When does purchasing a Cheers package become economical?

[cflips7]

I think too many of you say I need 6 drinks a day every day, when that is not true. You need to average 6 drinks a day. That means you need to have 6 drinks times how many days your cruise is for (ex. 7 day cruise you need to have 42 drinks for the week 6x7) It does not matter how many you have on any particular day just the total. so theoretically on a 7 day cruise you could only drink 3 days (sea days) and still make it worth while by getting to your 15 drinks on those days and that does not include any non alcoholic drinks.

 

[BoozinCroozin]

Economical is very simple: Price of Cheers Package - total cost of drinks consumed. If the number is positive, it is not economical. If it is negative, it is economical. It is as simple as that.

[justafem]

I've only had the cheers package on carnival the first time I cruised with them.  Since then, I have free drinks in the casino.  If I want another drink and the casinos not open or I'm just over the casino for a while, I'll refill my fishbowl, I bought 4 cruises ago, at the red frog for $20 or I'll buy a drink.

 

I can't sustain the plus package on longer cruises and won't go on anymore short cruises!  I can be taught.

[Eli_6]

For me, I don't find it is worth it because my husband doesn't drink much and then I find myself trying to drink enough to make it worth it for both of us...which means I drink more than I usually would.  It depends on what you drink, but in general I think you have to average 6-7 drinks per person per day to make it worth it.  When I have not purchased the Cheers package, I have never drank enough where I would have been better off having purchased it. 

 

I also have found that at time I felt like the drinks were watered down or had a hard time getting a drink.  This isn't specific to the Cheers package and it isn't on all cruises.  I just know specifically I was on a Christmas cruise one time (pre-Covid) where we were at or above capacity on the Vista and I felt like the only way I could get a buzz was to drink Champagne or wine because anything that was a mixed drink seemed like it had very little alcohol in it.  Also, there were so many people and not enough staff that it was hard to even get a drink.  I had that same feeling one time on a 4 day cruise to Mexico from Galveston. With that said, I never felt that way on, for example, my Europe cruise or my Alaskan cruise.  I think it probably depends heavily on the crowd you are cruising with. 

[ray98]

23 hours ago, cflips7 said:

I think too many of you say I need 6 drinks a day every day, when that is not true. You need to average 6 drinks a day. That means you need to have 6 drinks times how many days your cruise is for (ex. 7 day cruise you need to have 42 drinks for the week 6x7) It does not matter how many you have on any particular day just the total. so theoretically on a 7 day cruise you could only drink 3 days (sea days) and still make it worth while by getting to your 15 drinks on those days and that does not include any non alcoholic drinks.

 

 

You are correct.....many seem to gloss over that.  They try to bend the math to support their position.

[Joebucks]

3 hours ago, ray98 said:

The only thing off is your reading comprehension.

 

28 minutes ago, ray98 said:

 

You are correct.....many seem to gloss over that.  They try to bend the math to support their position.

 

My math was fine. 5 cocktails a day. 10 per couple. 70 alchemy cocktails for the week. To "break even." I get you mix and match other things in there too. 

 

70 alchemy cocktails helps put into perspective what breaking even is. Which is supporting the point you just agreed on. Most people simply don't drink this much though. Especially both people. If you do, great. It may work for you. Those drinking maybe 4 a day, it doesn't.

 

Let's be real, for a lot of people Cheers is great because they are scared to death of fees and FOMO. If you enjoy it, there's nothing wrong with you. Saying it is economical, that is a different story.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Joebucks

[Elaine5715]

On 12/2/2022 at 8:53 AM, BarbieGee said:

The discussions here have caused me to think, there is more to this drink package then just alcoholic cocktails.

I am a water drinker and I am sure I'll go through at least 2 or 3 bottles per day. Cheers also covers juices, soda, tea and wine along with specialty coffee. (I checked the Carnival website and finally, after going through all the layers, found the information of what is included and NOT included - such as pitchers of drinks)  Having the option to relax with a cup of tea in the afternoon, gazing out to the sea, is very appealing. 😎 Wine with dinner? YES PLEASE! Coffee with desert after the meal is also on my list. (is there Cuban coffee on board?) And just for fun, how about a mocktail?

 

I am no longer able (nor wish) to consume large quantities of alcohol  but the other items will also be on my drinks list. Being able to experiment with unusual drinks is also part of the fun of a vacation such as this (I've seen some wonderful concoctions presented by those posting live on their cruises)

 

Reading all these discussions has been extremely helpful in making a decision to purchase Cheers.

When in doubt, ask! and this is the place to do just that.

 

Thanks to everyone! 🥰

If there is a Havana Bar, there is Cuban coffee

[BarbieGee]

31 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

If there is a Havana Bar, there is Cuban coffee

I'll be on one of Carnival's small ships, The Paradise. I've never sailed on Carnival. Hopefully there are SOME of the amenities of the other ships.

[sparks1093]

17 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

 

My math was fine. 5 cocktails a day. 10 per couple. 70 alchemy cocktails for the week. To "break even." I get you mix and match other things in there too. 

 

70 alchemy cocktails helps put into perspective what breaking even is. Which is supporting the point you just agreed on. Most people simply don't drink this much though. Especially both people. If you do, great. It may work for you. Those drinking maybe 4 a day, it doesn't.

 

Let's be real, for a lot of people Cheers is great because they are scared to death of fees and FOMO. If you enjoy it, there's nothing wrong with you. Saying it is economical, that is a different story.

All I know is that for a week without Cheers our bar bill was $1300 and to me that is the only number that matters. I can easily drink 5 cocktails every day on vacation, even on most port days. One in the evening on the way to dinner, one with dinner, three during and after the show. That's with starting drinking at 5pm or so and 5 drinks between 5 pm and 11 pm (or 5 drinks in a 6 hour span of time). 

[ray98]

15 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

All I know is that for a week without Cheers our bar bill was $1300 and to me that is the only number that matters. I can easily drink 5 cocktails every day on vacation, even on most port days. One in the evening on the way to dinner, one with dinner, three during and after the show. That's with starting drinking at 5pm or so and 5 drinks between 5 pm and 11 pm (or 5 drinks in a 6 hour span of time). 

 

There is a contingent here who don't want to hear that.  They live in a fantasy world where nearly everyone on a ship is like them drinking 2 a day ignoring that the bars are packed all day long and the one constant activity on a ship is drinks.  They truly think those who drink more than that are few and far between.

 

The thing is most people who enjoy drinking on vacation will easily cover that amount, many can double it on a sea day.  Some try to pretend many who get Cheer's do so because it is easy and it is impossible for them to get value out of it.  I am firmly in the opposite camp, I say many don't buy Cheers because the upfront cost is steep not realizing just a few drinks a day gets you to the same amount anyway.  The spend a vacation pinching pennies and trying to manage a budget when that bar tab rapidly rises.

 

Like you, having enough drinks to 'break even' for the day is easy for me even on a port day.  If you count the higher total I will certainly have on sea days the average isn't even close and I'm not even factoring in all the non-alcoholic stuff.  I don't think I've spend a day on a ship where I didn't have 6 drinks....ever.

[sparks1093]

14 minutes ago, ray98 said:

 

There is a contingent here who don't want to hear that.  They live in a fantasy world where nearly everyone on a ship is like them drinking 2 a day ignoring that the bars are packed all day long and the one constant activity on a ship is drinks.  They truly think those who drink more than that are few and far between.

 

The thing is most people who enjoy drinking on vacation will easily cover that amount, many can double it on a sea day.  Some try to pretend many who get Cheer's do so because it is easy and it is impossible for them to get value out of it.  I am firmly in the opposite camp, I say many don't buy Cheers because the upfront cost is steep not realizing just a few drinks a day gets you to the same amount anyway.  The spend a vacation pinching pennies and trying to manage a budget when that bar tab rapidly rises.

 

Like you, having enough drinks to 'break even' for the day is easy for me even on a port day.  If you count the higher total I will certainly have on sea days the average isn't even close and I'm not even factoring in all the non-alcoholic stuff.  I don't think I've spend a day on a ship where I didn't have 6 drinks....ever.

I do recall one such day and it was the first time we ever had a drink package (on Royal). We had spent the day at Universal Studios and by the time we returned to the ship we were both so tired we turned in early. As I recall we had 2 whole drinks (each) on the ship. But we did have enough the rest of time for the average to work in our favor (and it certainly helped that Royal's drink package does work on their private island, so essentially another sea day. It also might have helped that our clamshell was right next to the bar. Maybe.). 

[asalligo]

On 12/3/2022 at 7:50 AM, Jasonsterling said:

It's not hard for me to hit that "worth it" mark and yet not be drunk or over drink. I have a specialty coffee in the morning w/Baileys and that's 9, then a mimosa with breakfast 9, a bottled water tossed in there 4, a milkshake in the afternoon and a frozen drink on deck around 16, glass of champange before dinner and two drinks through the evening 36. So you know around 74 dollars easily. I also like an all inclusive feel and paying upfront. The shock of my bill at the end of a cruise took years off my life before the plan, lol.  

 

This is an example of why Carnival makes money on Cheers. Everyone calculates their usage on a sea day. On your average seven-day cruise, there are only three sea days and four days that are not full days due to port days embarkation and debarkation. Unless you maintain this level of usage on those days also, you are losing money on the deal. 

[sparks1093]

31 minutes ago, asalligo said:

 

This is an example of why Carnival makes money on Cheers. Everyone calculates their usage on a sea day. On your average seven-day cruise, there are only three sea days and four days that are not full days due to port days embarkation and debarkation. Unless you maintain this level of usage on those days also, you are losing money on the deal. 

Yes, one does need to consider port days but as demonstrated it's usually not too difficult to have enough on those days as well (and making sure to average the sea days and port days in the consideration).

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

5-6 mixed drinks you break even

** Remove 1 of those drinks for a specialty, a few sodas and bottles of water.

8-9 beers

**

 

On any other vacation, it you drink 5-6 drinks a day, then the cheers is for you. It will at least break even or come out ahead. If you or the person sharing your cabin drink less than that, then per drink will probably come out better.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Gamecock_Cruiser

[Theosprey247]

If you are a light drinker then no.

If you enjoy drinking then yes.

Everyone is different.  What works for you doesn't work for me.

[1kaper]

3 hours ago, asalligo said:

 

This is an example of why Carnival makes money on Cheers. Everyone calculates their usage on a sea day. On your average seven-day cruise, there are only three sea days and four days that are not full days due to port days embarkation and debarkation. Unless you maintain this level of usage on those days also, you are losing money on the deal. 

 

I hate these generalizations.  I guarantee I have considered it.  
I have also considered that I will have more on sea days.  On AVERAGE over the entire cruise, I will drink enough alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to save me money.  Will everyone? No.  
 

[1kaper]

To add - they make money on Cheers because of the price point.  I guarantee even if someone drinks 15 a day, everyday they are still making money.   They make more money when people don't drink their 15 but I guarantee don't lose money on Cheers, period. 

[Elaine5715]

This is all math. not magic. Entering your expected use into one of the drink package calculators will answer all questions.  I was surprised even when figuring a port intensive cruise and less interesting bars to visit type cruise, I still would save some money with CHEERS ($30-50).  When I checked for my Mardi Gras sailing, that amount was several hundred since I wanted to try all the themed bars.  

I hit the coffee bar at least three times a day every day so that factors in.  

[n6uqqq]

6 hours ago, asalligo said:

 

This is an example of why Carnival makes money on Cheers. Everyone calculates their usage on a sea day. On your average seven-day cruise, there are only three sea days and four days that are not full days due to port days embarkation and debarkation. Unless you maintain this level of usage on those days also, you are losing money on the deal. 

Carnival will be making boatloads of money even if you max out everyday. Cheers for a week without tip is $419.65 and Carnival's cost will be under $100 with their massive purchasing power. On top of all this a high percentage of people won't come close to maxing out everyday. This is a big win for Carnival and they and shareholders(many of us out here) thank the cheers purchasers! I bought stock when it was heading up last year, so I have quite a ways to go to break even. So if cheers makes you happy, then drink up for me 😄 . Each to their own, it's all good. 

[aml3679]

It is for us. Just having a piece of mind not having to pay by the glass. We drink our fair share on the cruise and feel that it is worth it for us.

[sparks1093]

1 minute ago, aml3679 said:

feel that it is worth it for us.

At the end of the day this is all that matters, no matter what the math or anyone else says about it. 🙂 

[1kaper]

3 minutes ago, aml3679 said:

It is for us. Just having a piece of mind not having to pay by the glass. We drink our fair share on the cruise and feel that it is worth it for us.

While the numbers work too, I feel this way as well.  I upgrade the liquor to top shelf.  I try expensive mixed drinks.  If I was paying by the glass I'd always be deciding not to have this drink or that and getting the cheapest one I could instead.  I really enjoyed that. 

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

4 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

I agree with this. It is Patron in my margarita's for me. I never do that at home. And I try other things knowing that I am not exactly wasting $10-$12 if I don't like it.

While the numbers work too, I feel this way as well.  I upgrade the liquor to top shelf.  I try expensive mixed drinks.  If I was paying by the glass I'd always be deciding not to have this drink or that and getting the cheapest one I could instead.  I really enjoyed that. 

 

[mom2tcdx2]

I tend to find I can do 5 or 6 cocktails, a couple sodas and a water and I have reach what it takes daily for the drink package.  My husband on the other hand, has been know to order shots of scotch which have been $18 each, so he clearly reaches the limit before I do.  He can do two shots of scotch, one bloody mary, one drink from the alchemy bar, and some ginger-ale and only be at 4 drinks for the day.  

[BarbieGee]

 

 

Now, my new question is: what is deemed above menu price? If I want Patron in my Margarita, is that higher then the menu price? Liquor prices are not posted on the website. How about a glass of Dom Pérignon? 😏 I do like to 'call' what I'd like in my drink but 20 bucks for something???
I realize Carnival needs to make money but the drink prices do tend to be a little more then the usual.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHEERS! INCLUDES:

• All spirits (including cocktails), as well as beer and wine by the glass with a $20.00 or lower menu price 
• Sodas, Zero-Proof frozen cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffee, hot tea, 500ml bottled water and other non-alcoholic bottled beverages
• Packaged water in the Dining Room and Specialty Restaurants
• 25% discount off the menu price for any spirit or wine by the glass above $20.00
• 25% discount off the menu price for wine and champagne by the bottle
• 25% discount off beverage seminars and classes
• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited December 5, 2022 by BarbieGee