New bar menus for 2024 with some welcome changes

[Murray's Pop]

15 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

No discount. If you are 4 or 5 Star, yes.

Is that for individual bottles?  What I see is for packages only, individual bottles are excluded.

[Real NHDOC]

1 hour ago, Murray's Pop said:

Is there a discount for wine/champagne bottle purchase when you have the Elite Beverage Package?  I thought I remembered a discount but could not find on the HAL site. 

Actually, I was told by the Cellar Master on Zaandam last month that there was going to be a 25% discount off of wines by the bottle for people who have the drink packages. Last year they were giving $11 a bottle off but he said they are changing that to 25% so ask the Cellar Master or Beverage Manager on the ship you’re on about that. 

[julia]

29 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said:

Actually, I was told by the Cellar Master on Zaandam last month that there was going to be a 25% discount off of wines by the bottle for people who have the drink packages. Last year they were giving $11 a bottle off but he said they are changing that to 25% so ask the Cellar Master or Beverage Manager on the ship you’re on about that. 

But keep in mind that the 25% discount will be nearly negated by an 18% gratuity on that bottle...

[kazu]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

No discount. If you are 4 or 5 Star, yes.

 

There’s a discount on individual bottles?  I have never been told that by my wine steward (back when we used to have them).

[Real NHDOC]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

There’s a discount on individual bottles?  I have never been told that by my wine steward (back when we used to have them).

It’s something new. I have not seen it in writing but do know last year on N-S they offered us $11 off wine by the bottle because we had HIA. But I was told the new discount is 25%. This is actually consistent with a similar discount offered on Carnival for guests with their drinks package. 
 

Yes, you still need to pay another 18% in service charge but it’s still a discount you would not ordinarily receive. 

[kazu]

20 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said:

It’s something new. I have not seen it in writing but do know last year on N-S they offered us $11 off wine by the bottle because we had HIA. But I was told the new discount is 25%. This is actually consistent with a similar discount offered on Carnival for guests with their drinks package. 
 

Yes, you still need to pay another 18% in service charge but it’s still a discount you would not ordinarily receive. 

 

Thanks - I read that -  no HIA on the upcoming cruise - not beneficial for my friend in my cabin.

 

I was intrigued by @CruiserBruce comment & If there was a 5* discount on individual bottles.  I supect he was referring to the wine packages but it would be nice 😉 

 

[Real NHDOC]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

Thanks - I read that -  no HIA on the upcoming cruise - not beneficial for my friend in my cabin.

 

I was intrigued by @CruiserBruce comment & If there was a 5* discount on individual bottles.  I supect he was referring to the wine packages but it would be nice 😉 

 

Yes, the Mariner’s discount only applies to the Sommelier’s Suite packages, not to individual bottles. 

[kazu]

8 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said:

Yes, the Mariner’s discount only applies to the Sommelier’s Suite packages, not to individual bottles. 

that’s what I thought.  that post had me wondering if I had been missing something all these years 😂 

[Murray's Pop]

20 hours ago, kazu said:

that’s what I thought.  that post had me wondering if I had been missing something all these years 😂 

Ditto

[WVU_Neal]

On 1/17/2024 at 4:17 PM, Real NHDOC said:

Yes, the Mariner’s discount only applies to the Sommelier’s Suite packages, not to individual bottles. 

I just checked and the complete link is below.

 

Mariner 3 stars get 25% of packages and bottles.

Mariner 4-5 get 50%

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/get-ready-for-your-cruise/mariner-society

[vicd1969]

1 hour ago, WVU_Neal said:

I just checked and the complete link is below.

 

Mariner 3 stars get 25% of packages and bottles.

Mariner 4-5 get 50%

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/get-ready-for-your-cruise/mariner-society

Do you get the Mariner discount applied if you pre-purchase before boarding, or only onboard?

Edited January 18 by vicd1969

[PSR]

1 hour ago, WVU_Neal said:

I just checked and the complete link is below.

 

Mariner 3 stars get 25% of packages and bottles.

Mariner 4-5 get 50%

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/get-ready-for-your-cruise/mariner-society

 

I think you missed the “excluding” parenthesis.

Edited January 19 by PSR

[WVU_Neal]

3 minutes ago, PSR said:

1 hour ago, WVU_Neal said:

I just checked and the complete link is below.

 

Mariner 3 stars get 25% of packages and bottles.

Mariner 4-5 get 50%

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/get-ready-for-your-cruise/mariner-society

Expand  

 

I think you missed the “excluding” parenthesis

LOL. Indeed I did. Sheesh. I must read more carefully. 😀

 

I stand corrected. Thank you. 

[Real NHDOC]

53 minutes ago, vicd1969 said:

Do you get the Mariner discount applied if you pre-purchase before boarding, or only onboard?

You get the discount either way but if you prepurchase you pay the full price initially and it gets adjusted when you get aboard. 

[oakridger]

9 hours ago, WVU_Neal said:

LOL. Indeed I did. Sheesh. I must read more carefully. 😀

 

I stand corrected. Thank you. 

 

You had me going for a minute!  Just Sommelier Packages. Not individual bottles. (except the mini bar)

[RedIguana]

On 1/16/2024 at 1:01 AM, oakridger said:

I've always thought that HAL's beverage package wines by the glass are what I call "Tuesday Wines".  Meaning they are OK at home with my meatloaf dinner on Tuesday but certainly not what I would drink on Saturday with my filet mignon dinner!  My OBC usually goes to those "Saturday Wines"!

 

I've not been on any other mainstream cruise lines since 1990 so how do HAL's by-the-glass wines compare to others such as RCCL, Carnival, Princess, etc?

 

~Nancy

At least for cabs, much better than Carnival (still J. Lohrs?), better but close to Royal (still Oberon ?), and I believe the same using the premium package (I think Decoy on all 3). Celebrity has a $2+grats up charge on Decoy even with the premium, I believe Princess and HAL both cover it on premium. Princess has Caymus by the glass at an $8+grats up charge as of last summer. HAL's package limits are lower, but the drink prices are much lower also ($14.50 for Decoy on HAL vs $19 on Celebrity).  I am using dates from old Carnival ship 2020,  multiple RCI sailings from 2021-2022, Princess from summer 2023, and latest Celebrity a month ago. last HAL was 2022 (50 days to next one), but those current menus are in this forum. As always, your sailing may vary, or things may have changed, or I just plain have it wrong, but I tried 🤪.