Why is the Alcohol Beverage Package so expnsive?

[dag144]

Princess charges $70.79 per day which includes an 18% tip for their beverage package.  I recently returned from a Holland America cruise.  HAL's price for their package is $51.69 which includes a 15% tip.  Both packages limited the number of drinks to 15 per day.  This includes specialty coffees and sodas.  HAL does not charge extra for canned soda with an alcohol pour such as a gin and tonic. 

 

The pours are basically the same.  Princess does not offer more expensive liquors than HAL and HAL does not not offer a 25% discount on bottled wine in the dining room.

 

The price difference can be substantial for a couple and is the reason I cut down on my Princess sailings.

 

Any thoughts?

[neverbeenhere]

When it comes to any price comparison, it is best to add up all features that you desire in your cruise. Of course, the cruise line is going to charge what the market will bear.

[Cruiser_1977]

They charge what people are willing to pay. Until the amount of guests purchasing the packages begins to fall they will continue to raise the prices. My break even point is $75 (including tip) per day. Once any drink package is more expensive than that, I'm out. I always do a was it worth it at the end of each cruise.

 

 

 

[grouchomarx]

I think it's too expensive and we are not buying it for our upcoming cruise.  It's an extra thousand dollars if we do. I don't wanna pay for drinks I might not drink.  I have done packages on other cruises and I genuinely feel that having one encourages me to drink too much since it's "all included".  I'd rather have a little restraint this time around.  We bought the water package instead so we have lots of bottles on hand and it was very cheap.

[voljeep]

I'll buy the PBP for our little 3 day inaugural v2.0 since we won't be getting off the ship at Princess Cay ... even tho the package is good there also ... I'll easily drink the $70 per day in beverages ... my wife will do a pay as you go ...

 

as soon as Princess forces both , in our case, in the same cabin to purchase the package, that will prolly end the PBP for us ... except under SNS

[c-boy]

.... "The price difference can be substantial for a couple and is the reason I cut down on my Princess sailings.

 

Any thoughts?

 

ya, we'll miss ya.   

[Jnsplace1]

I think the only reason I'm getting it this time around is the OBC.   I really don't have any other reason to use the OBC, so might as well enjoy myself.

I really like having the ability to try different drinks I may not typically consume.  After all, it's a vacation. :) 

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, dag144 said:

Princess charges $70.79 per day which includes an 18% tip for their beverage package.  I recently returned from a Holland America cruise.  HAL's price for their package is $51.69 which includes a 15% tip.  Both packages limited the number of drinks to 15 per day.  This includes specialty coffees and sodas.  HAL does not charge extra for canned soda with an alcohol pour such as a gin and tonic. 

 

The pours are basically the same.  Princess does not offer more expensive liquors than HAL and HAL does not not offer a 25% discount on bottled wine in the dining room.

 

The price difference can be substantial for a couple and is the reason I cut down on my Princess sailings.

 

Any thoughts?

Non-alcoholic drinks are unlimited with Princess.  IDK about HAL.  Perhaps Princess cruisers drink more.  Also, you need to attach some value to the 25% discount off every bottle of wine that might be ordered.

 

Even if Princess charged HAL's price, the package would probably still not be quite worth it to us.

 

[Matco]

we have found its worth having on any cruise, sure its limited to 15 per day but that's easy to hit if you start drinking in the morning and pace throughout the day. The last cruise we went on, if I didn't have the drink package which cost me only $225 for the 4 days my bar tab at the end of the trip would have been over $800 for the trip. On our 7 day RCL trip we paid about $400 for the week and it was unlimited, my friend was drinking double fireballs pretty much all week and if he would have paid sticker price for those he would have had a tab of over $2000 by the end of the trip. It all boils down to how much you like to drink and if you will spend more than the cost of the drink package on drinks per day 

[scott4020]

They charge what people will pay.

 

HAL is so laid back I would be willing to bet their average cruiser is older and don't drink as much.

[dag144]

Princess cruisers ain't all chickens either!!!

[c-boy]

did you mean spring chickens ?

[OCruisers]

All depends on how much a person drinks.  

 

[MissP22]

Obviously they have sufficient takers to keep overcharging the way they do. 

Some people feel it a terrific buy. 

 

[OCruisers]

Actually, it is a terrific buy for any who would have spent more without it.  

[scott4020]

3 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

She Who Must Be Obeyed doesn't drink, so a drink package would never work for us.  However, since Princess pulled the barrel chairs out of the standard balconies, we have quit booking with them for the foreseeable future.  What does that have to do with HAL?  Well, with only one place to sit on Princess, we booked a 32 night cruise on HAL next year.  Their beverage package won't work for us either - but I did purchase several bottles of nice scotch for delivery to our cabin on the first day of the cruise.  I'll be able to sit in a reasonably comfortable chair and enjoy a wee dram or several while SWMBO gets ready for dinner.  

 

Thank you HAL! 

Thanks for adding nothing useful to the conversation and just using my post for a reason to complain about Princes. 

[c-boy]

3 minutes ago, OCruisers said:

Actually, it is a terrific buy for any who would have spent more without it.  

No kidding. I had sticker shock years back when we received the statement under the door.  Never again, but now we don't by drinks for dozens of strangers anymore.  

[bemis12]

2 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

She Who Must Be Obeyed doesn't drink, so a drink package would never work for us.  However, since Princess pulled the barrel chairs out of the standard balconies, we have quit booking with them for the foreseeable future.  What does that have to do with HAL?  Well, with only one place to sit on Princess, we booked a 32 night cruise on HAL next year.  Their beverage package won't work for us either - but I did purchase several bottles of nice scotch for delivery to our cabin on the first day of the cruise.  I'll be able to sit in a reasonably comfortable chair and enjoy a wee dram or several while SWMBO gets ready for dinner.  

 

Thank you HAL! 

 

Thank you for bringing the barrel chairs into the drinks package discussion.

[bemis12]

2 hours ago, scott4020 said:

Thanks for adding nothing useful to the conversation and just using my post for a reason to complain about Princes. 

 

He has quit sailing Princess dozens of times and wants to make sure you know it.

[SargassoPirate]

3 hours ago, scott4020 said:

Thanks for adding nothing useful to the conversation and just using my post for a reason to complain about Princes. 

 

The OP mentioned HAL, and I gave HAL credit for offering a nice alternative to a drink package since a drink package must be purchased for both cruisers in a cabin. 

 

Useful information.

[Thrak]

3 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

She Who Must Be Obeyed doesn't drink, so a drink package would never work for us.

 

What does this have to do with anything? Princess doesn't make both people buy the package.

[SargassoPirate]

38 minutes ago, bemis12 said:

 

He has quit sailing Princess dozens of times and wants to make sure you know it.

 😄 Only once by my count.  Since they pulled the barrel chairs we have booked four cruises on other lines.  One of those is a world cruise.  There were four cruise lines under consideration for the world cruise.  Princess narrowed it to three.  Thanks to CC we found out about the chair situation before booking further cruises with Princess.👌

 

There are lots of cruise lines and lots of ships on the seas.  

[flying fingers]

It amazes me how someone who keeps stating that they have quit sailing Princess still keeps coming back to post on the Princess board. If you are done sailing we don't need to hear from you. We get it. You want a chair. Please stop posting about it. 

[scott4020]

2 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

The OP mentioned HAL, and I gave HAL credit for offering a nice alternative to a drink package since a drink package must be purchased for both cruisers in a cabin. 

 

Useful information.

No you didn't. 

 

[caribill]

 

"Why is the Alcohol Beverage Package so expensive?"

It is only offered because the average person who purchases it will not drink enough to justify the cost. This is a big money maker for all the cruise lines that offer it.

 

I have seen some posts by people saying they buy the package so they do not have to deal with receipts and checking their onboard account to see how much the beverages are costing them and if all the charges are correct.

 

I am not sure the benefits of not dealing with receipts is worth paying significantly extra for drinks for those who get beverages when the cost per day is much less than the cost of the package.