Drink Package Discounts?

[LDVinNC]

Other cruise lines discount their drink packages from time to time, and by checking frequently I have been able to snag a relative bargain once or twice.  Does Cunard ever adjust their drink package prices?

[Winifred 22]

3 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

Other cruise lines discount their drink packages from time to time, and by checking frequently I have been able to snag a relative bargain once or twice.  Does Cunard ever adjust their drink package prices?

I have never seen anything either beforehand or onboard. 

[Caipi]

I thought the drink package was expensive on QM2, but now that I saw the prices of Celebrity Cruises I know it was not. 🙂 Same for the drinks itselves. I would happily buy a drink package on Celebrity Silhoutte with CUNARD's price. 😄

Edited October 3 by Caipi

[NE John]

Cocktails, beers/ales, and specially coffees/hot chocolate are not cheap or discounted on Cunard but the product they offer is excellent and provides good value. I enjoy seeing unique ingredients for cocktails, ales and ciders onboard that we don’t have in the US (why do I want to go away and have a Corona?), while cold and hot drinks are served in nice glasses and pots i.e G&T’s served in a proper bulbous wine glass. Add a world-class wine list at meals and I’ll argue that Cunard can compete against any line on the Drinks issue. 
There are daily drink specials so keep an eye out for those. 

[D&N]

In five years of monitoring Cunard's Beers, Wines & Spirits package, for the fourteen night sailings we book, I think I've only seen the price increasing.

There was a Valentine's Offer this year that discounted internet service briefly, but not drinks.

[mrbluesea]

Does anyone know the current price points for the 6 and 12 bottle wine packages and any view on whether they offer good value in terms of price, quality and convenience. Thanks

Edited October 3 by mrbluesea

[resordanis]

59 minutes ago, mrbluesea said:

Does anyone know the current price points for the 6 and 12 bottle wine packages and any view on whether they offer good value in terms of price, quality and convenience. Thanks

I am also interested in this, but the recent prices I have seen, I feel they are expensive. I would love to know whether we can purchase a reasonably priced wine on board. Do Cunard still have their house brand and if so what price? Coming from Australia and considering our US conversion rate….I am having an Ouch moment with the wine prices ATM.

[reeves35]

Cunard's  drink packages are expensive particularly as they don't offer an equivalent to the bundled packages of competitors such as HAL's Have-It-All or Princess Plus.  I assume the market will eventually force Cunard to adapt.  In the meantime, unless you are a solid drinker consuming 6+ alcoholic drinks a day (more if you only drink beers or ciders) as well as specialty coffees, you are probably better off just using the pay as you go alternative 

[Caipi]

2 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Cunard's  drink packages are expensive particularly as they don't offer an equivalent to the bundled packages of competitors such as HAL's Have-It-All or Princess Plus.  I assume the market will eventually force Cunard to adapt.  In the meantime, unless you are a solid drinker consuming 6+ alcoholic drinks a day (more if you only drink beers or ciders) as well as specialty coffees, you are probably better off just using the pay as you go alternative 

 

Yes I thought it's expensive as well, but now I have the prices for my Celebrity cruise next year:

EUR 107,49 EUR + 20 % gratuity for the premium package (up to USD 17 - for, say, a glass of Veuve Clicquot you still had to pay the difference between USD 17 and 25 + the gratuities)

 

EUR 95,68 + 20% gratuity (up to USD 10 - but regarding alcoholic drinks, there is not much under  - I could have a glass of Prosecco and my husband the cheapest beer, but most beers cost 12-15 USD)

 

On QM2 in August I would have paid (for a cruise longer than 5 days) USD 72 / day, GRATUITIES INCLUDED!

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4 by Caipi

[Clewgarnet]

9 hours ago, resordanis said:

I am also interested in this, but the recent prices I have seen, I feel they are expensive. I would love to know whether we can purchase a reasonably priced wine on board. Do Cunard still have their house brand and if so what price? Coming from Australia and considering our US conversion rate….I am having an Ouch moment with the wine prices ATM.

I'm usually buying wine at the $30-$40 price point per bottle, and have plenty of choice available.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Clewgarnet said:

I'm usually buying wine at the $30-$40 price point per bottle, and have plenty of choice available.

Yes, I find the prices of the house wines are much like those in hotels on land in the UK. The 15% service can be a bit of a surprise, but is more on a lot of lines.

[resordanis]

3 minutes ago, Clewgarnet said:

I'm usually buying wine at the $30-$40 price point per bottle, and have plenty of choice available.

Thank you. Would that be whites too? I guess there is 15% added as well?

[Clewgarnet]

Just now, resordanis said:

Thank you. Would that be whites too? I guess there is 15% added as well?

Red, white and pink. And, yes, 15% service charge.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, resordanis said:

Thank you. Would that be whites too? I guess there is 15% added as well?

All colours. I often have the house pink with lunch. 

[resordanis]

1 minute ago, Clewgarnet said:

Red, white and pink. And, yes, 15% service charge.

Thank you. Any brands I should look out for?

[resordanis]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

All colours. I often have the house pink with lunch. 

Do you also have a brand? I was getting concerned if we should abstain from drinking on this cruise. We really only drink after 5😀

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, resordanis said:

Do you also have a brand? I was getting concerned if we should abstain from drinking on this cruise. We really only drink after 5😀

Cunard’s own wines vary in origin from time to time. I usually ask for the dry house pink. Incidentally, we do usually manage to make a bottle last for three lunches, lest you think I spend every afternoon in a pink haze. 😀 The wine list is a fascinating and weighty document which takes a while to study. It changes frequently, as they use up stuff, as do the prices.

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, resordanis said:

Do you also have a brand? I was getting concerned if we should abstain from drinking on this cruise. We really only drink after 5😀

There is a copy of the 2022 wine list posted on one of the thread near the top of the page. Obviously it won’t be accurate for now, but will give you some idea of what there is. Everything from house rosé to Chateau Pétrus.

[resordanis]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

Cunard’s own wines vary in origin from time to time. I usually ask for the dry house pink. Incidentally, we do usually manage to make a bottle last for three lunches, lest you think I spend every afternoon in a pink haze. 😀 The wine list is a fascinating and weighty document which takes a while to study. It changes frequently, as they use up stuff, as do the prices.

We are a bottle of white with dinner couple.On our last Cunard cruise prior to Covid we asked for wines under $50, some were absolutely horrible! Anyway if we can get some for around $40 we will be somewhat happy! Unfortunately or fortunately in Australia we can get a reasonable bottle of Sav Blanc for $5 AUD!

[Clewgarnet]

7 minutes ago, resordanis said:

Do you also have a brand? I was getting concerned if we should abstain from drinking on this cruise. We really only drink after 5😀

I like the Kaiken malbec but I generally just give the sommelier my budget and ask for their advice on a wine pairing.

[resordanis]

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

There is a copy of the 2022 wine list posted on one of the thread near the top of the page. Obviously it won’t be accurate for now, but will give you some idea of what there is. Everything from house rosé to Chateau Pétrus.

Thank you will have a look.

[resordanis]

Just now, Clewgarnet said:

I like the Kaiken malbec but I generally just give the sommelier my budget and ask for their advice on a wine pairing.

Yes that is what we did prior to Covid, but unfortunately I think our budget and lack of OBC plus AUD to US have all declined.😩

[exlondoner]

Just now, resordanis said:

We are a bottle of white with dinner couple.On our last Cunard cruise prior to Covid we asked for wines under $50, some were absolutely horrible! Anyway if we can get some for around $40 we will be somewhat happy! Unfortunately or fortunately in Australia we can get a reasonable bottle of Sav Blanc for $5 AUD!

This is so much a matter of taste, but I’ve only once had a wine on Cunard that I thought was horrible (and that wasn’t in the restaurant and wasn’t what I’d ordered), though I may be easily pleased. In my experience the sommeliers are helpful and don’t try to push more expensive stuff. Is that $5 the price for a bar in an expensive hotel? If not, you are not comparing like with like, though I’m sure it is cheaper on land. The other thing is that Cunard don’t mind you bringing your own wine on board, though you then must pay corkage in the restaurant. This seems far too much hassle to me, but people do do it.

[resordanis]

6 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

This is so much a matter of taste, but I’ve only once had a wine on Cunard that I thought was horrible (and that wasn’t in the restaurant and wasn’t what I’d ordered), though I may be easily pleased. In my experience the sommeliers are helpful and don’t try to push more expensive stuff. Is that $5 the price for a bar in an expensive hotel? If not, you are not comparing like with like, though I’m sure it is cheaper on land. The other thing is that Cunard don’t mind you bringing your own wine on board, though you then must pay corkage in the restaurant. This seems far too much hassle to me, but people do do it.

No the $5 is bottle shop prices.In restaurant in Australia the prices can also be ridiculous!  I do realise that  in the Brittania they consider it restaurant prices, but some of the prices I have seen for AU/Nz wines unbelievable.I am intending to talk wine on board, but they say now just a bottle each.We are hoping to take 2 bottles each and see how we go. Thanks again.So looking forward to being on Cunard again which we will be their last season in Australia.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, resordanis said:

No the $5 is bottle shop prices.In restaurant in Australia the prices can also be ridiculous!  I do realise that  in the Brittania they consider it restaurant prices, but some of the prices I have seen for AU/Nz wines unbelievable.I am intending to talk wine on board, but they say now just a bottle each.We are hoping to take 2 bottles each and see how we go. Thanks again.So looking forward to being on Cunard again which we will be their last season in Australia.

In the case(!) of bringing wine on board, there is no mention of people ever being stopped binging more than a bottle each. It has never been an issue. Just try not to clank.