Saga drinks package

[travguy]

I wonder if anyone can give any information about the drinks package on Sapphire? We are on a cruise that is not all inclusive although wine is included with meals. I have read that it is possible to buy a drinks package but cannot find any information.

[lincslady]

travguy - I wonder which cruise you are on?  To the best of my knowledge, every cruise on Sapphire from now on is all inclusive - meaning a selection of other drinks as well as the wine and beer at meals.

 

I have never heard of Saga cruises having a drinks package to buy.  

[lincslady]

I have noticed that the cruises after January 2020 are not at present all inclusive - though they could well become AI - so if you have booked that far ahead, you may be right.  All this year's cruises are all inclusive.

[kentchris]

21 hours ago, travguy said:

I wonder if anyone can give any information about the drinks package on Sapphire? We are on a cruise that is not all inclusive although wine is included with meals. I have read that it is possible to buy a drinks package but cannot find any information.

Are you perhaps thinking of the drinks packages on other lines which may be included when you book through Saga? I confess I don't read every single page of the deluge of stuff which arrives through the post from Saga, but I've never seen any mention of drinks packages on their own cruises. 

[lincslady]

That is right - Saga I am sure have never done a drinks package on their own ships.

[Threeleggedtoad]

The two new ships Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure are both going to be all inclusive. We are booked on the Spirit of Adventure ... Canary Island Christmas cruise sailing 20 December 2020

[kentchris]

5 hours ago, Threeleggedtoad said:

The two new ships Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure are both going to be all inclusive. We are booked on the Spirit of Adventure ... Canary Island Christmas cruise sailing 20 December 2020

At the risk of being pedantic, Discovery is all inclusive from next year: her 2019 cruises 'only' include free wines with lunch and dinner. Not that that'll be a great hardship when I sail on her in September, assuming Saga's bar pricing policy is as reasonable as it was on my only previous Saga cruise in 2015.

Edited March 26, 2019 by kentchris

[Glenndale]

Just for further clarification, the later 2019 cruises on Discovery have been designated AI, from November 4th.

Our late September cruise on Discovery is still only FB, but there is still time for Saga to change it. 

Here’s hoping, but if not prices are very reasonable.

 

[Threeleggedtoad]

Thanks for the correction, lucky most of my cruises this year and next year included a drinks package. I have not done a Saga cruise before so I will be interested to see how it compares with other cruise companies.

[lincslady]

Sometimes Saga cruises are all inclusive from the start, sometimes they become all inclusive (? due to not selling so well).  The easiest way to find out for a particular cruise is to go on to the Saga calendar website for each ship, which will tell you near the top, in green, if it is AI or FB (full board only, but with wine at meals). 

[Glenndale]

When we were on our recent Sapphire cruise which was an AI, I often ordered Champagne with my meal rather than the red or white on offer. 

I'm not sure if this is always possible or only on an AI cruise, does anyone know?

 

[lincslady]

Champagne -for free??  Maybe prosecco?  There are always more than one red and white available, but normally one is the wine of the evening, and you would have to ask for another which you have had before and prefer; this has worked so far for us.

 

There are usually about four reds and four whites on offer, and a rose (or maybe two?).  They tend to be from Chile, Australia and Spain probably more than other countries.

[Glenndale]

Well, it was described on the menu as Champagne, not Prosecco or Cava.

I doubt it was Dom Perignon, but it was not unpleasant and I enjoyed it 

 

[lincslady]

So was this champagne on the 'included'  list?  Or were you paying for it?  Sorry to go on about it, but it is interesting.

[Glenndale]

No worries about ‘going on’ , no payment, it was included.

I wasn’t sure if this was normal on the FB cruises or because we were on an AI cruise.

Our next cruise is FB so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to order my fizz with lunch and dinner.