Wine Package Questions vs. Bring Your Own with Corkage

[patsylll]

Hi and thank you all for some guidance.  It has been since 2019 that we have cruised but we have now returned.  In the past, we purchased drink packages but due to some health changes, one person in the room can't drink alcohol any longer and based on the policy of everyone in the room having the same package, it doesn't work.  Instead, I will be purchasing a wine package or carrying on six bottles and paying corkage.  Questions:

 

1.  I see on line that you can purchase 6 bottles of level 1 for $199 or 6 bottles of level 2 for $270.  Does this include the 18% gratuity or is that added to be $235 or $318?  

2.  I am a 3 star Mariner so I think I get a 25% discount.  Is that correct?

3.  For the wine packages, can you get a half the bottles sent to your room and the other half used in the dining room.  I like to have a drink on the veranda before dinner.

4.  As for carrying your own on and paying corkage, do you just carry it on in carry on luggage and then take it to the dining room and give it to the wine steward.  If you drink it in the dining room, is there an additional gratuity or is the $20 that?

5.  If I do purchase a wine package, is there any benefit to purchasing on line before I get there or does it make more sense to wait?  Will they let you sample before purchase?  It is one thing to purchase one bottle of wine you don't particularly care for but to drink it for 10 days is a bit much.  

 

Thanks in advance.  This is my first for purchasing packages.   

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, patsylll said:

Hi and thank you all for some guidance.  It has been since 2019 that we have cruised but we have now returned.  In the past, we purchased drink packages but due to some health changes, one person in the room can't drink alcohol any longer and based on the policy of everyone in the room having the same package, it doesn't work.  Instead, I will be purchasing a wine package or carrying on six bottles and paying corkage.  Questions:

 

1.  I see on line that you can purchase 6 bottles of level 1 for $199 or 6 bottles of level 2 for $270.  Does this include the 18% gratuity or is that added to be $235 or $318?  

2.  I am a 3 star Mariner so I think I get a 25% discount.  Is that correct?

3.  For the wine packages, can you get a half the bottles sent to your room and the other half used in the dining room.  I like to have a drink on the veranda before dinner.

4.  As for carrying your own on and paying corkage, do you just carry it on in carry on luggage and then take it to the dining room and give it to the wine steward.  If you drink it in the dining room, is there an additional gratuity or is the $20 that?

5.  If I do purchase a wine package, is there any benefit to purchasing on line before I get there or does it make more sense to wait?  Will they let you sample before purchase?  It is one thing to purchase one bottle of wine you don't particularly care for but to drink it for 10 days is a bit much.  

 

Thanks in advance.  This is my first for purchasing packages.   

1. The 18% is added on to the amounts you mentioned.

2. Yes -25% for 3 star, 50% for 4 and 5.  IMO at 4 star the wine package is a better deal than carrying your own on for most people.

3. Yes.  

4.  In your carryon and check it with security to pay fee.

5.  If I am in fixed dining I wait to order the plan until I am seated the first night.  Your waiter will get some sort of credit I am told for "selling" it to you and they seem to appreciate that.

 

[patsylll]

Thank you very much.  This information is so very helpful.  I agree for a 4 star, the wine package is the way to go.  For a 3 star, it is a bit of a toss up and there is some risk that I might not like the wine choice so I'm leaning toward bringing on 6 bottles and just paying the corkage.  Again, thank you.  

[DaveOKC]

21 minutes ago, patsylll said:

Thank you very much.  This information is so very helpful.  I agree for a 4 star, the wine package is the way to go.  For a 3 star, it is a bit of a toss up and there is some risk that I might not like the wine choice so I'm leaning toward bringing on 6 bottles and just paying the corkage.  Again, thank you.  

Just a heads up on the discount.  You pay the full 18% service charge based on the original not the discounted price.

[sandiego1]

We are going to bring wine on the World Cruise and buy at least 1 package. DH like Pinot Noir and there is only 1 choice in the package. It’s not cost effective to bring wine onto the ship as we are 4*. The package is cheaper than buying wine and paying corkage for us. But he doesn’t want to drink the same wine for 128 night. So we’ll schlep a bunch of bottles to augment the package.

[REOVA]

57 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

We are going to bring wine on the World Cruise and buy at least 1 package. 

I did that as DW doesn't drink. Also was able to find different wines around the World to try and buy and bring onboard. 

[crystalspin]

6 hours ago, patsylll said:

Will they let you sample before purchase?  It is one thing to purchase one bottle of wine you don't particularly care for but to drink it for 10 days is a bit much.  

I don't believe there is sampling! But I would think you could buy one bottle and then decide between 'level' of package....

 

Your package does not have to be all one label if that's what you mean -- unless you are like @sandiego1's husband and only like a specific type of wine and only one is in the selection.

 

We have HIA with SBP, but may still buy a Sommelier Suite for the room, after boarding, to use OBC and make a bartender or bar server's day!

Edited November 21, 2022 by crystalspin

[sandiego1]

4 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

I don't believe there is sampling! But I would think you could buy one bottle and then decide between 'level' of package....

 

Your package does not have to be all one label if that's what you mean -- unless you are like @sandiego1's husband and only like a specific type of wine and only one is in the selection.

 

 

You can buy a non discounted single bottle of wine to try.
 

I believe there are about 7 different whites and 7 different reds in each package. Typically 1 bottle of different types of wine in each package (i.e. 1 Chardonnay, 1 Cabernet…).

 

DH will drink other reds if he has to, but prefers Pinot Noir. He’ll occasionally get a Chanti or other bottle depending on his meal. 
 

I don’t drink so don’t know much about wine 😀

 

 

 

[Dutchman48]

Have used Hal's wine package option on a few cruises and found it was worth it as both a 3 star and now a 4 star. On cruises I take without the drink package I now wait and by the wine package on embarkation day, that way I get to talk to the wine steward and discuss our likes and dislikes.

You have a few choices as far as having wine sent to the room:

 1. When you select your wine package you can have some sent then.

 2. If you do not finish a bottle at dinner, they will ask if you want the rest sent to your room or have it held by them for the next night.

 3. You can all so call from your room any time and ask one to be sent up.

 

You can see the various wines in each different tier on Hollands web site.

 

Unless you are bringing a very special and or a pricey wine I would go with one of the packages. 

My wife and I found that with the help of the wine steward or our MDR table steward we have had some excellent pairings with our meals.

 

Good Luck and have a great cruise.

[Sea42]

When I bought the wine package the price came out o $28 per bottle (including gratuities) with the 3* discount. For me, it was worth it not to bother with bringing wine onboard.

[sandiego1]

With our 50% off, the middle package is $25/bottle including the new 18% gratuity. The bottle we bring on the ship will be more than $5, so more expensive for us to pay corkage than to just buy another package