Do you think people are NOT sharing their drink package ?

[Goodtime Cruizin]

The Deluxe package includes everything that is in the Refreshment package.

 

In addition to your alcoholic drinks, you can order virgin drinks, smoothies, specialty coffees, fresh squeezed orange juice, bottled water, soda, and with ships that have freestyle machines, you get the souvenir cup so you can get anything you want from the machine.

 

Yes, I know this. In fact I have purchased two of these (because we don't share LOL) But the price of these are 1/3 the price of the Deluxe Bev Pkg. Another $600 each and we can drink up the ship. That's my whole point. I can not drink enough for 14 days straight to make it worthy of the purchase. I figure our alcohol drinks will come to about half as much, about $600 total (for the both of us) as we have 9 port days & a free daily happy hour. If we spend $1200 on alcohol while drinking on the ship, I'd be surprised.

[lbjen]

What counts as sharing anyhow?

 

While my SO and I had a drink package, our friends didn't and if I thought a drink was especially great, I'd let them try it to see if they liked it before they went and paid for one. I kinda wondered if that was frowned upon but figured oh well.

 

Sharing typically is where the person with the drink package gets one drink, then another as soon as the system allows (15 minutes I believe) and handing off the second drink to someone else who doesn’t have a package. Then replenishing their own drink 15 minutes later and on and on.

 

People who do it have all kinds of justifications for it, maybe they didn’t drink ‘their money’s worth’, maybe they just felt entitled to do so. But essentially they are abusing the system to get drinks for more than the person who has the package without paying for them.

[gaylemh]

The one Royal cruise I went on I actually noticed the bartenders offering 2 drinks to those with the drink package. They seemed to pretty much assume that both parties had the package. I had a lady who told me her husband had the package and she didn't, the bartender kept offering him 2 drinks each time he ordered. So they just didn't bother to say anything.

 

I also had the same on NCL and MSC, they pretty much seemed to assume those traveling together both had a drink package. On NCL specifically we had two cabins booked for 5 people, 2 of us had the drink package. As we were always together they seemed to assume we all had the package, and just asked for one card to ring us up. Even so far as to have one waiter go to order my son a drink, the waiter then asked the grandmother (who had the package) for her card to ring up the grandson's order. We never suggested it, but rather found the waiters did instead. Guessing they didn't care one way or another and still somehow received a portion of tips whether the package was used or not.

 

Though for $45 a day it isn't hard to get to that amount. Really only 4 alcoholic drinks need to be bought daily to reach that amount. Even just 3, with some kind of sodas, coffees, or juices would still get to that amount. Really seems like a no brainer to me. Unless you are someone that won't purchase that many drinks.

 

My daughter and BF for instance will be going, he could care less about ordering alcohol, while my daughter would like to try a few drinks. Clearly they will be better off to pay as they go, as the boardwalk balcony cabin includes their sodas. So my husband and I will purchase the drink package, while they will not.

 

A balcony cabin includes soda - since when??

[Clarea]

A balcony cabin includes soda - since when??

Only for Boardwalk balconies:

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Oasis/16050977_EAT_DRINK_PLAY_Trade_Flyer.pdf

[griffy116]

We all had the deluxe drink package but I will not be buying it for our upcoming cruise. I got the soda package for convenience since I usually prefer iced tea for dinner. I prefer a Diet Coke out by the pool but will occasionally have a frozen drink. We can bring two bottles of wine I like on board. We get a free bottle as a perk. We're Diamond so I can get 3 drinks in the evenings with the Seapass card. On the last two cruises, that wasn't used because we had the deluxe drink package. We could have spent time in the D lounge but didn't. I buy a bottle of ice cold water in ports instead of lugging a bottle of water that gets warm. I am buying my drinks in the ports, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. I prefer just plain black coffee so the specialty coffee is lost on me. Makes no sense for me, but there were a couple of folks in our group that used it and will be buying it for our upcoming cruise. You just have to weigh out what your drinking habits are and your likes and dislikes.

[Cruisegirl6]

I never would defy the rules, and you wonder why now the rules have changed that everybody needs to purchase in the cabin, all because of people who cheat the system, sorry your not cheating the system, your ruining it for all the ones that are honest, including me. I don't care whether any of you don't like what I have said here, truth is, either your honest or your not.

 

On another note, the drink package is well worth all the money, if I purchased everything individually it cost more, so the package is a bargain.

[ladylyn915]

The one Royal cruise I went on I actually noticed the bartenders offering 2 drinks to those with the drink package. They seemed to pretty much assume that both parties had the package. I had a lady who told me her husband had the package and she didn't, the bartender kept offering him 2 drinks each time he ordered. So they just didn't bother to say anything.

 

How do the bartenders ring up drinks when you have the drink package? I am only familiar with Carnival's plan. There every drink is rung up on your account and you can only order one drink per person at a time. A person must wait at least 5 minutes before ordering another one. There is also a daily limit per person of 15 drinks - no exceptions.

 

How does Royal administer the package?

[Clarea]

How do the bartenders ring up drinks when you have the drink package? I am only familiar with Carnival's plan. There every drink is rung up on your account and you can only order one drink per person at a time. A person must wait at least 5 minutes before ordering another one. There is also a daily limit per person of 15 drinks - no exceptions.

 

How does Royal administer the package?

Royal swipes the SeaPass card. No minimum period between drinks, no max drinks per day.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Yes, I know this. In fact I have purchased two of these (because we don't share LOL) But the price of these are 1/3 the price of the Deluxe Bev Pkg. Another $600 each and we can drink up the ship. That's my whole point. I can not drink enough for 14 days straight to make it worthy of the purchase. I figure our alcohol drinks will come to about half as much, about $600 total (for the both of us) as we have 9 port days & a free daily happy hour. If we spend $1200 on alcohol while drinking on the ship, I'd be surprised.

 

Using non sale prices of $55 for deluxe package would be $385 for 7 days. Refreshment package would be$182 again using no sale price of $26 per day. Packages are frequently on sale so I really think $55 per day would be high. Anyway, using those numbers you would have $29 a day for alcohol (per person) which is probably 2-3 drinks per day. Still think for a person that drinks alcohol that would be a better deal than buying the cheaper package and buying alcohol individually.

[Cruisegirl6]

I think RC also does the same, they ring up the drink but it has a zero balance when you have the package and there is a time frame...I don't down my drinks so I not sure what the timing is but there is one.... whats great about RC is there are no limitations, no maximum, no worrying about how many drinks you have left lol. I also find the glasses in RC to be larger than what you get on Carnival and Carnival always tries to up sell you for $3 a larger glass. Both cruise lines give decent pours, but I don't like to have the limit.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

The 15 min wait period is a myth. I know this from experience. One can have as many drinks in a 24 hr period as one wants unless the bartender(s) cut you off. In other words there is no limit.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Using non sale prices of $55 for deluxe package would be $385 for 7 days. Refreshment package would be$182 again using no sale price of $26 per day. Packages are frequently on sale so I really think $55 per day would be high. Anyway, using those numbers you would have $29 a day for alcohol (per person) which is probably 2-3 drinks per day. Still think for a person that drinks alcohol that would be a better deal than buying the cheaper package and buying alcohol individually.

 

Usding your numbers... $385 x 2 people x 2 weeks = $1540

2 carry on bottles of wine, 1 bottle of wine comped by TA, Suite daily happy hour, and 9 extensive ports, physically can't drink 14 days... = not dropping the extra bucks. Pay as I go will work for us. But cheers to those who buy the packages. On a Caribbean cruise for 7 days, I'm a buyer. But not this cruise.

[ladylyn915]

Royal swipes the SeaPass card. No minimum period between drinks, no max drinks per day.

Thanks

 

So - It sounds like it's the bartenders that are contributing to the rule bending. They should be swiping each passenger SeaPass for each drink. But, I do understand that they are just trying to be nice. After all its very common to go to the bar for a drink and ask those with you if they 'want anything' ?

 

Eventually, RCL will get wise and require each card to be swiped.

[Clarea]

Thanks

 

So - It sounds like it's the bartenders that are contributing to the rule bending. They should be swiping each passenger SeaPass for each drink. But, I do understand that they are just trying to be nice. After all its very common to go to the bar for a drink and ask those with you if they 'want anything' ?

 

Eventually, RCL will get wise and require each card to be swiped.

As far as I have seen, they are swiping each person's SeaPass card.

[Cruisegirl6]

Yes they are....sometimes my father in law is somewhere else and I go get him and myself a drink or sometimes we sit down at a bar somewhere and I use the rest room I leave mine with my other half we always get our drinks for each other as long as we have each others cards.

[ladylyn915]

As far as I have seen, they are swiping each person's SeaPass card.

 

I was actually commenting on mom2tcdx2 post where she mentioned the bartender swiping one card for two drinks.

 

I believe RCL will continue to tweak their program to obtain the best bottom line. As they track their program they will continue to observe the rest of the Industry. If the Deluxe Drink Package offering unlimited drinks is more costly than instituting a daily limit - it is very probable RCL will adjust their plan. If they do not see substantially less revenue, the unlimited drinks will remain and they will use this as a great marketing tool.

[gerif]

People keep posting about a 15 minute time limit between drinks. Yes, there is one but it only pertains to the freestyle machines found on many ships.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

And even that is not 15 Minutes:rolleyes:

[NateUpNorth]

Thanks

 

So - It sounds like it's the bartenders that are contributing to the rule bending. They should be swiping each passenger SeaPass for each drink. But, I do understand that they are just trying to be nice. After all its very common to go to the bar for a drink and ask those with you if they 'want anything' ?

 

Eventually, RCL will get wise and require each card to be swiped.

 

 

And/or earning extra tips. Yes, I know, cynical.

[tampacruiser]

Just got off Celebrity Equinox this past weekend and they were very strict about this. Each person had to present a card to get a drink and when someone came up and ordered 2 drinks and handed 2 cards they were asked where the other person was. If you returned to the same bar to order a 2nd you were questioned. I am sure there were ways to get around it but I play by the rules and we each had a package

[ownedbypets]

We have never bought a drink package because we don't drink enough but I do love my Lava Flows. I would like to buy it just once so I could try all of the delicious sounding drinks that everyone talks about but for health reasons I can only drink about 2-3 sips. My choice then is to either throw the rest away, which is wasteful, or give it to my husband, and he really doesn't want it. Nothing else included in the package would be of use because I only drink water. Would we be cheating if I bought drinks knowing that most of them are going to my husband?

[papaflamingo]

would we be cheating if I bought drinks knowing that most of them are going to my husband?

If you mean buying a drink package, getting a drink and taking a few sips and giving the rest to your husband who doesn't have a drink package, yes you'd be cheating.

[Grandma Dazzles]

We have never bought a drink package because we don't drink enough but I do love my Lava Flows. I would like to buy it just once so I could try all of the delicious sounding drinks that everyone talks about but for health reasons I can only drink about 2-3 sips. My choice then is to either throw the rest away, which is wasteful, or give it to my husband, and he really doesn't want it. Nothing else included in the package would be of use because I only drink water. Would we be cheating if I bought drinks knowing that most of them are going to my husband?

 

 

Absolutely you would be cheating! Many people did that and a few sips easily leads to half a drink! You could have bought a package that included virgin cocktails and smoothies for yourself.

 

Many people believe that's why you both now have to buy a package, so you can no longer purchase one package any way.

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

I believe when the drink packages were first offered it required both people in the cabin to purchase (if 21)...then for awhile only one was required to purchase...now back to the original policy again...so what does that tell you.

 

They must have settled the law suit? It may be a ship born myth, but I thought they had to allow only one to buy the package because they were sued by spouses with medical conditions or alcoholism that could not drink.

[Big blue and hairy]

And/or earning extra tips. Yes, I know, cynical.

I don't think that's cynical, bartenders do little things all the time to increase tips.

 

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