New bar menus for 2024 with some welcome changes

[relmondcrsise]

It appears new updated bar menus are coming for 2024 and I for one am extremely happy about the change in policy for the beverage packages.  You will now only pay the difference if your beverage is over the price limit of the package you've purchased.  There are also some pretty significant changes to the wine offerings.  I haven't spotted too many other changes yet.  Anyone see anything else of note?  Here are the new menus...

 

Holland America New Bar Menus for 2024

[CruiserBruce]

The change on the coverage of drinks over the package price happened in early 2023.

[anniegb]

Thanks for the updated menus.

 

If I am reading the beverage package prices correctly, the difference between Signature and Elite beverage package is only 5USD daily plus gratuity??

 

 

[relmondcrsise]

4 minutes ago, anniegb said:

Thanks for the updated menus.

 

If I am reading the beverage package prices correctly, the difference between Signature and Elite beverage package is only 5USD daily plus gratuity??

 

 

Yes I didn't think that sounded like too much more to pay for so many more drinks to be included.  Maybe they are trying to get everyone into the Elite package.

[crystalspin]

9 minutes ago, anniegb said:

If I am reading the beverage package prices correctly, the difference between Signature and Elite beverage package is only 5USD daily plus gratuity??

It has always been $5 IF you bought it by itself, pre-cruise, but $10 ($11.80) pppd if you bought it on the ship or upgraded from included SBP in a promo such as Have-It-All. And all in a room have to upgrade.

[crystalspin]

20 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The change on the coverage of drinks over the package price happened in early 2023.

I believe even earlier. It was already in force for our sailing in late December 2022. 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

7 minutes ago, anniegb said:

Thanks for the updated menus.

 

If I am reading the beverage package prices correctly, the difference between Signature and Elite beverage package is only 5USD daily plus gratuity??

 

 

 

1 minute ago, relmondcrsise said:

Yes I didn't think that sounded like too much more to pay for so many more drinks to be included.  Maybe they are trying to get everyone into the Elite package.

 

That is the difference pre-cruise between the package prices if purchased as stand alone items.  From my understanding the price differential once onboard is $10pp/day + 18% = $11.80.  Since the upgrade from SBP to EliteSBP is not available pre-cruise for guests with HIA, only once onboard, the onboard differential is what you pay to upgrade.

[anniegb]

5 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

It has always been $5 IF you bought it by itself, pre-cruise, but $10 ($11.80) pppd if you bought it on the ship or upgraded from included SBP in a promo such as Have-It-All. And all in a room have to upgrade.

That was my recollection too.  However IIRC someone quoted a higher daily differential in price recently.

[crystalspin]

35 minutes ago, relmondcrsise said:

It appears new updated bar menus are coming for 2024 and I for one am extremely happy about the change in policy for the beverage packages. 

Actually, most people with the beverage package (SBP) are NOT happy because many standard mixed drinks such as Cosmo, Painkiller, Pina Colada are now $11.50 or $12 but the limit of the SBP is still $11 although your list shows the price of SBP has gone up $5pppd, the limit has not increased.

 

If nothing else, it will clutter up the daily statement!

[crystalspin]

41 minutes ago, relmondcrsise said:

Here are the new menus...

Holland America New Bar Menus for 2024

@Crew News Roger -- this will save you a lot of photography! Don't know if that's good or bad!

[anniegb]

3 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Actually, most people with the beverage package (SBP) are NOT happy because many standard mixed drinks such as Cosmo, Painkiller, Pina Colada are now $11.50 or $12 but the limit of the SBP is still $11 although your list shows the price of SBP has gone up $5pppd, the limit has not increased.

 

If nothing else, it will clutter up the daily statement!

Agreed but my solution is to replace my Cosmos with Singapore Slings.

 

I too hate cluttered daily statements for JMO trivial amounts.

[wandrr]

Unfortunately, as ever, they have not enhanced the meagre beer offerings. Right now on Zaandam, the ONLY place you can get a Newcastle Brown Ale is on draught at MIX.

 

200 (at least) different wines, but only ten or so beers.

[anniegb]

2 minutes ago, wandrr said:

Unfortunately, as ever, they have not enhanced the meagre beer offerings. Right now on Zaandam, the ONLY place you can get a Newcastle Brown Ale is on draught at MIX.

 

200 (at least) different wines, but only ten or so beers.

Agreed and one of the world's best lagers is still missing.

[wandrr]

1 minute ago, anniegb said:

Agreed and one of the world's best lagers is still missing.

I would amend that a bit "All of the world's best lagers, and stouts, and red ales are missing."

[Prada Cowboy]

Menu and iclusion of each package look good to me (better then Celebrity)! My question is and I hope I can get an answer, if you have had the 15 drinks, can you charge more to your account for the regular price or are you cut off after that?

[3rdGenCunarder]

I see bottled water is back, along with the cans. I thought bottled water was a no-no.

[Skicruiser55]

10 minutes ago, Prada Cowboy said:

Menu and iclusion of each package look good to me (better then Celebrity)! My question is and I hope I can get an answer, if you have had the 15 drinks, can you charge more to your account for the regular price or are you cut off after that?

You can still order drinks they just charge you for the drinks at the stated pricing.  

[0106]

9 minutes ago, Prada Cowboy said:

can you charge more to your account for the regular price or are you cut off after that?

You are not cut off, you just pay for your drinks.

 

2 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I see bottled water is back, along with the cans. I thought bottled water was a no-no.

 

The last time I saw “bottled water” from the bars, it was in a can with a screw top, not plastic or glass.  However, on the Rotterdam TA in October, the only had cans.

[anniegb]

3 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I see bottled water is back, along with the cans. I thought bottled water was a no-no.

Certain brands of water are excluded from any package e.g, Perrier 

[0106]

Just now, anniegb said:

Certain brands of water are excluded from any package e.g, Perrier 

I was able to get small bottles of Perrier with the package in October.

[anniegb]

1 minute ago, 0106 said:

I was able to get small bottles of Perrier with the package in October.

Good to hear.  San Pellegrino ??

 

As a Scot, the Scotch Whisky brands offered under the Signature package are very poor and do not sell well in my local pubs.  Once again the renowned and deserved brand leader is missing from the list.

Just as well I don't drink the stuff 😉

[rover16]

IMO, the wines are still only fair to middling at best and they raised the prices of what we like to drink out of the Signature range.

 

[albingirl]

laugh if you want to, but they always run out of Bud Light.  My beer of choice, much to the disdain of my friends.

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, crystalspin said:

@Crew News Roger -- this will save you a lot of photography! Don't know if that's good or bad!

I don't photograph, just scan.  My plan is to keep scanning the menus that i find onboard if they are different than your posted link.

[wandrr]

31 minutes ago, albingirl said:

laugh if you want to, but they always run out of Bud Light.  My beer of choice, much to the disdain of my friends.

How can I not laugh! Still, running out of the highest selling beer in the USA is inexcusable on a line with ships usually about 75% American. Shows how much attention they really pay to the beer drinkers. The wino's would mutiny if they ran out of Chardonnay.

 

As a suggestion, drink something else!    🤣