Deluxe Drink Package?

[StephPS79]

On 7/12/2022 at 5:56 AM, teaysvalley said:

The lowest we've seen for our October Harmony cruise is $73/day during the July4 "sale". The current discounted price is $78, though the non-discounted is 98, w/o gratuity added in. We've decided low 60's is our trigger point. I doubt it will go that low. Last cruise in 2019 we got it for under 50...

 

I'm on Harmony in October as well, if you see that price, shout it out!

[StephPS79]

4 hours ago, huntr104 said:

Here in Rhode Island if you go to a nice restaurant and order a Martini or mixed drink you're looking at $13-$15 before tip.  I also did a little math and figuring what a typical day might look like between alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks with the Deluxe Beverage Package and I think I'd break about even at the sale price right now.  

I think it's pretty easy to break even, just that sticker shock really hits hard lol.  😄

[klfhngr]

Back to the RumRunners!

[aubreyc1988]

On 7/12/2022 at 7:15 PM, baelor said:

I mean, that is a $13 drink with the 18% gratuity.  The price is still $13.  Also, what is crazy?  There are a lot of cities where $15 is cheap for a drink.

I was just at Baha Mar in Nassau. Cheapest drink I found was at one of the food trucks on property, 16.00 for a mojito + 15% gratuity + 10% VAT.  Most drinks were around 20-30.00 each

[klfhngr]

22 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I was just at Baha Mar in Nassau. Cheapest drink I found was at one of the food trucks on property, 16.00 for a mojito + 15% gratuity + 10% VAT.  Most drinks were around 20-30.00 each

That is CRAZY!!!

[aubreyc1988]

2 minutes ago, klfhngr said:

That is CRAZY!!!

one of my relatives bought me a daiquiri in a pineapple, and it was 28.00 +Gratuity+VAT, I tried to convince him to just have it in a normal glass but he was like noooo and I was like you are crazy but thank you lol 

[klfhngr]

2 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

one of my relatives bought me a daiquiri in a pineapple, and it was 28.00 +Gratuity+VAT, I tried to convince him to just have it in a normal glass but he was like noooo and I was like you are crazy but thank you lol 

Dang! Reminds me of a business meeting here in SoCal. I met a coworker for the first time and I offered to buy him anything. He asked for a double of a regular drink, it was $30, plus tax and tip, lol! 

[aubreyc1988]

4 minutes ago, klfhngr said:

Dang! Reminds me of a business meeting here in SoCal. I met a coworker for the first time and I offered to buy him anything. He asked for a double of a regular drink, it was $30, plus tax and tip, lol! 

sounds about right lol

[rudeney]

I travel a good bit, mostly to major cities.  I was in Nashville a few months back and I don't think I paid less than $20 for a mixed drink.  The Hotel (Omni) was over $25 after tax and tip.  There are a few places around here that serve drinks at non-crazy prices, but they are about the same as on the ship for mixed drinks, cocktails and wine ($9-$13), but cheaper for beer ($5 or so). 

[accio_7]

I have never purchased a drink package when sailing with Royal Caribbean, but am considering for 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise on Navigator in February 2023. Is $75 USD/day a good price or too high? I am willing to wait for Black Friday, am in no rush. 
 

Thanks! 

[poocher]

39 minutes ago, accio_7 said:

I have never purchased a drink package when sailing with Royal Caribbean, but am considering for 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise on Navigator in February 2023. Is $75 USD/day a good price or too high? I am willing to wait for Black Friday, am in no rush. 
 

Thanks! 

Depends on how much you will drink in a day plus how much of the non-alcoholic offerings you will consume.  Remember to add 18% gratuities to that $75 cuz that’s what you will pay so really it’s $88.50 per day.  

[Jarmo]

Poocher, not picking on you, but I don't get why anyone mentions grats in this context, you pay them with or without the package, seems irrelevant to me.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Jarmo
Can't spell.

[poocher]

Yes but when you are determining cost it helps to compare apples to apples.  Just pointing out the package will be more than $75 if/when you make the purchase.  Not necessarily obvious.  I know.  You know.  A new cruiser might not.

[rudeney]

5 hours ago, Jarmo said:

Poocher, not picking on you, but I don't get why anyone mentions grats in this context, you pay them with or without the package, seems irrelevant to me.

 

Agreed.  If you drink $13 drinks or $9 drinks pre-tax, compare that to the pre-tax DBP price.  Or, add 18% to those per-drink prices and then compare them to the DBP + 18% - it makes no difference. If you spend on average, $10 per drink pre-tax and drink 7 drinks per day, then anything less than $70/day pre-tax is a good deal.   If you add gratuities, that's $11.80/drink and $83.60 for the DBP as a break-even.

[Hammer61]

The DBP pricing is a strange one, constantly changing the price; constantly the discount does not make sense!!!

 

Wasnt sure to book one or not, was 50/50 at the time if i would get value for our October cruise.

 

But with inflation affecting all areas of life and prices going up I figured book it now and if prices for drinks rise on ships then keep it otherwise cancel, so I booked in May and got a 30% discount, but today I logged in and the 30% discount is still being offered BUT the price is now A$20 (im on Australian pricing) a day more, so looks like the base price for the DBP has been increased, be interesting to know if individual prices on board will go up soon if they havent already??????  And will the limit be lifted as well if the indiviual prices have gone up, Cocktails i think its up to $13 in the package but if prices have or will be increased then assume the package limits will be lifted as well, maybe $14 or a bit higher for cocktails.........

 

So right now im keeping the package!

Edited July 16, 2022 by Hammer61

[Cruise a holic]

Glad we are Diamond members.  We get four free alcoholic drinks a day.  We took the refreshment package, so we get unlimited non alcoholic beverages.  The cost was much more reasonable. and will work for us.  

 

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, Hammer61 said:

The DBP pricing is a strange one, constantly changing the price; constantly the discount does not make sense!!!

Welcome to May 2014 when RCI redefined "sale".

[footzz]

This was meant as a follow up Biker19's post above.

 

While at the same time narrowing down the options available for beverage packages, such as the elimination of the 'Select Drink Package' that catered to beer and wine drinkers.

Edited July 16, 2022 by footzz
Didn't hit 'quote'.

[rudeney]

5 hours ago, Hammer61 said:

The DBP pricing is a strange one, constantly changing the price; constantly the discount does not make sense!!!

 

Wasnt sure to book one or not, was 50/50 at the time if i would get value for our October cruise.

 

But with inflation affecting all areas of life and prices going up I figured book it now and if prices for drinks rise on ships then keep it otherwise cancel, so I booked in May and got a 30% discount, but today I logged in and the 30% discount is still being offered BUT the price is now A$20 (im on Australian pricing) a day more, so looks like the base price for the DBP has been increased, be interesting to know if individual prices on board will go up soon if they havent already??????  And will the limit be lifted as well if the indiviual prices have gone up, Cocktails i think its up to $13 in the package but if prices have or will be increased then assume the package limits will be lifted as well, maybe $14 or a bit higher for cocktails.........

 

So right now im keeping the package!

 

I just ignore the "SALE" banners and look at the bottom line price.  They manipulate the base price so the percentage-off sales are meaningless.  

 

I do wonder what happens if you pre-buy a drink package that includes drinks "up to $13", but then they raise on-board drink prices.  I guess since the package was purchased with a $13 limit, they can enforce that and charge more.  I think the proper thing to do is raise the limit on the pre-purchased package.  They will have held my money for many months prior to the cruise, and buying early like that, it should insulate me from higher on-board prices.  But I would expect them to make me pay extra.

[poocher]

If they raise drink prices across the board ie the $13 drinks are now $14 drinks, the package will still cover them.  You would only pay more for a drink over and above that threshold, for example a VERY premium liquor or an expensive wine.

[rudeney]

33 minutes ago, poocher said:

If they raise drink prices across the board ie the $13 drinks are now $14 drinks, the package will still cover them.  You would only pay more for a drink over and above that threshold, for example a VERY premium liquor or an expensive wine.

 

I would hope you are correct.  I just know how money-grubbing RCCL can be and I could see them not doing this.  It wouldn't really matter for me because I generally drink $10-$11 mixed drinks, so unless those go up by more than $2, the $13 limit still works.  

[poocher]

This happened when drinks went from $12 to $13 a few years ago.  The package verbiage continued to reference $12 limits but in fact it covered the new $13 prices.

[rudeney]

54 minutes ago, poocher said:

This happened when drinks went from $12 to $13 a few years ago.  The package verbiage continued to reference $12 limits but in fact it covered the new $13 prices.

 

OK, very good info - thanks!

[Russiamomm]

Hi there.  I haven’t been on RCCL in a very long time.  We’ve been sailing NCL for the last several years and always get the beverage package as a perk.  For $20/day it’s a no brained.  My husband and I got a “free” Jr. Suite for a 4 night sailing on the Independence in November through a casino offer and I’m debating whether to buy the beverage package.  I tend to drink more alcohol than my husband and really like my specialty coffees.  I think it will be worth it for me, but not for my husband.  Do we both have to buy the package?

[footzz]

34 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

Hi there.  I haven’t been on RCCL in a very long time.  We’ve been sailing NCL for the last several years and always get the beverage package as a perk.  For $20/day it’s a no brained.  My husband and I got a “free” Jr. Suite for a 4 night sailing on the Independence in November through a casino offer and I’m debating whether to buy the beverage package.  I tend to drink more alcohol than my husband and really like my specialty coffees.  I think it will be worth it for me, but not for my husband.  Do we both have to buy the package?

No, but RCCL will require the purchase of a "refreshment" package along with the UBP. You'll have to call to make arrangements, as it can't be done online in the Cruise Planner.