Is the Cheers package good value?

[T. Advisor King]

Here's a break-even chart I worked up. This is per day, so you can look at the kind of drink you would usually have and decide if you would break even or not. I would consider soda a bonus and not count it towards breaking even, primarily because the "$2.00 soda" is a 20 oz. bottle and what you get wit Cheers is a glass (from a bar tap) that is less than 20 oz. BTW: Soda does NOT count toward your 15 drinks per day limit - only alcoholic beverages.

 

Whatever you decide... Have a great cruise!

 

 

That was a great chart and for me highlights why it is not worth it. As another poster pointed out, you need to factor in port days, so that 5-8 drinks per day is probably 8-12 on sea days. If your partner doesn't drink much, then you need to make that up as well. Maybe 15-20 per day. Every single day.

 

But that's just me.

[OHSHIPIloveyou]

That was a great chart and for me highlights why it is not worth it. As another poster pointed out, you need to factor in port days, so that 5-8 drinks per day is probably 8-12 on sea days. If your partner doesn't drink much, then you need to make that up as well. Maybe 15-20 per day. Every single day.

 

But that's just me.

 

I agree it is a great chart ! My husband and I will not drink ( to round it off ) $87.00 worth a day. And if on a day we do it will be because we would like to order a special bottle of wine

or champayne. You have to remember you may not always want house wine or liquors.

And you are right to remember your port days, your sea days are the most days you will drink on board.

This is why the voucher booket system works as you can use them as needed...

 

Does anyone know if they have specialty coffee cards you can buy also? Usually on board!

[hdowney]

I don't 'think' they have anything like that for speciality coffee but I stand open to correction

 

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[Hey Tina]

That was a great chart and for me highlights why it is not worth it. As another poster pointed out, you need to factor in port days, so that 5-8 drinks per day is probably 8-12 on sea days. If your partner doesn't drink much, then you need to make that up as well. Maybe 15-20 per day. Every single day.

 

But that's just me.

 

Huh? What kinda fuzzy math.....

[Fun62]

We have done the cheers program every cruise we have gone on since they started it, and we noticed are onboard expenses are lower... If you like to drink on vacation, you figure a Bloody Mary or Mimosa at breakfast, fruity drinks during the day, wine or cocktail with dinner, then cocktails at the shows or club, and it is a wash!! Enjoy your Cruise!!!

 

 

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I could not agree with you more. We used it on the Fascination in March and even on port days it still worked. I just made sure I ordered the expensive dinner wine ;) and I think Cheers cost more then. We're headed on the Dream next April and Cheers (as well as Bottmless Bubbles for our teens) will be part of the plan!

[reddeb2121]

I will be trying it this time I'm one of those who stands by the bar and try's to decide if I want to spend the money on that foofoo drink and how much has DH spent already today this way there is no surprise at the end of the cruise.

[T. Advisor King]

Huh? What kinda fuzzy math.....

 

The chart shows that in order to break even, you need to drink 5-8 drinks per day, per person just to break even. However, those drinks are only available when you are on board, not when you are in port. Unless you are going to drink twice as many drinks per hour on port days as on sea days, then you need to factor that into the calculation to determine how many drinks a day you will consume for each full day on the ship. So the 5-8 drinks per day average works out to maybe 8-12 drinks per day on sea days and obviously fewer than 5-8 drinks per day on port days.

 

Now, I don't know if my wife has ever had 5-8 drinks in a day, ever. I think I could count the number of times she has had more than 3 drinks in a day in the last 3 years on one hand. And none of them were on any of the cruises we've been on over that time.

 

So between us, we have to consume 16-24 drinks per day on sea days (8-12 drinks multiplied by two, because both people in the cabin must purchase the package if one wants it). So say my wife will drink 1-4 drinks on a sea day. That leaves me having to consume 15-20 drinks per day, every sea day of the cruise, which is the number I quoted in my original message.

[TruckinMama]

For us it means 5 drinks each, in a 24 hour period, to more than break even. This is very possible even for a very light drinker. A mimosa at breakfast, two or three walking the ship, sunbathing, and with lunch in the afternoon, and two or three more at dinner, a show, or in the comedy club over the course of the evening. This doesn't even count the endless virgin drinks, juice, and soda whenever we want it. We're going to try it this cruise, and see if we decide to do it again.

 

 

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[JLee1973]

Depending on what you drink you can break even with four classic cocktails on a 7 day. Very easy to do on sea days and not difficult on port days.

 

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[ShakyBeef]

I have no desire to drink for a LONG time. The classic cocktails (which give you the match play) are what did me in -- too sweet and syrupy. I would have been fine sticking to beer and the occasional mixed drink. BTW, Thirsty Red Frog is a pretty good beer.

 

Just a heads-up: Match Play is no longer offered on Carnival Pride. I don't know if this is now fleet-wide, but I suspect if it's not, it soon will be.:(

[ShakyBeef]

DH and I purchased Cheers! last week on the Pride. It was our first time purchasing the package and although neither one of us ever got anywhere near 15 drinks a day (my heaviest-drinking day was probably 6, plus a couple Diet Cokes), we think it was a pretty good deal. It was nice not to have to think about the bar tab we were running up during the cruise.:)

 

We'll purchase it again. But next time, I won't bother bringing my usual two bottles of wine onboard. I brought one bottle back home, unopened. And the other bottle was served to our neighbours when they came over to hang out on our balcony one evening. Although I was glad to have the wine to offer them and very glad to see they enjoyed it:), the same situation isn't likely to happen again. So I'll save the space in my luggage next time.:o

 

FYI: All the sodas I was served (and all that I saw served to others, for that matter) came from a can and were poured into a glass over ice. The cans were not pre-chilled. Sometimes, the remaining soda in the can was served along with the soda in the glass, sometimes the remainder was left in the can, behind the bar. No soda fountains (that I saw) at the bars. FWIW:o

[SNJCruisers]

Did I read right that the cheers package price is different on short cruises than long? What are the different prices please.

 

I think I would EASILY drink the 15 alcoholic drinks per day, especially on a sea intensive cruise

 

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3 day 55.00 total with tip 189.75

4 day 45.00 total with tip 207.00

5 day 42.50 total with tip 244.38

6 day 42.50 total with tip 293.25

7 day 37.50 total with tip 301.88

8 day 37.50 total with tip 345.00

 

It's interesting that a 7 day total is only 8.63 more than a 6 day total after tip because of the 5.00 per day price drop.

[GINGERWILDCAT]

People are correctly saying to factor in the port days, also remember that after a port day you'll be back on board for 5pm, probably seven hours before you climb into bed.:)

[livinthedream99]

We found the program to be a great value. Prepaying set my mind at ease while on vacation. No checking the TV balance to make sure I didn't over spend. No feeling sad I paid $10 on a drink I didn't like. It allowed "me" the freedom to try new things guilt free!

 

As others have mentioned, even on port days we met our break even point. We had a Mimosa before we left, a sail away cocktail (or two) when we got back, wine with dinner, drinks with show...easy! It isn't for everyone, but for us, it works! Have a great trip~

[duggage]

My wife and I considered hard whether we should try the Cheers program. I even pulled out my folio charges from our last cruise and added up the number of drinks. One day we didn't buy a single drink on the boat (I think we bought a few off ship). Over the other 7 days (8 day cruise) we managed 70 drinks on the boat. So that brings us down to 8.75 per day for two peeps.

 

On the surface, maybe we'd break even on the program, however... we were drinking "free" in the casino by the end of day 3. When that happened we ordered more and crazier drinks. Even with that, still... pretty much just breaking even on what it would take to keep up with Cheers. (albeit the casino way to free drinks is not cheaper than cheers by far! ;) )

 

So we've decided to not do Cheers, but instead just order whatever we want when we feel like it. Other factors...

 

1. We are bringing kids this time (their first cruise!). While some might point out that this could lead us to drink more (hehe), I don't think I could drink much more than when I was getting free long islands in the casino if I tried. Well, except for-

2. We are doing some excursions that include free drinks. 10 rum punches and it paid for itself- amirite? ;)

3. We don't intend on hitting the casino hard the way we did last time. Money is instead going toward excursions and/or staying in the bank.

 

I know personally, just the way I am, if I got the Cheers program I'd try to ensure I got my money's worth (and my wife's). I'd drink more on the boat and less ashore to make that happen if need be. Without the program I think I'll be more free to toss back a few in local bars, etc.

 

We will probably do another cruise at some point with just us two. And at that point I'll again consider the Cheers program and see how it compares to our "order whatever we want" plan we are rolling with this time.

[KatieCharlotte]

I don't think I could have done that when I was in college. :eek:

 

Neither could I. These threads are always an entertaining reminder to me that I'm a drinking lightweight. :D Two drinks over several hours and I'm basically asleep. To break even, I'd be intoxicated the entire cruise.

[crzndeb]

I just finished the 22 day cruise on the Legend to Australia. I was curious to see exactly what I spent on alcohol. (1 page total of charges) I do think the new price for longer cruises is a good deal ($37.50), I knew I would never drink any where near $950 (with tips)...

 

I did buy a bottle of vodka from Bon Voyage (brought some back in empty rum runners), and there were 3 free drink parties.

 

Even buying some drinks for friends, I still only spent about $214 on alcohol and a few specialty coffees. So, as you can see, the Cheers program definitely wouldn't work for me.

 

Everybody really has to look at how much they drink, and how often. On this long of a cruise, there were a few days, I didn't drink at all.

 

I have a B2B planned next year, and I think I may definitely get it for the first leg, and stockpile for the 2nd leg.