SeaMatesNYC

I keep my own count. But any beverage staff can look it up for you in the system.

A perfect example - they started the fresh juice exclusion on the ships BEFORE changing any of the written sales and marketing. I remember because I experienced it onboard. This is how it happens. Changes first in the onboard practices, followed by eventual updates in the written sales and marketing materials. Thus the concern that the onboard reports are harbingers of official policy changes in writing to come. The issue for many of us is that Elite with the unlimited zero proof drinks makes a lot of sense for no/low alcohol drinkers while without the zero proof exclusion, may as well have the downgraded SBP.

If they respond to me, I’ll post if for everyone.

It is. We need to await an answer from Guest Relations. As indicated above, this may all be just based on a rumor with mistaken info. It does seem borderline moralizing to question how someone needs more than 15 drinks. Many sedentary people who do drink alcohol don’t understand an active, sober lifestyle. But hey, each to his or her own.

I don’t have a PCC. But this seems a decent alternative for “proof” for those who do. BUT the ship and shore management may just say “Your PCC was not up to speed with the changed policy when that was sent to you.” I’m seeking other “bear ammo” that will cover me. I’ve been thru this so many times with cruise lines that I know only concrete, time-stamped proof will work. Even in the face of a picture of Heineken 0.0 in their Quench package promo materials in the sales portion of the website and NO language excluding this zero proof beverage, I had HAL insist it was not in the Quench package. They work with a unique logic.

Easy for me. I don’t drink alcohol. Can easily have the following: 2 coffees before breakfast (to get things ‘moving’) 1 Cappuccino with bfast 1 Fre sparkling with bfast 3 waters for the fridge 5 N/A beers around the pool 2 grapefruit “not a cosmo” before dinner 1 Fre sparkling to start dinner 2 glasses Fre wine with dinner I’m at 17 and the night is young. This is a sea day. 90 minutes in the gym. 2 miles walking around promenade. Lots of perspiration. Bathrooms are plentiful and used appropriately. Does this help?

@BBQ Bacon @rollnoles2 Send an inquiry like mine above (copy if you like) to Guest Relations - the more they get the more likely they are to respond. GuestRelations@hollandamerica.com

That’s totally a valid point. Seeking verification was the premise of my post as you may read at the top. And that’s also what I have done via the message to Guest Relations. I’ll share the response if/when it comes. It would not be a surprise to find the beverage package changed without an update to the website description. It happened with the fresh juices, then Quench excluding N/A beer (but still having it in the picture), not to mention the endless changes about water size and container type. In any case, it seemed an interesting change of topic from the thousandth post about Club Orange…😂

Yes! Arrive with a cocktail and order the refill straight away!

I’ve said at check in to the host and the first waitstaff that approach that “we are pushing on a time deadline, and would like to be done in X minutes, or by (this) O’clock.” If you have fixed seating, just mention it to your waiter/asst. as you first encounter them. Being prepared to order straight away helps (using Navigator to pre choose is perfect). We also like the soup and a starter and if the starter is a cold starter, asking that they be brought together also helps. Be prepared to mention that you may have to skip out on dessert if time runs too late also is helpful. We’ve been in and out in 40 minutes with these approaches.

Yes. That’s a benefit outside the beverage packages being referred to. But helpful point to those with Club Orange.

In my four voyages since last October (2 NS, 1 K and 1 N), every one excluded fresh squeezed juices from all beverage packages - Quench, Signature, and Elite. I experienced it firsthand and listened to the arguments over and over at breakfast. Even before they excluded it, getting it actually delivered was hit or miss. Good luck!

I’ve sent the following to Guest Relations: Hello. Online posts have current onboard passengers saying they are being told that HAL is no longer excluding non-alcoholic ("zero proof") beverages from the 15-drink limit for the Elite Beverage Package, contrary to current sales and marketing materials being displayed on the HAL website and within on-line booking/itinerary's extra package sales offerings. Please see below two photographs snapped from your website indicating that Elite packages exclude non-alcoholic drinks from the 15 drink limit. These are both snapped from your website today, July 16, 2024, the first from "Ship Life / Beverage Packages" and the second from the FAQ on the actual beverage package sale page within one of my current bookings. These were the terms in effect when we deposited on our two upcoming cruises in 2025 for which we booked the fare with the Elite BP in the early booking bonus, My questions are: 1) What is the current status of the Elite beverage package and exclusion of non-alcoholic beverages from the 15-drink limit? 2) How will you ensure that what we have purchased when we deposited and obtained the Early Booking Bonus including Elite BP with non-alcoholic drinks unlimited will be delivered to us per the terms and conditions offered at the time of sale? We’ll see what they say…

In two out of three places, policy on Elite speaks to the exclusion of non-alcoholic beverages from the 15-count. In the third, it is silent. Here's the Elite Beverage Package shown on the HAL website "Ship Life" then "Beverage Packages": Here's the Elite within my booking: When you click the BEVERAGE PACKAGE FAQs in the booking screen shown above, you then get:

You’ve just seen me receive it, albeit after the fact and not in the form of cash in my pocket, although I proceeded to apply the FCC to my next cruise already booked. You are quite possibly right as to his motives. If that’s the case, his lack of consideration in the language of his response will have created more problems than it resolved. In any case, Mr Monson will hear from me for the remainder of my sailing days each time I add surcharge food and don’t receive the discount, until they update the benefit description. I appreciate your perspective, but responding as he did on HAL letterhead speaks to the policy as he understands it, or at least purports to. I’ll stand by that until I learn otherwise from HAL.

Agree. On longer voyage (14+ days) fares that HAL is not yet discounting, our current TA is averaging 11% rebate (price reduction, not OBC) on the commissionable revenue (fare), not including the taxes/fees/insurance. Look for a TA that meets your needs. And no, I can’t tell you who my TA is in this forum.

The next problem they have is that they refer to “unlimited non-alcoholic beverages” and I drink the Fré non-alcoholic wine and the Heineken 0.0 non-alcoholic malt beverage. Both say “non-alcoholic” on the label. Waiting for heads to explode when/if I seek to exclude those from the 15 on my Elite plan. I’ve never reached 15 on the SBP even with coffee and water (I do not actually consume alcohol) but it could happen! 😉😂 Last cruise I got up to 14 drinks in the plan (hot day and lots of 0.0 and Coors Edges) plus two Mariner Cocktail cards. Of course they ran one of the Mariner cocktail cards as a drink purchase and put me at 16 and then tried to charge me for the last drink. Sorry no, not gonna happen. I keep a running tally of all my drinks. The beverage supervisor printed all the receipts and ultimately refunded the charge for that 16th drink. The look on her face when I pulled up the dated log of all my drinks that day. Of course I could also recount where each was purchased.

As with all things, the language in the “contract” is what matters. I will time-stamp and carry with me a copy of the EBP language in effect at the time of my purchase of a cruise with the early booking bonus HIA (Elite beverage) and once again take it up with The Office of the President if the shipboard staff attempt to short me on drinks. I love water and coffee and will not be denied the benefit I purchased. They are free to change any and all terms on a going forward basis, but not for those who purchased with certain terms in effect at a given time.

I do hope Mr Monson was sure of his position. I’m just waiting for the blowback from my having given you all these “exhibits.” I can imagine the consternation in the C-suite if they wanted this matter kept on the QT. But heck, this really was never about $17.50 but rather fair disclosure. If they choose to tighten up the benefit language, so be it. That is the substance, I believe, of what Monson says has been referred to the Mariner Society for their consideration.

Here's the best I can do @VMax1700

Yes. The lower price will simply be the agency taking some of its commission and passing it to their end consumer, you. HAL’s financial interest remains the same as does whatever they offered as benefits.

Yes, I do hope they follow through and make a consistent advisory for all staff. I will let you know when/if I hear back with a clarification of the next steps from the Special Advisor. I suggest that everyone contemplating surcharge orders and seeking the discount, confirm in advance with your waitstaff and Pinnacle manager and perhaps follow through with Guest Services onboard referencing a July 15 2024 communication to Michael D. from Special Advisor Drew Monson if you are denied the discount (and either order the item, or not).

Yes. That has been my recent experience. When you book onboard tell them to keep the booking direct with HAL if you don’t know which agent you want to use. If your current sailing has an agent assigned and you want to change, be sure to tell the Future Cruise Consultant to make the booking direct with HAL. Once you are ready to transfer the booking to the travel agency of your choice, you fill out the transfer form, email it to HAL and they will process the transfer, which will come over to the selected agency with all details of the onboard deposit, OBC from HAL, and the details of cabin etc. as chosen onboard.

Be sure you write down or get a printout of the booking and benefits details from the Future Cruise Consultant and compare with the confirmation you receive from your Travel Agent. You also can select "no travel agent" at time of booking, get a HAL confirm, then complete the one form booking transfer form within 60 days if you want to shop around for a travel agency and see who might be able to give you an even better deal than onboard. We have now found the agency that does best by us, but we found them through "shopping" the onboard booking and then transferring it (getting the great cash back discount our travel agency offers and keeping all the onboard benefits attached to the booking with the Future Cruise Consultant).

Not sure I follow: Reports are of a recent change (within weeks if not days) wherein despite current written policy of Elite beverage package (not Signature, not Quench, not Soda) NOT counting non-alcoholic drinks against the 15 drink limit for Elite BP, HAL has shifted and now DOES count coffee, soda, water, cocktails, against the 15 for Elite. This report comes from one person who indicated above (s)he was onboard and in The Crow’s Nest. It is possible this may have just been a miscommunication with staff in that venue. We don’t know yet for certain. The written descriptions on HAL website and in the Beverage Package FAQ’s currently state non-alcoholic drinks do NOT count against the 15 drink limit for Elite Beverage Package. Lastly, the bottles of wine carried onboard are not free anymore either - I believe corkage is owed regardless of where you intend to drink them.