Windstar Beverage Prices November 2017

[annstran]

Is there any reason a couple can't share a beverage package? If a drink is paid for, it's paid for, and I don't see why WS should care. And who would or could take notes on who drinks what drink?

 

I would really appreciate clarification on this. We are sailing on the Barcelona-Lisbon Transatlantic in 2019: 23 days, so the right beverage package is an important decision!

 

[ridethetide]

14 minutes ago, annstran said:

Is there any reason a couple can't share a beverage package? If a drink is paid for, it's paid for, and I don't see why WS should care. And who would or could take notes on who drinks what drink?

 

I would really appreciate clarification on this. We are sailing on the Barcelona-Lisbon Transatlantic in 2019: 23 days, so the right beverage package is an important decision!

 

From a business standpoint, it would make no sense for Windstar to allow a couple to share one beverage package.  The couple would drink twice the number of beverages on that one package than if they each had a package.  It would seriously reduce their profit on the package.

[wripro]

2 hours ago, annstran said:

Is there any reason a couple can't share a beverage package? If a drink is paid for, it's paid for, and I don't see why WS should care. And who would or could take notes on who drinks what drink?

 

I would really appreciate clarification on this. We are sailing on the Barcelona-Lisbon Transatlantic in 2019: 23 days, so the right beverage package is an important decision!

 

For the same reason you are paying for two people while sharing one cabin. This is a business, not a charity.

[6rugrats]

2 hours ago, annstran said:

Is there any reason a couple can't share a beverage package? If a drink is paid for, it's paid for, and I don't see why WS should care. And who would or could take notes on who drinks what drink?

 

 

No, you can't share, that would be stealing.  The only drink that's "been paid for" is the drink for the person who purchased the package.  You've only paid for one package.  Believe me,  they will know very quickly who drinks what and how much.  You each must purchase your own drink package if you both want one.

Edited December 3, 2018 by 6rugrats

[milepig]

36 minutes ago, 6rugrats said:

No, you can't share, that would be stealing.  The only drink that's "been paid for" is the drink for the person who purchased the package.  You've only paid for one package.  Believe me,  they will know very quickly who drinks what and how much.  You each must purchase your own drink package if you both want one.

 

All guests in the cabin need to buy the package. There is no option for one to buy and not the other.

[muenchner]

Does anyone have a regent bar menu? I am wondering about the cost of "per item" laundry as well.

Edited December 4, 2018 by muenchner

[new_cruiser]

22 hours ago, milepig said:

 

All guests in the cabin need to buy the package. There is no option for one to buy and not the other.

Are you sure about that? There was text stating that requirement with the old beverage package. When they rolled out the new beverage packages, that text disappeared. I can't find anything that explicitly requires it. The form for preordering the packages has the note:

"*Beverage Packages are sold per person and must be purchased in advance or during the first two days of your cruise and for the full duration of the cruise. Package price is per guest per day. The standard 15% beverage service charge is not included. Package prices are inclusive of applicable taxes. Minimum drinking age aboard Windstar Cruises is 21 years old."

 

[ridethetide]

23 minutes ago, new_cruiser said:

Are you sure about that? There was text stating that requirement with the old beverage package. When they rolled out the new beverage packages, that text disappeared. I can't find anything that explicitly requires it. The form for preordering the packages has the note:

"*Beverage Packages are sold per person and must be purchased in advance or during the first two days of your cruise and for the full duration of the cruise. Package price is per guest per day. The standard 15% beverage service charge is not included. Package prices are inclusive of applicable taxes. Minimum drinking age aboard Windstar Cruises is 21 years old."

 

To clarify Annstran's question about why can't you just share a beverage package, it is made very clear that the package is "per person".  It is not permitted to be shared.

[annstran]

Thank you, everybody!  I got it. I don't think it's a very kind policy, but love is love and business is business. Being on the Wind Star is worth either option: paying too much or the hassle of signing for each drink.  

 

Later:  I finally understand why you all have been sending me such harsh answers. I assumed there was a limit to the daily beverage plan, e.g, $100 a day. So, if you had paid that, you paid it, and it shouldn't matter who drank it. I now realize that there isn't a limit, so of course two people can't share a package: that would be two people drinking for the price of one, and totally unfair to WS. 

 

Also, I did just read a recent announcement that both cabin mates do NOT have to have the beverage package. Don't ask me where I saw it, but I did.

 

[Misty Morning]

Just got off the Wind Surf yesterday and can provide an update on drink package situation.  The packages changed 2 weeks ago and I find them to be of lower value than they used to be.  There are now only 2 packages instead of 3. Previously there were 3 priced at $32, $42 and $52 respectively. The first one included wine only for wines at less than $8.50/glass plus beer, the second one included wines by the glass under $11.50 plus beer and the third was all of the above plus all liquor (15% gratuity added to these prices).  There are now 2 packages with Topmast Discoveries priced at $49 including all wines offered by the glass, (33 in total but all priced at $9.50 or below so much less value) plus beer and the Captains Exclusive package which is the same as TopMast plus all liquor at $59 (plus 15% gratuities) There were 4 of us on this cruise with 3 on TopMast Discoveries and one on Captains Exclusive  This created some confusion on our bill throughout the cruise as liquor would get charged to our room although it was taken by our friend who was on the Captains package.  They refunded everything but it was just a hassle, but you can have one party on the package and the other one paying a la carte or on a different package.  Hope this helps

[milepig]

This is a huge price increase and devaluation!

[milepig]

23 minutes ago, milepig said:

This is a huge price increase and devaluation!

 

I’m seeing the 2 new packages online but with no detail. The old $52 one gave many top brands. Already hard to justify, if they raised the price AND lowered the quality I’m out for sure. 

[annstran]

Thank you, Misty Morning. That is very helpful information. Do you know -- or does anyone know -- if they are still discounting the daily charge on the longer cruises?

[milepig]

30 minutes ago, annstran said:

Thank you, Misty Morning. That is very helpful information. Do you know -- or does anyone know -- if they are still discounting the daily charge on the longer cruises?

 

My TA said “yes” a few days ago, but that the WS agents don’t know about it and have no way to apply it. He’s working on it, but it’s really meant to be done on board. Only $5 a day, so doesn’t even cover the increase. He has not yet been able to navigate the waters. What can I say. Typical WS “who’s on first.”  

[Misty Morning]

Although only our friend was on Captains Exclusive package, the liquor selection does not seem to have changed (our friend was drinking Bombay Gin)

[milepig]

1 hour ago, Misty Morning said:

Although only our friend was on Captains Exclusive package, the liquor selection does not seem to have changed (our friend was drinking Bombay Gin)

They did have a reasonable Scotch selection in the $52 plan which was not true before. I’ll need to see a list for the new plan. 

[muenchner]

14 hours ago, Misty Morning said:

Just got off the Wind Surf yesterday and can provide an update on drink package situation.  The packages changed 2 weeks ago and I find them to be of lower value than they used to be.  There are now only 2 packages instead of 3. Previously there were 3 priced at $32, $42 and $52 respectively. The first one included wine only for wines at less than $8.50/glass plus beer, the second one included wines by the glass under $11.50 plus beer and the third was all of the above plus all liquor (15% gratuity added to these prices).  There are now 2 packages with Topmast Discoveries priced at $49 including all wines offered by the glass, (33 in total but all priced at $9.50 or below so much less value) plus beer and the Captains Exclusive package which is the same as TopMast plus all liquor at $59 (plus 15% gratuities) There were 4 of us on this cruise with 3 on TopMast Discoveries and one on Captains Exclusive  This created some confusion on our bill throughout the cruise as liquor would get charged to our room although it was taken by our friend who was on the Captains package.  They refunded everything but it was just a hassle, but you can have one party on the package and the other one paying a la carte or on a different package.  Hope this helps

Thank you for your report. That really helps. Did you maybe take a picture of the bar menu? I am very curious how the offers and the prices are.

[muenchner]

14 hours ago, Misty Morning said:

Just got off the Wind Surf yesterday and can provide an update on drink package situation.  The packages changed 2 weeks ago and I find them to be of lower value than they used to be.  There are now only 2 packages instead of 3. Previously there were 3 priced at $32, $42 and $52 respectively. The first one included wine only for wines at less than $8.50/glass plus beer, the second one included wines by the glass under $11.50 plus beer and the third was all of the above plus all liquor (15% gratuity added to these prices).  There are now 2 packages with Topmast Discoveries priced at $49 including all wines offered by the glass, (33 in total but all priced at $9.50 or below so much less value) plus beer and the Captains Exclusive package which is the same as TopMast plus all liquor at $59 (plus 15% gratuities) There were 4 of us on this cruise with 3 on TopMast Discoveries and one on Captains Exclusive  This created some confusion on our bill throughout the cruise as liquor would get charged to our room although it was taken by our friend who was on the Captains package.  They refunded everything but it was just a hassle, but you can have one party on the package and the other one paying a la carte or on a different package.  Hope this helps

Thank you for your report. That really helps. Did you maybe take a picture of the bar menu? I am very curious how the offers and the prices are.

[Mocamps]

Can anyone explain to me what the policy is about taking alcohol on board? I think I read somewhere that we can take 1 bottle of wine each and I don't think we're allowed to take spirits (think that's liquor in US??) but I thought that I heard somewhere that we can buy extras wine in ports and pay corkage. Is this right?

[annstran]

According to the documents we just received from WS:  you are allowed to bring aboard 2 bottles of wine per cabin for a 7-day cruise, 3 bottles for 2 weeks or longer. If you consume this publicly,  you will pay a corkage fee and gratuity.  You cannot consume any alcohol purchased in ports and brought onto the ship. It will be taken from you and returned when you disembark.

[new_cruiser]

4 hours ago, Mocamps said:

Can anyone explain to me what the policy is about taking alcohol on board? I think I read somewhere that we can take 1 bottle of wine each and I don't think we're allowed to take spirits (think that's liquor in US??) but I thought that I heard somewhere that we can buy extras wine in ports and pay corkage. Is this right?

The policy used to say (around a year ago) that you could bring wine on at port stops. It changed at some point and now only allows bringing the two (or 3) per cabin at the beginning.

[Misty Morning]

Wine prices were between $7.00 and $9.50 per glass with beers up to $8. Draught Heineken at $5.50. Did not take picture of bar menu.  As for taking wine on-board, they allow 2 bottles per cabin at beginning of cruise only and really do check the bags at each port to ensure no liquor gets brought onboard.

[annstran]

On 3/23/2018 at 9:12 AM, 2LoveToTravel said:

I am posting this as a new thread because the other goes back to 2009. While non alcoholic beverages are included, and alcoholic beverages packages are offered for an upcharge, I called Windstar for updated prices of drinks in November.

Attached are the Bar Menu and Wine List. Hope this is helpful

Wine List Windstar.pdf

Bar Menu Windstar.pdf

1

I found this earlier post and thought it would be helpful.

[Grayboots]

Once you board, how long do you have to choose a beverage package?  Or do you have to choose before the cruise begins?  Also, if someone at the dining table, who purchased beverage package,  buys a bottle of wine, can he share it with others who have not purchased package?  I know the drinking age is 21, but if our 20 year old daughter wants a daiquiri, can we buy it for her to drink?  

[milepig]

10 minutes ago, Grayboots said:

Once you board, how long do you have to choose a beverage package?  Or do you have to choose before the cruise begins?  Also, if someone at the dining table, who purchased beverage package,  buys a bottle of wine, can he share it with others who have not purchased package?  I know the drinking age is 21, but if our 20 year old daughter wants a daiquiri, can we buy it for her to drink?  

 

You need to buy in the first day or two. 

 

There are no free bottles on the package it’s by the glass and they keep track of who at a table is on the plan. Of course, they’ll serve YOU as many glasses as you care for. 

 

If your daughter wants a daiquiri buy her one. Trying to slip one on the side is not worth it. 

 

There are discounts on bottles above a certain price. In that case you’re buying the bottle and the transaction is done, so it may not matter who drinks it. Probably a problem if you start to buy for multiple tables or an entire table of twelve. 

Edited February 12, 2019 by milepig