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

[cruiselvr04]

Non Starbucks ship. DH got us hot chocolate at the Promenade cafe.  They used our vouchers and he didn’t realize it until that evening when we ran out.  So you do need to tell your server anytime you get a drink of any kind not to use your voucher if you want to save it for a $14 drink.  
 

5 a day for us is just about right.  Only once or twice a cruise that we’ve wanted more and just bought it.  If we have any leftover we get Baileys and take it to the room and use for breakfast.  Last cruise our bar tab was under $35.  In a suite we definitely get plenty and never buy any.  If you’re a big drinker of course you may still want the package.  

 

[jcc1025]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:13 AM, RobInMN said:

 

Pretty sure you don't actually have to ask. If you have drink vouchers available, they will automatically use them. Which means that if you don't want to use one (say for a bottle of water), you specifically have to tell them not to use your voucher.

Meaning that vouchers are opt-out, not opt-in.😉

You don't have to ask but if you want to save your drinks for higher priced evening drinks and not use one for a beer in the afternoon you can tell the bartender at the time you order not to credit it against you comp drinks and instead pay for it and save a few bucks if you are going to go over the allowed limit. 

[Tree_skier]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:13 AM, RobInMN said:

 

Pretty sure you don't actually have to ask. If you have drink vouchers available, they will automatically use them. Which means that if you don't want to use one (say for a bottle of water), you specifically have to tell them not to use your voucher.

Meaning that vouchers are opt-out, not opt-in.😉

This has been my experience too.

Edited November 2, 2022 by Tree_skier

[karena1]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:23 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.  

We are Pinnacle and get 6 free drinks a day and still get the package.  Totally worth it to us.  By the time I get a couple Mimosas in the morning, plus water, and hubby get at least 3 specialty coffees with Baileys, we are totally using the package.  I use the free vouchers to take water, beer to the cabin. Plus we get 40% off the package so makes it totally worth it.

 

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by karena1

[karena1]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:32 PM, 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.  

Same here, and if my beer gets warm, I order another one!

[Choozin Croozin]

On 10/29/2022 at 7:42 PM, Tree_skier said:

 

 

This is the machine in Ovation's Diamond Lounge...

 

It offers both real and decaf coffee beans 🙂 

Bless you!! That's awesome and so kind of you to post this. Thank you so much for the  picture. 

[lcpagejr]

On 10/28/2022 at 1:15 PM, ccletzgo said:

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.

disembark does not factor into equation ...Thats technically the 8th day on a 7 day cruise.

[celoplyr]

If I were you, I'd buy the drink package (as people say, I always have it as 4 drinks per day above the free drinks).

Personally, we drink a LOT of caffeine free, diet soda.  So we only buy the soda package on ships with the Freestyle machine, but as you can't get a freestyle cup without the soda package, we will always get the soda package (at least). 

[KelJ]

DH always bought the DBP,  and we used to buy the DBP for both of us when Royal made it mandatory for all adults in one cabin. DH easily got his money’s worth, but I never did. However, we have sailed twice since reaching D+ and didn’t purchase the DBP either time. 
 

Our first D+ sailing was on Allure in a suite, so we had free drinks all day in the suite lounge (which was just down the hall from our suite), including with dinner in Coastal Kitchen. The suite lounge bartenders were happy to let you leave with drinks. We also had the two bottles of wine that we carried on, a bottle of champagne (D+ room amenity), two bottles of beer (D+ welcome gifts), four bottles of water in the cabin, and the big glass bottles of water that our loft attendant replaced daily which DH used in the coffee maker. DH had the refreshment package (mainly for soda and iced coffee) but in hindsight says he really wouldn’t have needed it.  He liked getting espresso in the suite lounge. I often didn’t use all five of my D+ drinks, so I’d get DH a drink with one of my vouchers. 
 

Our second D+ sailing was on Adventure in a balcony cabin. We had our two bottles of carry-on wine, the D+ bottle of champagne & 2 bottles of beer & 2 bottles of water. DH made Prime the first night in the casino, so he had free drinks in the casino for the rest of the cruise. He had the refreshment package for his iced coffee and soda. I didn’t always use my five D+ drinks.

 

We have three upcoming cruises in suites, two on Oasis and one on Ovation, and DH will still be Prime for all three. We definitely won’t purchase the DBP, and DH won’t purchase the refreshment package on Oasis. I doubt that he’ll purchase the refreshment package on Ovation even though drinks are only free in the suite lounge in the evenings (aside from the coffee machines). That cruise has a lot of sea days so he can get sodas in the casino if he wants them.  And of course we’ll have our D+ drinks. 

 

OP, if we didn’t stay in suites and if DH weren’t Prime, he’d definitely get his money’s worth from the DBP even though he’s D+.  I would not get my money’s worth and would have to call to purchase the DBP for him and the refreshment package for me. 

[artvlay]

I have been curious about what percentage of adults on the ship purchase an alcohol beverage plan.