Is the drinks package worth it?

[Coast To Coasters]

Hi everyone! We recently disembarked off WOTS on a Western Caribbean cruise and prior to cruising, we were debating the drinks package for a long while! We both like to drink while on holiday, but RC's package seemed a fair bit more than other cruise lines! During the week I decided to keep a note of what we drank and created a video around a spreadsheet of the results! It's interesting to see just how quickly the drinks can add up, particularly on the sea days! If anyone else is curious to see how much we drank over the course of a week, check out the video below!

 

Check it out here!

 

[GimmeOcean]

Definitely worth it if you're going to drink that much.

[Ashland]

We don't even come close to drinking enough. Drinks in the SL and our 5 vouchers pp daily that sometimes just go towards bottles of water or beer for our cabin steward ( we save them up and give him those end of cruise).

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Personally, I'd have no problems with drinking enough on sea days.  It's PORT days that I have problems with, when you're off the ship for 8 hours (not counting private islands) that messes me up.  Because that means you need to drink even MORE on sea days to make up for it.

 

Alcohol isn't that important to me.  And yes, I know it covers bottled water, fresh squeezed juice, specialty coffee, etc, but so does the refreshment package for a lot cheaper.

[The Scurvy Pirate]

Not so sure its "a lot cheaper" depending on your drinking habits.  I have a cruise upcoming where the refreshment package is $34/day.  The Deluxe is $75/day.  At $14/liquor drink it only takes 3 liquor drinks a day to make up that difference....

[GimmeOcean]

Of course even the refreshment package itself may not be worth it for many.

Edited November 8, 2023 by GimmeOcean

[md80fan]

Everybody is free to spend their money however they see fit but I really do not understand how the drink package is any value. My last seven day cruise  I think the package was around 1100 or 1200 dollars for two people. All I could think of was going to my local supermarket (Publix) and how much liquor would fit in a shopping cart for 1200 dollars. The cases of beer and the number of bottles of rum and vodka I could buy for 1200 bucks. I am not saying do not drink on vacation but you can still enjoy the cruise having 2 or 3 drinks per day paying as you go. What I found strange was on the last cruise I had met a great coupe from St Louis who had the drink package but in the ports I would see them in the local bars drinking the local drinks and costing more money. To each their own but I am sure Royal laughs all the way to the bank on the drink package.  

[S.A.M.J.R.]

51 minutes ago, The Scurvy Pirate said:

Not so sure its "a lot cheaper" depending on your drinking habits.  I have a cruise upcoming where the refreshment package is $34/day.  The Deluxe is $75/day.  At $14/liquor drink it only takes 3 liquor drinks a day to make up that difference....

3 liquor drinks a day EVERY day.  Like I said, alcohol isn't that important to me.

[karena1]

2 hours ago, Coast To Coasters said:

Hi everyone! We recently disembarked off WOTS on a Western Caribbean cruise and prior to cruising, we were debating the drinks package for a long while! We both like to drink while on holiday, but RC's package seemed a fair bit more than other cruise lines! During the week I decided to keep a note of what we drank and created a video around a spreadsheet of the results! It's interesting to see just how quickly the drinks can add up, particularly on the sea days! If anyone else is curious to see how much we drank over the course of a week, check out the video below!

 

Check it out here!

 

We are Pinnacle and get 6 free drinks a day and still get the Drink Package.  Totally worth it to us.  

[George C]

If you drink 5 drinks a day I think it’s worth it , we always bought it before rccl started giving us 5 free drinks for being diamond plus. 

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, George C said:

If you drink 5 drinks a day I think it’s worth it , we always bought it before rccl started giving us 5 free drinks for being diamond plus. 

To add to your comment, if you are buying 5 mixed drinks, frozen drinks or wine, I think the package is worth it. However, if you are only drinking beer, it isn’t worth it based on drinking 5 beers per day. 

[smokeybandit]

Apparently it's worth it if you're posting just to promote your Youtube channel

[George C]

49 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

To add to your comment, if you are buying 5 mixed drinks, frozen drinks or wine, I think the package is worth it. However, if you are only drinking beer, it isn’t worth it based on drinking 5 beers per day. 

Also depends on the amount of water you buy wife drinks lots , me not so much . 

[bigque]

On a recent 7 day cruise I had the deluxe package and was drinking about 5-6 per day and cafe latte in the mornings the first 3 days. The last 3 days I was drinking maybe 3 a day as I was just tired of drinking as much as I was early on. Now that I am Diamond I think I will be good with my 4 drink voucher and the wife only may have one drink so I can use her vouchers as needed also so I don’t think I will need a drink package again. 

[Pratique]

If you have less than eight drinks per day, then no (no benefit).

If you are going to drink while ashore (except private islands), then definitely no.

If you are in a suite, then no (Suite Lounge).

If you are Diamond or higher, then no (vouchers).

If you eat in the specialty restaurants, then no (comped drinks).

Otherwise, sure why not, you're on holiday live it up.

[Mum2Mercury]

7 hours ago, Coast To Coasters said:

Hi everyone! We recently disembarked off WOTS on a Western Caribbean cruise and prior to cruising, we were debating the drinks package for a long while! We both like to drink while on holiday, but RC's package seemed a fair bit more than other cruise lines! During the week I decided to keep a note of what we drank and created a video around a spreadsheet of the results! It's interesting to see just how quickly the drinks can add up, particularly on the sea days! If anyone else is curious to see how much we drank over the course of a week, check out the video below!

 

Check it out here!

 

The real question is, Would you have had that many drinks if you hadn't purchased the package?  Said differently, were you drinking just to "get your money's worth"?  

12 minutes ago, Pratique said:

If you have less than eight drinks per day, then no (no benefit).

If you are going to drink while ashore (except private islands), then definitely no.

If you are in a suite, then no (Suite Lounge).

If you are Diamond or higher, then no (vouchers).

If you eat in the specialty restaurants, then no (comped drinks).

Otherwise, sure why not, you're on holiday live it up.

Other considerations: 

- For many of us, the longer the cruise, the less we'll drink as the vacation progresses.  What's "fun" for a couple days becomes burdensome after a few days. 

- Is your cruise port heavy or does it have lots of sea days?  If you're going to be off the ship half a day, that can make a difference in how much you're likely to drink.  

- Related to the above, are you likely to spend your port days in a bar? 

- Do you take advantage of deals on alcohol on board?  Even if you're a lowly Gold C&A member, you'll get a couple discounted drinks.  Do you choose the Drink of the Day?  Do you buy a bucket of beer at the pool bar?  Do you buy a pitcher of beer at Playmakers?  

- Do you bring the allowed non-alcoholic drinks & the bottle of wine on board with you?  Any non-allowed drinks?  

 

 

[Pezeagle]

I always think it is worth it. Compared to drinking at home, it is expensive. Compared to buying by the drink on the ship, it is cheap. We drink a lot of bottled water, energy drinks , premium teas and coffees and mock tails and hate being limited. We always go with the refreshment package which includes everything nonalcoholic. I watch people drinking the free lemonade and iced tea and trying to stir them up and think how much I would hate that. Each to their own but if you you spend the money to cruise, you should enjoy it fully. 
 

Just for info, I am very cheap ( frugal) but drink packages is not the place I skimp. 

[cmich068]

I enjoy the drink package. I bought it on my last Carnival cruise and had it in my fare on my last Celebrity cruise. On Royal Caribbean, a bit harder for me to get value out of it, partly because the daily price trends higher than the other lines and partly because I already get the four Diamond vouchers plus access to the coffee machine in the lounge. 

 

So on Royal, I just get the Soda package instead (with the freestyle machine basically covering 99% of anything non-alcoholic I want), and pay for any additional alcoholic drinks beyond my four included ones. And I obviously make some behavioral changes - drink the tap water or soda water from the fountain gun instead of bottled water or a sparking water from a can. If I really want a milkshake or a red bull and don't want to burn a voucher, I just pay for it. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by cmich068

[S.A.M.J.R.]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:24 PM, The Scurvy Pirate said:

Not so sure its "a lot cheaper" depending on your drinking habits.  I have a cruise upcoming where the refreshment package is $34/day.  The Deluxe is $75/day.  At $14/liquor drink it only takes 3 liquor drinks a day to make up that difference....

Thanks to the BF sale, refreshment page is $24/day, Deluxe is $84.