How often do the drink packages go on sale?

If you have a free refreshment package can you upgrade it to alcohol package

If you have a free refreshment package can you upgrade it to alcohol package

No, packages received for "free" are not upgradeable.

For the refreshment package, I understand you get a cup with a chip to use at the freestyle machine. Is that the only way you can get soft drinks at the freestyle machine - do they have cups you can use with your cruise card ? Also, can you get soft drinks at other locations ?

Would appreciate any replies !

$42+gratuity is as low as I have seen it in 3 years! Look for holiday sales...Memorial day...July 4...Labor Day...and Black Friday!!

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For the refreshment package, I understand you get a cup with a chip to use at the freestyle machine. Is that the only way you can get soft drinks at the freestyle machine - do they have cups you can use with your cruise card ? Also, can you get soft drinks at other locations ?

 

Would appreciate any replies !

You must use the special cup with the Freestyle machines.

You can use your SeaPass card to get soda at bars and restaurants, but you will only have about 6 different flavors to choose from.

Lower? i doubt it. Higher ? yes.

That is currently the price on our Allure sailing on October 28th as well. I originally purchased on the last sale at $45 pp and I canceled and repurchased at $42 pp before gratuity. This is the lowest I've seen it and I've been watching consistently.

I just did the exact same thing. We, too had booked when it was $45 pp, and with the $42 rate, we saved about $50! We are on the Allure earlier in October.

We are on the Sept. 29th Anthem cruise to Bermuda coming up and Drinks packages were on sale as of yesterday. We get the Refreshment one for $18/day. I don't know if it is site wide though.

Not to dig up and old topic, but I did. I found this info pretty helpful as we booked Allure Jan 26th, 30 days out and had short time to wait for anything. Waiting for the maybe bi-weekly weekend sales. The regular price shown Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday was $63 pp pd. $1041 for two for the week. The big kicker is Friday it was BOGO or 25% off each. With the sale, the price is now $61. That is $1008 for two. That is way far from 25% off.

2019 on Harmony we got it for $54

2018 on Allure we got it for $48

With that price of $61 I am still on the fence, but we do also get a bunch of specialty coffee, fresh juices, and lots of bottled waters. Oh and we do drink a far share of alcohol.

Still the sale may or may not be real. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth.

As others have said, if the price is good for you, purchase it and you can always cancel and repurchase.

So often that it really isn't a sale but regular price made to look like a sale.

Right now the package for my up coming cruise is buy one get 50% off the second and it still comes out to $55 per day each plus 18%. That is one great bargain.🙄

Best prices I have seen so far this year were on black Friday.  Beverage package on some cruises went to $48+tip on some cruises.

Different ships have different prices at different times of course.

We paid $57 PP including tips a month ago for ours.I'll keep checking if it goes lower till our May cruise.

Sometimes.. but not really.. Just keep checking your cruise planner.. We've been holding at $55 a day for our September Cruise on Freedom.. 

I just booked our May cruise a couple of weeks ago. The alcohol package started at $65, then went to $69, and is now sitting at $60. I feel like I bought it for $55 last time. 

Over the past year our price changes about every week or 2.  From 10%-30% off.  Never more than 30%.  That is a little better than the BOGO half off sale.  Keep an eye on it. I check daily since we have 3 cruises booked in the next couple of years.  Each one is different prices.  Also different sale dates.  I suspect it has to do with how well sales are going. They offer the discount if not enough people are paying the full price.

Our 2021 cruises have not had any discounts offered yet.  I keep watching.  I have this dream that I will see a one day special early sale and get the best deal ever.  😉

So here it is attached. The main landing page and the DBP page. They are saying that the regular price is $81.50 per person per day. I have never seen a regular price anywhere near that high. Strightup fraud as I see it, but I'll still eventually buy it. Hopefully a New Year sale will put it in the $50's.

$82 was the on board price on my recent Navigator sailings.

31 minutes ago, Jarmo said:

$82 was the on board price on my recent Navigator sailings.

I stand corrected. It is a real sale based on onboard pricing. Just not a real sale based on the regular online price shown. 30 min later its back to regular price and is still the same price as the sale price.

Is there any way to find out the prices of the drink package BEFORE you book?   I'm the type of person who just likes to plan and compare.   I'm debating between two cruises, one a RCCL on Empress of the Seas Jan 31 2021 and one on another cruise line.  It would be helpful to be able to know in advance so I can compare.  I always pre-book the package before I cruise.  I understand there are sales I can look out for, but in case I don't find one.  

15 minutes ago, rnr4thatsme said:

Is there any way to find out the prices of the drink package BEFORE you book? 

Not really, and even if you could, it would be a snap shot as prices change all the time. For planning use $50+18%.

26 minutes ago, rnr4thatsme said:

Is there any way to find out the prices of the drink package BEFORE you book?   ...

You could ask someone on the Roll Call thread for the cruise you are considering.

22 minutes ago, rnr4thatsme said:

Is there any way to find out the prices of the drink package BEFORE you book?   I'm the type of person who just likes to plan and compare.   I'm debating between two cruises, one a RCCL on Empress of the Seas Jan 31 2021 and one on another cruise line.  It would be helpful to be able to know in advance so I can compare.  I always pre-book the package before I cruise.  I understand there are sales I can look out for, but in case I don't find one.  

For an Empress cruise in May of this year the price for the beverage package is $48/person/day not including gratuities.  

This is the lowest I have ever seen the price.

Tomorrow it could be $65.

The prices can change almost daily.

THE BEST YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IS ASK SOMONE ON THE SAME EXACT CRUISE TO CHECK THE RATE BUT UNDERSTAND THAT IS JUST A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.  

Whatever the rate is assume 20% more for planning purposes and see if that fits your plans.

FYI, while I really liked Empress many people may not.  

In truth the drink packages are always "on sale" in the cruise planner.

On board the price is always higher, usually in high 60s to mid 80s plus 18%.

Typically in the cruise planner the packages are always discounted from on board prices.  Some people see the discounted prices week after week and begin to think that is the normal price so when the next sale produces the same discounted price they claim fake.

Perhaps Royal needs to make the on board price the cruise planner "normal" price.  Then once a month advertise the sale price.  Only then would it be more evident that it is a discounted price.    For whatever reason Royal doesn't do that, they have taken the approach of always offering a discounted rate in the cruise planner.  

Reactivating this thread now that sailing will be starting up again soon.

I just booked Liberty almost a year and a half out and happened to check the DBP price in the Cruise Planner. What I found was $57 with no "sale" language at all (see screen shot). If this is an actual "regular" price, I don't think it's that bad, but would love to snap it up at 20% or more off. I could buy it now to be safe and watch for a later sale, but don't really relish the idea of shelling out $950 eighteen months in advance. We're all pretty confident they will hold routine sales, but for those with more experience than I, what is the likelihood this "regular" price would inch up as departure gets closer? And what's to prevent them from slapping a 20% banner on later and just leave it at $57? After all, the price range they cite for DBP's on their beverage info page is $63 - $89:  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/beverage-packages

For all I know, this is already a sale price. Advice?