Beverage Packages.. Not worth the $ IMHO

[lusochic]

DH and I decided to go for the ultimate beverage package for one of us on our recent cruise. Apparently, RC has recently changed their policy so that only one person in the cabin can purchase a package. (It used to require that both purchase). Well, one of us only likes a glass of wine with dinner, so we thought the package would be good to get drinks during the day for just the one, but you can order a bottle of wine at dinner for the table and still get 20% off per bottle.

 

However, it was hard to get our 'money's worth' to justify the spend. Drinks are between $6.25 - $10 each, so that would mean for $65 per day per person, you'd have to drink A LOT. It did include cafe lattitudes, but again, unless you are drinking a lot of cappucinos and lattes, it didn't justify our daily $2 espresso that DH likes to have.

 

Also, bar service was pretty slow, even if you walk up.. hard to get attention of bartender, and there were no servers coming around the solarium pool until literally our last day one guy came by. I was so happy when someone finally showed up, I gave him a big tip! So hopefully I provided some reward based incentive to improve pool side service for those of you who followed our cruise.

 

One experience which was slightly annoying.. We had the ultimate package (UP sticker on our room card), and when it was time to charge the wine bottles we ordered in the main dining room, it didn't apply the 20% discount automatically. We had to ask the server to make the adjustment. We also noticed a charge on our final bill from the bar for a drink, had to wait on guest services line to get the credit adjustment. It seems that the packages are not fully integrated into the card swipe system, so you have to keep a close eye to ensure that you are not charged or over charged.

 

Finally, I know this is a question some have about enforcement of bev packages.. They do check your picture and name associated with the card, so there is enforcement of delivering drinks to the UP card holder. also, they cannot give you more than one drink at a time, something about the computer won't allow them (even when my husband asked for a bottled water with his espresso). They said he'll have to wait a while then come back for the water to avoid a charge.

However, there is not much they do if you walk away from the bar and then just hand the drink to your spouse. ;)

 

Hope this helps others to decide whether a beverage package is right for you. Also, please feel free to post any followup questions you may have, and I will be happy to try to answer!

[Sitzmark]

Finally, I know this is a question some have about enforcement of bev packages.. They do check your picture and name associated with the card, so there is enforcement of delivering drinks to the UP card holder.However, there is not much they do if you walk away from the bar and then just hand the drink to your spouse. ;)

 

 

Cool, so as long as my wife looks like me she can use my card? Yikes.

[cruisegirl1]

The package does not appeal to everyone. I am glad folks have an option to purchase or not.

 

Many of the instances you described appear that you and your husband shared the package. You had the wine, he had the specialty coffee and bottled water. You note you had a package for one of you and then go on to say the sticker was on "our room card" . I guess it was just on one room card. Maybe the bar charge was the drink for the person who did not have the card.

 

The package is not designed to be shared. I guess if this happens a lot, then RCCL will reinstitute the rule that all cabin occupants must purchase it.

 

 

You seemed to share one card and still wrote that it was not worth it "IMHO"

 

 

 

M

Edited September 4, 2014 by cruisegirl1

[ksuds]

Yes, you picture is linked to your card. However, from our experience, we usually send one person up with a bunch of cards. The delivery person isn't even providing their card for a drink of their own. We have never had issues getting drinks under other people's cards in order to bring them their own drinks. We did ask if what we were doing was allowed, and they said as long as we weren't sharing, it is fine.

[ryano]

However, there is not much they do if you walk away from the bar and then just hand the drink to your spouse. ;)

 

!

 

So you are freely admitting to stealing from Royal Caribbean? Oh boy! I hope youve got your flame suit on! :eek:

 

[molly361]

When we were on the EN one of the bar servers told us that there is a lot of sharing (stealing) of the beverage packages. According to him folks will get a drink from one bar and then go directly to another and get another drink for someone else.

 

Apparently the computers are not yet set up to flag that.

[hamgela]

Commenting so I can follow this thread. :)

[JasonV1]

I hope you are just pointing out the way you can cheat the system, and not admitting that you did. There are some of us who really liked when Royal announced only one person needed to purchase, as in their case not everyone drinks enough for the package to make financial sense.

 

I agree that for 4 port cruises it takes dedication for either the $55 or $65 packages to "make sense", if money is your primary concern. They certainly don't make sense if you drink only beer (but the $45 *might*), as 9 beers a day is a lot of liquid.

 

I've bought the packages in the past, but when I do a S. Caribbean cruise next March (5 port) there is no way I could make any package "worth it", given that you can easily spend 30+ hours onshore.

 

Regardless, some like the all-inclusive approach to alcohol as it allows you to try new things without wasting money, or tossing drinks that got warm on the pool deck (it happens). I never have slow service issues as I always head to the bar when I want a drink, rather than wait for a waiter.

[gerif]

The drink package isn't "worth it" for a lot of people. Certainly not for me. I don't drink soda, am perfectly happy with plain water, iced tea or lemonade during the day, two cosmos in the CL or DL or from the vouchers and a glass of wine to take to dinner. Don't care for coffee and might want one after dinner drink. But I know that going in. I know what I drink and know what prices are. It's called doing your homework.

 

Sorry it didn't work out for you but it's something you could have researched prior to purchasing.

[robin13]

The premium drink package worked very well for me this past April on IOS. I totally got my moneys worth and got to try new drinks that I would never pay for. Where I think that it works best is in the casino when you are gambling. If you are sitting at a blackjack table or on a slot machine it is nice not to have to pay for your drinks. Makes you feel like you are actually in Vegas. I am going on the Allure that just has 3 ports and will be doing the premium package again. Since Labadee is one of them it is like 2 ports as I can drink free there.

 

Now I am doing a Med cruise next November and it is very port intensive so there is no way that I will be doing the drink package. You really need to put a pencil to the package to see if you will get your moneys worth.

[rhuntington3]

I got the Premium Package for my upcoming Allure cruise. I can use it at Labadee and I'm not getting off the ship in Jamaica or Cozumel as I've been to both a few times already.

[gpnfish]

My wife and I both buy the packages-we think it is a great deal and it gives us great peace of mind to know that no matter what we drink, it is paid for. A great feature about it is that we can try new drinks or a new glass of wine. If we don't like it, we dispose of it and get something else. Not easy to do if you pay for each drink, and of course completely within the rules.

 

As far as using one card and buying a drink for someone else, I just have this to say: You are a thief, a common criminal. No different than shoplifting food or drink from Walmart! If people do that and get caught, they should be prosecuted like any common criminal!

 

 

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[readytolose]

Although we haven't cruised with a package yet, we did look at our past bills from our previous cruises and have determined that a drink package will be beneficial to us. Hopefully there aren't a lot of people like you sharing the package and ruining it for the rest of us. I'll be really ticked if they get rid of the packages all together before our next cruise.

 

For some people a package makes sense, for others it doesn't. Luckily we still have a choice!

[BND]

The premium drink package worked very well for me this past April on IOS. I totally got my moneys worth and got to try new drinks that I would never pay for. Where I think that it works best is in the casino when you are gambling. If you are sitting at a blackjack table or on a slot machine it is nice not to have to pay for your drinks. Makes you feel like you are actually in Vegas. I am going on the Allure that just has 3 ports and will be doing the premium package again. Since Labadee is one of them it is like 2 ports as I can drink free there.

 

Now I am doing a Med cruise next November and it is very port intensive so there is no way that I will be doing the drink package. You really need to put a pencil to the package to see if you will get your moneys worth.

 

LOL about the casino. You are paying for the drinks unlike Vegas where they really do comp drinks. My favorite story in Vegas about being offered a comp drink was sitting in the Venetian at about 9 am playing nickel slots and being offered a cocktail. I do not drink at 9 am, anywhere. Of course when I was in there at 9 pm, forget it, no free drinks offered because the servers were busy with the high rollers.

 

That said, very few people can drink enough so that the pkg pays for itself. And some people will try and regret it the next morning.

[Illyria]

Many of the instances you described appear that you and your husband shared the package. You had the wine, he had the specialty coffee and bottled water.

She said they ordered a bottle of wine at dinner, not that she used his card to get wine by the glass.

[hamgela]

 

As far as using one card and buying a drink for someone else, I just have this to say: You are a thief, a common criminal. No different than shoplifting food or drink from Walmart! If people do that and get caught, they should be prosecuted like any common criminal!

 

 

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Good grief, calm down. I'm guessing you've never broken a law? You always drive the speed limit?

 

Edited to add: The drink package is their rule, similar to any rule an establishment would have. It's not a law. It's a rule.

Edited September 4, 2014 by hamgela
add another thought

[BND]

Good grief, calm down. I'm guessing you've never broken a law? You always drive the speed limit?

 

Edited to add: The drink package is their rule, similar to any rule an establishment would have. It's not a law. It's a rule.

 

I've been waiting for the comment about driving the speed limit. Someone always pulls that one out. As I've said in the past, it all goes to intent. People who share the drink package do it intentionally. People who sometimes go over the speed limit do not leave their home with the intention of doing so.

[gerif]

I've been waiting for the comment about driving the speed limit. Someone always pulls that one out. As I've said in the past, it all goes to intent. People who share the drink package do it intentionally. People who sometimes go over the speed limit do not leave their home with the intention of doing so.

 

Exactly - it's much more like shoplifting.

[StarSong2001]

Wow, people sure have strong (perhaps extreme) opinions about this.

 

Hypothetical questions: If someone orders a drink to try, takes a sip or two and decides it is gross, is the only "legal" thing to do is to dump it out, or would you allow them to hand that off to their spouse to see if they want it? Is letting them try a sip allowed or is that shoplifting too?

 

I've already done the calculations and decided I also wouldn't drink enough (of any of the types of beverages) to justify the package. I'd come close, but I'd only get it if I'd actually be saving some money by doing so.

[hamgela]

I've been waiting for the comment about driving the speed limit. Someone always pulls that one out. As I've said in the past, it all goes to intent. People who share the drink package do it intentionally. People who sometimes go over the speed limit do not leave their home with the intention of doing so.

 

Sorry but I'm calling bs. You know it's posted and you choose to break the law. This is where we will have to agree to disagree.

 

~happy cruising

[BND]

Sorry but I'm calling bs. You know it's posted and you choose to break the law. This is where we will have to agree to disagree.

 

~happy cruising

 

Nope. I don't have to agree to anything. Do you know what intent means?

 

I do not get in my car and say ,"hey, I'm going to go faster than the speed limit all day everywhere I go". Those who share the drink package do it intentionally with no plan to ever do it differently. It is not the same thing at all, but nice try.

Edited September 5, 2014 by BND

[hamgela]

Exactly - it's much more like shoplifting.

 

I don't see it that way. If we both visit a restaurant and you order filet mignon while I order a salad only, you decide you don't want the filet so you share it with me, should I be accused of stealing? Essentially, the filet was paid for.

 

I'm not recommending that folks buy one package for two people however, if someone has a package and they share a drink with someone else, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I most definitely don't think it's a 'criminal offense'. That's laughable.

[hamgela]

Nope. I don't have to agree to anything. Do you know what intent means?

 

I do not get in my car and say ,"hey, I'm going to go faster than the speed limit all day everywhere I go". Those who share the drink package do it intentionally with no plan to ever do it differently. It is not the same thing at all, but nice try.

 

You're right, you don't *have* to agree to do anything. I'll just disagree and move on. You can continue to disagree but you're not going to change my mind. I've waisted enough energy on this. I'm well aware of what intent means. I'm quite capable of understanding the English language.

[BND]

I don't see it that way. If we both visit a restaurant and you order filet mignon while I order a salad only, you decide you don't want the filet so you share it with me, should I be accused of stealing? Essentially, the filet was paid for.

 

I'm not recommending that folks buy one package for two people however, if someone has a package and they share a drink with someone else, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I most definitely don't think it's a 'criminal offense'. That's laughable.

 

How is sharing a steak the same thing? Unless the restaurant has a rule that you cant share the steak, you're not doing anything they don't allow. Sharing the drink package isn't allowed.

[BND]

You're right, you don't *have* to agree to do anything. I'll just disagree and move on. You can continue to disagree but you're not going to change my mind. I've waisted enough energy on this. I'm well aware of what intent means. I'm quite capable of understanding the English language.

 

Obviously not.

 

You might want to let RCI know that your rules are different than theirs.