Trying to decide by tomorrow - beverage package thoughts

[ptod]

1 hour ago, Cannavaro said:

Its $49 pp for 12/12 Symphony Eastern for me... Comes out to $809.48 with gratuity. Wife barely drinks so that's a big yikes for me. I tried my last time to get my money's worth to cover the cost of us two and yea..... that was an ugly scene every morning so really not worth it to us............we do drink a lot of bottled water and coffee 

 

You can call Royal and buy the deluxe package for you and the refreshment package for your wife.  She can then buy drinks a la carte if/when she would like something.  Only pain is that if there is a price drop you have to call back to cancel/repurchase.

[Iamcruzin]

Just out of curiosity how much is the refreshment package?

[Cannavaro]

28 minutes ago, ptod said:

 

You can call Royal and buy the deluxe package for you and the refreshment package for your wife.  She can then buy drinks a la carte if/when she would like something.  Only pain is that if there is a price drop you have to call back to cancel/repurchase.

UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, you just may have made my day! Thank you!! I may still wait for the black friday deal all things considered right now and Royal may be making an announcement this week or next regarding the future of cruises yet again.

 

 

27 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Just out of curiosity how much is the refreshment package?

Refreshment is $19.99

Clasic Soda is $7.49

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, Cannavaro said:

UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, you just may have made my day! Thank you!! I may still wait for the black friday deal all things considered right now and Royal may be making an announcement this week or next regarding the future of cruises yet again.

 

 

Refreshment is $19.99

Clasic Soda is $7.49

I paid $18 for the refreshment package, $49 for the deluxe plus $10 for surf and stream during black Friday 2018. I did have to call in order to buy one of each. This was for a 9 day cruise in 2019. I honestly think all things considered that they are offering you a good deal now. They might just be baiting people at these prices to get a cash flow. Once cruising starts up I would expect that the prices might go up as well.  During my booking over a year out, I watched prices several times a day and the Deluxe package pretty much fluctuated a dollar or two but the refreshment package went from $28 to $18. At $18 it didn't pay for me to get 2 deluxe packages. I drink mostly sparkling water and specialty coffees and fresh OJ in the morning. OJ was $8.75 a glass.  I paid for the occasional cocktail in the evening.

[Merion_Mom]

2 hours ago, ptod said:

 

You can call Royal and buy the deluxe package for you and the refreshment package for your wife.  She can then buy drinks a la carte if/when she would like something.  Only pain is that if there is a price drop you have to call back to cancel/repurchase.

 

You should not have to call.

 

You should be able to do both the cancellation and the new purchase in your Cruise Planner.

[Cannavaro]

8 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

You should not have to call.

 

You should be able to do both the cancellation and the new purchase in your Cruise Planner.

Tried that. Unfortunately, the deluxe beverage package automatically includes both when purchasing online. Every other package I am allowed to select individually. I'm sure the cancellations I can do on my own.

[Merion_Mom]

9 minutes ago, Cannavaro said:

Tried that. Unfortunately, the deluxe beverage package automatically includes both when purchasing online. Every other package I am allowed to select individually. I'm sure the cancellations I can do on my own.

 

Ah.  You are trying to circumvent the "every adult must purchase" rule.

 

Yes, you would have to call.

 

[LilBlackDress]

5 hours ago, Cannavaro said:

Does anyone have recent drink menus available they can post by any chance to add some insight?

I created a list from several lists, online menus and a few I took pics of while on board.  There might be a couple of duplicates. A lot of them can be made with or without alcohol 

1    Alexander Cocktail
2    ALMOND JOY
3    AMAZON PUNCH
4    AMERICAN DREAM
5    Anchors Away
6    APEROL SPRITZ
7    APPLETINI / APPLE MARTINI 
8    AROMATIC SANGRIA
9    B-52
10    Bahama Mama
11    BAHAMA PAPA
12    BAILEYS BUTTERBALL
13    BAILEYS CHOCOLATE CAFE
14    BBC
15    BELLINI
16    BELLINI SUNSET
17    BERRI ACAI MARTINI
18    BERRY BANANA COLADA
19    Black Russian
20    BLOOD ORANGE NEGRONI
21    BLOODY CAESAR
22    BLOODY MARIA
23    Blue Caribbean
24    BLUE HAWAIIAN
25    BLUE LAGOON
26    Bob Marley
27    BOG FOG
28    BORA BORA BREW
29    BOSTON ICED TEA PARTY
30    BRITISH PIMM'S CUP
31    Buttery nipple
32    CALIFORNIA COOLER
33    CAPTAIN'S CAIPIRINHA
34    CARIBBEAN COOLER with Rum
35    CARIBBEAN COOLER with Vodka
36    CARIBBEAN SIDECAR
37    Caribbean Tea
38    Carmel Apple martinis
39    Central park martini
40    CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
41    CHAMPAGNE MARGARITA
42    CHILL OUT
43    CHIVAS REGAL ROB ROY
44    CHIVAS SIDECAR
45    CHOCOLATE MARTINI
46    CHOCOLATE MINT
47    CITRUS COSMO
48    CITRUS PINK JIN LEMONADE
49    COCO BULL
50    COCO CABANA
51    Coco Loco
52    COCONUT BLAST
53    COCONUT MANGO DAIQUIRI
54    COCO-NUTS
55    CROWN ROYAL OLD FASHIONED
56    Cucumber Martini
57    DARK AND STORMY
58    DESSERT PEAR MARTINI 
59    Dirty Shirley
60    DOMINIS MOJITO 
61    Dry Lemonade
62    ELDERFLOWER LEMONADE
63    ELDERPHIRE
64    Espresso Martini
65    FLIRTINI
66    Florida Iced Tea
67    FRENCH VANILLA MARTINI
68    FRIAR TUCK
69    FROZEN BAHAMA MAMA
70    FROZEN LEMONADE
71    Frozen Lemonade drink w/ fresh strawberries & Rum
72    FROZEN MAI TAI
73    FROZEN MOJITO
74    FROZEN MUDSLIDE
75    FROZEN RUM RUNNER
76    Funky Monkey
77    GENTLEMAN"S SIDECAR
78    GIN FIZZ
79    GINGER RYE
80    GODIVA CHOCOLATE MARTINI 
81    GOOMBAY SMASH
82    GRAND HEART
83    GRAPEFRUIT CAIPIROSKA
84    Green Goddess
85    GREYHOUND
86    GUAVA 'RITA
87    Havana Special
88    HENDRICK'S GIBSON
89    HENDRICK'S GILMET
90    HENNESSY BLACK BULL
91    Hurricane
92    Irish Trash Can
93    ITALIAN TEA
94    JAMAICAN BREEZE
95    JAMES BOND MARTINI
96    JAPANESE COLLINS
97    KENTUCKY BURGUNDY
98    KETEL ONE COOLER
99    KEY LIME PIE MARTINI
100    KIR ROYALE
101    Kiss on the Lips
102    KNOB CREEK MANHATTAN
103    Kracken Lava Flow
104    KRAKEN COLADA
105    Labadoozie
106    LAVA FLOW
107    Lavender Daiquiri
108    LEMON DROP
109    Let's Get Fizzical
110    LEVEL BLOODY MARY
111    LIBERTY THYME
112    LONDON LEMONADE
113    LONG BEACH ICED TEA
114    LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
115    LONG PIRATE ICED TEA
116    Love Connection 
117    LUXURY MARTINI
118    LUXURY MARTINI
119    LYNCHBURG LEMONADE
120    MAI TIKI
121    Mango Cooler
122    Mango Daiquiris
123    MANGO LAVA FLOW
124    MANGO MAI TAI
125    MANGO MARTINI
126    MANGO SUNRISE
127    Mango Tango
128    MANHATTAN
129    MasterCard
130    Mayan Mango Margarita
131    Med-Mary Martini
132    Melon ball
133    Mexican Sangrita
134    Miami Vice 
135    MIDORI LEMONADE
136    Mojito
137    MOSCOW GINGER MULE
138    Mudslide
139    Napoleon
140    NUTTY SCOTSMAN
141    OCEAN 'RITA
142    OREO COOKIE
143    Pain Killer
144    PAPAYA LAVA FLOW
145    Papaya Passion
146    PARADISE PUNCH
147    PASSION GUAVA LAVA
148    PASSION MANGO RITA
149    PASSION PAPAYA CRUSH
150    PATRON PERFECT MARGARITA
151    Peach Coladas
152    PEACH GIN SPRITZ
153    PEACH MARGARITA
154    PEAR MELON MARTINI
155    Pineapple Orange Margarita
156    Pineapple Upside-down Cake
157    PIRATE'S HURRICANE
158    PLANTERS PUNCH
159    POMEGRANATE COSMO
160    POMEGRANATE GIN FIZZ
161    POMEGRANATE MARGARITA
162    POMEGRANATE SPRITZ
163    PornStar Martini
164    PURE COOLER
165    Purple Haze
166    PYRAT RUM RUNNER
167    PYRAT'S HURRICANE
168    QUEEN MARY
169    RASPBERRY COLLINS
170    Raspberry Ricky
171    RAZZLE DAZZLE
172    RED SANGRIA
173    Red Velvet Cake
174    Red Velvet Martini
175    RHAPSODY RHUM SWIZZLE
176    ROB ROY
177    ROCK STAR 
178    ROYAL CITRUS RITATINI
179    ROYAL FIZZ
180    ROYAL GOLD RITA
181    ROYAL ICED TEA
182    ROYAL RED APPLETINI
183    ROYAL SINGAPORE SLING
184    RUBY RED MARTINI
185    RUSTY NAIL
186    SAPPHIRE COLLINS
187    Caribbean Sling
188    SEVENTH AVENUE
189    Sex On The Beach
190    SEXY OCEAN
191    SHANGHAI SMASH *
192    SMOKEY RITA
193    SPARKLING MOJITO
194    SPARKLING PEACH MARTINI
195    SPARKLING SOMBRERO
196    SPICED RUM RUNNER
197    Strawberry Cheesecake Martini
198    Strawberry Hill Mojito
199    Strawberry Lava Flow
200    STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
201    STRAWBERRY MARGARITA
202    STRAWBERRY MEZCAL PEPPERITA
203    SUMMER BREEZE
204    SUNBURST SPLASH
205    TEQMO
206    Tequila Sunrise
207    THE GOLDENEYE
208    THE GRAND MARGARITA
209    THE METROPOLITAN
210    The pitch
211    THE TEN GRAND
212    TOASTED ALMOND
213    TORCHED CHERRY SANGRIA
214    Tribute
215    TRINIDAD PUNCH
216    Tropical Lemonade
217    TROPICAL MARTINI
218    TROPICAL SUNSET
219    Tropical Sunset 
220    TWISTED SCREWDRIVER
221    ULTIMATE COSMOPOLITAN
222    ULTIMATE MAI TAI
223    ULTIMATE PINA COLADA
224    ULTIMATE STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI
225    Ultimate Strawberry Lemonade 
226    UNION JACK LAVA FLOW
227    VANILLA WHITE RUSSIAN
228    WASHINGTON APPLE
229    What's Krackin 
230    White Russian
231    WHITE SANGRIA
232    WILD BLOSSOM
233    WILDBERRY LAVA FLOW
234    WILDBERRY MARGARITA
235    WILDBERRY PEACH BELLINI
236    Woo Woo
237    ZACAPA DREAM

    Coffee Drinks ~ Spirited Coffee Cocktails        
            
1    Icy Bourbon Mint Mocha 
2    Cold White Satin 
3    Royal Delight 
4    Irish Coffee
5    Captain's Call 
 

SABOR (Mexican restaurant) Cocktails (May or May Not be made at other bars)                                 
                                
"Sweet and Spicy Margarita" 
"Avocado Margarita"                             
"Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita"   
"Simply Perfect Margarita"
"Aztec Martini"
"Sabor Grand Margarita"                      
Cosmopolitan                  
Royal Paloma
Garibaldi 

 

I did have the drinks from Wonderland on the list but I guess it didn't get saved...
 

 

[JSSpence]

Thanks everyone! We went ahead and purchased the beverage packages, figuring that we can cancel and re-book if the price drops even more. We recently benefitted from a price drop in our fare of more than the beverage package costs, so I'm thinking of this as a "free beverage package" type benefit. Now to focus on excursions and crossing our fingers that we can sail June 2021 as planned (if not, we'll be going through all of this again for 2022). 

[Norwich Cruiser]

9 hours ago, JSSpence said:

Thanks everyone! We went ahead and purchased the beverage packages, figuring that we can cancel and re-book if the price drops even more. We recently benefitted from a price drop in our fare of more than the beverage package costs, so I'm thinking of this as a "free beverage package" type benefit. Now to focus on excursions and crossing our fingers that we can sail June 2021 as planned (if not, we'll be going through all of this again for 2022). 

Good decision.

[cruisegirl1]

On 10/14/2020 at 3:12 PM, drsel said:

On Carnival, I have seen some folks with the unlimited alcoholic drinks package remain on ship at every port and enjoy cocktails by the poolside.

 

They have a lot of drinks throughout the day and make sure that they exploit the package to the fullest extent.

 

 

 

Is this specific to Carnival?  
m

[drsel]

Is this specific to Carnival?

Not exactly, but I haven't noticed this on Celebrity or Costa. 

I think that Carnival has imposed a limit of 13 or 15 alcoholic beverages per person per day and there are many who reach the limit.

 

I met a young couple on Celebrity in Singapore, who said that they together have 30 to 40 glasses of beer everyday on the package, in hot tropical countries.

 Surprisingly, they were quite fit.

While a crew member told me that they get beer for 50 cents a pint.

 

 

 

 

 

[drsel]

I think the alcohol package is a good deal if a couple together can consume 105 drinks on a typical 7 night Cruise @ 15 alcoholic drinks per day.

Usually the man can manage 6 to 10 daily, but the lady may not have even 5

[drsel]

the problem is that in a port intensive itinerary, you have to rush early morning for your tour and come back late evening after the tour (and after shopping in the local markets).

 

Then you will find hardly any time to have more than three to four drinks per person, especially if you have to get up early next morning for another tour in the next port

 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

On 10/14/2020 at 3:12 PM, drsel said:

On Carnival, I have seen some folks with the unlimited alcoholic drinks package remain on ship at every port and enjoy cocktails by the poolside.

 

They have a lot of drinks throughout the day and make sure that they exploit the package to the fullest extent.

Just an FYI, Carnival doesn’t have an unlimited alcohol package. Their drink package, called Cheers, only allows 15 alcohol drinks per day. 

[drsel]

Just an FYI, Carnival doesn’t have an unlimited alcohol package. Their drink package, called Cheers, only allows 15 alcohol drinks per day. 

Exactly what I mentioned earlier in post number 37

[PhillyFan33579]

1 minute ago, drsel said:

27 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Just an FYI, Carnival doesn’t have an unlimited alcohol package. Their drink package, called Cheers, only allows 15 alcohol drinks per day. 

Exactly what I mentioned earlier in post number 37

Your post says “I think” and “13 or 15” drinks, so not exactly what I said.  I KNOW Cheers limits you to FIFTEEN alcohol drinks per day on Carnival. 

[drsel]

Yes of course you are right sir.
In any case 30 alcoholic drinks per couple per day is quite a lot and more than enough

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes of course you are right sir.
In any case 30 alcoholic drinks per couple per day is quite a lot and more than enough

 
I definitely agree with you here. 

[denatravels]

Refreshment is $19.99
Clasic Soda is $7.49

On my cruise, refreshment has alternated between $26 and $34 and soda is $11.


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Iamcruzin]

16 hours ago, drsel said:

I think the alcohol package is a good deal if a couple together can consume 105 drinks on a typical 7 night Cruise @ 15 alcoholic drinks per day.

Usually the man can manage 6 to 10 daily, but the lady may not have even 5

You can benefit from the package without drinking 15 glasses of alcohol because the individual prices are so high and will probably be higher once sailing starts. 3 glasses of wine alone will cost $30. add a water and specialty coffee at $4.00 each and a glass of fresh squeezed OJ at $8.75 and you are at $46.75 for the day before tips are added in. That's only 6 drinks.  $55 is my break even point.

[Milwaukee Eight]

21 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes of course you are right sir.
In any case 30 alcoholic drinks per couple per day is quite a lot and more than enough

At the price of individual drink prices, that would be $240-$360 a day without the package. Based on drinks $8-$12 each. 
 

M8

[misslottie]

I made this drink price list last year after we came back from Jewel of the Seas:

 

The price in brackets is before the gratuity they add to every drink on board -

 

Cocktail - ($12/$13) $14.16/$15.34

Coffee large ($4.75) $5.60

Coffee small ($4) $4.72

Cider ($7.25) $8.55

Bottled water 500ml - ($3.50) $4.13

Fresh juice - ($4) $4.72

Spa smoothie - ($6.25) $7.37

Alcohol coffee - ($8.95) $10.56

Soda - ($3.50) $4.13

 

For us, as long as we can get the drink package at around $39pp (so about $46 after gratuity added) then we are fine.

 

I easily have 2 or 3 bottles of water a day, a juice and a large coffee near breakfast, a soda or juice at lunch, another coffee late morning, a soda or a cocktail in the afternoon and then 2 cocktails in the evening. The drink package is definitely worth it for us!

[Milwaukee Eight]

5 minutes ago, misslottie said:

I made this drink price list last year after we came back from Jewel of the Seas:

 

The price in brackets is before the gratuity they add to every drink on board -

 

Cocktail - ($12/$13) $14.16/$15.34

Coffee large ($4.75) $5.60

Coffee small ($4) $4.72

Cider ($7.25) $8.55

Bottled water 500ml - ($3.50) $4.13

Fresh juice - ($4) $4.72

Spa smoothie - ($6.25) $7.37

Alcohol coffee - ($8.95) $10.56

Soda - ($3.50) $4.13

 

For us, as long as we can get the drink package at around $39pp (so about $46 after gratuity added) then we are fine.

 

I easily have 2 or 3 bottles of water a day, a juice and a large coffee near breakfast, a soda or juice at lunch, another coffee late morning, a soda or a cocktail in the afternoon and then 2 cocktails in the evening. The drink package is definitely worth it for us!

We always get the deluxe package. 
 

M8