My Awesome Bar Package- Tried it, LOVED it!

[amybear912]

The fact that both DH and I would have to purchase the program is a huge turn off for me...

 

DH doesn't drink... I would get my money's worth...

 

It's a shame that no thought was given to this scenario...

[ohiogymrat]

The fact that both DH and I would have to purchase the program is a huge turn off for me...

 

DH doesn't drink... I would get my money's worth...

 

It's a shame that no thought was given to this scenario...

 

More thought was given to the fact that many would share with the spouse if only one in the room had to pay.

Carnival just wants pax to have some skin in the game.

[Spudder]

Once on board, where do you buy the program? At guest services or at one of the bars?

 

BTW: Sunmist thank you for posting the information....

[Crusin Karen]

Once on board, where do you buy the program? At guest services or at one of the bars?

 

BTW: Sunmist thank you for posting the information....

I'd like to know this too. I think IF we decided to do this on the Splendor in May, or the Miracle in Feb if it turns fleetwide, I would order this on the 2nd day of the cruise. TIA

[mickide]

It would be awesome if they had this on the Freedom by the time we sail on November 3! Does any body know the timetable for roll-out to the entire fleet?

 

Oh I hope this is available on the Freedom in February when I sail...however, I'm not sure my bestie would go for it, I tend to drink more than her!

[RUBBER DUCK]

Here's my take on the whole thing:

 

#1-seems a lot of people haven't even read the entire description of the package, just other people's panicked remarks.

 

If it's in a trial period, they can (and probably will) make some changes to see how things work out. The 15 drink thing might have been a limit at the start, but then flexed into a flag for the bartenders to use judgement. That number isn't a maximum, if they think you're too far at 12, they can say no. Just like any bar here in the states.

 

As for the cost, if it's a good deal then it's a good deal. Some people dont drink much. They're better off doing it one by one. Some smuggle it in. Some figure with the cost of a soda card and the virgin drinks it might be a wash, but no worrying about thier car being overcharged or tips being changed.

 

If it's a deal for you, but your cabin mate would lose money, then don't do it. Sometimes things aren't the best deal.

 

Personally, I would like to get a bloody mary in the morning, but the cost keeps me from doing it. I usually have a couple beers in the late morning and afternoon, though sometimes I have soda. I have a drink while waiting for dinner (early seating) or maybe 2 for late. I might have a couple beers after dinner too. I think it's a wash for me, with the occasional "free drink" if I get past the break even point.

 

The big bonus for me and my wife is the chance to try different drinks without the cost penalty if we don't like them. We don't cruise on a tight budget, but my wife has a hard time spending $8 for a drink she might not like. I don't generally go from beer to frozen drinks and back too often, so me drinking it isn't an option.

 

For some it's a good deal, for others it's not.

[AdrenalineRush]

Here's my take on the whole thing:

 

#1-seems a lot of people haven't even read the entire description of the package, just other people's panicked remarks.

 

If it's in a trial period, they can (and probably will) make some changes to see how things work out. The 15 drink thing might have been a limit at the start, but then flexed into a flag for the bartenders to use judgement.

 

Except the 15 drink maximum per day has been in place since last month on victory and also on splendor last week.

 

The only mention of a red flag was by john heald. When people are buying the package they are told it's a maximum of 15.

The person that bought it on splendor last week saw 3 passengers that reached the 15 drink limit told they could not get another drink. So things sound pretty consistent on the ships so far.

[wiskt]

Hi All,

 

So I just got off the Splendor this past Sunday and signed up for My Awesome Bar Package. Let me just say how much I LOVED this package.

 

It was so nice not having to worry about how much money I was spending on drinks throughout the week. It was awesome trying all the different drinks I would probably not try if I had to pay drink by drink. It was great not having to go down to my room to get the booze I smuggled (BTW all my booze got taken away on this cruise).

 

We never hit the limit of 15 drinks, but we definitely drank enough to make it completely worth it. We had 12 people in our group and we all bought the card and we all loved it!

 

I really hope Carnival makes My Awesome Bar Package fleetwide. I will be sad if I have to sail next year without it!

 

 

This would of been helpful if you actually posted what it was and cost?

[DaytonCruiser]

This would of been helpful if you actually posted what it was and cost?

 

There have been soooo many posts about it, the OP probably guessed those interested either knew about it or saw one of the other posts about the program.

[Cruise Cat]

Limit?

 

Hi All,

 

So I just got off the Splendor this past Sunday and signed up for My Awesome Bar Package. Let me just say how much I LOVED this package.

 

It was so nice not having to worry about how much money I was spending on drinks throughout the week. It was awesome trying all the different drinks I would probably not try if I had to pay drink by drink. It was great not having to go down to my room to get the booze I smuggled (BTW all my booze got taken away on this cruise).

 

We never hit the limit of 15 drinks, but we definitely drank enough to make it completely worth it. We had 12 people in our group and we all bought the card and we all loved it!

 

I really hope Carnival makes My Awesome Bar Package fleetwide. I will be sad if I have to sail next year without it!

[spikester]

Coke's don't count if they don't have alcohol, but I understand your problem because I am also a night owl. I'll sleep when I'm dead or at home. If you don't sleep much on a cruise, reaching 15 is not that hard.

 

On most ships, the last bar closes at 4. Don't ask my why I know this.:p

 

I am always up late too. Up on lido at 3a.....i guess that is when you make sure to bring onsome wine or a bottle to drink earlier...lol...

[alreadypacked]

I've just got on here after awhile away and this is the first I've heard of this. Please know I've tried to read this thread to understand the program, but it's confusing.

 

I'm on the Conquest on May 5, 2013. The drink program: $42.50/day per person, but if you have two adults in your cabin, each one has to purchase it? So it's basically $300 pp for a 7 day cruise? I'm up for it, but my roommate is a lightweight.

 

Insight please? Thanks.

 

That's our dilemma too. My sister and I like to drink, but our roommate (pax 3 in our cabin) doesn't. She won't even pay for bottled water.

 

My sister and I went to the beach with her recently after having not seen her in a while due to work schedules, so I was telling her about the new drinks program and the rule about everyone in the cabin having to buy.

 

As I suspected, she was like, "42.95 a day! No way!"

 

Seems to me though, that Carnival would still rather have the $700 from my sister and me, than worry we might share with the 3rd roommate. Actually it would be 395.14pp (790.28 for the 2 of us), as we are going on an 8 day.

 

On Celebrity last year, I got the drinks package and DH, who isn't much of a drinker anyway, didn't (Plus, his doc had lowered the boom about his weight and health so DH, who had already lost some weight before sailing, was continuing his healthier eating and avoiding alcohol even on the cruise) and no one said a word.

[SNJCruisers]

There are a couple of wines that are more than $10/glass

I just looked at the list on and saw 1 chardonnay listed for over 10 bucks....

[DaytonCruiser]

I just looked at the list on and saw 1 chardonnay listed for over 10 bucks....

 

This is the wine by glass menu for the dining room, it lists 3 over $10, but Im almost positive on the ship the list is much more extensive.

 

https://www.goccl.com/irman/bookccl/shipboard_knowledge/winebytheglass.pdf

[cruisinJenF]

I also just got off the Splendor and we purchased it.

 

I will say it was nice to not have to keep a mental tally on how high my bar bill was but I honestly wouldn't do it again. The first few days we hit it hard and got our money's worth. Port days were a loss since we only drank those days at dinner and the comedy shows if we didn't drop from exhaustion from the days activities. The last few days we were sick of drinking so it wasn't to appealing anymore.

 

We were only charged tax in Long Beach on each drink.

 

Did NOT include bottled water.

 

Bartenders were flocking to us, I think we actually got better service than those paying per drink.

 

Each drink shows as a $0.00 on my LONG sail and sign bill. I kept the receipts so after I unpack I am going to add it all and see if we broke even.

 

For us it was really convenient- but I don't believe it saved us anything. I think we actually lost money. I will update after I add it all this week :)

 

PS- Such a GREAT GREAT cruise. Loved every minute, it was perfect!

[SNJCruisers]

This is the wine by glass menu for the dining room, it lists 3 over $10, but Im almost positive on the ship the list is much more extensive.

 

https://www.goccl.com/irman/bookccl/shipboard_knowledge/winebytheglass.pdf

My information was from the actual bar list on zydecocruiser, which has a download of the actual bar menu from Carnival. Since I am not a wine drinker anyway, I would not care how many wines were over 10 bucks.

 

http://zydecocruiser.net/Carnival-Bar-Menu/CarnivalCruiseBarMenu.htm

[beerman2]

It would be worth it to me as I enjoy a Martini b/4 dinner, so I'd probably have at least one more with dinner, maybe 2 so there so 30.00 right there.

 

I have found that I enjoy Bon Voyage also so it would be interesting to weigh the options.

[DaytonCruiser]

My information was from the actual bar list on zydecocruiser, which has a download of the actual bar menu from Carnival. Since I am not a wine drinker anyway, I would not care how many wines were over 10 bucks.

 

http://zydecocruiser.net/Carnival-Bar-Menu/CarnivalCruiseBarMenu.htm

 

If you arent a wine drinker, its puzzling why you would offer up info on wines :) The majority of wine drinkers, consume their wine during dinner.

 

Also since this program is on Breeze now, we have to add the Red frog rum bar

http://www.carnival.com/onboard/bars-lounges/~/media/CCLUS/Images/pdf/RedFrogRumBarmenupdf.ashx

 

and Blue Iguana menu

http://www.carnival.com/onboard/bars-lounges/~/media/CCLUS/Images/pdf/BlueIguanaTBarmenupdf.ashx

 

So lets not get fixated on just one menu, when discussing this program. Its new, so its best if we can get accurate information out there, which will help fellow cruisers interested in the program.

[DaytonCruiser]

I also just got off the Splendor and we purchased it.

 

 

 

Bartenders were flocking to us, I think we actually got better service than those paying per drink.

 

 

 

PS- Such a GREAT GREAT cruise. Loved every minute, it was perfect!

Thanks for sharing! It almost sounds like Carnival is giving the bartenders/waiters some special incentive to serve awesome bar program pax. The other pax on Splendor that purchased the program said the same thing about service.

[hollygirl2004]

Ditto!! I want this on the Valor for my Nov. 4 sailing!!!

 

 

I agree... I want this.. We are sailing on the Valor Oct 7th and I would buy this!!!

[drolltroll]

Get the package. I am off the Fascination this past Saturday and one Muay Thai (spelling) and one frozen margarita was almost $19. Glad I had my Crown from bon voyage!!!

[cruising mickey]

Yeah, you could get any drink you want...thats under $10, but there are only a handful of drinks that are above $10 (mostly expensive wines). You just aren't able to get any of the souvenir cups.

 

Also, you're able to get sodas with the card, so you don't have to buy a soda card either, which is great.

 

Just needing a point of clarification - don't need to sound confusing or dumb, but I'm having a brain freeze. Is there a maximum amount of drinks per day you can have and is soda totally unlimited?

 

Thanks:D

[klmorg]

Another question... one of the (many) restrictions says that it doesn't include drinks in specialty cups... Does this include the Drinks of the Day served (on some ships) in those plastic hurricane cups? Gotta have my Funship specials on sailaway day. Thanks!

[RUBBER DUCK]

Except the 15 drink maximum per day has been in place since last month on victory and also on splendor last week.

 

The only mention of a red flag was by john heald. When people are buying the package they are told it's a maximum of 15.

The person that bought it on splendor last week saw 3 passengers that reached the 15 drink limit told they could not get another drink. So things sound pretty consistent on the ships so far.

 

Scan of the flier, no limit mentioned.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1698426&highlight=awesome+bar

 

more than likely, it is a hiccup as the bartenders learn the program with the rest of us.

[AdrenalineRush]

Scan of the flier, no limit mentioned.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1698426&highlight=awesome+bar

 

more than likely, it is a hiccup as the bartenders learn the program with the rest of us.

 

This came from the bar manager, he is the one that is signing people up on Splendor and telling them about the 15 drink max before they purchase.

 

The flyer doesnt say unlimited alcoholic drinks.

 

There is a 15 drink limit and I saw 3 people told they reached the limit. This is actually one complaint the bar staff had w the program because there is no way for them to keep track of how many drinks you have until you reach 15, and then a bright red flashing message comes up and they cannot serve you anymore. The bar manager when I purchased this program also informed me of the limit

 

 

 

I was on this same sailing as the OP and I too purchased the unlimited drink package. I was sharing a cabin with my friend and she purchased it too. We stayed up the night before weighing the pros and cons of the package and decided to go for it, even though neither of us are really big drinkers.

 

I did not get my money's worth. My friend did though. Neither of us ever got more than a good buzz going. I never saw any drunks on the ship throughout the entire week. I'm sure they were there, but I never noticed them.

 

By day 4, I was sick of drinking. By day 6, my friend was sick of it.

 

Would we do it again? No. Do we regret doing it this trip? Absolutely not. It was great going to any bar, at any time, and ordering whatever we wanted. Neither of us even came close to the 15 max per day. The service was exceptional no matter what bar we ordered drinks from, even from the dining room bar waiters. Casino service was amazing too.

 

I can confirm that everything stated by OP about this program is correct.

 

We were TOLD at time of purchase of the 15 alcoholic drink limit per day. Sodas are not included in the 15 limit.

 

Since the program is still so new for the Splendor, there were a few inconsistencies depending on which bar you went to. Almost all of the bars gave me a whole can of soda. Only one bar would not give me the can. I never argued about it, just took it as a learning curve.

 

Most of the bars, except one, allowed us to get the bloody mary drink specials. Premium alcohol, large, for about $8.50. One bar wouldn't allow it on the unlimited drink program because it was a "special." No biggie - we just went to a bar we knew would serve it in on the program.

 

One bar allowed me to order a Bailey's and coffee. Another bar wouldn't allow it because it was a "coffee" drink. Again, they are still learning the ins and outs of the program.

 

You do have to wait 5 minutes between drink orders. I ordered a bloody mary then tried to order a diet coke at another bar. They told me I had to wait 5 minutes from my last drink.

 

I tried many, many drinks I would have otherwise never tried. If I did not like it, no big deal. I just ordered something else 5 minutes later.

 

You did have to sign for each drink (even sodas), and the receipt would show the value of the drink (not gratuity). I save all my receipts and they totaled a little less than $300. So not the $345.xx I paid, but pretty close.

 

 

I didn't take a picture of the sign/dailies; others will have to chime in and say if they saw the same deal on other boats. I did not see the deal when cruising Carnival last summer so it must be new.

 

The Victory Southern Caribbean route has 5 ports so I didn't buy it myself (too busy of a cruise). I learned the specifics about it from people that did buy it.

 

Not sure how they handle it for a group cruise, but per multiple folks who did buy it the limitations were:

15 drinks a day max

Drink cost must be less than $10 (but any drink was fine; seems like the martini/wine bar was a popular spot for those on the program)

Everyone of drinking age in a cabin must sign up (makes sense)

42.95/day and the sign/dailies said you could only sign up for it on the first two days of the cruise.