Zero Proof or pay by the drink... kids 9 and 14

[helpmenew2crusing]

Looking for opinions on what to do??? $26.99(per day) X 2(kids) X 8(days) = $431.84 total 🤪

 

This seems like a lot. For those of you who have been on resent cruises with Celebrity should I just pay by the drink for them??

 

Thank you. 

[Mr. Click]

On our recent Beyond cruise a soda or a bottle of water was about 5 bucks.  You can used that to do the math.  In the OVC you can get ice tea, lemonade, fruit punch, apple juice etc for free most anytime.  Unless your kids want Mocktains I don't see the value in the package but that is me.

[Arizona Wildcat]

14 minutes ago, Mr. Click said:

On our recent Beyond cruise a soda or a bottle of water was about 5 bucks.  You can used that to do the math.  In the OVC you can get ice tea, lemonade, fruit punch, apple juice etc for free most anytime.  Unless your kids want Mocktains I don't see the value in the package but that is me.

Agree.  Needs a bit of parenting.

[doghog]

44 minutes ago, helpmenew2crusing said:

Looking for opinions on what to do??? $26.99(per day) X 2(kids) X 8(days) = $431.84 total 🤪

 

This seems like a lot. For those of you who have been on resent cruises with Celebrity should I just pay by the drink for them??

 

Thank you. 

That's all on you where you think the value would be with your kids drinking. 

[helpmenew2crusing]

26 minutes ago, Mr. Click said:

On our recent Beyond cruise a soda or a bottle of water was about 5 bucks.  You can used that to do the math.  In the OVC you can get ice tea, lemonade, fruit punch, apple juice etc for free most anytime.  Unless your kids want Mocktains I don't see the value in the package but that is me.

They do love mocktails!!! lol Do you happen to know off hand what they were charging for those? 

[helpmenew2crusing]

10 minutes ago, doghog said:

That's all on you where you think the value would be with your kids drinking. 

I don't see them drinking over $400.00 worth of sodas. I'm thinking if I pay by the drink it might be somewhere around $200. The package in my view would be convenience and not having a bill at the end of the trip.  

[helpmenew2crusing]

15 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Agree.  Needs a bit of parenting.

?

[jelayne]

What do they normally drink during the day, with meals, or when out playing? How much of that is included at no cost?  If they are happy with milk, hot chocolate,  lemonade, fruit punch, apple juice and OJ from the dispensers they are included.  If they drink a lot of water during the day bring a water bottle and fill it from the dispensers in the Oceanview cafe,

 

Then you can pay by the drink for the occasion soda and mocktails.

 

[Mr. Click]

18 minutes ago, helpmenew2crusing said:

They do love mocktails!!! lol Do you happen to know off hand what they were charging for those? 

No clue on those things. Never bought them, just bought a soda and water from time to time.

[helpmenew2crusing]

Just now, Mr. Click said:

No clue on those things. Never bought them, just bought a soda and water from time to time.

Ok, thanks for the prices on the soda:)

[helpmenew2crusing]

4 minutes ago, jelayne said:

What do they normally drink during the day, with meals, or when out playing? How much of that is included at no cost?  If they are happy with milk, hot chocolate,  lemonade, fruit punch, apple juice and OJ from the dispensers they are included.  If they drink a lot of water during the day bring a water bottle and fill it from the dispensers in the Oceanview cafe,

 

Then you can pay by the drink for the occasion soda and mocktails.

 

Sounds like a plan!! Thank you for your time and answering 🙂

[cruisestitch]

Maybe give each child a budget and they can decide what they want, two sodas or a Mocktail, a mocktail  or a fancy hot chocolate, as examples.  Remind them that the price they see on the menu doesn’t include the gratuity which they will have to allow for in their budget.

[Georgia_Peaches]

It may also be helpful to know that you can carry on soda and water on embarkation day.  You could allow each of your children to pick out and carry on a 6 pack (or more) of their choice to help off set cost on board.  According to Celebrity's fine print, they are allowed to bring whatever they can carry (non-alcoholic, of course) on embarkation day.

[helpmenew2crusing]

19 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Maybe give each child a budget and they can decide what they want, two sodas or a Mocktail, a mocktail  or a fancy hot chocolate, as examples.  Remind them that the price they see on the menu doesn’t include the gratuity which they will have to allow for in their budget.

This is a good idea too... I think at most they would have 2 soda and 2 or 3 mocktails a day. I don't mind paying but what I don't want to see is it start to get watered down in the hot sun or placed somewhere and forgotten about. lol

[helpmenew2crusing]

2 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

It may also be helpful to know that you can carry on soda and water on embarkation day.  You could allow each of your children to pick out and carry on a 6 pack (or more) of their choice to help off set cost on board.  According to Celebrity's fine print, they are allowed to bring whatever they can carry (non-alcoholic, of course) on embarkation day.

Thank you, didn't know this.

[Blockschip]

I'm just having my kids bring on their empty water bottles, fill them at the buffet, and letting them order two NA drinks a day.

[doghog]

2 hours ago, helpmenew2crusing said:

I don't see them drinking over $400.00 worth of sodas. I'm thinking if I pay by the drink it might be somewhere around $200. The package in my view would be convenience and not having a bill at the end of the trip.  

Looks like you answered your own question. 

[miched]

Do you have a drink pack?   If not why would they need one?  If you do, why would they need one???   Have an occasional mocktail. 🤷‍♂️🙄🤫
 

How much other than water do you expect them to drink?     You can take soft drink on board.   Take a case.  
 

In the MDR they offer juices in the morning.    There are flavored drinks available in the buffet,  and Spa Cafe.   

 

When in any port restock the soft drinks.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

3 minutes ago, miched said:

If you do, why would they need one???   Have an occasional mocktail.

And this is why they have requirements for people in the same stateroom to have the same package. People cheating the system and getting drinks for others.

[miched]

10 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

And this is why they have requirements for people in the same stateroom to have the same package. People cheating the system and getting drinks for others.

That is why I make my posts public.  So people aren’t allowed to , or prevented from cheating.  
 

People that make posts on how smart they are by how they cheat the system aren’t very smart if that is what they do.   
 

I don’t cheat the system so I don’t care.   People that cheat raises the price for those that don’t.   That is why I make the way to cheat public.  That way Celebrity can do something to eliminate it .   Hope it makes sense 

 

I worked in a casino as a dealer, supervisor, and pit boss.   We were taught how to cheat.  Not to cheat the players but how to prevent cheating by the players, and workers.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

26 minutes ago, miched said:

That is why I make my posts public.  So people aren’t allowed to , or prevented from cheating.  
 

People that make posts on how smart they are by how they cheat the system aren’t very smart if that is what they do.   
 

I don’t cheat the system so I don’t care.   People that cheat raises the price for those that don’t.   That is why I make the way to cheat public.  That way Celebrity can do something to eliminate it .   Hope it makes sense 

 

I worked in a casino as a dealer, supervisor, and pit boss.   We were taught how to cheat.  Not to cheat the players but how to prevent cheating by the players, and workers.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

I’m confused. You flat out said “If you do, why do they need one? Have an occasional mocktail.” If that isn’t advocating for people to not get their kids packages and use their alcoholic package to get the kids drinks, what was your intent?

[cruisestitch]

1 hour ago, miched said:

Do you have a drink pack?   If not why would they need one?  If you do, why would they need one???   Have an occasional mocktail.

 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Oh dear, oh dear.   😢

 

 

[WestLakeGirl]

OP, please heed the call for good parenting and ignore bad advice given by posters who encourage otherwise!

 

 

[lostchild]

7 hours ago, helpmenew2crusing said:

I don't see them drinking over $400.00 worth of sodas. I'm thinking if I pay by the drink it might be somewhere around $200. The package in my view would be convenience and not having a bill at the end of the trip.  

It's almost impossible to drink enough soda to worth the drink package.  We (adults) don't drink alcohol, and we didn't get the drink package.   The soda 12oz price was like 3.50 euro.  That means we have to drink like 6-7 cans of soda per day to break even.   We ended up drinking mostly free drinks from buffet.  They have fountain drink of ice tea, POG, apple juice, etc...    We mixed ice tea with POG making it a tropical ice tea.   The mocktails aren't very good.  We tried 2 different types.  One tasted okay but super sweet.  We ended up diluting it water to 2 glasses.   The other tasted absolutely undrinkable.  My wife and our son both took a sip and give the whole thing to me.   I can't drink it either.. tasted like a bad tasting cough medicine.