Alcohol Package Price

[Traveler1977]

Recently booked a RC cruise for later this year. The alcohol package is $105 a day, per person; purchasing the alcohol package pre-cruise saves you 20%, making it $83.99 a day, per person. You get alcoholic beverages, speciality coffees, sodas and bottled water.

 

I have a cruise on Princess in a couple of months and Princess’s Premier Package is $90.00 a day, per person. The big difference is that in addition to the alcohol, specialty coffees, soda, etc., the Princess Premier Package also includes pre-paid gratuities, Wi-Fi for up to four devices, two specialty dining restaurants, and a few other less significant items.  
 

Am I missing something?  

Edited June 3, 2023 by Traveler1977
Correction

[poocher]

Nope

[Tlbecker1]

Royal will keep charging more and more and folks will keep on purchasing. Until people stop, they will just keep on going up.

[twangster]

When I go to a local bar there is no drink package.  What am I missing?  Why doesn't my local bar offer the same drink package that Princess does? 

 

Princess doesn't offer it's loyalty members 4, 5 or 6 free drinks per day.  What are Captain's Circle members missing?  Are they crazy?  Why don't they complain to Princess about their deficient loyalty program?  

 

Seriously though, the game of cruising is all about finding the cruise that best suits you. That includes diving into the details.  Princess has faster internet even with Royal adopting Starlink.  If fast internet is your most important item then don't book Royal.  

 

Find what works for you and go with it.  If you choose to sail many different lines you need to learn to adapt to each lines pros and cons.  

[Mum2Mercury]

1 hour ago, Traveler1977 said:

Recently booked a RC cruise for later this year. The alcohol package is $105 a day, per person; purchasing the alcohol package pre-cruise saves you 20%, making it $83.99 a day, per person. You get alcoholic beverages, speciality coffees, sodas and bottled water.

That is an insane price.  

1 hour ago, Traveler1977 said:

Am I missing something?  

Royal has better ships; of course, that's open to opinion.  

32 minutes ago, twangster said:

When I go to a local bar there is no drink package.  What am I missing?

Your local bar isn't trying to also sell you a vacation ticket.  

32 minutes ago, twangster said:

Princess doesn't offer it's loyalty members 4, 5 or 6 free drinks per day.

And they have to pay for those drinks somehow ... especially since more and more people are "making Diamond" and qualifying for those free drinks. 

[Traveler1977]

All I was pointing out is that $83.99 is a lot of money for just drinks. 

[smokeybandit]

3 minutes ago, Traveler1977 said:

All I was pointing out is that $83.99 is a lot of money for just drinks. 

So maybe you don't need a package and should just buy drinks a la carte.

[Tree_skier]

36 minutes ago, Traveler1977 said:

All I was pointing out is that $83.99 is a lot of money for just drinks. 

I have seen it on most of my cruises coming up within the next 12 months between $71 and $76 pppd when they have their little sales.  Tack on internet and it is about the same.

 

Also, if I understand the Princess Plus pkg.  If you go over the allotted amount per drink ie. order a premium wine or cocktail, they don't just charge you the difference but in fact charge you the whole amount. 

 

If you exceed the $14 on Royal you only pay the difference.

[Traveler1977]

I’m not saying either line is better, I personally like variety and enjoy trying different cruise lines. I’ve had many great cruises on RC. 
 

Princess actually has two new packages, Plus and Premium. Plus is $60.00 pppd and covers drinks up $15.00, gratuities and Wi-Fi on one device. The Premium is $90.00 pppd and covers drinks up to $20.00.  If the drink exceeds that you only pay the difference. The Premium includes gratuities, Wi-Fi on four devices and two specialty restaurants. 
 

it seems to me that the packages on Princess give you a lot beyond just alcohol.  I’m not looking for people to say, just cruise on Princess. What I would like to see is RC offer more value in its package(s).
 

There is a price point for everything. Whether one chooses to purchase a drink package is a personal choice based on the price they are willing to pay and the value they expect to derive from the purchase. 
 

Happy cruising. 

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, Traveler1977 said:

What I would like to see is RC offer more value in its package(s).

They charge what they charge because that's what people are willing to pay. No need to offer value if you can sell it at a premium.

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

I’m not saying either line is better, I personally like variety and enjoy trying different cruise lines. I’ve had many great cruises on RC. 
 

Princess actually has two new packages, Plus and Premium. Plus is $60.00 pppd and covers drinks up $15.00, gratuities and Wi-Fi on one device. The Premium is $90.00 pppd and covers drinks up to $20.00.  If the drink exceeds that you only pay the difference. The Premium includes gratuities, Wi-Fi on four devices and two specialty restaurants. 
 

it seems to me that the packages on Princess give you a lot beyond just alcohol.  I’m not looking for people to say, just cruise on Princess. What I would like to see is RC offer more value in its package(s).
 

There is a price point for everything. Whether one chooses to purchase a drink package is a personal choice based on the price they are willing to pay and the value they expect to derive from the purchase. 
 

Happy cruising. 

I think you are missing the obvious. Any package like drink packages or dining packages are designed to benefit the cruise line, not the passengers. It’s not about providing value to the passengers, it’s all about generating as much revenue as possible. 

[akcruz]

13 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

They charge what they charge because that's what people are willing to pay. No need to offer value if you can sell it at a premium.

 

And on top of that I do wonder how many people buy it hoping it will go down so they can cancel and rebook, then cancel if it doesn't, don't think too many.  Haven't heard of prices dropping much lately if at all.  They keep track of how many packages sell at what price and every one of those buy it now and watch purchases go into that calculation.  As long as people keep paying they will keep pushing the prices higher.

 

[smokeybandit]

RC would never publish this info, but I'd love to know how many people who get the drink package actually max it out. I would guess the majority do not.

[Stick93]

18 hours ago, twangster said:

When I go to a local bar there is no drink package.  What am I missing?  Why doesn't my local bar offer the same drink package that Princess does? 

 

Princess doesn't offer it's loyalty members 4, 5 or 6 free drinks per day.  What are Captain's Circle members missing?  Are they crazy?  Why don't they complain to Princess about their deficient loyalty program?  

 

Seriously though, the game of cruising is all about finding the cruise that best suits you. That includes diving into the details.  Princess has faster internet even with Royal adopting Starlink.  If fast internet is your most important item then don't book Royal.  

 

Find what works for you and go with it.  If you choose to sail many different lines you need to learn to adapt to each lines pros and cons.  

Great answer. The loyalty drinks are really the nicest perk of all the lines. I need to get there quick!

[Cachecara]

17 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

All I was pointing out is that $83.99 is a lot of money for just drinks. 

My package for the Jewel a yr from now is $71.99.  Deluxe package. 

[Another_Critic]

Oct 2023 TA = $59.99

April 2024 TA = $59.99

Nov 2024 TA = $63.99

 

[Merion_Mom]

21 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

Recently booked a RC cruise for later this year. The alcohol package is $105 a day, per person; purchasing the alcohol package pre-cruise saves you 20%, making it $83.99 a day, per person. You get alcoholic beverages, speciality coffees, sodas and bottled water.

 

I have a cruise on Princess in a couple of months and Princess’s Premier Package is $90.00 a day, per person. The big difference is that in addition to the alcohol, specialty coffees, soda, etc., the Princess Premier Package also includes pre-paid gratuities, Wi-Fi for up to four devices, two specialty dining restaurants, and a few other less significant items.  
 

Am I missing something?  

 

17 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

I’m not saying either line is better, I personally like variety and enjoy trying different cruise lines. I’ve had many great cruises on RC. 
 

Princess actually has two new packages, Plus and Premium. Plus is $60.00 pppd and covers drinks up $15.00, gratuities and Wi-Fi on one device. The Premium is $90.00 pppd and covers drinks up to $20.00.  If the drink exceeds that you only pay the difference. The Premium includes gratuities, Wi-Fi on four devices and two specialty restaurants. 
 

it seems to me that the packages on Princess give you a lot beyond just alcohol.  I’m not looking for people to say, just cruise on Princess. What I would like to see is RC offer more value in its package(s).
 

There is a price point for everything. Whether one chooses to purchase a drink package is a personal choice based on the price they are willing to pay and the value they expect to derive from the purchase. 
 

Happy cruising. 

 

I understand what you are saying.  I just came off a Princess cruise and had the Premium Plus package.

 

I agree that the PACKAGE has better value than RC's DBP.

 

But I will also tell you that my cruise fare on Princess was twice as much as it would have been on an equivalent RC cruise.

 

The money has to come from somewhere.

[vjmatty]

On 6/3/2023 at 4:36 PM, Traveler1977 said:

Recently booked a RC cruise for later this year. The alcohol package is $105 a day, per person; purchasing the alcohol package pre-cruise saves you 20%, making it $83.99 a day, per person. You get alcoholic beverages, speciality coffees, sodas and bottled water.

 

I have a cruise on Princess in a couple of months and Princess’s Premier Package is $90.00 a day, per person. The big difference is that in addition to the alcohol, specialty coffees, soda, etc., the Princess Premier Package also includes pre-paid gratuities, Wi-Fi for up to four devices, two specialty dining restaurants, and a few other less significant items.  
 

Am I missing something?  

As someone who regularly sails both Princess and RC, both lines have their pros and cons….and the cons can be really annoying. On RC my biggest gripes are the dynamic pricing of beverage packages, lack of guest laundromat and suite deposit policy, the latter of which was just made even worse. That being said, their suite amenities, at least on the larger ships, are better. 

 

On Princess however, there’s no traditional dining (Anytime only), you have to pay for the solarium (and yes, people really do pay… ridiculous prices for it), and you can’t use OBC to buy anything in the cruise planner except excursions. They’re also a very limited presence in the northeast. On the other hand they do B2B’s a lot better.

 

You have to base decisions on what is most important to you. For me, if I like the ship and itinerary enough, and find a good cabin, I just deal with the other stuff. 

 

 

 

[Tree_skier]

11 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

As someone who regularly sails both Princess and RC, both lines have their pros and cons….and the cons can be really annoying. On RC my biggest gripes are the dynamic pricing of beverage packages, lack of guest laundromat and suite deposit policy, the latter of which was just made even worse. That being said, their suite amenities, at least on the larger ships, are better. 

 

On Princess however, there’s no traditional dining (Anytime only), you have to pay for the solarium (and yes, people really do pay… ridiculous prices for it), and you can’t use OBC to buy anything in the cruise planner except excursions. They’re also a very limited presence in the northeast. On the other hand they do B2B’s a lot better.

 

You have to base decisions on what is most important to you. For me, if I like the ship and itinerary enough, and find a good cabin, I just deal with the other stuff. 

 

 

 

Great post.  In life there are always trade offs.  Every product has its unique attributes that work for some and others hate.  For me, Royal works.  It's a mix value and luxury that fits my budget perfectly.  It's a mix of fun and relaxation that fits my lifestyle perfectly.  I tried NCL once and while we enjoyed ourselves we determined it wasn't the best fit for us.  I've looked at Princess ( I have several friends who are Princess loyalists ). I just can't see it working for  us.  I have one Princess booked for next year that I think I will likely cancel.  I booked it solely to cruise with these friends.  The friends have  agreed to come on one I have booked for Royal next year and now they are hinting the Princess dates might not work for them anymore. I'm not excited about the ship or the ports and was only cruising to be with them.  I'm 90% sure that one gone.  

 

If Royal had a bigger presence on the West coast I might bankrupt myself.  

[sjinnj]

22 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

I’m not saying either line is better, I personally like variety and enjoy trying different cruise lines. I’ve had many great cruises on RC. 
 

Princess actually has two new packages, Plus and Premium. Plus is $60.00 pppd and covers drinks up $15.00, gratuities and Wi-Fi on one device. The Premium is $90.00 pppd and covers drinks up to $20.00.  If the drink exceeds that you only pay the difference. The Premium includes gratuities, Wi-Fi on four devices and two specialty restaurants. 
 

it seems to me that the packages on Princess give you a lot beyond just alcohol.  I’m not looking for people to say, just cruise on Princess. What I would like to see is RC offer more value in its package(s).
 

There is a price point for everything. Whether one chooses to purchase a drink package is a personal choice based on the price they are willing to pay and the value they expect to derive from the purchase. 
 

Happy cruising. 

I would like to see Royal offer beer and or wine packages separately.  Obviously, I am thinking the cost would be lower than the normal drink package.

[Anton]

14 minutes ago, sjinnj said:

I would like to see Royal offer beer and or wine packages separately.  Obviously, I am thinking the cost would be lower than the normal drink package.

They used to do exactly that and even had two versions of the all-drinks package, I think it was the premium package and ultimate package or something like that with top shelf liquors being the kicker for the most expensive one.  The beer package which was often around $35 a day.  They dropped all of it to streamline things to the current one size fits all version, along with dropping several beers, whiskeys and liquors from the inventory. 

[George C]

We cruised princess a few times but really prefer rccl . Love that we currently get 5 free drinks because we are diamond plus plus 3 hour happy hour because we are in suite and I don’t believe Princess offers that, also rccl basic balcony is much larger than Princess.

[Tree_skier]

21 minutes ago, George C said:

also rccl basic balcony is much larger than Princess.

Our Princess loyalist friends I mentioned previously noted that also.  They usually get mini suites on Princess.  They have been one Royal cruise and were amazed at the size of Spacious OV Balcony was.  They felt it was the same as a Princess mini-suite.

[George C]

8 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Our Princess loyalist friends I mentioned previously noted that also.  They usually get mini suites on Princess.  They have been one Royal cruise and were amazed at the size of Spacious OV Balcony was.  They felt it was the same as a Princess mini-suite.

All our princess cruises were in there mini suites nice cabins , liked the two TVs and large balconies but no perks .