Wine List / Drink Prices

[Astro Flyer]

Thank-you, it is a good deal for those of us who enjoy drinking wine! Too bad not available on all cruises

It's worked well for me to discover some new wines & RCCL offered wine packages on our most recent 7-day cruise so don't understand why Princess is unable to do the same thing.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[kdowneymd]

Yes and we often found on RCCL if we asked the maitre d' there were sometimes some great wines "in the back" not on the list, especially on Med cruises. Loved that if we didn't finish a bottle (rarely) it was there for us the next night.

[VTX-AL]

Unfortunately they generally only have wine packages on 10+ day cruises however have read of a few who had it on 7-day cruises so you will probably have to bring your own wine or purchase onboard.

 

There is no mention of the wine packages anywhere on the Princess website. Their reasoning is because it's not available on all cruises they won't promote it. Princess promotes other things not available on all ships such as SHARE so I'm skeptical about their reasoning.

 

For future reference, here's the information for the wine packages which was still valid on our just completed 15-day Hawaii cruise.

 

So, once aboard, where does one arrange to purchase one of the wine packages that you listed above ? And can you have a bottle delivered to your stateroom by paying for it with a "punch" on the card ? We are on a 21 day Panama cruise in April on the Island Princess - is there any way of knowing for sure in advance if the wine packages will be offered on that cruise ?

 

...VTX-Al

[Astro Flyer]

So, once aboard, where does one arrange to purchase one of the wine packages that you listed above ? And can you have a bottle delivered to your stateroom by paying for it with a "punch" on the card ? We are on a 21 day Panama cruise in April on the Island Princess - is there any way of knowing for sure in advance if the wine packages will be offered on that cruise ?

 

...VTX-Al

I always purchase the wine package from our waiter who will provide our wine. They apparently can earn some extra benefit such as extra time off in port. Sometimes there's a table set up outside of the buffet at the aft elevators selling drink & wine packages but not always. I had the Alfredo's Pizzeria headwaiter say it wasn't available but he was eager to sell me the expensive AIBP. Asking my MDR waiter he said the wine package was available & happily sold it to me. So one "no" may not be accurate & instead an attempt to sell the AIBP so I'd ask several people before accepting a definitive "no" answer.

 

You cannot order wine through room service using the wine package. However ordering our remaining bottles of wine from our MDR waiter he offered to have them delivered to our cabin. They were delivered by a room service waitress to our cabin so we didn't need to carry it from the MDR to our cabin. You should be able to follow the same procedure to have a bottle delivered to your cabin.

 

There is no way to know in advance if the wine package will be available. Only once several years ago was the wine package unavailable on our cruise due to lack of sufficient inventory. But it's always been available on all of our other 10+ day cruises so the odds are good that you'll have it available. Although you'll have to ask your waitstaff to order it because Princess doesn't promote it.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[scuba.kat]

Hi, I have been looking on CC for details on wine packages with Princess lines. I found a price list yesterday 2-13-17. but can't find it today. Do you know if they still have the Silver and gold packages for wine? We are going S Asia March 4 and would like to be prepared. Thank you so much Scuba.Kat

[kennicott]

The deal breaker on the liquor package for us is that the 40% discount on a bottle of wine is relegated to bars and the dining rooms, you do not receive this discount when ordering a bottle of wine from room service for consumption in your cabin or balcony. All your drinking using the package must be in public venues. I guess you can take the bottle of wine from the dining room to your cabin, we do that all the time but never tried it with a package. As you already know, you are relegated to purchase drinks with a maximum menu price of $10.00 or less (On HAL it is $7.00 or less). If you order a drink that cost more you can not pay the difference, you must pay the full cost and not use your package. That really would put a crimp in my ordering an exceptional glass of wine to enhance our dining experience or when I visit the Princess Vines Bar.

 

Since you are wine drinkers it is good that you are allowed to share a bottle you bought in the MDR or a bar with others, but you can not share any other drinks. For instance, order a cocktail and give it to your wife is a no-no.

 

I've costed it out and it doesn't pencil for us. Since a good portion of the package is of no use to us, as we would have to pay full price for wine and other liquor for consumption in the cabin plus if we had cocktails only one would get the free one, the other would pay full price. Roughly figuring we would be about $200.00 to $300.00 ahead on a two week voyage to not purchase the package for even one of us. So, if they gave us a package as an inducement to purchase a cruise, it wouldn't be all that attractive. Keep the sweetener and give me a better price or some other goody.

 

[georgiavol]

Bottle prices are about the same as restaurant prices, but still marked up 200-250% above retail. If you don't drink much but appreciate a fine glass at dinner, consider bringing your own and pay the $15.

[easyboy]

Hi, I have been looking on CC for details on wine packages with Princess lines. I found a price list yesterday 2-13-17. but can't find it today. Do you know if they still have the Silver and gold packages for wine? We are going S Asia March 4 and would like to be prepared. Thank you so much Scuba.Kat

Is this the one?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=52116698#post52116698

[IECalCruiser]

Hi, I have been looking on CC for details on wine packages with Princess lines. I found a price list yesterday 2-13-17. but can't find it today. Do you know if they still have the Silver and gold packages for wine? We are going S Asia March 4 and would like to be prepared. Thank you so much Scuba.Kat

The wine packages are still offered, but only on cruises of 10 days or more. Even if you are on a cruise of 10 days or longer it might not be offered due to "low inventory" and I have also seen posts of the packages not being offered of ships operating from Australia. Hopefully someone who has actual recent experience on S Asia cruises can post.

 

 

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[NavyVeteran]

The deal breaker on the liquor package for us is that the 40% discount on a bottle of wine is relegated to bars and the dining rooms, you do not receive this discount when ordering a bottle of wine from room service for consumption in your cabin or balcony. All your drinking using the package must be in public venues. I guess you can take the bottle of wine from the dining room to your cabin, we do that all the time but never tried it with a package.

 

 

 

After you purchase the bottle of wine (at 40% off), you can take it with you back to your room - no problem. After it is purchased, no one cares whether it was purchased with the AIBP or not.

[scuba.kat]

Is this the one?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=52116698#post52116698

Yes thank you. ;)

[kennicott]

After you purchase the bottle of wine (at 40% off), you can take it with you back to your room - no problem. After it is purchased, no one cares whether it was purchased with the AIBP or not.

 

Always remind your waiter to leave the cork. Have forgot to do that a couple of times, then had to wait while they came up with a cork.

[NavyVeteran]

Always remind your waiter to leave the cork. Have forgot to do that a couple of times, then had to wait while they came up with a cork.

 

Or if you know you will be taking opened bottles of wine to your room, you can pack a small wine bottle stopper to use. It's probably easier than inserting and removing the cork.

[easyboy]

Yes thank you. ;)

No problem.