Drink Package Cost

[Baowen]

51 minutes ago, topnole said:

That is really high for a TA.   

Fingers crossed that it goes down!  I always buy the drink package but I don't plan on it for this TA. I'm diamond plus and prime in the casino.  That should be enough drinks.

 

Beth

[dad son team]

3 hours ago, runner2013 said:

Do the rule both people in a cabin must purchase the drink package still stand?

I'm not a big drinker and would prefer to pass on it.

Thanks

 

Pre-covid I was able to get it for just me.  I had to call and advise them that my roommate didn't drink.  I also traveled in Nov. 2021 and met a couple who only bought one package using the same reasoning.  So calling may allow only 1 person to buy it.

[topnole]

2 hours ago, Baowen said:

Fingers crossed that it goes down!  I always buy the drink package but I don't plan on it for this TA. I'm diamond plus and prime in the casino.  That should be enough drinks.

 

Beth

Yeah.  You will come out ahead not buying it.  Done a few TAs.  Two weeks straight is a lot for making a package pay off with the new D+ 5 drinks any time.   Add to that being prime and you should be fine.  Just buy as you go when needed.  No way you will spend 70+ per day on top.  
 

My best deal several years back was a 13 night TA on Liberty in a hump balcony with the deluxe package included as a promo.  I think it was 2200 out the door for my wife and I.  We definitely drank a lot on that trip.  

[exm]

12 hours ago, dad son team said:

 

Pre-covid I was able to get it for just me.  I had to call and advise them that my roommate didn't drink.  I also traveled in Nov. 2021 and met a couple who only bought one package using the same reasoning.  So calling may allow only 1 person to buy it.

 

I believe they 'force' you to get a refreshment package, right?

[Maitaivegas]

Right now for the 3/6 cruise on the oasis the UDB is 65.99 per day .

[coaster]

It was $40 on Serenade Dec 10 2021 and currently $62 on Allure April 30th of this year.  Allure price dropped from $70 end of last week and I pulled the trigger to get $62. Prices are before gratuity.

[Joebucks]

17 hours ago, MikeBayAreaCa said:

When you add in sodas,  bottled water and juice you can easily break even on 3 or 4 drinks per day and have the luxury of trying different things.  

 

I'm not sure what kind of value you put on these things. Especially when you can carry on soda and water is everywhere for free. 

[deliver42]

On the Wonder right now, it's $66.00.

[WestTexasCruiser]

22 hours ago, mr. godfredo said:

It's been a long time since we have sailed RCCL, can anyone tell me what the going rate is these days for the drink package? Our cruise is over a year out, so no prices are listed. Just looking at ballpark prices. 

 

We are booked in November 2022 on the Allure to Western Caribbean.  The deluxe package (top priced one) was just on sale to buy one get one free.  For both of us on a 7 day cruise, it was right at $1,000 with the gratuities added. The website lists the deluxe package now at $88/day, but is on 25% off for $66/day (same as buy one get one 50% off).

[exm]

54 minutes ago, WestTexasCruiser said:

We are booked in November 2022 on the Allure to Western Caribbean.  The deluxe package (top priced one) was just on sale to buy one get one free.  For both of us on a 7 day cruise, it was right at $1,000 with the gratuities added. The website lists the deluxe package now at $88/day, but is on 25% off for $66/day (same as buy one get one 50% off).

 

I think $66/a day is the "new" $59 a day, the "sale" price last year.

[MikeBayAreaCa]

7 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

I'm not sure what kind of value you put on these things. Especially when you can carry on soda and water is everywhere for free. 

I’ve taken on soda and water before and it’s a pain, so I’m glad it’s included in the package. 

[MikeBayAreaCa]

23 hours ago, topnole said:

You don’t need a beverage package to try new things.  This can be done a la carte too. 

If I order a $15 drink and don’t like it I just order something different.  If I was paying a la carts I’m not sure I would do that.  Maybe I want to sample different beers and have a little of each.  Even if it costs a bit more I enjoy the flexibility.  

[mac66]

We made Diamond two years ago but went on our first cruise as Ds last December. We didn't buy the drink package and got along fine with our 4 drinks a day and the two bottles of wine we were allowed.  We wanted to see if we needed the drink package. We didn't.

[topnole]

1 hour ago, MikeBayAreaCa said:

If I order a $15 drink and don’t like it I just order something different.  If I was paying a la carts I’m not sure I would do that.  Maybe I want to sample different beers and have a little of each.  Even if it costs a bit more I enjoy the flexibility.  

You can always ask for a different drink if you don’t like something when paying a la carte.  If the servers notice you don’t like it, most will ask if you want something different.  Always been my experience with my wife who will try different things.  Never been charged for something she didn’t like.  They’ve even done that for her with bottled beer after I told her right in front of the waiter she wouldn’t like it.  
 

For beer you can sample, but it’s not exactly like they have a ton of craft beers where that would come in handy and you still can only buy one at a time.  I wouldn’t say the sampling thing is in any way a reason to buy a 500 per week drink package.  If the economics work out, it is a good idea.  But doing it for convenience (as you hear often on hear) or for sampling different things just doesn’t make much sense when you think about it rationally.  Of course I realize most decisions aren’t very rational and I too have convinced myself to buy the package when I know I probably shouldn’t.  

Edited February 1, 2022 by topnole

[Vacationlover2]

If you book a beverage package, are you able to see if the price goes down? My experience is once you have it booked, it doesn't show up as an option to buy so you can't see if the price dropped.

[smwg]

Black Friday generally has the best drink prices. Does anyone know if they have sales like that any other time of the year?  

Edited February 2, 2022 by smwg
typo

[Coralc]

5 hours ago, Vacationlover2 said:

If you book a beverage package, are you able to see if the price goes down? My experience is once you have it booked, it doesn't show up as an option to buy so you can't see if the price dropped.

You could actually write down the price you paid somewhere and refer to that...?  Generally if you click on the photo, it will show the current price. 

 

And the prices are outrageous right now. Now that the current "sale" is over, Navigator is showing $72.99/p/p/per day for September. That is ridiculous. 

Edited February 2, 2022 by Coralc

[BekkaW]

On 1/31/2022 at 10:27 PM, leaveitallbehind said:

I believe the classic is listed at $52 pp / day and the premium is $62.  What you actually will pay might vary depending on promo's, etc.

Royal Caribbean does not have different levels of alcohol drink packages. There is only Deluxe 

[BekkaW]

20 hours ago, exm said:

 

I believe they 'force' you to get a refreshment package, right?

Yes that’s correct

[Joebucks]

12 hours ago, topnole said:

You can always ask for a different drink if you don’t like something when paying a la carte.  If the servers notice you don’t like it, most will ask if you want something different.  Always been my experience with my wife who will try different things.  Never been charged for something she didn’t like.  They’ve even done that for her with bottled beer after I told her right in front of the waiter she wouldn’t like it.  
 

For beer you can sample, but it’s not exactly like they have a ton of craft beers where that would come in handy and you still can only buy one at a time.  I wouldn’t say the sampling thing is in any way a reason to buy a 500 per week drink package.  If the economics work out, it is a good idea.  But doing it for convenience (as you hear often on hear) or for sampling different things just doesn’t make much sense when you think about it rationally.  Of course I realize most decisions aren’t very rational and I too have convinced myself to buy the package when I know I probably shouldn’t.  

 

Yup. This is just something people say to justify overspending on drinks. Pretending like it's a wine tasting where they swoosh around 6 drinks in their mouth, then spit them out, haha. 

[Hutcha]

Why do people care so much what other's preferences are. You think it's a good value because of X? Great!! You'd never get it because of Y? Right on! Correcting someone that has misinformation is one thing, but lighten up people.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

15 hours ago, MikeBayAreaCa said:

If I order a $15 drink and don’t like it I just order something different.  If I was paying a la carts I’m not sure I would do that.  Maybe I want to sample different beers and have a little of each.  Even if it costs a bit more I enjoy the flexibility.  

If you're buying a la carte and get a drink you don't like, you wouldn't order something different because you don't want to feel like you're "wasting" money on the drink you don't like.  Do I have that right?  If so, I can understand and respect that.  No one likes to waste money.  

 

But here's where I don't understand this logic...

If you don't order enough drinks over the length of your trip, you're wasting money.  Potentially a lot more than a drink or two you don't like.  

 

Let's keep the math simple... based on $60/day for the package and let's say alcohol is $15/drink, that's four drinks a day.  Ok, you get juice and water, so let's say you only need three drinks a day.  That's totally doable, especially on sea days.  Port days, maybe, maybe not.  If the package is more than $60/day, that changes the math. As PP mentioned, it comes down to how an individual thinks they'll drink.  

[topnole]

1 hour ago, Hutcha said:

Why do people care so much what other's preferences are. You think it's a good value because of X? Great!! You'd never get it because of Y? Right on! Correcting someone that has misinformation is one thing, but lighten up people.

Why do people even ask the question or comment on it?   Is it that difficult o understand the economic and social benefits of a $60 per day decision?   Of course not.  But people still ask and debate it because it is fun to discuss the pros and cons of it while thinking of your next cruise.  Maybe you should lighten up too?

[Hutcha]

20 minutes ago, topnole said:

Why do people even ask the question or comment on it?   Is it that difficult o understand the economic and social benefits of a $60 per day decision?   Of course not.  But people still ask and debate it because it is fun to discuss the pros and cons of it while thinking of your next cruise.  Maybe you should lighten up too?

Not questioning the question or debate. What I don't get is picking someone apart for their reason for getting it or not getting it. It's their reason, a personal decision, they provided their input. Why do YOU have to go back and pick apart their reasoning?

[Vacationlover2]

9 hours ago, Coralc said:

You could actually write down the price you paid somewhere and refer to that...?  Generally if you click on the photo, it will show the current price. 

 

And the prices are outrageous right now. Now that the current "sale" is over, Navigator is showing $72.99/p/p/per day for September. That is ridiculous. 

 

I don't mean I don't see what I paid. I don't see the beverage package as an option to buy if I already bought it to see if the price went down.