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Hi all - just wondering if anyone can help me with a couple of queries.

 

Is it cheaper to purchase drink package before we cruise? I had a look on the RCI website and it is currently around $69 AUD, I wonder what the price is once on board - and it will be in US$ I am presuming?

 

How do we go about booking Dreamworks breakfast - can you do this prior to the cruise or can you only book once you are on board? And if available before you cruise - where would I find the link to book this?

 

Thanks everyone and happy new year to you all..:)

We were on Voyager last November and it was cheaper to buy the drink package before cruising through the cruise planner- $65 AUS - on board it was $65 US !

Sorry can't answer the Dreamworks breakfast question.

We actually did this but didn't receive any acknowledgment from RC I guess it remains to be seen if our request is accepted and we will check when we embark next week !!

Just a follow up on this thread - we went to see Maitre'D on arrival - no table for two for us. We were allocated a table for 10 !! Emailed Miami again - no reply again!! As it turns out there were only ever 8 people at our table who were quite compatible with an excellent waiter and assistant - Made and Ermeliza - so all good. !!!

If you both have fixed dining, what we did was email ahead of the cruise, say 4-6 weeks out to:

 

RCLDining@RCCL.com

 

and give both reservation numbers and request to be seated together at a table for 4. It worked for us.

We actually did this but didn't receive any acknowledgment from RC I guess it remains to be seen if our request is accepted and we will check when we embark next week !!

Updated prices are on the Royal Caribbean Blog (for US based cruises) - CC won't let me post the link....

Thanks - I'll have a look if I can !!!!

I don't believe it counts disembarkation day.

I think you are right - mathematical error !!!!!

I will check that out later today !! Maybe do a dummy booking !! Thanks once again.

Interesting - for some reason (wrong!!) I thought the 20% discount would come off the total at the end - ie. $69.05 (Premium Package) aud would become approx $55.25 aud. When I did a further dummy booking the total quoted was $1519.18 for two people. This made the amount charged $69.05 per person per day (11). So - under normal circumstances with no discount a Premium Package would be approx $82.85 aud !!! Also, on the 11th day - disembarkation day - I'm sure no-one will drink very much at all !!

Mmmmm at this stage very much leaning towards NO drink package !!

With the drinks package Do both people in the cabin have to purchase ? ( I know you can't share but what if only one person in the cabin drinks?)

 

 

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Please correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think so. It would not make sense if one partner was a non-drinker. I think that in the past all in the cabin had to buy one but not now.

Yes we are the same! We drank a bit more on Celebrity because it was included but just now deciding if it's worth buying the package.

 

I found this link online for drink menus, for non Australian cruises.

 

http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/royal-caribbean-drink/

 

So I would recommend adding $1-$2 on top of this menu price, to give you an idea of what the menus will be for Australian cruises, as Australian drink menus include gratuities.

 

Etc roughly a $12US drink is $14US. Roughly only to give you an idea.

 

Work out how much you would spend on drinks for your cruise, in US dollars, adding approx $1-$2 on top of each drink price. Then convert this amount to AUD.

 

Now compare this amount of how much you'd spend on drinks, to the cost of the package.

 

The drink packages are currently discounted when you log in to your cruise personaliser. The price here is in AUD and there is no extra tipping on top of the drink package price.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for this LuckiePuris.

When logged in to your cruise planner online and viewing the drink packages that can be purchased, it says that:

 

Gratuity has already been included in the price of each package.

 

Just worth checking when you're logged in to your booking in case yours is different, however for my cruise it's definitely included and definitely discounted 20%.

Yes - got to that spot today - but still not game to complete transaction without a bit more info on menus - hopefully someone will post soon !!

When logged in to your cruise planner online and viewing the drink packages that can be purchased, it says that:

 

Gratuity has already been included in the price of each package.

 

Just worth checking when you're logged in to your booking in case yours is different, however for my cruise it's definitely included and definitely discounted 20%.

I will check that out later today !! Maybe do a dummy booking !! Thanks once again.

I've never seen drink packages discounted onboard so I would recommend purchasing online before hand if you're considering it.

 

I was the one that posted about drink menus and will be sure to let you know if I find some.

 

Our last two big cruises have been on Celebrity Cruises where we had the drink packages included, so just want to view some menus and work out if the drink packages work out worthwhile for us.

Thanks LuckiePuris. Our last cruise was on Celebrity where we had an included package.We did tend to drink a little more than we normally would have !! Looking forward to seeing some menus to help with our decision.

18% is added at checkout for gratuities.

 

There has been difference in 'discount' lately. If the Select is approx $42 aud and Premium approx $52 aud - then these are discounted and you should buy now (they are not usually discounted on board).

 

I think at the moment, for wines by the glass the Select package limit is $9 usd, and Premium/Ultimate package limit is $12 usd. If you ordered a more expensive glass you pay the couple of dollars difference.

Thanks Amy

Select is quoted as $52 aud, Premium $69 aud and Ultimate $77 aud then 20% off plus 18% grat. Is the cocktail limit $12 too ??

We are sailing on Voyager from Sydney in November and are debating about drink packages. A couple of questions -

The cruise planner currently shows a 20% discount on all packages - I believe I have read somewhere that 18% gratuity will be added on at the checkout stage of purchasing the packages thus making the discount only 2% !! Is this the case ???

What is the limit for say a glass of wine $12 or $15 ???

Another poster has asked for current drink prices - we will be interested in this - hoping someone has some !!!

This is our first time on Royal Caribbean after several cruises on Celebrity.

Definitely the Bay of Islands - beautiful !!!

We're not wine snobs so we'll probably go with the sommelier's recommendations - looking forward to some of the cocktails and specialty coffees that we were too mingy to buy on our last cruise !!!

The best wine is the one you enjoy not the most expensive !!!

Thanks for that !!

Can't say one way or the other about the drink packages as we didn't have one for that cruise - according to the brochure we got on board it was $77US

for the Premium $65 US for the Classic and they introduced a Standard Package for $53.10 US. If I recall correctly quite ordinary wine offerings were between $11 and $15 per glass (US$)

Thanks for that. We were on the Transpacific last year when all the prices were increased considerably after Honolulu.

I have searched for a definitive answer to this question but have found differing answers !!!

We will be sailing on the Solstice from Sydney in April for a short cruise. For the first time we have the Premium Drink Package. Can someone who has cruised in 2016 and has had the Premium Drink Package tell us if the price limit for drinks covered under this is $13, $14, $15 or $15.50 - all of these prices have been quoted in various threads !!!

Thanks in anticipation !!:)

We think 1660 is a perfectly good cabin - very quiet with cabins above and below.

Our cabin of choice on Solstice is 1664 only because it has a slightly bigger balcony.

Thanks so much for this review. Sounds great. Might have to change our mind about avoiding P&O !!!

Really not sure about that. We were not cruising out of Australia or UK. This cruise originated in Vancouver - the prices were apparently increased after Honolulu much to the surprise of the passengers who embarked in Vancouver !!

Sailed on the Reflection on September 21st, and I scanned many (if not all) of the bars menus while on board. Everything looks like these menus will be current at least for the rest of the year. I had classic package, so please feel free to ask.

 

Classic Package specifications:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINS3RVSS04YmF0WlU/view

 

Room Service Menu:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINS2ttRUt6OGRnWTQ/view

 

Room Service Breakfast:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINTzRmRTlwOU90RDg/view

 

General Bar Menu:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINMi1OVG02MldTaTQ/view

 

Main Dinning Room (Opus) Wine List:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINd0VMTV91ZXdFZFk/view

 

Martini Bar:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINckpLMHlnREhxMUk/view

 

Molecular Bar:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINb2RiaEJ1VmZvVWs/view

 

Cellar Masters:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINWmxHVGpwZ3MwUE0/view

 

Sunset Bar:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINSXNKc0hHVnlXZVk/view

 

Cafe al Bacio:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINa2ltWS1ITDREbW8/view

 

Ensemble Lounge:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINMjc0MzRnZWFOX0U/view

 

Regarding the Martini Bar, Classic Package holders CAN order the following MARTINIS only:

Classic Martini, Cosmopolitan, Gin Martini, Peach Martini. All of them will be served in small martini glasses, which are big enough for me.

All other cocktails, beers, wines, sodas, spirits and liquors covered by the classic package can be ordered without problem there.

 

I didn't try the Molecular bar, so I can't comment on it. I hope these documents will be useful.

Thanks so much for this. Unfortunately anyone who was on the Solstice leaving Honolulu for Sydney on 2nd of October will be very envious of the prices quoted here. Our prices were consistently higher for all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. As an example your list has the Bollini Trentino Pinot Grigio for $9.00 a glass and $39 a bottle. We paid $11 a glass and $51 a bottle !!! Curbed our drinking habits somewhat !!!

Did see this in another post....this is the Reflection's Main Dining Room Wine List.....https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_y5m8rqywINd0VMTV91ZXdFZFk/view?pli=1

 

Hope this list is similar to what will be on the Constellation, though the Reflection is a Solstice-class ship while the Constellation is a Millenium-class vessel...

 

Still would be nice to see Celebrity post this list somewhere...

Unfortunately the wine list here is out of date. Just got off Solstice prices are much higher eg Trentino Pinot Grigio on this list is $39 now it is $51 !!!!

Most glasses of wine are $11 and up !!

Correct. I was on that cruise and thats what happened. If you werent on a package the drinks were expensive, both before and after Hawaii

We were also on that cruise. We were surprised (shocked) at the prices of alcohol compared to our last Solstice cruise two and a half years ago. We usually enjoyed a bottle of wine with each dinner, however, this time with the cheapest bottle being over $40, we did not. Looking around Blu many people shared this opinion - the majority of tables were without wine. The drink packages were heavily pushed the first couple of days - we don't drink enough to make these economically viable. Cocktails were also far more expensive than before.