When can you buy beverage package?

[Lancer1568]

We are going on our first Oceania cruise in November (35 day Cape Town to Miami on the Insignia) and have completed all the online check in but when I click on the icon to purchase beverage packages, nothing happens. When can you buy these? I know we cannot reserve specialty dining until closer to sailing time and was wondering if beverage package is same way.

[skiladyldp]

Call Oceania or have your TA call to add ahead of time or it's just as easy to add right after boarding. I have done it both ways.

[ronrick1943]

Also you can go to "O": web page or wit until your on the ship.

Rick

[phillygirl63]

My PCC suggested that we wait until we board to purchase it so that we can apply our OBC that was included in our booking.

[skiladyldp]

Phillygirl- That is exactly what I plan to do.

[Hawaiidan]

The package is pushed both pre cruise and during the first several days when the ads disappear.... According to several fellow passengers who did this, you can purchase the option at any time during the cruise... but once purchased you can not cancel. This is quietly done at reception . Thus giving you the chance to see if it works for you or more properly if it works for your kidneys and liver.

For me a 34 day all you can drink is only really good for 7 maybe 10 days before its problematic...But, that's me.....

[findacruise]

On our last cruise we decided to wait to purchase the package (our first time) so we could use our OBC. When we got our documents there was a price printed for the beverage package. I purchased the package when we got on for myself and DH. I noticed the price was higher. ($5 p/p per day plus gratuity) The beverage guy said he didn't know, I'd have to check with reception.

 

I went to reception and they told me the discount is applied by accounting. When we got our preliminary bill I noticed the charge was still higher so I went for an explanation. It took several people to find out why the price was higher than what I was showing them in my printed cruise documents. Finally the Executive Concierge was called over, as he seemed to be the only person who knew the answer. In the back of the Oceania cruise book, the small print indicates that the special price for the beverage package was available ONLY if purchased PRIOR to boarding!

 

Had we known this, I would have purchased it ahead. We didn't have enough OBC anyway to cover the beverage package on our 16 day cruise and used it for internet, laundry and La Reserve.

 

Your situation may differ, but I thought I would pass on the lesson I learned.

[smoothsailors]

Thank you for the useful information as it's helpful to know that the package can be purchased onboard when we'd have a grasp as to the value for us.

 

Am I correct in assuming that, if the package is taken during the cruise, you only pay for the remaining days onboard? (Thinking it might be more advantageous during the TA portion with all the sea days).

 

We recently had an Explore4 drink package on a 23-night HAL cruise...it was a throw-in from our travel agent. Had we paid for it, we never could have taken full value out and we do drink. I found ourselves using it for bottled water (even in Neptune Lounge bottles aren't available) and more specialty coffees than we needed. On Oceania, those seem to be included so I don't think the package is right for us...but do like the option of seeing how it goes.

[ORV]

On our last cruise we decided to wait to purchase the package (our first time) so we could use our OBC. When we got our documents there was a price printed for the beverage package. I purchased the package when we got on for myself and DH. I noticed the price was higher. ($5 p/p per day plus gratuity) The beverage guy said he didn't know, I'd have to check with reception.

 

I went to reception and they told me the discount is applied by accounting. When we got our preliminary bill I noticed the charge was still higher so I went for an explanation. It took several people to find out why the price was higher than what I was showing them in my printed cruise documents. Finally the Executive Concierge was called over, as he seemed to be the only person who knew the answer. In the back of the Oceania cruise book, the small print indicates that the special price for the beverage package was available ONLY if purchased PRIOR to boarding!

 

Had we known this, I would have purchased it ahead. We didn't have enough OBC anyway to cover the beverage package on our 16 day cruise and used it for internet, laundry and La Reserve.

 

Your situation may differ, but I thought I would pass on the lesson I learned.

 

Interesting, You say that by buying it onboard you were charged gratuity also? According to a post by Jim & Stan on another thread, they say the gratuities are included in the price. So if I understand you correctly it would be $64.95 a day plus 18% which would make it $76.65 a day. That's a pretty big jump if the grats are included in the $59.95 when you pay in advance.

 

I do know that I took it out on the last 3 or 4 days of a cruise last year, but don't remember paying additional or added gratuities for it. But after having it for a few days I didn't remember much of anything.

[LHT28]

There was a time I think last year when the price went up from $54.95 to $59.95 but if you had a cruise booked you could prepay before boarding & get the cheaper rate

I wonder if that was the case?

 

I also thought the 18% was included in the price of the package

 

Then there is another scenario if you sail from a Spanish port & buy the package when you board you are charge the Spanish Greed Tax or VAT ;)

[Mura]

We have never taken the package but on our April/May cruise on Marina I noticed that it was being offered throughout the cruise. (I also have understood that the gratuity was included in the price, not tacked on to it.)

 

Someone in the past recommended NOT buying the package beforehand because it's very hard to get your money's worth on the day you board ... so buying it on the second or third day is more practical. If you board early and have a drink with lunch, a beer at the pool, cocktails before dinner and wine with, etc., then you might find it justified to purchase beforehand. But let's say you don't board until 4 or 5? Would you think so in that case? Only YOU can answer that question.

 

I agree with you that it is more valuable on sea days. If it's a port intensive cruise and you plan on touring every day, maybe it would NOT be worth the cost. I know it wouldn't be for us, but my husband barely drinks at all and while I do, we don't go to the bars before or after dinner. At most I will have wine with dinner. Maybe a cocktail in my room, but that's from my private stock that I brought on board with me.

 

Lots of people advocate the package, not necessarily because they find it cost effective, but because they don't want to bother thinking about it.

 

Lots of differing opinions on this topic.

 

(And I never heard that there was a penalty for buying the package on board as opposed to in advance, except for that narrow window when the price had changed.)

 

Mura

[Lancer1568]

Thank you all for the information. I know I can call Oceania or my travel agent about this. My question is how do you purchase it online. When I click on what appears to be the place to purchase a beverage package, nothing happens. Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

[ORV]

It took several people to find out why the price was higher than what I was showing them in my printed cruise documents. Finally the Executive Concierge was called over, as he seemed to be the only person who knew the answer. In the back of the Oceania cruise book, the small print indicates that the special price for the beverage package was available ONLY if purchased PRIOR to boarding!

 

I just looked through the documents for my cruise that leaves in a couple of weeks. There is nothing in the fine print that says this in my booklet. It says 59.95 a day with gratuity included. The Oceania website also says nothing like this, but in all fairness it leaves more questions unanswered than answered.

 

I would think Lynn might be more on the right track in her first paragraph or it have been some type of tax. The Executive Concierge was probably just fluffing. Did he show you the exact wording in your booklet or just tell you that?

 

I know on Celebrity I paid a port tax when purchasing a package while still in port in Fort Lauderdale. Friends we were sailing with waited until the evening after we were out of port and they paid no tax.

[LHT28]

Thank you all for the information. I know I can call Oceania or my travel agent about this. My question is how do you purchase it online. When I click on what appears to be the place to purchase a beverage package, nothing happens. Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

Maybe you cannot purchase it online not sure

 

You could try a different browser sometimes that is the problem but if not just call O & book it that way

 

JMO

[NightWoman]

Maybe you cannot purchase it online not sure

 

You could try a different browser sometimes that is the problem but if not just call O & book it that way

 

JMO

Lancer 1568. I have just purchased a beverage package for our cruise next week and the beverage package isn't available for purchase online you need to phone Oceania and pay with a debit or credit card..

 

If you have booked direct with Oceania you will receive an email confirmation direct, if you used a travel agent the confirmation will be sent to them and your travel agent will forward to you..

 

Hope this helps..

[findacruise]

Interesting, You say that by buying it onboard you were charged gratuity also? According to a post by Jim & Stan on another thread, they say the gratuities are included in the price. So if I understand you correctly it would be $64.95 a day plus 18% which would make it $76.65 a day. That's a pretty big jump if the grats are included in the $59.95 when you pay in advance.

 

I do know that I took it out on the last 3 or 4 days of a cruise last year, but don't remember paying additional or added gratuities for it. But after having it for a few days I didn't remember much of anything.

 

My brain wasn't functioning correctly when I typed the plus gratuity - my bad! It was just the additional per day. Sorry for the error and creating all the additional unnecessary comments.

 

The price was in our cruise documents. The "fine print" pointed out to me was actually in the Oceania cruise book that has all the cruises in it and I did read it on the back page for myself. I did tell the concierge I thought that was sneaky!

 

While we did use it enough to warrant it on the first day, we did find toward the end of the 16 day cruise is when we felt less inclined to drink as much. However, we did have a number of sea days, actually 2 more than we planned on, as 2 ports we cancelled. The did offer it throughout our entire cruise, almost up until the last day.

 

Where we really enjoyed it was when we had the sommelier at dinners do wine pairings with our meal. We could have a wine with each course, if we wanted, off the by-the-glass list and it made for a wonderful experience. And with regular drinks, the pours we more generous. And no thoughts about happy hour, nor did we pack liquor this time. We will decide on future cruises if we want to do it again.

 

Again, sorry for any confusion I created.

[Hawaiidan]

the value of the package is in direct relation to the length of the cruise and the number of sea days and your personal liquor tolerance .

 

The cost whether pre cruise in advance or purchased the last 3 or so days is the exact same per day AND included all gratuities, giving you the advantage of personal evaluation as to your own needs

 

I take 30+ day cruises... and have noticed that package holders drink very actively ....for about 7to 10 days then they begin to slow and slow again as they get their fill for a program of hard drinking.

This is a factor the management factors in... just like all you can eat. Time and human behavior are on their side.... they know after a week or so you will be eating and drinking less...and the longer the time the more the reduction.

\

Thinking objectively, can you put away a fifth of 80 proof every 3 days for 2+ weeks, let alone a month? Be realistic on what you and your body can handle as more is not better after a point. As

 

Of interest on a recent 34 day cruise I kept a record of all liquor including wine at dinner either by glass or bottle, and the total with tips,were about $67.00a day total for 2 and the package was $120.

 

I don't fully appreciate the conveniences of not having to worry about having to sign by paying nearly double makes little sense...I guess I ask for more value for the money I spend.....But if your over the top bucks up I guess money is not a consideration

 

Too, a 7 to 12 day cruise which only has 1 or 2 sea days makes value diminish accordingly. Cruises to Alaska, Carribe and the MED with mostly port days give cause to pause

 

So you decide whats going work best over all for YOU