Drink Limit Question

[CruiserBruce]

51 minutes ago, tuolumne couple said:

You dont quite understand the full picture. The fresh squeezed OJ counts as a drink, the regular frozen OJ is free. And for the discerning consumer there is a taste difference. The water in the can is handy when going ashore, and counts as a drink as well. And with the coffees and juice and waters and drinks as bdd123 said, it is easy to reach 15. I just keep track on my own, for the cost of the drink and how many. I often would order a double cocktail just so that i could taste it. Only once did they get it wrong by putting drinks on one card, even though I presented two cards. I was charged, but they removed it. Not a big deal. These bartenders are very very busy. I appreciated every single coffee, juice, beer, cocktail and wine. Worth it. 

Well, as we have cruised 3 times this year with the SBP, I think I have an idea on how it works. I know the water from the tap is just fine, and the water cans can be refilled form the tap. So if I was worried about 15 drinks, I would be refilling a water can a couple of times, rather than getting 6 cans of water per day. Plus, if you need water (like I do, as a kidney stone deterrent, and after workouts), its available at all meals and dining locations, free.

[mikebsxm]

On HAL, their Elite beverage package includes 15 alcoholic beverages and unlimited "zero-alcohol" beverages.   The regular Signature Beverage Package includes alcoholic beverages and zero alcoholic beverages, but both types add to your 15 drink limit.

Edited November 29, 2022 by mikebsxm

[Wakepatrol]

I’m pretty buzzed

Edited November 30, 2022 by Wakepatrol

[Hlitner]

Geez, so many rules.  Guess I will just have to go on a budget line like MSC where they have no idea about 15 drink limits!   or  Go on any of the luxury cruise lines where drinks are included with no limitations.  But no, my next cruise is on HAL, which I guess wants to be the budget line with all kinds of limits (especially on Production Shows and drinks) and a 9pm bed time!  And just imagine a cruise line where a "can" of water or a shot of espresso is just as valuable as a glass of scotch or bourbon.  Kind of gives me the idea that HAL does not want anyone to sober-up with coffee or water!

 

Just use your imagination about all the high powered "suits" in Seattle, that sit around their offices (with cup of free coffee) and come up with these crazy ideas.  No wonder Arnold Donald decided to go back into retirement :).  

 

Hank

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, mikebsxm said:

On HAL, their Elite beverage package includes 15 alcoholic beverages and unlimited "zero-alcohol" beverages.   The regular Signature Beverage Package includes alcoholic beverages and zero alcoholic beverages, but both types add to your 15 drink limit.

Does the elite though?  It may say that on the website but I think it includes the zero alcohol.  Seems there has been several threads about that.

[Florida_gal_50]

11 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Geez, so many rules.  Guess I will just have to go on a budget line like MSC where they have no idea about 15 drink limits!   or  Go on any of the luxury cruise lines where drinks are included with no limitations.  But no, my next cruise is on HAL, which I guess wants to be the budget line with all kinds of limits (especially on Production Shows and drinks) and a 9pm bed time!  And just imagine a cruise line where a "can" of water or a shot of espresso is just as valuable as a glass of scotch or bourbon.  Kind of gives me the idea that HAL does not want anyone to sober-up with coffee or water!

 

Just use your imagination about all the high powered "suits" in Seattle, that sit around their offices (with cup of free coffee) and come up with these crazy ideas.  No wonder Arnold Donald decided to go back into retirement :).  

 

I don’t go through 15 in 2 days.  I guess if you drink mornings until night you could.  Also if you buy 15 shots just to see how it tastes you can again.  The line for coffee on the koningsdam on sea days was about a half hour long.  No way would I do that for coffee, water or Perrier more than once a day.

[BetsyS.]

Hank - The "suits" in Seattle need to leave their office and go on a HAL cruise.

[Hlitner]

36 minutes ago, BetsyS. said:

Hank - The "suits" in Seattle need to leave their office and go on a HAL cruise.

Nah,  but we do see them on Seabourn :).  Do you think you would ever find those folks in an "pay for" alternative restaurant where a "Starter" and "Salad" means paying an extra fee!

 

Hank

[DENIE]

This seems to be noted in a couple prior posts.  This is from the website regarding the Elite Beverage Package:

 

"A stunning array of premium spirits, cocktails, and wines $15 or under, including Dale DeGroff’s Original Cocktails and all the benefits of Signature & Quench. 15-drink daily limit, unlimited non-alcoholic beverages."

 

It still seems confusing as to whether alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are split apart when counting the total. Seems like it should not be confusing.  It sounds like if I want 20 lattes each day, they don't count towards the 15-drink daily limit. Not that I want to, but can I get 15 alcoholic beverages plus any number of lattes that I want?  I guess we will find out on our Koningsdam 12/3 cruise in a few days. We do plan to upgrade to the Elite package as we typically enjoy the wines more in that price range.  

 

We haven't sailed HAL recently, so honestly don't know...

 

[Florida_gal_50]

21 minutes ago, DENIE said:

This seems to be noted in a couple prior posts.  This is from the website regarding the Elite Beverage Package:

 

"A stunning array of premium spirits, cocktails, and wines $15 or under, including Dale DeGroff’s Original Cocktails and all the benefits of Signature & Quench. 15-drink daily limit, unlimited non-alcoholic beverages."

 

It still seems confusing as to whether alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are split apart when counting the total. Seems like it should not be confusing.  It sounds like if I want 20 lattes each day, they don't count towards the 15-drink daily limit. Not that I want to, but can I get 15 alcoholic beverages plus any number of lattes that I want?  I guess we will find out on our Koningsdam 12/3 cruise in a few days. We do plan to upgrade to the Elite package as we typically enjoy the wines more in that price range.  

 

We haven't sailed HAL recently, so honestly don't know...

 

Definitely, be very, very specific about what you are asking on the ship.   It seems to me the alcoholic drinks should be the only thing that counts but that doesn’t seem the way it is.  Hal’s strong suit is not updating its communications.  It still tells you to do verifly.  Please come back and report what you hear.  Things may have changed.

[DENIE]

13 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Definitely, be very, very specific about what you are asking on the ship.   It seems to me the alcoholic drinks should be the only thing that counts but that doesn’t seem the way it is.  Hal’s strong suit is not updating its communications.  It still tells you to do verifly.  Please come back and report what you hear.  Things may have changed.

I will!

 

We typically enjoy a couple mimosas for breakfast (we are on vacation, after all), and a couple lattes.  Add a couple of Diet Cokes, and some waters (we drink a lot of water), and half the package could be used up before you even start having glasses of wine.  I guess we will be drinking the free water and bringing large empty water bottles. 

 

FWIW, we just sailed on Oceania in June and had their premium beverage package.  No counts at all. But, I understand, different market, different price point for sure.

[billbunger]

I think the key here is:

 

15-drink daily limit, unlimited non-alcoholic beverages

 

In context to HAL’s literature, the word drink refers to alcoholic drinks, ( as in lets go for drinks after work ). The word beverages pretty well covers the rest. 

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, DENIE said:

I guess we will find out on our Koningsdam 12/3 cruise in a few days. We do plan to upgrade to the Elite package as we typically enjoy the wines more in that price range.  

Before you upgrade, check at a bar if they are offering the "HIA and more" where you just pay the $11 overage (plus 18%) for better wines. Then balance that against the cost of $11.80 PPPD for the upgrade. Plus the unlimited non-alcoholic beverages if that is a concern!

 

If they are NOT offering the HIA-and-more, then the upgrade is less than ONE drink PPPD over $11, and comes with the verbage of unlimited non-alcoholic drinks. 

[HALcruiser2001]

18 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Paying for OJ? The water out of the tap, and at a meal is free.

I dont drink water out of tap and OJ is considered a drink.   I could find the HAL sites on this, but don't really have the energy to do so tonight. 

 

18 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m water drinker for sure. I never came close to the 15.  I remember someone saying they had 6 or 7 coffees in the morning.  If that was me I’d either be tempted to have free coffee on the ship or buy a beverage card.  I don’t drink a lot of alcohol but I personally wouldn’t want to “waste” the drinks on non alcoholic if I’d be close.

How do you tell them I would pay vs have it on my daily "quota"?

[crystalspin]

47 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

How do you tell them I would pay vs have it on my daily "quota"?

There is no way to "pay" except giving them a card to swipe. The way around having lower priced drinks counting against your SBP $11 (alcoholic) quota is to buy a beverage card (available in several denominations, I am thinking $50/$100/$250?).

 

HAL won't let me login to my bookings today, so I can't walk you through where they are offered but I think it's below beverage packages under "Indulgences" on your booking.

[Florida_gal_50]

4 hours ago, bdd123 said:

I dont drink water out of tap and OJ is considered a drink.   I could find the HAL sites on this, but don't really have the energy to do so tonight. 

 

How do you tell them I would pay vs have it on my daily "quota"?

Just as I mentioned you would need to buy a beverage card.  That is a separate card and not your cruise card.  You can buy them ahead of time. You can possibly buy them on board.  I can’t walk you through it as I don’t have an active booking but I found it pretty easily for my March 2022 cruise.

[Nang]

On 11/30/2022 at 5:08 PM, bdd123 said:

I dont drink water out of tap and OJ is considered a drink.   I could find the HAL sites on this, but don't really have the energy to do so tonight. 

 

How do you tell them I would pay vs have it on my daily "quota"?

You can buy a beverage card from most if not all bars and use it as the others have suggested. I would wait and see how you go on the drink limit - most people would never reach it.

[OVgirl]

On 11/30/2022 at 1:38 AM, bdd123 said:

How do you tell them I would pay vs have it on my daily "quota"?

I haven't tried to charge directly for a cheaper drink, but on a previous cruise we were able to charge for a drink that we bought for someone else. So it didn't look like we were sharing the SBP.