Silver Spirits Beverage Package with Viking

[CDNPolar]

34 minutes ago, DaveA said:

How does it work in restaurants? Do they top up house wine glasses without being asked? Does the same happen if I order a different wine on the SSBP list?

In the restaurants, they look you up on their handheld device and then know if you are SS or not.  

 

In all cases of Ocean cruises I have been on you have a different wine glass if you are on SS from house wines.  This is true in each restaurant too.  This has to be the case because we have often been sitting with folks that are not on the SS and we are, or the opposite.

 

Yes, they constantly top your glass whether you are on SS or house wines. You typically don't have to ask.  If you are SS you can change the wine you are drinking too at anytime.  Well, in fact with house you can change from white to red or sparking too.

[DaveA]

Great, thanks. That is, for me, a big benefit of the package. I like to try different wines with different courses and wouldn’t want to be having to order each glass separately.

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, DaveA said:

How does it work in restaurants? Do they top up house wine glasses without being asked? Does the same happen if I order a different wine on the SSBP list?

Regardless of SSBP or not, it’s our experience that the waitstaff keeps your glass full. You have to tell them you’re done. If this doesn’t happen, it’s typically because the staff may be new. If you make a point of talking to the wine steward for a recommendation, they will take good care of you. 

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, DaveA said:

How does it work in restaurants? Do they top up house wine glasses without being asked? Does the same happen if I order a different wine on the SSBP list?

When we had the SSBP package we asked for a particular wine in the restaurant which was then kept available for us each night. We ate at the same table so the waiter got to know this and he brought it without asking. I don’t know how it works if you ask for a different special wine each evening or eat infrequently in the Restaurant.

[CDNPolar]

3 hours ago, janetcbl said:

When we had the SSBP package we asked for a particular wine in the restaurant which was then kept available for us each night. We ate at the same table so the waiter got to know this and he brought it without asking. I don’t know how it works if you ask for a different special wine each evening or eat infrequently in the Restaurant.

 

We tend to ask for the same table in the Restaurant each night so that exactly as you say, the wine steward and the servers know your preferences and they start to react to them.

[GonzoWCS]

Thanks for this information!

 

Cheers

[PRH]

Well, Jupiter ran out of Woodford Reserve before we even left Brazil and no more until at least Spain.  This happened before and why i was reluctant to purchase SS.  The Beverage Manager keeps getting away when we try to talk with him.

[CCWineLover]

10 hours ago, PRH said:

Well, Jupiter ran out of Woodford Reserve before we even left Brazil and no more until at least Spain.  This happened before and why i was reluctant to purchase SS.  The Beverage Manager keeps getting away when we try to talk with him.

We have had the same issues sometimes on Viking with supply.   The danger is when you want a very specific brand - there is that risk - weather liquor or wine or whatever.  We know folks who bring their own brand liquor onboard to guarantee availability!!

[rmalbers]

I just don't get why this topic comes up in every cruise forum ALL THE TIME.  It's very simple math, unless you ask a bunch of strangers to do the math for you. 

[CDNPolar]

12 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

We have had the same issues sometimes on Viking with supply.   The danger is when you want a very specific brand - there is that risk - weather liquor or wine or whatever.  We know folks who bring their own brand liquor onboard to guarantee availability!!

 

We also have to remember that Viking ships are SMALLER than many of the other cruise lines.  Many of the larger cruise lines have bigger stores areas and can bring more on board.  

 

You will notice that when you are in many of the ports, there are skids of all kinds of supplies including wine and spirits being loaded.  Viking does not load a the beginning of the cruise with a full supply to last the entire cruise... they restock along the way.

 

This is just part of sailing Viking.

 

I do get that some folks like a particular brand, but sometimes it may run out.

[island lady]

At this point in our age....having everything "all inclusive" has an appeal to us.   Cost smart...maybe not, .....but Viking is not a bargain discount line anyway.  😉 

 

We prefer higher end wines.   Three drinks a day all through the day for us...not a problem.  Not interested in splitting hairs and the taking out a calculator for price of each drink.  

 

Eh.....    🙃

 

 

[CILCIANRQTS]

On 2/27/2024 at 4:03 PM, CDNPolar said:

 

We tend to ask for the same table in the Restaurant each night so that exactly as you say, the wine steward and the servers know your preferences and they start to react to them.

We ask for the same waiter, so the waitstaff knows preferences and to develop better relationships - which results in better service. Tipping during the cruise also helps - if you’re so inclined.

[CDNPolar]

3 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

We ask for the same waiter, so the waitstaff knows preferences and to develop better relationships - which results in better service. Tipping during the cruise also helps - if you’re so inclined.

 

100% agree with you.

 

I like sparkling water - not the Viking kind but Club Soda or Perrier.  This is what I want at the start of a meal and not just still water.  When we have the same serving team each night in The Restaurant, the good ones know this and it just appears shortly after sitting down.  

 

We have other preferences too.  We usually start with a glass of the Prosecco and then move to white or red depending on what we are eating.  The serving team and the wine steward in that section know this too and it just happens.

 

These are the folks that we end up tipping out by hand 4-5 nights in because they go above and beyond, and we have a good time with them too.

[hutch1994]

Certainly we didn't get our $700.00 worth of wine or drink that we paid for the package.  Could have just spent that amount and picked out what we wanted from the wine list instead of buying it by the glass from the silver spirits list.

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, hutch1994 said:

Certainly we didn't get our $700.00 worth of wine or drink that we paid for the package.  Could have just spent that amount and picked out what we wanted from the wine list instead of buying it by the glass from the silver spirits list.

Don't beat yourself up.  You had to try it to learn this.  We went through the same experience (buying it once) and now we just pick out what we want!   

We felt that most of the Silver Spirits folks were cocktail drinkers (and large ones!) rather than wine drinkers like we are.  I think it might have benefited them, but for wine drinkers, it didn't seem to so much.

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Don't beat yourself up.  You had to try it to learn this.  We went through the same experience (buying it once) and now we just pick out what we want!   

We felt that most of the Silver Spirits folks were cocktail drinkers (and large ones!) rather than wine drinkers like we are.  I think it might have benefited them, but for wine drinkers, it didn't seem to so much.

 

We are same boat (no pun intended) now.  We are not cocktail drinkers - just wine.  We buy as we go if the included wine does not work for us that day.

 

It would be interesting to know if Viking make more money from selling SSBP or from charging for individual drinks.

 

When we started sailing Viking in 2017 the SSBP was a good deal for us.  Now, the price has gone up too much.

[Squawkman]

 

It would be interesting to know if Viking make more money from selling SSBP or from charging for individual drinks.

 

At the Meet & Mingle on a Med cruise 4 years ago, my wife chatted with the Chief Financial Officer who indicated the SSBP is a money maker. He told her our cruise had 38% SSBP which was low.

[Peregrina651]

6 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

 

It would be interesting to know if Viking make more money from selling SSBP or from charging for individual drinks.

 

At the Meet & Mingle on a Med cruise 4 years ago, my wife chatted with the Chief Financial Officer who indicated the SSBP is a money maker. He told her our cruise had 38% SSBP which was low.

 

I wonder what the numbers are these days now that the package prices have gone up. 

[Insanityx4]

We bought the SSP for the first time on our last cruise which was on an Expedition Ship and had a $1,000 on board credit so used it for that. We really liked the package and the convenience but we also had a Nordic Suite so the mini bar went untouched. We just booked another cruise on a Ocean ship in a Penthouse Veranda category and will not get the SSP since we will have the mini bar in our room. We can always get a drink at any bar on the ship if we want and pay for it for far less. I do think we drank way more with the SSP because we wanted to get our $25 pp per days worth!

[CJANDH]

1 hour ago, Insanityx4 said:

We bought the SSP for the first time on our last cruise which was on an Expedition Ship and had a $1,000 on board credit so used it for that.

Can you buy the SSP with OBC ahead of boarding or do you wait until on board?

[janetcbl]

2 hours ago, Insanityx4 said:

We bought the SSP for the first time on our last cruise which was on an Expedition Ship and had a $1,000 on board credit so used it for that. We really liked the package and the convenience but we also had a Nordic Suite so the mini bar went untouched. We just booked another cruise on an Ocean ship in a Penthouse Veranda category and will not get the SSP since we will have the mini bar in our room. We can always get a drink at any bar on the ship if we want and pay for it for far less. I do think we drank way more with the SSP because we wanted to get our $25 pp per days worth!

You can ask for wine to be added to the minibar in PV and above. I don’t know if you can get the wine in addition to the liquor or if you have to trade it for the liquor. Anyone?

Edited March 31 by janetcbl

[Insanityx4]

We don't drink hardly any wine at all anymore. Married to a winemaker for 50 years. He prefers beer and good scotch these days! We have cases and cases in our garage which we mostly give away. We were part owners of a winery so still get all of the new releases. On the expedition ship they kept delivering wine and champagne to our cabin. We gave most of it to our room stewards!

[island lady]

Interesting observations...thanks all.   I did not have the SS package on our 3 week Viking river last year.   Did I miss it...sort of...but could have bought one by one if we so desired.   

 

The allure of not having to nickel and dime the thought process is appealing, anyway...making it more of an "all inclusive".  I have the package for our 45 night B2B Aussie/NZ adventure on Venus and Orion early next year.  

 

Will compare that experience as to if we need it on the B2B Great Lakes and NW passage on Octantis later in the year.  

[Insanityx4]

48 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

Can you buy the SSP with OBC ahead of boarding or do you wait until on board?

It depends where your OBC comes from. Ours was from Viking because they changed ships and dates on us so the Polaris could be repaired after the rogue wave. It was already in our account. If it comes from a travel agent as a perk it's not usually added until you board the ship or a few days before.

[CCWineLover]

4 minutes ago, Insanityx4 said:

We don't drink hardly any wine at all anymore. Married to a winemaker for 50 years. He prefers beer and good scotch these days! We have cases and cases in our garage which we mostly give away. We were part owners of a winery so still get all of the new releases. On the expedition ship they kept delivering wine and champagne to our cabin. We gave most of it to our room stewards!

How interesting!  May I ask, what winery in NorCal?  

I've met so many winemakers who are really more beer drinkers.  One told me it takes good beer to make good wine, so to speak!