New beverage cards just posted

[boards]

We have purchased the 20 drink wine card. They had changed it on our itinerary to a drink card, but changed it back. We have contacted Hal, will just wait still we get on the ship (Noordam) next to find out what is going to happen. I will let you know next week what happens, although since we were upgraded to a Suite yesterday, I am not sure we will really care any more about a wine card when we see the cabin.

[IslandWeasel]

When I bought a $100 card (for $90) I was told by the barman that any balance on it at the end of the cruise would automatically be credited to my on-board account. Front Desk confirmed this.

 

I spent $77 and the receipt showed a balance of $23. Yet the amount credited was only $13.

 

You have to use the whole of the card to actually get your $10 discount.

 

Do NOT leave a balance on your card or you will effectively end up paying $100 for it rather than $90.

 

I have pointed this out to HAL, but have yet to receive a reply.

[NoWhiners]

I think I will miss the wine cards but this transition has taken a long time and I am glad that it is done - the threat of change has been around for at least a year. That being said- I love the fact that HAL does not care what you bring aboard - am doing cruises on other cruise lines this next year and hear horror stories of how they take any liquids from you - 2 bottle of wine( only) per cabin regardless of how short or long it is. They talk how they smell your water bottles and make you open things to prove they are not alcohol- gotta tell you - just listening to the stories makes me appreciate HAL. I remember my first cruise watching the wine arrive at the docks by the case followed by cases of soda and water all with luggage tags - what a great idea and now I am one of them!!!!.

I am only saying that you have choices with HAL and IMO - they are generous choices. Last TA we brought 2 cases of wine 2 cases of soda and a couple bottles of liquor and at the end of 28 days - it was gone as well as the wine cards we bought and we had a wonderful time. For our cruise this spring, We will probably have one drink card just for convenience and when we run out of wine we will go see No Whiners since it appears she is coming prepared!:D ( he he he ) and I know where you are staying !!!!!

I always like to have a backup:D

Linda - BTW - thanks for letting us know about the change.

 

bc

 

well said, glad I checked this out after reading your other post!! I'll have a glass standing by for you (and will see you on the wine crawl);)

 

silver sailor gave the right explanation--they sold a product, now won't honor it. And the analogy about cabin price was a good one. By going along with this without any comment, all we do is encourage HAL to make and change the rules on a whim. That's fine with me but in the long run it will hurt their brand and that seems short-sighted. It can't be a one-way street; both sides need to know what to expect.

 

Has nothing to do with their policies about allowing us to bring wine onboard. that is a generous policy and I think an example of good business sense--they still sell plenty of wine/beer/liquor to people who bring wine onboard. makes me wonder even more why they screwed the old/new card transition up so badly. a lot like NPR firing Juan Williams--might be justified but handled very badly!!

 

ML

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Ryndam is using the new Beverage cards. We like them.

In 2 weeks we bought and used 5 of the $100 cards. You can even use them to buy bottles of wine -- which we did a couple of times.

You can use them up pretty quickly. For example we each get a Grey Goose which costs $6.95 each + 15% gratuity -- all that comes right off the card.

The only thing you can not use the cards for is the Happy Hour specials.

[Linda&Vern]

The Ryndam is using the new Beverage cards. We like them. In 2 weeks we bought and used 5 of the $100 cards. You can even use them to buy bottles of wine -- which we did a couple of times.

I didn't realize that. That seems like a nice perk - essentially buying the bottles at 10% discount :D.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I hope that they allow buying bottles of wine with the Beverage cards on the other ships as well.

You can bet that we will be buying more of the cards on our next cruises.

[darienill]

Laminator

 

How much did you pay for the upsell?

[debsjc]

We used the new soda card on the Eurodam a couple of weeks ago.

 

It was good value, but we did have a couple of problems.

Twice the bar staff said their machine wasn't working so they couldn't accept the card, and we would have to pay for the sodas separately. As we were going to struggle to use the entire value of the card anyway, I did not want to do that. Plus it isn't really the customers problem if their system is down.

 

In the end, after I mentioned talking to the Neptune Lounge about the problem, they suddenly accepted the soda card.

[darienill]

I hope that they allow buying bottles of wine with the Beverage cards on the other ships as well.

 

You can bet that we will be buying more of the cards on our next cruises.

 

I think if you buy the wine packages you also save 10%. Either way works.

[kazu]

hi everyone,

 

Just off the nieuw amsterdam and we had ordered wine and cocktail cards.

 

I had called HAL and was told that i would get an obc.

 

I don't know if HAL reads cruise critic but low and behold when we got onboard, we had our wine cards and our cocktail cards as did our friends. so i don't know if it depends upon the ship, the inventory or whatever.

 

We had no problem using our cards whatsoever. don't know how consistent this will be but I thought i would share. We were very happy when we got on board.:p

[canadarocks]

hi everyone,

 

Just off the nieuw amsterdam and we had ordered wine and cocktail cards.

 

I had called HAL and was told that i would get an obc.

 

I don't know if HAL reads cruise critic but low and behold when we got onboard, we had our wine cards and our cocktail cards as did our friends. so i don't know if it depends upon the ship, the inventory or whatever.

 

We had no problem using our cards whatsoever. don't know how consistent this will be but I thought i would share. We were very happy when we got on board.:p

 

Thank you so much for posting! :) It must have been a very pleasant surprise for you and I'm glad HAL followed through with what they had promised you.

[bonnys]

I got to page 10 of this post and my mind is on overload searching for one thing. In the past we have only sailed on CCL and have always purchased DD a soda card/sticker because she loves Shirley Temples and they were covered/considered as a soda. How does HAL do them?

[Bill B]

For a Shirley Temple, either: a Beverage Card or a Non-alcoholic Beverage card. A Soda Card is only good for sodas.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I think if you buy the wine packages you also save 10%. Either way works.

 

We are not big wine drinkers -- thus buying a wine package is just not for us. In 2 weeks we only bought 2 bottles of wine.

[IslandWeasel]

I told HAL of the "no 10% unless you use all the card" problem and, although they have replied twice, they don't seem to get it - or they are just pretending not to

 

As I told them, I personally did not lose out as I use both of my cards up completely, so I am not looking for any compensation or anything, I am just trying to get them to tell passengers the truth.

 

Their staff (bar and Front Desk) are telling passengers that they get 10% off all drinks if they buy the card, but this is only true if you use the whole card.

 

How hard is it to tell passengers that up front?

[canadarocks]

I told HAL of the "no 10% unless you use all the card" problem and, although they have replied twice, they don't seem to get it - or they are just pretending not to

 

As I told them, I personally did not lose out as I use both of my cards up completely, so I am not looking for any compensation or anything, I am just trying to get them to tell passengers the truth.

 

Their staff (bar and Front Desk) are telling passengers that they get 10% off all drinks if they buy the card, but this is only true if you use the whole card.

 

How hard is it to tell passengers that up front?

 

I believe the rationale that they are using is this: if they did as you suggest and refunded the remaining balance.... people could conceivably spend the $90, not use the card at all, and expect to receive a $100 credit. Thus costing HAL $10 per card. I'm sure they could figure out a way for this not to happen, but I could certainly see someone using this method to their advantage! ;)

[Bill B]

I don't see a "problem" (and I'm sure HAL doesn't either). How the card 'works' should be self-evident.

[Bill B]

...but I could certainly see someone using this method to their advantage! ;)

LOL... If they gave refunds for the 'face value' of the cards, I'd be cruising for free!

[RuthC]

I believe the rationale that they are using is this: if they did as you suggest and refunded the remaining balance.... people could conceivably spend the $90, not use the card at all, and expect to receive a $100 credit. Thus costing HAL $10 per card. I'm sure they could figure out a way for this not to happen, but I could certainly see someone using this method to their advantage! ;)

Better payoff than the Stock Market. Take a cruise. Buy $100,000 worth of beverage cards for $90,000. Don't use them, and get back full face value.

Yup. I'd do it. Every week! :D

[KirkNC]

I am with you RuthC, we could live on the ship with that deal. I don't see the problem, we used every penny on our cards.

 

Kirk