Viva Vino

[parkslopegal]

Does anyone know if the Viva Vino wine packages are still being sold on embarkation day? This is our first time on NCL and we are trying to get the most economical deal on wine. We plan to bring a few bottles with us and know we will have to pay corkage but we saw some posts about Viva Vino and are interested. Help, please!! 

[Shellbelle28]

It looks as though the Viva Vino package is gone. They have the Cork & Caps still and quite a few individual bottles to purchase in advance, but no wine package. 

[parkslopegal]

Well, that stinks. Thanks for the reply. 

[Shellbelle28]

25 minutes ago, parkslopegal said:

Well, that stinks. Thanks for the reply. 

If your cruise comes with the UBP included, that does get you 20% off bottles. They did seem to have a decent "by the glass" selection too. 

[lorif]

The Viva Vino is still mentioned on this NCL page https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/specialty-dining-package/faq 

[parkslopegal]

Thank you. I asked my travel agent and she thinks they have it but it might not be available on every cruise. Hopefully, it’s on our Gem cruise on 10/27!! 🤞🤞

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, parkslopegal said:

Does anyone know if the Viva Vino wine packages are still being sold on embarkation day? This is our first time on NCL and we are trying to get the most economical deal on wine. We plan to bring a few bottles with us and know we will have to pay corkage but we saw some posts about Viva Vino and are interested. Help, please!! 

Yes. It is still available for purchase. 

Edited October 18, 2018 by BirdTravels

[parkslopegal]

Awesome! Thank you for sending the menu. 

[BirdTravels]

8 hours ago, parkslopegal said:

Does anyone know if the Viva Vino wine packages are still being sold on embarkation day? This is our first time on NCL and we are trying to get the most economical deal on wine. We plan to bring a few bottles with us and know we will have to pay corkage but we saw some posts about Viva Vino and are interested. Help, please!! 

Yes. It is still available for purchase. 

1 hour ago, parkslopegal said:

Awesome! Thank you for sending the menu. 

 

[BirdTravels]

The New and Improved CC seems to be chomping on images. 

[Eye2Sky99]

Thank you all for sharing about this program! I just called NCL and confirmed Viva Vino is still available for our sailing on the Getaway in March 2019!  Does anyone know if there are any additonal charges beyond what is shown on the order form above?

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Eye2Sky99
forgot to ask about extra charges

[KeithJenner]

21 minutes ago, Eye2Sky99 said:

Thank you all for sharing about this program! I just called NCL and confirmed Viva Vino is still available for our sailing on the Getaway in March 2019!  Does anyone know if there are any additonal charges beyond what is shown on the order form above?

 

A service charge (20%) will be added to the price.

[don't-use-real-name]

After boarding your ship look for the display table with the wine selection in or near the ships Atrium.

It also might be found in around the pool area. Don't see it ask at Guest Services. The display is set

up for the initial first day embarking of the cruise and may also be available on the second day.

After that inquire at Guest Services or call Room Service for details.

 

[Feathercrest]

1. YES.....the table was set up inside one of the rooms...maybe the Headliners Comedy Club......ask...it"s definitely still there!
2.  

[4774Papa]

We dislike the beverage package and generally drink wine on cruises.   If they have the vino deal, NCL makes it hard to find it.  On our last cruise to NE and Canada in September, I was unable to book such a package, so I brought my own wine on board and paid the $15 corkage fees.  

[happy cruzer]

Regarding the Viva Vino package once purchased where can you get the bottles?  Restaurants?  Buffet? Bars? in pool area like Spice H2O? If you have an opened bottle, can you ask for it in any venue?  Thanks.

[KeithJenner]

21 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

Regarding the Viva Vino package once purchased where can you get the bottles?  Restaurants?  Buffet? Bars? in pool area like Spice H2O? If you have an opened bottle, can you ask for it in any venue?  Thanks.

You can pick up the bottles at any bar. Depending on what you have selected they may need to go to another bar to get your bottle for you, but I’ve never had any trouble.

[kelib]

I have gotten it twice, ordered once at dinner first night and then at a bar ..was curious about the pricing.  The $88 is what I got on the getaway 12/17, but price was significantly higher on POA this past Halloween ...also the Pinot Grigio was on the second tier and nit available on lowet price selection.. Wondering if it was either because it was Hawai or a price change just after the above pictures 

[don't-use-real-name]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

Regarding the Viva Vino package once purchased where can you get the bottles?  Restaurants?  Buffet? Bars? in pool area like Spice H2O? If you have an opened bottle, can you ask for it in any venue?  Thanks.

 

You will be provided small paper receipts for each bottle with the wine name

 

OK you have choices - oh I hate choices - anyway -

 

number 1 have the bottles delivered to your cabin

NCL does NOT have the bottles at the display table to take with you

You can split having some delivered and others stored

Your cabin steward will provide glasses and corkscrew and a champagne ice buckets* for in cabin

* if need more than one champagne bucket to chill the wine ask your cabin attendant

If you have all the bottles in your cabin you can take one or more with you for restaurant serving

 

number 2 let NCL keep them in the wine vault and when you go to a restaurant NCL with fetch - deliver and serve

any left over (oh how I hate that word leftover - leave no wine behind) NCL will store it for your next dining occasion

or you can take it back to your cabin

 

number 3 as noted go to any bar and after a short delay your wine will make available for your pleasure

or to take with you somewhere else on the ship - glasses and corkscrew will be provided ice as needed

This option does not happen all that often and is awkward

 

Finally if in a suite you can leave the details to your butler.

 

Basically pop the question (or ah er uncork it) of what when and how you want wine service - in cabin - restaurant

- or somewhere else and get the answers on the ship - may vary by ship how this handled.

 

Economics - on the minimal low end 4 bottles w/ grats will be about $100 - so about $25 a bottle --- you are thinking

of bringing your own wine on board with a corkage charge of $15 so if your wine costs less than $10 a bottle and

you want to haul lug carry that burden with you - you will be on the saving side - if your wine costs more than the $10

then consider the economics of this and whether your wine is worth the extra $ effort.

[don't-use-real-name]

36 minutes ago, kelib said:

I have gotten it twice, ordered once at dinner first night and then at a bar ..was curious about the pricing.  The $88 is what I got on the getaway 12/17, but price was significantly higher on POA this past Halloween ...also the Pinot Grigio was on the second tier and nit available on lowet price selection.. Wondering if it was either because it was Hawai or a price change just after the above pictures 

 

It would have something to do with Hawaii liquor laws.

The POA is unique to the NCL fleet as it is the only ship sailing totally within US waters.

The UBP does not apply in Hawaii - and free complimentary spirits are restricted.

 

The prices on the Viva Vino menu are subject to change as well as the selections.

There are far fewer restrictions on wine and beer than liquor.

You still can get cocktails mixed and straight spirits but with added Hawaiian tax. 

[kelib]

54 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

 

It would have something to do with Hawaii liquor laws.

The POA is unique to the NCL fleet as it is the only ship sailing totally within US waters.

The UBP does not apply in Hawaii - and free complimentary spirits are restricted.

 

The prices on the Viva Vino menu are subject to change as well as the selections.

There are far fewer restrictions on wine and beer than liquor.

You still can get cocktails mixed and straight spirits but with added Hawaiian tax. 

Everything you said about POA being unique I knew. Just assumed since it had been almost a year between buying the package that prices had gone up fleetwide. Glad to see that the POA was a one off since it was about $50 higher in price for the 4 bottles

[happy cruzer]

Thank you to don't use real name for the choices explanation.  Guess the one that is a bit of a concern is once a bottle is opened in one venue like for lunch then stored by staff can you get it later at a bar?

 

do people carry around their wine in bottles to bars, pool deck chairs? Glasses?🙄 I know it sounds crazy but we really only drink wine and water.  

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

Thank you to don't use real name for the choices explanation.  Guess the one that is a bit of a concern is once a bottle is opened in one venue like for lunch then stored by staff can you get it later at a bar?

 

do people carry around their wine in bottles to bars, pool deck chairs? Glasses?🙄 I know it sounds crazy but we really only drink wine and water.  

Yes, you can leave an opened bottle at a bar and collect it later from another bar or restaurant. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for them to get it.

 

Or you can carry it around with you if you want (although there are issues with glasses near the pools I believe).

 

We used to take the bottles back to our room and refill glasses if we were there, but we also drink beer, so it wasn’t that we would need to keep running back to the room.

Edited February 7, 2019 by KeithJenner

[Eye2Sky99]

On 2/7/2019 at 1:12 AM, happy cruzer said:

Thank you to don't use real name for the choices explanation.  Guess the one that is a bit of a concern is once a bottle is opened in one venue like for lunch then stored by staff can you get it later at a bar?

 

do people carry around their wine in bottles to bars, pool deck chairs? Glasses?🙄 I know it sounds crazy but we really only drink wine and water.  

I have taken an open bottle from the dinning room to my next evening venue with no issues.  Last cruise I took a plastic water bottle and made sangria to drink poolside.

 Cheers!

Edited February 8, 2019 by Eye2Sky99

[happy cruzer]

Thanks for sharing.  We are new to NCL so it helps to hear how things work!

Edited February 9, 2019 by happy cruzer