Cheers Program

[Knights Templar]

Being our first cruise we will experiment with not buying the Cheers package and buy a glass of wine or pint of beer here and there.

 

The fact that we will be on 2 excursions and evidently can't drink the 1st day going out of Texas doesn't make sense to us to buy the package.

 

I think that is very prudent....especially if you are only grabbing a wine or beer "here or there"....Keep in mind, you and your partner/spouse/travel mate (gotta be PC these days and cover the gamut of possibilities :D) Can each bring on a bottle of wine and each bring on a 12 pack of soda. You can preorder a case of water from the Fun Shops to be delivered to your room (I think its about $5 for a 12 bottles of water in the case) so that may be more than enough for you

[cruzer_77]

Following, I have the exact same question lol

 

 

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I see you are going on the same cruise just a different time. Can't wait to hear how it went. :)

[Bllybb758]

Is the cheers program worth it for a 3 day cruise? I just like the idea of not having to worry about money for drinks aboard the ship. I'm trying to figure out if it would be worth it and if we'll drink that much for the three days. We have one day were we are off the ship from 10am to 6pm.

 

Regardless how long you’re aboard remember that you can still have the dinner staff keep handing you more. Also something to think about your ship still has breakfast and you can start early but that’s your call.

 

 

Also if you were to buy 3 drinks your already looking at 40+

 

 

Hope it helps I did a 13 day cruise ran the numbers

 

 

55 a day was 750 a person. In 4 days we exceeded what we spent but we weren’t racing to the max. We actually paced ourselves. Enjoyed the cruise and were not hammered.

[Knights Templar]

Regardless how long you’re aboard remember that you can still have the dinner staff keep handing you more. Also something to think about your ship still has breakfast and you can start early but that’s your call.

 

 

Also if you were to buy 3 drinks your already looking at 40+

 

 

Hope it helps I did a 13 day cruise ran the numbers

 

 

55 a day was 750 a person. In 4 days we exceeded what we spent but we weren’t racing to the max. We actually paced ourselves. Enjoyed the cruise and were not hammered.

 

$40+ for 3 drinks????????????? At the Alchemy its mid $30's for 3 drinks....the $40+ seems a tad bit high....what are you drinking that runs $14-15 a drink?

[Bllybb758]

$40+ for 3 drinks????????????? At the Alchemy its mid $30's for 3 drinks....the $40+ seems a tad bit high....what are you drinking that runs $14-15 a drink?

 

 

Patron margarita from the cantina bar

[Bllybb758]

That and goose Vx on the rocks is expensive too

[famof4togo]

Or any of the scotches my hubby drinks....

[Bllybb758]

If you pay for cheers have a night to yourself and try the premiums because they have quite the abundance and really love being able to fulfill your order requirements. As long as they can still listen to Heidi’s bier Haus

[Joebucks]

For my 7 day cruise, the total cost of the booking with taxes and fees was $810 (for two). The cost was $840 for cheers. You can sell me all you want on peace of mind, "breaking even", but I would rather have a second cruise vs drinks.

 

My views may change if I didn't have to force my non-drinking girlfriend to buy the package or if it included drinks on the excursions. If I'm paying $840 for drinks, then have to buy more when I hit the beach, I'm not in a peace of mind state.

 

You can bring a bottle of wine, you can find room credits, self-pouring beer stations are good and cheap, gold and above and you start to get more free drinks. When all else fails, buy a couple.

[dsotm73]

I doubt that there is any one topic with more questions on Cruise Critic than "Is Cheers worth it?" What I don't understand is why people need to look at it as more than a matter of simple arithmetic.

 

If beers are $5, am I going to drink more or fewer than 10 beers a day? If mixed drinks are $8-$10 per day, am I going to drink 6 drinks a day? WHILE ON THE SHIP, EVERY DAY OF THE CRUISE. If I am gong to drink fewer than those break-even amounts on any given day, will I drink enough coffees, energy drinks, etc. to make up the difference?

 

Why the need for so much discussion?

 

I know when I was a drinker I would have considered Cheers to be a bargain. Which is probably why I am no longer a drinker.

:cool:

[famof4togo]

I doubt that there is any one topic with more questions on Cruise Critic than "Is Cheers worth it?" What I don't understand is why people need to look at it as more than a matter of simple arithmetic.

 

If beers are $5, am I going to drink more or fewer than 10 beers a day? If mixed drinks are $8-$10 per day, am I going to drink 6 drinks a day? EVERY DAY OF THE CRUISE. If I am gong to drink fewer than those break-even amounts, will I drink enough coffees, energy drinks, etc. to make up the difference?

 

Why the need for so much discussion?

 

I know when I was a drinker I would have considered Cheers to be a bargain. Which is probably why I am no longer a drinker.

:cool:

 

I do think the exact same thing...don't people know if they are "drinkers' or not "drinkers" lol....

[hftmrock]

Can you just buy Cheers for one day, because two of the days we will be on excursions.

 

no you cant

[Pops, Esq.]

For my 7 day cruise, the total cost of the booking with taxes and fees was $810 (for two). The cost was $840 for cheers. You can sell me all you want on peace of mind, "breaking even", but I would rather have a second cruise vs drinks.

 

My views may change if I didn't have to force my non-drinking girlfriend to buy the package or if it included drinks on the excursions. If I'm paying $840 for drinks, then have to buy more when I hit the beach, I'm not in a peace of mind state.

 

You can bring a bottle of wine, you can find room credits, self-pouring beer stations are good and cheap, gold and above and you start to get more free drinks. When all else fails, buy a couple.

If one is travelling with a non-drinker, Cheers makes less sense. Your break even is 12 or so mixed drinks or 20 or so beers. Then again, you would be looking at $100 plus in bar bills per day to make NOT having Cheers a losing proposition.

[going to see the world]

I see you are going on the same cruise just a different time. Can't wait to hear how it went. :)

'

I will let you know, I'm super excited! :)

[pacruise804]

I doubt that there is any one topic with more questions on Cruise Critic than "Is Cheers worth it?" What I don't understand is why people need to look at it as more than a matter of simple arithmetic.

 

If beers are $5, am I going to drink more or fewer than 10 beers a day? If mixed drinks are $8-$10 per day, am I going to drink 6 drinks a day? WHILE ON THE SHIP, EVERY DAY OF THE CRUISE. If I am gong to drink fewer than those break-even amounts on any given day, will I drink enough coffees, energy drinks, etc. to make up the difference?

 

Why the need for so much discussion?

 

I know when I was a drinker I would have considered Cheers to be a bargain. Which is probably why I am no longer a drinker.

:cool:

 

I do think the exact same thing...don't people know if they are "drinkers' or not "drinkers" lol....

 

Actually, a lot of people might not know if they are "drinkers" or "not" depending on their experience with cruising.

 

At home we may only drink two or three days per month and that will vary on where we are - a restaurant where someone has to drive one of us will have at most one drink and the other might have two, if at home and know we aren't going anywhere we can split a bottle of wine in an evening.

 

On a cruise we know the driving is covered, so we might start with mimosas at breakfast, a couple beers/ciders with lunch, DOD in the afternoon, pre-dinner cocktail, wine with supper, a drink with the show, and 2-3 drinks listening to music after. But on a port day we might skip the mimosa, be busy on our excursion (maybe have 1-2 in port), be tired when we get back on ship and only have some wine with dinner and maybe 1-2 after. Our last cruise the seas were so rough the last sea day that hardly anyone wanted to drink.

 

OP-If you value the piece of mind for no bill at the end more than the potential savings of paying as you go, or think you will drink enough (of any type of drinks) on sea days to make up for port days/potential rough seas, then get Cheers. If you worry that you will drink too much to "make it worth it" or would feel guilty about overpaying if you aren't big drinkers, then just pay as you go.

 

We will apply a $500 gift card to our account for our 7 day cruise, order whatever we want without being wasteful, and expect that to cover us with possibly a little overage.

[pacruise804]

If one is travelling with a non-drinker, Cheers makes less sense. Your break even is 12 or so mixed drinks or 20 or so beers. Then again, you would be looking at $100 plus in bar bills per day to make NOT having Cheers a losing proposition.

 

I agree that Cheers makes less sense for a non-drinker, but I think your numbers may be off. You can't get 20 beers (15 drink limit), and the non-drinker might still enjoy zero-proof mocktails at almost $6 per so the break even wouldn't be quite as high. Just something to consider for those who really want it for the one who does drink and are trying to find a way to make it work for them.

[dsotm73]

Actually, a lot of people might not know if they are "drinkers" or "not" depending on their experience with cruising.

 

 

If they don't know this, how can they expect a forum full of strangers to determine it for them?:confused:

 

You did a good job in your post of determining whether or not you are a "drinker" for whom Cheers would be "worth it." IMHO that's what the multitude of Cheers thread starters need do do first. Then they simply apply the arithmetic.

[Wanna_Cruize]

Is the cheers program worth it for a 3 day cruise? I just like the idea of not having to worry about money for drinks aboard the ship. I'm trying to figure out if it would be worth it and if we'll drink that much for the three days. We have one day were we are off the ship from 10am to 6pm.

 

One hundred percent worth it on a 3 night cruise. Some peole might find it much harder to justify on 7 days or longer, because after a while you can't drink so much. Remember, it's not just alcohol, it's bottled water, monster drinks, soda, shakes, specialty coffee. Purchase it in advance, because it's cheaper per day. If you're drinking alcohol, it's really easy to get to a break-even point, even on port days:

 

Eye-opener - Specialty coffee with Rumchata - YUM

Breakfast - Mimosa (or two)

Port time

Pre-Dinner drink - Carnival Cosmo, anyone?

Dinner - glass of wine (or two)

 

Even with nothing after dinner, I'm already at 6 drinks. Easy-peasy!

 

ETA: For our upcoming 7-night cruise on Splendor, I just purchased Cheers. We will definitely come out ahead, and I LOVE not having to worry about the bill and having all those internal conversations with a waiter hovering in the club: "How much have I spent so far? - How much is the drink I want? - What is the cheapest glass of wine on the menu? - Will I like it? - What if I don't?"

 

That being said, we had a harder time on our 8n cruise out of Puerto Rico last year that had 7 port stops. However, with getting specialty coffee and bottled water before we stepped of the ship each morning, and always meeting for drinks before dinner, we always at least broke even every day. My son was up really early on disembark day and managed to get in a last Mexican Coffee before 6am on the last day.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Wanna_Cruize
Clarification

[cruzer_77]

ye-opener - Specialty coffee with Rumchata - YUM

 

This right there is worth it for me LOL I am obsessed with Rumchata :) and just the idea of being able to have a Mimosa with breakfast is appealing :)

[kdawg954]

I think the biggest benefit of Cheers is requesting the top shelf liquor in your drinks because its the same price no matter what.

 

You may pass up on those upcharges with Pay as You Go . . . But hell if you got Cheers may as well go Grey Goose and Patron with everything.

 

 

Going out of San Juan in May and I will not be getting it (7 nights / 7 ports) but I could see myself getting it on almost any other itinerary . . . .definitely 3 and 4 nighters.

[violetfemme]

How much are specialty coffees? And how many locations on the ship can you get them? I am not a big drinker, but would consider package if I could at least break even. It may be worth it for the pop, water, coffee and wine for dinner if I could break even; hubby would like to get the package.

[Wanna_Cruize]

How much are specialty coffees? And how many locations on the ship can you get them? I am not a big drinker, but would consider package if I could at least break even. It may be worth it for the pop, water, coffee and wine for dinner if I could break even; hubby would like to get the package.

 

 

 

Not sure it’s 100% the same on all other ships, but generally there is the main coffee shop, of course, then the atrium bar has an espresso machine, as does the bar in the back of the lido buffet, and the dining room, of course.

 

As for the price of specialty coffees, I’ll have track down some scans/photos when I’m home to be sure but I think from 3/5 w/o alcohol?

 

 

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[Wanna_Cruize]

Not sure it’s 100% the same on all other ships, but generally there is the main coffee shop, of course, then the atrium bar has an espresso machine, as does the bar in the back of the lido buffet, and the dining room, of course.

 

As for the price of specialty coffees, I’ll have track down some scans/photos when I’m home to be sure but I think from 3/5 w/o alcohol?

 

 

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Really, if the hubby wants it too, it’s much easier to justify. That way there’s no remorse when you see on the first day that you’ve already hit $50 and it wasn’t a full day. Plus you can then up-sell yourself on better wine, etc. Make sure to grab a couple of waters for the cabin each night too.

[Pops, Esq.]

How much are specialty coffees? And how many locations on the ship can you get them? I am not a big drinker, but would consider package if I could at least break even. It may be worth it for the pop, water, coffee and wine for dinner if I could break even; hubby would like to get the package.

 

 

 

Generally, about $3.50 without alcohol. $5.75 for a “spiked” coffee drinks.

 

 

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