is fun is talking about them with the wine steward.  Always fun to have discussions about wine with the staff!

[CDNPolar]

15 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

We do the same thing!   (At least with white and sparkling).  We like to bring bottles onboard at the beginning and shop for some in some of the ports.  For us it is so easy, but I realize many don't want to "lug" bottles onto the ship.   

I have brought bottles even from California - what is fun is talking about them with the wine steward.  Always fun to have discussions about wine with the staff!

 

We have found some of the wine staff are very knowledgable.

 

We were on Treasures of the Rhine for New Years and we bought a bottle of bubbly from one of our wine tours and had that on New Years Eve.  It seemed more celebratory since we bought the bottle for some reason.  Also, tasting a wine right from the region from a small producer.

[emileg]

We were on the Octantis in February. The glasses of wine that were available for the Silver Spirits Package (SSP) were ALL priced at $8.00 a glass. Even though the package allows for more expensive wines by the glass, the better wines are only sold by the bottle. Some of these $8 wines were good, none were great and most were mediocre. In fact, some of the "house wines" that are available to everyone were as good as if not better than the wines priced by the glass.

 

We had the SSP included in our fare, which also allowed for bar drinks. However, if we had to do it over again and it was not included in a promotion, we would skip the SSP on future cruises.

 

We also found that once you found some house wines you like, the staff was happy to get it for you, even on a day that it is not being officially served.

Edited April 2 by emileg

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, emileg said:

 

 

We also found that once you found some house wines you like, the staff was happy to get it for you, even on a day that it is not being officially served.

 

Exactly - if you don't ask you won't get.  If you don't like what is on offer say this and they try to accommodate.

 

The "house wines" are not cheap bottom of the barrel wines. They are and can be some decent wines.