Anyone regret purchasing the Cheers program

[ParrotRob]

52 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

It sounds easy when you break it down to the smallest unit of one day. That is exactly what the marketing wants you to do. Don't forget to multiply that amount by 2 people, then multiply it again for 4-14+ days. How often does one person in the couple not drink very much? Then we create a bunch of drinking schedules, that few people do in their normal life, and few actually keep on top of vacation. Is it so hard to accept that most couples will not drink $860 of liquids in a week, and if they did, they forced themselves to?

 

It's probably no harder for YOU to believe that people DO.

[ParrotRob]

17 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

Cheers! is a BEVERAGE PACKAGE. If you don't think it's worth it for you and your traveling companions, by all means don't buy it. If you think you'd drink enough bottled water, soda, specialty coffees, energy drinks, milkshakes and yes alcohol then purchase away.

 

The judgmental tones by both sides of this topic are harsh. One is not simply an alcoholic or forced to drink because they have chosen to take advantage of a product that includes alcoholic beverages. Those that choose not to purchase the package are not necessarily boring, cheap, teetotalers.

 

Getting your money's worth on Cheers! is not simply about alcohol. It's about the total package. It includes alcohol. It's not just alcohol.

 

It's certainly appropriate to answer whether you regret purchasing it or not and why. But the continued speculation and judgment on the drinking habits of others is ridiculous.

 

I drink, I'm sure based on the tone here that some would assume, based on my drinking habits, that I'm some sloppy drunk that can't remember my evenings. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all handle and enjoy alcohol differently. I do so responsibly and hope others do as well.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

If you buy Cheers, you're clearly a raging alcoholic.  After all, no one could possibly drink enough to make it worthwhile otherwise.  😉

[coevan]

21 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

Cheers! is a BEVERAGE PACKAGE. If you don't think it's worth it for you and your traveling companions, by all means don't buy it. If you think you'd drink enough bottled water, soda, specialty coffees, energy drinks, milkshakes and yes alcohol then purchase away.

 

The judgmental tones by both sides of this topic are harsh. One is not simply an alcoholic or forced to drink because they have chosen to take advantage of a product that includes alcoholic beverages. Those that choose not to purchase the package are not necessarily boring, cheap, teetotalers.

 

Getting your money's worth on Cheers! is not simply about alcohol. It's about the total package. It includes alcohol. It's not just alcohol.

 

It's certainly appropriate to answer whether you regret purchasing it or not and why. But the continued speculation and judgment on the drinking habits of others is ridiculous.

 

I drink, I'm sure based on the tone here that some would assume, based on my drinking habits, that I'm some sloppy drunk that can't remember my evenings. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all handle and enjoy alcohol differently. I do so responsibly and hope others do as well.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 

Very well said, it's not someone's business what people do on vacation. We love Cheers, but we are very moderate drinkers at home. We surely do not drink Mimosas or Bloody Marys every day at home.

[scliq]

I rarely drink at home maybe an occasional glass of wine with dinner so I did not want the Cheers package but hubby & 27yo daughter did.

That being said I do believe I got my Moneys worth and was not drunk at all.

I had 2 Mimosa's with each breakfast, 2 bottles of water rest of AM, a Peach Daiquiri with lunch,  2 bottles of water in afternoon, 2 glasses of wine with dinner, a Baileys spiked Vanilla Milk Shake after dinner, a drink at the show and a Bailey spiked Hot Chocolate b4 bed. Did have a few sodas mixed in as well. At no point was I intoxicated spreading the drinks out over 15hrs.

Edited December 30, 2019 by scliq
Forgot soda

[1019throw]

On 12/28/2019 at 7:56 PM, habsfan4ever said:

It’s pretty easy math for “Us” a couple of specialty coffees each “spiked” ? A couple of Margaritas type drinks at pool, probably a trip or two to the brewery “hoping the micro brewery is as good as it looks” bottled water to keep hydrated, a stop at Alchemy, wine with dinner, rehydrate, or energy drink for shows... a couple of drinks at casino. 

6-8 drinks per day, for the two of us it works... remember don’t judge. Safe travels everyone, and Happy New Year. 63 more sleeps.

Agreed! Port days aren't a problem. We typically go to the alchemy bar and have 2 drinks before dinner (heck, that's almost half of your cheers package right there). Having another few drinks during the day or evening is not too difficult, especially if you're listening to music or going to shows. 

[new_cruiser_75]

I agree with JennyB1977 and would love to hear peoples opinions about their OWN buying/not buying choices.  As for me, I have been on several cruises and enjoyed (choked down) the free brewed coffee and lemonade just fine; did usually purchase a sail away punch but that was ALL.  For our upcoming cruise, my DH opted to surprise me with the Cheers package.  I have been going back and forth with being super excited for it and slightly frustrated with the amount of money he spent.  But HE is SUPER excited, mostly for the ability to pay now and not worry about it later (I'm better with money than he is..., but that's a separate topic) and his excitement totally makes it worth it for me (at least this time).  Will we get our money's worth / break even?  I'm sure we will (at Carnival prices - and at home we only enjoy 1-2 alcoholic drinks/week each) by going all in on caffeine and alcohol for the week, it's just a week after all, and enjoy every moment of it (just like Scliq).  Will we hit Carnival's limit?  Maybe once.  Will we have a great time either way?  SURE THING BABY! 😎😎

[grandmarnnurse]

I can actually see where I COULD get my moneys worth——if it was just me. But since we’d have to pay for both in cabin, it would be too costly. My hubby never drinks more than 3 beers a day on a cruise, if that, and never goes to the coffee bar, etc. Me, on the other hand, drinks mixed drinks (but perhaps only 3 per day on cruise) spaced far apart, but wine with dinner (hubby does not), and a couple trips to coffee bar per day. If they would not make both in cabin get it, yes, it would be beneficial for just me. But insisting both get it, no, we’d never come near breaking even. So, what I usually do is apply bar credits to my account that I purchase with redeemed reward points through my Carnival Mastercard. Between $300-350 usually covers us per cruise, depending on length of cruise. I’m sorry if I offended anyone when I said I didn’t see how anyone could hit the 15 drink mark. I just know I would have been comotose before that happened. 🤣🤣

[Liverpoollovely]

On 3/5/2019 at 3:18 PM, l8cruiser said:

I am curious if anyone thought they made a mistake purchasing the Cheers program. I was thinking on port days , if we would be away too long to get our moneys worth. It would be nice to have mimosas in the morning along with special coffees. I would kick myself though if we didn’t drink enough to make it worthwhile. 

 

We have always opted to have the cheers package and have not ever regretted it, we are not big drinkers but we do consume non alcoholic drinks with this package. 

[Joebucks]

19 hours ago, ParrotRob said:

 

It's probably no harder for YOU to believe that people DO.

 

As previously said by many, Cheers is a great option for many people. That's the beauty of cruising. There are options for everyone. That doesn't mean that it's the best option for everyone though. 10-12 cocktails a day for many couple's just isn't a "no-brainer" no matter how many times you say it. Many people will also never spend $860 in an entire year on non-alcoholic drinks, so why is it such a no-brainer on a cruise?

 

People obsess too much over "inclusive" aka no fees. That includes Cheers. That includes people who say their preferred cruise line is better because the drinks were included. And on and on and on. People will spend more to "save". It's one of the oldest marketing tricks. If it makes you feel better, more power to you. I can't even count how many times I know people who have bought these things or had to go to an AI, but barely utilized it. I'm not going to nod and say that was a brilliant idea.

[tony_g51181]

So for me and the wife the cheers makes it convenient to not worry about a bill at the end. Now on the last cruise (sept 2019) we did not get the cheers package to test a theory out.  We ordered what we wanted when we wanted it and we learned in the end we should have got the cheers program. Now I love the specialty coffee spiked in the am, and ships that have a steakhouse have a nice Rose that is like 15 a glass which we enjoy and a few margaritas here and there and maybe a shot of Patron to seal the night. And we usually stay on the ship while in Nassau and relax so no rushing to make it worth it for us!!! Call us alcoholics doesn't bother me we are just having fun while on vacation!!  

[Pyxie]

I've never bought it. Considering getting it for the first time for my March cruise. It's a 5 day vs. 7, so it won't cost us as much overall and may be a good chance to try it out.

 

The way I look at it is kinda like the dining plan at Disney which I am a big fan of. You don't always save, or break even actually, but I love not having to worry about what I'm spending while on vacation. I'm a big fan of prepaying for as much as possible.

 

I don't drink much on cruises, but it isn't because I don't want to. It's because I'm cheap. I feel like I'd enjoy myself more with Cheers. We'll see.

[wolft927]

So I have not gotten drink packages and then I have. Last cruise on the dream the wife and I got Cheers and it was a much more relaxing time not thinking about our onboard account. We deffinatly got our monies worth regarding the drinks as well as specialty coffeas etc... For those on the fence i would say if you plan on buying more then 4 or 5 drinks per day plus some specialty cofffeas per day its worth it. 

[theeddie]

And here I am upset I can only order 15 drinks in a day.  Royal is unlimited and only 5 min 

[SERK]

2 hours ago, Pyxie said:

I've never bought it. Considering getting it for the first time for my March cruise. It's a 5 day vs. 7, so it won't cost us as much overall and may be a good chance to try it out.

 

The way I look at it is kinda like the dining plan at Disney which I am a big fan of. You don't always save, or break even actually, but I love not having to worry about what I'm spending while on vacation. I'm a big fan of prepaying for as much as possible.

 

I don't drink much on cruises, but it isn't because I don't want to. It's because I'm cheap. I feel like I'd enjoy myself more with Cheers. We'll see.

We did the deluxe dining plan last time at Disney World and we came out waaaay ahead for what it cost us. We quickly discovered with the extra dining points they give you can eat at the very nice expensive restaurants around the parks. We added up the saved receipts at the end of trip and came out about $700 ahead including the dining costs. Loved it and will do again. 

[grandmarnnurse]

3 hours ago, theeddie said:

And here I am upset I can only order 15 drinks in a day.  Royal is unlimited and only 5 min 

NCL is unlimited, as well.

[pacruise804]

On 12/29/2019 at 7:04 PM, grandmarnnurse said:

Actually, no. I really don’t know anyone that can drink 15 alcoholic drinks in one day, and still remember anything! If you can, more power to you. 

 

I appreciate that you later clarified that you couldn't drink that many.  I have discovered for many things it is natural to assume others think/act within the same frame of reference I do, but realize I shouldn't.

 

Mathematically, especially on a cruise, I can see many being able to purchase 15 alcoholic drinks for their own consumption and still remember the day.  Cruising invites day drinking, so there would be more spiked coffees/mimosas as well as pool side drinks.  There also tends to be a lot of waste on cruises - not finishing a drink if it got warm, trying something new and not liking it, etc.  15 drinks ordered isn't necessarily 15 drinks drank (which even then could happen if spread out over the whole day).

 

On 12/30/2019 at 1:03 PM, Joebucks said:

 

It sounds easy when you break it down to the smallest unit of one day. That is exactly what the marketing wants you to do. Don't forget to multiply that amount by 2 people, then multiply it again for 4-14+ days. How often does one person in the couple not drink very much? Then we create a bunch of drinking schedules, that few people do in their normal life, and few actually keep on top of vacation. Is it so hard to accept that most couples will not drink $860 of liquids in a week, and if they did, they forced themselves to?

I generally agree with you, that it is better to look at the entire package and not the per day charge.  I personally cannot see spending more on drinks for a week then I would feeding my family of 4 for a month.  While I might enjoy 6 drinks one day and the package make sense, I might have another day of rough seas and only have a few ginger ales - I wouldn't want to drink 12 the following day to make up for it.

 

Just because I'm a light to moderate drinker though, doesn't mean I can't accept there are many who are heavier drinkers (alcohol & non) and without cheers would have a multipage bill under the door the last night with a four figure beverage tab.

[Eliot Ness]

We've done Cheers on two cruises and I'm pretty sure I came up short the first time.  The last cruise I actually added up all the wadded up receipts I kept and between drinks, adding shots to my drinks, beer, soda, coffee, water, milkshakes, espresso & Sangria at dinner I'm pretty sure I came out just a little ahead.

 

I was drinking many things I wouldn't normally order so I think I could come out ahead using gift cards, but it was fun not having to worry about how much a drink cost.  There's really no right or wrong answer since different people consume different drinks at different rates.  Our cruise next month is 14 days so cheers would be expensive for the two of us, but if my wife decided she wanted it I'd go along and pay for it with gift cards and hope I had very fast drink servers 😉

[Bases5]

So how many milk shakes will it take to break even on cheers?

[n6uqqq]

12 minutes ago, Bases5 said:

So how many milk shakes will it take to break even on cheers?

 

2 pant sizes 😉

[amandam32]

It really is a gamble for us. Like if I get seasick &/or need meds I can’t drink, obviously lol. Last time my husband got either food poisoning or a virus and was DONE drinking liquor for the rest of the trip. Another time we had a lovely 7 days and drank a lot. Plus got the good coffee in the morning and the good tea at bedtime, tons of bottled waters, and carried our own mixed drinks off the ship in yetis to save on drinks in port. I think we got our $ worth, but the port days make it a lot harder. If I go to anywhere all inclusive in port, by the time we get back to the ship I need water only for several hours lol. Cheers is a tough decision for me every single time. This past time we didn’t get it and ordered what we wanted as if we had the cheers package. We came out about even if I remember right. Either way there is pressure. Pressure to save $ and drink conservatively or pressure once you buy the package to drink your $ worth. 🤔🤔🤔

Edited January 9, 2020 by amandam32

[Seacreature101]

I drink more than my husband but not enough to warrant drink package unless included in a promotion like other lines.  If I alone could buy it, would do for fun and convenience.  That said,  on Carnival I do as mentioned above.  I purchase drink credits  throughout the wait for our cruise time 😁 and have no worries ordering what I want when onboard.  If you think you are going to drink full package worth, do it.  If not, consider the credits.  Personal choice.

[mz-s]

My wife and I are not heavy drinkers. We might have two or three drinks a month, if that. We drink more on vacation like many people, enough to where we could theoretically save money with Cheers - especially since it includes soda and coffee.

 

Every time we've purchased Cheers we ended up drinking more alcohol to get our money's worth and didn't enjoy it.

 

We pay per drink now.

[rukkian]

On 12/31/2019 at 6:37 AM, grandmarnnurse said:

I can actually see where I COULD get my moneys worth——if it was just me. But since we’d have to pay for both in cabin, it would be too costly. My hubby never drinks more than 3 beers a day on a cruise, if that, and never goes to the coffee bar, etc. Me, on the other hand, drinks mixed drinks (but perhaps only 3 per day on cruise) spaced far apart, but wine with dinner (hubby does not), and a couple trips to coffee bar per day. If they would not make both in cabin get it, yes, it would be beneficial for just me. But insisting both get it, no, we’d never come near breaking even. So, what I usually do is apply bar credits to my account that I purchase with redeemed reward points through my Carnival Mastercard. Between $300-350 usually covers us per cruise, depending on length of cruise. I’m sorry if I offended anyone when I said I didn’t see how anyone could hit the 15 drink mark. I just know I would have been comotose before that happened. 🤣🤣

You just about described us.  I may have a few beers, but would drink the coffee, my wife drinks the frozen drinks, and could easily make use of the package.  Without the package, we will probably not even spend $300, because it is a mental thing for me that I feel I can do without, rather than paying the per drink cost, especially for things I am not sure I would even like.

[ibarrio]

We got Cheers for our first cruise. We are social drinkers and huge coffee drinkers (we start every day with a full 12 cup pot and I drink at least another two cups at work). Mix in waters, sports drinks, mix drinks/wine/beer and I bet we easily in the black. The Alchemy bar will be a nightly stop.  

[Sebleo]

I regretted it on my last cruise and will not be purchasing it this cruise. I pretty much break even with coffee and alcohol- but it’s not about the price for me. 
 

They took away the kind of wine I like from the “by the glass” option. I was surprised on my last cruise that I didn’t have any Cheers included drink options for my night drinking. I drink cocktails during the day and only wine at night. I was lost on what to drink every night- wouldn’t have had that problem when I was younger!

 

I’ll be getting the wine package this time and buying my one or two cocktails a day. Oh, and I’m bringing on canned coffee to save me trips to the coffee bar. 
 

I’ll have to see how the bar tab looks at the end to see if I fared better or worse than usual on overall cost. Either way- I guess it won’t matter since it’s more important I’m enjoying myself!