Signature Beverage Cards, What surprised you?

[RuthC]

Does HAL sell soda or specialty coffee packages?

Dave answered the coffee question. I can expand on his info re: soda card.

 

The soda card costs $25 for $50 worth of soda. You get fountain soda, and it's about half of what you would get in a can. If the soda you want doesn't come in "fountain" form, they will open a can, and give you half.

I used them when I drank more soda than I do now, and found they were all right. Certainly easier than collecting all those sales slips from individual purchases. There was a slight savings, too, but not a lot.

[Copper10-8]

According to a guy who should know:

 

1/4 oz Vodka

1/4 oz Gin

1/4 oz White Rum

1/4 oz Scotch

1/4 oz Bourbon

1/4 oz Tequila

1/4 Triple Sec

1/4 oz Brandy

 

Top it off with Pineapple and Orange Juice

 

Add a splash of Grenadine and let the games begin!

 

First one is a doozie;)

[punkybett]

Thanks. First cruise on HAL looking forward to something different.

[Ken the cruiser]

The underlined/bold part is sometimes misunderstood by guests. The per-drink price limit is $8, and don't concern yourself at all about the service charge. It has already been pre-paid as part of your SBP. If you simply purchase the package online, or onboard, you pay the 15% service charge when you buy the package. If you receive the SBP as part of the Explore-4 promotion, they load the 15% SC into the cost of the promotion. Either way, the SC is taken care of, and it does NOT figure into the maximum price of your drink. What you see (on the menu) is what you get.

 

Thanks for clearly the SC issue up. Now with regards to the second part of the fine print. “Signature Beverage Package (US$1,400 value per stateroom based on a 14-day cruise; retail value of US$50 per guest per day, including service charges) has a daily limit of 15 beverages, which includes all beverages priced $8.00USD or lower including service charges. …”

 

Question - The daily retail value states “$50 per guest per day, including service charges”. If the cost of the 15 beverages in one day is over $50, do I have to pay the difference?

 

Example – One day I buy 15 beverages, all under $8 each, which included a large variety of alcoholic drinks and an assortment of specialty coffees, sodas and bottled water. The total cost including service charges for the 15 beverages came to $90. Will my account be charged $40 to cover the difference?

 

Since the wording is a little tricky and this is the first time we’ll be using the Signature Beverage Package, we just want to make sure we know what the rules are.

[saatuk]

Question - The daily retail value states “$50 per guest per day, including service charges”. If the cost of the 15 beverages in one day is over $50, do I have to pay the difference?

 

 

No.

[blizzardboy]

“Signature Beverage Package (US$1,400 value per stateroom based on a 14-day cruise; retail value of US$50 per guest per day, including service charges) has a daily limit of 15 beverages, which includes all beverages priced $8.00USD or lower including service charges. …”

 

The package costs $50/day per person, including service charge, if you were to pay for it as a separate amenity, hence the $1400 value on a 14 day cruise. You get 15 drinks per person per day, with a maximum menu price of $8 each. If you have 15 coffee drinks at the Explorations Cafe, you've maxed out the package for that person for that day. 8 coffees and 7 martinis, and so forth - you get the idea.

Edited August 13, 2016 by blizzardboy

[Ken the cruiser]

The package costs $50/day per person, including service charge, if you were to pay for it as a separate amenity, hence the $1400 value on a 14 day cruise. You get 15 drinks per person per day, with a maximum menu price of $8 each. If you have 15 coffee drinks at the Explorations Cafe, you've maxed out the package for that person for that day. 8 coffees and 7 martinis, and so forth - you get the idea.

 

Thanks everyone. We're going on a 14-day Alaska cruise with the Explore Four perks next summer with our daughters and their spouses and wanted to make sure we knew what the rules were so we could pass them along. For example my one daughter loves bottled water and will probably go through 10 bottles per day. However, we have to make sure she knows you can only get them at the Ocean Bar and not to use the ones in the in-room refrigerator or pick one up on the way off the boat. Those from what I understand are not part of the deal and you have to pay extra for them. Needless to say she'll be visiting the Ocean Bar quite often.

[OVgirl]

Thanks everyone. We're going on a 14-day Alaska cruise with the Explore Four perks next summer with our daughters and their spouses and wanted to make sure we knew what the rules were so we could pass them along. For example my one daughter loves bottled water and will probably go through 10 bottles per day. However, we have to make sure she knows you can only get them at the Ocean Bar and not to use the ones in the in-room refrigerator or pick one up on the way off the boat. Those from what I understand are not part of the deal and you have to pay extra for them. Needless to say she'll be visiting the Ocean Bar quite often.

 

I think you can get the bottled water at any bar. Just ask.

[blizzardboy]

Thanks everyone. We're going on a 14-day Alaska cruise with the Explore Four perks next summer with our daughters and their spouses and wanted to make sure we knew what the rules were so we could pass them along. For example my one daughter loves bottled water and will probably go through 10 bottles per day.

Why doesn't your daughter use a water bottle or two? I found the ship's water to be just fine and probably more sterile than at home. BTW, you can have your fridge emptied by your steward and put your own bottles, etc., in there. Edited August 14, 2016 by blizzardboy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks everyone. We're going on a 14-day Alaska cruise with the Explore Four perks next summer with our daughters and their spouses and wanted to make sure we knew what the rules were so we could pass them along. For example my one daughter loves bottled water and will probably go through 10 bottles per day. However, we have to make sure she knows you can only get them at the Ocean Bar and not to use the ones in the in-room refrigerator or pick one up on the way off the boat. Those from what I understand are not part of the deal and you have to pay extra for them. Needless to say she'll be visiting the Ocean Bar quite often.

 

 

 

With the Explore4 package you can get bottled water at any bar/lounge on the ship.

You can also get them in the dining room.

And there are 2 sizes -- but I think only the small bottles are covered by the Signature Beverage Package.

[Ken the cruiser]

Why doesn't your daughter use a water bottle or two? I found the ship's water to be just fine and probably more sterile than at home. BTW, you can have your fridge emptied by your steward and put your own bottles, etc., in there.

 

She might do that as that's what she carries around now. Also, thanks for the tip on having the steward's clean out the fridge! Good idea!!

[lahlah57]

We have already decided a master plan on how to manage the bottled water issue:cool:

We always buy 2 medium bottles at the airport terminal. We will drink and hang onto the empty bottles and bring on ship. Refill said bottles once onboard from our own faucet and put in our emptied fridge ( will not drink anything from fridge to be charged).

Move onto to buy two large bottled waters and once drank up refill from our own faucet and rotate with previous bottle throughout the rest of the cruise.

[CanuckinSMA]

If I want to take a cocktail or wine to my room, where would I get it (Explore 4)?

[alwaysfrantic]

Didn't someone here say the exception to the terminal sales were the bottles of water leaving for an excursion? I thought those would be included. Are they not?

[mllewis48]

If I want to take a cocktail or wine to my room, where would I get it (Explore 4)?

 

 

 

If you have Explore 4 or not you can get a drink in any bar and take it to your room.

 

 

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[Ken the cruiser]

Didn't someone here say the exception to the terminal sales were the bottles of water leaving for an excursion? I thought those would be included. Are they not?

 

When my DW talked with the Koningsdam customer relations person on a recent cruise about the Signature Beverage Package, they said the only place you could get water using your SBP card was at bars and restaurants. The water in the in-room refrigerators and on the tables when you're leaving the ship for an excursion were exempt. She said the issue was keeping a running tally of the 15 drink maximum. I guess when you buy a bottle of water when you leave the ship, it doesn't immediately get updated into their database. Same goes for the drinks in your in-room refrigerator. However, if someone has actually experienced the contrary, please feel free to chime in as it would be nice to pick up a free bottle of water using our SBP card when we leave the ship.

[Boytjie]

Why doesn't your daughter use a water bottle or two? I found the ship's water to be just fine and probably more sterile than at home. BTW, you can have your fridge emptied by your steward and put your own bottles, etc., in there.

 

I have had no luck getting any steward to empty the fridge, and I have asked! I end up transferring it to the ottoman which I leave open at disembarkation so they know where it is.

[SweetP2]

I have had no luck getting any steward to empty the fridge, and I have asked! I end up transferring it to the ottoman which I leave open at disembarkation so they know where it is.

 

We empty our own fridges...placing contents into the storage compartment in the round stool. We just inform the steward what we have done. And we put it back on last night.

 

/sweetp

[3Shelaghs]

I am sure I'll be "beating a dead horse" asking this, but, if you ordered a Crown Royal and Coke, would that be 1 or 2 drinks off the 15 drink/day Signature Package? ie is the mix free?:confused:

[mllewis48]

I am sure I'll be "beating a dead horse" asking this, but, if you ordered a Crown Royal and Coke, would that be 1 or 2 drinks off the 15 drink/day Signature Package? ie is the mix free?:confused:

 

 

 

To start I must ask why you would ruin Crown with coke? lol

 

To answer your? Yes one drink.

 

 

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[FunTraveler52]

We were on the Koningsdam on the July 17th sailing and we purchased water several times from table prior to leaving on our excursions. They were covered by our SBC. We also purchased large and small bottles of water at all bars and dining areas. We always had tap water at meals, but I wanted to take a bottle each night to our cabin.

[FunTraveler52]

I forgot to add that the beer tap machines at the Lido bar are not included on the SBC.

[OVgirl]

I forgot to add that the beer tap machines at the Lido bar are not included on the SBC.

 

Just curious, but which ships have the beer tap machines?

[FunTraveler52]

Just curious, but which ships have the beer tap machines?

 

 

Whoops sorry for the confusion - this was on the Koningsdam. My husband was curious how they worked and we were charged for the beer.

[OVgirl]

Whoops sorry for the confusion - this was on the Koningsdam. My husband was curious how they worked and we were charged for the beer.

 

Thank you. I would have assumed that if the beers were less than $8, they would be included in the SBP. Good to know.