Average Bar Bill on the Regal Princess

[Husky61]

We don't have a budget for drinks on the ship. We drink what we want when we want, and pay the bill at the end of the cruise. Some cruises are higher than others.:):)

[RocketMan275]

My wife and I are also not big drinker's. Both used to be.. not so much any more.

 

Now.. having said that... we DO have the AIBP for our cruise in two weeks AND next December. Here's why..

 

We do consume more drinks when we cruise. I like to have a specialty coffee in the morning, as does she. I also like to have a Mimosa AND a Bloody Mary at some point in the morning. Then the afternoon rolls into play and I will have a few beers sitting by the pool and maybe a frozen Drink of the Day.

 

Now the evening kicks in and there's usually a drink or two before dinner, wine with dinner and a drink or two after dinner before bed.

 

My wife will normally match my drinking habits..

 

So that makes approx. 15 drinks between the two of us (And I didn't include any soda's we might have during the day).. and as someone just said.. with an average price of about $9 a piece that's $135 per day. The AIBP is about $115 ($57 and some change per person) per day (including the gratuity) so even if we don't consume that amount on the days we are in port, we still love the freedom of the AIBP. It's paid for and I don't have to worry about our bar tap, coffee tab,.. OH... Bottled Water tab...

 

So yes, in the end its subjective to how you drink. But now you can see how it can add up.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

I'm curious. You use the term "15 drinks between the two of us". Is that 15 drinks each or 15 drinks total? If it's 15 total, then you're losing money buying two drink packages. If it's 15 each, then the AIBP makes sense.

[WISH84]

I'm curious. You use the term "15 drinks between the two of us". Is that 15 drinks each or 15 drinks total? If it's 15 total, then you're losing money buying two drink packages. If it's 15 each, then the AIBP makes sense.

 

 

How do you figure that? The package is what? $57 per person per day? Total cost $114 per day. Average drink price after gratuity anywhere between $7 and $9 each? And remember, not included in my scenario were soft drinks and bottled water. 15 drinks at $8 is $120 and that's before soft drinks and water.

 

And trust me, I was being a little conservative in my count. [emoji12]

 

And as I mentioned before, we love the freedom it gives us so even if we lose a little because of port days (which I don't think we will) I enjoy having the package.

[RocketMan275]

My husband and I are First time cruisers. We leave out on the Regal Princess on Jan 3rd.

 

Wife and I are not big drinkers either. We've done Caribbean Princess and Regal Princess averaging $300 for beverages including two soda and more packages and a coffee package. Remember, you can bring aboard two bottles of win.

 

use the beverage calculator and work out works for you. It takes a big drinker to break even. Anyone might for a day or two but for seven days including port days?

 

Yes, I know, the joys of not having sticker shock at the end of the cruise but you'll also get a shock when you see how much you could have saved by not buying the package.

 

Funny thing, I got a promo from Norwegian this morning offering your choice of four different promos including three valued at around $300 and a drink package at $1400. Think about that. Three at $300 each and one at $1400. Do you really think the cruise line expects you to drink $1400? I suspect that all four cost the cruise line about the same.

[WISH84]

Wife and I are not big drinkers either. We've done Caribbean Princess and Regal Princess averaging $300 for beverages including two soda and more packages and a coffee package. Remember, you can bring aboard two bottles of win.

 

use the beverage calculator and work out works for you. It takes a big drinker to break even. Anyone might for a day or two but for seven days including port days?

 

Yes, I know, the joys of not having sticker shock at the end of the cruise but you'll also get a shock when you see how much you could have saved by not buying the package.

 

Funny thing, I got a promo from Norwegian this morning offering your choice of four different promos including three valued at around $300 and a drink package at $1400. Think about that. Three at $300 each and one at $1400. Do you really think the cruise line expects you to drink $1400? I suspect that all four cost the cruise line about the same.

 

Well, for this cruise we purchased the drink package and I would have to have "not" drank a lot to look back at it and say to myself.. "damn what a waste of money that was" After all of our cruises.. more times than not we look back saying just the opposite: "damn we spent a lot of cash on drinks"

 

Next year's booking on the Regal was made under the Sip & Sail promotion and I actually paid less for the reservation than I did for the one in two weeks and that was WITHOUT the AIBP included.

 

I've used the Beverage Calculator under two different scenarios. One where I wake up, roll out of bed and walk straight to the nearest bar.. in that scenario I make out like a bandit (of course) the other one, where I drink more conservatively, I did loose about $32 per day (total).

 

This (the AIBP) will be one of my major hitting points when I come back and do my review. That... and the soot associated with the cabin. :cool:

[RocketMan275]

How do you figure that? The package is what? $57 per person per day? Total cost $114 per day. Average drink price after gratuity anywhere between $7 and $9 each? And remember, not included in my scenario were soft drinks and bottled water. 15 drinks at $8 is $120 and that's before soft drinks and water.

 

And trust me, I was being a little conservative in my count. [emoji12]

 

And as I mentioned before, we love the freedom it gives us so even if we lose a little because of port days (which I don't think we will) I enjoy having the package.

 

You are correct. I misinterpreted.

[mjmalino]

I thought that all members of a cabin over the age of 21 had to get the AIBP and that you could't only have 1 person purchase it. Did that change? We never buy it because hubby rarely drinks (maybe we will have a bottle of wind with dinner 2 times during a 7 day cruise) and I only have 1, maybe 2 drinks on evening when I go listen to music or something, which isn't every night. We also stick with the regular coffee, but sometime I will splurge for the coffee card, and we rarely drink soda. My kids don't even drink a lot of soda.

[exbiologist]

Wife and I like to drink but were consciously trying to keep our bar bills down. Among the things we did was hit every happy hour we could. Usually there was one before dinner at one bar with a buy one get one for $1, then again after dinner, so we'd have two or three drinks apiece during each of those hours, plus a glass of wine at dinner, then maybe one or two beers at full price outside of happy hour. Think our 12 day cruise bar bill came out around $600, which is what the price of one drink package would have been. Had minimal drinks in port.

[floridalover5623]

Our average is usually around 5 bucks. :D

[reedprincess]

I thought that all members of a cabin over the age of 21 had to get the AIBP and that you could't only have 1 person purchase it. Did that change? We never buy it because hubby rarely drinks (maybe we will have a bottle of wind with dinner 2 times during a 7 day cruise) and I only have 1, maybe 2 drinks on evening when I go listen to music or something, which isn't every night. We also stick with the regular coffee, but sometime I will splurge for the coffee card, and we rarely drink soda. My kids don't even drink a lot of soda.

 

The rules changes on that over a year ago. Now one person in the cabin can buy it or no people or two people. If you're drinking habits are as described, it makes no sense for either of you, regardless of what the rule may be.

It is still priced per person, for duration of sailing and no sharing....however there is now requirement for all people 21 and over in same cabin to purchase a package or none can purchase.

Our average bar bill nowadays is exactly whatever the package cones to for duration of sailing. And we have zero problems "getting our money's worth" without being intoxicated or drunk all day. There's more to it than alcohol...

Enjoy your future sailings...

[WISH84]

It is still priced per person, for duration of sailing and no sharing....however there is now requirement for all people 21 and over in same cabin to purchase a package or none can purchase.

 

Just to be clear, since this is the very question asked... I presume you meant to say "there is NO requirement for everyone over 21 in the cabin to purchase the package"

 

If anyone is a frequent cruiser of Carnival AND Princess, I can see how this is confusing. Carnival ships DO require everyone in the cabin over 21 to purchase their package if one does. When I purchased our package for the Regal in two weeks, I had to call Princess to clarify a few questions I had about it because I was under the impression Princess operated with the same rules that Carnival does. I was very pleased to learn that wasn't the case and as soon as I hung up the phone, I purchased the package on line.

[reedprincess]

Just to be clear, since this is the very question asked... I presume you meant to say "there is NO requirement for everyone over 21 in the cabin to purchase the package"

 

If anyone is a frequent cruiser of Carnival AND Princess, I can see how this is confusing. Carnival ships DO require everyone in the cabin over 21 to purchase their package if one does. When I purchased our package for the Regal in two weeks, I had to call Princess to clarify a few questions I had about it because I was under the impression Princess operated with the same rules that Carnival does. I was very pleased to learn that wasn't the case and as soon as I hung up the phone, I purchased the package on line.

Thanks for the catch. Yup, should read "NO" requirement for each person to purchase.

[MrKenFL]

On our very first cruise on another cruise line we watched a younger couple in their mid 30's enjoying the poolside activities, and also in the theatre at nite, sampling the drinks of the day in fairly decent quantities and being perfect hosts to friends in the vicinity by buying them drinks.

I happened to be near the couple at the passenger desk at the end of the cruise as he was questioning his bill for onboard expenses which contained expenses for over $1,500 in booze ! I'm sure he was highly thought of by his friends but maybe his wife questioned his judgement once they got home. This was only a 7 night cruise !

For us, our 7 night cruise liquor consumption would typically be in the $400 range for the 2 of us ! Not quite as bad ! Average of 5 drinks a day each.

We're almost teetotalers !