sparks1093

Some people might, sure, but I recall the days before drink packages and saw just as much drinking going on, so I don't think the numbers are all that significant. Still, I hardly care how someone is getting their drink and if they happened to score a free package then good on them.

When someone in line is waiting to get a drink I have no clue how they are paying for it, nor do I care. If they are getting it free then good for them. I figure either way they would still be in line in front of me.

Of course, and the same method can be used with any unused Cruise Cash. 🙂 (Oh, one thing I should mention- if you use Cruise Cash, Gift Cards, or OBC then it is possible that your credit card on file for your account might time out some time during the cruise which would require to you to to guest services to "refresh" it. I missed out on Groove for St Jude because our S&S cards were turned off because of this.)

We were on Mardi Gras recently and never had to wait more than 5 minutes or so for a drink, unless it was ordered from a server at the pool or Punchliner. Servers walking around with trays sounds so inefficient and I expect there was a lot of waste. If the ship is busy the bars will busy and that applies whether you have Cheers or not so if you are inclined to get Cheers, then get it. (And a 5 or 10 minute wait for a bar for a drink is short compared to some land venues I've been to, but no matter the ship that seems to be the norm.)

That has been our experience. You can ascertain this when you board and then make your reservations to be sure.

If she is from Indiana then no, she doesn't have an EDL which are only issued by 5 states. Your itinerary matters- if it is round trip from Seattle then she only needs a government issued ID and birth certificate. If it is a one way trip then she would need a passport or passport card.

Loved Big Chicken! Also really enjoyed Emerils selections in the MDR.

Exactly. I've participated in a lot of discussions over the years along the line of "if the cruise lines only did X they'd make more money". I am sure that they have considered all of the angles and if there were a way to make more money, they would do it.

I know that we save money by buying the drink package. That's all I really care about. If someone else overspends by buying it that's their issue.

We didn't park since we flew to the port but there are porters collecting luggage before you walk to the terminal. Can you drop of your luggage with them before you park so you don't have to lug your luggage across the parking garage? I don't know, but I suspect that you can.

We've done it both ways and yes, without the package we would spend more. Could we make it through a cruise without drinking alcohol? Yes, we could go the 7 days only drinking what is included in the cruise fare. We could even make it through the cruise and only have one or two drinks per day. But we are on vacation, so we don't. The fact is people do drink on cruises and many of them drink more than they would normally, whether they have a package or not.

I put it badly. Just because they think it will save them money.

Meh.

And that works for your needs.

I am sure that there are people that do try to take the most advantage they can of the drink package, it's only human nature. But I cannot control what they do so I don't worry about it.

I like them all. Not a big fan of tequila so Mexican is probably the one I order the least.

In everyday life? Absolutely not. On vacation for 7 days? Yep.

Yes, that is their underlying premise but if I can use the drink package to my advantage then I will. But there are a considerable number of people that will blindly buy it, just because it will save them money.

Yes, it does bother me. But so what? That's my issue. If I had a bona fide need to renew 4 months early then it wouldn't bother me. What would bother me is renewing it 4 months early just to renew it early.

Interesting. Thank you.

Yes, I've pointed out several times that the cruise lines don't sell the packages to save the passenger money, that their goal is to make money. That's one of the reasons that most lines require both adults in a cabin to purchase the package. I have also pointed out that one needn't be a heavy drinker to save money by buying a package, since most packages include non-alcohol selections as well. A few specialty coffees, sodas, and waters plus 3 or 4 mixed drinks each day is roughly enough to save money. (Of course, a heavy drinker will save more, but a non-heavy drinker can still save some.) There are many drink package calculators on this board that can help figure it out.

Exactly, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

Under the mattress can be spent on other things. This is a good system for those who have good will power or who don't have unexpected things crop up. At least with the Cruise Cash you know that it will be there when you board your cruise.

I know for me it helps with budgeting and I only purchase this when we are within 30 days of the cruise, so it's not much of a loan. I also make sure that we don't buy more than we will use (and my wife doesn't understand the concept of "unused Cruise Cash" anyway).

I would expect that the cruise lines wouldn't want to incur the extra expense to procure the RV type toilet paper. I am glad that I don't have to buy too much of it myself.