Drink Packages.... Are they making you sign?

[readytosail2014]

I am having a hard time deciding! I drink dt coke more than anything so am worried the full beverage package may not be worth it for us. Anyone know if u can pick up a dt coke at a bar and carry it back to your room or do they open it for you when serving it?

 

 

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[Retired LEO]

If you were to tip additional, can you just give them cash? Or do you have to add it to the receipt?

 

Cash is perfectly acceptable.

[Clarea]

If you were to tip additional, can you just give them cash? Or do you have to add it to the receipt?

Your choice.

[Dan-P]

Have had the Premium drink package on two sailings. On the Majesty, we had to sign every receipt. On the Independence, we didn't sign a single receipt. Service seemed comparable on both.

 

We have the Vision and the Navigator booked for our next sailings. Will be interesting to see which way it goes on them.

 

For what its worth, I liked not having to sign on the Indy, but having to sign on the Majesty certainly didn't ruin my vacation! ;)

 

Dan.

 

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[akcruz]

I am having a hard time deciding! I drink dt coke more than anything so am worried the full beverage package may not be worth it for us. Anyone know if u can pick up a dt coke at a bar and carry it back to your room or do they open it for you when serving it?

 

 

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With any of the packages soda is fountain only, no cans. Without the package cans can be purchased, and I believe can remain unopened.

[Clarea]

I am having a hard time deciding! I drink dt coke more than anything so am worried the full beverage package may not be worth it for us. Anyone know if u can pick up a dt coke at a bar and carry it back to your room or do they open it for you when serving it?

 

With any of the packages soda is fountain only, no cans. Without the package cans can be purchased, and I believe can remain unopened.

There are unopened cans of soda in the mini-bar in those staterooms that have them.

Edited August 19, 2014 by clarea

[StarSong2001]

Interesting... I thought one of the 'selling points' of getting a package was the convenience of not having to sign all those slips. For me it would never be for any money savings since I would be hard pressed to break even. It would be all about making things easy.

[MCKC]

Just off NOS 8/10-8/17 and we signed at casino and R-bar but not at the pool or dinner where the staff knew us and never for a soda. The drink packages are definitely worth it! I drank tons of water and coffees with out a care. But sailing Celebrity with a package is a whole different story....NEVER anything to sign= HEAVEN!!!

 

 

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[nolesrule]

I just got off Freedom on Sunday. I had the Replenish package, not an alcohol package, so I'm sure that gets treated differently.

 

They never swiped my card in the MDR. I had to sign for premium coffees at the Promenade Cafe every time. They swiped my card everyrtime for fresh squeezed orange juice, and I had to sign once. All the rest of my drinks, they swiped about 90% of the time, and I think I had to sign 2-3 times.

[niksmom630]

No receipts to sign on Indy in February with the package--but I actually think I prefer signing--first, I like to tip some of my favorite bartenders extra--was never even presented with a receipt, so I guess I would have had to ask for one to add a tip. Instead I had to carry some cash around, which was not as convenient as just signing and adding the tip.

 

And, because they do take your card to swipe it every time anyway, one evening I got a bit distracted at one of the more crowded bars and wound up walking away without my sea pass card. Never had that happen before, when I had to sign because it automatically went back in my purse or pocket after I signed. Or maybe just had a few too many beverages that evening ;)

 

With the new Diamond drinks vouchers pre-loaded on your sea pass card, I think I will actually pass on the beverage package on our upcoming Navigator cruise.....I felt it was a good value for me prior to the vouchers, because we never spent any time in the Diamond lounge because we were traveling with "non-Diamond" members. Now that the vouchers are preloaded, and you can use them in several of the lounges, the value is really not there anymore.

[leisuretraveler223]

Thanks for all the replies. Personally I was hoping they would take a cue from Celebrity and do away with the signing. I get that they need to swipe your card, but I would prefer not to have to sign the chits. But as long as they don't keep leaving those damned receipts that I don't want, I'll be okay!

[molsonschooner]

Interesting... I thought one of the 'selling points' of getting a package was the convenience of not having to sign all those slips. For me it would never be for any money savings since I would be hard pressed to break even. It would be all about making things easy.

For me, I don't understand what is so inconvenient about signing the slip. I am sure I can scribble something resembling my signature on a slip of paper in about 2 seconds. Not a big deal.

[leisuretraveler223]

For me, I don't understand what is so inconvenient about signing the slip. I am sure I can scribble something resembling my signature on a slip of paper in about 2 seconds. Not a big deal.

 

I found that not having to sign on Celebrity made a bigger difference than I expected. When the bar is busy, hand them the card, and they give it back a moment later, and you're good to go. Not waiting for them to print the slip, find a folder and a pen. I know it's not a big deal, but it was definitely easier.

 

Also a lot easier when you were poolside. When you ordered a drink, they took your card, wrote down your number and handed it back. When they returned with the drink, you weren't fumbling with a slip to sign as well.

 

Like I said, it actually made a surprising difference.

[palofmine]

I had the $55 package on the Allure in November and had to sign about 75% of the time. Seemed like if we spent some time in one place and had multiple drinks, we were less likely to be asked to sign.

 

 

SOME times I had to sign, sometimes they swiped my card, but when i got to know the bartender, he just looked at my cup and refilled it. For the non alcoholic frozen drinks they made me sign, and for the coffees, mochas, teas.

[MichaelCMTX]

For me, I don't understand what is so inconvenient about signing the slip. I am sure I can scribble something resembling my signature on a slip of paper in about 2 seconds. Not a big deal.

 

I guess it depends on the number and strength of prior scribbles. :D

 

ok...just did the math.

 

very roughly:

 

Sunday(sea): 200

Monday(sea): 200

Tuesday(sea): 75 (mini wall)

Wednesday: 50 (drank on Roatan)

Thursday: 75

Friday: 25 (drank on Cozumel......MAJOR WALL HIT)

Saturday(sea): 200

 

Challenge accepted! :eek: But seriously, I see this more as a "get it all paid off in advance and enjoy the vacation with the occasional inconvenience of a scribble, and no scary 'My God, what have I done?' SeaPass bill afterwards." issue than a cost savings issue.

 

After all, sometimes it's 'play money' when you just sign and go, and you're either faced with that "ugly page of reckoning" on the last day, or consciously restrain yourself to avoid said page.

Edited August 20, 2014 by MichaelCMTX

[Cindy]

[SIZE="3"]I loved the convenience of the Premium Package so much on Celebrity that I purchased the Ultimate Package for our Oasis cruise. I really hope I don't have to sign a mountain of receipts...to me, that defeats part of the reason to have a package.

Since the packages are relatively new to RCI compared to Celebrity, hopefully their procedures will continue to improve as they get deeper into implementation.

I will say, I LOVED seeing our final bill on Celebrity...row after row of $0.00!:D[/SIZE]

[Sumisid]

Last February, DH and I were first one week on Oasis and the second week on Allure. First week it was really easy with the drinks package. Every bar/restaurant on Oasis were we went just swiped our cards and that was it. So signing. Then the second week on Allure, we had to sign really EVERY drink everywhere we ordered one. It annoyed me because it was so much easier on Oasis. And I was wondering why it was handled so differently on the same cruiseline, same itinerary and same class of ship.

[slyster]

I don't mind signing because I have always had to sign and it gives me a chance to add a tip if I need to. I can see it being annoying though if you didn't have to sign for each drink OR you were on a ship that didn't require you to sign it at all.

[swinny123]

Just got off AOS, had the Premium drinks package and did not sign once :-))


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