AIBP - minis, small wine and champagne

[TaylorMace]

Does the AIBP include ordering minis or small bottles of champagne or wine? We would like to have drinks I the room for sail away or while getting ready for dinner. If I wanted to get enough for the week on the first day, could I just walk bar to bar and do a little collection? I'm not talking about a lot, maybe 4 little bottles each.

 

If this is not possible, any other suggestions?

 

Thanks CC!

[OCruisers]

No, not exactly what you're wanting with the AIBP.

You would need to go to a bar and get a drink and take it to your cabin with you.

If you are Elite or in a Full Suite, there will be a mini bar set up.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Does the AIBP include ordering minis or small bottles of champagne or wine? We would like to have drinks I the room for sail away or while getting ready for dinner. If I wanted to get enough for the week on the first day, could I just walk bar to bar and do a little collection? I'm not talking about a lot, maybe 4 little bottles each.

 

If this is not possible, any other suggestions?

 

Thanks CC!

 

ONE DRINK at a time... $10 and under... No, you couldn't stock up for the week. You'd have to pay to order from room service. Why not bring a bottle or two of champagne onboard, for free, for consumption in your cabin...

[ltcal94]

On the Royal , they had Korbel champagne splits. When I would get a mimosa in the morning they would bring a little bottle and the orange juice and it was covered by the AIBP

 

 

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[GRAYTech]

I don't think you can get the "splits" of champagne, just by the glass.

 

Using the AIBP you can get one drink at a time, so no you couldn't get 4 bottles or glasses at once unless you took each back to your cabin for example and went back to the bar, or a different bar, to get another.

 

It might be worth a try at one of the Buy one Get one for $1 venues. Others have posted about cans of beer. Where they bought 10 cans (5 of which were $1) and told the bartender not to open them and they were able to take them back to their cabin for later. Maybe there you cold get the small bottles of champagne unopened. Still one at a time...

 

Seems crazy but we carry on 4 regular size bottles for use in the cabin. (There are 4 of us in the cabin) even if were going to do the AIBP. Just so we have champagne for sail away / morning mimosa and what not.

 

I guess if you were willing to pay something for it you could buy champagne at a 40% discount and get as many as you want. Kind of defeats the AIBP purpose though.

[GRAYTech]

On the Royal , they had Korbel champagne splits. When I would get a mimosa in the morning they would bring a little bottle and the orange juice and it was covered by the AIBP

 

This is good to know. Do you think you could have got one unopened, clearly for later consumption? If true then carrying champagne on board wouldn't be needed.

[reedprincess]

With the AIBP, yes - you can get the Korbel small bottles of champagne. And yes, you can ask for them not to open it so you can take it to your cabin. Not a problem..

Same for the small wine bottles in Horizon Court and such. Those are also covered by the AIBP and you can ask them to not open them.

No problem going to two or three vars and grabbing one from each or getting one any time you go back to your cabin and "stocking up". We've done it with sodas, beers, Champagne splits, and bottled water.. If the bartender asks, tell them the truth - you want it for later. Not a problem.

Enjoy

[GRAYTech]

With the AIBP, yes - you can get the Korbel small bottles of champagne. And yes, you can ask for them not to open it so you can take it to your cabin. Not a problem..

 

Thanks for this. It might be enough for me to go ahead and do the AIBP on our upcoming cruise. The 4 bottles we buy in FLL before (~$50), the couple of 375 vodka bottles via room service (~$45) gets us to $100 right off without even leaving the room.

 

$56.35 * 8 day cruise = $450 x 2 people = $900 (My kids drink but it's worth it AIBP for them)

 

Less the $100 not carrying/buying anything makes it $800.

 

Still $50/day Hmmm, I really wish it included the Remy XO ($13). 2 of those after dinner and that's half the cost. Well I guess I'm still on the fence.

Edited December 2, 2016 by GRAYTech

[JimmyVWine]

Does the AIBP include ordering minis or small bottles of champagne or wine?

 

Yes. As you can see from below, the split of Korbel is less than $10 so it is included in the AIBP. You can ask for a bottle, but ask them not to open it. And if you can do this at one bar, I don't see why you can't do it at 4 different bars at 4 different times. I've never purchased the AIBP, so I don't know what they do to keep track or purchases. I suppose with computer technology, there would be a way to "freeze" your card from further beverage purchases for a period of time so that the "One Drink At A Time" rule can be enforced, but I don't know if they bother.

 

 

If true then carrying champagne on board wouldn't be needed.

Well...that depends. If you find Korbel to be a fair substitute for the Champagne that you would have brought on board, then yes. But seeing how one bottle per person can come on board for free, then the cost to bring on board a better bottle is zero. At $7.50 per split, that Korbel is running the equivalent of $30 per bottle. Onshore, $30 will buy you something much better.

Edited December 2, 2016 by JimmyVWine

[ltcal94]

This is good to know. Do you think you could have got one unopened, clearly for later consumption? If true then carrying champagne on board wouldn't be needed.

 

 

Yes it was always delivered unopened, but they would offer not insist to open it. We had a couple of extra in our cabin most of the time.

 

 

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[TaylorMace]

Thank you everyone. Very helpful.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

AIBP also gets you specialty coffees. I like to get a caramel macchiato at the International Cafe and walk next door to the bar for a shot of Jameson's. The bartender pours it right into the coffee and it is really delicious.

 

I also will get a double shot of Makers Mark and a shot of cointreau with a cherry to take up to my room at some point during the day. I keep them in the fridge and then I have my night cap on the balcony with out having to go back downstairs.

 

I have never had a problem with them serving me and my husband drinks in fairly rapid succession in order to get "one to go" for later. I think if you and your cabin mate both have the AIBP then it's obvious you are not scamming the system.

 

I personally love the package for the convenience, it also includes the tips.

[GRAYTech]

All great info. Has really made me re-think whether we should do the AIBP or not.

 

One fear is over-consumption. Do you always feel like you need to get "your money's worth" or at some point you got your money's and it's really no different ?

Edited December 3, 2016 by GRAYTech

[crochetcruise]

All great info. Has really made me re-think whether we should do the AIBP or not.

 

One fear is over-consumption. Do you always feel like you need to get "your money's worth" or at some point you got your money's and it's really no different ?

 

Remember gun and canned sodas and bottled water is available on the AIBP, so several of these would equal an alcoholic drink when calculating value for money. From memory-AIBP was not relevant on my cruise, too short-coffees and milkshakes but I might be wrong, are also included. HTH.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

All great info. Has really made me re-think whether we should do the AIBP or not.

 

One fear is over-consumption. Do you always feel like you need to get "your money's worth" or at some point you got your money's and it's really no different ?

 

I have two specialty coffees in the morning, 2-3 liters of bottled water a day, 2 glasses of red wine with my Alfredo's Pizza lunch, a virgin slushy or two by the pool in the afternoon, 1 or 2 glass of wine around dinner time, specialty coffee with jameson's or kailua with dessert and then one more night cap on the balcony.

 

Maybe that says a little too much about my tolerance for booze. I don't feel like I am drinking anymore than I would if I were paying per drink. That is just how much I like to drink when I am on vacation and don't have to drive. I never get drunk but sometimes I do feel pretty happy:)

 

That said, if you have a very port intensive itinerary and will be spending most days entirely off the boat then the package may not be worth it. The package works because you are taking all day (17 hours or so) to drink that amount.

[GRAYTech]

... I never get drunk but sometimes I do feel pretty happy:)

 

I would have to admit I also feel VERY happy at times by the end of the night. Points well taken tho that it's not just the alcoholic drinks but others that also add up, for me that would be the coffee in the morning not so much the slushy drinks.

 

We do have 4 port days out of an 8 day cruise so that factors in. I'm still on the fence and I'm leaning towards great record keeping. Compare what we actually drink on this next cruise to the AIBP. It's all in the math. I'm guessing it's close and what a great experiment to undertake.

Edited December 3, 2016 by GRAYTech

[SWORRUB1]

With the AIBP, yes - you can get the Korbel small bottles of champagne. And yes, you can ask for them not to open it so you can take it to your cabin. Not a problem..

Same for the small wine bottles in Horizon Court and such. Those are also covered by the AIBP and you can ask them to not open them.

No problem going to two or three vars and grabbing one from each or getting one any time you go back to your cabin and "stocking up". We've done it with sodas, beers, Champagne splits, and bottled water.. If the bartender asks, tell them the truth - you want it for later. Not a problem.

Enjoy

 

 

Had no problem getting unopened bottles with the AIBP in the Summer of 2016 on the Emerald.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

We do have 4 port days out of an 8 day cruise so that factors in. I'm still on the fence and I'm leaning towards great record keeping. Compare what we actually drink on this next cruise to the AIBP. It's all in the math. I'm guessing it's close and what a great experiment to undertake.

 

As a mathematician, I agree totally. And hard as I tried I simply got tired of keeping track:)

[rdcruisin2]

Yes. As you can see from below, the split of Korbel is less than $10 so it is included in the AIBP. You can ask for a bottle, but ask them not to open it. And if you can do this at one bar, I don't see why you can't do it at 4 different bars at 4 different times. I've never purchased the AIBP, so I don't know what they do to keep track or purchases. I suppose with computer technology, there would be a way to "freeze" your card from further beverage purchases for a period of time so that the "One Drink At A Time" rule can be enforced, but I don't know if they bother.

 

 

 

Well...that depends. If you find Korbel to be a fair substitute for the Champagne that you would have brought on board, then yes. But seeing how one bottle per person can come on board for free, then the cost to bring on board a better bottle is zero. At $7.50 per split, that Korbel is running the equivalent of $30 per bottle. Onshore, $30 will buy you something much better.

 

Where does it say on this wine list that a split of Korbel is less than $10? From what I read, a split of $25.

[GRAYTech]

Where does it say on this wine list that a split of Korbel is less than $10? From what I read, a split of $25.

 

 

In the description - "(187ml bottle)" is the split.

[rdcruisin2]

In the description - "(187ml bottle)" is the split.

 

That's what got me confused. The poster is saying a "split" is less than $10.

[ltcal94]

That's what got me confused. The poster is saying a "split" is less than $10.

 

 

It is. They typically do not have open bottles of champagne for obvious reasons. If someone wants a glass , they get the split for $7.25 . If they want a full (750ml) bottle of korbel then it's $25.

 

 

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[Sea&SkiCruiser]

We’re recently back from a cruise on the Crown. We both had the AIBP and were able to collect unopened champagne minis and bottles of beer to stock our fridge. We went to the first buy one get one for $1. happy hour and were told it didn’t apply to us since we had happy hour all the time. We didn’t go back.

[rdcruisin2]

It is. They typically do not have open bottles of champagne for obvious reasons. If someone wants a glass , they get the split for $7.25 . If they want a full (750ml) bottle of korbel then it's $25.

 

 

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Thanks so much. Now I get it