Advantages to prepurchasing a Beverage Card

[TAD2005]

There is no such thing as a "Signature Beverage Card". It is a plain and simple "Beverage Card" of whatever denomination you choose to purchase. It is dollar for dollar, and no discounts. You can use the Beverage Card for whatever liquid refreshment you want, except the inroom fridge and HMC. Also, you can't use it for bottles of water at the gangway for a shore excursion.

The "Signature Beverage Package" (SBP) does provide considerable discounts, IF, and it's a BIG IF, you drink more than 5 or 6 beverages per day. For drinks in the $6.00 to $8.95 price range, when you add in the 15% service charge, you are drinking free after 5 or 6 drinks. If your normal cruise drink consumption is a glass or 2 of wine at dinner, go for the plain beverage card. If you think you may consume more than 5 or 6 drinks per day (maybe a cruise with lots of sea days), the you should consider the SBP. Also, purchasing the SBP is cheaper by $5 per day if you purchase it online, ahead of your cruise. If you wait to buy it onboard, maybe hoping to use some of your HAL provided free cabin credit, you pay $5 a day more, plus the usual 15% service charge.

[sandyss]

We will have 2 Beverage Cards from HAL that are "not redeemable for cash".  Can we apply the value of the Beverage Card to a more expensive Wine Bottle Package?  Thanks.

[TAD2005]

5 hours ago, sandyss said:

We will have 2 Beverage Cards from HAL that are "not redeemable for cash".  Can we apply the value of the Beverage Card to a more expensive Wine Bottle Package?  Thanks.

Yes, you can combine the value of the HAL provided beverage cards to purchase a bottle of wine.  You pay the difference on your cabin account or, if the wine is less than the value of the 2 combined cards,  the remaining value will be on one of the 2 cards. 

[joekerstef]

On 3/18/2018 at 10:02 AM, knittinggirl said:

 

And we didn't get a refund when we ran out of card. Each had about 60 cents left, and they didn't apply that 60 cents to the next card. They just charged the full drink amount on the new card.

 

 

Also, we had about $1.80 left over from all three cards at the end of the cruise, and they didn't credit half to our account.

 

I'm reluctant to buy a beverage card if they don't refund any amount left over.

I'm assuming you're talking about a soda card here since you were responding to someone asking about soda. If that is the case, that's why you weren't refunded. Because you get $50 worth of soda for $25, the soda card doesn't credit any unused balance to your account. The regular beverage cards do refund unused balance to your onboard account as there is no discount involved.

Curious though did you actually give them both cards for your purchase when your first card was low?; i.e. you get a soda for say $2.25, they take the 60 cents off your first card and the rest off the second. I've done this with regular beverage cards so I would assume they can do it with the soda card too.

[ricko999]

On 9/7/2018 at 6:37 PM, TAD2005 said:

There is no such thing as a "Signature Beverage Card". It is a plain and simple "Beverage Card" of whatever denomination you choose to purchase. It is dollar for dollar, and no discounts. You can use the Beverage Card for whatever liquid refreshment you want, except the inroom fridge and HMC. Also, you can't use it for bottles of water at the gangway for a shore excursion.

The "Signature Beverage Package" (SBP) does provide considerable discounts, IF, and it's a BIG IF, you drink more than 5 or 6 beverages per day. For drinks in the $6.00 to $8.95 price range, when you add in the 15% service charge, you are drinking free after 5 or 6 drinks. If your normal cruise drink consumption is a glass or 2 of wine at dinner, go for the plain beverage card. If you think you may consume more than 5 or 6 drinks per day (maybe a cruise with lots of sea days), the you should consider the SBP. Also, purchasing the SBP is cheaper by $5 per day if you purchase it online, ahead of your cruise. If you wait to buy it onboard, maybe hoping to use some of your HAL provided free cabin credit, you pay $5 a day more, plus the usual 15% service charge.

I'm a newbie, what's HMC?

[kazu]

1 hour ago, ricko999 said:

I'm a newbie, what's HMC?

 

Half Moon Cay - HAL’s private island in the Caribbean.

[clcemma]

What drinks are actually included on the $250 beverage card on Holland America?  Can bottles of wine be purchased?

[kangforpres]

Considering this right now for a 7 day Alaska next week. No beverage package included in my fare. So I think the $250 drink card will cover it. 3-4 drinks a day at between $9-11 bucks each = $30-$45 per day x 6 days =$190-$270 for the trip. Not drinking on last night. Plus you order any drink you want on the menu not limited to the Signature Price cut-off. 

 

 Signature package $49.95x7 =349.65....with drink pricing limitations. Obvious choice if you still love your liver is to get a beverage card since it gives you more choices and no price limit per drink.

 

-Paul

[DoggyDaddy]

On our last cruise on the Princendam in May, I pre-purchased a $50 Soda card for Mrs. DD for $25.  She could use it for both canned or fountain soda. It was something like $2.25 for a fountain soda  or $2.40 for a can of soda. Great bargain. 

 

DD

[TAD2005]

19 hours ago, kangforpres said:

Considering this right now for a 7 day Alaska next week. No beverage package included in my fare. So I think the $250 drink card will cover it. 3-4 drinks a day at between $9-11 bucks each = $30-$45 per day x 6 days =$190-$270 for the trip. Not drinking on last night. Plus you order any drink you want on the menu not limited to the Signature Price cut-off. 

 

 Signature package $49.95x7 =349.65....with drink pricing limitations. Obvious choice if you still love your liver is to get a beverage card since it gives you more choices and no price limit per drink.

 

-Paul

The SBP right now is still $44.95 per day, -plus 15% SC or $51.70 per cruise day.   If you wait to buy it onboard, the price is now $54.95 per day plus 15%.   If you buy it online, before the cruise, based on the average menu drink price of $8.95 plus 15% (if you are paying as you go), your break-even point is 5 drinks per day.   It's even better if you choose more expensive drinks, not exceeding $11 menu price.   After 5 drinks, you are drinking free.   Everybody is different, and their beverage consumption is totally different when you are on vacation and you don;t have to drive home from a restaurant.   Only you can judge if the SBP is worth the expense.

[kangforpres]

On 7/29/2019 at 3:24 PM, TAD2005 said:

The SBP right now is still $44.95 per day, -plus 15% SC or $51.70 per cruise day.   If you wait to buy it onboard, the price is now $54.95 per day plus 15%.   If you buy it online, before the cruise, based on the average menu drink price of $8.95 plus 15% (if you are paying as you go), your break-even point is 5 drinks per day.   It's even better if you choose more expensive drinks, not exceeding $11 menu price.   After 5 drinks, you are drinking free.   Everybody is different, and their beverage consumption is totally different when you are on vacation and you don;t have to drive home from a restaurant.   Only you can judge if the SBP is worth the expense.

I went for the $250 card, really like the fact that if I don't drink $250 worth in 7 days I get credit back. I've only had beverage packages as part of an Explore 4 deal, and once on Princess also part of the fare price.

[boze9999]

On 7/29/2019 at 12:11 PM, DoggyDaddy said:

On our last cruise on the Princendam in May, I pre-purchased a $50 Soda card for Mrs. DD for $25.  She could use it for both canned or fountain soda. It was something like $2.25 for a fountain soda  or $2.40 for a can of soda. Great bargain. 

 

DD

I've been on ships where they strictly enforce that the soda card is ONLY for sodas in a glass and not the can. So you didn't have any problem with getting cans of soda?

 

[metairiegal]

I read on another thread regarding beverage cards, that they cannot be purchased on-board - only on-line prior to the sailing.  But, this thread says they can be purchased on board.  I'm confused!  Any confirmation from anyone who has cruised recently?

 

 

[highscar]

The soda card has not been available for a few years.  I miss it.  

[auntmeg]

12 hours ago, highscar said:

The soda card has not been available for a few years.  I miss it.  

I see a non-alcoholic beverage card available for purchase when I log into my account on the HAL website.

[highscar]

@auntmegthe advantage with the soda card, $50.00 soda for $25.00. Yes it was fountain soda but it lasted on my trans pacific cruise. Last year I purchased beverage card and the soda charged to the card was 6 small SMALL cans $20.00.   Ridiculous.