Drinks packages Oosterdam Australia NZ

[Janderra]

Hi

 

Doing this first Australia cruise, though have cruised on other lines in Europe.

Is there a drinks package available and if so, where/when do we purchase it, cost of it, what does it cover. Always before there have been details available on website prior to cruise but can not find anything on HAL site.

 

My husband does not drink anything but water and coffee, but I have been told you have to purchase a package for both people so not sure that this is a good idea for us.

 

I like to have a few wines at night, possibly a coffee or a soft drink during the day.

 

Plus we drink about 3 litres of water in our cabin every day. Found on last European cruise that water was so so expensive to buy.

 

Have read that we can take as much water on as like during the cruise, does this include sparkling water..

Want to be as organised as I can before we leave on 19/12/2015 and enjoy everything, but like others have remarked paying $49 plus for a bottle of wine and perhaps leaving some of it at dinner every night becomes very expensive.

Plus I enjoy a glass of wine before going to dinner, 1 or 2 after dinner or 1 in the cabin if my husband is asleep.

 

Advice welcome from anyone who has done the Australia cruises, most of the info seems to be the European/ America cruises

 

Janderra

[jaguarstyper]

The drink package is $44.95 per day plus 15% for gratuity, so $51.69 per day. Or about $362 per person for a 7 night cruise. All passengers in a cabin over 21 years old must purchase it whether they drink or not. You can find more information on HAL's website if you go to my reservations, then click on purchase Indulgences, beverages. The packages are listed about 1/3 of the way down the list. Covers up to 15 drinks per day, maximum of $7 per drink. For wine, you are limited in what you can get with the package to the so-so house wines.

 

If one of you in the cabin does not drink, it my not be worthwhile. Personally, I find it a little difficult to justify its value and we all like to drink.

 

As for water, have you ever tried the tap water on a cruise ship? Although there is slightly more sodium than you will find in most water, it is highly filtered and treated with reverse osmosis. Its perfectly safe to drink and it tastes as good, if not better than typical bottled water.

[maxout]

They will mark, save and store you partially consumed wine bottles for you to finish later.

[Crew News]

Here is a PDF file of the HAL drink packages that I extracted from the HAL website 11/29/14:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Beverage-Packages-11-29-14.pdf

 

Here is a list of all of the alcoholic beverages as of 11/29/14:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Alcoholic-Beverages-11-29-14.pdf

[Wastegirl]

Janderra, why don't you just take some excellent bottles Aussie wine on board with you and pay the $18 per bottle corkage, that's what I do when when we sail with HAL. You just pay your bottle shop prices for the wine, get the wine you enjoy and just pay $18 extra. Considering the prices of bottles of wine on board it is a more cost effective option.

 

Your first two bottles of wine for in room consumption do not attract corkage but the rest you bring on board you pay the $18 and can drink it anywhere, in any bar or restaurant on the ship. You room steward can provide you with an ice bucket so your wine is nice and chilled. And if you don't finish it they can store it for you or you can take it back to your room and pop it back in your ice bucket (ours never make it back to our room :D ).

 

My DH particularly likes this arrangement as coming from Adelaide with such a large selection available on our doorstep, he is quite a wine snob.

 

On a 14 day cruise between the two of us with a couple of coffees a day, beer (for DH) and mocktail for me at lunch, Happy Hour ($1 for extra cocktail of same type and that includes wine) pre dinner, a couple of glasses of wine each with dinner (from bottle we brought on board) and a post dinner drink our spend was nowhere near the cost of the drinks package. Including the $18 corkage on 7 bottles of wine our entire drinks bill came to around $700 for the two of us. Of course you would have to factor in the initial cost of the wine but the drinks package would have cost nearly $1500 for the two of us.

[Krazy Kruizers]

JMO

But since your DH does not drink, the cost of it for both of you is ridiculous.

As mentioned, it would be better for you take your own wine onto the ship and pay the corkage fee for the extra bottles. Way cheaper in the end.

[RuthC]

Your first two bottles of wine for in room consumption do not attract corkage ....

No, it's one bottle per adult that may be brought aboard corkage free. That's not the same thing.

[Wastegirl]

No, it's one bottle per adult that may be brought aboard corkage free. That's not the same thing.

 

True Ruth, didn't think, as the OP mentioned there was two of them I just said the two wines but it was misleading if someone else reads the post for the same info and they are single in a room.

[RuthC]

...it was misleading if someone else reads the post for the same info and they are single in a room.

Or triple. :) Or even quad! :D

[DeeBee76]

We looked in to it and for us we just couldn't justify the $1447 it would cost.

Take a look at the drinks available and see how many of the ones under $7 you would have each day (incl coffee and soft drink) and also consider there are 7 port days you still pay the $50(odd) for.

In the end for us it is just going to be cheaper to pay for the drinks individually.