premium vs ultimate drink package

[lalenalei]

Here was my day and don't think of me as a drunk, please.

Fresh OJ in the mornings.

At pool, 1 or 2 gin and tonics

Dinner 1 or 2 wines

Shows and entertainment later 1 or 2 more cocktails of some kind.

Six to eight drinks are definitely more than the $55 per day charge.

I think it is up to you how much you want to drink and what you like to drink. I like high price drinks and decided to spend the money upfront so I didn't have to worry while on the boat.

 

Don't even worry about it...you're on vacation!!! And you are also not drinking and driving, so rock on haha. ITA about top shelf liquor. Even if you only have four drinks per day and some water and one coffee, you still made your $55 worth.

 

How much is a single bottle of water anyway? I literally drink 3-4 liters a day.

[rjdcruises4fun]

thank you for this info! Will be on Explorer next week:) Where can I get the fresh orange juice if I want a mimosa? Thank you!

 

I was able to get it in the MDR as well as the Windjammer. BTW: Mimosa is not free from room service.

That is the only places I ordered fresh OJ, so not sure about the bars.

 

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[rjdcruises4fun]

 

How much is a single bottle of water anyway? I literally drink 3-4 liters a day.

 

Unfortunately, not sure. They were included so I don't know.

 

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[WrittenOnYourHeart]

This is the fine print on the bottom. It appears this is new as of 9/24 and it for North American itineraries:

* Prices shown for Caribbean, Alaska, and North America itineraries; gratuities are additional. Prices for Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Dubai and South America itineraries vary and are inclusive of gratuities. All prices are subject to change without notice. Packages cannot be shared, are not transferable. Your check may reflect an additional tax for certain ports or itineraries. When ordering a beverage selectiononboard, you must present your SeaPass card bearing the package sticker to your server. Package does not include in-stateroom purchases, mini bar items, Evian water, canned sodas, bottled juice and souvenir glassware, specialty beers as listed on bar menus, or super premium category beverages. Package is subject to the terms of Royal Caribbean International’s Alcohol Policy. © 204 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registered in the Bahamas. 14040026 • 9/29/14

 

Wait, so even though you buy the package, you're still going to get hit with a gratuity charge on your account??

[mollyeilis]

How much is a single bottle of water anyway? I literally drink 3-4 liters a day.

 

The waters you get with the packages tend to be something like Crystal Geyser. So far I haven't even seen that for actual sale on the ships. They seem to hold them back for the packages.

 

If you BUY a bottle of water, though, it tends to be Evian, and is a few bucks for a 500ml bottle.

 

If you really want Evian, consider a water package. You get liter bottles (WE got liter bottles, even when the employees said I should have been getting 750ml bottles) and a bunch of them, so that's nice instead of having to hit up every bar every time you leave your room or go back to your room, just to get enough to have easy access LOL.

 

 

Just think how much one can drink at an all-inclusive resort, there was vodka and champaign available for breakfast! Glad you had a good time!

 

I think that's probably a great way to judge if an alcohol-containing package is for you.

 

For me, even if it's included I still don't have the stomach space for tons of drinks, especially since I drink a latte and a whole lot of water in a day, I eat big salads, and try to get in good food. I simply don't have the room for more than *maybe* one alcohol drink a day, maybe two if spread out by hours on a sea day. An all-inclusive would be wasted on me. So I don't get the alcohol-containing packages.

[lalenalei]

The waters you get with the packages tend to be something like Crystal Geyser. So far I haven't even seen that for actual sale on the ships. They seem to hold them back for the packages.

 

If you BUY a bottle of water, though, it tends to be Evian, and is a few bucks for a 500ml bottle.

 

If you really want Evian, consider a water package. You get liter bottles (WE got liter bottles, even when the employees said I should have been getting 750ml bottles) and a bunch of them, so that's nice instead of having to hit up every bar every time you leave your room or go back to your room, just to get enough to have easy access LOL.

 

I'm okay with a Crystal Geyser instead of Evian. I saw somewhere that a 1.5L Evian was about $4.50? Not sure how recent that was. But I figure, even if a 500ml bottle is a couple bucks, I'm still going to get at least $12 per day in water costs on the $55 package. That's awesome!

 

You do have a point with the easy access, though. haha;)

[BekkaW]

Wait, so even though you buy the package, you're still going to get hit with a gratuity charge on your account??

 

The gratuity is added at the time you purchase the package. So for example ultimate is $55 per day, they will add gratuity (sometimes it comes up as service charge) so what you are charged works out to $63 a day.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

The gratuity is added at the time you purchase the package. So for example ultimate is $55 per day, they will add gratuity (sometimes it comes up as service charge) so what you are charged works out to $63 a day.

 

That's what I thought, but a close reading of the fine print makes it seem like there is more added on.

[mollyeilis]

That's what I thought, but a close reading of the fine print makes it seem like there is more added on.

 

 

They show the base price. So $55 per day. In the purchase process they add the %.

 

Last year at this time they showed a higher price per day and the gratuity was already rolled up on that price. For some reason over the year they separated it. And now they seem to be doing it differently for different types of cruises.

 

 

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[Andie272]

I was talking to my husband about this and when I looked at it his way I don't think we are getting it. Neither of us drink soda, we are fine with the drinks they include for free. For us we would each have to drink 5 or 6 alcoholic drinks a day, we never do that, let alone all 8 nights. The package would cost us $800 for both of us, we never have a bar tab that high.

 

If you drink soda and a lot of bottles water than I can see it being worth it, but for us I don't think it will be.

[TexasGal#35]

Can an ultimate package be purchased after boarding the ship?

 

We have splurged on a Grand Suite for the first time and were told we get drinks (not frozen) in the Concierge Club from 5:30 to 8:00.

 

We are in a different port everyday except the day we are cruising back to the sailaway port. I just don't think I will drink enough to make it worth while.

 

Thank you everyone for the info. This thread was very helpful.

 

Gloria

[SRV FAN]

Can an ultimate package be purchased after boarding the ship?

 

 

 

We have splurged on a Grand Suite for the first time and were told we get drinks (not frozen) in the Concierge Club from 5:30 to 8:00.

 

 

 

We are in a different port everyday except the day we are cruising back to the sailaway port. I just don't think I will drink enough to make it worth while.

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for the info. This thread was very helpful.

 

 

 

Gloria

 

 

Yes, you can buy it onboard.

 

 

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[readytolose]

I know with the ultimate, I was able to get every and anything on the ship that I wanted, including beer, wine, bottled water, sodas as well as all cocktails along with top shelf liquor. I was told on broad that the premium is pretty much the same without top shelf products.

 

 

Who ever told you that was just trying to get you to spend more for the ultimate package.

 

There is NO difference in the alcohol that you can get between the Premium and Ultimate packages. The brands and dollar limit are the same.

 

If you like fresh squeezed OJ and specialty coffee then get the Ultimate. If you don't need those things then get the Premium.

[boonert]

Who ever told you that was just trying to get you to spend more for the ultimate package.

 

There is NO difference in the alcohol that you can get between the Premium and Ultimate packages. The brands and dollar limit are the same.

 

If you like fresh squeezed OJ and specialty coffee then get the Ultimate. If you don't need those things then get the Premium.

 

You also can get bottled water which comes in handy when getting off the ship. Water is expensive off the ship. I grab a couple bottles before disembarking and I'm good for hours at the beach.

[mollyeilis]

You also can get bottled water which comes in handy when getting off the ship. Water is expensive off the ship. I grab a couple bottles before disembarking and I'm good for hours at the beach.

 

Premium includes bottled water. (it's called "still" water on the PDF, meaning it's not bubbly)

 

Ultimate includes that and adds in sparking water.

[jamesr3939]

Does anybody know if the drinks you get show up on your bill? After much discussion with DW I decided to bite the bullet on our next month Oasis. BTW: it came out to $399 pp total cost for seven day cruise.

 

We also have a Carnival trip planned for NYE and as we all know they make everybody over 21 in the cabin buy the package.

 

Personally, I think the package on Oasis will at least break even so it's still a good idea even if just for convenience purposes.

 

I would like to have a definitive answer and would like a record of the drinks we consume on the Oasis without having to save paper every time I sign a tab.

 

I know it won't show a price, but I can still get a pretty good estimate on what it would have cost so I can show the DW that I was really right (this time).

[xrayvin]

I did the package on the Liberty back in Sept 2013. LOVED it especially because of the Alchemy Bar. Yes, we did get a print out of the drinks. There were times that I know they gave us drinks that they did not use our cards for, not very often but it did happen. On HMC we just showed our cards, they never took them after the first drink.

 

I don't know if this is still the way it works, but on our sailing it did.

 

Boy I miss the Alchemy!!!!!:D

[SRV FAN]

Does anybody know if the drinks you get show up on your bill? After much discussion with DW I decided to bite the bullet on our next month Oasis. BTW: it came out to $399 pp total cost for seven day cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

Have gotten the premium package on three recent cruises.... Two Navigator & one Serenade.... No, you do not get a print out of all your drinks. Only shows the total amount of the package IF you buy it onboard.

 

 

 

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[mollyeilis]

Does anybody know if the drinks you get show up on your bill? After much discussion with DW I decided to bite the bullet on our next month Oasis. BTW: it came out to $399 pp total cost for seven day cruise.

 

We also have a Carnival trip planned for NYE and as we all know they make everybody over 21 in the cabin buy the package.

 

Personally, I think the package on Oasis will at least break even so it's still a good idea even if just for convenience purposes.

 

I would like to have a definitive answer and would like a record of the drinks we consume on the Oasis without having to save paper every time I sign a tab.

 

I know it won't show a price, but I can still get a pretty good estimate on what it would have cost so I can show the DW that I was really right (this time).

 

I haven't heard of getting a list of drinks, and we haven't with Replenish.

 

I did the package on the Liberty back in Sept 2013. LOVED it especially because of the Alchemy Bar. Yes, we did get a print out of the drinks. There were times that I know they gave us drinks that they did not use our cards for, not very often but it did happen. On HMC we just showed our cards, they never took them after the first drink.

 

I don't know if this is still the way it works, but on our sailing it did.

 

Boy I miss the Alchemy!!!!!:D

 

I think it was Nov 2013 that they announced the change, so the package you had then was different than what they have now.

[xrayvin]

Have gotten the premium package on three recent cruises.... Two Navigator & one Serenade.... No, you do not get a print out of all your drinks. Only shows the total amount of the package IF you buy it onboard.

 

 

 

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That's too bad. I really liked having the itemized "bill" at the end. We just went to one of the kiosks and printed it, so easy!! It listed what drinks we ordered where (and when) and then had a $0.00 next to it. I had something to do on the plane, I just went through it and added in the prices!