All Inclusive?

[ROSEBASKETS]

RCI sailings from the UK are trying out an all inclusive drinks package for sailings this year. What I would call the standard package, house beer, wines, spirits and cocktails is to be charged at $39 pppd

 

Would you take up this package if P&O offered it?

 

Assuming that you are a couple (and you have both to take out the package if in the same cabin) would you be willing to pay an extra £680 for a fortnights drinks?

 

(I guess soft drinks would be included as well, though the CC article did not state this)

 

Personally, we couldn't drink £680 worth of alochol in a fortnight without inducing a coma, but then again we only have 21 units each per year!:eek:

[feebee_71]

Hi Rosebaskets,

 

Using a minimum of $1.5/£1 I worked it out to be £368 per person for a 14 night cruise so over £700 for a couple. That seems a hell of a lot of money. Can many people say they drink more than £26 worth of drinks per person a day?

 

Unless they are having expensive wines at dinner every night and sipping bottles of champagne through the day I can't see that many will spend that much each.

 

Feebee_71

[ROSEBASKETS]

Hi Rosebaskets,

 

Using a minimum of $1.5/£1 I worked it out to be £368 per person for a 14 night cruise so over £700 for a couple. That seems a hell of a lot of money. Can many people say they drink more than £26 worth of drinks per person a day?

 

Unless they are having expensive wines at dinner every night and sipping bottles of champagne through the day I can't see that many will spend that much each.

 

Feebee_71

 

I worked it out on todays xe rate and if you want expensive wine or named "premium" drinks just add another additional $280 (£150) for the fortnight:eek::eek::eek: For that price I'd want George Clooney and Beyonce serving the drinks

[dj_spud]

It's nice to have a "few" drinks but with paying such a large amount I would wan't to get my money's worth. But i wouldn't want to spend most of the cruise p!ssed or even hungover!! I would stick to pay as you go.

 

Any one think that these packages will cause trouble? It's encourging people to drink excessively!

[William Dean]

I worked it out on todays xe rate and if you want expensive wine or named "premium" drinks just add another additional $280 (£150) for the fortnight:eek::eek::eek:

 

It does rather depend on your definition of expensive wine. We drink very little wine in a year, but do go a bit wild on board ship in terms of quality - but not quantity.

 

I like the idea of prepayment in some ways, but do think that it is a dangerous thing to do - and when one realises the sheer weight of postings regarding smuggling booze onto RCCI ships, I do wonder how long their offer will last.

 

WD

[tom_uk]

No, I wouldn't. We've been on Celebrity Solstice when they were doing something very similar and we decided to not do it.

 

The problem is that the scheme is very inflexible:

a) it's only for drinks for the named individual; you can't buy a drink under the scheme for anyone else;

b) there are these cut-off points (price of the wine, etc) which means that every now and then you'll want a drink that isn't included in the package; and

c) it assumes that you'll be drinking the same amount every day. During a cruise I deliberately vary my drinking: on some days I'll drink quite a bit and enjoy it, but on other days I'll have sober days. On the Solstice cruise I had two such in succession, just to take a break from (frankly) too much drinking in the few days previously. Having non-drinking days makes it very hard to get your money's worth out of the scheme.

 

What I do like is P&O's wine packages: half-a-dozen wines by the bottle at a slight saving. You can have the bottles whichever night you want them.

[jeanlyon]

Definitely not. We usually havew 2 drinks each before dinner and then either a carafe of wine or a bottle with dinner. Our last drinks bill was about £280 between us.

[jodanuke]

We only spent around £700 for 2 weeks in the Caribbean last month, including 4 trips. As we took our own spirits.

[kevinyork]

Think we are not comparing like with like as P&Os prices are so reasonable so an AI packages seems less attractive. However RCI drinks prices are much higher. You would only need to be drinking a pint of beer and a couple of glasses of house wine per day before the AI package would make it better value.

 

Also,some people like to be able to budget so a fixed AI package may suit.

 

Its interesting RCI have introduced this on the ships most likely to have Brits onboard so it looks like they have recognised that drinks pricing is the single most criticised aspect of an RCI cruise as far as British passengers are concerned.

[cruiseanywhere2]

We have taken the package ona thomson ship and as it includes coffees, soft drinks, mocktails and cocktails we have found it good value, however we have never paid this much for it. It may work as one of the things that put me off RCI is the price of drinks and the 15% surcharge, only time will tell.

[u2cruiser]

RCI sailings from the UK are trying out an all inclusive drinks package for sailings this year. What I would call the standard package, house beer, wines, spirits and cocktails is to be charged at $39 pppd

 

Would you take up this package if P&O offered it?

 

Assuming that you are a couple (and you have both to take out the package if in the same cabin) would you be willing to pay an extra £680 for a fortnights drinks?

 

(I guess soft drinks would be included as well, though the CC article did not state this)

 

Personally, we couldn't drink £680 worth of alochol in a fortnight without inducing a coma, but then again we only have 21 units each per year!:eek:

 

Is this price inclusive of gratuities? On Celebrity there's 15% gratuities on top of the package prices.

[angiebabes]

Sorry everyone!! but that sounds a bargain to me! We love cocktails all day when we are not on trips and lots of lovely wine and bubbly in the eveing! I wont tell what we spent on our last cruise but it was alot and well worth it!!! Thats what we save up for and enjoy! hic !

Angie

x

[u2cruiser]

No, I wouldn't. We've been on Celebrity Solstice when they were doing something very similar and we decided to not do it.

 

The problem is that the scheme is very inflexible:

a) it's only for drinks for the named individual; you can't buy a drink under the scheme for anyone else;

b) there are these cut-off points (price of the wine, etc) which means that every now and then you'll want a drink that isn't included in the package; and

c) it assumes that you'll be drinking the same amount every day. During a cruise I deliberately vary my drinking: on some days I'll drink quite a bit and enjoy it, but on other days I'll have sober days. On the Solstice cruise I had two such in succession, just to take a break from (frankly) too much drinking in the few days previously. Having non-drinking days makes it very hard to get your money's worth out of the scheme.

 

What I do like is P&O's wine packages: half-a-dozen wines by the bottle at a slight saving. You can have the bottles whichever night you want them.

 

Tom, we're on Equinox soon and have been considering the drinks package, but the total for a 14 day cruise is almost £1000 for 2 for a fortnight if you buy the premium package. :eek: That is an obscene amount for drinks isn't it? Yet when we work out roughly our daily drinks (not all alcoholic), they soon add up to the package price. The package doesn't include room service drinks either.

 

Did you find you were thinking twice about having drinks with the high prices compared to P&O?

[ROSEBASKETS]

Is this price inclusive of gratuities? On Celebrity there's 15% gratuities on top of the package prices.

 

The article I read was at http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4412

[u2cruiser]

The article I read was at http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4412

 

hmm.... doesn't mention gratuities, but I suspect they will be added on to those prices just as they are on Celebrity.

[Invincible]

On Constellaion last October we thought the drinks packages expensive and didn't have any, but the drinks were very expensive, I got a can of Boddingtons that anyone could buy in a local convenience store or supermarket for around 75p and paid $6 +15% service charge +VAT, I know you expect to pay more as you would in a bar or restaurant but I found that excessive.

 

P&O prices from when we were on Ventura last year are much more reasonable a reflection of this is how busy the bars are compared to some American cruise lines (yes I do know P&O is American owned)

[u2cruiser]

On Constellaion last October we thought the drinks packages expensive and didn't have any, but the drinks were very expensive, I got a can of Boddingtons that anyone could buy in a local convenience store or supermarket for around 75p and paid $6 +15% service charge +VAT, I know you expect to pay more as you would in a bar or restaurant but I found that excessive.

 

P&O prices from when we were on Ventura last year are much more reasonable a reflection of this is how busy the bars are compared to some American cruise lines (yes I do know P&O is American owned)

 

It makes me wonder how P&O maintain their drinks prices. It spoils you for any other cruiseline after going with P&O. :(

 

Plus VAT Invincible?

[jeanlyon]

Have to agree. Won't be going on an RCI - too big for us anyway.

[Single Cruiser]

Well on my first day on IoS a round of drinks (5 spirits and mixers) came to about £20 and we had a far few rounds..

 

I wish they had offered that package in December I would have saved some money!! :D

[ROSEBASKETS]

Well on my first day on IoS a round of drinks (5 spirits and mixers) came to about £20 and we had a far few rounds..

 

I wish they had offered that package in December I would have saved some money!! :D

 

You can't buy a round on this deal Craig unless everyone buys the package :eek::eek:

 

If the ships are sailing out of England like IOS then they should use £'s, I guess most of the passengers are British and would appriciate the change, plus everyone would know exactly what they are paying.

 

If RCI/ IOS gets it's Boddingtons direct from the supplier in the UK they will be paying about 25p per can, at $6 per can that's one hell of a mark up:eek::eek:

[Single Cruiser]

I think my pints were about $7 each. I also had a soda card. The cola symbol on the card meant they didn't record the transaction to my card. If it was the same for alcohol there is nothing to stop you from going back to another waiter or bar and ordering a second drink. So with one on the package two people. I.e order a bottle of wine with two glasses. One card then when bottle is drunk order a second...

 

Should add that on iOS the prices INCLUDE the 15% tip. They changed it to meet Brits req the same as sticking kettles in the staterooms.

[u2cruiser]

I think my pints were about $7 each. I also had a soda card. The cola symbol on the card meant they didn't record the transaction to my card. If it was the same for alcohol there is nothing to stop you from going back to another waiter or bar and ordering a second drink. So with one on the package two people. I.e order a bottle of wine with two glasses. One card then when bottle is drunk order a second...

 

From what I've read on the Celebrity board (I'm researching this topic like crazy :p), cards are swiped and all the drinks transactions from the package appear on your account. There was mention of only being allowed to purchase a second drink after a time lapse of 10 minutes and they are very strict on their no sharing policy. I'm just repeating what has been posted and don't know this for fact.

 

I also understand that wine is by the glass only, though on occasions in the MDR the wine waiter will bring the whole bottle and leave it by your table for him to use for refills. Some people complained that they found it difficult to get refills in the MDR, whilst some said they had no problems with that. I would be very upset indeed if I had paid so much and had problems. For almost a thousand pounds I'd require an intravenous drip! :D

[dthompsond1]

We stopped sailing on RCI because of the high drinks prices (for us the ship is the destination as we have done many of the ports already). We did Celebrity Eclipse last year and the drinks package saved us a fortune and it may tempt us back to RCI. A couple of G&T's during the day, a pre dinner cocktail, wine with dinner, a couple of cocktails after dinner and a night cap and you are quids in. Going on P and O (Oceana) in October for the first time so will see how our bar bill compares. Dennis

[tom_uk]

Tom, we're on Equinox soon and have been considering the drinks package, but the total for a 14 day cruise is almost £1000 for 2 for a fortnight if you buy the premium package. :eek: That is an obscene amount for drinks isn't it? Yet when we work out roughly our daily drinks (not all alcoholic), they soon add up to the package price. The package doesn't include room service drinks either.

 

Did you find you were thinking twice about having drinks with the high prices compared to P&O?

 

Sorry, just noticed your reply.

 

Yes we did start moderating what we drank. In addition to the non-drinking days that I had, we also generally didn't have casual drinks during the day - just too expensive. $7 or $8 + 15% for a glass of wine was just too much to buy drinks casually. In the MDR especially we didn't drink much. Some nights we had a bottle of wine (which always seemed to work out at somewhere in the mid-$30s, at least, sometimes more) but other nights we just had a glass. Wine by the glass seemed to be more expensive in the MDR than in the bars - a more expensive selection rather than more for the same wine.

[u2cruiser]

Sorry, just noticed your reply.

 

Yes we did start moderating what we drank. In addition to the non-drinking days that I had, we also generally didn't have casual drinks during the day - just too expensive. $7 or $8 + 15% for a glass of wine was just too much to buy drinks casually. In the MDR especially we didn't drink much. Some nights we had a bottle of wine (which always seemed to work out at somewhere in the mid-$30s, at least, sometimes more) but other nights we just had a glass. Wine by the glass seemed to be more expensive in the MDR than in the bars - a more expensive selection rather than more for the same wine.

 

This is what worries me. We have 8 sea days during the cruise, when a glass of wine with lunch and a beer or 2 would be most welcome, but at those prices I'm sure we'll think twice. We didn't do too badly on Princess, but Celebrity's prices are even higher aren't they?

 

We have decided to see how we go for the first 2 days, then buy the package if we find we're going over the daily rate anyway, but we don't want to feel we have got to drink more to get our money's worth if that makes sense?

 

P&O definitely costs a lot less overall. :(