Irish Eyes Are Sailing

I'm curious where you came up with 15 drinks a day? If the package is $40 per day and you drank 15 drinks, that would be a little over $2.60 per drink. I don't ever recall paying $2.60 for any drink on HAL, except maybe soda. If you are basing this on soft drinks only, I would not see any benefit to it at all. But for alcoholic beverages, its not a particularly bad way to go. The break even point would be around 5 or 6 drinks per day depending on what you are drinking.

That's the conclusion I came to. It is no good for sodas, but depending on how much you drink, and when you drink it, and how many port days vs sea days your cruise contains, it might be a good deal for some folks.

only 15 drinks a day what am I going to do after 2pm

That's just too funny..........!:D

I don't know, let me think about my typical day on a cruise ship...

 

A couple of bloody marys at the seaview bar right after the morning walk and breakfast, $14. A bucket of beer for lunch and afternoon time wasting, $28. A drink while watching the sunset, $7. A couple martinis before dinner, $14. A glass of wine with dinner, $7. A couple scotchs on the rocks while playing black jack at the casino, $14.

 

Lets see, that adds up to $63, so I'm saving money. Maybe I have a drinking problem? :eek: But hey, I drink very little normally, a daily glass of red wine and maybe an occaisional drink of scotch if out with friends, so on a cruise, I tend to get a little crazy. :D However, this is spread out over 16 hours or more, so I can honestly say I have never been "drunk" on a cruise ship.

Take heart, you don't have any kind of problem.....you are just enjoying yourself on your vacation!!! It's perfectly fine in my book!! Happy Sailing!

agreed, however this is where the problem comes in - if you have a long cruise which is port intensive, it would be difficult to make it work on your port days. I can see it for the right people for a Caribbean - anyways, as long as people are happy, that's the main thing:D

Point well taken.....on some port intensive itineraries it may not be cost effective depending on how much you drink and when you drink it!

Good comments Linda. Could you also get one glass of wine..or two with this package? Is this offer on Eurodam? Thank you

Don't know much about this other than what details other posters have described (more details are in earlier comments on this thread). It is a new thing that just got introduced recently. Don't know if it is on all ships/sailings at this point. Maybe more details will be forthcoming.

That is why it is offered and not included. We are not big drinkers and only get to cruise every one to two years' date=' so it is a very special occasion to us. However, when we do go on vacation we like to relax with a few adult beverages. We were on the Noordam Jan. 28 to Feb. 8 and purchased the package. On sea days, by the pool, a couple of Blood Mary's or Screwdrivers by the pool is not over indulging. A couple of cocktails in the afternoon can be nice. A wine with dinner and a cordial after dinner, a cocktail in the show lounge bar. It adds up. I enjoy a diet Coke now and then, and for shore days, we would stop by a bar to get a couple of bottles of water to take on shore with us. We traveled with another couple who also purchased the package, no one got sloppy, but we did have a good time. It relieved the pressure for us as to how much our bar bill was going to me, we knew up front. It is $39.95 per day plus 15% gratuity. Would we purchase the package again? It would depend on the cruise and who we might be travelling with. To each his own.[/quote']

 

This is a perfect example of how this package will work for some folks. It doesn't necessarily mean that any purchasers of this package have a raging alcohol problem, they just like to relax on their vacation in a way they see fit, and as this poster said, no one "got sloppy". I agree with this poster also that the charges for beverages, no matter what kind they are, add up in a hurry. The package price does not seem outrageous to me, and it is a good fit for some cruisers.

Not a bad deal if you consume a great deal of alcohol.

 

A waste if you're using it for non alcoholic beverages.

I agree......that is how I interpret it also. If you are a purchaser of alcohol "by the drink" in the bars and lounges, it would pay off for some folks, depending on their alcohol consumption level.

Perhaps HAL is aiming this at the newer, younger crowd that appears to sail the Caribbean 7 day cruises. Suitable for the "party" cruiser that HAL is maybe trying to entice away from Carnival or NCL.

 

I would also be willing to bet that HAL has researched this fairly thoroughly and has discovered that there are more folks out there drinking their $40 worth than we would all like to think. The younger demographic that they may be trying to lure away from Carnival or NCL may definitely (in some cases, not all) fit this description. They know not everyone will take it, but they want to make it available for those that find it attractive, and may find it a selling point.

Perhaps HAL is aiming this at the newer, younger crowd that appears to sail the Caribbean 7 day cruises. Suitable for the "party" cruiser that HAL is maybe trying to entice away from Carnival or NCL.

 

I believe you might have hit the nail on the head!;)

I can see where it would be worth it if you like to "party" a lot in the bars. It is better than paying by the drink in that case. The best bargain is to buy a bottle for your stateroom. However, you can only drink it there in the room and if you like to frequent or socialize in the bars and/or are travelling with other people that probably wouldn't work for you.

My first was the Carnival Festivale in '86. I was awestruck! And yes, this ship was nowhere near as fabulous as ships are today. It was pretty basic cruising back then. The industry and the ships in it have come a long way since those days. I just love cruises!