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We are unsure if it would be best value, or pay as we go. The online price is showing £15 pppd, but they told us we had to book through our agent, and FO said it's £25 a day, so not sure if worth that to us. We couldn't understand why two prices, is it different for anchor fare?

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It is usually £15pppd. The £25 may be the onboard price perhaps. Yes, you do need to go through your agent since you have booked the cruise through them. Only you can do the sums to decide whether or not the all inclusive is worth it to you. It does include soft drinks as well, though cocktails are only half-price. Google a bar menu to check the drinks prices and then calculate what you are likely to drink.

 

 

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Yes I agree it costs a lot more to buy on board, I also thought double the price. It used to cost £10pppd bought before a cruise and (I think £20 on board). It may be that since the price went up to £15, the on board price is £25 - is the on board price what you asked Fred about? If you booked through an agent, I do not think you could add the drinks package to your booking direct with Fred, so why not just ring your agent and ask about it - you can always tell them you want to think about it.

 

If you are not a great alcohol drinker and are happy with water for some or all meals and just the odd bar drink, it may be just as well doing 'pay as you go'. If you want an alcoholic drink with every meal, then worth buying the package.

 

You have to buy it a few days before the ship sails though as they do not sell it after the mainfest has gone to the ship from head office (about 3 - 4 days I think) and as said previously, it now sounds like they will only sell a maximum amount of packages per cruise, so may not be available nearer to sailing date.

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I asked FO price to book now and they said I needed to go via T/A it was FO that told me it was £25 day, the agent confirmed £25 pppd that is why I wondered how if price is showing £15pppd online.

 

As always thank you everyone for responding and giving me useful information.

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I am wondering if it is a mini-cruise perhaps? I believe they charge more on those.

 

 

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That is the point, mini cruises I have been on where charged at £29.99 and I can see why as some people were intent on getting their money's worth even at that price! You do get a different atmosphere on mini cruises, but must admit we have done a number and thoroughly enjoyed most. Very few people hit the bar that hard though and there can be a very good party atmosphere on board, but will not be like your normal Fred cruise. Obviously very few people take up the AI package on mini cruises.

 

trinitytrees, which cruise have you booked?

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It is a short break to Scotland, I never thought of it being a party cruise though, oh dear!

 

How long is your cruise for and when does it sail?

 

It is mainly the one nighter's that are the main party cruises, but even then not everyone partakes as it were. There is also a show and there will likely still be ballroom dancing in the show lounge between shows, but no dance hosts. It is the Lido lounge (or similar location) that has the disco type atmosphere. You can opt in or out, so no problems really, just a different age group to the longer cruises, but plenty of older people as well.

 

We are in our late 60's but have enjoyed some good discos.

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Thanks Tring, we like ballroom dancing, we have been on FO before but a few years ago and that was 14 nights, we enjoyed that one, was Balmoral. I am sure we will be fine, thinking about it it was mainly people in 50 60 70 on that ship.

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It is a short break to Scotland, I never thought of it being a party cruise though, oh dear!

 

We are just off one of the shorter cruises and though the age group of the pax was indeed younger and the bars much, much busier everything was just fine. You could still find a quiet spot in the observation lounge to enjoy.

 

The outside areas tended to be the busiest as we had really good weather.

 

Fred do now limit the number of AI packages they allow on these cruises.

 

If you are going soon then you have picked the right time as the weather here is amazing, warm and sunny.

 

Have a great cruise.

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On our recent 16 night cruise there was one male who tried to pick a fight with another male on the dance floor but the dance host separated them and gave the purpetrator a good talking to. Both males were on the AI package. I don't think you should worry too much about parties though.

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If you are not a great alcohol drinker and are happy with water for some or all meals and just the odd bar drink, it may be just as well doing 'pay as you go'. If you want an alcoholic drink with every meal, then worth buying the package.

 

While this is true, but if you want a named drink then you still pay on top of the drink package, but only 50% of the price of the drink that you would pay without the package.

So example time.

You Drink Bacardi and Coke.

Without the package = £2.95 (25ml shot) + £0.85 (mixer) = £3.80

With the package either a house white rum = Free (£15 a day) or Bacardi £1.90 (50% off)

 

So say on average you drink 5 drinks a sea day

£3.80 x 5 = £19 without package

£1.90 x 5 = £9.5 plus day rate £15 = £24.50

 

To break even you would need to drink 8 drinks a day

£3.80 x 8 = £30.40

£1.90 x 8 = £15.20 + £15 = £30.20

 

Hope this maths helps others to understand.

If you enjoy the very basic offerings of the drinks package, then go for just £15 a day (but you need to drink 4 a day to make it worthwhile of unnamed brands) but if you are still buying proper named brands you need to drink more than 8 drinks a day to make it cost effective.

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While this is true, but if you want a named drink then you still pay on top of the drink package, but only 50% of the price of the drink that you would pay without the package.

So example time.

You Drink Bacardi and Coke.

Without the package = £2.95 (25ml shot) + £0.85 (mixer) = £3.80

With the package either a house white rum = Free (£15 a day) or Bacardi £1.90 (50% off)

 

So say on average you drink 5 drinks a sea day

£3.80 x 5 = £19 without package

£1.90 x 5 = £9.5 plus day rate £15 = £24.50

 

To break even you would need to drink 8 drinks a day

£3.80 x 8 = £30.40

£1.90 x 8 = £15.20 + £15 = £30.20

 

Hope this maths helps others to understand.

If you enjoy the very basic offerings of the drinks package, then go for just £15 a day (but you need to drink 4 a day to make it worthwhile of unnamed brands) but if you are still buying proper named brands you need to drink more than 8 drinks a day to make it cost effective.

 

Maths are good, but do you not have a drink with dinner, maybe a glass or two of wine? 8 drinks a day, especially sea days is quite easy. :D:evilsmile: :evilsmile:

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Maths are good, but do you not have a drink with dinner, maybe a glass or two of wine? 8 drinks a day, especially sea days is quite easy. :D:evilsmile: :evilsmile:

 

The sea days 8 drinks are easily done and port days 3-4 on average. So you lose out. For the average of 8 a day on a 2-week cruise with equal port and sea days, you would need to drink 4 on port days and 12 on sea days to just BREAK EVEN.

All of these drinks to just make your money back is not good. You need to be drinking a lot more for it to be worthwhile.

So while 8 a day on sea days is easy, you need to be drinking more than this to be saving money.

 

Other cruise lines have a break even point of 4-5 drinks a day.

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I can see your point if you are a spirits drinker and prefer a branded one but as a wine / beer / soft drinks drinker the AI is well worth while for me.

 

With AI you also get 50% off bottled water which we tend to get to take out each day in port or for in the cabin fridge.

 

2 or 3 soft drinks through the day, a bottle of water, a pre dinner drink, wine with dinner and a night cap and the AI pays off.

 

The soft drinks can add up as the standard glass they serve is a tiny measure so to get a decent sized drink you have to have a “double” lemonade which then costs as much as alcohol.

 

Some of the AI wine is perfectly drinkable (and I am quite fussy, try a taste of them on the first day then you will know what suits your palate), the cava dry so fine by me and the beer on tap also to my taste, I like Stella.

 

The “managers special AI” is worth asking about. On our recent cruise they offered an orange citrus gin one day which my husband tried and really enjoyed. Another day it was some sort of flavoured vodka, don’t know what that was like.

 

It all depends on what and how much you drink but don’t discount the cost of any soft drinks in any calculation.

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Thanks for the maths, but for us at a cost of £25 a day each, and I drink southern comfort and diet lemonade, I would have to pay extra for my drink anyway, my hubby thinks it's worth it however I don't. I take it we both have to buy the package? The maths would work out different I guess too.

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Thanks for the maths, but for us at a cost of £25 a day each, and I drink southern comfort and diet lemonade, I would have to pay extra for my drink anyway, my hubby thinks it's worth it however I don't. I take it we both have to buy the package? The maths would work out different I guess too.

 

Yes, everyone in the same cabin has to have the package.

I was on P&O at Christmas and they don't do drink packages. But we had onboard spend of £20 a day each. What we found that buying whatever drink we fancied from any venue (speciality and normal), we never managed to spend that much each day. The DW bought some jewellery and clothing and we had spare treatments, just to spend the extra cash.

 

But everyone is different and have to work out the maths for their own tastes. A full bar menu is available on the Fred Olsen website. I did read the special gin menu and it's cheaper buying a special gin (a £41 litre bottle when drunk by the glass) and tonic from the gin bar than a normal Gordons G&T in the main bar. But I'm not sure if these prices are correct and upto date. There isn't even upto date pictures of the refit of Boudicca on there yet, from March.

I will find out in August, just a month to go.

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Yes, you both have to buy the package. I don’t think many people would find £25 per day was worth it.

 

I was interested to bear Eglesbrech was offered interesting ‘manager’s specials’. Whenever we asked, it was rum and coke, which you could have anyway on the AI.

 

 

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Yes, you both have to buy the package. I don’t think many people would find £25 per day was worth it.

 

I was interested to bear Eglesbrech was offered interesting ‘manager’s specials’. Whenever we asked, it was rum and coke, which you could have anyway on the AI.

 

 

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No certainly not worth it at £25 a pppd. We were only £15.

 

Yes the managers AI special was something different each day and not something on the main list.

 

I think I would have had something to say if it was just something off the normal AI list as that is pointless.

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Yes, you both have to buy the package. I don’t think many people would find £25 per day was worth it.

 

It's £25 onboard, £15 if you book in advance - if there are still packages available for that cruise at the time of the booking.

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