Signature Beverage Package

[cscjspj]

We are looking at booking a HAL cruise for the first time and are wanting info on their wine packages. We get all inclusives on Costa and MSC because they are only €20 per day p/p. But $50 seems excesive. What about wine and bottled water and cocktails. I'm botherred that you can't get to their flight booking facility until you actually book the cruise. It's a 32 day cruise so want info on laundry etc...

[chrismch]

For those who have used the promo signature beverage package, do I understand correctly from an earlier post that each time I use the card I will be charged a 15% gratuity no matter if the beverage is alcoholic or not?

[RuthC]

For those who have used the promo signature beverage package, do I understand correctly from an earlier post that each time I use the card I will be charged a 15% gratuity no matter if the beverage is alcoholic or not?

Yes. This is no different than if you were using your cabin card to purchase the beverage. If there is a cost attached to the beverage, there is a service charge attached to it, too.

[POA1]

For those who have used the promo signature beverage package, do I understand correctly from an earlier post that each time I use the card I will be charged a 15% gratuity no matter if the beverage is alcoholic or not?

 

If it's a fixed dollar value card, say $50, a 15% gratuity will be deducted from your balance in addition to the cost of the drink. In other words, let's say you buy a drink of the day and it's $6.95. Your $50 card's balance will be decreased by $6.95 for the drink and $1.04 for the service charge, making it a $7.99 drink.

 

On the other hand, if you have the 15 drinks per day version of the promo, you are simply charged for one drink. The service charge is included in the 15 drinks per day version.

 

Hope that helps!

[VioletHorse]

There's a five minute limit between drinks that is enforced by the point of sale system computers. Technically, the answer is no. However, if a server inputs the two drinks into the system 5 minutes apart, it can be done.

 

Be good to your servers and they will be good to you. :cool:

 

Just remember that getting doubles will turn your SBP into a 7 (stiff) drinks a day package. I'm assuming that you are going to use that last drink to get a bottle of water or a coffee.

 

On our recent Volendam cruise, it wasn't a 5 minute rule that was being enforced - it was a "you must finish your current drink before we serve you another". Bartenders and servers were quite astute in following the rule as they would not approach you for another drink until they could see that your current drink was finished. They would not pour doubles either.

 

One day DH and I were at the Seaview Bar, and saw a woman bring a glass of Coke (plain, nothing added she claimed) served at the Lido Bar. She asked the bartender at the Seaview Bar to add a shot of Amaretto, and he refused, telling her that she had to finish her drink before he could serve her another. She was furious, and from her demeanor I'd guess that her drink already had alcohol in it and that she wanted to double it up.

[POA1]

On our recent Volendam cruise, it wasn't a 5 minute rule that was being enforced - it was a "you must finish your current drink before we serve you another". Bartenders and servers were quite astute in following the rule as they would not approach you for another drink until they could see that your current drink was finished. They would not pour doubles either.

 

One day DH and I were at the Seaview Bar, and saw a woman bring a glass of Coke (plain, nothing added she claimed) served at the Lido Bar. She asked the bartender at the Seaview Bar to add a shot of Amaretto, and he refused, telling her that she had to finish her drink before he could serve her another. She was furious, and from her demeanor I'd guess that her drink already had alcohol in it and that she wanted to double it up.

 

Good to know. We had the 5 minute rule on the Noordam in March. There was one bartender who insisted that you had to finish a drink before you could get another, but only one. He was assigned to the casino bar/sports bar.

[clogaltocruise]

We have the Signature Beverage card for our upcoming cruise. I appreciate the details. It helps to understand it more clearly.

[luvs2travl]

We are just off the two week Alaskan cruise on the Amsterdam, and were given the Signature Drink Cards as perks by our TA. These cards were great. You can buy up to 15 drinks per person per day, alcoholic or or non alcoholic, as long as each drink is $7 or less. My husband used his for all specialty coffees in the Explorations Cafe, both with liquor and without, and also for capucchino in the main dining room. We used them in all the lounges, as well as to purchase drinks in the Queens Theater before the evening shows.

 

They will NOT be good to purchase premium liquors such as a Grey Goose Martini, ($9.95), but it did buy my husband a shot of Jack Daniels on the rocks, @$6.95 . It cannot be used for the mini-bar purchases in your room. We found these cards to be an exceptional value, and plan to purchase them in the future if we don't receive them as perks again. Many thanks to our great TA for these cards, as well as for all the other invaluable services she provides.

 

Smooth Sailing!:)

[AlohaPride]

I can't wait to get a Wang Wang 1 month from today!

[kittercat85]

Thanks for the quick reply on the coffee question.

 

Another question for you knowledgeable folks - the $25 soda card you can purchase (that gives you $50 in soda) - I was reading old posts that said you can share this card, does that still apply? Thanks :)

[POA1]

We are just off the two week Alaskan cruise on the Amsterdam, and were given the Signature Drink Cards as perks by our TA. These cards were great. You can buy up to 15 drinks per person per day, alcoholic or or non alcoholic, as long as each drink is $7 or less. My husband used his for all specialty coffees in the Explorations Cafe, both with liquor and without, and also for capucchino in the main dining room. We used them in all the lounges, as well as to purchase drinks in the Queens Theater before the evening shows.

 

They will NOT be good to purchase premium liquors such as a Grey Goose Martini, ($9.95), but it did buy my husband a shot of Jack Daniels on the rocks, @$6.95 . It cannot be used for the mini-bar purchases in your room. We found these cards to be an exceptional value, and plan to purchase them in the future if we don't receive them as perks again. Many thanks to our great TA for these cards, as well as for all the other invaluable services she provides.

 

Smooth Sailing!:)

They must have really jacked up the price of Grey Goose. It was $6.95 on the Noordam in March. :eek:

 

EDITED: I just realized that you are talking about a Goose Martini.

Edited July 24, 2014 by POA1

[RuthC]

Another question for you knowledgeable folks - the $25 soda card you can purchase (that gives you $50 in soda) - I was reading old posts that said you can share this card, does that still apply?

Yes. That's because once the card is used up, it has no value. You are free to use your card to by a round (of soda) for the house.

[Linda&Vern]

Thanks for the quick reply on the coffee question.

 

Another question for you knowledgeable folks - the $25 soda card you can purchase (that gives you $50 in soda) - I was reading old posts that said you can share this card, does that still apply? Thanks :)

Yes - you can buy anyone you want a fountain soda until you have used up the $50. Think of it as a gift card. (In the olden days there was an unlimited soda card. Those went away because too many people were sharing the card. :( )

[from holland]

You can get the house sparkling wine on the Signature Beverage Package, but not actual Champagne. The house bubbly is from France, but it's a Charmat process Cremant, not a Champagne. The Champagnes by the glass are all priced above the $7 cut off.

 

Last August on the Rotterdam I did order the real champagne ( saw the bottle it wasn't the cremant or prosecco) every day. It was 7$ a glass.

[POA1]

Last August on the Rotterdam I did order the real champagne ( saw the bottle it wasn't the cremant or prosecco) every day. It was 7$ a glass.

Interesting. Thanks!

[luvs2travl]

They must have really jacked up the price of Grey Goose. It was $6.95 on the Noordam in March. :eek:

 

EDITED: I just realized that you are talking about a Goose Martini.

 

Right. A shot of Grey Goose on the rocks is $6.95, just like the Jack Daniels. I ordered a Grey Goose Martini and it was $9.95. I began ordering just the house vodka martini before dinner and it was $6.95.

 

The card was also good for the "drink of the day" which was usually $5.95 or $6.95, as well as after dinner liqueurs such as Drambuie or Sherry. There was no way we even came close to using the 15 drink per day per person, but we sure did notice a sizeable savings on our final bill from having this card!

[Salsa49]

Right. A shot of Grey Goose on the rocks is $6.95, just like the Jack Daniels. I ordered a Grey Goose Martini and it was $9.95. I began ordering just the house vodka martini before dinner and it was $6.95.

 

How many ounces were in the Grey Goose martini?

Thanks.

[tandemcruzr]

If I/we buy the Signature card, can we use the Sail and Sign card for sodas, coffees and water?

[POA1]

If I/we buy the Signature card, can we use the Sail and Sign card for sodas, coffees and water?

Yes, but your Signature Beverage Card is valid for those as well.

[emjayel56]

I agree!

hi all, so I am sailing on the Eurodam in November on a theme cruise. I am a single traveler traveling with a friend. We will each be paying our own costs. I drink, my friend does not. Are you saying that I cannot buy the signature package unless my friend does? Do you think if there are two credit cards on file they will make an exception? thanks for your input. Maryjo

[POA1]

hi all, so I am sailing on the Eurodam in November on a theme cruise. I am a single traveler traveling with a friend. We will each be paying our own costs. I drink, my friend does not. Are you saying that I cannot buy the signature package unless my friend does? Do you think if there are two credit cards on file they will make an exception? thanks for your input. Maryjo

The terms and conditions for the SBP say that all adults have to buy the cards if one does. You can try calling, but I don't know if you will have success. If you call, please post the answer either way, because you're not the only one who will have that question.

[Vineyard View]

I just went on HAL's website using their 'live chat' option. I did confirm that there is only the one signature beverage package - 15 drinks of any kind up to $7 each. No $50 max. I took a picture with my phone of the dialogue and emailed it to myself. Thank you all for your assistance.

 

We did look at another cruise, and we were told that if one adult in the cabin buys a sbp, that the other has to as well.....

[POA1]

Thanks for the update Vineyard View. :)

[eurorivers2]

We went on a 7 day cruise on celebrity century to Alaska in 2012.

We got the premium drink package, and it was great.

Black label johny walker, Rum, Gin, Brandy,and all types of coffee.

Our favourite waiter even got me a couple of Cognac.

There was no limit to how much you drank.

We had a ball.

We are thinking about the christmas cruise on the Oosterdam, but we probably wont be buying the drink package, as the cruise goes for 28 days, and the cost will be too dear.

[AlohaPride]

We went on a 7 day cruise on celebrity century to Alaska in 2012.

We got the premium drink package, and it was great.

Black label johny walker, Rum, Gin, Brandy,and all types of coffee.

Our favourite waiter even got me a couple of Cognac.

There was no limit to how much you drank.

We had a ball.

We are thinking about the christmas cruise on the Oosterdam, but we probably wont be buying the drink package, as the cruise goes for 28 days, and the cost will be too dear.

Is that cruise part of the current Explore 4 deal? You might be able to score SBP free.