House Pouring Wine Card

[Random00]

I was wondering if the house wine that you purchase with a punch card is drinkable?

[jtl513]

I was wondering if the house wine that you purchase with a punch card is drinkable?DW and I both like the Pinot Grigio, and the Chardonnay isn't bad. DW had some good Merlot one night, and a couple of nights later some not-so-good Merlot. She tried the White Zin one night and it was okay. Before you buy the card, buy just a single glass of something as a test.

Also, before you buy a card, check your room Bible and see if someone left a partially used one there for you! :D

[Random00]

DW and I both like the Pinot Grigio, and the Chardonnay isn't bad. DW had some good Merlot one night, and a couple of nights later some not-so-good Merlot. She tried the White Zin one night and it was okay. Before you buy the card, buy just a single glass of something as a test.

Also, before you buy a card, check your room Bible and see if someone left a partially used one there for you! :D


Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will try one before I buy a card. The Bible?... never heard of that before...should I get down on my knees and pray before I look?

[mr green]

Seeing that you ride B.C. Ferries, you should be able to drink any sort of wine that HAL serves!:rolleyes:

john

[Willsot]

We purchased a 20-pour wine card before our cruise on the Westerdam last week and it was a bargain at $3.88/glass. Had merlot the first night, cabs the rest of the dinners. We thought the wine was comparable to the mostly mediocre bottles we have purchased for far more on previous sailings.

[Lesuan]

Hi there: So is this wine card something you have to purchase BEFORE you board? First time on HAL, so it is all new to us. We used to live on the Sunshine Coast of B.C., too, and laughed at the idea that B.C.Ferries would serve any wine at all on that route!

[Random00]

Thanks everyone ... I believe you can purchase them from your waiter.. is that correct?

BC Ferries and wine... not sure about promoting drinking and driving!

[catburt]

We bought it last year on the Noordam and found the red to be, hummmmm, questionable.

My advice stick to the sparkling wine/champagne : ) It is pretty good, not too sweet or too dry and you always get a full glass!

[PattiG]

Returned on 3/8 from a cruise on the Noordam. We purchased the wine card from the wine steward at dinner and had the cabernet each night. It was very drinkable and a good bargain. It was very comparable to the bottle of cab we bought when the wine card maxed out. While we are not wine connisseurs, we found it to be very acceptable.

[Sundagger]

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will try one before I buy a card. The Bible?... never heard of that before...should I get down on my knees and pray before I look?

Yes, in the Bible. In January, I bought a wine card but was quite unimpressed with the wines I tried, so I left my card with two punches left in the Bible - cabin 5180 on the Oosterdam (in case its still there).

The wine cards can be purchased from your wine steward at dinner - possibly from a bartender also. I don't think the wine stewards like the cards, so they seem to be scarce when you're looking for one.

Next cruise I'm going to carry on enough wine to have in the cabin and to take to dinner (and the corkage fee is fine with me). This time I had only taken enough for cabin use and didn't want to pay HAL prices for their bottles of wine at dinner.

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

ok, is it a literal bible, or the cruise infomation book w/ menu and numbers to spa, house keeping..etc...?

[jtl513]

You can buy the wine card on-line from the HAL site, any bar, your dining room wine steward, or (usually) in the terminal waiting room. The price is the same everwhere and includes the 15% service charge. Except: if you buy it in terminal or before you're 3 miles out to sea you may have to pay a state sales tax. The 15% service charge goes into a pool for the bar staff (different from the Hotel Service Charge pool) so you're not stiffing anyone no matter where you buy it. However, I prefer to buy it from my wine steward/ess at dinner on the first night because s/he will be serving my wine most often.
ok, is it a literal bible, or the cruise infomation book w/ menu and numbers to spa, house keeping..etc...?It's the literal Bible, in the nightstand drawer. Many people leave partial wine, soda, and coffee cards there if they don't think they'll be using them themselves on another cruise soon.

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

It's the literal Bible, in the nightstand drawer. Many people leave partial wine, soda, and coffee cards there if they don't think they'll be using them themselves on another cruise soon.


ok, I will make a note to flip through it then.

[msmarvel]

I bought the wine card on the Zuiderdam last November. The wine was certainly drinkable;) if not the best stuff I've ever tasted. The whites were fine for sipping while at the bar before dinner. I think I had the Merlot more than the Cab, and it was okay with dinner.

As one poster said, $3.88 a glass is quite a bargain.

[jtl513]

As one poster said, $3.88 a glass is quite a bargain.A savings of roughly $1.50 vs by-the-glass.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

As others have mentioned the Pinot Grigio is very good, most of the time it is Ecco Domaine. I personally think that the 20 punch wine card is definitely the best value of any of the "cards" HAL sells:)

[clearlakecruisers]

As a wine drinker and a first time HAL cruiser, I have a question. Can the wine card be used by both me and my husband or is it only for the individual purchaser?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

As a wine drinker and a first time HAL cruiser, I have a question. Can the wine card be used by both me and my husband or is it only for the individual purchaser?
Yes, the card can be shared. Because it is based by each punch not unlimited.:)

[VTcruisenut]

We bought the wine card for my DH and myself for the Veendam on 3/9. The wine was great! I enjoyed it. The only problem we had was that the wine stewards were in very short supply on that cruise. We always had to go find them or flag them down. Luckily, a couple at our table had purchased bottles after the second night, so the steward showed up early. It does seem like they cut back on the number of wine stewards though. Enjoy!

[Random00]

Thanks everyone, it seems like the consensus is that the card is a good value.