Signature Beverage Package

[Alberta Quilter]

The HAL website also mentions beverage cards for $50, $100 and $250. Does anyone know how these work? In the past I have purchased a 10 or 20 glass wine card but apparently they are no longer available. The "up to 15 drinks per day" option is too much for me.

 

Those beverage cards work like a gift card. The price of your drink (plus 15%) is deducted from the card balance. You will be given a receipt which will show the balance remaining on the card. You can throw it away when you get the next receipt with an updated balance. The advantages to pre ordering the beverage card is that it will have your name on it which makes it easier for both the server and you to ensure you get YOUR card back.

 

Since there is no discount with the beverage card, the only advantages that it has over using your room card is the fact that you can toss the receipts and it makes it easier to check your shipboard account because there are fewer pages to review.

[2ptu/000]

We have a cruise booked the includes the Explore 4 package. My husband drinks one drink a day before dinner. He likes a Bourbon Manhattan made with Makers Mark. I see the Maker's Mark is about the $7. limit but Jack Daniels isn't. He might be happy with that. Has anyone ordered a Manhattan without the whiskey and then ordered a shot of Bourbon 5 minutes later and combined the two to make a premium drink?

[POA1]

We have a cruise booked the includes the Explore 4 package. My husband drinks one drink a day before dinner. He likes a Bourbon Manhattan made with Makers Mark. I see the Maker's Mark is about the $7. limit but Jack Daniels isn't. He might be happy with that. Has anyone ordered a Manhattan without the whiskey and then ordered a shot of Bourbon 5 minutes later and combined the two to make a premium drink?

If I understand you correctly, you are thinking about ordering a vermouth & bitters first, and then getting a Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, or Wild Turkey 'up' and combining the two? That should be possible, although I would look at the Manhattan on the drink menu first. It's covered by the SBP. I'm not sure what the Bourbon is though. It might be something acceptable. Or it might be "My Old Kentucky Landfill." I'm not sure.

 

If it were me, I'd grab a seat at the bar and explain my dilemma to the bartender in a friendly manner. It might be possible to get something close to what you want as a single. SBP-eligible drink. (You won't get Maker's though, since it's over $7 all by its lonesome.)

[2ptu/000]

Good advice, as usual, POA1. I'll talk to the bartender and see what we can work out. Cruise isn't until Feb. but I'll report what happens.

[POA1]

Good advice, as usual, POA1. I'll talk to the bartender and see what we can work out. Cruise isn't until Feb. but I'll report what happens.

We cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in early December, so I will see what I can find out about the Manhattans and let you know. We're not getting the Signature Beverage Package this time, but the odds of us being in a bar long enough to ask questions is pretty good. :D

[2ptu/000]

Thanks POA1. More research material for you.

[seascott01]

I just spoke to my Holland America agent, and asked about the Signature beverage package since I got it on promo for the Explore 4 promotion. She said there is no requirement that others in the room purchase the package - it is only credited to person 1 & 2 in the room. The others purchase beverages as they wish - individually or on their own package (we have 3 adults & 1 minor in our room).

She also said it includes ANY beverage at $7 or below. She specifically said "if you purchase an $8 beverage, you will be charged $8, not just the difference! It must be $7 or less.

Limit is $50 per person, per day - it can be all coffee, or all water, or all beer - makes no difference.

I hope that helps :)

 

Well online it looks like I can purchase just the Signature package myself since it just asked for which guest (me or my wife) to purchase it for. Now in reality since we are going on the Alaskan cruise, and three of the seven days we are not on the ship for hours at a time I am actually wondering if just the regular beverage cards are a better deal. The break even point for the Signature bev package for a seven day cruise is 7 seven dollar drinks per day or approx 14 water/sodas per day. Well if I am off the ship 3 of the 7 days then I just dont see it being value added.

[POA1]

Thanks POA1. More research material for you.

Calling it "The Manhattan Project" sort of seems like a natural fit. :)

[POA1]

Well online it looks like I can purchase just the Signature package myself since it just asked for which guest (me or my wife) to purchase it for. Now in reality since we are going on the Alaskan cruise, and three of the seven days we are not on the ship for hours at a time I am actually wondering if just the regular beverage cards are a better deal. The break even point for the Signature bev package for a seven day cruise is 7 seven dollar drinks per day or approx 14 water/sodas per day. Well if I am off the ship 3 of the 7 days then I just dont see it being value added.

Your break even is about 7 cocktails (@ $6.95 or so), 9 glasses of wine, or 10-11 beers if you are buying the package. Water & specialty coffee will help you reach the point where the package makes sense, but it's a tough call for a port intensive itinerary.

[2ptu/000]

Calling it "The Manhattan Project" sort of seems like a natural fit. :)

Love it!

[earljr]

calling it "the manhattan project" sort of seems like a natural fit. :)

 

:):):):)

Edited September 13, 2014 by earljr

[maebee]

Hi All, thanks for all the great posts on this topic, which have been very helpful to me in deciding whether or not to purchase the drinks package. It looks like good value if you drink more than 7 drinks a day (no problem to this Irish gal :)) and less than 15 (will never hit that) so I think we'll go for it. We have an on board credit of $200, which would be coming of our drinks bill if we didn't buy the package. If we buy the package, what can we use the $200 for?

[2ptu/000]

Don't worry, you can put that that $200. toward gratuities.

[Alberta Quilter]

Hi All, thanks for all the great posts on this topic, which have been very helpful to me in deciding whether or not to purchase the drinks package. It looks like good value if you drink more than 7 drinks a day (no problem to this Irish gal :)) and less than 15 (will never hit that) so I think we'll go for it. We have an on board credit of $200, which would be coming of our drinks bill if we didn't buy the package. If we buy the package, what can we use the $200 for?

 

Laundry package, internet, shopping, spa treatments/packages, bingo, win a cruise lottery, shore excursions, hotel service charge ($11.50 or $12/day/person depending on your stateroom category), etc. There are tons of things you can use it on. Enjoy your cruise!

[maebee]

Don't worry, you can put that that $200. toward gratuities.

 

That's great thanks. I'd forgotten about the gratuities :)

[maebee]

Laundry package, internet, shopping, spa treatments/packages, bingo, win a cruise lottery, shore excursions, hotel service charge ($11.50 or $12/day/person depending on your stateroom category), etc. There are tons of things you can use it on. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thanks Alberta, shore excursion already booked. Will use it to pay the gratuities and the leftovers will go on the bingo :)

[petern6827]

Hi,

 

We enjoyed having the SBP.

 

* Lattes or Cappuccinos in the AM, afternoon or dinner: no cost.

 

* Most makes (up to Grey Goose in vodka) under $7.

 

* If you want something that is over $7, order 2 drinks and combine them. Example: I enjoy Rusty Nails (scotch + Drambuie...$12+ on the drink list). So I would order a Chivas Regal or Johnny Walker Black on the rocks (both under $7)...and a Drambuie neat (under $7), then combine them, sit back in the Crow's Nest and relax. (If you slip your favorite server a $ once in a while, they'll do it for you.)

 

* The ONLY downside of the SBP is that there are limited wines under $7. It wasn't a problem for me (the Cabernet was fine) but Sandy was only ~ 90% happy with the options.

[maebee]

Hi,

 

We enjoyed having the SBP.

 

* Lattes or Cappuccinos in the AM, afternoon or dinner: no cost.

 

* Most makes (up to Grey Goose in vodka) under $7.

 

* If you want something that is over $7, order 2 drinks and combine them. Example: I enjoy Rusty Nails (scotch + Drambuie...$12+ on the drink list). So I would order a Chivas Regal or Johnny Walker Black on the rocks (both under $7)...and a Drambuie neat (under $7), then combine them, sit back in the Crow's Nest and relax. (If you slip your favorite server a $ once in a while, they'll do it for you.)

 

* The ONLY downside of the SBP is that there are limited wines under $7. It wasn't a problem for me (the Cabernet was fine) but Sandy was only ~ 90% happy with the options.

 

Thanks for this Peter. I'm not a wine drinker and hubby would only have one glass with dinner. Hopefully he'll find something under $7. Our preference would be a cocktail or 2 in the afternoon at the pool :) and beers at night time, finishing up with a vodka for me and a whiskey for hubby (booking into the Betty Ford Clinic when we come back :))

 

Love the sound of your Rusty Nail. Will give that a try :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hi,

 

We enjoyed having the SBP.

 

* Lattes or Cappuccinos in the AM, afternoon or dinner: no cost.

 

* Most makes (up to Grey Goose in vodka) under $7.

 

* If you want something that is over $7, order 2 drinks and combine them. Example: I enjoy Rusty Nails (scotch + Drambuie...$12+ on the drink list). So I would order a Chivas Regal or Johnny Walker Black on the rocks (both under $7)...and a Drambuie neat (under $7), then combine them, sit back in the Crow's Nest and relax. (If you slip your favorite server a $ once in a while, they'll do it for you.)

 

* The ONLY downside of the SBP is that there are limited wines under $7. It wasn't a problem for me (the Cabernet was fine) but Sandy was only ~ 90% happy with the options.

 

 

So how much did you have to slip the bar tender to get 3 different drinks on the SBC at one time when the limit is "one drink every five minutes"?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for this Peter. I'm not a wine drinker and hubby would only have one glass with dinner. Hopefully he'll find something under $7. Our preference would be a cocktail or 2 in the afternoon at the pool :) and beers at night time, finishing up with a vodka for me and a whiskey for hubby (booking into the Betty Ford Clinic when we come back :))

 

Love the sound of your Rusty Nail. Will give that a try :)

 

 

With the signature beverage card covers only the house wine which is Santa Carolina.

[maebee]

So how much did you have to slip the bar tender to get 3 different drinks on the SBC at one time when the limit is "one drink every five minutes"?

 

I think he said 2 drinks. The "one drink every five minutes" is a bit of a joke. Hubby & I will always be together. Do we have to order our drinks separately? Can hubby (or I) not order 2 beers on one card?

[cayman09]

Just off the Veendam and got two drinks at a time on one card for DW and me, every time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I think he said 2 drinks. The "one drink every five minutes" is a bit of a joke. Hubby & I will always be together. Do we have to order our drinks separately? Can hubby (or I) not order 2 beers on one card?

 

HAL's rule is that everyone in the cabin over the age of 21 must purchase the Signature Beverage Card and each card must be presented to buy a drink. No sharing of cards.

Now if you have the regular Beverage Cards -- only one is needed and you can order as many drinks as you want at a time -- no limits -- on the one card.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just off the Veendam and got two drinks at a time on one card for DW and me, every time.

 

 

Which type of card??

[maebee]

Just off the Veendam and got two drinks at a time on one card for DW and me, every time.

 

Great. Thanks.