Wine Cards....

[SanDiego Single]

Someone on a thread earlier asked about wine cards and yes they do offer them. They can be purchased thru ship services. They are offered in either 10 pours @41.40 or 20 pours 77.63. They are for red/white/rose/sparkling wines. They also offer a signature cocktail card @ 10 for 64.69.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the information.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Do you know anything about the signature cocktail card?

What type of drinks?

Any special alcohol to make the drinks or just the house alcohol?

[Schplinky]

Is there a selection of wines that you can get with these cards or is it simply red or white?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hope the OP comes back and answers our questions.

[SanDiego Single]

This info came from a brochure inside my docs for a sailing on 1/6/07. They didn't give specific drinks or specific kinds of wines. I have to call ship servies for something later this afternoon and I will ask and put a follow up here for you.


Thanks

[Schplinky]

Thanks, San Diego!

[mariner]

Here's something to consider:

Wine-by-the-glass is usually one of the most expensive ways to drink on land or sea.

You can order a bottle of wine and leave it at your favorite bar. The bartender, or server, will recork if you don't finish and you can enjoy it the next day.

On an eleven-day cruise, my wife drinks four bottles of white (and the winery that she prefers) that way. For what she orders, that works out to about $100. And she gets more than 10 glasses.

[dippy]

The cost of a 20 glass card is about $3.88 per glass.

The cheapest bottle of red wine (a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon) that I saw on their wine order form was $20.75 on line. A typical bottle of wine has a volume of 750mL and you will get 4 glasses out of it (6 oz or 185mL glass). Thus the cost per glass is about $5.18 per glass if you buy the bottle.

The lower price per glass of wine is due to a couple of reasons...
1. Quality of the wine is usually lower
2. You get what they give you (ie: usually no choice in the wine)

Personally, after the second glass, who cares what the quality of the wine is!:p

[hammybee]

Personally, after the second glass, who cares what the quality of the wine is!:p

Ah yes, the purple lips syndrom. I have known it well. :)

[mariner]

But do you get the same amount per glass on the card?

You don't on soda card. It's cheaper, in the long run with soda, to buy a can.

All things being equal, purple lips, by-the-glass is never cheaper.

[dippy]

But do you get the same amount per glass on the card?

You don't on soda card. It's cheaper, in the long run with soda, to buy a can.

All things being equal, purple lips, by-the-glass is never cheaper.

A 6oz glass of wine, whether poured from the house wine bottle or from the bottle you buy, is a 6oz serving. Dollar for dollar, house vine is cheaper in this comparison that I have provided. You cannot argue against the math with a subjective opinion.

I love my purple lips :)

[Sunshine91]

A 6oz glass of wine, whether poured from the house wine bottle or from the bottle you buy, is a 6oz serving. Dollar for dollar, house vine is cheaper in this comparison that I have provided. You cannot argue against the math with a subjective opinion.

I love my purple lips :)

I LOVE your logic! And quite agree with you. http://www.booktalkauthors.com/forum/images/smiles/lool.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:emoticon(':lool:'))

To me, a cosmo is a cosmo is a cosmo. I couldn't tell the difference if it was made with Ketel One or Absolut or Smirnoff or anything else.

I did notice that signature drink card of 10 for $64.69. If the special drink of the day is $4.75 or $5.00, then the $6.50/drink is no deal. Wonder if that includes the service charge. Hmmmmmm. http://www.booktalkauthors.com/forum/images/smiles/unsure.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:emoticon(':huh:'))

[dippy]

Wonder if that includes the service charge. Hmmmmmm. http://www.booktalkauthors.com/forum/images/smiles/unsure.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:emoticon(':huh:'))

As per the Gift Order form in front of me..."A 15% Service Charge on all beverage items and packages with beverages is included."

[biddy belle]

DH does not remember paying $6.50 for his whiskey sours in Sept., so ...either HAL has had a price increase, or the signature drink card is not a deal, or DH had an even better time than he remembers! Can a more recent cruiser verify the current prices? The wine card does seem to be a good deal. Plan to order a 20 pour today.The house wines that HAL serves are plenty drinkable to me, and DH, also, wouldn't know premium liquor if he got it.

[capa2ny2]

Hi there~
I am going on HAL's Maasdam on the 11th :) , and just saw this thread about wine cards. It sounds like a great deal to me; do I have to call ship services or can I purchase one when I get on the ship?

I have never been on HAL, only on one prior cruise so I am not sure about a lot of things. Any help is appreciated!

[Schplinky]

DH does not remember paying $6.50 for his whiskey sours in Sept., so ...either HAL has had a price increase, or the signature drink card is not a deal, or DH had an even better time than he remembers! Can a more recent cruiser verify the current prices? The wine card does seem to be a good deal. Plan to order a 20 pour today.The house wines that HAL serves are plenty drinkable to me, and DH, also, wouldn't know premium liquor if he got it.

I was wondering if this meant a "signature drink" inferred more than the standard brand of liquor or something. It seemed a rather high price to me, too.

[Fatfish]

Hi there~
I am going on HAL's Maasdam on the 11th :) , and just saw this thread about wine cards. It sounds like a great deal to me; do I have to call ship services or can I purchase one when I get on the ship?

I have never been on HAL, only on one prior cruise so I am not sure about a lot of things. Any help is appreciated!

Come join our roll call...we are here

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=279423

[dippy]

Hi there~
I am going on HAL's Maasdam on the 11th :) , and just saw this thread about wine cards. It sounds like a great deal to me; do I have to call ship services or can I purchase one when I get on the ship?

I have never been on HAL, only on one prior cruise so I am not sure about a lot of things. Any help is appreciated!

Follow this link; a pdf file will open, print it up and you can mail it to ship services or fax it to the 800 number listed....Enjoy...

http://www.hollandamerica.com/pdfs/onboard/Gift_Order_Polar.pdf

[Fatfish]

Just faxed mine for next Monday sailing on the Maasdam...My wife will be surprised..Thanks

[Schplinky]

Here's something to consider:

Wine-by-the-glass is usually one of the most expensive ways to drink on land or sea.

You can order a bottle of wine and leave it at your favorite bar. The bartender, or server, will recork if you don't finish and you can enjoy it the next day.

On an eleven-day cruise, my wife drinks four bottles of white (and the winery that she prefers) that way. For what she orders, that works out to about $100. And she gets more than 10 glasses.

You'd be hard pressed to get 4 bottles of decent wine on a cruise these days for $100, I would think. You would, obviously, then be limited to four wines, regardless of what you felt like eating. This is what cautions us from bringing our own wine onboard.

I'm not criticising so much as thinking out loud here.

[biddy belle]

Welcome aboard! I ordered the winecard in advance to save myself time standing in line at guest services. They're always busy solving problems and making nice on the first day. Also don't know for sure if they're available onboard, especially since they just started offering them a couple of weeks ago, according to Hal. Hope to meet you next week at one of our get-togethers.

[San Diego Cruzer]

Does anyone know if they are available to purchase on the ship?
We will probably carry on some of our own wine, so not certain if we want to pre-order or not.

[capa2ny2]

Thank you so much for the information; I will fax this in tonight for the cruise on Monday! :D

[jjruiz]

Has anyone figured out what "signature class" drinks mean?

[ANSalberg]

You'd be hard pressed to get 4 bottles of decent wine on a cruise these days for $100, I would think. You would, obviously, then be limited to four wines, regardless of what you felt like eating. This is what cautions us from bringing our own wine onboard.

I'm not criticising so much as thinking out loud here.

In New Zealand and Australia -you can buy GOOD local wines for around $5 American per bottle. We were AMAZED at how GOOD the red wines were in Australia. I read some place that the wine industry there goes back to around 1850 -more than 150 years ago. In Europe similar "bargains" can be found in local retail stores. On the ship, the wines you purchase have a service add-on for the dining room OR you pay a "corkage" fee.....
I'm not just thinking out loud here- I'm VISUALIZING my next cruise......;)
Anne

[du2cruise]

I do like the sound of the wine cards for at least some of our dinners. I will be interested in hearing how it worked out in practice from those who have used it. Particularly whether those using the card become personae non gratae to the reportedly overworked wine stewards. More than one poster has mentioned having received extra special attention after purchasing a well above average cost bottle of wine:)

I also am interested in hearing whether these cards can be purchased onboard. Can they be used in the lounges as well as the dining room?

[Fatfish]

Just back from the Maasdam sailing of 12/11 and here is how the wine card worked for us and another couple.....We purchased the 20 glass wine card and when it was not in the cabin when we arrived, I called the front desk....They were not familiar with the card but said they would call the "Cellar Master" for info....Front desk called and said that yes they had us listed for the wine card and to just tell the wine steward and they would take it from there....Wine steward at dinner said yes he knew about the wine card but that the cards had not been printed and to order the glass of wine from him ( Merlot or Chardonnay) no other choices and no it was not for use anywhere else......2 days later we got the 2 wine cards (10 glasses each card). On Thursday we had a roll call in the Piano Bar and the Cellar Master, Fernando attended and the other couple who had purchased the wine card questioned him about not being able to use anywhere else but dining room and Fernando so no, we could use then anywhere on ship and he would personally make sure that the bars & lounges were aware of them...true to his word there was never a problem again; in fact he clarified that we could have any house wine not just the Merlot & Chardonny....he apoligized for the misunderstanding and even gave us & other couple ( wine card ) who we were dining with a bottle of wine....he said that these cards could ONLY be purchased from Seattle but they do sell a wine card onboard for 11 glasses of wine for dining room only use for $41 +15%....Hope this helps.

[jtl513]

... but they do sell a wine card onboard for 11 glasses of wine for dining room only use for $41 +15%....Hope this helps.

Our wine steward on the Veendam 12/9-12/16 knew nothing about any wine card. We didn't pursue the question at the front desk, though.

[Navy_Chief]

I spoke with the Beverage Manager when people started asking me about these Wine Cards while doing a "Live From" report on Noordam. He told me they will not be Fleetwide until January due to some logistic issues. When they are available they will have two kinds; Domestic and Premium Wine Cards. No price was specified; with regards to Signature Cocktails, there is a booklet on each bar listing what these drinks are. I did not copy or memorize this list. He stated all beverage cards will be available for purchase on board. One other thing that falls along these lines and that deals with wine you bring aboard. As it turns out, if it is a wine that is carried on board (in our case, Berringer White Zifindel) there is NO "Corking Fee" for bringing it to the dining room. We actually did this when my brother, who brought some on board to have in the room, asked about bringing some to the dining room. He was NOT charged $15 like I thought he would be and they even kept the rest chilled for the next meal. Learn something new every day :D

[Tricia724]

I have mixed feelings about these cards. As a wine drinker.....and one who usually just has a glass of the house chardonnay.....this could be a good deal for me. But I wonder how happy the bar staff are going to be. If the card is already paid for, each time we ask for a drink there will be no tip included like there would be if we just ordered from the bar.

For the first time on our last cruise, we had a couple of soda cards. We either used them at the Lido pool bar or the casino bar. I have to say that the bartenders weren't always too happy to get me a Coke.....they never refused or said anything, but there was no smile, or chitchat, or any sign that they were happy to serve me. At the end of the cruise, I stopped at both bars and gave the bartenders a tip and thanked them for getting our soft drinks. Then they smiled.

The various drink cards are a nice option, but I am curious to see how it will play out onboard.

[Fatfish]

Tricia724.....We had a wonderful wine stewardess on the Massdam and she had the wine already poured on most nights before we sat down.....Needless to say, she got a nice tip but you have a very valid point as they do NOT receive any tip from HAL for the service.

[Navy_Chief]

I always take care of my bar tenders. I usually frequent the Ocean Bar and Crow's Nest. There is always an envelope with their names that comes their way last day.

[Schplinky]

But if HAL is charghing the 15% gratuity that usually goes to the server, when they sell the card, then who is getting this tip?

[Fatfish]

But if HAL is charghing the 15% gratuity that usually goes to the server, when they sell the card, then who is getting this tip?

I do believe that there is no gratuity to server for anything that is bought prior to cruise via Seattle....This is what I was told by cellar master and wine steward.
If soda card is bought on ship then the person who sells it gets the 15% gratuity.

[dippy]

I do believe that there is no gratuity to server for anything that is bought prior to cruise via Seattle....This is what I was told by cellar master and wine steward.
If soda card is bought on ship then the person who sells it gets the 15% gratuity.

Hello Everyone:

I called HAL services today to inquire about these winecards. The service rep indicated to me that the 15% gratuity that is included in the price is distributed amongst the staff of the ship one is cruising on, whether the card is purchased from headoffice or on the ship. These same wine cards can be purchased on the ship too. If anyone has information that is different from this, please share with us.

In regards to tipping in general, my understanding is that tips on cruiseships are placed into a general tip pool and then distributed among eligible staff members (the exception to this are restaurant waiters, assistant waiters, and cabin stewards who are tipped on a per day gratuity basis), If this is incorrect, please let me know as I am curious about this.

Questions: If you bring your own bottle of wine, who gets the corkage charges? Is there a tip involved?

On another note, as I was surfing the HAL website, I found out that you can make gift purchases on line now. Below is the link and you will need to create a user account.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/shop/onboardLogin.do

[jtl513]

The service rep indicated to me that the 15% gratuity that is included in the price is distributed amongst the staff of the ship one is cruising on, whether the card is purchased from headoffice or on the ship.

Are you sure about this? If true, it's a change, because in the past the 15% has always gone to your wine steward or bartender.

These same wine cards can be purchased on the ship too. If anyone has information that is different from this, please share with us.
This may not be fleet-wide yet, but should be soon.

[Fatfish]

Hello Everyone:

I called HAL services today to inquire about these winecards. The service rep indicated to me that the 15% gratuity that is included in the price is distributed amongst the staff of the ship one is cruising on, whether the card is purchased from headoffice or on the ship. These same wine cards can be purchased on the ship too. If anyone has information that is different from this, please share with us.

In regards to tipping in general, my understanding is that tips on cruiseships are placed into a general tip pool and then distributed among eligible staff members (the exception to this are restaurant waiters, assistant waiters, and cabin stewards who are tipped on a per day gratuity basis), If this is incorrect, please let me know as I am curious about this.

Questions: If you bring your own bottle of wine, who gets the corkage charges? Is there a tip involved?

On another note, as I was surfing the HAL website, I found out that you can make gift purchases on line now. Below is the link and you will need to create a user account.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/shop/onboardLogin.do


My prior post of 12/29:

Just back from the Maasdam sailing of 12/11 and here is how the wine card worked for us and another couple.....We purchased the 20 glass wine card and when it was not in the cabin when we arrived, I called the front desk....They were not familiar with the card but said they would call the "Cellar Master" for info....Front desk called and said that yes they had us listed for the wine card and to just tell the wine steward and they would take it from there....Wine steward at dinner said yes he knew about the wine card but that the cards had not been printed and to order the glass of wine from him ( Merlot or Chardonnay) no other choices and no it was not for use anywhere else......2 days later we got the 2 wine cards (10 glasses each card). On Thursday we had a roll call in the Piano Bar and the Cellar Master, Fernando attended and the other couple who had purchased the wine card questioned him about not being able to use anywhere else but dining room and Fernando so no, we could use then anywhere on ship and he would personally make sure that the bars & lounges were aware of them...true to his word there was never a problem again; in fact he clarified that we could have any house wine not just the Merlot & Chardonny....he apoligized for the misunderstanding and even gave us & other couple ( wine card ) who we were dining with a bottle of wine....he said that these cards could ONLY be purchased from Seattle but they do sell a wine card onboard for 11 glasses of wine for dining room only use for $41 +15%....Hope this helps.

I believe the Cellar Master and the Wine Steward...not Seattle....jmo

[dippy]

Are you sure about this? If true, it's a change, because in the past the 15% has always gone to your wine steward or bartender.

No, I am NOT sure. The posts in this threat are confusing to follow. That is why I asked for clarification from anyone who may know. Simply, I want the wine stewart (or the ship's tip pool, whatever is the ship's tipping policy) to receive the tip. Should I purchase the wine card on the ship?????

[diann744]

The wine card is a new offering and not everyone is with the program yet. I just got off the Zaandam on Thursday and the servers and bar staff knew nothing about it. The front desk confirmed that they'd heard of it but "Seattle hasn't sent us any." We were told that one woman on the previous cruise had gotten a hold of one, and they honored it, but it didn't sound like they knew what to do with them.

[alfiemom]

So...can it be purchased on board or must it be done via
Ship Services?

[alfiemom]

So...can it be purchased on board or must it be done via
Ship Services?

[jtl513]

Depends on the ship. They will be available on-board fleet-wide "soon", but may not be yet. Safer to order through ship services.

[alfiemom]

The more I think about it, the more I think I want to order a bottle of wine and drink it slowly. It's only me...DH sips from my glass. I'm fussy about the dryness of the wine, so I guess I'll order by the bottle.

Thanks for all the info.

[alfiemom]

The more I think about it, the more I think I want to order a bottle of wine and drink it slowly. It's only me...DH sips from my glass. I'm fussy about the dryness of the wine, so I guess I'll order by the bottle.

Thanks for all the info.

[GeriatricNurse]

So...can it be purchased on board or must it be done via
Ship Services?


:) As at January 12, 2007, according to an e-mail that I received from Jenni Valle, Ship Services Coordinator, ms Rotterdam, wine cards may be purchased on board at the front desk or they may be ordered in advance.

[mariner]

There appears to be a big misunderstanding regarding the bar tips.

The bartender/server does not get the full 15%.

Bartenders get roughly 14.6 percent.

Wine stewards get 9 percent! It's become one of the hardest positions to fill for that reason.

As for the cards (be they soda/wine), the crew doesn't get a dime.

[GeriatricNurse]

I spoke with the Beverage Manager when people started asking me about these Wine Cards while doing a "Live From" report on Noordam. He told me they will not be Fleetwide until January due to some logistic issues. When they are available they will have two kinds; Domestic and Premium Wine Cards. No price was specified; with regards to Signature Cocktails, there is a booklet on each bar listing what these drinks are. I did not copy or memorize this list. He stated all beverage cards will be available for purchase on board. One other thing that falls along these lines and that deals with wine you bring aboard. As it turns out, if it is a wine that is carried on board (in our case, Berringer White Zifindel) there is NO "Corking Fee" for bringing it to the dining room. We actually did this when my brother, who brought some on board to have in the room, asked about bringing some to the dining room. He was NOT charged $15 like I thought he would be and they even kept the rest chilled for the next meal. Learn something new every day :D


:) I have just received an e-mail from HAL that there IS a corkage fee of $15 in the dining room for any wine & champagne that is brought onboard!

It would appear that the rule was not being followed in this case!

[GeriatricNurse]

There appears to be a big misunderstanding regarding the bar tips.

The bartender/server does not get the full 15%.

Bartenders get roughly 14.6 percent.

Wine stewards get 9 percent! It's become one of the hardest positions to fill for that reason.

As for the cards (be they soda/wine), the crew doesn't get a dime.


:) So who receives the 15% added charge when one purchases the wine cards onboard; the staff @ the Front Desk? Hardly seems fair to me! All the more reason to tip the wine steward in the dining room when using the wine cards! For me, I would do it at the completion of the cruise at the last dinner.