WOW beverage prices for us Aussies.

[hammo]

Just reading the Virgin site - Resilient Lady- on Facebook - about pricing for drinks and its not looking good for our Aussie sail despite our bar tab inclusion  .

Virgin appear to have been generous with their Bar Tab offerings to us Aussies but with our measerly conversion rate the $US pricing makes even our drink prices seem extraordinarily high especialy for wine . Good for our US cruisers of course , lucky ducks , but the almost x 2 conversion and then the Virgin markup for a beverage makes for an expensive outing for Aussies. Have a read of that blog if you are interested , many unhappy Aussies . Not Virgins fault , but we baulk at paying such huge mark ups for very very ordinary low end wine given the dollar conversion and extraordinary pricing , with the same conversion for anything you would rather drink than pay for . I understand that this (CC) is primarily a place for US contributors but remembering that Virgin would like to entertain cruising from here and New Zealand ( NZ conversion is even lower the AU ) surely sourcing Aussie wine for such voyages could be made palatable at an Aussie price even if it was just for the short season so we didnt slap our foreheads and go " You must be Kidding ?)  .

[jon81uk]

Is the USD to AUS rate that bad? I’m British and the drinks seem expensive but not too high compared to city bars or resorts. I was drinking Absolut vodka and sprite at $8 USD which is about £6GBP and comparable to what I would normally pay in a city, similarly cocktails over here are £10-15 so the $10-15USD is comparable too. I don’t recall wine seeming expensive either, many are under $8USD. 
Beer is the odd exception as Americans don’t serve pints, so $6US for 12oz (about 350ml or 2/3pint) of Heineken feels a bit expensive but then it can be £6 a pint in London now.

[WanderingBrit]

Can you give specific examples?

 

The USD - AUD conversion rate I'm seeing quoted is 1:1.5 - not 2x. A random view of a pub/hotel in Sydney suggests that wine by the glass is anywhere from 9-13, or 14-21 for a large, with cocktails around 19-22. I don't know how the pour size compares for wines, but the cocktail prices seem comparable at a 1.5x exchange rate?

[karlje]

I found beers particularly expensive on a recent cruise. Cheapest option was $6.60 ($6 plus VAT) for a small can - equated to well over £9 a pint, which is probably double the average bar price in the UK.

A discount was offered for buying a bucket of beers at some bars. Granted a lot of this high cost will be offset by lots of free bar tabs going round but it hardly adheres to the fair drinks price ethos that VV claims to have.

[jon81uk]

6 minutes ago, karlje said:

I found beers particularly expensive on a recent cruise. Cheapest option was $6.60 ($6 plus VAT) for a small can - equated to well over £9 a pint, which is probably double the average bar price in the UK.

A discount was offered for buying a bucket of beers at some bars. Granted a lot of this high cost will be offset by lots of free bar tabs going round but it hardly adheres to the fair drinks price ethos that VV claims to have.

It’s more that VV set their prices in relation to America where $6 for a 12oz (350ml) beer is closer to normal. In the UK often spirits are a lot more expensive than beer/cider, whereas in the US there isn’t so

much of a difference and alcoholic drinks are a little more expensive there anyway.

 

[Luvsbooks]

Another Aussie here and I too thought the alcohol prices looked a bit expensive.  I’m certainly planning on taking our permitted two bottles on wine onboard our January Resilient Lady cruise. 

[MMDown Under]

I liked the method of conversion when Big Macs were used, eg what would locals pay?

 

When I first went to the US, I got $US1.45 for $Aus1.  That was when the Aussie dollar didn't float.  Can someone please explain to me why the US$ is so high.  I've never seen so many working poor as I saw in the US.  Is that the reason? If Americans travelled like Aussies, they'd be rich in Australia.  

[Tyler414]

I did a Virgin Med cruise summer of 2023.  Virgin likes to claim they offer "fair" pricing on their drinks.  Not sure what they mean by that, but they are priced pretty much like every other cruise line, but offer no drink package. A Pina Colata when all the fees, tips, and tax where added it $14.30 USD  A Coors Light (basic beer) was $7.70 USD  A Mojito was $12.10 USD    And the drinks are 1oz of booze.  Far from "fair" IMO

[jon81uk]

15 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

I did a Virgin Med cruise summer of 2023.  Virgin likes to claim they offer "fair" pricing on their drinks.  Not sure what they mean by that, but they are priced pretty much like every other cruise line, but offer no drink package. A Pina Colata when all the fees, tips, and tax where added it $14.30 USD  A Coors Light (basic beer) was $7.70 USD  A Mojito was $12.10 USD    And the drinks are 1oz of booze.  Far from "fair" IMO

I was getting 1.5oz in all my drinks, I watched them pour it from the jigger.

It’s only the Barcelona cruises that don’t leave the EU that have the 10% VAT added, on other itineraries when in international waters you just pay the menu price, no added tax. 
also of course unlike other cruise likes VV doesn’t add 18% gratuity. Tips are included in the fare.

But if you prefer other lines then sail with them. 

[Tyler414]

4 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

 

But if you prefer other lines then sail with them. 

Thanks for letting me sail with other lines.  Celebrity is my preference, but I did really enjoy my Virgin Med cruise.  A drink pkg or no drink pkg doesn't make my decision on who to sail with. Just my experience on the cruise I went on.

[cantgetin]

54 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

I did a Virgin Med cruise summer of 2023.  Virgin likes to claim they offer "fair" pricing on their drinks.  Nteehr no drink package. A Pina Colata when all the fees, tips, and tax where added it $14.30 USD  A Coors Light (basic beer) was $7.70 USD  A Mojito was $12.10 USD    And the drinks are 1oz of booze.  Far from "fair" IMO

There are no tips charged on ANYTHING on VV ships--not on drinks, spa, etc.  ALL gratuities are included in the cruise fare (not just the daily fee that some other cruise lines include in add on packages).  You are right that there are no drink packages on VV, but the bar tab system makes a lot more sense for may passengers.  A drink package never made sense to us as one of us doesn't drink and the other drinks minimally.  The need to buy 2 packages at $70-140 + tips each was crazy.  However, on VV we get anywhere from $100-$700 bar tab at no charge, and although we'd never need more, could pay $300 for $400 in credit with the bonus from VV.  If we didn't get the current free offer, purchasing a single tab would give us a 25% discount AND there would be no tips.

The only time VV adds taxes or fees to drinks is when it is mandated by the location of the ship--when the ship is not in international waters or on Med cruises that don't visit a non-EU country.  Then, yes, those pesky taxes that are charged by all cruise lines add about $2 USD to the drink price.

[TYCruise]

On 11/29/2023 at 2:48 AM, jon81uk said:

Beer is the odd exception as Americans don’t serve pints, so $6US for 12oz (about 350ml or 2/3pint) of Heineken feels a bit expensive but then it can be £6 a pint in London now.

 

We do serve pints.  A standard draught beer pour in the US is a pint.  For cans and bottles 12oz is usually the norm although they can come in many different sizes.

[jon81uk]

8 minutes ago, TYCruise said:

 

We do serve pints.  A standard draught beer pour in the US is a pint.  For cans and bottles 12oz is usually the norm although they can come in many different sizes.

I thought 12oz or 16oz was fairly normal, so sorry if I was wrong. But yeah VV only serves 120z draft which is the same as can anyway.

[karlje]

2 hours ago, TYCruise said:

 

We do serve pints.  A standard draught beer pour in the US is a pint.  For cans and bottles 12oz is usually the norm although they can come in many different sizes.

US don't serve proper pints 😉 AFAIK a US pint is 16oz v 20oz for a UK pint. Neither of these options are offered on VV.

[TYCruise]

 

5 hours ago, karlje said:

US don't serve proper pints 😉 AFAIK a US pint is 16oz v 20oz for a UK pint. Neither of these options are offered on VV.

 

I forgot that a pint is a smaller size in the US.  I feel so ripped off😞

[hammo]

Yes , I was being a little  dramatic at 2 for one , conversion rate from Travelex today is One Australian Dollar exchanges at 0.6391 USD , having said that it has been lower than that recently .

Given that conversion rate My comment still stands especially as most Aussie  bank credit cards ( which we lodge as security )   charge currency conversion for US$ also. True conversion becomes 60US cents for us purchasing in US . The Maccas theory does stand , your $10 US meal deal is $15+ for us , same deal .That $14US Pina colada - $21AU.  You Americans and English should get over here and spend some cruise time with Princess who charge in Aussie Dollars !   

On 11/30/2023 at 1:17 AM, WanderingBrit said:

Can you give specific examples?

 

The USD - AUD conversion rate I'm seeing quoted is 1:1.5 - not 2x. A random view of a pub/hotel in Sydney suggests that wine by the glass is anywhere from 9-13, or 14-21 for a large, with cocktails around 19-22. I don't know how the pour size compares for wines, but the cocktail prices seem comparable at a 1.5x exchange rate?