Cheers drink package quick question

[zdub86]

Hello, just booked my first cruise in 9 years. It will be for my honeymoon and it will be my fiancee's first ever cruise!! We opted for the Cheers beverage package. We aren't huge drinkers or anything, but I figured since it's our honeymoon and her first cruise it will be worth it to us, even if we don't break even. Will give us peace of mind without having to worry about how expensive a drink is.

 

Quick question: how will the ship know you have the cheers package when you go to get a drink? Do you receive a special card? Silly question but thought I'd ask the seasoned cruisers :)

 

Thanks in advance!

[FaithfulRaider]

It shows up in the computer when they enter the drinks in the computer at the bar. Changes the prices to $0 and you get a receipt. Its how they track to make sure you don't go over 15 alcoholic drinks a day. It also lets you add a tip to the receipt that would get charged to your S&S account (although tips are pre-paid you can choose to add more).

 

You also get a little sticker for your S&S card.

[zdub86]

It shows up in the computer when they enter the drinks in the computer at the bar. Changes the prices to $0 and you get a receipt. Its how they track to make sure you don't go over 15 alcoholic drinks a day. It also lets you add a tip to the receipt that would get charged to your S&S account (although tips are pre-paid you can choose to add more).

 

You also get a little sticker for your S&S card.

 

Great, thanks for the quick reply!! Sorry for my ignorance, but what is "S&S?? Also, the tips are pre-paid?? How does that work?

[MMastell]

Great, thanks for the quick reply!! Sorry for my ignorance, but what is "S&S?? Also, the tips are pre-paid?? How does that work?

 

S&S is Sing & Sail: Your onboard charge card. You use this for all purchases onboard the ship. It is guaranteed by your credit or debit card or by a cash deposit at check-in.

 

You can pre-pay your tips at time of booking or call whoever you booked with and they can add it on. Or you can just let Carnival automatically add them to your onboard account during the cruise.

 

Take care,

Mike

[crzndeb]

Great, thanks for the quick reply!! Sorry for my ignorance, but what is "S&S?? Also, the tips are pre-paid?? How does that work?

 

MMastell meant to say Sail & Sign card, although some may sing when they receive it...LOL

[FaithfulRaider]

Also, the tips are pre-paid?? How does that work?

 

Specifically for Cheers, when you purchase the package you are charged 15% up front to cover tips. You aren't required to tip any additional amount for drinks under cheers, and tipping extra is up to you.

[RHilla619]

When you go to get your first drink the bartender will put a little sticker on your card that says Cheers, although the sticker doesn't really do anything. It's in the computer that you purchased Cheers so every time they run your card through the computer to purchase a drink, it will zero out the receipt and you won't owe anything.

 

You already pre-paid your tips to the bartenders when you purchased the package. It cost $50 a day if booked online before the cruise, onboard its $55 so make sure you book before if you haven't already. But you'll notice your cost per day, if pre-purchased, is really $57 a day. That extra $7 is the auto-gratuity that gets pooled up between all the bartenders across the ship, so you've already tipped them. I never tip extra on the spot, but at the end of the trip if a specific bartender or two at the pool bar or nighttime spot really provided excellent service to me all week, then I will give them another $20 in cash as a thank you. They really like getting the cash because it goes directly into THEIR pocket, instead of getting pooled if you added it onto a receipt.

 

You also don't have to be a "heavy-drinker" to get your value out of Cheers. Drinks are expensive on board, beers are $6-7, cocktails are $7-9, frozen drinks are $10-12, wine is $8-12. Plus don't forget bottled water, powerades, vitamin waters, rockstar energy drinks, and speciality coffee's from Java Blue are included with Cheers, and don't count as 1 of your 15 drinks since they are non-alcoholic. If you have 5-6 alcoholic drinks a day, plus a speciality coffee and some waters/powerades you at least "break-even"; anything after that is "free".

[Rod in Az]

MMastell meant to say Sail & Sign card, although some may sing when they receive it...LOL

 

I was more in the "sail and scream" category, but sing has a nice ring to it...

Edited August 21, 2016 by Rod in Az

[zdub86]

Some great information already, thank you everyone!! So the ship allows up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day? Is that 15 per person or 15 for the both of us combined?? Will each of us have our own card, or will we just use the same card for both of us? Not trying to sound like an alcoholic LOL, just wanting to be sure.

[pbsteve]

Some great information already, thank you everyone!! So the ship allows up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day? Is that 15 per person or 15 for the both of us combined?? Will each of us have our own card, or will we just use the same card for both of us? Not trying to sound like an alcoholic LOL, just wanting to be sure.

 

You will each have your own card, and each of you gets 15 alcoholic drinks per day. They card is not just your onboard spending account card, but also room key, and the card you will use to get on and off of the ship in port.

[Rod in Az]

Some great information already, thank you everyone!! So the ship allows up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day? Is that 15 per person or 15 for the both of us combined?? Will each of us have our own card, or will we just use the same card for both of us? Not trying to sound like an alcoholic LOL, just wanting to be sure.

 

You will each have your own "S&S" card, which is also your room key, just like the electronic hotel room key cards. It is also your identification to get on and off the ship in port.

 

In addition to it opening your room, it is your payment method for everything on the ship. If you want a t-shirt, keychain, or drink you present it to the cashier (or bartender) and they use it to charge your account. The card is also your "players card" for the casino (you can load money on to slots, or get credited play at table games when you present it).

 

You will be allowed 15 alcoholic drinks each per day (6am to 6am) and unlimited non-alcoholic drinks that are included such as specialty coffee, milkshakes, certain bottled waters and "virgin" drinks.

 

You don't sound like an alcoholic, just a new cruiser. Have a great time!

[volmoma]

Hello, just booked my first cruise in 9 years. It will be for my honeymoon and it will be my fiancee's first ever cruise!! We opted for the Cheers beverage package. We aren't huge drinkers or anything, but I figured since it's our honeymoon and her first cruise it will be worth it to us, even if we don't break even. Will give us peace of mind without having to worry about how expensive a drink is.

 

 

 

Quick question: how will the ship know you have the cheers package when you go to get a drink? Do you receive a special card? Silly question but thought I'd ask the seasoned cruisers :)

 

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

FYI, make sure to take a copy of your purchase of the Cheers program. It's your proof of purchase if any problems come up.

 

 

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[CoachBurn]

I have a question similar to the previous ones...Me and a friend are going on our 1st cruise Oct 3rd (Elation). He is 8 years sober and I am a drinker (I'm not a quitter :D just kidding), but I read somewhere that if one person in the room purchases the cheers package, then everyone in the room has to...is that true?

[First and Ten]

I have a question similar to the previous ones...Me and a friend are going on our 1st cruise Oct 3rd (Elation). He is 8 years sober and I am a drinker (I'm not a quitter :D just kidding), but I read somewhere that if one person in the room purchases the cheers package, then everyone in the room has to...is that true?

 

 

Yes, that is true (provided you are both over 21)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited August 23, 2016 by First and Ten

[zdub86]

Sailing out of Galveston with the Cheers package... the package won't be available until the 2nd day. The ship leaves at 4:00 pm on Sunday. Does this mean the cheers package won't be available until Monday (1st full day at sea) or until Tuesday (2nd full day at sea)?? Not sure if they count Sunday as a full day.

[coevan]

Monday morning at 6am, Bloody Mary