Drink Cards

[hockeygal54]

(there was a 20" "timer" on drink orders) May I ask, what does this mean? I am guess 20 minutes between each drink order? or is it a 20 drink limit? I can hardly imagine having 20 drinks but maybe some do... Couldn't do it for all the money in the world.

 

I meant that there had to be 20 minutes time difference on card swipes. If you got a drink @ 1:20 for instance it would be after 1:40 before you could get another.

 

 

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[99florida]

I meant that there had to be 20 minutes time difference on card swipes. If you got a drink @ 1:20 for instance it would be after 1:40 before you could get another.

 

 

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I was told differently meaning there is no time limit. You pay you enjoy period.

[spyro1952]

There was just an email posted from Princess CS the other day(4/9) to someone on a similar thread that STILL stated everyone in the room had to purchase the drink package. The info is all over place, even from Princess!!

[99florida]

There was just an email posted from Princess CS the other day(4/9) to someone on a similar thread that STILL stated everyone in the room had to purchase the drink package. The info is all over place, even from Princess!!

 

Must be OLD news because I just purchased the alcohol package for my DH sailing on the Caribbean Princess. My cc was billed for one package. Already checked my cc statement :). You should call yourself and if the tell you differently then ask to speak to a supervisor b/c it has just recently changed and the person that you may speak to might not have read the "new"information before hitting the punch clock.

 

Bottom Line: everyone in same cabin does not have to purchase the drink package anymore :)

[wdrl]

From the the Princess website:

 

All-Inclusive Bar Package

Take advantage of our All-Inclusive Beverage Package which includes any individual beverage item, such as soda, water, cocktails, spirits, wines, beers, coffee and tea, up to $10 (retail value). Bottles of wine are NOT included in the package; however, when purchased in the bars, dining rooms, or in the stateroom, will be available at a 40% discount from the menu price. Applicable to all bottles below $100 retail. Note: This package is available for consumption at all bars, public areas and dining venues (not room service and excludes mini bar items).

 

Package is not currently offered on Dawn, Golden, Ocean, Pacific, Regal, Sea and Sun Princess.

Item #0525 $56.35 per person/per day

 

So since the maximum cost for a drink is $10, you have to drink 6 drinks per day on each day the cruise to get your money back? Since we often drink at Vines, the wine often costs more than $10 and that is excluded so we'd have to pay for that separately or always buy a bottle of wine to get the 40% off. Nice since the wine is already marked up to ridiculous prices, but if we buy a $50 bottle of wine and get $20 off but spent $56.35 to get that $20, how did we save money? To me the only way to save money is if you are buying bottles of wine for a full table. This is assuming Princess will allow you to share your bottle of wine. But then would the 20 minute rule come into play?

 

Celebrity makes money on their drinks packages and Princess plans to make money on this one too. Even on vacation we would rarely consume six drinks in a day. This package is not for me nor my DH.

[katrj]

Thanks for all this great information! I'm assuming you have to purchase the alcohol card for the whole week, right? I always find it odd when something is priced at a daily rate but unavailable for daily purchase, but I guess it makes sense that with varying cruise lengths they can't give you a flat rate price.

 

I've been researching this trying to decide if my DH and I should purchase, but we're on the fence. We'd prefer to drink higher quality stuff since it's very seldom we get to go on vacations and want to enjoy it - so I think if there's a $10 cap on drinks it might not cover what we want.

[KAR3600]

Sorry to hop on here...someone previously mentioned the "coffee" card what is it? how much? and does it just cover coffee? Thank you!!!!

[chrysalis]

Sorry to hop on here...someone previously mentioned the "coffee" card what is it? how much? and does it just cover coffee? Thank you!!!!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2031634&highlight=coffee+card

[wdrl]

Thanks for all this great information! I'm assuming you have to purchase the alcohol card for the whole week, right? I always find it odd when something is priced at a daily rate but unavailable for daily purchase, but I guess it makes sense that with varying cruise lengths they can't give you a flat rate price.

 

I've been researching this trying to decide if my DH and I should purchase, but we're on the fence. We'd prefer to drink higher quality stuff since it's very seldom we get to go on vacations and want to enjoy it - so I think if there's a $10 cap on drinks it might not cover what we want.

 

You purchase the card for length of cruise. I understand your hesitation with the card as I posted above. I doubt we'll be purchasing one.

[BrandiGreg]

So, if only one spouse buys the card and buys bottles of wine or champagne, it doesn't matter who shares those bottles. And the bottles can be taken back to the cabin as well (once purchased at a bar or dining room). Seems like a wine drinking couple could come out ahead with that 40% discount if the value of the wine bottles per day is more than about $130. And that is just the wine savings. Add a couple of bloody marys or pina coladas for that one spouse, and you are coming way out ahead. Looks like you really would need to examine your drinking habits first to see if it can be worthwhile. Without the wine savings, we would not save anything. (Am I missing something in my calculation??)

Edited May 1, 2014 by BrandiGreg

[Mrs.Gosse]

It was tested on a couple of ships earlier this year and was rolled out to all Princess ships in late February.

 

My husband told me he wanted to get this card and I was reluctant because I am not sure he will drink enough to do it. I got online and it said this was only available on certain ships and ours (Golden) was not on the list. Do you know anything about that? I was looking at the downloadable gift list I believe.

 

Another question, I KNOW we won't get enough money out of it on days that we are on an excursion most of the day. The drink prices were surprisingly low (saw them on another thread). SO are we allowed to buy it by the day or do we have to buy it for the entire trip all at once?

[Cauzneffct]

My husband told me he wanted to get this card and I was reluctant because I am not sure he will drink enough to do it. I got online and it said this was only available on certain ships and ours (Golden) was not on the list. Do you know anything about that? I was looking at the downloadable gift list I believe.

 

Another question, I KNOW we won't get enough money out of it on days that we are on an excursion most of the day. The drink prices were surprisingly low (saw them on another thread). SO are we allowed to buy it by the day or do we have to buy it for the entire trip all at once?

 

Nope, you buy it for the whole trip. That's how they get you; if you're on a port-intensive cruise or for whatever reason don't feel like getting your X # of drinks that day, you're still on the hook for the full amount.

[wdrl]

So, if only one spouse buys the card and buys bottles of wine or champagne, it doesn't matter who shares those bottles. And the bottles can be taken back to the cabin as well (once purchased at a bar or dining room). Seems like a wine drinking couple could come out ahead with that 40% discount if the value of the wine bottles per day is more than about $130. And that is just the wine savings. Add a couple of bloody marys or pina coladas for that one spouse, and you are coming way out ahead. Looks like you really would need to examine your drinking habits first to see if it can be worthwhile. Without the wine savings, we would not save anything. (Am I missing something in my calculation??)

 

Limit on wines.

Applicable to all bottles below $100 retail.

 

Per my DH you need to purchase $95 per day in bottled wine to break even. You have no savings until you buy more wine or drinks each day.

[aussiecruiser275]

Are cocktails included on this unlimited package , or they wouldn't be a they now cost over the $10 single drink cost? Sorry just been a few years since our last cruise

[BrandiGreg]

Limit on wines.

 

Per my DH you need to purchase $95 per day in bottled wine to break even. You have no savings until you buy more wine or drinks each day.

The wines we buy are the cheaper ones (Woodbridge White Zin at 27 per bottle, Korbel sparkling wine for 29). Keeping it under 100 per bottle is no problem. If you bought $95 in wine and get a 40% savings, your savings is only $38. The card costs $49 per day. SO to get only the benefit from the wine, you would need to buy $122.50 worth of wine each day to break even (ie where your savings equals the price for the card). But figure in the other drinks and it could be a good deal, depending on how much you drink of ALL liquids and how much time you are on the ship each day. Remember, if you use the coffee card and/or soda card, you don't need to buy those because the all-inclusive drink card includes those too. Here is how I am figuring for my spouse, who does most of the drinking in the family and based on past experience:

1 Iced Flavored Coffee Drink each morning

1 Bloody Mary for morning, trivia game

1 Beer with lunch

1 Diet Coke in the afternoon, or frozen drink in warm weather

1 Cocktail at afternoon trivia game

2 Elite/Platinum lounge drinks

1 Glass wine before dinner (late seating)

1 Bottle of wine or champagne at dinner (will split with me....pretty much the only time I drink)

1 Cocktail at the show if we go

1 Champagne bottle on ice at nightclub late night, split with me.

At Sail-Away, a couple of rum punches.

Probably drink more in hotter climates, so consider that.

Plus, in most ports, we just walk into town for a couple hours and spend most of the time on the ship. So, this schedule would pretty much apply to all days of the cruise for us most of the time. Those who like time off the ship obviously would be challenged to drink enough during the day using the card. I would buy my own drinks of course, I am just looking at spouse savings. This is way more than my spouse normally drinks by the way, but on vacation we eat and drink more than usual for sure!

[BrandiGreg]

Are cocktails included on this unlimited package , or they wouldn't be a they now cost over the $10 single drink cost? Sorry just been a few years since our last cruise

Here is a link to a video review of the Princess Bar menu, I believe it is fairly recent. Most mixed drinks are $5.95 to $7.95. Only a couple of drinks (cognac, for example) are slightly more than $10. Bud Light is $5.50, but in a 16 oz aluminum bottle. I hope the limes are still free! LOL Drinks are actually fairly cheap on Princess compared to many US tourist places, and usually stronger, in our opinion.

Edited May 1, 2014 by BrandiGreg

[BrandiGreg]

Are all the after-dinner dessert drinks, such as lemoncello or amaretto, covered by the drink card? (minus the special shot glasses of course)?

[wdrl]

The wines we buy are the cheaper ones (Woodbridge White Zin at 27 per bottle, Korbel sparkling wine for 29). Keeping it under 100 per bottle is no problem. If you bought $95 in wine and get a 40% savings, your savings is only $38. The card costs $49 per day. SO to get only the benefit from the wine, you would need to buy $122.50 worth of wine each day to break even (ie where your savings equals the price for the card). But figure in the other drinks and it could be a good deal, depending on how much you drink of ALL liquids and how much time you are on the ship each day. Remember, if you use the coffee card and/or soda card, you don't need to buy those because the all-inclusive drink card includes those too. Here is how I am figuring for my spouse, who does most of the drinking in the family and based on past experience:

1 Iced Flavored Coffee Drink each morning

1 Bloody Mary for morning, trivia game

1 Beer with lunch

1 Diet Coke in the afternoon, or frozen drink in warm weather

1 Cocktail at afternoon trivia game

2 Elite/Platinum lounge drinks

1 Glass wine before dinner (late seating)

1 Bottle of wine or champagne at dinner (will split with me....pretty much the only time I drink)

1 Cocktail at the show if we go

1 Champagne bottle on ice at nightclub late night, split with me.

At Sail-Away, a couple of rum punches.

Probably drink more in hotter climates, so consider that.

Plus, in most ports, we just walk into town for a couple hours and spend most of the time on the ship. So, this schedule would pretty much apply to all days of the cruise for us most of the time. Those who like time off the ship obviously would be challenged to drink enough during the day using the card. I would buy my own drinks of course, I am just looking at spouse savings. This is way more than my spouse normally drinks by the way, but on vacation we eat and drink more than usual for sure!

 

Per the Princess website the cost is higher.

 

Item #0525 $56.35 per person/per day

 

But based on your DH's typical day it sounds like he would save with the card.

[caribill]

Are all the after-dinner dessert drinks, such as lemoncello or amaretto, covered by the drink card? (minus the special shot glasses of course)?

 

As long as they cost less than $10 each.

[BrandiGreg]

Per the Princess website the cost is higher.

But based on your DH's typical day it sounds like he would save with the card.

The actual card cost is $49. Cost does not include the 15% gratuity, which is added to all drink cards purchased, whether before the cruise or during the cruise. Also, just curious why you assumed my spouse was a male? I was careful not to specify. LOL