wine discount with beverage package

[bccanadamom]

Hi there, hoping someone can confirm something I read on several different threads about purchasing wine at the discounted price with the bev package.

We bought the AIBP package for the two of us for our November Mexico cruise the day before the prices went up (yay! It's expensive yes but we fall in the group that finds it much more convenient to not worry about bar charges at the end of the cruise and pay upfront).

We are travelling with my parents (in separate mini-suite staterooms) - they did not purchase the bev package. I have read several times that it's okay to purchase wine with the bev package discount (yes I know it's 25% now versus 40%) for others that don't have the package - we will be dining together, for instance so I would be fine buying their wine on our cards with the discount and settling up later with them.

I'm not trying to share or cheat on the package (they will purchase their own individual drinks) but if it's okay for us to purchase bottles for them, we will skip buying wine to take on as the assortment I've seen on here looks just fine for them, and at 25% off it's not much more than we'd pay if we bought and paid the $15 corkage.

If others have encountered problems with this it'd be great to know in advance and we will do the carry-on option instead.

Thanks very much in advance for your experience.

[easyboy]

You can share with your parents the bottle of wine you bought at a discount. It’s the wine in a glass you ordered out of your drink package that you can not share.

 

 

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[fishywood]

The purpose of the 25% (no longer 40%) discount on wine is for you to buy a bottle to share with the table. When you order said bottle in a restaurant or lounge they will furnish as many glasses as requested.

 

But you repeatedly speak of "buying their wine on my card" and "purchasing bottles for them". Is you plan to order a bottle for them while simultaneously ordering a separate drink for yourself? Or ordering a bottle to be sent to their table when you are not sitting with them? You may get some pushback under these circumstances.

[bccanadamom]

Our plan would be to buy a bottle of wine at the table for them (actually 2 bottles as my mom drinks white and my dad drinks red), probably on 2 or 3 nights. That's why I was unclear whether it would be okay - we drink different wines so we would likely order by the glass for ourselves, but I would like to buy their wine for them at the 25% discount if we can, otherwise we will buy their wine before hand and take it on and pay the $15 corkage. Either way costs us about the same - it's just much easier if we can skip having to shop & carry on...

[fishywood]

OK that should not be a problem at all. Ordering one bottle of each "for the table" on the first night is the context the discount was designed for.

[RocketMan275]

We are travelling with my parents (in separate mini-suite staterooms) - they did not purchase the bev package. I have read several times that it's okay to purchase wine with the bev package discount (yes I know it's 25% now versus 40%) for others that don't have the package - we will be dining together, for instance so I would be fine buying their wine on our cards with the discount and settling up later with them.

I'm not trying to share or cheat on the package (they will purchase their own individual drinks) but if it's okay for us to purchase bottles for them, we will skip buying wine to take on as the assortment I've seen on here looks just fine for them, and at 25% off it's not much more than we'd pay if we bought and paid the $15 corkage.

 

Our plan would be to buy a bottle of wine at the table for them (actually 2 bottles as my mom drinks white and my dad drinks red), probably on 2 or 3 nights. That's why I was unclear whether it would be okay - we drink different wines so we would likely order by the glass for ourselves, but I would like to buy their wine for them at the 25% discount if we can, otherwise we will buy their wine before hand and take it on and pay the $15 corkage. Either way costs us about the same - it's just much easier if we can skip having to shop & carry on...

No, you're not 'buying a bottle for the table. You're buying a bottle for your parents with the expectation that you would be reimbursed by your parents for the expense.

 

You might get away with this but it is cheating.

[RocketMan275]

The purpose of the 25% (no longer 40%) discount on wine is for you to buy a bottle to share with the table. When you order said bottle in a restaurant or lounge they will furnish as many glasses as requested.

 

I don't understand why you're saying the purpose of the discount is "for you to buy a bottle to share with the table." There is no more of an expectation that wine purchased by one party should be shared with another than there is an expectation for you to share your steak with another.

 

Can you provide documentation that states that is the purpose?

[NavyVeteran]

You will have no problem buying a bottle of wine for your father and another bottle for your mother and buying glasses (included with Premier Beverage Package) for yourselves.

 

However, I believe you are technically cheating even though Princess will have no way of knowing that. If you are purchasing the bottles for your parents, then that is completely legal within the rules. However, I don't belive it is within the rules for you to purchase bottles at the discount and then resell them to your parents. A gift is within the spirit and letter of the rules, but I don't believe reselling the bottles is. If you want to do it, no one will stop you - as long as you don't collect the money from them at the dinner table in front of the head waiter.

[compozer]

I agree that it is cheating the system. That is probably why they changed it from 40% to 25% - too many people doing this. I honestly figured they would have eliminate it by now. With the package, you can get it free by the glass so why buy a bottle?

[anniegb]

I agree that it is cheating the system. That is probably why they changed it from 40% to 25% - too many people doing this. I honestly figured they would have eliminate it by now. With the package, you can get it free by the glass so why buy a bottle?

 

Better quality of wine plus you can take a bottle back to your cabin?

 

Annie

[memoak]

Also the bottle does not count towards your 5 drinks per day and much more selection

[Murray's Pop]

Not sure how this would be cheating. You are buying a bottle (or 2) and getting your discount. Then you are giving the wine to someone else. I don't see this as cheating IMO.

 

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[cruiser113]

This is from the web site:

The package includes an extra 25% discount on the following items that are otherwise excluded from the package:

• All bottles of wine 

  
• One-liter bottles of water (if dining at a specialty venue, a large one-liter bottle of water, still or sparkling, is covered by the package)

  
• Canned soda, and bottled juices 

  

How is this cheating if they are excluded from the package??

[fishywood]

I don't understand why you're saying the purpose of the discount is "for you to buy a bottle to share with the table." There is no more of an expectation that wine purchased by one party should be shared with another than there is an expectation for you to share your steak with another.

 

Can you provide documentation that states that is the purpose?

 

Did I say that the exclusive purpose of the 20% discount was to share with the table? Not at all.

But for your benefit I will rephrase:

One purpose of the 25% (no longer 40%) discount on wine is for you to buy a bottle to share with the table if you wish. When you order said bottle in a restaurant or lounge they will furnish as many glasses as requested.

 

(Yes I get the motive behind your calling me out and asking for "documentation". You don't like my posting style and history, fine. But don't try to out-pedant me--especially by putting words in my mouth I didn't write. You will lose. Badly. Embarrassingly bad.)

[Tedferg]

I think it is a stretch to call this cheating. I will buy Package for me, DW does not drink enough to justify it. So at 40% discount I could buy her wine for dinner and have remainder stored for next evening, or take back to cabin. I would not drink any of this wine. Princess MUST see this as a perk of buying the Package. At 25% we are not so sure it is worth the effort over buying by the glass. ( This ignores the possibility of better wine by the bottle)

 

If OP buys wine for parents, this is a perk of the package. But what if parents say, 'We'll treat you to Specialty restaurant as a thank you for the wine', cheating ?

 

Now if OP sets up a table outside MDR and sells bottles of wine to all comers at, say, 15% off thereby making a profit - that would be outside the bounds of Princess original intent. Hmmmm anyone know where I can get a table ????

[jennybenny]

You are fine to buy the bottle and share with your parents. I don't consider the purchase of a bottle to give to parents a violation of the package. Don't let those judging you here persuade you otherwise. We have been purchasing the beverage package since it's inception on Princess and are very disappointed in the increase in bottle prices and only 25% off instead of 40%. Back in the day Princess had the best wine prices. The mark up was minimal and worth paying. It was where I first tried a Caymus Cab. In those days you'd pay a minimal up charge per bottle (no AIBP back then). I miss THOSE days when wine was reasonably priced.

A bottle of Korbel will cost you $37.10 now (without the package). They don't have all the wines on the wine list (first time that has ever happened was on the Emerald last month).

 

The sharing of the package has ruined it for the rest of us who have followed the rules and the rules allow you to buy bottles to share.

 

Enjoy your cruise

[CruiseBabys]

IMO ...This question is just weird!

1. If it was ME buying my "Parents" X-number bottles of wine, which is nice of you (with/without a discount), BUT maybe it's just me?.

Who would EVER purchase something for your "Parents" and then make them re-pay it back?

2. If its really for your "Parents"?? Then just treat your Parents to the WINE as a GIFT!

3. I would never-ever buy something for my Parents, then make them pay it back. Smh.

 

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