Eating & Drinking Onboard RCCL--Confused!

[theshowmestate]

Will someone explain to me in simple English the drinking systems on board the Allure…too many options…

 

Daughters will drink water, lemonade, milk & smoothies maybe juice at breakfast--what package should they get

Hubby & I will drink water, maybe some tea/coffee, beer, wine and maybe a cocktail

 

Dining--I guess you do the MDR or choose a up charge venue and pay the up charge fee per person eating there????

[ryano]

Will someone explain to me in simple English the drinking systems on board the Allure…too many options…

 

Daughters will drink water, lemonade, milk & smoothies maybe juice at breakfast--what package should they get

Hubby & I will drink water, maybe some tea/coffee, beer, wine and maybe a cocktail

 

Dining--I guess you do the MDR or choose a up charge venue and pay the up charge fee per person eating there????

 

Your daughters likely wont need a package unless they are going to drink sodas. Water, juice at breakfast, lemonade, tea and milk are all included.

 

Unless you and your husband drink a LOT of alcohol, the drink packages probably are not a good idea.

 

Depending on what ship you are going on will have a lot to do with your dining options. The included "free" options on all RCI ships are the Windjammer buffet and the MDR. There are other included dining options depending on what ship.

 

What ship are yall on? :)

Edited March 6, 2014 by ryano

[bouhunter]

If daughters don't drink soda, I'd say pay as they go.

 

For the adults, no easy answer, it all depends on what and how much alcohol you plan do drink. If just a beer/wine/cocktail here and there probably also best to not get a package and pay as you go.

 

Yes MDR is "free". You can choose to go to the specialty restaurants for a fee. In our opinion it's worth it 4 nights on a 7 night cruise. Others love the MDR and go every night.

[seb]

You say you're on the Allure. Many free eating venues there. Beside Windjammer and MDR, you have the Park Cafe in Central Park. Good sandwiches and salads for lunch:-). You also have venues on the Boardwalk as well and many others. Just go to the RCI website. They have an area that identifies their ships. Click on that and then click on the Allure. You'll be able to get all the info you need on dining. The Allure is one of our favorite ships. You'll definitely get the WOW factor on her that RCI tries to provide.

 

As other's have said, based on what you stated, no drink package will be worth it. You have to get toward the 5 - 8 drinks/day range to start to make them an option to look at.

 

Hope this helps

 

Steve

[dacsmom]

From what you posted it seem like you would make out better if you did not buy a package.

For a 7 night cruise I will usually book one specialty restaurant, maybe two.

[DonnaK]

I wouldn't get any package if I were you. We never do.

 

You can get water, lemonade, iced tea, tea, coffee, and flavored water all over the ship for free. Juice at breakfast is free. Sometimes they have hot chocolate packets in the Café to which you can add hot water and milk.

 

For an occasional soda, or adult beverage, it is not worth buying the package.

 

IMO, there are also enough good quality places to eat which are included in your cruise fare, and there is no need to pay additional money for food unless you really want to. We eat in the main dining room every night, and never buy into specialty restaurants - to us, they are an unnecessary expense.

Edited March 6, 2014 by DonnaK

[LindaO]

Simply... Don't buy any packages... If you want a soda... pay as you go. If you want a drink... pay as you go... If you want what is available at many locations (included in your sailing fee) then just do that! I drink coke zero (too much) on land... but at sea... I just do with Ice Tea! I am fine... Sometimes in the theater I have a drink. You'd have to drink A LOT of soda... A LOT of liquor to make any package worth the price! Enjoy your cruise!

[readytolose]

Simply... Don't buy any packages... If you want a soda... pay as you go. If you want a drink... pay as you go... If you want what is available at many locations (included in your sailing fee) then just do that! I drink coke zero (too much) on land... but at sea... I just do with Ice Tea! I am fine... Sometimes in the theater I have a drink. You'd have to drink A LOT of soda... A LOT of liquor to make any package worth the price! Enjoy your cruise!

 

I love it when people say you have to drink a LOT to get a package. Everyone's idea of a lot is different! To the OP: it's probably not worth it for you to get a package. For me: I guess I must drink a LOT because I'm getting a package!

[dacsmom]

I love it when people say you have to drink a LOT to get a package. Everyone's idea of a lot is different! To the OP: it's probably not worth it for you to get a package. For me: I guess I must drink a LOT because I'm getting a package!

 

I agree, some people make it seem like I drink from the minute my eyes open in the morning, ok on a cruise I do drink more than at home, but the drink package works well for me.

[Swath]

In my case I drink Soda when onboard & Orange Juice (The Real Stuff NOT the Powdered CRAP)

I'm a Big Tea person

So For the 1st time I have ordered the: Replenish Package

Which covers:

Premium coffee, premium tea, bottled water: sparkling (375ml) or still (500ml), fresh squeezed orange juice, non-alcoholic cocktails and fountain soda with Coca Cola® souvenir cup.

 

Includes: Premium coffee, premium tea, frozen drinks, non-alcoholic cocktails, fountain sodas and juices

[sharonlacey]

Or you could opt for a wine package. We are wine drinkers so we get the wine package they bring it to you in the DR and if you want you could bring a bottle to your cabin. They have lots of choice on the amount of bottles you want to buy.

[nottooshabby]

Or you could opt for a wine package. We are wine drinkers so we get the wine package they bring it to you in the DR and if you want you could bring a bottle to your cabin. They have lots of choice on the amount of bottles you want to buy.

 

Yes, we do the 5 bottle wine package. If you order the expensive bottles on the list, you can save money. And don't forget you can bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom with you onto the ship(as long as their is an adult in each one).

[goodycruising]

Yes, there is a bit of a divide between the package "do" and "do not" opinions! I think the feedback I get from many people I talk to onboard the ships is that they don't want to fuss, and they like to just have a drink when they want. Not necessarily that they drink a lot! They can try a few different things, and the budget is taken care of. You also don't get into shouting for groups of friends as you have to just buy for yourself.

 

The biggest negative point in regards to drink packages seems to be the port days. If you are away for a large part of the day some people feel they don't get value overall.

 

As far as kids go, some people like the kids to be able to get whatever they feel like and the budget is taken care of again. I don't know if anyone has had issues with kids booking up large dollars of drinks? They shouldn't be able to get alcohol of course.

 

I would say I drink more onboard, but to me the package doesn't add up as I do like water and iced tea during the day.

[DrD]

I love it when people say you have to drink a LOT to get a package. Everyone's idea of a lot is different! To the OP: it's probably not worth it for you to get a package. For me: I guess I must drink a LOT because I'm getting a package!

 

Not really, a lot is well defined by the CDC:

 

What is excessive alcohol use?

Excessive alcohol use includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, any alcohol use by people under the age 21 minimum legal drinking age, and any alcohol use by pregnant women.

 

Back to Top

 

What is binge drinking?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismExternal Web Site Icon binge drinking is defined as a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% or more. This pattern of drinking usually corresponds to 5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on a single occasion for women, generally within about 2 hours.

 

 

Back to Top

 

What do you mean by heavy drinking?

For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 2 drinks per day, or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 1 drink per day, or more than 7 drinks per week.

 

 

And lest you think I'm holier-than-thou, I too drink "a lot" when on vacation and sometimes I drink "a lot" when not on vacation. Although still not enough for package, but that's also because we bring 4 bottles of wine on board for our 2 cabins and wife doesn't drink much if at all.

 

BTW those numbers come from the fact that at that level we start to see medical consequences, so I would say that it's "a lot" when if affects one's health.

 

But it sure is fun, and there's no point in living to be one hundred if you're miserable!

[blackshirt]

I love it when people say you have to drink a LOT to get a package. Everyone's idea of a lot is different! To the OP: it's probably not worth it for you to get a package. For me: I guess I must drink a LOT because I'm getting a package!

 

Maybe a LOT is the wrong way to say it but you do need to drink enough every day to get your money's worth ( or at least I would) and this applies to both passengers in the cabin since if one gets it then each must get the drink package. Now that may not be difficult on days at sea but days in port not that easy.

[bilyclub]

Maybe a LOT is the wrong way to say it but you do need to drink enough every day to get your money's worth ( or at least I would) and this applies to both passengers in the cabin since if one gets it then each must get the drink package. Now that may not be difficult on days at sea but days in port not that easy.

 

Wrong, unless it changed again. Only one person in a cabin can get a package.

[leatonniu]

They have lots of choice on the amount of bottles you want to buy.

[cb at sea]

You don't HAVE to buy a package to get any drink.

 

Included in your fare is ice water, coffee, tea (hot or iced) lemonade, milk, and juice at breakfast.

 

Everything else can be bought "a la carte"....

 

If you plan to drink many different kinds of alcoholic drinks, then the most expensive package will cover just about everything.

 

If you are big wine drinkers, then buying a package will be more cost effective than buying by the glass, or even, buying a bottle nightly.

 

You just need to really check out the packages, and attempt to figure out where the "break even" point is.

 

You do NOT need to buy any of the packages in advance....you can wait until you're on the ship, or even, buy it on day 2! There's no rush. If you buy after day 1, the package prices are pro-rated for the remaining day...but the minimum you must buy is for the last 4 days of the cruise.

[blackshirt]

Wrong, unless it changed again. Only one person in a cabin can get a package.

 

Perhaps they no longer require both passengers to get a package but there is no way that second part is true. Are you telling me if I buy the ultimate drink package, then my wife can't get it? That makes no sense.

[DrD]

Perhaps they no longer require both passengers to get a package but there is no way that second part is true. Are you telling me if I buy the ultimate drink package, then my wife can't get it? That makes no sense.

 

I'm sure bilyclub meant "can get package" as in "is able to get package." It's kind of an awkward sentence, but I think it should read something like "one person in a cabin can buy the package." It's definitely true that more than 1 person can buy the same or any other package.

[SNJCruisers]

what do you mean by heavy drinking?

For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average of more than 2 drinks per day, or more than 14 drinks per week.

Oh well.....I guess it looks like I will have 13 days of "heavy drinking" during my first B2B in a few weeks.

[Havingfun2010]

1 drink at dinner, 1 at a show, 1 in the casino, 2 in the evening, 1 cool and refreshing frozen drink at the pool, 1 or 2 soda a day, plus a bottle of water. All the drinks spread out over 12 hours. It's easy to break even, without ever getting drunk. I think it's a false assumption that you need to drink alot on a cruise to make a package work.

 

It's not for everyone, and each person can chose one that fits their needs. The plus side is that it's easy, no keeping track, pay one price and forget about it.

[Travel R]

In regards to a soda package for your daughter - you did not say how old she is. If she is a teen I would recommend getting her the soda package.

 

We do not let our daughters drink soda at home, except on "special occasions. "We consider a cruise a special occasion. Although my DD13 would not drink the 3 drinks each day to make the package "worth it" - we still paid to give her the soda package. Our reasoning being that if she orders a soda while out with the other teens, and puts it down anywhere and loses eye contact with it -- we would prefer that she gets herself a new soda instead of drinking the old one (even if she only had a few sips from the one she put down).

 

As for a soda package for adults - we figured that we would have to order three sodas each day to make the package worth while. If you have one with lunch, and one with dinner - then one more while out at the pool or during the evening, it is worth it.

[Thetrail]

Your daughters likely wont need a package unless they are going to drink sodas. Water, juice at breakfast, lemonade, tea and milk are all included.

 

Unless you and your husband drink a LOT of alcohol, the drink packages probably are not a good idea.

 

Depending on what ship you are going on will have a lot to do with your dining options. The included "free" options on all RCI ships are the Windjammer buffet and the MDR. There are other included dining options depending on what ship.

 

What ship are yall on? :)

That about covers it ryano....K.O.:)

[Sherlock43031]

it really isn't rocket science.. take the number of drinks you expect to drink in a day times the avg cost of the drink if it's less than the package cost you don't need the package. if you want to try a lot of drinks you normally wouldn't try and not feel bummed if you didn't like them then go with the package that way you know your fixed cost before the trip and not worry about when, where, why, to get any drink that you feel like trying. if you have a lot of port days factor that into your thinking.