SeaMatesNYC Posted July 15 #1 Share Posted July 15 Recent report from onboard includes the following (see quote below). Anyone else have any experience bumping up against this new limit (which is not difficult for coffee/water/booze drinkers)? Website still shows unlimited non-alcoholic policy for Elite. “New policy. Elite is now 15 drinks total. Up to $15 and you pay just any overage. Alcoholic AND all non-alcoholic drinks count including canned water. (posting from the Crow’s Nest)” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare POA1 Posted July 15 #2 Share Posted July 15 Elite still has a 15 alcoholic @ $15 limit and unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. Someone reported the exact same thing before both of our last two cruises. The reports were wrong. 5 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sambamama Posted July 15 #3 Share Posted July 15 This has been the policy for quite some time. As a dedicated soda drinker, I remember the change and found it to be remarkably unfair. I thought there should be an exception for soda. Maybe not for canned soda, but for people getting sodas from the bar via dispensers, sure. Of course, maybe the bartenders don't even do it that way anymore. It's just like the change not allowing soda and water to be carried onboard any more. I don't drink wine, so carrying 2 bottles of wine onboard for free doesn't help me. It's just another way the cruiselines are nickle and diming your money away. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 15 Author #4 Share Posted July 15 1 minute ago, sambamama said: This has been the policy for quite some time. As a dedicated soda drinker, I remember the change and found it to be remarkably unfair. Not sure I follow: Reports are of a recent change (within weeks if not days) wherein despite current written policy of Elite beverage package (not Signature, not Quench, not Soda) NOT counting non-alcoholic drinks against the 15 drink limit for Elite BP, HAL has shifted and now DOES count coffee, soda, water, cocktails, against the 15 for Elite. This report comes from one person who indicated above (s)he was onboard and in The Crow’s Nest. It is possible this may have just been a miscommunication with staff in that venue. We don’t know yet for certain. The written descriptions on HAL website and in the Beverage Package FAQ’s currently state non-alcoholic drinks do NOT count against the 15 drink limit for Elite Beverage Package. Lastly, the bottles of wine carried onboard are not free anymore either - I believe corkage is owed regardless of where you intend to drink them. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted July 15 #5 Share Posted July 15 15 minutes ago, sambamama said: It's just like the change not allowing soda and water to be carried onboard any more. I don't drink wine, so carrying 2 bottles of wine onboard for free doesn't help me. It's just another way the cruiselines are nickle and diming your money away. I hear you. My preferred drink is caffeine free (regular) Coke (NOT diet). They don't have that onboard, so I always brought my own. It gets a bit boring drinking only water or Sprite-like drinks in order to avoid the caffeine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD4134 Posted July 16 #6 Share Posted July 16 This is the description of the Elite Package for my upcoming cruise. There is no mention of unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. DETAILS Our premium, Elite Beverage Package allows you to select from a variety of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, sodas, bottled water (sparkling or still, 400ml or less) & coffee. Includes any beverage priced at $15.00 or lower (up to 15 beverages per day). Prices are per day at $49.95 if pre-booked online compared to $59.95 if purchased on board. A 18% service charge will be automatically applied to your purchase. The package must be purchased for the entire duration of the voyage. All adults over 21 years old booked in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. Participants may order only one drink at a time and must be 21 years or older. Sharing is not permitted. Excludes Mini Bar, Honor Bar, Gelato, Dive In, Room Service, beverages on Half Moon Cay, and any fresh squeezed juices. Packages are non-transferable or refundable. Beverage management reserves the right to revoke the package if misused and reserves the right to refuse service for any reason, including refusing service of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismomx5 Posted July 16 #7 Share Posted July 16 5 minutes ago, MikeD4134 said: This is the description of the Elite Package for my upcoming cruise. There is no mention of unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. DETAILS Our premium, Elite Beverage Package allows you to select from a variety of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, sodas, bottled water (sparkling or still, 400ml or less) & coffee. Includes any beverage priced at $15.00 or lower (up to 15 beverages per day). Prices are per day at $49.95 if pre-booked online compared to $59.95 if purchased on board. A 18% service charge will be automatically applied to your purchase. The package must be purchased for the entire duration of the voyage. All adults over 21 years old booked in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. Participants may order only one drink at a time and must be 21 years or older. Sharing is not permitted. Excludes Mini Bar, Honor Bar, Gelato, Dive In, Room Service, beverages on Half Moon Cay, and any fresh squeezed juices. Packages are non-transferable or refundable. Beverage management reserves the right to revoke the package if misused and reserves the right to refuse service for any reason, including refusing service of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated customers. That is how mine reads as well, however if I click on Beverage Package FAQs I get: The Quench and Signature packages have a daily limit of 15 beverages per day. The signature package counts Zero-Proof beverage towards the daily limit. The Elite Package has unlimited zero proof beverages and a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 16 #8 Share Posted July 16 27 minutes ago, Dismomx5 said: That is how mine reads as well, however if I click on Beverage Package FAQs I get: The Quench and Signature packages have a daily limit of 15 beverages per day. The signature package counts Zero-Proof beverage towards the daily limit. The Elite Package has unlimited zero proof beverages and a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages This matches @MikeD4134's info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 16 Author #9 Share Posted July 16 In two out of three places, policy on Elite speaks to the exclusion of non-alcoholic beverages from the 15-count. In the third, it is silent. Here's the Elite Beverage Package shown on the HAL website "Ship Life" then "Beverage Packages": Here's the Elite within my booking: When you click the BEVERAGE PACKAGE FAQs in the booking screen shown above, you then get: 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted July 16 #10 Share Posted July 16 2 hours ago, Dismomx5 said: That is how mine reads as well, however if I click on Beverage Package FAQs I get: The Quench and Signature packages have a daily limit of 15 beverages per day. The signature package counts Zero-Proof beverage towards the daily limit. The Elite Package has unlimited zero proof beverages and a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages Yes, there are a number of differences between the FAQ and the description provided by @MikeD4134. In addition to the number of drinks, I see that the package no longer covers any fresh squeezed juices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 17 Author #11 Share Posted July 17 I’ve sent the following to Guest Relations: Hello. Online posts have current onboard passengers saying they are being told that HAL is no longer excluding non-alcoholic ("zero proof") beverages from the 15-drink limit for the Elite Beverage Package, contrary to current sales and marketing materials being displayed on the HAL website and within on-line booking/itinerary's extra package sales offerings. Please see below two photographs snapped from your website indicating that Elite packages exclude non-alcoholic drinks from the 15 drink limit. These are both snapped from your website today, July 16, 2024, the first from "Ship Life / Beverage Packages" and the second from the FAQ on the actual beverage package sale page within one of my current bookings. These were the terms in effect when we deposited on our two upcoming cruises in 2025 for which we booked the fare with the Elite BP in the early booking bonus, My questions are: 1) What is the current status of the Elite beverage package and exclusion of non-alcoholic beverages from the 15-drink limit? 2) How will you ensure that what we have purchased when we deposited and obtained the Early Booking Bonus including Elite BP with non-alcoholic drinks unlimited will be delivered to us per the terms and conditions offered at the time of sale? We’ll see what they say… 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leerathje Posted July 17 #12 Share Posted July 17 5 hours ago, Fouremco said: Yes, there are a number of differences between the FAQ and the description provided by @MikeD4134. In addition to the number of drinks, I see that the package no longer covers any fresh squeezed juices. I was on the Koningsdam from June 29 - July 6 with the SBP, and would get a fresh squeezed orange juice at the Seaview pool bar every morning. It was included in the package. L. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare terrydtx Posted July 17 #13 Share Posted July 17 We will be on the Volendam next month with the Elite BP, will be interesting to see if this policy has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted July 17 #14 Share Posted July 17 7 hours ago, leerathje said: I was on the Koningsdam from June 29 - July 6 with the SBP, and would get a fresh squeezed orange juice at the Seaview pool bar every morning. It was included in the package. L. We'll be on the Koningsdam for 18 days in October, so this is excellent news. As the jingle said, "A Day Without Orange Juice is Like a Day Without Sunshine." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 17 Author #15 Share Posted July 17 5 minutes ago, Fouremco said: We'll be on the Koningsdam for 18 days in October, so this is excellent news. As the jingle said, "A Day Without Orange Juice is Like a Day Without Sunshine." In my four voyages since last October (2 NS, 1 K and 1 N), every one excluded fresh squeezed juices from all beverage packages - Quench, Signature, and Elite. I experienced it firsthand and listened to the arguments over and over at breakfast. Even before they excluded it, getting it actually delivered was hit or miss. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare terrydtx Posted July 17 #16 Share Posted July 17 14 minutes ago, SeaMatesNYC said: In my four voyages since last October (2 NS, 1 K and 1 N), every one excluded fresh squeezed juices from all beverage packages - Quench, Signature, and Elite. I experienced it firsthand and listened to the arguments over and over at breakfast. Even before they excluded it, getting it actually delivered was hit or miss. Good luck! On the Koningsdam last November we got fresh squeezed OJ with our CO room service breakfast menu at no charge, it was also available in the CO dining room for breakfast. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 17 Author #17 Share Posted July 17 14 minutes ago, terrydtx said: On the Koningsdam last November we got fresh squeezed OJ with our CO room service breakfast menu at no charge, it was also available in the CO dining room for breakfast. Yes. That’s a benefit outside the beverage packages being referred to. But helpful point to those with Club Orange. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted July 17 #18 Share Posted July 17 1 hour ago, SeaMatesNYC said: In my four voyages since last October (2 NS, 1 K and 1 N), every one excluded fresh squeezed juices from all beverage packages - Quench, Signature, and Elite. I experienced it firsthand and listened to the arguments over and over at breakfast. Even before they excluded it, getting it actually delivered was hit or miss. Good luck! Needless to say, I much prefer @leerathje's post! 😇 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leerathje Posted July 17 #19 Share Posted July 17 2 hours ago, Fouremco said: Needless to say, I much prefer @leerathje's post! 😇 LOL...so do I! The first morning when I asked for OJ at the Seaview Bar, the server took my card, saw it had the SBP marked on it, and said to me, "Oh you have the package and you are entitled to fresh squeezed orange juice with the package." and brought back fresh squeezed OJ! So, I'm just going off what my server told me. L. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartexas Posted July 17 #20 Share Posted July 17 Notice honor bar listed as excluded. On our last HAL cruise in a Neptune, they had recently changed it so that the honor bar drinks in the Neptune Lounge were included in the beverage package. You still had to fill out the slips, but you weren't charged for them. Has this changed back so that the drinks in the NL aren't on the beverage package? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakridger Posted July 17 #21 Share Posted July 17 (edited) 11 minutes ago, bartexas said: Notice honor bar listed as excluded. On our last HAL cruise in a Neptune, they had recently changed it so that the honor bar drinks in the Neptune Lounge were included in the beverage package. You still had to fill out the slips, but you weren't charged for them. Has this changed back so that the drinks in the NL aren't on the beverage package? Contrary to what the one posting says (🙄), in practice the in room MINI BAR is excluded from the packages but, yes, the Neptune HONOR BAR is included with the beverage packages. ~Nancy Edited July 17 by oakridger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevingastreich Posted July 18 #22 Share Posted July 18 On 7/15/2024 at 11:04 AM, sambamama said: It's just like the change not allowing soda and water to be carried onboard any more. Wow, even RCI still lets you bring water! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare terrydtx Posted July 18 #23 Share Posted July 18 7 minutes ago, kevingastreich said: Wow, even RCI still lets you bring water! RCI is not part of the group that owns HAL, Celebrity which is part of RCI allows water to be brought aboard. Also Celebrity bev packages have no limits on the number of drinks both alcohol and non-alcohol per day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakridger Posted July 18 #24 Share Posted July 18 (edited) HAL allows water to be brought on in cartons or cans. (Not plastic or glass) From "Know Before You Go" Items such as sodas, energy drinks or other non-alcoholic items are not allowed on board in any form. Plastic water bottles are not allowed. However, an allowance of six liters, twelve (12) cans or cartons (500 ml in volume or less) or six (6) cans or cartons (1 liter in volume or less) of water are allowed per stateroom. Any amount in excess of this allowance will be not be allowed onboard. Water in plastic bottles will not be allowed onboard in any quantity, including in ports of call. Guests will be asked to discard open beverages in plastic containers prior to boarding. Edited July 18 by oakridger 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackduck59 Posted July 18 #25 Share Posted July 18 So this thread (which is a 2nd on this subject recently) is posted with an anonymous quote that may or may not be accurate. Have we heard from anyone, actually on a ship that has run into this situation? I know if I was expecting the "elite" package with 15 alcoholic drinks priced $15.00 each, and unlimited non alcoholic drinks as per ALL published materials (with several exclusions that don't make sense) and then they said "oh actually that's not the deal" I would be at customer service immediately. I would also post on these boards the first hand account for other members. As it is, it's another rumour without verification. I'm wondering if the quote in the original post is from the "Heated Discussion" on another site mentioned in the thread from 02 July. On that thread someone who had litterally just got off a HAL cruise, and had the "Elite Package" knew nothing of this rumoured change. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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