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Beverage Package


HermmyGranger
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We had it on Koningsdam through the Explore 4 package. When we got a drink, they'd scan it into their Ipad and it would show up on a bill with the tip added then the price of the drink and tip was credited back. Don't know if other ships are doing this, but it was sure nice to be able to track the drinks.

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We had the beverage package as an Explore 4 perk in March.

 

Our cards had a sticker on them when we checked in that showed the bartenders and servers that we were on a package. We would present our card when ordering, and then just as a regular 'purchase' the bartender would swipe our card and produce two receipts...one we signed for him/her to keep and one for our records.

 

The receipt had the cost of the drink and the added gratuity. Each 'purchase' would show up as a line item on our stateroom account but was immediately credited off in total, so there was no balance due.

 

We received receipts most every time; only a few purchases in the MDR that the wine steward processed on her iPad would not produce a receipt.

 

There were some occasions where the server, knowing both my husband and I had the package, would only take one card and charge both our drinks. This did not cause a problem with our package even though technically you cannot buy more than one drink at a time. We also had situations where we'd be in the Crow's Nest before dinner and since we were there every night, the same bartender took care of us. We'd each have two drinks but he would wait until we were ready to leave to scan our cards and 'charge' the drinks. Never a problem to do it this way.

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On our last cruise (not HAL) we had a drinks package that worked in a similar way. We found that the wine waiter in the MDR would "top up" our wine glass five or six times during the meal. Then we were presented with five or six receipts when in reality we had probably only had a couple of glasses. This wasn't a problem because drinks were unlimited but is this likely to happen on Zuiderdam? If I have a fifteen drink limit I want each one to count!

(Some of them may be non alcoholic :p)

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On our last cruise (not HAL) we had a drinks package that worked in a similar way. We found that the wine waiter in the MDR would "top up" our wine glass five or six times during the meal. Then we were presented with five or six receipts when in reality we had probably only had a couple of glasses. This wasn't a problem because drinks were unlimited but is this likely to happen on Zuiderdam? If I have a fifteen drink limit I want each one to count!

(Some of them may be non alcoholic :p)

 

On the Eurodam in December, we got a full glass of wine each time we ordered. They've gone to a system with the wine stewards being supported by "runners" who would bring the by-the-glass orders. The wine stewards input our order into a tablet and the glasses magically appeared shortly thereafter.

 

 

A couple of important points:

 

 

  1. You could order more than one glass at a time. We always did. Our typical order was Champagne to start, and a wine to pair with with our starters and main courses. This ensured that we would have our wine ready when our food arrived. (It's that kind of synchronous harmony that helps to promote dining excellence. Either that, or we're impatient. I'm going with the first one.)
  2. If you happened to have a powerful thirst and wanted a second glass of something, they'd bring a full, new glass. This is probably due to the tablet ordering/runner system more than anything else.
  3. We did, on occasion, get a top off at no charge - and without asking. (We travel in a "bubble of awesome" and people in the beverage trade are nice to us.)

So... Expect your drink count to match the number of glasses ordered. If you want a full new glass, and they're not giving one, just ask.

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We are new to Holland America, and I'm confused.

 

I purchased the signature beverage package, and it appeared by the website that they would deliver a card to our cabin. However, I see previous posts referring to a sticker on cabin keycard. Which is correct?

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We are new to Holland America, and I'm confused.

 

I purchased the signature beverage package, and it appeared by the website that they would deliver a card to our cabin. However, I see previous posts referring to a sticker on cabin keycard. Which is correct?

We had a separate card in 2014. In late 2016, it was tied to our room card. No sticker for us though. (Perhaps we just gave off that vibe?)

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Just got back from a cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam where several of us had the elite package. It is tied to your room key. There were no stickers, but they did punch a small hole in the card, we think to alert them that we had a package. They have to swipe your card each and every time, which is annoying (on Celebrity you just flash your card, they never swipe) and they will double charge you if you order a drink and ask for the high end alcohol. But I never came close to the 15 drink limit so it wasn't an issue for me.

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Just got back from a cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam where several of us had the elite package. It is tied to your room key. There were no stickers, but they did punch a small hole in the card, we think to alert them that we had a package. They have to swipe your card each and every time, which is annoying (on Celebrity you just flash your card, they never swipe) and they will double charge you if you order a drink and ask for the high end alcohol. But I never came close to the 15 drink limit so it wasn't an issue for me.

 

What do you mean when you say they will double charge you for high end alcohol? Isn't the point of the Elite Package to cover such drinks up to $15 each? Thanks.

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What do you mean when you say they will double charge you for high end alcohol? Isn't the point of the Elite Package to cover such drinks up to $15 each? Thanks.

We had the Elite Beverage Package in December and were never double charged. There's very little that it didn't cover.

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We are new to Holland America, and I'm confused.

 

I purchased the signature beverage package, and it appeared by the website that they would deliver a card to our cabin. However, I see previous posts referring to a sticker on cabin keycard. Which is correct?

 

Neither, in my case. I had no sticker. The bartender just swiped my card and handed me the receipt. It was all credited back on my account.

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Rather than start a new thread about the beverage package, I thought someone might answer this easily on this thread. How do you keep track of how many beverages you've used per day (SBP)? I plan on getting extra water at the end of the night to make my "15" allowed drinks. Can you simply ask the bartender where you stand for the day or do I need to keep a mental list going?

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