Trying to decide whether to take beverages package

[Janderra]

Hi

 

This is probably in another thread but I cant find it. Sailing out of Sydney on 19/12 on Ooosterdam and thinking about taking the beverage package.

However it is difficult to decide whether it is a good deal without knowing the price of drinks.

 

My husband only drinks soft drink or coffee (about 4 a day) so I presume it w it would not be practical for him. I only drink wine and coffee with maybe a scotch and coke occasionally. Not knowing how much these drinks cost and not being able to find a drinks menu anywhere on website, makes it very hard to decide whether it is practical at $750. Travel agent has said we can just book it for 1 and don't have to book for both.

 

Any information about this please. Also can we book it on board once we have seen a drinks list.

Time getting so close as we fly to Sydney first for a week and so many decisions to make

Thank you

Janderra

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here are the answers you got when you asked this question before:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2132839

[MaxThrusters]

Your travel agent is misinformed: if one Signature Beverage Package is purchased, then every adult in the same cabin will have the charge added. They make it clear that there is no sharing, so they require everyone in room to have bought one each if one does. What a nasty surprise if you only get one and get billed for two later...

 

I found the card to be a good value for us. We liked having one or more specialty coffee, wine with meals, and drinks before and after dinner. I think I once got to the 14 drink maximum, but it was New Year's eve so CHEERS lol.

 

The only time we found the 7$ limit annoying was wine with dinner at the Pinnacle: limited choices. Oh and some "top shelf" liquors were included too, just ask if you have favourites to find out. For example I don't like Gordon's gin but do like Bombay..that was fine.

 

It was nice to not have to worry about the finances for drinks too. We never felt obligated to use all 14 each day either lol.

 

Cheers

[LindaM]

If you add up what you would pay for your coffee's, sodas and drinks, it would probably be less than what you would pay per day....for TWO people (that is the requirement per cabin). We had the package included in our last cruise and really used it. We drank much more than we normally would---and it still didn't add up to the cost per day. I kept track one day for an experiment. It's not worth it ---except for people on a Caribbean cruise, who start drinking early in the day until late into the night.

[Alberta Quilter]

There is a bar menu on the halfacts.com website, under the General tab. You should also read this thread for additional information, I think some latter info refers to the wine that is available with the package. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1999316&highlight=sbp

 

For what we drink, I wouldn't purchase the package but if you get it for free, well that's another story.

[RuthC]

Soda is $1.95 + 15% service charge per can. Total $2.24.

Most cocktails are $6.95; a few are $5.95, both are +15% service charge.

Most coffees cost less than the cocktails, as does beer.

 

Figure out how many drinks both of you will have per day; be generous in your estimate. Multiply that by $7---again generous. Now, multiply that by the number of days in your cruise.

Compare that total to the price of the two Signature Beverage Packages you would need to purchase.

 

The over/under number will give you your answer.

[dateacher]

I'm not sure why no one ever discusses ordering bottles of alcohol that can be delivered to the cabin for consumption. We did it on our Alaska cruise and have ordered it for our cruise in two weeks. We ordered one bottle of scotch and one of vodka and use it for our pre-dinner drinks and an after dinner drink if we want one. We have also taken it out of our cabin in glasses and no one questioned us (we didn't take them to a bar or the casino).

 

The price wasn't much more than we pay at home and we took home whatever was leftover.

 

Another reason not to buy the drink package.

[Janderra]

Thank you all once again.

If as the travel consultant said I could pay for one package and then just purchase soft drink, coffee for my husband it would probably work out worth it, however what a nasty surprise to purchase 1 package and then get billed for another after you have purchased the drinks all trip.

 

Thank you for the information regarding the menu, that really helps one make decisions.

 

Perhaps a non alcoholic drinks would be the way to go for my husband.

 

I can now make a decision.

 

We don't buy a bottle to have in the cabin as we enjoy a pre dinner drink in the lounge because of the atmosphere and also after dinner drinks.

 

Janderra

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm not sure why no one ever discusses ordering bottles of alcohol that can be delivered to the cabin for consumption. We did it on our Alaska cruise and have ordered it for our cruise in two weeks. We ordered one bottle of scotch and one of vodka and use it for our pre-dinner drinks and an after dinner drink if we want one. We have also taken it out of our cabin in glasses and no one questioned us (we didn't take them to a bar or the casino).

 

The price wasn't much more than we pay at home and we took home whatever was leftover.

 

Another reason not to buy the drink package.

 

We always order a bottle for the cabin. We like to sit out on the verandah and people watch when we are in port.

We have never taken any drinks out of the cabin -- not to the dining room or a bar/lounge.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you all once again.

If as the travel consultant said I could pay for one package and then just purchase soft drink, coffee for my husband it would probably work out worth it, however what a nasty surprise to purchase 1 package and then get billed for another after you have purchased the drinks all trip.

 

Thank you for the information regarding the menu, that really helps one make decisions.

 

Perhaps a non alcoholic drinks would be the way to go for my husband.

 

I can now make a decision.

 

We don't buy a bottle to have in the cabin as we enjoy a pre dinner drink in the lounge because of the atmosphere and also after dinner drinks.

 

Janderra

 

 

Wise decision since your DH does not drink alcohol.

[crusinpsychRN]

Can you buy alcohol to be delivered at embarkation before the cruise? I drink Evan Williams. Probably don't have that so it'd be Jim Beam.

[jtl513]

Can you buy alcohol to be delivered at embarkation before the cruise?

Yes. Go to the HAL site and see For Booked Guests, Book Indulgences for a list of what they have. The prices given include the 15% service charge, so at first glance they appear to be higher than what you would see in a photo of an on-board beverage menu.

 

Edited March 16, 2015 by jtl513

[Tripper10]

I would definitely just pay as you go. It will work out better in the long run.

[Crew News]

Can you buy alcohol to be delivered at embarkation before the cruise? I drink Evan Williams. Probably don't have that so it'd be Jim Beam.

 

Here is the current spirits list that I arranged from the Indulgences Tab on the HAL website for stateroom delivery:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Spirits-and-Beer-for-Stateroom.pdf

Edited March 16, 2015 by Crew News

[crusinpsychRN]

Thank you all. Those prices are a lot better than Carnival's.