Over thinking all the extras!

[LillCruiser]

We leave in 36 days and I’m going crazy - and driving my husband crazy - with all the extras offered. First time with the family on a cruise and I’ve read just about all I can on the boards. This cruise is something we saved for, so adding on extras is also something I want to be financially aware of and careful to not overspend.

 

We have a fabulous sounding excursion booked so that is taken care of, but tell me, with kids ages 16, 12, and 11 how important are things like the refreshment packages? Sitting here on my couch at home, the idea of my kids being able to order a frosty non alcoholic beverage sounds so fun! Then the reality of the cost seems like there is no way it could be worth the money. Ice cream at anytime, buffets of food, MDR dining experience- that should be pretty awesome in itself, right?

 

Have you sailed with kids around that age? What extras were worth the $ and what wasn’t?

[Biker19]

Practice it with me........ No, No, No - that's what you tell the kids on impulse buys.

[Iamcruzin]

We leave in 36 days and I’m going crazy - and driving my husband crazy - with all the extras offered. First time with the family on a cruise and I’ve read just about all I can on the boards. This cruise is something we saved for, so adding on extras is also something I want to be financially aware of and careful to not overspend.

 

We have a fabulous sounding excursion booked so that is taken care of, but tell me, with kids ages 16, 12, and 11 how important are things like the refreshment packages? Sitting here on my couch at home, the idea of my kids being able to order a frosty non alcoholic beverage sounds so fun! Then the reality of the cost seems like there is no way it could be worth the money. Ice cream at anytime, buffets of food, MDR dining experience- that should be pretty awesome in itself, right?

 

Have you sailed with kids around that age? What extras were worth the $ and what wasn’t?

 

I have always purchased the drink package for my kids when they were that age. I didn't worry about if I was going stick it to the man or if it would cost me more in the long run. Even when I thought that I had it covered my son still managed to find a way to spend money on ice cream. The next trip I purchased the package that included ice cream. This was many years ago and on a different cruise line. The beverages on cruise lines are so expensive a la carte

[TimeToGetNauti]

Are the kids soda drinkers? That is a charge without a package. If not and you are thinking they will only have a few frozen mocktails then probably isn't worth it.

[KimA75]

I wouldn't do the package, but maybe let them order one or two throughout the trip. I would do the soda package though.

 

The arcade was fun, but some games didn't work. Overall though, my younger kids did enjoy the arcade time.

I would make sure that when you board you get their cards to guest services and make it so that they cannot spend any money on board. Either that, or keep a careful eye on your on board account.

[LillCruiser]

They aren’t necessarily soda drinkers. We never have it in the house so that’s where the over thinking comes in to play.

I think ordering one or two throughout the trip seems like a better option.

 

We are on Adventure out of NJ and have a lot of days at sea so I think that’s why I keep overthinking.

 

I’ve read that a lot about the arcade so thank you for telling me that.

[BelAirMom]

When our son was younger we always got the soda package for him - the Freestyle machines included Powerade and flavored waters he liked in addition to the sodas - always felt it was worth the price.

[DaisyDoo246]

My children are 21, 18 and 12......but first sailed when they were 15, 12 & 7 (if I've got my maths right there!) We have always bough the soda package and found it good value and a treat for them with the soda machines. They had the odd burger at Johnny Rockets or the odd Ben & Jerrys but that was all. The main pain we found was the arcade machines and the draw there for money but we were fair but firm. They will make friends on day 1 in the kids club and that'll be it, you won't see them (in a nice way). Our rule was to dine together at night but the rest they had freedom and were very grateful and never abused it.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Depends what your kids drink. The refreshment package includes the fun, non-alcoholic virgin cocktails, like pina coladas, also bottled water, specialty coffee and fresh squeezed OJ. Are they soda drinkers? Refreshment package also includes soda. There is also a package just for soda. Bear in mind a can of soda will cost close to $4 and the virgin cocktails start at around $5-6.

 

Drinks included with your cruise fare are tap water, coffee (not specialty), hot and iced tea, hot chocolate, white and chocolate milk, juices at breakfast ( not fresh squeezed), lemonade/punch, flavored waters.

 

Hope that helps you decide.

[Dolfinsfan]

Our first cruise was when our three girls were 18, 14, and 9. So somewhat close in age to yours now. We were just in awe as to what to expect as well as what all was offered at that time on our cruise. While we did splurge on some things, we definitely kept a budget in mind as there are just so many things offered on and off the ship that can add to your end-of-cruise blues. While you want to have the time of your life, and you will, just be careful that its not at all costs. Your kids will have a great time regardless of whether they get every little thing they may think they want. There is just so much to do and see that is included and/or free that you shouldn't have to purchase everything. You're on vacation. So, enjoy your time with your family as they do grow up too fast. And trust me, its not the material things that they will remember. Enjoy your cruise!

[ARandomTraveler]

Our upcoming June trip will be the first one where I bought the drink package for my teen. I only bought it because, like you, I thought it would be a fun treat to order the different drinks, AND I only bought it because I got it for under $100. If I had 3 kids, even for $100, I probably wouldn’t buy it. $300 for soda and piña coladas seems like too much money to me, but again, I am used to only paying for 1, and since you are used to paying for everything times 3, it may be easier to swallow.

 

I do think having the package will be a fun treat and I do think my teen will get my money’s worth from it, but she has been perfectly content on all our other cruises without it.

 

 

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[LillCruiser]

My children are 21, 18 and 12......but first sailed when they were 15, 12 & 7 (if I've got my maths right there!) We have always bough the soda package and found it good value and a treat for them with the soda machines. They had the odd burger at Johnny Rockets or the odd Ben & Jerrys but that was all. The main pain we found was the arcade machines and the draw there for money but we were fair but firm. They will make friends on day 1 in the kids club and that'll be it, you won't see them (in a nice way). Our rule was to dine together at night but the rest they had freedom and were very grateful and never abused it.

 

 

 

I love that you called it a treat because that’s how I see it too. Being our first cruise o can see them just being excited for all that IS included.

 

Thank you for the insight for the friends. I’ve been wondering how that would go. My kids are very social and I see them being excited to make friends.

[LillCruiser]

Our upcoming June trip will be the first one where I bought the drink package for my teen. I only bought it because, like you, I thought it would be a fun treat to order the different drinks, AND I only bought it because I got it for under $100. If I had 3 kids, even for $100, I probably wouldn’t buy it. $300 for soda and piña coladas seems like too much money to me, but again, I am used to only paying for 1, and since you are used to paying for everything times 3, it may be easier to swallow.

 

I do think having the package will be a fun treat and I do think my teen will get my money’s worth from it, but she has been perfectly content on all our other cruises without it.

 

 

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Exactly! Thinking about it in a total sum is where I get overwhelmed- and where the husband starts to question me! Hahah!

[cruiseguy1016]

I think you're better off buying their drinks as needed. If they drink soda at home, they probably won't drink enough on the ship to make the package worthwhile. Tell them they can have one non-alcoholic drink per day. Check their Sea Pass accounts daily to make sure they are not overspending.

[LillCruiser]

Depends what your kids drink. The refreshment package includes the fun, non-alcoholic virgin cocktails, like pina coladas, also bottled water, specialty coffee and fresh squeezed OJ. Are they soda drinkers? Refreshment package also includes soda. There is also a package just for soda. Bear in mind a can of soda will cost close to $4 and the virgin cocktails start at around $5-6.

 

 

 

Drinks included with your cruise fare are tap water, coffee (not specialty), hot and iced tea, hot chocolate, white and chocolate milk, juices at breakfast ( not fresh squeezed), lemonade/punch, flavored waters.

 

 

 

Hope that helps you decide.

 

 

 

That does help seeing it all in a line with the prices. Thank you

[luczai]

I was once in line behind a family with school age kids at the end of a cruise and they were settling their on board account. It was over $6,000. The father nearly passed out. That's where the "oh that sounds like fun" attitude will get you. The photos, specialty restaurants, BINGO games, drinks, excursions, really add up. You're already paying plenty for the onboard experience. Set a budget for extras and stick to it. You will be glad you did and you will still have a fabulous time with no post cruise financial hangover. Bon voyage!

 

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[reallyitsmema]

We leave in 36 days and I’m going crazy - and driving my husband crazy - with all the extras offered. First time with the family on a cruise and I’ve read just about all I can on the boards. This cruise is something we saved for, so adding on extras is also something I want to be financially aware of and careful to not overspend.

 

We have a fabulous sounding excursion booked so that is taken care of, but tell me, with kids ages 16, 12, and 11 how important are things like the refreshment packages? Sitting here on my couch at home, the idea of my kids being able to order a frosty non alcoholic beverage sounds so fun! Then the reality of the cost seems like there is no way it could be worth the money. Ice cream at anytime, buffets of food, MDR dining experience- that should be pretty awesome in itself, right?

 

Have you sailed with kids around that age? What extras were worth the $ and what wasn’t?

 

Your kids will have plenty of choices of drinks if you do not buy them a drink package. We always bought our son a soda package for the convenience. We also sat down and set the ground rules about what he was allowed to spend extra each day. We allowed him to buy one non-alcoholic frozen drink a day and any other charges had to be preapproved by us or were his responsibility. He went to the arcade on the first night when there was a free play hour and then never went back because he said the games were lame.:rolleyes: We reviewed his daily charges and ours each night on the interactive tv in the cabin to make sure there weren't any charges we weren't aware of.

 

Just set the rules up front and keep an eye on things. You can set their cards up with no charging abilities if that is what you prefer. We always let our son have charging abilities, but we also know he can control himself. You know your kids best, do what works for your family.:)

[renysmom]

If you don't want to buy the soda package what I have seen done in the past is parents made their own "cruise cash" for the kids on their computer. They then gave each child a set amount (say $25, $30 whatever is reasonable for your budget and goals) of the cruise cash to be responsible for and to which they could use for anything they wanted on the ship and the child had to "pay" the parent out for their "cruise cash".

 

This allowed the parents to maintain a budget and at the same time teach the children budgeting, responsibility, etc. Some parents gave out the cash each day, others the entire week and others half at start, half at beginning.

[TravisP]

We sailed on Carnival Sunshine last year for my daughters HS graduation. (yes I know this is a RCI forum but I think it still is apical to the topic of thread). We got my daughter (18 at the time) and my son (15 at the time) the soda package. They are not huge soda drinkers but they do drink a ton of water and water bottles were included with the package. We also gave them $100 each that they could charge to their sea pass card. I know Carnival would let us put a limit of their cards, not sure if RCI does. Told them they could spend that money how ever they wanted but no more would be given. They each had a little left over and spent it in the candy store the last night.

[Laurin612]

My kids are now 16 and almost 20 and we’ve been cruisingwith them since the younger one was 3. Ithink it depends on your kids and what they like to drink. My 16 year old athlete son does not drinksoda at all, but drinks a ton of bottled water. My 19 year old daughter drinks soda and is also particular about hercoffee. They both enjoy mocktails whileon vacation. For our upcoming 12 dayBritish Isles cruise, we purchased the Refreshment package so they could havebottled water, soda, fancy coffee drinks, fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast andvirgin frozen drinks. We purchased the packages during a sale and itended up being $17 a day pp (plus gratuities). I know my daughter will drink at least two coffee drinks a day ($4-5isheach) and several frozen drinks ($4-5 each), in addition to the fresh squeezedOJ at breakfast. I also know my son will drink his body weight in bottled water and frozen drinks with an odd Red Bull thrown in here and there.

 

 

That said, since this is your first cruise and your kids DON'T drink soda, I would not get a package for them. As others have said, you can buy them frozen drinks at any time and just charge it to your SeaPass. If you determine during the cruise that you want to buy them packages after all, you can get it pro-rated for the remainder of the cruise.

 

I like Travis P's idea of giving each child an "Allowance" to spend.

 

ETA: RC does not have the soft serve ice cream available 24/7. I have only seen it available from the start of lunch to the start of dinner and there are crew members serving it.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Laurin612

[ABC Cruisers]

We always bought our son the package that includes the frozen virgin cocktails. He's not a soda drinker at all, but he likes sparking water, smoothies and frozen mocktails. It's their vacation also and we felt with that package he could have whatever he wanted, so worth it to us :)

[julielouhoo]

They aren’t necessarily soda drinkers. We never have it in the house so that’s where the over thinking comes in to play.

I think ordering one or two throughout the trip seems like a better option.

 

We are on Adventure out of NJ and have a lot of days at sea so I think that’s why I keep overthinking.

 

I’ve read that a lot about the arcade so thank you for telling me that.

 

My kids aren't real soda drinkers either, but I get them the soda package if the ship has a freestyle machine. In addition to flavoring up an occasional soda, They enjoy the different flavor powerades and flavored waters. They like having access to it all the time. Having said that, I only had to pay for 2, not 3. I also like paying for whatever I can up front, so that factors into my decision.

 

I loved the Adventure! Have a great cruise!!

 

Terri

[DrD]

My boys don't drink soda, but they do on a cruise and I get them the package. It's kind of an activity for them, to go to the freestyle machine and get a weird concoction that they make up on the spot. They also enjoy getting a soda at dinner (yuck to me!) It's a treat as we never do that at home. So I always get them the soda package, it's not very much money if I remember and has really become part of the cruise tradition in my family.

 

I also get them internet. Anything else they want they can get but I deduct it from their savings when we return. (they are teenagers so have bank accounts, they are both on my app so very easy to take money out of their account and put into mine.)

 

It's amazing how little they want when they have to pay themselves!

[LillCruiser]

I LOVE the idea of giving them a set amount! They truly don’t drink soda and as much as it would be a treat I feel they would enjoy the freedom of picking what extras they want and how they want to spend their money. All of the replies have been so helpful! Thank you for helping me with this decision!

[SusieQT]

I would pay for the flowrider group lesson on the day you board the ship.