Cost of drinks on Ocenoa

[Playtennis]

I have been surprised at the shocked comments about the cost of drinks on board the Oceania ships. Some have complained loudly about the 'outrageous' cost.

To that I would like to relate two events.

Last year I stopped into a local dive to kill time before picking up my Chinese dinner order. The joint was small with two TV screens, a pool table and a plume of smoke from cigarettes. I ordered a Jack Daniels, sipped it slowly to time the finish with my drink and left paying $9.50... This was NOT a center city upscale bar but a local bar in a suburban strip mall.

The second event happens in Miami where we stayed prior to our Caribbean cruise on board the Riviera. We got to the restaurant early and paused at the outdoor bar for an appetizer and a drink. We ordered - DW a gin and tonic and I a Gray Goose martini we shared a crab appetizer. Want to guess what the total bill for that was?? $76!!!! $19 for each of the drinks and the other for the crab.

So, I ask you, is $11.50 an outrageous charge for a drink?!?

 

 

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[Flatbush Flyer]

I have been surprised at the shocked comments about the cost of drinks on board the Oceania ships. Some have complained loudly about the 'outrageous' cost.

To that I would like to relate two events.

Last year I stopped into a local dive to kill time before picking up my Chinese dinner order. The joint was small with two TV screens, a pool table and a plume of smoke from cigarettes. I ordered a Jack Daniels, sipped it slowly to time the finish with my drink and left paying $9.50... This was NOT a center city upscale bar but a local bar in a suburban strip mall.

The second event happens in Miami where we stayed prior to our Caribbean cruise on board the Riviera. We got to the restaurant early and paused at the outdoor bar for an appetizer and a drink. We ordered - DW a gin and tonic and I a Gray Goose martini we shared a crab appetizer. Want to guess what the total bill for that was?? $76!!!! $19 for each of the drinks and the other for the crab.

So, I ask you, is $11.50 an outrageous charge for a drink?!?

 

 

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Of course it's not outrageous. Any decent hotel is going to charge more than $10 for a cocktail- particularly with premium spirits. Likewise with wine.

 

 

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[corpkid]

The drinks add up for sure, but they are not very far out of line from what we pay in Orlando at an upscale place so I agree. Of course I can get my $12 buckets of bud light (ew) but a nice cocktail runs about $8-12 at most places. I've never really balked too much at the prices on Oceania (though the final bill makes me sometimes consider heading to the Betty Ford Clinic!) :) Seriously I primarily drink top shelf vodka drinks or Negroni's which are not a cheap drink to make. I don't find $10 for a good Negroni or $12 for a Hendrick's martini to be out of line...

 

The discounts at Martinis are good for the 5pm deal, and the daily drink specials are usually pretty good (but you have to like the cocktail offered). The beverage package is pretty expensive and you'd really have to drink your butt off to make it make sense. Almost got it for our cruise coming up in a few days (Sydney to Auckland) as it has lots of sea days... I don't know if I could drink that much to make it break even consistently without having a nasty hang over for days on end. I wish it was available for only select days - purchasing for the length of a 16 day cruise would cost somewhere in the range of $900 (or around $1800 for both of us!!). That's almost how much it cost to fly one of us from LAX to SYD in Premium Economy!!!

 

Also being able to bring spirits onboard is a huge plus for us. I'm in Sydney right now (we board on Feb 12) and I've already procured a few bottles of spirits from both duty free and a local grocery store. I love to sit on my balcony for hours sipping a cocktail or two and organize/edit my days' photos while watching the "nothingness" of being out at sea. The best part is you can just tell your room steward to stock your fridge with mixers. First cruise we had a few bottles of rum and gin and asked for LOTS OF DIET COKE AND TONIC WATER... I can't tell if he was trying to be funny, but after dinner that night our fridge was literally PACKED with both! Nice touch. :)

[wannaberetired]

We also bring a few bottles on board which helps with the prices. We usually stop at duty free in the airport or on the dock and pick them up prior to boarding (and if we are having fun - a few more times at various ports along the way!).

[Softball20]

We've never found drinks on any cruise ship expensive. I guess it's because we're used to the prices - coming from the DC area before moving to a resort area, so it's no different than what we pay in a restaurant at home. For us, we always get a beverage package ever since they were first announced on Celebrity and we will again when we cruise for the first time on O. It makes great sense for us, especially when you compare it to the actual cost of the individual drinks; you don't have sign each time you get something (at least you don't on Celebrity); and you don't end up with the big surprise bill at the end of the cruise :)

[hypercafe]

I think the shock at the prices of drinks might come from the fact that in days of old drinks did not seem to be a important revenue center on the ships as they were dirt cheap. As stated that has changed, they are now market rate on the ships however I feel Oceania is at the high end of the market. It is what it is!!

[Hambagahle]

I think the "Prestige Beverage Package" is actually very good value -

 

we like to have a glass of wine (maybe two) or a margarita (have been known to have two!) at lunch. So that would be, I suppose 2 x $10+18% = $23.60

 

Then we have a cocktail before dinner - so 1 x $10+18% = 11.80

 

At dinner - glass of white with the entrée and a glass or two of red with the main course:

3 x $10+18% = $35.40 (and would be more I suppose if we had champagne...)

 

And a "pousse café" in Horizons later on - another $10+18% = $11.80

 

So for a total: $82.60

the "package" cost us $59.95 a day AND we don't have to think - what about the bill at the end of the cruise... it is all paid for! No "nickle and dime" as you Americans say!!

 

But for the original topic of this thread - I do not think that $10 or $15 is a huge amount to spend on a drink. I do think having to add 18% service IS outrageous though but that is because here in Switzerland tips are included in the published price so we are not used to the idea of adding more when the bill comes.

[Softball20]

Yep, it adds up quickly. Add in maybe an after dinner drink or a cocktail at a show or at the casino, and the beverage package is very worth it.

[Jay23]

Once again Hambagahle has posted a helpful reply. Many thanks.

 

We do not drink spirits, or cocktails only wine and beer. The wine prices you have posted seem "normal" to me. Many thanks. (We were not sure of the costs because we were lucky enough to get a free beverage package on our first O cruise). I think we will go for the wine package at 7 bottles for $42.00 bottle ea.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Jay23
added comment.

[vacationerny]

The price of drinks on Oceania wouldn't be bad if they gave you a premium pour, but they don't. Their measuring glass looks to be what is called a pony. It is barely an ounce. In order to get what we call a premium pour in NYC, you need to order a double. So comparing a $14 premium pour to Oceania's drinks is comparing apples to oranges. While the martinis in the Martini Bar are excellent, the ones around the rest of the ship are miniscule. When you look at it this way the premium liquor plan is a bargain if you drink at all.

 

Alex

[mediapro]

The price of drinks on Oceania wouldn't be bad if they gave you a premium pour, but they don't. Their measuring glass looks to be what is called a pony. It is barely an ounce. In order to get what we call a premium pour in NYC, you need to order a double. So comparing a $14 premium pour to Oceania's drinks is comparing apples to oranges. While the martinis in the Martini Bar are excellent, the ones around the rest of the ship are miniscule. When you look at it this way the premium liquor plan is a bargain if you drink at all.

 

Alex

 

Since we are talking beverages, I have a few questions for past Oceania passengers:

 

1. I heard that you don't have to decide on a bev. package purchase on the embarkation day. How long do you have to decide? Was thinking of buying a couple of bottles for the cabin until I get used to the ship.

 

2. This might seem like a dumb question, but my wife is primarily a wine drinker who imbibes from time to time with the harder stuff. We were thinking of the 7 bottle package for her, but will the Oceania mafia confiscate my drink ordered on my prestige beverage package if I let her have a sip or two.

 

3. I know that the wine list changes with every trip, but does anyone have a source for finding out the 7 bottle list options for the March 15 Marina voyage in French Polynesia? I heard from others that Perrier Jouet was one of the selections. If so, that makes the 7 bottle package a no-brainer for those who like bubbly!

[sitraveler]

On our last O cruise the P-J was on the initial 7 bottle package only, not a later package.

 

Your drink package is yours. Sharing is a no-no. Mafia? not hardly-you can still buy drinks even with the package.

 

You can bring as much wine, or liquor, as you can carry or ship to your room-for in room consumption.

[critics0001]

Since we are talking beverages, I have a few questions for past Oceania passengers:

 

1. I heard that you don't have to decide on a bev. package purchase on the embarkation day. How long do you have to decide? Was thinking of buying a couple of bottles for the cabin until I get used to the ship.

 

2. This might seem like a dumb question, but my wife is primarily a wine drinker who imbibes from time to time with the harder stuff. We were thinking of the 7 bottle package for her, but will the Oceania mafia confiscate my drink ordered on my prestige beverage package if I let her have a sip or two.

 

3. I know that the wine list changes with every trip, but does anyone have a source for finding out the 7 bottle list options for the March 15 Marina voyage in French Polynesia? I heard from others that Perrier Jouet was one of the selections. If so, that makes the 7 bottle package a no-brainer for those who like bubbly!

 

No French champagne on the list from my cruise in January. The wines were in the $6 to $15 per bottle range retail US. Better deal is to buy your wines and pay corkage on those you bring to restaurant.

[bitob]

Drink prices are equivalent to those in a good restaurant in a large city. No shocks there

 

Only those who come from small towns where the house wine is $5 a glass will cringe

[Mura]

This is a different thread so I feel free to chime in with my repetitious comments.

 

We don't get the package because (a) DH doesn't drink more than a glass of wine very few days and (b) I couldn't drink enough in a day to make up for the daily price.

 

SO. For our last 3 cruises or so we benefited from the liquor set-up in our cabin. On that first cruise I got mostly liquor, which wasn't drunk by enough people even though we invited people in for drinks. So on the next cruise we got 2 bottles of booze and 4 of wine. That worked out well.

 

On our upcoming cruise we won't be eligible for the liquor set-up so I'll bring on a bottle of vodka for in-room consumption -- we just don't go to the bars other than occasionally -- and will do as I used to, which is to purchase a bottle of wine from the wine list and nurse it through several meals. If I find a good buy on land, I might get some and bring it back on board.

 

I did purchase from the former wine sale but don't want to be obligated for 7 bottles since I know I won't consume all of that on our cruise, so I doubt we'll look into that. But maybe ...

 

You have to figure out what works for you. For us, we don't bother with wine or beer at lunch, and I have wine at dinner. DH may sneak a sip from my glass. The daily specials (in terms of drinks) don't work for us, but 2 for 1 does!

 

I originally considered that the package might be worth it, if only for me, but when I learned that I couldn't buy wine buy the bottle but was limited to their choices by the glass, I knew that FOR US it wasn't worth it.

 

Mura

[wally_bushy]

Hambagahle

I am happy with your calculations but seven drinks per day is a lot:confused:

I know many can drink this and more but for health reasons it is not advisable day after day.

That is why I too would like to see a two or three day offer rather than the whole cruise (14 days:eek:)

[LHT28]

Since we are talking beverages, I have a few questions for past Oceania passengers:

 

1. I heard that you don't have to decide on a bev. package purchase on the embarkation day. How long do you have to decide? Was thinking of buying a couple of bottles for the cabin until I get used to the ship.

You probably have several days to decide on the package

2. This might seem like a dumb question, but my wife is primarily a wine drinker who imbibes from time to time with the harder stuff. We were thinking of the 7 bottle package for her, but will the Oceania mafia confiscate my drink ordered on my prestige beverage package if I let her have a sip or two.

Just buy her a drink of her own when she wants something stronger

3. I know that the wine list changes with every trip, but does anyone have a source for finding out the 7 bottle list options for the March 15 Marina voyage in French Polynesia? I heard from others that Perrier Jouet was one of the selections. If so, that makes the 7 bottle package a no-brainer for those who like bubbly!

 

Recent accounts have noted the PJ is no longer in the package

I guess O saw the error in their profits ;)

 

Ask your TA they may be able to get the list for your cruise

Edited February 9, 2015 by LHT28

[azam71209]

The most recent cruise vacation guide I got says "All liquor purchased ashore must remain in bond until disembarkation."

 

Say it isn't so! I was so looking forward to drinking some good Malbec on our Buenos Aires-Rio cruise.

[LHT28]

The most recent cruise vacation guide I got says "All liquor purchased ashore must remain in bond until disembarkation."

 

 

Same as in my Jan 2014 cruise

 

Time will tell if this has been implemented ;)

[oregon50]

O's cost of delivering a cocktail to you is probably 80% less than that of your local dive bar.

[Hambagahle]

Hambagahle

I am happy with your calculations but seven drinks per day is a lot:confused:

I know many can drink this and more but for health reasons it is not advisable day after day.

That is why I too would like to see a two or three day offer rather than the whole cruise (14 days:eek:)

 

I agree - most of the time - but on holiday one can exaggerate! Plus aside from the wine and the Calva we can't get most of these drinks here in Switzerland... and anyway as someone else pointed out the amount of alcohol in each drink is "minuscule".

 

And they do offer the wine package with meals. If you don't want the margaritas etc the get the cheaper package!!

[critics0001]

I tried to post the list but message denied by cc.

 

Here is a sample of bottles at $42.50 each with corresponding US retail price. Since cruise line buys in bulk it should be similar to all ships.

 

Asti Spumante $8

Jackaroo Chardonnay $10

Robert Mondavi Chardonnay $10

Rodney Strong Sauvignon blanc $11

Orvietto Ruffino $6

Principessa Banfi Gavi $11

Penfolds Merlot $10

Backhouse pinot noir $7

Hess Cabernet $12

Robert Mondavi Meritage $7

Cline Zin $11

Placido Chianti $6

[Mura]

My quibble with your price list is that I can't get any of these wines (at least the ones I recognize) for the price shown in NY. Different states have different taxes, of course. Admittedly, I could certainly get any of them for less than O's price.

 

Mura

[critics0001]

You are right about that observation, prices are higher in NY. I did find Cline Zin, Hess Cabernet, Rodney Strong Sauvignon blanc in NYC(albeit Queens) for $1 dollar more and you would have to add in the sales tax. What I was trying to show was a sample of the types of wines you would get in the package plan. Also you should note that I quoted retail prices which are higher than the cruise line buys the wine by at least 20%-30%.

[StanandJim]

Also you should note that I quoted retail prices which are higher than the cruise line buys the wine by at least 20%-30%.

 

Sure, but Save Mart isn't willing to cart the wine halfway around the World, and serve it in the proper wineglass, either, so there are always trade offs.

 

By the way, the mark-up on soft-drinks in your local McDonalds is somewhere around 96%......so what is your point?