Any Diamonds or D+ purchased Deluxe Drink Package? Were you satisfied with your purchase?

[robtx100]

We have purchased the drink package for every cruise since they started offering them and always felt as though we got our money's worth. We are approaching our very first Diamond cruise. I know we get 4 drink vouchers each (both of us are Diamond), but we will drink more than those 4. I'm not sure where the break even point is for Diamonds. We are going with a group of 8, so there will be morning mimosa or bloody mary,  afternoon drinks, before dinner wine, wine with dinner, after dinner drinks, etc. So if you are Diamond or + and purchased the drink package along with your 4 drinks, did  you feel like you got  your money's worth?

 

No comments needed from the "tee-totalers". I may comment back and hurt your feelings.  

[George C]

Diamond plus does get 30 percent off liquor package but many of the offers already have a 30 percent off . We book suites so with the 5 free drinks and suite happy hour we no longer get drink package, we also get the UDP which gives us 40 percent off wine bottles under 100.

[pasodancer]

We are Diamond & always purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package.  We each average 10 to 15 drinks a day beginning w/ fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast (we each get 2).  We figure 1 specialty coffee (w/ alcohol) mid-morning, couple drinks at lunch, drinks by the pool, cocktails, drinks w/ dinner, after dinner drinks, drinks at the show, etc. This is also the time for us to try out various cocktails and beers - French Martini, Pineapple Martini, etc. without feeling obligated to finish the drink if we don't like it.  

[colesc15]

We used to always buy the drink package until we hit diamond. Since hitting diamond, we haven't. With the package we would average 10ish drinks a day. Port days was more of a challenge. My wife and I are both prime in the casino at this point so between those free drinks when the casino is open and the diamond drinks, we haven't purchased the package. Even without the casino drinks, the four free in Port days made it hard to "break even". After the 4 free, you'd be needing likely 13ish drinks per day to "break even" if buying beer and factoring in the first four were already free, or likely 11 if you get mixed drinks. Sea days? Sure. Port days? Tough. 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, robtx100 said:

 I'm not sure where the break even point is for Diamonds.

Same as anyone else and has been in the past- somewhere around 5-6 alcoholic drinks above any free ones. 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Biker19

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, robtx100 said:

We have purchased the drink package for every cruise since they started offering them and always felt as though we got our money's worth. We are approaching our very first Diamond cruise. I know we get 4 drink vouchers each (both of us are Diamond), but we will drink more than those 4. I'm not sure where the break even point is for Diamonds. We are going with a group of 8, so there will be morning mimosa or bloody mary,  afternoon drinks, before dinner wine, wine with dinner, after dinner drinks, etc. So if you are Diamond or + and purchased the drink package along with your 4 drinks, did  you feel like you got  your money's worth?

 

No comments needed from the "tee-totalers". I may comment back and hurt your feelings.  

We haven't purchased since becoming diamond.  DW will only use two of hers diamond drinks so that leaves me with 6. My experience on 2 cruises as diamond is that I will not be purchasing it going forward. On the first one as a diamond I tracked my spending and compared it to having purchased the DBP at it's lowest price I saw it in the cruise planner.  It was vastly cheaper to pay as you go supplementing the diamond vouchers for me.  I maximized the the use of my vouchers by getting specialty coffee's from the Diamond lounge.  I purchased the soda package to supplement those time didn't want alcohol and paid for the beer and cider specifically, telling the bartender to not use the vouchers unless I was order a higher dollar cocktail.

 

For me, unless I expect to exceed 10 alcoholic drinks every single day I would think that it wouldn't pay for me.  I might expect to hit that number on Embarkation or sea days but not everyday.  

[pattak619]

2 hours ago, pasodancer said:

We are Diamond & always purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package.  We each average 10 to 15 drinks a day beginning w/ fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast (we each get 2).  We figure 1 specialty coffee (w/ alcohol) mid-morning, couple drinks at lunch, drinks by the pool, cocktails, drinks w/ dinner, after dinner drinks, drinks at the show, etc. This is also the time for us to try out various cocktails and beers - French Martini, Pineapple Martini, etc. without feeling obligated to finish the drink if we don't like it.  

Ditto for us, so worth it !

[Choozin Croozin]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

 by getting specialty coffee's from the Diamond lounge.

What kind of specialty coffees can you get in the DL and is it on all ships?  Is the regular coffee there pretty good too? I am D but was going to buy the bev pkg or the coffee card because I hate the coffee on the ship. I like a little stronger coffee and it always just tastes blah. Maybe I can get away from the coffee card too. 

[PhoenixCruiser]

D+ and always purchase the package, it's just convenient. 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Choozin Croozin said:

What kind of specialty coffees can you get in the DL and is it on all ships?  Is the regular coffee there pretty good too? I am D but was going to buy the bev pkg or the coffee card because I hate the coffee on the ship. I like a little stronger coffee and it always just tastes blah. Maybe I can get away from the coffee card too. 

The diamond lounge has a machine where you press a button to make, capuccino, latte, espresso or regular coffee.

I usually make a latte or capuccino with extra shot of espresso.

No flavor syrups are available in the DL.

[RobInMN]

I believe that general consensus on other threads is that on a typical sale, the deluxe beverage package requires at least 6 drinks a day to break even. Maybe a couple more if they are not all alcohol drinks.

That means that as Diamond, you'd need to plan on 10+ drinks a day, or 11+ as D+ to "break even" with the DBP.

For us, totally not worth it. Possibly a pop package on a super sale, but that's about it.

For others, I'm sure it's still totally worth it.

[PhillyFan33579]

I am currently a D and will reach D+ early next year. I am also prime in the casino and can drink free there when the casino is open. Despite this, I always buy the deluxe drink package for two reasons.
 

One, I like not having to worry about what I am spending on drinks during a cruise.

 

Second, the drink package includes a lot more than just alcohol. I usually drink 10-12 small Pellagrino waters every day and always get Pellagrino at night no matter what restaurant I am at. I also use the freestyle Coke machines daily for Diet Coke and Powerade Zero. Plus I drink my share of alcoholic drinks every day. On most days I will have 4-5 mimosas in the morning before switching to usually beer in the afternoon and stronger drinks or wine at night.

 

One other point is I only pay 18% tax on the price I pay for the drink package. Without the drink package, you are paying 18% tax per drink. Bottom line is the deluxe drink package makes financial since for me. However, that obviously doesn’t apply to everyone. 

[Tree_skier]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:05 PM, Choozin Croozin said:

What kind of specialty coffees can you get in the DL and is it on all ships?  Is the regular coffee there pretty good too? I am D but was going to buy the bev pkg or the coffee card because I hate the coffee on the ship. I like a little stronger coffee and it always just tastes blah. Maybe I can get away from the coffee card too. 

I thought it was pretty good.  I don't need the sugary Starbucks coffee drinks but do like an espresso or a Latte/cappuccino every once in while.  DL coffee is definitely better than WJ coffee

[ccletzgo]

Diamond here.  Next cruise will be the first time I am not buying it.  With 2 of the days being embark and debark, I'm curious about the our actual cost.   I'll be testing it this cruise.  10 to 11 drinks a day to break even and port days I expect our 4 ea. diamond will do.   I am planning on ordering as usual just to compare.  Should be interesting.

[topnole]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:51 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

I am currently a D and will reach D+ early next year. I am also prime in the casino and can drink free there when the casino is open. Despite this, I always buy the deluxe drink package for two reasons.
 

One, I like not having to worry about what I am spending on drinks during a cruise.

 

Second, the drink package includes a lot more than just alcohol. I usually drink 10-12 small Pellagrino waters every day and always get Pellagrino at night no matter what restaurant I am at. I also use the freestyle Coke machines daily for Diet Coke and Powerade Zero. Plus I drink my share of alcoholic drinks every day. On most days I will have 4-5 mimosas in the morning before switching to usually beer in the afternoon and stronger drinks or wine at night.

 

One other point is I only pay 18% tax on the price I pay for the drink package. Without the drink package, you are paying 18% tax per drink. Bottom line is the deluxe drink package makes financial since for me. However, that obviously doesn’t apply to everyone. 

10-12 pellagrino waters per day?   Isn’t that carbonated?   Plus sodas?   Plus beer?   Wow that is a lot of carbonation every day.  

[DaKahuna]

Prior to the COVID shutdown, I would buy the DBP every cruise.  Post COVID with the new voucher system, I see no need to purchase the DBP any longer, especially when we are sailing in Suites.  

 

We are Diamond Plus and find the five drinks, plue two or three in the Suite Lounge sufficient for us.  Our normal daily consumption usually consist of one glass of wine with lunch, pre-dinner drinks in the lounge, two glasses of wine (for me, one for the wife) with dinner, and then two drinks at the Schooner Bar in the evenings.  That's five for me and four for the wife.  If I go to the casino or take in a show, I will normally have one or two more drinks, but that still does not justify the expense of the DBP. 

 

Guess I am just getting too old to drink from the time I get until the time I go to bed, like I was prone to do in my 20's - 60's 

 

[sailor05]

You "should" be able find the package on sale for $73. Drinks for the most part are $14 each. So at $73 it takes about 5 drinks to break even. Add the 4 free diamond drinks to that and now it takes 9 drinks to break even. That's 9 drinks every single day, even when in port and days that you may have a hangover. This does not include the free waters, soda's juices, etc, and of course these prices have 18% added to them.

[taglovestocruise]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:05 PM, Choozin Croozin said:

What kind of specialty coffees can you get in the DL and is it on all ships?  Is the regular coffee there pretty good too? I am D but was going to buy the bev pkg or the coffee card because I hate the coffee on the ship. I like a little stronger coffee and it always just tastes blah. Maybe I can get away from the coffee card too. 

Coffee from the machine is pretty good. I am a three button pusher. One push of espresso, second push of espresso and a third push for a latte. Wife is just a double pusher, one espresso and one latte. 

[OCVTSGIRL]

I did purchase the drink package my first cruise being Diamond because the friend I was sailing with wasn't Diamond with.  My second cruise I also purchased it because we were a group of 10 so I knew there would be more than 4 drinks each day.  I'm wondering...being Diamond and if you purchase the drink package do they still use your 4 drink vouchers?  I assumed they didn't but maybe I'm wrong.

[maggieq]

We have purchased the drink package for a while now.  However, the cost even with the 30% off is one of the reasons why we will look at celebrity all inclusive option.

[crusinthrough]

I don't buy the package to break even or beat the bar.  By mid week the bar always win.  I buy it for convenience and not worrying about not finishing a drink.  On my last cruise the others in the suite did not want to purchase the package so I could not.  I survived on my C&A drinks and suite lounge happy hour but I missed the package.  

[Tlbecker1]

We are D+ and 5 drinks a day is good for us.  Plus our wine, we are more than taken care of each day. 

[Norwich Cruiser]

On 10/26/2022 at 10:23 PM, robtx100 said:

We have purchased the drink package for every cruise since they started offering them and always felt as though we got our money's worth. We are approaching our very first Diamond cruise. I know we get 4 drink vouchers each (both of us are Diamond), but we will drink more than those 4. I'm not sure where the break even point is for Diamonds. We are going with a group of 8, so there will be morning mimosa or bloody mary,  afternoon drinks, before dinner wine, wine with dinner, after dinner drinks, etc. So if you are Diamond or + and purchased the drink package along with your 4 drinks, did  you feel like you got  your money's worth?

 

No comments needed from the "tee-totalers". I may comment back and hurt your feelings.  

With that amount of drinks I’d say buying the drinks package would definitely work for you.

[Choozin Croozin]

21 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I thought it was pretty good.  I don't need the sugary Starbucks coffee drinks but do like an espresso or a Latte/cappuccino every once in while.  DL coffee is definitely better than WJ coffee

@Tree_skier me too! 

[Choozin Croozin]

16 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Coffee from the machine is pretty good. I am a three button pusher. One push of espresso, second push of espresso and a third push for a latte. Wife is just a double pusher, one espresso and one latte. 

LOL!! Thanks for the tip. Do they have DeCaf or just regular?