For $800, would your rather...

[Eli_6]

Do a Carnival excursion in every port and do a night at the Chef's Table x 2 people?

 

Or 

 

Get the Cheers package x 2 people?

 

Edit: I am staying in the Havana area. The good Vista-class Havana area. Not the Jubilee/Mardi Gras Havana.  My question is should I get Cheers or do chef's table plus Carnival excursions?  Both about the same price. Don't want to spend $1600 though.  We have been to all the ports before. Many times. But CCL does have some new fun looking excursions we haven't done.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Eli_6

[snowdogsmm]

for me the answer is always Havana! (Vista Class Havana)

 

[lazydayz]

Since you are in a Havana cabin and have been to the ports before,  I would lean toward the drink package (if you can get close to $800 in value from your drinks). It is so nice to just walk up to the outside bar and get drinks during the day.  Either way, enjoy. 

[luv2kroooz]

Yep, drinks for us, too. It's the gift that keeps on giving. 

[Saint Greg]

Cheers.

[sunshower9]

I'd do Cheers

[odysea]

Cheers. Havana area is close to the Shake Spot. Two words…boozy milkshakes! We drank our weight in those babies! Delish😋

[snowballs mom]

I would do the excursions and Chef's Table. Activities and fancy food sound like more fun than getting a bunch of sugary drinks at a bar. I can drink at home if I want.

[deelightfull]

This is easy for me, I don't drink alcohol, so don't ever get cheers anyway! 

 

It looks like you ended up going with a home port cruise. Which one did you end up picking?

[sgttami]

If I'd been to all the ports before, it would be CHEERS!

 

The excursions might be a bit different but if it were a familiar port (multiple times there), chances are I've seen it in a prior jaunt! ( One excursion had a different description but was identical to one I had done 2 years before)

 

Chefs table is nice too but I could live without doing it again.

 

Whatever you decide, ENJOY!

 

CHEERS!

[SummerRoze]

Cheers package for sure

[SDPadreFan]

Personally - we've done CHEERS on a 10 day Alaska cruise and we now know we are just not CHEERS people. We can still get drinks whenever we want. Take 2 bottles of "our choice" wine on the ship with us and that covers us for 4 dinners. If we spent $600 on drinks (on the ship) between the 2 of us on a typical 7-10 day cruise, that would be a surprise to us.

 

Fancy Dinners. We've done fancy dinners before, but to be honest, put a big bowl of mac & cheese and some fall off the bones ribs and I'm a happy camper.

 

We do excursions when they interest us.

 

Bottom Line - if it was a cruise we'd done before. I'd save the $1600 and go on another cruise! We live in San Diego, and even then - a day on a cruise ship is still better.

[Thenagers]

How many nights is this cruise and what ports? If you are a member I would buy Carnival gift cards from AARP and get 10 percent off the drink package! Also have you looked at independent excursions and are there things to do close to the ports without breaking the bank? I would choose maybe JiJis in stead of chefs table? It is the BEST value for your money on the ships that have it! And tasty and well reviewed. 

[Thenagers]

1 hour ago, SDPadreFan said:

Personally - we've done CHEERS on a 10 day Alaska cruise and we now know we are just not CHEERS people. We can still get drinks whenever we want. Take 2 bottles of "our choice" wine on the ship with us and that covers us for 4 dinners. If we spent $600 on drinks (on the ship) between the 2 of us on a typical 7-10 day cruise, that would be a surprise to us.

 

Fancy Dinners. We've done fancy dinners before, but to be honest, put a big bowl of mac & cheese and some fall off the bones ribs and I'm a happy camper.

 

We do excursions when they interest us.

 

Bottom Line - if it was a cruise we'd done before. I'd save the $1600 and go on another cruise! We live in San Diego, and even then - a day on a cruise ship is still better.

I would definitely not do the drink package on an Alaska cruise and do the excursions but I have never been. Definitely different with any Caribbean ports because I could easily stay on board all day. Done them too many times.

[notscb]

I would 100% do the excursions and chef's table, as that's an experience in and of itself.

It's a good opportunity to try an excursion you otherwise wouldn't, too!

[ibarrio]

Cheers 

[Eli_6]

It's Galveston to the same 3 ports every boat out of Galveston goes to over and over and over again.   Only reason doing the cruise is we live 90 minutes away and Havana.  

[JenSDCA]

2 hours ago, SDPadreFan said:

Personally - we've done CHEERS on a 10 day Alaska cruise and we now know we are just not CHEERS people. We can still get drinks whenever we want. Take 2 bottles of "our choice" wine on the ship with us and that covers us for 4 dinners. If we spent $600 on drinks (on the ship) between the 2 of us on a typical 7-10 day cruise, that would be a surprise to us.

 

Fancy Dinners. We've done fancy dinners before, but to be honest, put a big bowl of mac & cheese and some fall off the bones ribs and I'm a happy camper.

 

We do excursions when they interest us.

 

Bottom Line - if it was a cruise we'd done before. I'd save the $1600 and go on another cruise! We live in San Diego, and even then - a day on a cruise ship is still better.

This! Now if only Carnival would resume sailing out of San Diego!

 

But if I absolutely had to choose, I personally would do excursions. I had one drink per day on our recent cruise so Cheers had no value to me personally. I would prefer option C. Stay onboard or do my own wandering in lieu of excursions, and use the $1600 on another cruise. 

[Bound4Bermuda]

I would be dead if I tried to get my money’s worth out of $400/800 of an alcohol package. I would probably split the difference and do the new excursions that most appeal to you and pay for drinks individually. It sounds like you cruise often on the exact same itinerary, so maybe save one of the excursions and/or chef’s table for next time so you don’t run out of things to do.

[ProgRockCruiser]

Well, I'm going to drink anyway, so for us our Cheers package is "mentally" baked into the cost of the cruise.  "OK, cruise for two, 7-day on the Megatron of the Seas, $2000 plus $200 for autograts, add another $1000 for drinks and photos.  $3200 all-in, plus whatever we find at the Fun Shops."

 

I'm not saying we're alcoholics, but cruising with having drinks in our hands "most of the time" is anathema to us.

 

Therefore, we'd probably get Cheers and cherry pick an excursion or two plus Chef's Table.

 

1 hour ago, Bound4Bermuda said:

I would be dead if I tried to get my money’s worth out of $400/800 of an alcohol package. I would probably split the difference and do the new excursions that most appeal to you and pay for drinks individually.

 

And this is what we'd do if we drank less.

[firefly333]

14 hours ago, snowballs mom said:

I would do the excursions and Chef's Table. Activities and fancy food sound like more fun than getting a bunch of sugary drinks at a bar. I can drink at home if I want.

I tried cheers twice and still hardly drank. I thought I might drink more if included. Was a waste of money. 

 

For $800 I want pay restaurants and excursions. I had a lot once but I bought myself 2 watches as a birthday present. 

[edspec]

I would definitely do Chef's Table and Cheers, and research the excursions that look good and do independently, that way you don't have to choose 🙂

The independent excursions will be more specific to you and that way you don't have to deny yourself anything 🙂

[Riles34]

11 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

It's Galveston to the same 3 ports every boat out of Galveston goes to over and over and over again.   Only reason doing the cruise is we live 90 minutes away and Havana.  

It sucks doesn't it? Same itineraries have me looking at some other cruise lines. So CHEERS for sure! You get to try drinks that you wouldn't normally ask for which can be fun. And you can still get off and walk around a bit or go to a beach on your own. 

[Eli_6]

Actually, setting aside $400 for drinks, $200 for Chef's table and another $200-300 for a couple of excursions may be the best bet.  I just don't want to go too crazy on this trip.  On our recent European cruise (and the time before and after) we ended up spending A LOT more money than I had anticipated.  I wasn't really paying attention to it and when I got home and my credit card bills came in, I was like "Err mah gawd."  

[TwoAdriftAtSea]

12 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

It's Galveston to the same 3 ports every boat out of Galveston goes to over and over and over again.   Only reason doing the cruise is we live 90 minutes away and Havana.  

I would take the $800 and use it to book flights to Mia/FLL for a change of scenery and ports of call, unless you've already "been there and done that" . If so then the excursions and chef's table.