Andrae Bubbly in Suites

[Krazy Kruizers]

What do you expect for a $450 Annual fee? :)

 

Hank

 

 

Something a tad better. But we always turn it in and pay the difference for something we like.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I also remember we used to book and pay for a category "B" cabin in the days of brand new Statendam, Maasdam et al and we got a two category upgrade at the time of booking to an "S" because we used our AmEx Platinum card to book. Those happy days are Loooooong Gone!!! :D

 

 

Do you remember that? We used to choose just which "S" cabin we wanted at the time of booking but we paid predicated on "B". Sigh, those were the "good 'ole days". :)

 

And, yes,,,,,,,,, we received two much higher quality bottles of champagne/sparkling wine. I could be mistaken but seems to me we used to enjoy Mumm Champagne chilling in ice buckets when we arrived in our suites.

 

 

 

I remember those days. We just booked the S suites -- didn't worry about the 2 category upgrade.

I don't remember the name of the much better champagne that we used to get. That was in the days before I did a few reviews.

[sail7seas]

What do you expect for a $450 Annual fee? :)

 

Hank

 

 

We think the benefits are worth so much more than the $450 annual fee........ or clearly we wouldn't pay it. ;) There are many travel benefits that we have enjoyed and services for that fee.

 

If you book a Neptune Suite through AmEx or approved TA, there is automatic $200 OBC each cruise with no limit to how many cruises per year. If one cruises HAL three, four, five or more times a year, the arithmetic is easy. :) Complimentary Pinnacle Dinner; the 'plonk' champagne mentioned in this thread. We have received nice atlases and various other extras through the years.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

AMEX Plat card gives $300 per cruise for shipboard credit.

When we cruised 4 and 5 times a year -- that $300 shipboard credit more than paid for the cost of the card.

[sail7seas]

AMEX Plat card gives $300 per cruise for shipboard credit.

 

When we cruised 4 and 5 times a year -- that $300 shipboard credit more than paid for the cost of the card.

 

 

You're right.

Sorry for my typo.

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be either. :(

 

Just the OBC made it more than worth the membership fee without even considering all the other benefits.

 

 

Edited January 17, 2014 by sail7seas

[HALFans]

I've found that most 'free' wine becomes quite drinkable after a couple of martinis.

 

Absolutely! EVERYTHING tastes better after a couple of martinis... Unfortunately that applies to even more martinis. <HIC> ;)

 

We often get the 'Sail Away' package, but that's more because I like having the balloons on the door to make the stateroom easier to find (after the requisite Martinis, that is!) It's nice to know you can trade that swill in for something else! We normally end up taking it to one of the Trivia Contests to share with our trivia pals...

Edited January 17, 2014 by HALFans

[InTheWASide]

Some ships don't even give a bottle any more to the Neptune Suites. You have to stop by the Neptune Lounge and get a glass of bubbly there -- Pol Clement.

 

This is what is advertised, less the brand name, in the brochures now. Neptune Lounge Welcome Aboard Glass...

 

So now it has gotten a little cheaper and without the option of even trading it toward a bottle of something else.

 

Best value would probably be if they could trade it for a can of coke...

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Do you think you get a better sparkling wine than what many of us have reported?

 

Or was it not a sparkling wine but a real wine?

 

How was it?

It was OK for a sparkling wine but not terrific.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It was OK for a sparkling wine but not terrific.

 

Thank You

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is what is advertised, less the brand name, in the brochures now. Neptune Lounge Welcome Aboard Glass...

 

So now it has gotten a little cheaper and without the option of even trading it toward a bottle of something else.

 

Best value would probably be if they could trade it for a can of coke...[/quote]

 

 

Good One!! :D

[Typhoon1]

A few years ago, I had requested laundry package prices from HAL. They forwarded me an internal email.

 

At the bottom it said, MAXIMIZE REVENUE. That apparently is the goal for all departments.

[iancal]

Plonk is plonk, no matter how it is presented.

 

The only thing worse than plonk is cheap plonk!

 

If it retails for $ 3.99 at Total Wine, my guess is HAL paid a whopping $2.50 - $3.00 per bottle.

 

Never look a gift horse in the mouth??

 

I suspect the other mass market lines are the same....the stuff that Celebrity ladles out on embarkation is probably the of the same quality.

Edited January 18, 2014 by iancal

[sail7seas]

A few years ago, I had requested laundry package prices from HAL. They forwarded me an internal email.

 

At the bottom it said, MAXIMIZE REVENUE. That apparently is the goal for all departments.

 

 

:confused: Does that surprise us? :D

HAL is a for profit company.

[iancal]

Nothing at all wrong with that.

 

I cannot think of any company that would not urge it's employees to 'maximize revenue'

 

That is the name of the game.

[erewhon]

On our recent Amsterdam cruise, the welcome wine was Pierre La Racuse Blanc de Blanc and the water was Aqua Panani National Sparkling Water - did not know either one. Needed a church key to open the latter which was not provided.

 

That sounds like the welcome wine in our Volendam stateroom back in 2010, from the label I wrote in my diary Pierre La Rousse Blanc de Blancs Brut, beside the entry I wrote "Yuk". Had two sips of the wine and poured the remainder of the bottle down the sink.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Perhaps HAL could upgrade it to Cold Duck. :p:D

[iancal]

Certainly not if "Cold Duck' costs a few cents more per bottle.

[InTheWASide]

:confused: Does that surprise us? :D

HAL is a for profit company.

And so is its direct competition... and they give welcome aboard glasses of champagne to all guests (of age of course), have ships that are modern, update ships with the most popular features of their newer ships... not random and foreign concepts such as Mix (which I've never minded) but also things like the Retreat pool... there are quality bottles of champagne given to the folks in higher categories, they have incorporated spa accommodations that actually mean something with regard to spa access, extra amenities (high end showerheads, thermal lounge access and a specialty restaurant even) and they also in most ships and sailings command higher prices for rooms than HAL. There hasn't been a formal announcement yet but they have also cut ties with Steiner and word is Canyon Ranch is coming in to replace them fleetwide.

 

Latest move has been to lower the experience at Pinnacle Grill and yet raise the price... so even things that people are willing to spend more money on are being raised and what they expect to get isn't even being left alone.

 

In short...

 

Lower the standards and you should also lower the price.

Maintain standards and maintain the price.

Raise the standards and you should theoretically be able to keep your share of the market, bring in those from higher end and also command a higher price.

 

Some follow it through... others... maybe not so much

Edited January 18, 2014 by InTheWASide

[Krazy Kruizers]

That sounds like the welcome wine in our Volendam stateroom back in 2010, from the label I wrote in my diary Pierre La Rousse Blanc de Blancs Brut, beside the entry I wrote "Yuk". Had two sips of the wine and poured the remainder of the bottle down the sink.

 

I wish that I had remembered to have written down the names of the champagnes that we had in our cabins over the years.

[sail7seas]

And so is its direct competition... and they give welcome aboard glasses of champagne to all guests (of age of course), have ships that are modern, update ships with the most popular features of their newer ships... not random and foreign concepts such as Mix (which I've never minded) but also things like the Retreat pool... there are quality bottles of champagne given to the folks in higher categories, they have incorporated spa accommodations that actually mean something with regard to spa access, extra amenities (high end showerheads, thermal lounge access and a specialty restaurant even) and they also in most ships and sailings command higher prices for rooms than HAL. There hasn't been a formal announcement yet but they have also cut ties with Steiner and word is Canyon Ranch is coming in to replace them fleetwide.

 

Latest move has been to lower the experience at Pinnacle Grill and yet raise the price... so even things that people are willing to spend more money on are being raised and what they expect to get isn't even being left alone.

 

In short...

 

Lower the standards and you should also lower the price.

Maintain standards and maintain the price.

Raise the standards and you should theoretically be able to keep your share of the market, bring in those from higher end and also command a higher price.

 

Some follow it through... others... maybe not so much

 

 

I'll not miss Steiners.

Canyon Ranch sounds interesting.....

 

[sail7seas]

And so is its direct competition... and they give welcome aboard glasses of champagne to all guests (of age of course), have ships that are modern, update ships with the most popular features of their newer ships... not random and foreign concepts such as Mix (which I've never minded) but also things like the Retreat pool... there are quality bottles of champagne given to the folks in higher categories, they have incorporated spa accommodations that actually mean something with regard to spa access, extra amenities (high end showerheads, thermal lounge access and a specialty restaurant even) and they also in most ships and sailings command higher prices for rooms than HAL. There hasn't been a formal announcement yet but they have also cut ties with Steiner and word is Canyon Ranch is coming in to replace them fleetwide.

 

Latest move has been to lower the experience at Pinnacle Grill and yet raise the price... so even things that people are willing to spend more money on are being raised and what they expect to get isn't even being left alone.

 

In short...

 

Lower the standards and you should also lower the price.

Maintain standards and maintain the price.

Raise the standards and you should theoretically be able to keep your share of the market, bring in those from higher end and also command a higher price.

 

Some follow it through... others... maybe not so much

 

 

IMO, it is up to each of us to decide whether we are getting value for our vacation dollar. If a product is not providing quality one requires for what they are spending, they have the choice to no longer do business with that company. As a product degrades, I am sure they notice the loss of some customers. Some will migrate to cruise lines that are maintaining a standard, some will do more land vacations, some will stop traveling.

 

Choices are wonderful. Each of knows what we need to keep us happy. A quality welcome abord bottle of bubbly is very, very, very low on my list of necessities. Other amenities have a much higher priority for DH and me.

Not to say we don't enjoy a good wine as we most certainly do. :)

[SeaBands]

I wouldn't use that for cooking or anything else. The other brand isn't bad with OJ.

[iancal]

We do not really care about free bottles of plonk, hosted bars for frequent cruisers, or any of the other items.

 

We only care about the bottom line price for the cabin category that we have selected.

 

On one cruise line, we get a glass of 'champagne' as we get on the ship. I would rather have my fare reduced by a dollar because we never bother with the stuff. Same for some of the other valueless trinkets and trash that many of the cruise lines provide.

 

We are happy to order, and pay for the wine of our choice. Having said that, we have been amazed at how many people seem to clamor for this plonk because it is free during hosted events. I would sooner have a Coke.

Edited January 18, 2014 by iancal

[Krazy Kruizers]

We do not really care about free bottles of plonk, hosted bars for frequent cruisers, or any of the other items.

 

We only care about the bottom line price for the cabin category that we have selected.

 

On one cruise line, we get a glass of 'champagne' as we get on the ship. I would rather have my fare reduced by a dollar because we never bother with the stuff. Same for some of the other valueless trinkets and trash that many of the cruise lines provide. I remember years ago when we got a decent glass of champagne on Cunard as we got on the ship.

Also at one time HAL used to have a waiter handing out glasses of champagne -- usually near the front office on embarkation day.

 

We are happy to order, and pay for the wine of our choice. Having said that, we have been amazed at how many people seem to clamor for this plonk because it is free during hosted events. I would sooner have a Coke. I just ask for a glass of ice water or just say "No Thank You". [/quote]

 

Some events we are asked what we would like to drink -- very rare.

[pris993]

We are booked on the NA for the TA in April. We paid $1400+ for a VB cabin. Basied on what I am reading on here, we will probably check out the MDR on the first and second night, if not to our liking will pass on it for the buffet which we do a late lunch each day. Wines are over priced, we will bring on two bottles, will order a bottle of scotch for our cabin, will buy beer on board. Doubt our onboard expenses will exceed $70 a day including auto tip for two pp. We do tip extra in cash though.

 

We can have a very enjoyable cruse weather permitting at a rasonable price.

 

We are retired have been cruisimg for 30 years, have over 45 curises on 9 different lines. We know what we enjoy and how to make the most of a cruise.

 

Happy cruising to all.