Viking Included Wines/Silver Spirits Package

[AllisonJames]

Wondering if anyone can comment on the quality of the Viking River included wines? Is a sparkling wine included as an option? Trying to decide if Silver Spirits Package is “worth it” on a cruise where we will be off the boat a lot. We usually have one before -dinner cocktail, wine with dinner, perhaps an after dinner cocktail. Does anyone know if we can add the package a day or two into the cruise if the included wines aren’t to our taste? 

[CDNPolar]

10 hours ago, AllisonJames said:

Wondering if anyone can comment on the quality of the Viking River included wines? Is a sparkling wine included as an option? Trying to decide if Silver Spirits Package is “worth it” on a cruise where we will be off the boat a lot. We usually have one before -dinner cocktail, wine with dinner, perhaps an after dinner cocktail. Does anyone know if we can add the package a day or two into the cruise if the included wines aren’t to our taste? 

 

The SSBP.  Talked about a lot.

 

The included wines on a River Cruise are somewhat dependent on where you are in Europe.  The ship will bring on some local wines for sure.

 

There are some in the Viking cruise family that don't like the included wines.

 

Here is our experience:

 

They have one red and one white and one sparkling, usually a Prosecco, that they circulate with. The Prosecco you will have to ask for, they don't have it as they move table to table, just the red and white. If for instance the white is a Chardonnay and you do not like Chardonnay, ask if they have an alternate.  For us they have always come back with something different.

 

We have bought the SSBP and we have not.  More over now we are not mostly because we are reducing our alcohol intake considerably.  

 

We have always been satisfied with the included wines when we have not purchased the SSBP.

 

BUT, remember that anything that they have on the ship is available to you at a cost even if you don't buy the SSBP.  So you can choose most all wines off the list at a very reasonable per glass cost, or by the bottle for some.

 

Where the SSBP will come in is for your cocktails.  No spirits are included with meals.  If you are having one before and one after dinner that is going to be 4 cocktails at approximately $8 each or $32 per night.  The SSBP is going to cost you $50 per night (not day).  If you would rather wines that are on the extended list and you are going to have 2 glasses each of wine with lunch and or dinner, then you are going to make the SSBP pay for itself.

 

You can buy the SSBP one or two days in, but I do not know if they will pro-rate it for you for the number of nights left.  It would make sense that they would, but, I am not sure if they will.

 

If you are on the fence, you are probably with your cocktails and the occasional glass of wine off the extended menu very close to the cost per night of the SSBP, I would say go for it to see what you think.  You will likely break even.

 

Also however remember that if a circulating included wine is not to taste, ask if they have another option.  We have always found that they do.

[beanpittsburgh]

Don't forget - you can always bring wine or spirits onboard.  On our 3 Viking river cruises, we always found some interesting wines in the ports and brought a bottle to drink in the lounge that night.  The staff would uncork and decant if necessary for free.  Viking saves money when you bring your own booze onboard.

[pontac]

12 hours ago, AllisonJames said:

Wondering if anyone can comment on the quality of the Viking River included wines?

 

The quality is good, on Tulips & Windmills cruise earlier this year the included wines were German from Heinrich Vollmer in Pfalz - a Riesling and Cuvee HV - a red blend.

 

On the Rhone last year they used different wines on some night, but the wines I have  recorded as La Vieille Ferme Blanc & Rouge, from the Perrin winery on the Rhone. On Rhine & Moselle Discovery, also last year, they were  German from Heinrich Vollmer in Pfalz - Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Heinrich Volmer Altum Meisterstuch, a red blend of unnamed varieties.

 

We only drink wine, no spirits or cocktails, so haven't found the drinks package worth paying for. One can buy wines at places visited and the waiters will happily open and pour them at the table: there's no corkage charge.

 

But for the recent trips Viking have included the drinks package in the booking and we've plundered the 4 page winelist, white at lunchtime and red with dinner.

 

And we like a glass of Champagne before dinner, which is what we had very night.

 

If one doesn't have the drinks package there are still drinks served at times. There will be a Explorers Society party. This used to be restricted to people who'd cruised with Viking before, but there are now so many it's held in the lounge and fizz & cocktails are available for all. Then there is the Aquavit presentation.

 

The house sparkling wine is a German Sekt which I find much too sweet.

 

It's a toss up. If you have the drinks package, it's got to be for the entire length of the cruise and everyone in the cabin must have it. For US cruisers that $50 a day. You can buy wine from the wine list some days, bring in your own wine.....

 

Thing is, you don't have to decide now. You can wait till you join the cruise, look at the wine last (it's on the bar in the lounge - or ask for it) and make up your mind then

 

 

Pre-dinner Champagne Veuve Cliquot in the lounge on Rhine

Edited June 9 by pontac

[deec]

Last fall we cruised from Bucharest to Amsterdam and then the Douro.  I do not know if if it was our particular wine stewards but with the SSP we were able to choose a glass from anything on the menu and they often had fantastic sugestions.  On our Ocean voyages there are relatively few by the glass wines that could be chosen.  I generally can find one that I like and drink it most evenings at dinner.  We do like a cocktail before dinner so for us the SSP is at least break even.

[austinetc]

These comments are based on the latest cost of the SSBP on our next cruise. $25 per person per day. Personally, though we've bought the SSBP before, at that price we'll buy wine ashore (and a quality bottle of whiskey). 

 

1) Viking uses the word "Premium" to describe the sort of wines whey offer in the SSBP. It's useful to understand that "Premium" is roughly defined in the industry as $20 - $40 wine (retail). My research has indicated that Viking chooses wines in the low end. You're not going to be getting really, really great wine, based on price. Yes you can get really, really great wine at any price point, but you'd have to rely on luck. The SSBP wines will be an upgrade from their house wine selections, but don't expect Opus One. 

 

2) If you like to experiment with types of wines you normally wouldn't buy at home, this is a perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge without buying full bottles at home. In this case, the SSBP a good option, even if you don't drink up to the SSBP price. This assumes the ship offers a variety of different wines on the SSBP. We've done one cruise where the choices were very limited. The ship blamed logistics.

 

3) Their house sparkling wine is okay. On our last two cruises their premium sparkles wasn't available. (They don't mention it, but normally they'll serve their house sparkles at dinner for no charge.) 

 

4) Whiskeys and cocktails are incredibly inexpensive. You'd have to really hit the bar to make the SSBP worthwhile on those alone. Also, there are several special events when the ship serves a cocktail. (To justify the $50 per couple cost, I have to drink more than $25 to offset my SO's limited consumption.) Some of the low priced whiskeys are incredible bargains. (Jack Daniels Sinatra Bourbon was $7 on our last cruise. The bottle sells for $129 at BevMo.)

 

5) Even if your expected consumption is less than the cost, there is an advantage to buying the package just so you don't have to keep a mental tab of how much you're spending. Less stressful.

 

 

 

 

[CDNPolar]

10 hours ago, austinetc said:

These comments are based on the latest cost of the SSBP on our next cruise. $25 per person per day. Personally, though we've bought the SSBP before, at that price we'll buy wine ashore (and a quality bottle of whiskey). 

 

1) Viking uses the word "Premium" to describe the sort of wines whey offer in the SSBP. It's useful to understand that "Premium" is roughly defined in the industry as $20 - $40 wine (retail). My research has indicated that Viking chooses wines in the low end. You're not going to be getting really, really great wine, based on price. Yes you can get really, really great wine at any price point, but you'd have to rely on luck. The SSBP wines will be an upgrade from their house wine selections, but don't expect Opus One. 

 

2) If you like to experiment with types of wines you normally wouldn't buy at home, this is a perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge without buying full bottles at home. In this case, the SSBP a good option, even if you don't drink up to the SSBP price. This assumes the ship offers a variety of different wines on the SSBP. We've done one cruise where the choices were very limited. The ship blamed logistics.

 

3) Their house sparkling wine is okay. On our last two cruises their premium sparkles wasn't available. (They don't mention it, but normally they'll serve their house sparkles at dinner for no charge.) 

 

4) Whiskeys and cocktails are incredibly inexpensive. You'd have to really hit the bar to make the SSBP worthwhile on those alone. Also, there are several special events when the ship serves a cocktail. (To justify the $50 per couple cost, I have to drink more than $25 to offset my SO's limited consumption.) Some of the low priced whiskeys are incredible bargains. (Jack Daniels Sinatra Bourbon was $7 on our last cruise. The bottle sells for $129 at BevMo.)

 

5) Even if your expected consumption is less than the cost, there is an advantage to buying the package just so you don't have to keep a mental tab of how much you're spending. Less stressful.

 

 

 

 

 

Please no offence intended in this correction, but the SSBP is a per night charge, not per day.

 

Per night changes the cost as often "days" adds at least one extra to the count of the cost.

 

If you are calculating whether the cost is worth it, then you should be counting the nights you are on the ship.

[austinetc]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Please no offence intended in this correction, but the SSBP is a per night charge, not per day.

 

Per night changes the cost as often "days" adds at least one extra to the count of the cost.

 

If you are calculating whether the cost is worth it, then you should be counting the nights you are on the ship.

You are correct. Thanks for saying.