new drink cards

[m steve]

On this last cruise we were offered a 100$ card for $90. Then they put the charges on it with the auto tip. I think that this works better than the punch cards as the waiters get stiffed using the older cards or as I did carry a bunch of singles to leave for each drink.

[jtl513]

On this last cruise we were offered a 100$ card for $90. Then they put the charges on it with the auto tip. I think that this works better than the punch cards as the waiters get stiffed using the older cards or as I did carry a bunch of singles to leave for each drink.

The waiters didn't get stiffed with the old cards ... the 15% service charge was built into the price. The 10-glass wine card was $36 x 1.15 = $41.40, and the 20-glass was $67.50 x 1.15 = $77.63. That's how they got those weird prices. And that's why HAL didn't want people carrying them over to another cruise, as the 15% had all been allocated to the bartender pool for the ship that they were bought for/on.

 

With the new cards HAL is going to get a lot more money in "unused residue". If you don't use the full face value you can get a refund, but only up to the price you paid. If you use $90.01 of the $100 card, or $45.01 of the $50 card, no refund ... and no 10% discount savings for you. When we were on the Nieuw A and had a balance left that was less than the price of a soda (about the miniumum-cost drink) they wouldn't let me combine that residue with a charge to my key-card, so the value was simply lost. I understand that's not been true on some other ships.

 

I'll use any I get as a gift from a TA, but I won't buy one.

[cruise-a-holic]

On a recent Noordam cruise, I purchased a bottle of champagne with a $100 card the total came to a little over $100 so the balance was put on my room card. There was not a problem. I think it is a pretty good deal. I plan on using them more often on my next cruise a 10% discount (with the exception of specials of the day) is ok with me.

[exgman]

Are the discounted drink cards available on all HAL ships for every cruise or is it something they do randomly? Also, are the drink cards good for all beverages or are they limited?

[Bill B]

Are the discounted drink cards available on all HAL ships for every cruise or is it something they do randomly? Also, are the drink cards good for all beverages or are they limited?

There are three kinds of cards available on all ships for all cruises:

Beverage Value Card - good for everything.

Non-alcoholic Beverage Value Card - good for everything that doesn't contain alcohol.

Soda value Card - good only for sodas.

[AtMaui]

I used one on my Nieuw Amsterdam cruise last month. I used it for all drinks and bought drinks for my friends. I liked the fact that I paid for it before I left and just gave the bartender the card to swipe. I made sure I used all the money on mine so I didn't have to be concerned with anything being left.

[Bill B]

When we were on the Nieuw A and had a balance left that was less than the price of a soda (about the miniumum-cost drink) they wouldn't let me combine that residue with a charge to my key-card, so the value was simply lost.

I believe your experience was a manifestation of one of the 'teething problems' that surfaced (pun intended) with the introduction of the new cards. It seems the crew on all ships now know they can combine residual amounts on 'Value Cards' with a charge to your onboard account to pay for an order.

[m steve]

just had 10 punch holes. The waiter really didn't get any 15% for his service. The cards were offered by the TA and in our cabin on arrival. The new cards I feel are fair the the staff and to us. Any unused value is credited back to our ship account. We don't order wine in the bars.

[jtl513]

just had 10 punch holes. The waiter really didn't get any 15% for his service.

Yes he did. All the 15% service charges on all beverages go into a pool to be split among all of the bar staff, wherever they work, not directly to the server of your drink. The 15% that was built into the price of the punch cards went into that same pool.

The cards were offered by the TA and in our cabin on arrival. The new cards I feel are fair the the staff and to us.

It's not any more fair or any less fair than the punch cards. The 15% still goes into the same pool as before.

[exgman]

There are three kinds of cards available on all ships for all cruises:

Beverage Value Card - good for everything.

Non-alcoholic Beverage Value Card - good for everything that doesn't contain alcohol.

Soda value Card - good only for sodas.

 

Thank you Bill B

[jtl513]

Thank you Bill B

The soda card is the best buy, as it costs $25 for $50 face value. That's 22 cans of soda.

[kakalina]

The problem with the 15% tip isn't that the servers don't get it at all. It is that they don't get it when the old punch card was used on a different cruise than the one for which it was purchased. So if you bought a drink card on the Maasdam and used half of it and then used it on your next cruise on the Ryndam the Ryndam staff gets stiffed. That is one of the reasons HAL started the new cards.

 

Another is that they DO read CC and they did hear about leaving the cards in the bible for others to use. They aren't stupid and realized they were losing money on this deal. You can't "save" the new cards. If you don't use it all it gets credited back to your account. At least our drink and soda cards did.

[OVgirl]

The problem with the 15% tip isn't that the servers don't get it at all. It is that they don't get it when the old punch card was used on a different cruise than the one for which it was purchased. So if you bought a drink card on the Maasdam and used half of it and then used it on your next cruise on the Ryndam the Ryndam staff gets stiffed. That is one of the reasons HAL started the new cards.

 

Another is that they DO read CC and they did hear about leaving the cards in the bible for others to use. They aren't stupid and realized they were losing money on this deal. You can't "save" the new cards. If you don't use it all it gets credited back to your account. At least our drink and soda cards did.

Is the refund on the beverage cards always automatically credited to your account or did you have to go to the front desk and request the refund?

Thanks for the help.

[jtl513]

If you don't use it all it gets credited back to your account. At least our drink and soda cards did.

Up to face value or up to purchase price?

Is the refund on the beverage cards always automatically credited to your account or did you have to go to the front desk and request the refund?

Thanks for the help.

We didn't get any automatic refund ... we didn't get any refund at all, because we had used more than the $45 our TA had paid for each of two cards. I don't know what happens if you use less than the purchase price.

[Bill B]

Up to face value or up to purchase price?

They will only refund an amount up to the purchase price.

 

A 100% return on 'investment' in Soda Beverage Value Cards would put them out of business in a couple of weeks (maybe less).

 

Two pax sitting in a bar on a Radisson world cruise -

Pax A: "I noticed you're in the best suite on the ship. How did you make your money?"

Pax B: "I invested in soda pop."

[jtl513]

They will only refund an amount up to the purchase price.

Right. It was a rhetorical question to kakalina. :)

[VermeulT]

Our TA just gave us $50 cards for each of us (a nice surprise). They worked out great. And yes - when it came down to the last use - the difference was charged to regular room key (which they needed to ask for so that they could swipe the difference).

 

 

Slightly OT - but the bar staffs do not make ANY base salary. The only pay they receive is based on the bar sales on that cruise (the 15% is thrown into a pool and divided amongst all the bar workers). If you frequent a particular bar and enjoy the service from your bartender - feel free to throw them a few extra bucks at the end of the cruise - they (as all of the staff onboard) totally appreciate any extras they receive.

[JFO23]

Can beverage cards be bought on the ship after boarding, or do they need to be purchased online ahead of time? If you can buy them on the ship, can you only purchase on the first day or anytime during the cruise?

[jtl513]

Can beverage cards be bought on the ship after boarding, or do they need to be purchased online ahead of time? If you can buy them on the ship, can you only purchase on the first day or anytime during the cruise?

You can buy on board, throughout the cruise.

[ariawoman]

Is the refund on the beverage cards always automatically credited to your account or did you have to go to the front desk and request the refund?

Thanks for the help.

 

Nope it's not credited to your account, matter of fact you can't even get it until the day you disembark as the beverage manager doesn't close out the accounts until late your final sail night. At least this is how it worked on the Nieuw Amsterdam in October. It was handed to me in cash i believe.

 

It was a bit of a confusing process, especially since I didn't know I couldn't just keep the card for next time, but now that I've been back and thought about it all, makes more sense to me now lol.

 

So, don't forget if you have any left over (above your cost) go get a refund. More than likely the desk will call you to tell you if you have a balance coming to you.

[m steve]

went thru 2 $100 cards, 2 -10 punch cards and still had charges on my room card. And we had 2 bottles in the cabin. Maybe that's why I enjoy every cruise, rain or shine.:rolleyes: