renji

We find the $36 a day for non-alcoholic to be great value. So am spending that thousand on a 14-day. The question is whether to double it or to put the thousand dollars to 5 or 6 nice bottles of wine we actually want and a few cocktails.

And that is why I sometimes get the drinks package even though it’s a terrible value for me because I primarily buy bottles of wine for dinner and maybe have 1 or 2 cocktails at most. Just so I can try whatever I want and abandon it without feeling like I have to finish. My other alternative is to do the non-alcoholic package ($36 a day) because we drink a lot of latte, sparkling water and virgin Bloody Mary’s, and just pay for the occasional cocktail.

Mimosas are very popular at breakfast!

I love Cunard. That said, the drinks package on Cunard is absolutely awful unless you’ll drink anything. Unlike any other line I’ve been on, they don’t just upcharge the extra (ie, don’t even give you credit for the $13.50 allowed on the package), but they also deliberately overcharge on any decent wine glasses and cocktails to take them out of the package. If they increase the package allowance, they increase the glass price. There is no premium package and the bottle discount is half what it is on other lines and the amount it applies to is capped. Both RCCL and NCL have better options. go on Cunard for everything else and allocate X to your alcohol…

Exactly! The kilt is heavy but comes with its own air conditioning 😂

Thanks everyone. We will go with the kilt especially since he’ll have it. Will also have two jackets for smart attire but I suppose if jackets are scarce he might lose his some nights….

Hello, we’ve been on all the other ships and several men wore kilts (with Prince Charlie jacket and bowtie) as formal wear. (And jackets on smart attire night even though they aren’t required). I’ve heard that Queen Anne is intended to be less formal—we’re on the May 10 voyage so curious if there’s a different expectation. (He’s going to St Andrews for several days before so will have his kilt anyway, it’s quite heavy so would hate to also have to take a tux).

That’s a great point. I’m so used to Royal Caribbean where they only charge the excess…and it’s 40% on bottles under $100. Maybe I cancel the package until I see the wine list.

It’s especially ridiculous since those are not even pricey bottles. Do you know what bottle dollar amount the 20% discount applies to now?

It’s an old menu from April almost a year ago—the Chablis was at $13.50 and also within the package. I’ve seen menus where they upped the pricing.

I’m in the same boat (pescatarian but no shellfish) and stayed in the Haven twice. I wound up doing the specialty dining a lot for dinner because I had friends outside the Haven. I found egg whites and smoked salmon the perfect breakfast and did fall in love with the squash for a light lunch. But most dinners I ventured out. (I found more salmon and branzino availability on Royal Caribbean and Cunard). But it is worth asking your concierge at the beginning of the week (or in advance) if they would get it for you, perhaps even prepare it there.

I’ve been on old Crystal twice and loved it. Curious to hear as well…

For what it’s worth, I find the new policy an extreme turn off and it actually will keep me from booking the Haven. And the kicker is, I don’t even order lobster. So you might think that’s crazy, but when I pay for the luxury of a suite experience or deluxe drink package, it’s the experience of being treated a certain way. I just don’t trust NCL’s offering remaining consistent from the date of booking to the date of sailing anymore—I signed on for a drink package that included Moet and when I traveled, it was no longer included. Things like that are diminishing of the experience—when you are spending $20-30k on a trip, being “nickel and dimed” is unpleasant. And I am also happy on certain lines in an inside cabin with no frills—but I’m getting what I paid for and my expectations are set. That’s my personal take…I totally respect the other views.

I love Italian reds, especially Amarone, Tignanello and Bolgheri Superiore but they are so pricy. If you find an Argentiera it is the best value for money of the high ends. But French seems to have better moderately priced wines.

Thank you! My concern is that I mostly drink French white, and they seem to be raising the by the glass prices over $13.50 even on $22-30 bottles. So that Sancerre in the chart room is now at $13.40. Given that they raised the basic Chablis in the Commodore Club over $15 just to keep it off the package, I have to wonder what they’ll do here. So expect I’ll just be having cocktails outside the dining rooms.