Help needed for deciding about drink package

[twinmommy08]

I typically buy the refreshment package at the lowest cost I can get 🙂 

In MY opinion, 

The included coffee is not good. 
The flavored water is alright 

Iced/hot tea is decent

Since the ‘jammer is closed for dinner, I would be stuck with tea, water, or the very tart lemonade in the MDR. 

 

I much prefer espressos drinks vs normal coffee. I like the Free Style machines for flavored Dasani water. The mock-tails are decent but pretty sugary for me. Not a huge liquor drinker so I don’t mind them without the alcohol. I can handle a glass or two of wine a day, so makes sense to buy as a go if I want it. 
 

You can bring a case of soda or water on with you and two 750 ml bottles of wine. The mini fridge is not cold. It’s more of a cooler and keeps cold items cold. 
 

At least on my June cruise, no free adult beverage options that I paid attention to. I didn’t realize I had diamond coupons or I probably would have had more wine! Ha! 
 

I go through 3-5 bottles of water a day, 2 espresso drinks (fat free latte with sugar free vanilla!), and about 2-3 cups of cherry flavored Dasani water. I might have a glass of wine at the show or while watching live music. 
 

 

[CruisinMaterial]

A question on the tea in the refreshment package... I'm batting it around for an upcoming voyage...

 

If the ship has a Starbucks, where do you get your premium tea and what does it consist of? Can you get a chai tea latte from somewhere under the refreshment package besides the Starbucks?

 

I haven't sailed on mega RCCL ships before and the packages were not offered on charters so I really have zero clue on this! Appreciate the help and info!

[AustinCruise]

1 minute ago, CruisinMaterial said:

A question on the tea in the refreshment package... I'm batting it around for an upcoming voyage...

 

If the ship has a Starbucks, where do you get your premium tea and what does it consist of? Can you get a chai tea latte from somewhere under the refreshment package besides the Starbucks?

 

I haven't sailed on mega RCCL ships before and the packages were not offered on charters so I really have zero clue on this! Appreciate the help and info!

You might specify which ship. 

[Biker19]

18 minutes ago, CruisinMaterial said:

If the ship has a Starbucks, where do you get your premium tea and what does it consist of? Can you get a chai tea latte from somewhere under the refreshment package besides the Starbucks?

Any other venue other than the Starbucks kiosk. Yes.

[LilBlackDress]

1 hour ago, twinmommy08 said:

I typically buy the refreshment package at the lowest cost I can get 🙂

 

You can bring a case of soda or water on with you and two 750 ml bottles of wine. The mini fridge is not cold. It’s more of a cooler and keeps cold items cold. 
 

 

 

If you leave the cabinet door open for the fridge, it allows it to vent, which makes it colder... 

[CaroleC]

8 hours ago, AustinCruise said:

btw - the room fridges are really not that cold.

The fridge on our recent Harmony cruise was cold enough to turn the canned water to ice 🥶, there was no way to alter the temp though.

[ampurp85]

I don't know when you last sailed but on Jan 2019 on Mariner, the only can I received was in the Royal theater. Of course ymmv depending on ship and such but most people who I have know who have cruised said they only got cans in lounges. MDR was fountain, so were some specialty restaurants.

[CaroleC]

3 minutes ago, ampurp85 said:

I don't know when you last sailed but on Jan 2019 on Mariner, the only can I received was in the Royal theater. Of course ymmv depending on ship and such but most people who I have know who have cruised said they only got cans in lounges. MDR was fountain, so were some specialty restaurants.

We were on Harmony on the 12th September sailing from Barcelona. We are D+ and instead of the usual bottles of water that are left in our cabin on embarkation day, this time it was cans. Got to say, I much prefer bottled water.

[ampurp85]

@CaroleCSorry that was a post to the OP about canned soda.

[CaroleC]

1 minute ago, ampurp85 said:

@CaroleCSorry that was a post to the OP about canned soda.

Oh right, sorry, I thought you were querying that we actually had canned water 🤪😄

[Twolittleboys]

30 minutes ago, ampurp85 said:

I don't know when you last sailed but on Jan 2019 on Mariner, the only can I received was in the Royal theater. Of course ymmv depending on ship and such but most people who I have know who have cruised said they only got cans in lounges. MDR was fountain, so were some specialty restaurants.

 

Not doubting you - as I said my last cruise with Royal was several years ago. Just a bit of a bummer. Actually, I don't care as long as it tastes fine but with fountain soda you never know. The second glass in the MDR with fountain soda really was far from tasty.

[ampurp85]

@Twolittleboys Oh I didn't think you were doubting just sadden by the news. I normally get soda or refresher package. So understand about wanting your Coke to taste like Coke and not some fizz-less mess.

[CruisinMaterial]

3 hours ago, AustinCruise said:

You might specify which ship. 

Sorry, the Oasis of the Seas. 😎

[brillohead]

If you have a drink package (booze, refreshment, or soda) you will get fountain soft drinks in any establishment that has fountain drinks.  If that bar doesn't have a fountain "gun", you get either a can, or it's poured out of a 2L bottle.

If you are just paying for a soda, no drink package, you get a can.

The MDR has both available -- if you have a drink package but want a canned soda/pop, you can specify that with your serving staff.  They may charge you for it, or they may provide it for free in anticipation of an increased tip at the end of the cruise.  

If you're going to carry on 12 cans of your own, you can bring those to the MDR and they'll provide you with a glass of ice.  

The second glass of soda in the MDR was probably poured at the same time as the first, so that they could provide it more quickly when you needed it rather than walking to the back to fetch it.  It was also poured with ice in it, which will have melted some and watered down the drink by the time you get to the second one.  You can always request that they get you a fresh one and that you don't mind the extra wait, or you can ask them to pour the second one without ice so it doesn't get watered down, and it can be poured over fresh ice when you want it.

 

[Merion_Mom]

10 hours ago, twinmommy08 said:

 

You can bring a case of soda or water on with you and two 750 ml bottles of wine. The mini fridge is not cold. It’s more of a cooler and keeps cold items cold. 
 

 

 

 

Again, NO.  You may bring on 12 containers (17 oz/half a liter each) of water and/or soda per cabin.  No cases.  And you must carry it on yourself.  No checking it with your luggage or a porter.

 

On the newer ships, the refrigerator actually is cold.

[Twolittleboys]

Thanks so much for everybody's input - very helpful. I think the refreshment package might be a good idea for me but dawdled too long to buy it as purchases are now locked pre-cruise. That's fine though - I think price-wise it will be a bit of a wash for me. I will carry on some sodas (12 should be plenty) for in the room (I previously used to buy some from the minibar), buy a soda in the restaurants (hoping for a can but resigned to fountain soda), and buy the occasional splurge drink and then at the end see if I would have been better off with a package so I know for the future!

[Cruise a holic]

we decided to take the unlimited drink package.  We typically do not drink much, but enjoy a couple of cocktails by the pools and shows.  We like the special coffee's as the regular coffee isn't good IMO.  We like bottled water, and even bring off shore.  Decided, while it might not save us much money- who needs the hassel of keeping tabs.  

 

Not going to drag cans and bottles on board, IMO surely not worth saving a few dollars.  We never go into casino or purchase "art" so we are way ahead.

[Twolittleboys]

16 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

we decided to take the unlimited drink package.  We typically do not drink much, but enjoy a couple of cocktails by the pools and shows.  We like the special coffee's as the regular coffee isn't good IMO.  We like bottled water, and even bring off shore.  Decided, while it might not save us much money- who needs the hassel of keeping tabs.  

 

Not going to drag cans and bottles on board, IMO surely not worth saving a few dollars.  We never go into casino or purchase "art" so we are way ahead.

 

Yes, I am not sure about the taking along of cans yet either. If I can easily pick some up on the way to the ship I will do so. I did in the past like to go by the Windjammer for a small snack after dinner and would take it back to my cabin to eat with a soda from the minibar. Obviously, the Windjammer is closed for dinner at the moment so who knows whether having soda in the room will be worth it.

[alexgtp]

Yes.

 

Just for the simple ease of enjoying your trip.

 

We were just on Freedom and had a wonderful dining experience at Giovanni's kitchen.

 

Our waiter poured us Moscato and Pellegrino all night. Our cups were never empty. By the end of dinner I have a feeling we went thru 3 large bottles of Pellegrino and 2 bottles of Moscato 

 

Meanwhile i noticed the couple next to us, asking the waiter to bring them another wine or for them to open another bottle of sparkling water for them, I have a feeling they did not have the unlimited beverage package.

 

Also if you like specialty coffee in the AM as well as fresh squeezed juices price will justify itself in the end, especially when you find it on "SALE"

 

The fresh squeezed OJ's were so small I think I must have drank 3 one day as well as 2 expressos one AM during breakfast.

[AshleyDillo]

22 hours ago, Twolittleboys said:

 

Oh no, did that change? I am almost completely sure that they used to give you cans in the MDR. That's why after trying the soda package one year (and getting soda that did not taste right) I went back to paying as I go after.

 

From my experience if you pay as you go, you should get a can by default. If you have the Deluxe or Refreshment packages you can ask for a can and typically they will oblige at most places. If you only have the soda package they sometimes won't give you a can even if you ask if they have your specific soda choice available via fountain or 2-liter bottles. You can be strategic in where you ask for soda with the soda package, but don't assume they will give you the can.

[Twolittleboys]

7 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

 

From my experience if you pay as you go, you should get a can by default. If you have the Deluxe or Refreshment packages you can ask for a can and typically they will oblige at most places. If you only have the soda package they sometimes won't give you a can even if you ask if they have your specific soda choice available via fountain or 2-liter bottles. You can be strategic in where you ask for soda with the soda package, but don't assume they will give you the can.

 

Yes, that was my experience too (fountain soda with soda package) - I never did ask specifically for a can though so maybe they would have obliged? Anyway, I now missed out on getting the package so hopefully can still get a can at some/most places.

[twinmommy08]

14 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Again, NO.  You may bring on 12 containers (17 oz/half a liter each) of water and/or soda per cabin.  No cases.  And you must carry it on yourself.  No checking it with your luggage or a porter.

 

On the newer ships, the refrigerator actually is cold.

A 12 pack is a case where I’m from 🙂  

[AustinCruise]

4 hours ago, twinmommy08 said:

A 12 pack is a case where I’m from 🙂  

Not to Costco or Sams club shoppers…

 

 

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, twinmommy08 said:

A 12 pack is a case where I’m from 🙂  

A 12-pack is a 12-pack.  

A case is 24+.

[brillohead]

13 hours ago, Twolittleboys said:

buy a soda in the restaurants (hoping for a can but resigned to fountain soda)

If you are paying full price for it, you will get a can of soda, regardless of location.