Deluxe beverage package $59/day

[swcruise]

Hello,

I have just been checking the drinks package (nobody to blame but myself !!). I saw it between 43 and 46 euros per day, I was planning to put it on my credit card this month. Now I see it is 51 euros (ouch..). Am considering purchasing as know can cancel should a sale happen. My ques is how do I check the price going forward. I got the 3 day dining package on a sale and can't figure out on cruise planner how to see the current price.... Can some of you friendly cc folk point me in the right direction.

 

Tks

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, swcruise said:

 My ques is how do I check the price going forward. I got the 3 day dining package on a sale and can't figure out on cruise planner how to see the current price.... 

The same way you have in the past. The Planner may be having issues or RCI temporarily removed the packages, but it should be there. 

[swcruise]

Tks Biker19,

 

I have never checked this before, can see the 3 day package in my planner but can't see how to check for price changing so want to make sure if I book the beverage package that I can check on prices going forward to hopefully avail of sales.

 

 

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, swcruise said:

Tks Biker19,

 

I have never checked this before, can see the 3 day package in my planner but can't see how to check for price changing so want to make sure if I book the beverage package that I can check on prices going forward to hopefully avail of sales.

 

 

 

If you cannot see the prices, be sure to close your browser, clear cookies and cache, and try again.  Others have reported not being able to see prices and it's been cleared up by resetting the browser or trying a different browser.

[K8T]

Hi

 

from the UK here and was quite surprised to see the price of the drinks package has gone up by £3 a day since yesterday, so £9 a day for us both.  The cruise is 9 days, do I presume you gave to have the package for 9 days?  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  

 

Bearing in in mind we are only boarding in the afternoon the first day, so won't be drinking as much as if on all day, I'm now wondering if it's worth it with the extra cost.

 

Firstly, do the prices ever go down again and is there a link to the prices for drinks, wines and cocktails please?

 

Fankly we have not cruised with RCI for 19 years, but cruise every year, sometimes twice and I'm a bit disappointed to see this. I'm starting to get a bit concerned about all the "extras" and the way the change things.

 

 

 

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, K8T said:

Hi

 

from the UK here and was quite surprised to see the price of the drinks package has gone up by £3 a day since yesterday, so £9 a day for us both.  The cruise is 9 days, do I presume you gave to have the package for 9 days?  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  

 

Bearing in in mind we are only boarding in the afternoon the first day, so won't be drinking as much as if on all day, I'm now wondering if it's worth it with the extra cost.

 

Firstly, do the prices ever go down again and is there a link to the prices for drinks, wines and cocktails please?

 

Fankly we have not cruised with RCI for 19 years, but cruise every year, sometimes twice and I'm a bit disappointed to see this. I'm starting to get a bit concerned about all the "extras" and the way the change things.

 

 

 

 

If you purchase pre-cruise, you must purchase for the entire cruise.  However, if you purchase on-board, you can normally delay your purchase, but no later than the last 4 days of the cruise.  Possibly later, but 4 days is what Royal has published. Whenever you purchase, it must be from that day until the end of the cruise.  Note that there's no way to know what the onboard price will be, and it will be in USD.

 

Prices change without notice all the time.  There is no cruise line link to onboard beverage prices.  I think the cruise line likes to have the flexibility to change prices at will.

[dswallow]

At the moment there's no ongoing sale, at least with regard to Cruise Planner items via the US web site. So prices for most things are generally just at their current "default" level of discount, if any, which will vary by ship/sailing.

 

Cruise Planner sales seem to be happening about every other week or so. The last ended on 8/8/2019, and I'm sure we'll be seeing something over the US Labor Day week/weekend, if not something else sooner.

 

You can generally buy the drink package onboard for the at least the first couple days of the cruise -- always for all remaining days of the cruise. But it's at the onboard price (which depending on the ship and sailing varies between US$63 and US$72/day, plus 18% gratuity), which is the "full" price from which the Cruise Planner discount is calculated, so it's really rarely a better deal to wait and buy it onboard unless you are a Diamond Plus or Pinnacle Crown & Anchor member.

 

Anything you buy online via the Cruise Planner can always be canceled and refunded, so buy it when you decide the price is OK, and if the price drops, cancel what you bought and buy it again at the lower price. That way you don't miss out if the price should go up then not go down again before your sailing.

 

Currency conversions as well as the inclusion of the gratuities into the advertised price obviously makes things different for a UK resident, but the basic concept still applies.

 

 

[vacationlover_mn]

On 8/10/2019 at 8:05 AM, BND said:

I just don't see how this is worth it for most people, even at less than $50/day.  We have never spent enough to justify it.  

For us, it works in our favor.  For example, I have a fancy coffee before breakfast, 3-4 bottles waters, at least 1 wine with dinner, a drink or two with dinner, at lest 1 drink in the afternoon, and at least one late night drink.

[BND]

15 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

For us, it works in our favor.  For example, I have a fancy coffee before breakfast, 3-4 bottles waters, at least 1 wine with dinner, a drink or two with dinner, at lest 1 drink in the afternoon, and at least one late night drink.

Every single day?  You don't find you drink less as the cruise goes on? Multiple people have reported drink fatigue after the first few days of trying to keep up, especially with port days thrown in.  One of our perks as D+ is we get 6 bottles of water delivered to our cabin on the first day.  On our recent Carnival cruise, we got two one liter bottles as a perk since we're Gold. Otherwise, we drink ship's water.  Have you actually done the math?  And by that, I mean keeping track of what you actually drink every day and not just guessing based on what you usually do? 

 

The fact is, RCI offers the package because they make money on it, not because people get their money's worth.

Edited August 11, 2019 by BND

[S.A.M.J.R.]

5 hours ago, dswallow said:

You'd like one, but you're doing the math and worried about your final bill. Or you want to just try things out and not worry that if you decide you don't like it that you're potentially throwing away something you paid $13.00 for. You are on vacation after all, and maybe it's something you think you'd enjoy being able to do -- try new cocktails.

I've heard this argument before and if you think about it, it doesn't really hold water.  So the thought is you're willing to try a new drink because, since you've already paid for it, you're not "wasting money" if you don't like it.  HOWEVER, if you don't drink enough during the entire length of the cruise, then you're "wasting money" by getting the drink package.  

 

And you mention what you have to drink on average per day... on a port intensive cruise, it could be hard to keep that average up (if you're off the ship for 6-7 hours, you're not drinking their alcohol... leaving out a private island).  On a sea day?  No problem keeping that average up.  Port day?  OK, maybe a coffee in the morning, a couple bottles of water to take with you, then make up the drinking when you get back on board.  But what if you're not a night owl?  What if you're a "light weight" and can't handle four alcoholic drinks in as many hours?  

 

IMO, the only reason to get the drink package is if you think you will drink enough to break even (at least nearly).  That's a decision each individual needs to make based on their alcohol tolerance and the cost of the package. 

 

Out of our three cruises, I had the deluxe package once.   I felt like I was trying hard to get my money's worth.  The other two, I paid as I wanted a drink.  If I didn't want one, I didn't get one.  Easy peasy. 

[vacationlover_mn]

30 minutes ago, BND said:

Every single day?  You don't find you drink less as the cruise goes on?

Yep!  And on sea days, it’s more booze and fancy coffee, less water 😉

[fdthird]

Why do people feel they have to defend either buying or not buying the package?  It’s your money, do with it what you wish.  90% of these discussions are useless...I’m not gonna convince you and you’re not gonna convince me!

 

let the counter comments begin....

[vacationlover_mn]

3 minutes ago, fdthird said:

Why do people feel they have to defend either buying or not buying the package?  It’s your money, do with it what you wish.  90% of these discussions are useless...I’m not gonna convince you and you’re not gonna convince me!

 

let the counter comments begin....

Lol- I only post because people want an opinion... so I give mine 🙂. But, it all boils down to the math of what you drink!

[Bases5]

3 minutes ago, fdthird said:

Why do people feel they have to defend either buying or not buying the package?  It’s your money, do with it what you wish.  90% of these discussions are useless...I’m not gonna convince you and you’re not gonna convince me!

 

let the counter comments begin....

I think everyone is trying to convince themselves that they are making the correct choice and looking for validation from others.  

Im even guilty.😕🚢

[Frankmac]

For what it's worth we are sailing on Oasis in September. The deluxe package is costing us €44 ( €49.28) plus 16.36% gratuity. Yes don't ask me how or where that gratuity rate came from but that's what it is.

 

We will both drink the 4/5 drinks per day ( me probably twice that) to make the package worthwhile. So why do people say that it is or it isn't worthwhile? It's an individual thing. It suits me it may not suit you.

 

[Merion_Mom]

42 minutes ago, fdthird said:

Why do people feel they have to defend either buying or not buying the package?  It’s your money, do with it what you wish.  90% of these discussions are useless...I’m not gonna convince you and you’re not gonna convince me!

 

let the counter comments begin....

 

Actually, MANY people ask for others' opinion whether they think that the package is "worth it."  People will ask for an idea of what drinks cost on board.  People ask for an analysis or breakdown of what it takes to at least "break even."

 

Yes, people request the information.  So it's not necessarily defending a decision.  It's giving others, WHO ASK, their reasons for their decision.

[RickAinley]

Somewhere in this forum there is a post with a spreadsheet that helps you price of buy per drink versus the package. I don't drink much alcohol and so for myself and my wife we purchased the refreshment package and we will buy any alcohol as needed. For us it made more sense and that's why it really depends on the person. If we were close, I would take the convenience but my calculations were a few hundred adrift for us. 😀

 

I also think this is a standard marketing ploy, pop up the prices for a while and it seems a bigger bargain when they drop for a while.......

[rockon391]

Always worth it...especially if you are down to try new drinks. On a cruise ship I nearly get every drink imaginable. Because I can and it does not cost me anymore. I never feel bad if I don’t want to finish a drink that doesn’t suit me.

[Balsam12]

4 hours ago, BND said:

Every single day?  You don't find you drink less as the cruise goes on? Multiple people have reported drink fatigue after the first few days of trying to keep up, especially with port days thrown in.  One of our perks as D+ is we get 6 bottles of water delivered to our cabin on the first day.  On our recent Carnival cruise, we got two one liter bottles as a perk since we're Gold. Otherwise, we drink ship's water.  Have you actually done the math?  And by that, I mean keeping track of what you actually drink every day and not just guessing based on what you usually do? 

 

The fact is, RCI offers the package because they make money on it, not because people get their money's worth.

 

Four drinks per day while on a cruise?

 

In a heartbeat. Not a chance of drink fatigue.

 

Even with the first drink at lunch, and going to bed by about 11pm, that's about one drink every three hours. If that would induce "drink fatigue" in you, then the beverage package decision is easy... you don't need it.

 

The other point to note is the Diamond level perks.

 

6 bottles of water on day one. Assuming these are normal 500ml bottles, 6 bottles would be gone by day two at the latest, so that's not really relevant.

 

Others talk about the "Free Diamond drinks". I'm not sure if they are simply taking another chance to tell everyone about their status level, or if they are being serious. I'm nowhere near Diamond, but from what I read, the Diamond drinks are in a small two or three hour window in the early evening. If that's the only time of the day you want to have a drink, and the drinks available are to your taste, then you would need to factor this in to your calculations.

 

For me, that doesn't help with coffee and juice at breakfast, nor sitting by the pool in the afternoon, or at the 2pm trivia in Schooner bar, or at dinner, or in the casino after dinner. It's the same as saying "I'll do my drinking in port". We rarely drink when in port. To be clear, we're not doing Caribbean cruises where we've been to all the ports before and there's not really much else to do, but when in port, our idea is to go out and see the place we're visiting, not sit in a bar and drink. Doing your drinking in port is great if you only drink at that time of the day, but if you like to have a drink with dinner or in the evening, it's not relevant... it comes back to the same as Diamond drinks... it doesn't help if we want to have a cocktail or two while watching the show, or a few drinks in the casino later in the evening.

 

In addition, anyone who has done enough cruises to reach Diamond already knows if the package is right for them or not. Giving advice to people who ask about the package by saying "I get free Diamond drinks" is not helpful to a first or second time cruiser in any way at all... again, it just smacks of one upmanship and telling everyone you are Diamond. Guess who the people asking about the package normally are? First or second time cruisers.

 

Finally, I don't need to keep a spreadsheet of how many drinks I have just to see if the package is better value... I know it is better value for myself and for my other half. The whole idea of people swilling down the drinks just to make sure they get their money's worth is sheer stupidity. One simply needs to base their decision on what they would normally drink while on vacation. If four drinks per day makes it better value than paying as you go, and you normally have four drinks per day, then it's a no-brainer... get the package. Going all out and having 12 drinks per day to "get your money's worth" makes no sense at all as you've already got your money's worth by having your normal four drinks. Anyone that gets the package and then thinks they need to drink more than they normally would just to break even shouldn't have purchased the package.

 

 

 

[Balsam12]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

And you mention what you have to drink on average per day... on a port intensive cruise, it could be hard to keep that average up (if you're off the ship for 6-7 hours, you're not drinking their alcohol... leaving out a private island).  On a sea day?  No problem keeping that average up.  Port day?  OK, maybe a coffee in the morning, a couple bottles of water to take with you, then make up the drinking when you get back on board.  But what if you're not a night owl?  What if you're a "light weight" and can't handle four alcoholic drinks in as many hours?  

 

IMO, the only reason to get the drink package is if you think you will drink enough to break even (at least nearly).  That's a decision each individual needs to make based on their alcohol tolerance and the cost of the package. 

 

 

The second paragraph here is the important one, and is the same message I have been spruiking.

 

The first paragraph is the confusing one. DO NOT base your calculations on a day to day basis. If the "break even point"
is four drinks per day, then average this over the entire cruise.

 

Example: You have an 8 day cruise with four port days and four sea days. On port days, you normally only have two drinks, and on sea days you normally have have six drinks. That comes to 32 drinks over the eight days, and you have hit the break even mark... exactly the same as if you have four drinks every day. You don't need to get back to the ship on a port day and make sure you have your four drinks that day.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

8 hours ago, Balsam12 said:

The whole idea of people swilling down the drinks just to make sure they get their money's worth is sheer stupidity.

The cruise I got the package, yes, I drank more than I would have normally to make sure I got my money's worth.  And you're right, you do need to average the number of drinks over the entire cruise.  

 

And I'm not saying the drink package isn't good for anyone.  I'm sure there are plenty of people who benefit from it.  It's the people who claim "it's always worth it" to any one who asks that I have a problem with.  And those who use fuzzy logic to justify it... "I don't want to 'waste' money on a drink if I don't like it", but if they don't drink enough with the package, they're wasting money (possibly more than a drink or two).  

[starrcards]

We booked a July 2020 Empress cruise to New England/Canada last week.  Looking over the cruise planner there are no drink packages (nor shore excursions) listed. No soda. No refreshment. No  drink package (but the Key is available). Has anyone ever seen this?

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, starrcards said:

We booked a July 2020 Empress cruise to New England/Canada last week.  Looking over the cruise planner there are no drink packages (nor shore excursions) listed. No soda. No refreshment. No  drink package (but the Key is available). Has anyone ever seen this?

 

Keep looking, probably too early.

[Esprit]

15 hours ago, BND said:

Every single day?  You don't find you drink less as the cruise goes on? Multiple people have reported drink fatigue after the first few days of trying to keep up, especially with port days thrown in.  One of our perks as D+ is we get 6 bottles of water delivered to our cabin on the first day.  On our recent Carnival cruise, we got two one liter bottles as a perk since we're Gold. Otherwise, we drink ship's water.  Have you actually done the math?  And by that, I mean keeping track of what you actually drink every day and not just guessing based on what you usually do? 

 

The fact is, RCI offers the package because they make money on it, not because people get their money's worth.

There will be 11 of us on a B2B aboard Allure this October. We all have the delux drinks package and I know for certain we'll get our money's worth without working out our daily consumption even on port days. I dread to think what my liver will be like at the end! Hopefully all the dancing we'll do every night will help but it can be thirsty work too! I reckon the bar tenders will come to know us all quite well before the cruise ends !

[BND]

18 hours ago, Balsam12 said:

 

Four drinks per day while on a cruise?

 

In a heartbeat. Not a chance of drink fatigue.

 

Even with the first drink at lunch, and going to bed by about 11pm, that's about one drink every three hours. If that would induce "drink fatigue" in you, then the beverage package decision is easy... you don't need it.

 

The other point to note is the Diamond level perks.

 

6 bottles of water on day one. Assuming these are normal 500ml bottles, 6 bottles would be gone by day two at the latest, so that's not really relevant.

 

Others talk about the "Free Diamond drinks". I'm not sure if they are simply taking another chance to tell everyone about their status level, or if they are being serious. I'm nowhere near Diamond, but from what I read, the Diamond drinks are in a small two or three hour window in the early evening. If that's the only time of the day you want to have a drink, and the drinks available are to your taste, then you would need to factor this in to your calculations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 drinks a day depends on the cost of the package when you buy it.  Some people are drinking only beer which means a lot more than 4. Only mention the "free diamond drinks" like others do because it does play into how much I drink.  We bring one or two bottles of wine onboard and there's one drink per day or so.  The evening happy hour (which I'm sure you will be glad to have when you're diamond so be careful bashing people about it) gives me 2-3 glasses of wine or cocktails, one of which I carry into dinner.  Otherwise, buying one or two drinks (sometimes afternoon, maybe one after dinner) a day plus coffee still isn't anywhere near what the package costs.  A pkg would cost us around $900 or so (depending on price of pkg) for a 7 day cruise.  We normally spend $200 at most on a 7 day cruise.  But, there are posts by people who have said drink fatigue is real and they drink more than they would if they didn't have the package.  I'm betting those that buy the package on a cruise don't drink as much when they're on a vacation that doesn't have that option.   That's why my opinion is that some force enough drinks to "get their money's worth" when they have a package.

 

Once again, this is just my opinion and I'm basing it on reports/reviews that cruisers have done since the packages were introduced.  

Edited August 12, 2019 by BND