web1948 Posted June 2, 2008 #1 Share Posted June 2, 2008 How will they know at the bar that I've purchased a drinks package - do we just have to give our cabin number? Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jingles29 Posted June 2, 2008 #2 Share Posted June 2, 2008 you will be given a card to present when you order a drink this says AI on it .we were on the destiny in april and had a great time. hope you have a good holiday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
web1948 Posted June 2, 2008 Author #3 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Thanks. A friend of mine returned last Thusday after a week on the Destiny, she had a great time. Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Dave Posted June 20, 2008 #4 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I would urge anybody who likes a drink to make sure they have the AI drinks option - we certainly used ours well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
web1948 Posted June 21, 2008 Author #5 Share Posted June 21, 2008 To be quite honest Dr Dave, my husband and I are not really drinkers, it's just that I like everything to be paid for up front. I didn't realise until after I'd booked the drinks package that it worked out as over £40 per day, we never spend £40 on drink in a twelve month. If anyone on the ship sees two people absolutely slammed out of their mind 24 hours a day it will be us, feel free to come and introduce yourselves and we'll get you a drink. I'll be doing a review of the cruise when I come back (if I can remember anything about it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzseeka Posted June 21, 2008 #6 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Hi Wendy, Don't forget that your AI also includes soft drinks, virgin cocktails (the virgin Pinacolada is lovely), cappuccinos/hot chocolate in the showbar, Blakes and the Oklahoma Lounge, so you can drink lots of other things - just to dilute the effects!! (The cappuccinos are good - with a little biscuit too.) Hopefully you will have some lovely weather and will appreciate plenty of cool drinks - and at least get a bit more value out of your AI. We'll look forward to seeing your review. Not long now - have a great time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pujro Posted June 21, 2008 #7 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Anyone have details of what's included in the drinks package? Any of the following:- Bacardi, Ouzo, Tia Maria, Guiness? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelerannie Posted June 21, 2008 #8 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Bacardi and Tia Maria - definitely!! I sampled 1 or 3 or 5 or 6 during our cruise. Don't know about the others though. One other thing - you can order a cappuccino and a tia maria and it's free, but if you order a tia maria coffee special you have to pay!! Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyjayneq Posted June 22, 2008 #9 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Do you get a list of drinks not included in the AI ? How will i know if i'm ordering an included drink or not. My husband & i are first time cruisers going on the Spirit in October doing the Mediterannean Renaissance and the Moorish Delights. Any other hints would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzseeka Posted June 22, 2008 #10 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Hi, Yes, the drinks menu on the tables in the lounges are clearly marked with AI/non AI drinks. If I remember correctly, those not included are marked with a * They will also tell you how much extra you would have to pay for these drinks - you pay a reduced price. For example many spirits are included but special malts may carry a surcharge. You can have unlimited wine by the glass in the dining room (not bottles - I think this is to avoid you having a bottle and sharing it with those who haven't got AI) but we're red wine drinkers and think it's very palatable. I'm sure you'll love your first cruise - all the Med trips we've done with Thomson have been great. If you've got any specific questions about ports/excursions/how things are organised etc. I'm sure someone will be able to answer them. We've done Moorish Delights (but the itinerary has changed a lot from when we went last year) and Med Renaissance so I'll help if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinnyboy_1 Posted June 27, 2008 #11 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Hope this helps, as a guide only as not too recent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwgolf Posted July 18, 2008 #12 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I paid for the AI package two years ago and found it a waste of money. Unless you spend all day drinking, I can't see how you can make it pay. Last year we had a free AI upgrade but this year, there is no AI upgrade available, free or otherwise. Very odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
web1948 Posted July 18, 2008 Author #13 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Having now returned from the cruise I kept all of my receipts, and it's worked out that we've paid over £100 more by buying the AI package than we would have done by paying for our drinks at the end of the cruise. Never mind I've learned by my mistake. Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarymary555 Posted July 28, 2008 #14 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Thanks for this valuable lesson Wendy (sorry it was costly for you guys though!). We're going on our first cruise in September and although we both like a drink I did wonder if you would get value for money from the drinks package or not. This answers my question ~ thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Dave Posted August 16, 2008 #15 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Does anybody know the price of a pint of lager aboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtt Posted August 17, 2008 #16 Share Posted August 17, 2008 We paid £69 each for the drinks package included on our colourful coasts cruise, is that worth it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzseeka Posted August 17, 2008 #17 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Yes, I'd say that sounds pretty good and I'd buy it at that price. We don't drink a great deal, but wine with dinner, cocktail in the show, drink in Horizons plus a couple of cappuccinos and a virgin cocktail/smoothie during the day and you'd be well in pocket. If you drink more than this it will be even better value. Some of the drinks package costs are about £150 for the week. These are the ones which are not worth it unless you drink a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pebble12345 Posted August 17, 2008 #18 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Is it only on some cruises you can get the drinks packages ? We were told they were not available on ours I would have loved one for £69, dont think it would be worth it as £150. Did you get it while booking or after ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzseeka Posted August 17, 2008 #19 Share Posted August 17, 2008 AI availability varies. These are my observations - but it's a bit unpredictable as Thomson alters the availability - a bit like prices and other posters may be able to add more from their experiences/observations. I've never seen AI offered on any of the ex-UK sailings (Baltic, Norway etc) I was once told this had something to do with the fact that they were leaving from UK ports - but I'm not sure whether that's right or not. Mediterranean trips sailing out of Palma often have AI - especially when the next season's brochure is first released (probably to try to get some early bookings secured - AI is a bit of a 'sweetener'). The AI offers can disappear at any time (Thomson probably have a 'quota' depending on how sales are progressing.) This has to be balanced by how the prices may be dropping though. Close to departure, prices can be quite low if they have some cabin availability but the 'perks' have disappeared (AI, free parking etc.) I don't know whether AI was offered early season on the Emerald/Calypso this year - but it's not offered in the brochure and doesn't seem to be available on these itineraries (Eastern Med) for next year. Perhaps they don't need to offer it on these - i.e. sales are good enough. The Canaries itinerary often has AI early on but again, it will probably disappear the closer you get to departure. You can buy the package on some routes - but interestingly not on the ex-UK sailings. At the moment, it's £149 in the Eastern and Western Med for a week. Quite expensive! P.S. I think it's also the case that occasionally AI will re-appear if they want to 'push' a particular trip and promote sales for given dates/itineraries. But for us, it's very difficult to predict and you can easily lose out as the offers come and go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happidaze Posted August 18, 2008 #20 Share Posted August 18, 2008 We have booked for Christmas and there was no option of an AI drinks package on offer to purchase. Shall miss this as we had one last time we sailed. I take it once booked there is no way that you can purchase at all if it re appears? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzseeka Posted August 18, 2008 #21 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Mmmmm.. don't know, sorry. But it may be they would find it a bit expensive to offer AI over Christmas and New Year when I think we would all perhaps drink a bit more than usual. Do you think this could be the case? Has anyone ever had AI for the festive period? Of course, if sales are good, they won't need to 'give' anything away in the form of free drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwgolf Posted August 19, 2008 #22 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Just got back from the Thomson Celebration's Baltic Capitals cruise. Our drinls bill (for 2 adults and 2 kids) came to around £250 for 12 days so an AI upgrade would not have been worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobral Posted August 19, 2008 #23 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Just returned from cruise on the Spirit and found that some AI drinks that were included on the Celebration were not included on the Spirit- e.g. Baileys and Jamesons were on AI on Celebration but not on the Spirit. I asked a waiter and he said it could be that Thomsons own the Celebration and only charter the Spirit and so the companied that run the bars are different. Does that make sense to anyone? Anyway we were lucky enough to have the free AI upgrade so didnt have much of a bar bill after 14 days, save for a few Baileys which was only 90p supplement so cant complain. Had a good time anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happidaze Posted August 20, 2008 #24 Share Posted August 20, 2008 VWGolf. that was reasonable too! I am not bothered that we have no AI, and shall not worry either onboard on not having one, after all shall be on holiday :o How old are your children, and did they enjoy cruising? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpkin77 Posted August 21, 2008 #25 Share Posted August 21, 2008 We've paid £20 for our AI package - sounds like we got a bargain...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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