All inclusive drinks package - just off IOS for those interested in the package

[DaisyDoo246]

Hi Nikki

They had 3 formal nights and one black and white night however, I didn’t really notice that anyone paid much attention to the black and white night!

The shows I think were 7.30 and 9.30 – we always ate at the 6pm sitting, well 6.30pm by the time we got there!

Yes there are height restrictions – the flow rider I can’t remember sorry but I would guess at 8yrs old your son will be too small to flow ride unless he’s tall for his age. He will be able to boogie board though. My son is 12 and he was tall enough to flow ride but only just really.

NO BAKED ALASKA! Disappointing for us but a lot healthier on the wallet!! It’s about $3.50 for a cone – they have regular flavours but nothing too exciting.

You’ll have an amazing time though – make sure your son go’s to kids club on day one when all the kids form friendships, you’ll never see him!

Helen J

[DaisyDoo246]

Just wondering if there are any purchasing restrictions if it is an adult and a child in a room. I know you said that if 2 adults are in the room, they both must purchase the package unless they met one of 3 criteria. If you have 2 rooms booked and are officially registered as one child and one adult in each room (as per required by RCCL's booking rules), I assume that you only have to purchase one drink package because the 2nd person in your room is only 4 years old. Correct?

 

 

Hi Russ

I can't answer thi sone sorry - but it seems to make sense if that's how the booking is on the paperwork - good luck!:-)

[Sinppu]

Just be careful about that - the italian train system is notorious for striking and if it does you may not get to Rome or back from Rome ... when we were there this happened and only ship sponsored excursions actually got into the city. I met a couple who had been to Rome on a cruise twice before and never made it into the city :(

 

Do NOT let this scare you. Trenitalia is by no means notorious and the strikes are ALWAYS notified in advance.

Check the Europe/Italy boards for more information.

[petronella]

Helen, thank you for all the information you've given about the drinks packages (and other things!)

 

We are on Indy in 11 days (yay!) and still dithering over whether to get a package. We're anxious about getting one in case it's just not cost effective but at the same time, don't want to have to worry about what we're spending if we buy as and when.

 

Can you remember roughly how much beer costs by the glass? And if a gratuity is added if you buy by the glass? I think it probably is and that may just sway us towards a package.

[Linda & John]

Just be careful about that - the italian train system is notorious for striking and if it does you may not get to Rome or back from Rome ... when we were there this happened and only ship sponsored excursions actually got into the city. I met a couple who had been to Rome on a cruise twice before and never made it into the city :(

 

We flew to Rome in 2008. In the weeks prior to our leaving, the Aliltalia pilots and crews were out marching in the streets threatening to strike. We didn't know from one day to the next if our flight would happen. It all worked out, but I had to Google Alitalia for news everyday.

 

Back then you had to wait in a long line at the Rome airport when returning to the U.S. You couldn't do your boarding passes before you got to the airport.

[carillion]

Ok - drinks package. The cheaper one is wine and beer at $45pp per day. The $55 includes spirits and cocktails, it says frozen cocktails but my husband was never refused any, as I said he drinks LOTS of mojito's, not the frozen ones the freshly made ones. He also drank plenty of champagne by the glass in the champagne bar. All the spirits are branded, eg he drank G&T and it was Bombay Sapphire.

 

In the Dog & Badger pub the drinks menu had no prices against it however, in Vintages opposite they did. Here are a few to help;

Glass of house champagne $8 bottle $33, Veuve $22 a glass and $89 bottle

Glenlivet $8.25, Chivas Regal $7, Bourbon $8.25, Graham's Port $7

Johnnie Walker black label $7

Wines varied massively, house glass $8

 

My husband bought the package but I didn't as i'd given up drink through choice. You have to fit the criteria to be able to do that ie pregnant, medical certificate from Dr or over 95yrs. Or........at the discretion of the Management......if you have a good argument, polite, fair, firm and discrete with other passengers......if you get my drift ;)

 

Was it cost effective? I did try to get a print out on the last day of what he'd drunk to see if it had paid off but they couldn't tell me. We think he had his monies worth especially given we didn't buy a wine package and was having 3 glasses with dinner in addition to day time and evenings.

 

There were no additional tips on the bill, the drinks package covered it all.

 

To sum up in my opinion, if you like a few Coronas or Magners by the pool, a few glasses of wine with dinner, cocktails, champagne or whatever your tipple in the evenings then yes it was, for us. It saved me glaring at him saying 'are you having ANOTHER drink'!

 

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Hi DaisyDoo, sorry to question you but are you sure you can have champagne and cocktails on the package, as this would make all the differance to us if we could:D.

 

Sounds like you had a great time :D

[lisiamc]

Another question about the premium package - Does anyone know how it works with the wines at dinner? For example, can you order a bottle as part of the package, or are you restricted to ordering glasses? If it's by the glass, how nice are the wines they serve that way? I love a nice cocktail before dinner, but I'm picky about which wines I like, too!

[jb972]

Hi everyone,

More questions on the drinks package! (seem to have to do soooo much homework before sailing :confused:)

I have already set up my cabin account but does anybody know if i can pay for the drinks package in dollars when i board instead? i would rather not start the holiday in deficit if i can help it!

Also i have read lots of threads about frozen cocktail vs cocktails and everybody seems to have been able to have had either at no extra cost but is there anybody out there that did fall foul of this rule?

Thanks

Julie.

[joe6666]

The wife and I cruised last week on a line that offered a drink package.

It was 20 Euros pp.pd. it covered all the normal drinks except those with name brand alcohol, 5 varieties of wine, draft beer, fancy coffees, ice cream, shakes.

An good deal I thought.

For our 7 day Medcruise it came to $233 each. $466 total.

 

We drank all we wanted and....yes, a little more.

I have no complaints. It covered everything I wanted.

 

Now here comes the spooky part.

I added it all up, I kept the receipts.

I added the 15 percent service charge.

And I found that our drink package had paid for $466 and change.

How about that? Almost an exact wash.

 

Well, that's interesting.... But that's not why I'm posting.

I'm posting to let you folks know that the two of us couldn't beat the cost of the package. And that was a 20 euro pp/pd package. And I did some drinking on this cruise, the wife not quite as much but almost.

 

I don't see how anyone could beat a $45 or $55 pp/pd deal.

[NIKII135]

Hi Nikki

They had 3 formal nights and one black and white night however, I didn’t really notice that anyone paid much attention to the black and white night!

The shows I think were 7.30 and 9.30 – we always ate at the 6pm sitting, well 6.30pm by the time we got there!

Yes there are height restrictions – the flow rider I can’t remember sorry but I would guess at 8yrs old your son will be too small to flow ride unless he’s tall for his age. He will be able to boogie board though. My son is 12 and he was tall enough to flow ride but only just really.

NO BAKED ALASKA! Disappointing for us but a lot healthier on the wallet!! It’s about $3.50 for a cone – they have regular flavours but nothing too exciting.

You’ll have an amazing time though – make sure your son go’s to kids club on day one when all the kids form friendships, you’ll never see him!

Helen J

Hi helen

Sorry to bother you again.

 

Can you remember which specific nights the formals fell on - as we want to book the speciality restaurants & can't decide which nights to book.

 

Do they do anything special on the formal nights? On my only other cruise experience the formal nights included a "parade" past all the intricate foods they had prepared, cakes in the form of carousels & ice sculptures etc etc. Is it anything like that or is it just a normal dining evening but in posh frocks?

 

Re drinks did your kids have the soda package? What is included in the soda package & what are the drinks like. What "free" drinks are available. My little boy really only drinks fruit shoots, water, perhaps lemondade - but he's not a big coke or fizzy drink drinker. In the bars or restaurants at night - what drinks are available for the kids? Are they still able to use the "Soda package".

 

Thanks

 

Nikii

[gerimay1964]

Hi we are just back from a cruise on the splendour of the seas and bought the prenium drinks package and found that it definitely worked for us. As with regard to the wine included it is only glasses of house wine that is included( it didnt matter to us as we are not wine drinkers) but if you wanted a special bottle for dinner you would have to pay for it. All branded beers up to the value of $7 dollars and spirits and cocktails to the value of $10 dollars included in package. Frozen or normal cocktails to the value of $10 and most of them are below this price are included. And yes if you want to pay for this in dollars at the start of the cruise I dont see that it would be a problem..you buy the package at one of the bars on the day of boarding as you are charged for the full amount of days even if you buy it on day two of your cruise and then if you want to pay so much of it just go to the customer relations desk with your dollars and they will deduct it from your account balance..and for anyone with children that doesnt drink fizzy drinks there is water, diluted lemonade and fruit flavoured water all day long for free as well as coffee and teas...hope some people find this information helpful...and we would defintely do the drinks package again

Geraldine

[StlGal]

DH and I are planning on getting the $55 package. Does anyone who has recently been on Splendour and gotten the $55 package know if you can use this in the Champagne Bar? If so, what kind of champagne, and champagne cocktails are included?

 

Thanks so much,

angie