All inclusive alcohol package

[lucifina]

I'm not sure what reasonably priced is so I can't really compare if I want to get the package or not. If anyone sailing this winter can post some drink pricing it would be appreciated. What's a beer cost, a soda, what wine can you get for the $11.50 maximum?

[stcruise]

We will be on board in a couple of weeks, so I should be able to answer your questions then. I believe my husband also took some photos of the drink list on our cruise last May, so I'll see if I can find those and give you an idea of pricing.

 

Water and soda/soft drinks are free.

[stcruise]

Found the photos. This was from May, 2013, Istanbul-Athens.

 

White Wines:

Glass - $7-11

Bottles - $26-41

Selections from Napa, Oregon, Washington St., Italy, New Zealand, Spain

 

Red Wines:

Glass - $7-15

Bottles - $26-58

Selections from Napa, Italy, Spain, Washington St., California, France, Oregon, Sonoma

 

Baccardi & Cointreau Cocktails - $8.25-8.50

 

Classic Martinis - $8.25

 

Grey Goose Cocktails - $11.50

 

Since we don't drink beer, there are no photos of the beer pricing.

 

On our cruise last year, they had their drink menu available for those who wanted to check it before purchasing the drink package. You do not need to pre-purchase drink package, but should you decide to get it you do need to purchase on embarkation day.

[lucifina]

Thanks for this info. Enjoy your cruise.

[milepig]

We've never had any trouble bringing reasonable amounts of wine on board. We've both stopped at a store and bought six or so bottles before embarkation and have also bought the odd bottle that caught our eye while shopping at mid-cruise destinations. We've never taken a bottle to the dining room, but have certainly taken one up on deck. As long as you don't make a point of it no one seems to care, we just generally leave the bottle in a carryon and top up as needed. When we forgot glasses in the cabin we've also gotten a couple from the bar, and the bartender happily gave them to us.

 

I think they're primarily trying to avoid huge groups of carousing people, if you behave responsibly no one seems to mind.

[brazzleman]

Sailing the Star Pride the end of October out of Athens and wondered if anyone had pics of the wine list onboard.

 

We are used to buying wines for dinner while in port on our prior Windstar Mediterranean cruises but the first 3 days are at sea and I'm not sure what I will find in the Red Sea ports. I would imagine I can find decent wine shops in Athens to stock up.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[Karen13]

Hi,

We are booked on Windstar to the Caribbean in November. Can anyone tell me what beers are available, and can you make special requests for certain beers for your minibar?

 

I assume spirits such as gin and vodka are also available on the all inclusive package and they are premium brands?

 

Thanks for any help.

[jaxbandit]

Beers available were Hinneken, Amstel Light, Becks, Grolsh, Hinano (local Tahitian beer), plus usual common US beers, and a few more.

 

A pic of the wine list is available to view here ($11.50 and below are available on the drink plan):

 

Edited July 20, 2014 by jaxbandit

[brazzleman]

Thanks! I'm assuming (and hoping) they have a larger by the bottle list. Has anyone seen that list?

[Karen13]

We are booked on a Windstar cruise out of Barbados in November and are planning on taking the alcohol package.

 

We have also booked excursions including the 'desert island' trip.

 

Does anyone know what refreshments are provided on the island for this trip? And if you are on AI does this only apply onboard?

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

Have a questions about the drink package. I see that wines up to $11.50 per glass are included in the package. My question is if you order say a $16.00 glass of wine from the list do you receive credit of $4.50 or do you have to pay the $16.00? Anyone that has sailed and taken the beverage package and can answer that question we would love to know the answer as it might be a deal breaker or maker.

Thanks,

Shirley

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

Sorry what I meant to say is do you get credit for $11.50 if you order a $16.00 glass of wine?

[jaxbandit]

No, you will be charges the whole $16 - not just the difference. I thought that there was a very good selection of wines with the package. You also get to choose from a large list of cocktails and frozen drinks. The drinks on the cruise sponsored island motus are also included in the drink package.

Edited August 10, 2014 by jaxbandit

[Hillskis]

We just got off the Wind Surf and we brought on a case of wine but also bought wine by the glass and bottle. The corkage fee is still $15. Many times while in the Compose Rose or Main Lounge I would go back to my cabin and refill my glass. Other times I would just buy a glass of wine. Their Rutherford Ranch Cab, Zaco Tempranillo, and Eberle Zin are good every day wines. Cocktails run in the $8-12 range. Remember they add a 15% fee to the base price.

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

We just got off the Wind Surf and we brought on a case of wine but also bought wine by the glass and bottle. The corkage fee is still $15. Many times while in the Compose Rose or Main Lounge I would go back to my cabin and refill my glass. Other times I would just buy a glass of wine. Their Rutherford Ranch Cab, Zaco Tempranillo, and Eberle Zin are good every day wines. Cocktails run in the $8-12 range. Remember they add a 15% fee to the base price.

 

Thanks for the information regarding the wines aboard. We also usually bring a case of wines aboard when we sail even when we sailed out of Barcelona we were able to find a outstanding wine shop and purchase wines for our cruise. Next month on our Tahiti cruise that will probably not work for a couple reasons. 1st there is a limit of 2 liters pp that can be brought into the county + the fact that high prices in Tahiti make buying wine there not a good idea. That's the reason that we are considering the drink package for this trip.

[brazzleman]

We brought 2 bottles per person, but I don't remember anyone checking luggage with our early am arriving flight. The local French chain grocery store had a nice selection of French wines. I don't remember the prices being that high, though we mainly bought rose.

Edited August 12, 2014 by brazzleman

[DanBarb]

This post is of limited appeal to the majority of you, but on my last trip(rome-venice) they had Peter Michael Chardonnay available by the bottle. This is my wife and mine's favorite California Chardonnay and it was available at $100 per bottle. We get it from the winery at $90 a bottle, so not much of a mark-up.

We enjoyed it so much the first night that we ordered another bottle 2 nights later and they said they didn't have it, nor had they ever. I was flummoxed until I realized I ordered Michael Phelps(the Olympian) and not Peter Michael. Once I realized my mistake, with my wife's help of course, we all got a good laugh and we enjoyed our second bottle of Peter Michael. I have a tendency, to this day, to make that same mistake when talking about that wine......:(:(

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

Just returned from the Tahiti cruise last week and this is our take on the value of the beverage package.

 

Before I compare prices let me say several things.

1. We brought 2 bottles of California wines aboard

2. We love having cocktails during the day and even in the evening.

3. We purchased a bottle of red wine with our dinner each night (except for the two nights that we brought our own wine). Also we purchased a glass of white wine each to start our meal each evening.

4. After much discussion we did not buy the beverage package.

 

As a side note WE LOVED THE LAUNDRY PACKAGE, or at least I did as I only had one load of washing to do with we returned home!

Also WE LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CRUISE. THANK YOU WINDSTAR CRUISES.

 

Our final bar charges = $679.00

Beverage package for 2 = $870.00

 

Hope this helps.

Edited September 26, 2014 by "Wandering Wino's"

[Lobes1]

We have been on three Windstar cruises and plan to have our fourth next year. We usually have two or three cocktails each in the afternoon and early evening and then two to three glasses of wine each with dinner. Our booze charges a la cart have been around $700 for a one week cruise, far under the price of the beverage package. YMMV

 

We agree that the laundry package is great!

Edited September 29, 2014 by Lobes1

[themutis]

We've had the beverage package on two cruises - and enjoyed it. Just a much more relaxed trip for us.

 

I found this today (dated Nov 2014). Does anyone know if the price limit for a glass of wine has gone up to 12.00 or not.

 

http://media.windstarcruises.com/media/plan_your_voyage/cruise-documents/gift_order_form.pdf

[Ladyorganicgardener]

Looks like the alcohol package prices went up from $108 per day to $116 not including 15% gratuity.

[jjs217]

To add on to this thread - can you buy individual bottles for in-room consumption, or does Windstar only offer a beverage package? I'm thinking about a btb in May (first timer), but this could be a deal breaker.

[jjs217]

Ooops - to be clear, I meant bottles of hard liquor, not wine or sparkly.

[stcruise]

Windstar does not allow you to bring liquor on board, only wine or champagne. I have always felt that their onboard drink prices are reasonable and depending on each individual's consumption it may or may not make sense to get their package. We never have felt it necessary, especially if we are on port-intensive itineraries where we are off the ship for the majority of the day and possibly enjoying some spirits on shore. Others have felt it was a good value for them.

 

As far as I know (from an old list), the only lines that allow you to bring alcohol on board are: Crystal, Azamara, Disney, P&O, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and Thomson. Many of these only allow you to bring it on when you first arrive and any additional purchases on shore during your trip are held until the last day. Policies vary.

 

So, if the alcohol policy is a deal-breaker for you, then you can check the other cruise lines listed and see if they have something that suits your needs. However, make sure you check their current policy since my list may not be up to date.

[jjs217]

Windstar does not allow you to bring liquor on board, only wine or champagne. I have always felt that their onboard drink prices are reasonable and depending on each individual's consumption it may or may not make sense to get their package. We never have felt it necessary, especially if we are on port-intensive itineraries where we are off the ship for the majority of the day and possibly enjoying some spirits on shore. Others have felt it was a good value for them.

 

As far as I know (from an old list), the only lines that allow you to bring alcohol on board are: Crystal, Azamara, Disney, P&O, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and Thomson. Many of these only allow you to bring it on when you first arrive and any additional purchases on shore during your trip are held until the last day. Policies vary.

 

So, if the alcohol policy is a deal-breaker for you, then you can check the other cruise lines listed and see if they have something that suits your needs. However, make sure you check their current policy since my list may not be up to date.

 

 

I'm sorry for the confusion - what I mean is this - does Windstar offer you the opportunity to buy a bottle through them, and then they have it in your stateroom at embarkation?