Drink package worth it?

[smith6]

We are sailing on the Carnival Conquest this weekend and my wife and I are debating on the drink package or not or should we pay as we go. We both like our drinks and have a good time also we are first time cruisers so any input would be appreciated.

[okgirl]

We are sailing on the Carnival Conquest this weekend and my wife and I are debating on the drink package or not or should we pay as we go. We both like our drinks and have a good time also we are first time cruisers so any input would be appreciated.

 

The Cheers program is worth it if you think you will each have at least 6 cocktails a day. It's harder to make it worth it if you are just a beer drinker.

 

Keep in mind that for 2 adults in the cabin the program is going to be about $800ish for the cabin (everyone over 21 has to purchase it).

 

They start offering drink specials (Bloody Mary's, Mimosa's, Bellini's) early in the morning, so it's not hard or unusual for me to have 2 or 3 Bloody Mary's before lunch then 3 or 4 Mojito's or Margarita's in the afternoon, then several wines with dinner and in the casino.

 

So for us, yes it is worth it.

[dd2355]

The Cheers program is worth it if you think you will each have at least 6 cocktails a day.

 

Don't forget that's also EVERY day. So if the cruise itinerary is port heavy and you'll spend a lot of time off ship in ports that's also a factor.

 

"Worth it" is a personal decision you're going to have to make for yourself. It's worth it for some people, not worth it for others.

 

How many alcoholic drinks will you consume throughout the cruise? If the cost for those plus gratuity would be more than the cost of the program, then it's a good deal. If not, then it isn't a good deal.

 

Some people value the budgeting aspect, they know they're paying $800 or whatever no matter how much they drink. Others value feeling like drinks are "included" and not feeling like they're spending money every time they order a drink. Those factors are personal though and you'll need to figure out how much you "value" those aspects.

[MuffyKismet]

I plan on using the Cheers program on our Breeze cruise in September! I have read a lot of post regarding this subject! I met a couple at a local Japanese steakhouse the other night and they said they did the Cheers program on their Breeze cruise this past January and said even they are both not big drinker it was definitely worth it! They enjoyed trying new drinks that they never tried before and not having to worry about what the bar bill was at the end of t he cruise! So I am ALL IN!!!

[caribsun]

I ran the numbers and its not a value for the two of us. On sea days I can consume 6 drinks but on port days maybe two when on the ship and my spouse half of what I drink. Run the numbers on your lifestyle. Have fun !:)

[kona_wahine]

Yes, depends on the person(s). There is no way we would ever come close to drinking enough. I just can't drink that much for 7 days in a row. I'd be a mess and passed out every day by 5:00.

[Bellicheck Brain Trust]

We are sailing on the Carnival Conquest this weekend and my wife and I are debating on the drink package or not or should we pay as we go. We both like our drinks and have a good time also we are first time cruisers so any input would be appreciated.

 

Purchase one and share it...... you will get your monies worth that way based on the amount you stated you like to drink!

[Boozebabe]

Purchase one and share it...... you will get your monies worth that way based on the amount you stated you like to drink!

 

You CAN NOT SHARE. All persons in the cabin MUST purchase it or no one can purchase it.

 

That being said, I wish that Carnival WOULD sell one package that people could share. Lets face it 15 drinks is 15 drinks, no matter who drinks them. After all they sell FTTF and everyone in the cabin gets in on that deal.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Boozebabe

[mferris77]

Purchase one and share it...... you will get your monies worth that way based on the amount you stated you like to drink!

 

*grabs a chair and some popcorn*

All ethics of doing this aside, everyone in the same cabin over the age of 21 has to purchase the package, so this isn't an option.

Edited April 23, 2014 by mferris77

[bjd2]

We've done it twice now and never set out to "get our monies worth". Both times going on a midline average, we have saved over $500 versus if we were paying by the drink. We probably did drink more than without it, but we like the all inclusive feeling and not feeling like we have to be checking the account every day to see what "damage" we did yesterday. Our drinks are typically 8.75 - 9.95 with just a few being a bit lower than that.

[okgirl]

You CAN NOT SHARE. All persons in the cabin MUST purchase it or no one can purchase it.

 

That being said, I wish that Carnival WOULD sell one package that people could share. Lets face it 15 drinks is 15 drinks, no matter who drinks them. After all they sell FTTF and everyone in the cabin gets in on that deal.

 

I'm sure that Carnival is banking on MOST people not coming anywhere close to the 15 drink limit. They wouldn't offer it if it wasn't profitable for them.

 

They don't make money on my sister and I. We rarely get off the ship when it's in port and probably average about 12 drinks a day between the hours of 10am and when we go to bed around 2am.

 

That's not even on average a drink an hour, so we're easily able to metabolize the alcohol without feeling many of the effects. We also order a glass of water with every drink we purchase just to offset the impact to our liver and kidneys.

[GINGERWILDCAT]

We sat at the airport running through our drinks bill, we only ever hit target one day and that was a rained off St Lucia day in February, the rest of the time it was about 10 drinks per day,but we still worked out we were way in front when you consider the drinks prices.

[rocketship]

We did it on our last cruise and as long as Carnival keeps the program around, we will never look back. We had two other couples with us who both were not sure if they should do it or not. Come day 2, they were all in. We are the type who like to get up and have a mimosa or two with breakfast, a few beers/cocktails during the day by the pool, a couple of glasses of wine at dinner and then drinks with the late night festivities... We easily came out ahead. I drink a bit more than my SO, but even so, she came out ahead as well.

[bigdog1958]

Keep in mind, soda is also included in the program, also virgin drinks when you may not want alcohol but want a frozen drink of some kind.. Also, after dinner you can get a bailey's on the rocks or two, and not worry about spending 6 bucks or more for each.. Even without drinking alot of alcohol, the program can still be a good deal... Some of the wines are over 9 bucks, so a couple with dinner adds up in a hurry...

[fishtaco]

Yes, depends on the person(s). There is no way we would ever come close to drinking enough. I just can't drink that much for 7 days in a row. I'd be a mess and passed out every day by 5:00.

 

This is what some people seem to ignore or forget when adding up the amount they may spend on drinks per day against the savings with the programme its Everyday and do you drink that much Everyday!

 

We drink a fair bit on our cruises and actually smuggle as well but we actually cancelled an all inclusive drinks package on day 5 of a 14 night cruise, not a Carnival cruise but an all inclusive cruise drinks package regardless.

 

By the morning of the 5th day we had totally over indulged and we were both feeling the the effects of 4 full days drinking more Alcohol than normal.

 

The 5th day we did not want any booze at all but we did drink the rest of the cruise just not as much!

 

There is as well some minor domestic issues that can occur at close quarters on a cruise with one partner drinking much more than the other. one family I met were dinning breakfast lunch and dinner without the Dad most days because of the package so the impact of too much booze can sometimes spread beyond the purchasers, I know this can also happen with paying as you go but usually one partner holds the purse strings so when its already paid for it can change a persons normal consumption am mount big time;)

[MrMrsCruizer]

We got it on cruise on the Sunshine last month and we enjoyed it. I like the fact that I can try a drink and if i didn't like it oh well I just ordered another one. The other thing that I really enjoyed is every night I would end with a chocolate martini or two before going off the bed. Something I learned 2 days into the cruise is that if you order a classic drink which cost 8.75 and ask for the reprint receipt you can take it to the casino and get a $5 free play at the tables. I had collected over $100 worth of these and my husband used at the tables and game ahead $400 with them. So was it worth it for us - YES.

[awinter]

We got it on cruise on the Sunshine last month and we enjoyed it. I like the fact that I can try a drink and if i didn't like it oh well I just ordered another one. The other thing that I really enjoyed is every night I would end with a chocolate martini or two before going off the bed. Something I learned 2 days into the cruise is that if you order a classic drink which cost 8.75 and ask for the reprint receipt you can take it to the casino and get a $5 free play at the tables. I had collected over $100 worth of these and my husband used at the tables and game ahead $400 with them. So was it worth it for us - YES.

 

 

 

Oh, great tip on taking the receipt to the casino!! Thanks!!

 

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Edited April 24, 2014 by awinter

[dhdelrod]

Its worth every dime. Loved the Cheers program

[lostdart1]

That's not even on average a drink an hour, so we're easily able to metabolize the alcohol without feeling many of the effects. We also order a glass of water with every drink we purchase just to offset the impact to our liver and kidneys.

 

Your doctor would be proud......:p

[mishka422]

What is this $5 casino credit? Please explain

 

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[MrMrsCruizer]

What is this $5 casino credit? Please explain

 

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If you order a classic drink ask the bartender for the receipt. You take that receipt to the cashier in the casino and she will give a card that can be used at the tables. So let's say you bet $5 dollars and place the card on the table now your bet is $10. So I started ordering classic drinks and took all the receipts to casino casher and then gave the $5 cards to my husband and he used them at the bj tables. Worded out great. Just remember that you have to ask the bartender for the receipt because they just don't give them out on their own. I had to asked ever time. But that's ok they just print it and hand to you.

[saltsandknit]

We did this on our Breeze cruise last year it was great. We are not huge drinkers but we still averaged about 8 drinks a day. Sea days we drank more and on one of the port days we drank very little but it all averaged out. I like wine mostly but it was nice to try a few mixed drinks that I would have passed on otherwise. We also had onboard credit that we used for part of the package so it was very economical. We will do it again on our cruise on the Magic in August.

[tanyaewa]

That's a wonderful casino tip.

 

Off to checkout what constitutes a classic drink....