Drink Package...Is it worth it?

[Lazeybear]

HI So myself and my boyfriend are going on our first cruise in sept and im thinking of adding a drink package .I saw on the royal Caribbean site a new premium package that gives you beer wine cocktails and soft drinks eg coke ,orange etc it comes to €500 + for both of us for a week , i know we will probably have a drink every night but some more than others depending on activities the following day so i wonder is it good value or should we just pay as we drink lol.Does anybody know can this be payed before we go ? What do people normally do ? And if we didnt get the package what can we expect to pay per drink him mostly beer and spirits and me cocktails/spirits. I have also noticed you can pre book your table for dinner but on holiday we normally dont have a set time to eat is it a big deal to just go to dinner when you feel like it. And should you tip your barman/waiter everytime? Sorry for so many questions thers so much we are a bit lost on :p

[crystalspin]

You should probably ask on the RC forum as the answer(s) may be line specific.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

My observation is rarely does the math work out in favor of the alcoholic package! On Norwegian, for example, I would have had to drink 8 rum-and-diet-pepsis per day every day for the dollars to have broken even much less save money. That would include shore days where we had our beers in town (for MUCH less money).

 

One reason I heard here, in favor, was taking a partner on their first cruise and wanted that person to be able to try drink-of-the-day and other drinks (and maybe not finish them) without "guilt". The other reason is to be sure you have budgeted enough or paid in advance. Meh -- put the money in a canning jar and pay it at the end.

 

I believe most lines add the gratuity to all drinks when buying (signing for) them, as well as to the drink packages. You can add more, but it's really not necessary unless the person has done something special for you. Oh, I did "round up" on the drinks I got that were delivered to me in the theatre, etc. Just a quirk I have!

Edited January 4, 2014 by crystalspin

[Lazeybear]

You should probably ask on the RC forum as the answer(s) may be line specific.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

My observation is rarely does the math work out in favor of the alcoholic package! On Norwegian, for example, I would have had to drink 8 rum-and-diet-pepsis per day every day for the dollars to have broken even much less save money. That would include shore days where we had our beers in town (for MUCH less money).

 

One reason I heard here, in favor, was taking a partner on their first cruise and wanted that person to be able to try drink-of-the-day and other drinks (and maybe not finish them) without "guilt". The other reason is to be sure you have budgeted enough or paid in advance. Meh -- put the money in a canning jar and pay it at the end.

 

I believe most lines add the gratuity to all drinks when buying (signing for) them, as well as to the drink packages. You can add more, but it's really not necessary unless the person has done something special for you. Oh, I did "round up" on the drinks I got that were delivered to me in the theatre, etc. Just a quirk I have!

 

It seem like a lot i felt too. Thank you so much for your reply

[taglovestocruise]

You would need to have 10 -12 cocktails or 15 - 20 beers per day to break even. happy cruising

[paul929207]

For some people a drink package is a great deal for others a waste of money. Only you can estimate your consumption and the cost of those drinks. Remember the package is of no use in port.

[KirkNC]

You really need to do the math based on your habits. I have never purchased one but since X allows only one person in the cabin to do so, I am buying my first ever in a few weeks. For $54/day, I get unlimited sodas and any drinks up to $12. I drink 2-3 cokes a day plus on a cruise 3-4 glasses of wine so it makes sense for me. Plus I can purchase bottled wine at 30% off and my wife can drink that even though she doesn't have the package.

[LedftLizzy]

You really need to do the math based on your habits. I have never purchased one but since X allows only one person in the cabin to do so, I am buying my first ever in a few weeks. For $54/day, I get unlimited sodas and any drinks up to $12. I drink 2-3 cokes a day plus on a cruise 3-4 glasses of wine so it makes sense for me. Plus I can purchase bottled wine at 30% off and my wife can drink that even though she doesn't have the package.

 

 

 

Celebrity allows both of you to purchase the drink package. So have fun!:)

[LynnTTT]

I will preface this by saying that we just booked a lat minute celebrity cruise which comes with a beverage package. And I'm looking forward to it!

However, I would never pay extra, usually the equivalent of $45-50 per day.. Some days on board you might have quite a few drinks ( Bloody Mary breakfast, three at the pool, wine before and after dinner and a few at the shows), but on most days you'll be ashore. Some days you'll only be back at 4 or 5:00 pm and you can't get your monies worth that day.

I've also seen many people drunk and then sick because they feel they have to get their monies worth.

The only good thing is it does include soda, bottled water etc and some people really care about that.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When you calculate what you drink a day and what the price is of your drinks -- cokes, cocktails, beers, etc. -- for some people who drink a lot -- it is a good deal.

HAL requires that each person over the age of 21 buy the drink package and it runs about $45 a day per person. No way could we drink that much.

[hansolosmom]

As others have said it depends on your habits. When we did Celebrity this summer I bought the premium non-alcohol package & my dh got the alcohol package. For us it was worth it. I drink a lot of coffee and soda and bought a few drinks along the way. We were with the kids & I don't drink a lot with them. My husband got his money's worth.

 

For our upcoming trip in April it's just the 2 of us, so I bought us both the premium package. Between coffee, soda, water bottles and adult beverages I know we'll basically equal out. (I know what we've spend our bar bill previously ;) ). This way too I have everything paid up-front which I like too.

[Jobeth66]

It definitely makes a difference based on your drinking habits. I would look through some of the reviews for the ship you are sailing, find the bar menus, and add up what you're likely to drink when you're on the ship.

 

Remember to count in things like specialty coffees and fresh-squeezed juices you might have at breakfast, bottles of water you might want to take with you off-ship for an excursion or pick up immediately upon returning, etc. Include 15% gratuity on top of all of that. (There used to be some spreadsheets around for the drink packages, but I don't know if they're still out there.)

 

We did a 2-week Mediterranean on Celebrity and hubby & I both got the premium package, which was for drinks up to $15. Even with the port-intensive cruise (where we were off the ship for 10-12 hours/day) we feel like we got a great deal. It's also nice because you can pre-purchase it before your cruise, so there's no large tab waiting for you outside your door. Just not having to sign slips makes it worth it for me, quite frankly.

 

We're going on an RCI Caribbean in October, and we'll both get the drinks package again. For us and how we travel, it works. I have to drink about a gallon of water a day, and RCI has the freestyle machines with flavored Dasani. That right there makes it worth it to me.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Jobeth66