House Select Beveridge Package

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

There  was a thread posted back in Jan with the info  it is  $30 PP PD

Right, I read that one.

[terrydtx]

31 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Right, I read that one.

So that equates to about 3 drinks pp per day at any time, which makes it borderline as to being worth doing.

[DCGuy64]

Just now, terrydtx said:

So that equates to about 3 drinks pp per day at any time, which makes it borderline as to being worth doing.

Yes, that's correct, but that's over and above what someone with the included O Life beverage package would need to spend. It doesn't make sense for me on my upcoming cruise due to the amount of time we'll be in port, so YMMV. But yeah, if you plan on having 3 drinks on top of the included package, it could be worth it.

[LHT28]

54 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

So that equates to about 3 drinks pp per day at any time, which makes it borderline as to being worth doing.

it  depends on what you drink & how much

for some people that would be  a bargain

For us  no package  is better

 people have to do the math for what works for their wants/needs

YMMV

[gdlamberth]

In a little different vane; what sort of wines and beer are available using the Select package?  Is it a select set of brands (e.g., Bud, Stella, Corona, the proverbial "House" Red/White) or wines and beers off the bar menu less than some specified price?

 

Thanks,

Greg

[ORV]

15 minutes ago, gdlamberth said:

In a little different vane; what sort of wines and beer are available using the Select package?  Is it a select set of brands (e.g., Bud, Stella, Corona, the proverbial "House" Red/White) or wines and beers off the bar menu less than some specified price?

 

Thanks,

Greg

It is the wines by the glass, and the beers on the bar menu. I’ll try to get a picture today. 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, gdlamberth said:

In a little different vane; what sort of wines and beer are available using the Select package?  Is it a select set of brands (e.g., Bud, Stella, Corona, the proverbial "House" Red/White) or wines and beers off the bar menu less than some specified price?

 

Thanks,

Greg

here is a thread with the bar menus

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2904150-riviera-new-bar-drinks-menus-and-prices/ 

Both packages  have the  same  wine by the glass & beers

some exceptions apply

 

Sorry Orv   ..i kept the link

[NewSalty]

It was $40 for a few weeks while they sorted out their pricing (i.e. price increases) For some reason, they dropped the house select package to $29.95 if bought pre-cruise, while raising the prestige packed to $69.95.  (thus the $40 upgrade). Then a few weeks later, they dumped the pre-cruise discount, raising house select back to $39.95, restoring the upgrade to $30.  The only reason I can think of for this might be the people currently cruising while they were raising prices - there was a lot of noise on there boards.

[LHT28]

8 minutes ago, NewSalty said:

It was $40 for a few weeks while they sorted out their pricing (i.e. price increases) For some reason, they dropped the house select package to $29.95 if bought pre-cruise, while raising the prestige packed to $69.95.  (thus the $40 upgrade). Then a few weeks later, they dumped the pre-cruise discount, raising house select back to $39.95, restoring the upgrade to $30.  The only reason I can think of for this might be the people currently cruising while they were raising prices - there was a lot of noise on there boards.

Did you get   a rebate on the $40  extra??

 

I think a lot of confusion was with the phone reps

Of course you could not upgrade until you were onboard if you had the O life perk   which  they were telling people they could pre pay

It was if you purchased  the packages  ahead you could get the discount  but then that too was confusing all the the discount was dropped

JMO

[NewSalty]

I wasn't actually upgrading, I was just following the buzz because I have several upcoming cruises that I was planning to buy the house select package on. Luckily, when it went down to $29.95, I pre-purchased for all those cruises, figuring prices were only going to go up from there!

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, NewSalty said:

It was $40 for a few weeks while they sorted out their pricing (i.e. price increases) For some reason, they dropped the house select package to $29.95 if bought pre-cruise, while raising the prestige packed to $69.95.  (thus the $40 upgrade). Then a few weeks later, they dumped the pre-cruise discount, raising house select back to $39.95, restoring the upgrade to $30.  The only reason I can think of for this might be the people currently cruising while they were raising prices - there was a lot of noise on there boards.

Thanks for this!

[kh76sp]

On 1/15/2023 at 6:18 PM, schmerl said:

 

Yes. You can bring alcohol on board right from the start and in the ports. 

I asked my TA about this. She said the website says 6 bottles of WINE can be brought onboard, but she did not think we could bring spirits. We are sailing on Insignia from our home port. Can we bring 2 bottles of hard liquor onboard??

[schmerl]

1 minute ago, kh76sp said:

I asked my TA about this. She said the website says 6 bottles of WINE can be brought onboard, but she did not think we could bring spirits. We are sailing on Insignia from our home port. Can we bring 2 bottles of hard liquor onboard??

 

Yes, and you can bring more than six bottles as well. 

[basor]

2 minutes ago, kh76sp said:

I asked my TA about this. She said the website says 6 bottles of WINE can be brought onboard, but she did not think we could bring spirits. We are sailing on Insignia from our home port. Can we bring 2 bottles of hard liquor onboard??

In actual practice you can bring as much beer, wine and liquor on board at embarkation and at a port as you want for consumption ONLY in your cabin,  You may bring wine with you to a have with a meal and pay a $25.00 corkage fee.  Your room steward/butler will be happy to bring what ever mixers, condiments and glasses (within reason) you would like for your various drinks in your cabin or out on your verandah.  This is a much valued and appreciated perk sailing with Oceania.

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, kh76sp said:

I asked my TA about this. She said the website says 6 bottles of WINE can be brought onboard, but she did not think we could bring spirits. We are sailing on Insignia from our home port. Can we bring 2 bottles of hard liquor onboard??

Just drink the spirits in your cabin

 

[babysteps]

3 minutes ago, basor said:

.Your room steward/butler will be happy to bring what ever mixers, condiments and glasses (within reason) you would like for your various drinks in your cabin or out on your verandah.  This is a much valued and appreciated perk sailing with Oceania.

One cruise we had 3 (or more?) partial bottles of wine toward the end of the cruise. We summoned the bottles and 6 or so glasses from room service and had our own de-cluttering happy hour 

[pinotlover]

30 minutes ago, babysteps said:

One cruise we had 3 (or more?) partial bottles of wine toward the end of the cruise. We summoned the bottles and 6 or so glasses from room service and had our own de-cluttering happy hour 

We had an incredible Wine Reduction Party in our suite. A couple of fellow passengers had purchased more wine along the way than they could carry in their luggage or drink. Eight of us in our cabin solved the problem. Our butler provided plenty of food to maintain us.

 

in the $30 upgrade price. We most often did a happy round in either Martinis or Horizons. Then, after dinner while enjoying the show or while reading Currents in our cabin, we often enjoyed a Remi Martin VSOP. Occasionally I might change up and do a Dramboie or something different. With grats, that $30 was easily blasted past with only two drinks. Especially if I ordered a double knowing I was forced into another sea day. This didn’t include those forced sea days when, to console myself, I might have had an afternoon toddy. 
 

All in all, we probably either broke even or were up on the deal. 

[kh76sp]

Thanks for the great responses!

 

What's the policy if you find that 5 days into the cruise you would do better by having a drinks package? Can you pay the per day price for the rest of the cruise? Or are you required to buy the package for the entire cruise? Will it wipe out what's already on the bar invoice? Do they even let you buy a package part way into the cruise?

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, kh76sp said:

Thanks for the great responses!

 

What's the policy if you find that 5 days into the cruise you would do better by having a drinks package? Can you pay the per day price for the rest of the cruise? Or are you required to buy the package for the entire cruise? Will it wipe out what's already on the bar invoice? Do they even let you buy a package part way into the cruise?

Yes you can buy  later in the cruise & will pay for the remaining days

[shepherd really]

12 hours ago, kh76sp said:

Thanks for the great responses!

 

What's the policy if you find that 5 days into the cruise you would do better by having a drinks package? Can you pay the per day price for the rest of the cruise? Or are you required to buy the package for the entire cruise? Will it wipe out what's already on the bar invoice? Do they even let you buy a package part way into the cruise?

yes

no

no 

yes

[Dougolly]

13 hours ago, kh76sp said:

Thanks for the great responses!

 

What's the policy if you find that 5 days into the cruise you would do better by having a drinks package? Can you pay the per day price for the rest of the cruise? Or are you required to buy the package for the entire cruise? Will it wipe out what's already on the bar invoice? Do they even let you buy a package part way into the cruise?

I was told. You can upgrade to premium anytime and they would reconfigure your past bill as per the premium package as of you had always had it from the beginning. I got the premium package and husband did not, so we specifically asked about this. 

[MEFIowa]

14 hours ago, kh76sp said:

I asked my TA about this. She said the website says 6 bottles of WINE can be brought onboard, but she did not think we could bring spirits. We are sailing on Insignia from our home port. Can we bring 2 bottles of hard liquor onboard??

While that is the "official" published O "alcohol policy", they do NOT check your bags or luggage.

 

I brought on 6 bottles of wine on Riviera 12/2021 at embarkation but then brought back beer, hard liquor and wine from every port excursion. They didn't open the O tote bag when they X-rayed it, just passed it thru. For Sirena 11/2022 I brought 6 bottles of wine in the same open fabric carrying bag, but brought beer and hard liquor in my checked luggage. And again in every port I brought back beer and hard liquor.

 

For both cruises I pushed my wine-bag with my foot in the slow line in Terminal J for those of us in G-B cabins. People looked at me with a smile, and more than a few said, "Wish I would've done that."

 

Just REMEMBER you can ONLY drink your own beer and hard liquor in your cabin & on your veranda. You can pay a $25 corkage fee in the restaurants to drink your own wine.

[LHT28]

30 minutes ago, Dougolly said:

I was told. You can upgrade to premium anytime and they would reconfigure your past bill as per the premium package as of you had always had it from the beginning. I got the premium package and husband did not, so we specifically asked about this. 

Are you onboard now?

 

[honmani2]

Can you walk out of the restaurant with a glass of wine or a beer after lunch or dinner?

 

[ORV]

On 3/29/2023 at 8:45 AM, Dougolly said:

I was told. You can upgrade to premium anytime and they would reconfigure your past bill as per the premium package as of you had always had it from the beginning. I got the premium package and husband did not, so we specifically asked about this. 

I don't think so, unless something has very recently changed. 

 

1 hour ago, honmani2 said:

Can you walk out of the restaurant with a glass of wine or a beer after lunch or dinner?

 

Yes,