Another drink package thread

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

How much would the cost of the (alcoholic)  drink package have to be for you to NOT purchase it?  

[cruiseguy1016]

I won't pay $50 or above. I have Diamond drinks to keep me busy. I can't justify spending $50 or more to supplement my freebies.

[jalves]

Voted never get it simply because we are Diamond+ so we get 5 free drinks a day.  In addition we always sail in a suite so we get some free drinks in the Concierge Lounge.  

[George C]

Was really happy with rccl giving Diamond plus 5 drinks, we always stay in suites so we were able to skip package for first time . We also take advantage of the 40 percent off wine under 100 with UDP. 

[Mark_UK]

I've gone $60. Most European cruise lines charge about £40 ($55-60), and infact that is what Royal chose to offer for all Med cruises in 2022. Clearly they can make it work at that price, beyond is just profiteering amongst a captive market. 

[ARandomTraveler]

My threshold is low. I'd buy it at $42/day, even though I'm unlikely to get my money's worth even at that price point.
 

The reason I'd still buy it is because I do find some monetary value in an "all inclusive" option, even if I don't break even monetarily compared to the cost of drinks. 
 

Having a guaranteed maximum charge for the option to drink as much as I want without thinking about it, is worth $350 to me. Anything above that and it's not worth it because the financial cost I'm paying for the "all inclusive option" loses it's psychological value for me personally. 
 

I buy the refreshment package for the same reason. Last cruise I paid $19/day (plus 18%), and I paid more for the package than I would have paid out-of-pocket for the drinks I consumed, but I still felt it was a fair value for the added benefit of having the guaranteed maximum spending limit. 
 

I bought the refreshment package for my upcoming cruise at $23/day, but if it went to $25/day or more I think I'd skip it. 
 

I don't drink a lot though, and I get tired of soda and coffee after about 4 or 5 days. I'm one of those boring water drinkers who brings my running shoes on vacation 😂.

Edited June 25, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[rudeney]

Well, I bought it at $65, so I had to choose vote $70.  We are not Diamond yet, so no vouchers, but we do always cruise in suites.  Normally, between brining two bottles of wine onboard, happy hour in the SL/CL, and my wife only having two or three drinks a day, our beverage spend is usually under $100/day.  We may not "get our money's worth" out of it, but I figured I'd try it this time and now everything is pre-paid before we get onboard.  I'd much prefer to pay less, and I am hoping for a better sale over July 4th, or Labor Day, but I'm not holding my breath.  

[zeberdee]

1 hour ago, Mark_UK said:

I've gone $60. Most European cruise lines charge about £40 ($55-60), and infact that is what Royal chose to offer for all Med cruises in 2022. Clearly they can make it work at that price, beyond is just profiteering amongst a captive market. 

The current price on offer for the deluxe drinks package for Mediterranean cruise May 2023 was £60.75 pppd yesterday and today its jumped to. Not much of a special offer as its £12 more per day!

 

£72.85 GBP£91.06 GBP(20% OFF)

[Starry Eyes]

I’m a fairly light drinker, even on vacation.  Unless I take cans of soft drinks back to the cabin, I rarely use all 5 of my D+ vouchers.  I never anticipate buying the package 

[dual]

2 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

My threshold is low. I'd buy it at $42/day, even though I'm unlikely to get my money's worth even at that price point.
 

The reason I'd still buy it is because I do find some monetary value in an "all inclusive" option, even if I don't break even monetarily compared to the cost of drinks. 
 

Having a guaranteed maximum charge for the option to drink as much as I want without thinking about it, is worth $350 to me. Anything above that and it's not worth it because the financial cost I'm paying for the "all inclusive option" loses it's psychological value for me personally. 
 

I buy the refreshment package for the same reason. Last cruise I paid $19/day (plus 18%), and I paid more for the package than I would have paid out-of-pocket for the drinks I consumed, but I still felt it was a fair value for the added benefit of having the guaranteed maximum spending limit. 
 

I bought the refreshment package for my upcoming cruise at $23/day, but if it went to $25/day or more I think I'd skip it. 
 

I don't drink a lot though, and I get tired of soda and coffee after about 4 or 5 days. I'm one of those boring water drinkers who brings my running shoes on vacation 😂.

yep I bring my Hokas everywhere with me, first thing I pack - Ill be up running around the ship every morning without fail! lol

 

[RandomUser123]

The problem is requiring everyone over 21 in the cabin to get it. My wife is not a big drinker, she may be good for 1-2 a day at best. If we could buy it where it is just me and my wife does not need to get it then I would purchase it.

[Coralc]

4 minutes ago, RandomUser123 said:

The problem is requiring everyone over 21 in the cabin to get it. My wife is not a big drinker, she may be good for 1-2 a day at best. If we could buy it where it is just me and my wife does not need to get it then I would purchase it.

She can get the refreshment package instead. But you have to call to order it that way. 

[rudeney]

1 hour ago, RandomUser123 said:

The problem is requiring everyone over 21 in the cabin to get it. My wife is not a big drinker, she may be good for 1-2 a day at best. If we could buy it where it is just me and my wife does not need to get it then I would purchase it.

 

You can do that.  You just have to call.  She will have to get a drink package (soda or refreshment).  But, one advantage to you both having the UDP is that you can take both of your cards to the bar and get two drinks at once.  So if you feel the pours are a bit short, get a drink and a shot and problem solved.

[neverlaysup]

With gratuities, the drink package on RCL comes out to about $100 a person a day. If you are telling me you can get your money's worth from this, good for you!!! That equates to 7 $13 dollar drinks a day or less if you supplement with sodas, waters or premium coffee. I know on a 7 day cruise I might be able to achieve this 2-3 times but the other days would be needed to let my liver rest a bit. 

[cruiseguy1016]

8 hours ago, neverlaysup said:

With gratuities, the drink package on RCL comes out to about $100 a person a day. If you are telling me you can get your money's worth from this, good for you!!! That equates to 7 $13 dollar drinks a day or less if you supplement with sodas, waters or premium coffee. I know on a 7 day cruise I might be able to achieve this 2-3 times but the other days would be needed to let my liver rest a bit. 

 

Bloody Mary for breakfast. 2-3 drinks around the pool during the day. A pre-dinner cocktail in the Diamond lounge. A glass of wine with dinner. A drink during the show. A drink or 2 after the show while participating in other activities. Not hard to have 7 drinks in a day. It's not like you are drinking them all at once. Remember, those drinks are spread out over a 12-16 hour period.

[Mark_UK]

17 hours ago, zeberdee said:

The current price on offer for the deluxe drinks package for Mediterranean cruise May 2023 was £60.75 pppd yesterday and today its jumped to. Not much of a special offer as its £12 more per day!

 

£72.85 GBP£91.06 GBP(20% OFF)

I was referring to 2022 sailings, they may offer the same next year. The below says March but they have extended it for the full season. 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by Mark_UK

[zeberdee]

1 hour ago, Mark_UK said:

I was referring to 2022 sailings, they may offer the same next year. The below says March but they have extended it for the full season. 

 

 

Thanks 👍

[vjmatty]

6 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

Bloody Mary for breakfast. 2-3 drinks around the pool during the day. A pre-dinner cocktail in the Diamond lounge. A glass of wine with dinner. A drink during the show. A drink or 2 after the show while participating in other activities. Not hard to have 7 drinks in a day. It's not like you are drinking them all at once. Remember, those drinks are spread out over a 12-16 hour period.

Please tell all this to my gullet the next time I get wicked heartburn halfway through a one week cruise, trying to do just a portion of what you’ve described. It won’t listen to me no matter how much I try to reason with it. 

[doppelganger2621]

Before I went on my cruise this past week—I would have said maybe $70–after, I’m definitely thinking much higher lol. The mixed drinks are pretty weak—we absolutely blew past 7 a day without much effort, even on port days. Mimosa with breakfast and two glasses of wine at dinner and you’re basically halfway there. The drinks go down easy by the pool, especially when many of them only have a shot of alcohol.

 

I totaled up my drinks for the week and could have probably still had value close to $100 a day. There was also some inherent value in just handing my card over and not worrying about the tab I’d racked up that day

Edited June 26, 2022 by doppelganger2621

[Liljo22]

16 minutes ago, doppelganger2621 said:

Before I went on my cruise this past week—I would have said maybe $70–after, I’m definitely thinking much higher lol. The mixed drinks are pretty weak—we absolutely blew past 7 a day without much effort, even on port days. Mimosa with breakfast and two glasses of wine at dinner and you’re basically halfway there. The drinks go down easy by the pool, especially when many of them only have a shot of alcohol.

 

I totaled up my drinks for the week and could have probably still had value close to $100 a day. There was also some inherent value in just handing my card over and not worrying about the tab I’d racked up that day

Right there with you.  We got the package right before the price increase and paid $51.99/day.  Just got off the Liberty and for me my high day was 13 and my low day was 7.  I usually averaged about 10/day.  My wife was about 2 less per day.  This doesn’t include the specialty coffees at cafe promenade, espressos with desert, or bottles of water.  Also had random Red Bulls on a few of days after a long port day.  $100/day would be be a tough pill to swallow but would still save us money.

[Another_Critic]

I thank all the DBP purchasers for subsidizing my drink vouchers.  🙂 

[BND]

Voted never.  5 free D+ drinks plus buying what else we want never adds up to more than $40 each and every single day.

[hotsauce126]

I already begrudgingly buy it up to $70 because I like the all inclusive feel but any more than that and it’s just not worth it, especially on port intensive itineraries

[QueSeraSera]

30 minutes ago, hotsauce126 said:

I like the all inclusive feel

Precisely why we recently bought the package.  We have sailed all-inclusive cruises because of this thinking up till our March 2023 booking on Odyssey of the Seas.  By my calculations, we paid about $86 per day per person for what was touted as an advanced purchase sale.

I believe those on this thread are far more knowledgeable than I am.  Of course, I must accept any criticism about what is now a done deal, but ask you keep in mind I was clueless of what drinks might cost on board with no package.  While not wanting to derail this thread, I would like to ask your thoughts on the following:

Tips on getting the most out of the drinks package.

Wife only drinks wine, are the included wines pretty good?

Should we add a dinner package?  

Thanks in advance....

[rudeney]

To get the most from the drink package, drink a lot! 😜 Seriously, take the pre-tax price of your DBP and divide by 9 (that's about the average price of drinks, ranging from $3.50 sodas and bottled water to $13 wine/cocktails).  That's about how many drinks you need per day.  Make sure to grab bottles of water to take back to the room (or on a shorex), fresh juice at breakfast, etc.

 

The wines-by-the glass tend to be things like Kendall-Jackson, Robert Mondavi, Estancia, Castle Rock, etc.  I won't judge anyone's tastes as to whether those are good or cheap crap, but I don't think anyone would call them "excellent" wines.  If you wife likes wines, you can get 40% off  bottles up to $100 with the DBP.  If you don't finish the bottle in the restaurant, they will hold it for you and bring it out at your next meal.  

 

The dinner package is a personal choice.  Our next cruise is on Voyager which only has 3 specialty restaurants, but I bought the UDP anyhow.  As long as we eat about 5 meals, it pays for itself.  I think we'll eat all dinners in specialties, and may do a lunch.  But it also includes the ability to order multiple entrees, and I may do that, too.  Basically, any of the pre-purchased dining packages - Chops +1, pick 3 or UDP - are going to be a better value than paying per restaurant on the ship.