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Any reviews on drinks package?


Vizeman
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Hi Folks,

As the title suggests. Can anyone back from the recent Azura cruise where P&O trialled the drinks package have any opinions on it? How did it fair? Good? Bad? I’m interested to know please.

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Drink package was sold off of a table outside Sindu for about 2 hours on day 2. I was around that area for about 25 mins and did not see anyone buy it, enquire about it or take any interest in it.

IMHO I believe that P & O are trialling it under pressure from Carnival but they really don't want much to do with it, nor I believe, do the passengers.

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Drink package was sold off of a table outside Sindu for about 2 hours on day 2. I was around that area for about 25 mins and did not see anyone buy it, enquire about it or take any interest in it.

IMHO I believe that P & O are trialling it under pressure from Carnival but they really don't want much to do with it, nor I believe, do the passengers.

 

 

 

I do! 🤪

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I dont see what the hassel is in purchasing drinks as you go as it ends up on your credit card at the end of the cruise whichever way you do it and unless you are a very serious, heavy drinker then it would take some doing to purchase drinks that will cost £1100 for a couple on a 14nt cruise.

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Drink package was sold off of a table outside Sindu for about 2 hours on day 2. I was around that area for about 25 mins and did not see anyone buy it, enquire about it or take any interest in it.

IMHO I believe that P & O are trialling it under pressure from Carnival but they really don't want much to do with it, nor I believe, do the passengers.

 

I agree👍🏻 Well not at that price anyway.

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I dont see what the hassel is in purchasing drinks as you go as it ends up on your credit card at the end of the cruise whichever way you do it and unless you are a very serious, heavy drinker then it would take some doing to purchase drinks that will cost £1100 for a couple on a 14nt cruise.

I was thinking the very same.

Hassel, what hassel :confused:

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Ok maybe hassle is the wrong word but have used the packages on Celebrity and RCL and just find it easier to know what my bill is beforehand. It’s quite easy to spend that amount with coffees, drinks around the pool, pre-dinner, with dinner and after dinner and without really trying.

I know a few P&O diehards seem to have an aversion the packages but it’s an option not compulsory.

Cheers

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Ok maybe hassle is the wrong word but have used the packages on Celebrity and RCL and just find it easier to know what my bill is beforehand. It’s quite easy to spend that amount with coffees, drinks around the pool, pre-dinner, with dinner and after dinner and without really trying.

I know a few P&O diehards seem to have an aversion the packages but it’s an option not compulsory.

Cheers

Fair enough, but have you checked out the on board bar prices on P&O they are way lower than some/most other cruise lines.

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Ok maybe hassle is the wrong word but have used the packages on Celebrity and RCL and just find it easier to know what my bill is beforehand. It’s quite easy to spend that amount with coffees, drinks around the pool, pre-dinner, with dinner and after dinner and without really trying.

I know a few P&O diehards seem to have an aversion the packages but it’s an option not compulsory.

Cheers

 

Would never reach that much daily even taking into account coffees, drinks around the pool on sea days which means you would have to drink in excess of £80 to take into account sea days where you are off the ship and perhaps only need pre dinner drinks, wine with dinner possible followed by a brandy and then drinks in the evening. On port days cannot see me personally reaching anywhere near £80 per day so would have to drink well in excess on sea days to make up for loss.

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Okay lets get this in perspective. I drink a lot and my good lady doesn't drink as much. We like a couple of beers at lunch time a couple of drinks before dinner and then a nice bottle of wine with dinner followed by, for me a nice malt whisky or cognac to end the evening. However the bottle of wine and the high priced brandy and whisky will not be included in the drinks package. Much as I like my booze at P&O's current prices I would be hard pushed to drink £40 worth a day and my missus will not drink anything like that.

 

In January we are off on Ventura for a month TA and Caribbean. At £80 per day that's over £2000 for the drinks bill....I don't think so.

 

By all accounts if P&O decide to raise their prices to Cunard's level then that might make the package palatable, however they might also loose quite a few customers!!

 

Peter and Jenny

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Okay lets get this in perspective. I drink a lot and my good lady doesn't drink as much. We like a couple of beers at lunch time a couple of drinks before dinner and then a nice bottle of wine with dinner followed by, for me a nice malt whisky or cognac to end the evening. However the bottle of wine and the high priced brandy and whisky will not be included in the drinks package. Much as I like my booze at P&O's current prices I would be hard pushed to drink £40 worth a day and my missus will not drink anything like that.

 

In January we are off on Ventura for a month TA and Caribbean. At £80 per day that's over £2000 for the drinks bill....I don't think so.

 

By all accounts if P&O decide to raise their prices to Cunard's level then that might make the package palatable, however they might also loose quite a few customers!!

 

Peter and Jenny

We are in a similar situation regarding our typical drink requirements and agree with your conclusion in that the current drinks package would not be good value for us and indeed probably most other P&O cruisers.

Just wondering if others that appear to like the idea of the P&O drinks package are comparing it with the likes of Cunard’s prices in which case it probably is good value.

Let hope P&O don’t have any plans to increase their prices any time soon otherwise we will all be worse off and for some the term “Be Careful What You Wish For” would be relevant.:(

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I have only cruised with P&O once, earlier this year and will be sailing with them again in November, based upon my first experience (and bar bill, including soft drinks, water and coffee) I will be tempted to buy the drinks package, although some of the silly rules and limits are putting me off. But as I said on a different thread, at least they are offering a choice, if you don't want it you don't have to have it.

 

I have sailed on 3 other Cruise Lines and only had a drinks package once before and I definitely saved money.

 

All cruise lines have advantages and disadvantages, we felt that on P&O we were paying for things all the time, on other cruise lines soft drinks are included at dinner for instance, or available at a drinks station by the buffet, but the base cruise price is higher.

 

The biggest issue I had with P&O Bars was the service, compared to all three other cruise lines the bar service was no where near as good or attentive, but I guess that is because they are not working for tips.

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Even if I could drink my preferred drink, Anderson’s perfect serve, I could not see me getting up to the required £40 per day and as my wife drinks less than me it would be a total waste.

 

 

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Even if I could drink my preferred drink, Anderson’s perfect serve, I could not see me getting up to the required £40 per day and as my wife drinks less than me it would be a total waste.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

As I said on the other thread about the Drinks Package, we drink Perfect Serves as well and it is not eligible because it is a double and because the FT tonic is not eligible. Also I don't think that wine by the glass would be a success on a P&O drinks package.

 

I assume you can use OBC to buy a DP but if not that is another reason not to get one.

 

I think we are spoilt by the Celebrity DP's - there is nothing that we want that we cannot have as part of the DP and wine is constantly being topped up at dinner.

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For a start I think they need to look at all the T&C’s.

Namely:

1. All in cabin need to buy it. This stops a lot of people purchasing it IMHO.

2. No doubles. If they limit you to 15 drinks anyway what does it matter.

3. 15 minutes between drinks. Again if you’re limited to 15 drinks.

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As I said on the other thread about the Drinks Package, we drink Perfect Serves as well and it is not eligible because it is a double and because the FT tonic is not eligible. Also I don't think that wine by the glass would be a success on a P&O drinks package.

 

I assume you can use OBC to buy a DP but if not that is another reason not to get one.

 

I think we are spoilt by the Celebrity DP's - there is nothing that we want that we cannot have as part of the DP and wine is constantly being topped up at dinner.

 

I have yet to cruise of Celebrity, our good friends did and said that their Drinks Package is outstanding.

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The biggest issue I had with P&O Bars was the service, compared to all three other cruise lines the bar service was no where near as good or attentive, but I guess that is because they are not working for tips.

 

The waiting staff are working for tips, the price you pay includes two elements, a service charge for the waiter and a service charge for the barman / bar lady. This is why, if you go to the bar directly, the barman will inevitably serve you through a waiter. This is why all the bar staff are excluded from the gratuity system.

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The Celebrity Premium package is excellent, however only when as part of a last minute deal you get enough OBC to upgrade from the already included Classic package, which IMHO is a rip off if it has to be paid for as the Classic package has more small print than an insurance policy.

 

The reason AI drinks work on these lines is because the individual drinks prices are extortionate. A small bottle of Stella on Celebrity was $9 and this wasn't the most expensive beer.

 

Premium G&T, such as Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks, despite being huge measures, is well into double figures. Bottle to them less than 10 dollars.

 

The single Malt I was drinking was similarly priced.

 

When you are paying high prices it is easy to work out how few drinks you need to buy to be in credit, but its a mind trick.

 

In reality the cruise line is making plenty on the deal because the drinks package price easily covers their wholesale costs.

 

As P&O bar prices are reasonable, the package has to be expensive as their drinks margin is much lower.

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The Celebrity Premium package is excellent, however only when as part of a last minute deal you get enough OBC to upgrade from the already included Classic package, which IMHO is a rip off if it has to be paid for as the Classic package has more small print than an insurance policy.

 

The reason AI drinks work on these lines is because the individual drinks prices are extortionate. A small bottle of Stella on Celebrity was $9 and this wasn't the most expensive beer.

 

Premium G&T, such as Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks, despite being huge measures, is well into double figures. Bottle to them less than 10 dollars.

 

The single Malt I was drinking was similarly priced.

 

When you are paying high prices it is easy to work out how few drinks you need to buy to be in credit, but its a mind trick.

 

In reality the cruise line is making plenty on the deal because the drinks package price easily covers their wholesale costs.

 

As P&O bar prices are reasonable, the package has to be expensive as their drinks margin is much lower.

 

Totally agree about having Premium over Classic which doesn't cover any decent wine by glass or the nicer drinks such as Martinis.

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