Buying Drink Package Online vs Onboard

We will be buying them online from now on. Last May credit card was lost or stolen the evening before the cruise at dinner and I didn't realize it until I was at the check-in counter! I ended up putting my debit card down for our onboard account. We had the money in the bank I was just nervous about using my debit card. We both bought the drink package right away. Everything was fine until I got home and the "hold" RCI placed on my debit card wouldn't go away. RCI said they had lifted it, my bank said they didn't have a confirmation of that. It was a nightmare. My total onboard account was $1100, of which $900 was the drink packages. It took 2 weeks to get the hold lifted on my bank account. It wouldn't have been a big deal if it just would have been the $200 we spent outside of the drink package but being $1100 short was stressful. Now I plan on prepaying as much as I can just in case. I'm not blaming RCI, I honestly think it was an error with my bank. I had used my debit card just fine on a few other cruises but we never bought an alcohol package or spent that much onboard and we always brought extra cash and would use it to pay down the onboard account throughout the week.

Check out the fine print on both. On the PDF it reads (2nd sentence), Gratuity not included.

Online the fine print reads (2nd sentence), 18% gratuity included.

Premium price for online (pre-purchase) is $57/day and on the pdf (on board) is $55. So, if you bought tha package on board it would end up costing about $65/day which is substantially higher than pre-purchasing.

on board brochure linked above

pre purchase brochure

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/beverage_packages.pdf

Check out the fine print on both. On the PDF it reads (2nd sentence), Gratuity not included.

 

Online the fine print reads (2nd sentence), 18% gratuity included.

 

Premium price for online (pre-purchase) is $57/day and on the pdf (on board) is $55. So, if you bought tha package on board it would end up costing about $65/day which is substantially higher than pre-purchasing.

 

 

on board brochure linked above

 

 

 

 

 

 

pre purchase brochure

 

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/beverage_packages.pdf

Your on board info may be old. I sailed 12/12 on Anthem and purchased on board. Gratuities were included. It was the same price in advance or on board.

Does the cost of soda change very often?

We're thinking of waiting to buy the soda package until we're on board (for DH only) . Main reason was stated above as we are Canadian so we're better to use our OBC and pay the USD amount (since exchange when purchasing OBC is much better than paying the CAD amount already converted).

So if we find that the soda package has gone up from the $8 o4 $8.50 a day, then we can skip the package and just pay a-la-carte for each drink. But if the soda can cost goes up too by a lot, then we'll still be paying more.

Yeah, I am not sure. This is my first RC cruise in a few years so it will be my first experience with the drink package. That brochure I posted was from the previous poster who said he was charged gratuity and then was subsequently told he should not have been. (I have no clue either way)

Does the cost of soda change very often?

 

We're thinking of waiting to buy the soda package until we're on board (for DH only) . Main reason was stated above as we are Canadian so we're better to use our OBC and pay the USD amount (since exchange when purchasing OBC is much better than paying the CAD amount already converted).

 

So if we find that the soda package has gone up from the $8 o4 $8.50 a day, then we can skip the package and just pay a-la-carte for each drink. But if the soda can cost goes up too by a lot, then we'll still be paying more.

It's only gone up from $7.67 (including tip) to $8.00 around 6 months ago. Before that, the price had not changed for years.

It's only gone up from $7.67 (including tip) to $8.00 around 6 months ago. Before that, the price had not changed for years.

Thanks Bob.

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

Your on board info may be old. I sailed 12/12 on Anthem and purchased on board. Gratuities were included. It was the same price in advance or on board.

The scanned copy of the on board flyer came from the 12/27/2015 sailing on Anthem, so it is from after your trip.

What bothers me is that the RCI website continues to advertise that gratuities are included. I expect a company to honor their published prices for their goods and services.

I'm very disappointed in being charged another 18% gratuity because I chose to use my OBC instead of purchasing it ahead of time.

I have done both-purchased online pre-cruise and purchased on the ships. I have never paid more/less either way. They are always exactly the same price regardless of how I purchase them.

 

What bothers me is that the RCI website continues to advertise that gratuities are included. I expect a company to honor their published prices for their goods and services.

I don't disagree with the emotion of what you're saying. However, this came from the website today:

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/beverage_packages.pdf

At the bottom "prices subject to change without notice" pretty much covers them.

I will say this: my experience on NCL was buy in advance or pay $5 per day more on board-- I felt at least they were upfront about it. The thing that bugs me about this is that they aren't even acknowledging it and being more sneaky about how they are implementing pricing.

You can still budget and manage your money without giving it to the cruise line in advance. Just put the same money away periodically and then either buy OBC for the cruise, or pay it after the cruise.

 

The psychological part is not the budgeting and managing, it's the part about giving the money to the cruise line rather than keeping it yourself.

This is true, but I attempt to take advantage and maximize points offered from my CC. Then what points I can for flight & hotel. It doesn't work every time though.

I'm very disappointed in being charged another 18% gratuity because I chose to use my OBC instead of purchasing it ahead of time.

I guess I'm confused. How is it another 18% grautity? Wouldn't it be the only gratuity paid?

I guess I'm confused. How is it another 18% grautity? Wouldn't it be the only gratuity paid?

It seems if you purchase online it's $57.00 per day total (includes gratuity) for the premium package.

If you purchase onboard it's $57.00 per day plus gratuity.

It seems if you purchase online it's $57.00 per day total (includes gratuity) for the premium package.

If you purchase onboard it's $57.00 per day plus gratuity.

Got it. Thanks for clearing that up. We've always bought on-line and we'll do it again as well. Prices and/or the marketing program may very well change as they are experimenting w/ different pricing/days etc for the drink coupons.

We have purchased beforehand because we prefer to pay for things up front. I have had end of cruise bills over a thousand bucks because of drink packages (yes, I know some have spent wayyyy more than that LOL), but when I save ahead of time and buy it in advance, my end of cruise bill has been minimal. I think it's just depends on preference.

We are sailing on the Navigator soon and would like to hear from someone who has sailed recently and bought the pkg onboard. Were you charged the additional 18% over the online price? I want to use OBC but not sure if I want to pay 18% more to do so.

Thank you

Anything you buy online (except for a la carte restaurants) is charged immediately.

They charged me immediately for my restaurants.

They charged me immediately for my restaurants.

They cannot charge you for a la carte restaurants because they don't know how much you will spend. Only cover charge restaurants are prepaid.

We have purchased beforehand because we prefer to pay for things up front. I have had end of cruise bills over a thousand bucks because of drink packages (yes, I know some have spent wayyyy more than that LOL), but when I save ahead of time and buy it in advance, my end of cruise bill has been minimal. I think it's just depends on preference.

Yes, some prefer the psychological benefits is pre-paying, but the I think the question is if it is actually cheaper to pre-pay and that is where we are running into conflicting stories.

Some are reporting it is no difference in price whatsoever when you book, while someone else is reporting (and provides on board literature from last month) that shows it can be more. And some are reporting it MIGHT be a few dollars more, but nothing substantial.

I think to summarize what I got out of this is that it will most likely be the same price, but if it is more expensive it will be substantial (like and additional $10 per day) and if it is cheaper it will only be maybe $2 per day. So if you know you are getting the package and are willing to spend the $57 (for premium), it is probably best to buy it up front from a financial standpoint. If you are only going to buy it if it is cheaper than $57 per day, then wait till you board and see what the offer is.

yea, I wish there was some rhyme or reason there. We did prepay one platinum package on our last cruise and I also paid for a platinum package once on board and the price ended up being the same for us (Liberty of the Seas, Oct 2015)

Yes, some prefer the psychological benefits is pre-paying, but the I think the question is if it is actually cheaper to pre-pay and that is where we are running into conflicting stories.

 

 

 

Some are reporting it is no difference in price whatsoever when you book, while someone else is reporting (and provides on board literature from last month) that shows it can be more. And some are reporting it MIGHT be a few dollars more, but nothing substantial.

 

 

 

I think to summarize what I got out of this is that it will most likely be the same price, but if it is more expensive it will be substantial (like and additional $10 per day) and if it is cheaper it will only be maybe $2 per day. So if you know you are getting the package and are willing to spend the $57 (for premium), it is probably best to buy it up front from a financial standpoint. If you are only going to buy it if it is cheaper than $57 per day, then wait till you board and see what the offer is.

I would absolutely prepay if I wasn't planning to use OBC.

if you pre purchase one package but change your mind once onboard, can you upgrade your package?

if you pre purchase one package but change your mind once onboard, can you upgrade your package?

Yes, but they may require you to have at least 4 days left in the cruise.

We are sailing on the Navigator soon and would like to hear from someone who has sailed recently and bought the pkg onboard. Were you charged the additional 18% over the online price? I want to use OBC but not sure if I want to pay 18% more to do so.

 

 

 

Thank you

The price online includes gratuities.