£70 for a drinks package....for a 6 month old????

[amurray88]

Just booked my first P&O cruise and went to book a drinks package. I can quite believe it but they're charging £10 a day for a soft drinks package....for our 6 month old. 

 

I understand adults need to both have the same drinks package, that's the same no matter what cruise line. But to charge a 6 month old for a drinks package seems insane? Is it just me?

[daiB]

27 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

Just booked my first P&O cruise and went to book a drinks package. I can quite believe it but they're charging £10 a day for a soft drinks package....for our 6 month old. 

 

I understand adults need to both have the same drinks package, that's the same no matter what cruise line. But to charge a 6 month old for a drinks package seems insane? Is it just me?

Simple don’t buy any package. Much easier and usually cheaper

[Dobbers]

Found this on the FAQ, should put your mind at rest 

 

Will children still receive a complimentary package when an adult in the same cabin purchases a drinks package?

Yes, all guests aged 17 years old or under will receive a complimentary Refresh drinks package when a qualifying adult in the same cabin has purchased a Classic or Deluxe drinks package.

[amurray88]

6 hours ago, Dobbers said:

Found this on the FAQ, should put your mind at rest 

 

Will children still receive a complimentary package when an adult in the same cabin purchases a drinks package?

Yes, all guests aged 17 years old or under will receive a complimentary Refresh drinks package when a qualifying adult in the same cabin has purchased a Classic or Deluxe drinks package.

Thank you! Unfortunately this only refers to alcoholic packages where as we were just going to buy the non-alcoholic package. Thank you though!

[amurray88]

6 hours ago, Dobbers said:

Found this on the FAQ, should put your mind at rest 

 

Will children still receive a complimentary package when an adult in the same cabin purchases a drinks package?

Yes, all guests aged 17 years old or under will receive a complimentary Refresh drinks package when a qualifying adult in the same cabin has purchased a Classic or Deluxe drinks package.

I'm not sure with the non-alcoholic packages - I can certainly spend at least the package money on this. At £24pppn I found that to be ok value. It would certainly mean a different type of holiday for me as I think I would be more careful about ordering drinks which might be a good thing.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Personally a 6 month should not be drinking soft drinks. They do not need the soft drink package. There is water, add some squirty juice concentrate to give it some flavour. We take this with us. Also milk is avilable in the buffet for coffee out of a big urn. For breakfast there is fruit juice in the buffet. Put some in a glass and fill a bottle put it in your fridge in your room. 👍 so P&O should not enforce a drinks package for very young children.

 

As suggested just buy when you want, it is cheaper unless your a heavy drinker......

Edited September 29, 2023 by FamilyCruiserUK

[CaptainPedantic]

I don't think you need to buy the drinks package for 3rd or 4th passengers in the same cabin, only the first 2 passengers, so you shouldn't have to do this. Especially for a 6 month old! As above, suggest to take juice concentrate and you should be able to get milk in any restaurant (not just the buffet) - and if you ask, they may give you some to take back to the cabin too. Our kids are 21 and 19 now, but when they were little, P&O staff used to give us milk cartons to leave in the cabin fridge. They also used to provide baby food at the kids tea. I'm sure this will work out for you.

[Thejuggler]

OP needs to clarify what they are complaining about as its unclear.

Either.

 

£10 a day for a drinks package for a 6 month old is excessive.  Easy solution.  Don't buy it as its not needed.

OP has been lead to believe fhe £10 a day drinks package is compulsory for a 6 month old if other passengers on the booking buy a drinks pacakage.  Probably not the case (and FAQ states it isn't) but clarify with P&O and don't be surprised if its a website error, P&O are good at those,

Edited September 29, 2023 by Thejuggler

[zap99]

9 hours ago, amurray88 said:

Just booked my first P&O cruise and went to book a drinks package. I can quite believe it but they're charging £10 a day for a soft drinks package....for our 6 month old. 

 

I understand adults need to both have the same drinks package, that's the same no matter what cruise line. But to charge a 6 month old for a drinks package seems insane? Is it just me?

Don't buy it.

[kalos]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Don't buy it.

 

Agreed just buy the odd few drinks in the bars as you require them. As you are drinking 

non alcoholic drinks. When in ports nip into a shop and buy a few soft drinks and simply 

take them onboard with you for cabin use .

[zap99]

12 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Agreed just buy the odd few drinks in the bars as you require them. As you are drinking 

non alcoholic drinks. When in ports nip into a shop and buy a few soft drinks and simply 

take them onboard with you for cabin use .

I can't see a problem. Just give the baby a can of coke to take into the bar. If the waiter says ' you can't bring drinks in " tell him to tell the baby.

[amajaa]

You must be able to get some sort of waver for a baby, anyone in their right mind knows that babies don't drink any sort drinks. Did you book through a TA if so they will advise you. Get a medical note from your health visitor to say doesn't drink soft drinks. There must be a way to get an exemption 

[zap99]

27 minutes ago, amajaa said:

You must be able to get some sort of waver for a baby, anyone in their right mind knows that babies don't drink any sort drinks. Did you book through a TA if so they will advise you. Get a medical note from your health visitor to say doesn't drink soft drinks. There must be a way to get an exemption 

A baby waver.🤣

[jeanlyon]

Why would you buy any package at all?  Just PAYG

[Winifred 22]

Why is it £70 ? 

[Mrs applehead]

I've seen someone post previously that they rang p&o and were told to get the package once on board and they will just charge for the 2 adults.

[FangedRose]

Title says £70, comment by op says £10. That is not a typo, the numbers are nowhere near each other.

 

Drink packages are expensive when compared to paygo prices on P&O. Very rarely worth it. They are optional. If you do go for it all adults in the cabin need to purchase it.

 

A six month old should only drinking milk (breast or formula if necessary) or plain water.

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

Title says £70, comment by op says £10. That is not a typo, the numbers are nowhere near each other.

 

Drink packages are expensive when compared to paygo prices on P&O. Very rarely worth it. They are optional. If you do go for it all adults in the cabin need to purchase it.

 

A six month old should only drinking milk (breast or formula if necessary) or plain water.

£10 a day x 7 = £70 a week.

 

The OP doesn’t need any lectures about appropriate drinks for a 6 month old child. The question is solely related to P&O and their confusing rules. 

[amurray88]

10 hours ago, Ardennais said:

£10 a day x 7 = £70 a week.

 

The OP doesn’t need any lectures about appropriate drinks for a 6 month old child. The question is solely related to P&O and their confusing rules. 

Thank you ☺️.

As you say, I'm not complaining about the price of diet coke for my 6 month old, I'm saying that as he will only be drinking milk (not supplied by P&O 😂) that he shouldn't have to pay at all.

 

Correct too - £10 per day.👍

[amurray88]

On 9/29/2023 at 8:53 PM, jeanlyon said:

Why would you buy any package at all?  Just PAYG

I get that arguement too and for me I think we will get good use out of the package, particularly now lines are serving Costa coffee etc.

 

Coffee before breakfast, fresh orange at breakfast and I'm sure you're probably not far off £8/9 by 9am. 

 

If I didn't buy the package I think I would be much more careful about what I drink which may be a good thing but perhaps takes the holiday feel away.

[amurray88]

On 9/29/2023 at 9:34 AM, Thejuggler said:

OP needs to clarify what they are complaining about as its unclear.

Either.

 

£10 a day for a drinks package for a 6 month old is excessive.  Easy solution.  Don't buy it as its not needed.

OP has been lead to believe fhe £10 a day drinks package is compulsory for a 6 month old if other passengers on the booking buy a drinks pacakage.  Probably not the case (and FAQ states it isn't) but clarify with P&O and don't be surprised if its a website error, P&O are good at those,

Sorry for delay Juggler, I didn't get notified of the updates for some reason.

 

To be clear - my baby will only be drinking milk however, when I have tried to book the package for my wife and I P&O have said (online and on phone) that we must buy the baby the soft drink package (£10per day) which is outrageous...not the price, the fact that a baby should be included in the "everyone in the cabin" rule. One person has said wait til I'm onboard and try and buy it and I might try this.

[amurray88]

On 9/29/2023 at 9:50 AM, kalos said:

 

Agreed just buy the odd few drinks in the bars as you require them. As you are drinking 

non alcoholic drinks. When in ports nip into a shop and buy a few soft drinks and simply 

take them onboard with you for cabin use .

I know you can only bring onboard 1l of alcohol at the start of the cruise and none during it but what's their stance on bringing on soft drinks? Before/during? Thank you!

[Selbourne]

7 hours ago, amurray88 said:

I know you can only bring onboard 1l of alcohol at the start of the cruise and none during it but what's their stance on bringing on soft drinks? Before/during? Thank you!

There’s no limit to soft drinks and, in all honesty, they don’t check the alcohol. There’s just the practicality of carrying the weight. 
 

The freshly squeezed orange juice was excellent. I tried it on Britannia. I can’t stand the concentrate stuff that you get for free. I ordered the small size and it was massive! Come to think of it, we weren’t offered it at all on Iona.

[kalos]

8 hours ago, amurray88 said:

I know you can only bring onboard 1l of alcohol at the start of the cruise and none during it but what's their stance on bringing on soft drinks? Before/during? Thank you!

Even on Cunard and P&O if you put soft drinks in your boarding luggage ,that's fine.

Other alcohol drinks is a no no and would be taken away until the end of the cruise.

In Amsterdam we wanted a couple of cans of low sugar Sprite . Once getting back onboard 

we showed security what we had bought  and was waved through .

 

Hope this helps .

[yorkshirephil]

9 hours ago, amurray88 said:

I know you can only bring onboard 1l of alcohol at the start of the cruise and none during it but what's their stance on bringing on soft drinks? Before/during? Thank you!

We have never had an issue getting soft drinks and mixers onboard. Alcohol is a bit hit and miss, they don't seem to be as strict as they used to be.