Drink question

[Debate]

If you don’t purchase a drink package what is the cost to simply order a tea with dinner?  We are trying to decide between purchasing a package or bringing water and soft drinks on board.  How many bottles of wine can we bring on board?  We are driving to the port so flying isn’t a issue.  I’d welcome advice as this is our first cruise where we’ve had to pay for beverages.  

[memoak]

A standard tea after dinner should be included.  For a specialty tea there would be a charge without the package. You can bring on 1 bottle of wine per person any additional bottles would be charged 

[skynight]

16 minutes ago, Debate said:

If you don’t purchase a drink package what is the cost to simply order a tea with dinner?  We are trying to decide between purchasing a package or bringing water and soft drinks on board.  How many bottles of wine can we bring on board?  We are driving to the port so flying isn’t a issue.  I’d welcome advice as this is our first cruise where we’ve had to pay for beverages.  

There is no cost for tea. It's available for free in any DR and all day and evening in the buffet. It's Twinnings, Lipton and some herbal. If you order premium tea at the International Cafe, Mighty Leaf, it is around $2 for a 16 ounce cup.

You can bring on board as much water, and soft drinks as you like. There is a fridge in each cabin. They can be used anywhere on the ship.

Each adult can bring on 1 x 750ml bottles of wine at no charge for use in the cabin. Additional bottles can be brought on board and are subject to a $15/bottle corkage fee. These bottles are marked and can be used anywhere on the ship.

[Thrak]

If you have a special tea you prefer you can bring it aboard with you and just get hot water in the buffet.

[CynCyn]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

If you have a special tea you prefer you can bring it aboard with you and just get hot water in the buffet.

The IC will give you a cup of hot water too! I did it every night.

[Debate]

I should have clarified - I meant iced tea.  Sorry I didn’t specify.  Thanks so much for your help! 

[CruisingAlong4Now]

Do you mean Sweet Tea?

[geoherb]

Princess offers unsweet iced tea for free. You can try to add sugar or add one of the artificial sweeteners available. I bring my own tea bags since I have to have decaf.

[skynight]

11 hours ago, Debate said:

I should have clarified - I meant iced tea.  Sorry I didn’t specify.  Thanks so much for your help! 

Ice tea available at no charge in any dining location. It's prepared from a powder or liquid concentrate, not fresh brewed. Believe there are iced tea infusions available at the International Cafe. Probably around $4.

[LB_NJ]

What about getting a cup of hot tea and just pouring that over a glass of ice? Not neat but probably better than ice tea made with powder.

[grouchomarx]

You can bring one 750ml bottle of wine per person.  HOWEVER we went to the port early around 10:30 and when we checked in there was no one manning the wine tables yet and nobody checked anything. We only brought two but could have taken many more had we wanted to (we didn't).  I have read this elsewhere too.

[BigGuy25]

If you like hot tea, there is a box with many varieties of tea bags available at the coffee station in the buffet.  It you pack a good quality of travel mug, you can fill it with hot water and grab a few tea bags to take bag to enjoy in your stateroom.

[sttopmh]

On 12/30/2019 at 7:14 AM, skynight said:

Ice tea available at no charge in any dining location. It's prepared from a powder or liquid concentrate, not fresh brewed. Believe there are iced tea infusions available at the International Cafe. Probably around $4.

I’m an iced tea drinker (unsweetened), and I find that the iced tea on the ship is good.

[ggprincess2004]

For years, we resisted bringing on more bottles of wine than the limit, not wanting to pay corkage. We have recently changed our minds about that. It happened when we actually had a beverage package, because it was included with the cruise fare, and that cruise was never refared to trade it out. So....a few days into the 30 day cruise, the ship was out of our favorite wine, a situation which persisted despite numerous port calls. 

We now bring as many bottles of the wines we enjoy on board, and in doing the math, find we are still way ahead $$ wise, even if we have to pay corkage.  When boarding, meaning clearing the security area early, say by 11 ish, the booze police are usually not in place, so we bring everything without paying corkage, and then only pay corkage on the bottles we bring to the dining room....and then only if the waiter decides to charge the corkage. A bottle on which one has paid corkage (booze police) will have a specific sticker put on it, so the wait staff knows if corkage has already been collected. (This strategy works when the port has a great wine store in close proximity since we never put booze in our checked bags when we fly. It also works when you can drive to the embarkation port. Do not put the booze in the luggage you give to the porters pierside, put it in your carry on bags to embark the ship.)

To make your own brewed decaf iced tea....order tea for 4 or more from room service the first morning. Use the tea bags of your choice and brew a very strong pot of hot tea. Let it cool, those carafes are not perfect, and then pour over ice as you wish. Hide the carafe from your cabin steward the rest of the cruise, fill with hot water at the buffet, continue brewing the tea of your choice, etc. Just rinse out the carafe thoroughly between uses.