So those welcome drinks when you get onboard…

[trotzoll]

My husband was talking to someone today who sails on a different cruiseline, but told him to beware of the welcome aboard drinks. She said that even when you have the drink package, you’re still charged for the welcome aboard drink.
 

Is that true with RCI?

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, trotzoll said:

My husband was talking to someone today who sails on a different cruiseline, but told him to beware of the welcome aboard drinks. She said that even when you have the drink package, you’re still charged for the welcome aboard drink.
 

Is that true with RCI?

If you have the package then show them your boarding pass if you dont yet have your card.

 

I'm thinking the confusion is carnival out of a couple of ports like Galveston has chosen to not be willing to pay texas liquor taxes and their drinkmpackage as clearly stated starts day 2 out of those ports.

 

Royal does have a lower inventory of available beer and liquor but it's available asap when you board. Once they reach international water in texas they put away the texas liquor and switch over and then the whole menu available so maybe that certain call liquor isnt available,,you can still order that frozen margarita. 

[smokeybandit]

There's no such thing as a welcome aboard drink that I've ever seen

[orville99]

6 minutes ago, trotzoll said:

My husband was talking to someone today who sails on a different cruiseline, but told him to beware of the welcome aboard drinks. She said that even when you have the drink package, you’re still charged for the welcome aboard drink.
 

Is that true with RCI?

RCL doesn’t do welcome aboard drinks, so you are safe.🥃

[RoperDK]

10 minutes ago, trotzoll said:

My husband was talking to someone today who sails on a different cruiseline, but told him to beware of the welcome aboard drinks. She said that even when you have the drink package, you’re still charged for the welcome aboard drink.
 

Is that true with RCI?

I believe this has to do with the one free drink for Gold, Platinum and Diamond cruisers on Carnival.  It used to be applied with restrictions on the day and venue.  It now applies to anywhere but is applied on the first drink order of the cruise (welcome aboard). So, to get the best bang for your buck you need to order an alcohol drink.  Some folks are complaining that they don't order an alcohol drink when they first board. They prefer to drink a water or soda and then switch over to alcohol later in the day.  This doesn't apply to Royal.   

 

  

[trotzoll]

13 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

I believe this has to do with the one free drink for Gold, Platinum and Diamond cruisers on Carnival.  It used to be applied with restrictions on the day and venue.  It now applies to anywhere but is applied on the first drink order of the cruise (welcome aboard). So, to get the best bang for your buck you need to order an alcohol drink.  Some folks are complaining that they don't order an alcohol drink when they first board. They prefer to drink a water or soda and then switch over to alcohol later in the day.  This doesn't apply to Royal.   

 

  

Thank you so much!!

[trotzoll]

13 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

I believe this has to do with the one free drink for Gold, Platinum and Diamond cruisers on Carnival.  It used to be applied with restrictions on the day and venue.  It now applies to anywhere but is applied on the first drink order of the cruise (welcome aboard). So, to get the best bang for your buck you need to order an alcohol drink.  Some folks are complaining that they don't order an alcohol drink when they first board. They prefer to drink a water or soda and then switch over to alcohol later in the day.  This doesn't apply to Royal.   

 

  

Thank you. It was on Carnival, that they cruised. 

[RobInMN]

16 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

There's no such thing as a welcome aboard drink that I've ever seen

I think this question calls for @ONECRUISER, but I am positive that when we boarder Mariner in 2006, that bar staff greeted everyone with trays of champagne (maybe mimosas also?) as we entered the ship via the Promenade. Pretty sure this happened on another cruise too, but can't remember which one that would have been.

But yes, it's been a very long time since they've done this. 

[Sonic2012]

Now you’re making me think. Is there a drink of the day? 

[Mum2Mercury]

Agree with the above:  

 

- Have never been offered a welcome drink on Royal. 

- If you have the drink package, it's up to you to show them your Ship ID (or, if it's really early, your boarding pass) to let them know you have pre-paid.  Otherwise, how can they know?

- Here's how you can tell if you're being charged:  They'll give you a receipt to sign every time you make a purchase.  If you have a drink package, the receipt should say $0.  They can't sneak in a charge later -- how would they know who you are?  

[Mum2Mercury]

6 minutes ago, Sonic2012 said:

Now you’re making me think. Is there a drink of the day? 

On Royal, yes.  

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Mum2Mercury

[lovelife]

31 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

I think this question calls for @ONECRUISER, but I am positive that when we boarder Mariner in 2006, that bar staff greeted everyone with trays of champagne (maybe mimosas also?) as we entered the ship via the Promenade. Pretty sure this happened on another cruise too, but can't remember which one that would have been.

But yes, it's been a very long time since they've done this. 

We've been cruising RCI for 27 years and have never received a welcome aboard drink. I recall many years ago getting one on Celebrity. 

[ShazM]

1 minute ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Agree with the above:  

 

- Have never been offered a welcome drink on Royal. 

- If you have the drink package, it's up to you to show them your Ship ID (or, if it's really early, your boarding pass) to let them know you have pre-paid.  Otherwise, how can they know?

- Here's how you can tell if you're being charged:  They'll give you a receipt to sign every time you make a purchase.  If you have a drink package, the receipt should say $0.  They can't sneak in a charge later -- how would they know who you are?  

We got a welcome aboard drink when we boarded in Honolulu for the transpacific to Australia and a lei (not a real one). They had champagne, mimosas and non-alcoholic drinks.

[lovelife]

1 minute ago, ShazM said:

We got a welcome aboard drink when we boarded in Honolulu for the transpacific to Australia and a lei (not a real one). They had champagne, mimosas and non-alcoholic drinks.

Wow, we did that same transpacific last year and got nuttin'.

[Another_Critic]

39 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

I think this question calls for @ONECRUISER, but I am positive that when we boarder Mariner in 2006, that bar staff greeted everyone with trays of champagne (maybe mimosas also?) as we entered the ship via the Promenade. Pretty sure this happened on another cruise too, but can't remember which one that would have been.

But yes, it's been a very long time since they've done this. 

 

Yes, they served free welcome aboard drinks (sparkling wine, mimosa) in the past on RCI.

 

P.S.  Looking forward to the D, D+, P welcome aboard party in the solarium on the Odyssey TA.  🥂

Edited 5 hours ago by Another_Critic

[SbbquilterUT]

Perhaps the warning was about the drinks in souvenir glasses - I do not know if they are included with a drink package.

[firefly333]

Princess used to meet pax in the terminal with trays of champagne...15 years ago or more. I remember it in Galveston. 

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Agree with the above:  

 

- Have never been offered a welcome drink on Royal. 

- If you have the drink package, it's up to you to show them your Ship ID (or, if it's really early, your boarding pass) to let them know you have pre-paid.  Otherwise, how can they know?

- Here's how you can tell if you're being charged:  They'll give you a receipt to sign every time you make a purchase.  If you have a drink package, the receipt should say $0.  They can't sneak in a charge later -- how would they know who you are?  

Bartenders will just ask for your cabin number when you first board the ship. The ship’s computer system lets them know if/what drink package you purchased. I have been on over 50 RCI cruises and have never received a receipt when I had the deluxe drink package. 

[firefly333]

28 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Bartenders will just ask for your cabin number when you first board the ship. The ship’s computer system lets them know if/what drink package you purchased. I have been on over 50 RCI cruises and have never received a receipt when I had the deluxe drink package. 

Oddly the only place I signed on adventure was on a machine at the cafe for my coffee drink. Did I want to tip, how much it asked. 0 but it asked 2 places for a tip. First was some set amounts you could click one,,then if you said no, you could fill in a amount. I had to sign at one of those machines with a special pen. 

[monorail81]

4 hours ago, RobInMN said:

But yes, it's been a very long time since they've done this. 

It’s been since the invention of the drink package that this stopped, along with the trays of after dinner shots in the dining room and many of the barstaff. They already have the money from selling the package - there’s no incentive for them at that point to stand around with the drinks. So, they make the people hunt down their drinks now. 

[notscb]

6 hours ago, trotzoll said:

you’re still charged for the welcome aboard drink.

Were they charged, or did it just show up in their folio with a price correction on the next line? I'd imagine they need to keep track somehow of who got it and who didn't, and the stateroom folio is the easiest way.