FIrst time getting a drink package, any insider tips I should know about?

[MissP22]

39 minutes ago, caribill said:

Although the alcohol beverages are limited to 15/day, the non-alcohol beverages have no such limit. Some people can get their money's worth without ever getting one alcohol beverage.

Ha. LOL Since I'm a heavy coffee/cappuccino drinker, I'll be running to the bathroom most of the time.

[Mike07]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

Although the alcohol beverages are limited to 15/day, the non-alcohol beverages have no such limit. Some people can get their money's worth without ever getting one alcohol beverage.

 

 

Oh yeah, neglected to consider that.  Brewed coffee is minimal as I'm guessing the bean they use is nice, but cheap... certainly in the quantity they buy.  Syrups, sugar, etc. are minimal.  But, some of that Perrier and San Pellegrino can add up after a while.  Also, Red Bull I believe is included and I'm not sure what the wholesale rate is for that... but for consumers seems like $1/can.  Fountain soda syrup is stupid cheap.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Mike07

[darinscruising]

 I go to a few bars , watch how bartenders pour, then buy a drink, tip 20.00 , I get great service, really strong drinks, halfway through the cruise I do the same thing. 

I  always get the drink package,  just for the fresh squeezed orange juice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hlitner]

On 12/29/2021 at 4:10 PM, startedwithamouse said:

Crooners makes the best martinis!

Good Martinis and any good cocktail is simply based on the skill (and available products) of the specific bar tender.  When DW get on any cruise (from budget to luxury lines) we generally try out multiple bar tenders during the first days of the cruise.  On most ships we quickly find one or more bar tenders that seem to have the special touch and then we do our best to get most of our drinks from that bar tender.  So, for example, while on our recent Enchanted Princess cruise we quickly discovered that one particular bar tender (at the Bellini Bar) made wonderful drinks be it a Martini, gimlet, cosmo, etc.  On past cruisers we might have found the best bar tender to be in Crooners or elsewhere.  On long cruises we have noticed that the best bar tenders tend to often gather a decent crowd at the bar as other's also discover that bar tenders do matter.

 

Hank

[Tedferg]

There were some comments about Princess Plus profit on 15 drinks, however I think there is a large number of people who take the Plus package and drink very little. I think it works both ways for Princess and for Passengers. The $40 price point makes it an easy decision for most passengers.

[Coffeeluvr05]

With the combo of the daily specialty coffees, waters, cocktails, and after dinner drinks I feel like I give the PBP a run for its money.  I definitely don't think I can drink 15 alcoholic drinks in a day.  I want to keep the liver I was born with 

[mary_228]

On 12/27/2021 at 4:32 PM, peachykiehn said:

Best bartenders we found on the Emerald were  at the Good Spirits at Sea bar. Sarah and Olga lots of fun and their special cocktails are wonderful. 

Just off the Emerald where we had many cocktails at Good Spirits and Sarah was great! I loved how fresh the mixers are and commented to her about that. Most bars do not squeeze fresh lemons and limes for the sour mix, but here she spends a lot of prep time every other day doing so, and you can really taste the difference!

[mary_228]

On 12/29/2021 at 6:55 PM, Mike07 said:

 

 

I honestly have no idea what they're paying without state/federal taxes (though they do serve on embarkation days in cruise ports, but don't run the casinos... at least in America), but even on the Princess Plus at $40 - $15 (gratuities) - $10 (internet) = $15... most of the expensive liquors are maybe at most $1 to $1.25 for a shot with state/federal taxes in my area. =

According to my travel summary from Princess on a 10 nt cruise in December, the Premier Drinks were valued at $685.10, the crew appreciation $145, Wi-fi $99.70 per guest. They certainly didn't offer this at $40 per day on our sailing. Deducting those values from our fare leaves only $720 for a BC cabin. This was included as a Princess Plus promotion, or we never would have purchased them. We certainly enjoyed the drinks, and the wine at Vines, but never felt drunk!

[Cuedon]

Regarding Good Spirits at Sea, I can confirm that, as of about a month ago, the T-shirt thing is still running on the Grand, but they were out of all sizes other than small. It wasn't advertised anywhere, and they weren't handing out coasters, but I asked if the shirt promo was still running on the first day, dropped by once/twice a day to work my way down the list, and on the last day, he just gave it to me without my having to bring it up again.

[SargassoPirate]

On 12/28/2021 at 6:42 PM, wowzz said:

But you are still well under the 15 alcoholic drinks a day limit.

I don't drink in the morning, but 3 beers before lunch, two white wines with lunch, 3 cocktails in the afternoon,  2 pre dinner wines, 3 red wines with dinner, and 2 beers before bed seems about right.

Obviously when I get home I can drink more.

You do need to pre-plan !

 

Does the Betty Ford clinic van pick you up at the end of the cruise? 😁

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

Does the Betty Ford clinic van pick you up at the end of the cruise? 😁

No, fortunately when I get home I no longer need to ration my drinking to stay inside the 15 drink limit !

[SargassoPirate]

54 minutes ago, wowzz said:

No, fortunately when I get home I no longer need to ration my drinking to stay inside the 15 drink limit !

OMG.  What you need is two drink packages for yourself!  

 

I can do a wee dram or three in the evening while listening to some strings music and that's it for me.  She Who Must Be Obeyed is a teetotaler, so there's no way a drink package would work for us.

 

 

[hdowney]

Question on the drink package and 15 limit. If I use my 25% off to buy a bottle of wine for dinner, does that wine count toward my 15 drinks or is it separate. Thanks 

[startedwithamouse]

14 minutes ago, hdowney said:

Question on the drink package and 15 limit. If I use my 25% off to buy a bottle of wine for dinner, does that wine count toward my 15 drinks or is it separate. Thanks 

It doesn't count towards your 15. 

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

OMG.  What you need is two drink packages for yourself!  

 

I can do a wee dram or three in the evening while listening to some strings music and that's it for me.  She Who Must Be Obeyed is a teetotaler, so there's no way a drink package would work for us.

 

 

But if she drinks a couple of speciality coffees and two mocktaiks a day, it would! 

[hdowney]

35 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

It doesn't count towards your 15. 

 

Yesssss. Thank god. Bottles of wine with dinner so!!

[jwattle]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

But if she drinks a couple of speciality coffees and two mocktaiks a day, it would! 

The mocktails don't, and the specialty coffees do only with alcohol 😀

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, jwattle said:

The mocktails don't, and the specialty coffees do only with alcohol 😀

Perhaps I misunderstand the package,  but I thought that if you wanted a chargeable drink,  they were included in the PP package.  

Personally, coffee is coffee, and a mocktail is a waste of a glass, but that's just me !

[jwattle]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Perhaps I misunderstand the package,  but I thought that if you wanted a chargeable drink,  they were included in the PP package.  

Personally, coffee is coffee, and a mocktail is a waste of a glass, but that's just me !

All drinks are included, but only the ones with alcohol count against the fifteen per day limit.😁

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, jwattle said:

All drinks are included, but only the ones with alcohol count against the fifteen per day limit.😁

I think we may be at cross purposes! 

Sargasso Pirate was saying that the PP package was not worth it,  as his wife did not drink. I pointed out that even so,  if she drank non alcoholic drinks to the value of $15 to $20 per day, the package would make sense. 

[jwattle]

18 hours ago, wowzz said:

I think we may be at cross purposes! 

Sargasso Pirate was saying that the PP package was not worth it,  as his wife did not drink. I pointed out that even so,  if she drank non alcoholic drinks to the value of $15 to $20 per day, the package would make sense. 

I agree that it would, absolutely. 

[MissP22]

19 hours ago, wowzz said:

I think we may be at cross purposes! 

Sargasso Pirate was saying that the PP package was not worth it,  as his wife did not drink. I pointed out that even so,  if she drank non alcoholic drinks to the value of $15 to $20 per day, the package would make sense. 

That sounds like 2 drinks + some cappuccino's.

How can it possibly be worth it? 

[jwattle]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

That sounds like 2 drinks + some cappuccino's.

How can it possibly be worth it? 

Tips, internet and a few specialty coffees/bottled waters, etc., and your $40 per day is happily worth it

[jimbo1683]

Does princess plus cover all drinks (within the limit obvs) in all venues? For instance does it cover the limoncello menu in Sabitini's?

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, jimbo1683 said:

Does princess plus cover all drinks (within the limit obvs) in all venues? For instance does it cover the limoncello menu in Sabitini's?

Yes, from memory.