Has anyone regretted NOT buying the drink package?

[rudeney]

Originally Posted by rudeney

I thought that Vintages would honor the drink packages, but only up to the specified $12/drink price?!?!

There are definitely cases where it was included. Unfortunately, RCI are completely incompetent at communicating with their staff, so there is inconsistency with everything that is going on. Ask one question and you'll get a different answer from everyone you speak to. I don't even know how they manage to operate. I honestly can't imagine if there was an actual emergency on one of their ships. Luckily the ships are spectacular.

 

We Disney fans call this the "Carousel of Policy". :)

[LincolnLog]

Last year my husband and I had the Ultimate package for both weeks of a B2B on FOS. We also just built it into the price of the cruise and paid for it well before our sail date.

 

Almost every morning we would start our day with a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa, had fresh squeezed OJ in the WJ (they always gave us the large glass). We had multiple specialty coffees every day, and lots of bottled waters. If we were walking by the promenade cafe or a bar, we would always stop for a couple of bottled waters. We had a stock pile in our room and it was nice to be able to throw a few in our beach bag before heading off for an excursion.

 

We tried lots of drinks poolside that I probably never would have tried without the package. A few cocktails before dinner in the Champagne Bar. I even tried different Martini's at Olive or Twist, something I typically wouldn't have done. A glass of wine in the MDR with dinner, and a Pellegrino sparkling water. It adds up quickly, especially now with the higher drink prices.

 

We don't get drunk and we certainly "remember our vacation."

 

To the OP, I think you made a good decision, especially since you'll be traveling with a group of friends.

 

Enjoy your cruise! Cheers! :)

 

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found that statement to be completely condescending!

[mareed]

Haven't purchased it on 3 previous RC cruises and didn't regret it. Wouldn't purchase it again, and likely would only purchase 2-3 drinks at all over the course of the cruise. I can't imagine all the empty calories consumed if I had the drink package! No way would I spend $400 on drinks and all the thousands of calories...

[brillohead]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found that statement to be completely condescending!

 

Doesn't have to be condescending, unless you want it to be... not everyone has a tolerance for alcohol. There are many people who get really tipsy off a single drink, so if they had 5+ drinks in a day, they would be drunk for a majority of the day.

[casinostreer]

Doesn't have to be condescending, unless you want it to be... not everyone has a tolerance for alcohol. There are many people who get really tipsy off a single drink, so if they had 5+ drinks in a day, they would be drunk for a majority of the day.

 

Very true (and honestly I couldn't find the original quote) but if it wasn't meant as a "jab" - why post it at all? How about saying "If I drank that much, I wouldn't remember my vacation."

 

The question was has anyone regretted NOT buying the drink package. I'm really not trying to stir it up the pot - but neither answer has a bearing on the OP's question. :-)

 

From what I remember, there are just as many "drunks" who didn't buy the drink package. (Broke, overpriced drunks - but still drunks.)

 

I realize that the drink packages are not for everyone. But they are quite economical for some of us. We don't drink at home for a number of reasons, but on a cruise, really enjoy a tropical drink or two to relax. It's our "spa" - without people touching us. :-) (Well - people we DON'T know.)

[widallas]

It's our "spa" - without people touching us. :-) (Well - people we DON'T know.)

 

 

Thanks for making me spit out my soda.... [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[casinostreer]

Thanks for making me spit out my soda.... [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

That's why I'm here. :-)

 

I hate it when CC gets tense!

[trihawks1]

We are going on oasis this December and in the past we haven't had a package other than the soda one available. I normally don't order drinks even non alcoholic because I too didn't want a big bill. This time we plan on doing the Royal Replenish. We prefer the frozen non alcoholic piña coladas, strawberry daiquiris, coffees, and bottled water. So, this is a definite must for us. We have 3 cabins so we all plan on bringing on the two bottles of wine per cabin. We figure we will have a bottle at dinner a night or two and maybe the cabin. If we want more, either order a bottle at dinner or a glass per person. The young adult kids we aren't sure what they will be doing either. And we too are doing the eastern Caribbean and plan to stay on board at Nassau...so more time on ship probably means we will drink a bit more. We are going to see how each of us do and we will know more for future cruises.

[LincolnLog]

Very true (and honestly I couldn't find the original quote) but if it wasn't meant as a "jab" - why post it at all? How about saying "If I drank that much, I wouldn't remember my vacation."

 

The question was has anyone regretted NOT buying the drink package. I'm really not trying to stir it up the pot - but neither answer has a bearing on the OP's question. :-)

 

From what I remember, there are just as many "drunks" who didn't buy the drink package. (Broke, overpriced drunks - but still drunks.)

 

I realize that the drink packages are not for everyone. But they are quite economical for some of us. We don't drink at home for a number of reasons, but on a cruise, really enjoy a tropical drink or two to relax. It's our "spa" - without people touching us. :-) (Well - people we DON'T know.)

 

 

Yeah I can't remember exactly what the quote was but it definitely seemed snarky. Something along the lines of, "we don't drink because we like to remember our vacation". As if those of us who like to drink are just in a blackout blur for 7 days straight!

[casinostreer]

Yeah I can't remember exactly what the quote was but it definitely seemed snarky. Something along the lines of, "we don't drink because we like to remember our vacation". As if those of us who like to drink are just in a blackout blur for 7 days straight!

 

Right? I mean - 5 days MAX - so people don't stare! :D

Edited August 17, 2015 by casinostreer

[land lover]

:):):)..as usual some CC entertainment for the evening.....

 

DH and I am are not coffee or soda drinkers....

 

We drink the ships water. The Water is desalinated and purified from ocean water. Ships have completely suitable drinking water on board (it's filtered and good-tasting), and you can carry a refillable bottle.

 

Fresh squeezed OJ...not special to us as we live in CA and have trees in our backyard.

 

So now we talk about the alcohol, seems hard to justify the cost, we'll stick to buying our drinks and signing the tab.

[splash_in_the_water]

Yeah I can't remember exactly what the quote was but it definitely seemed snarky. Something along the lines of, "we don't drink because we like to remember our vacation". As if those of us who like to drink are just in a blackout blur for 7 days straight!

 

that's what I got out of it....i've been at it awhile, and I have a decent tolerance...the first day or two I can hit it hard, but it levels out pretty quick after that but besides ONE TIME in jamaica (lots of rum punch on an excursion lol) I've never been so far gone as to not remember anything. So, I get it, whomever said that was probabl half joking anyway, so whatever... but yeah, it's not fair to make a blanket statement saying that, implying anybody who gets a drink package is going to go on a bender...Some do I suppose, but it's really not the intent for like, 95% of people...

[GuavaTechAngels]

I think it was 10 minutes as well. I tried a few different things in the freestyle machine one day and discovered this when I tried for a 3rd drink.

I can't say I've ever seen a bartender swipe my card when I'm getting soda. They just looked at the card and gave it back to me.

 

My biggest problem with the drink packages is I believe the service has significantly decreased. The gratuity is pre-paid so they have no incentive to give you faster service. I've tried adding an additional gratuity and the only difference I ever saw was the bar service guy in the MDR would come around and check on me much more often, even though I'd only get 1 beer each night at dinner.

While I understand the reason to limit each person to 1 drink, I do get annoyed sometimes since I'd like to get a 2-3 at a time and go sit on my balcony.

 

What is this 1 drink limitation? Could you please provide more details? Will they not allow you to order a 2nd drink until you've finished the first one? Is this only in the MDR?

[GUT2407]

What is this 1 drink limitation? Could you please provide more details? Will they not allow you to order a 2nd drink until you've finished the first one? Is this only in the MDR?

 

They will only serve you one drink at a time, it is designed to combat those who buy one package and share.

 

Unfortunately the few who want to cheat impact the majority who can follow the rules.

[casinostreer]

You can only get 1 alcoholic beverage per card. So - you can't go down to the bar, and bring 4 drinks back to your room. If you have another person's card that says "Ultimate" (or what ever drink package you have) on the card, you can bring back two drinks.

 

The "10-15 minute time limit" only applies to the Coke Freestyle machines in the Windjammer and on the Promenade.

 

For the person you quoted - there are too many bartenders at too many bars who are happy to give you great service. Don't put up with underwhelming service. If one seems 'blah' find another and let other bartenders know that you got some bad service after tipping extra. They'll probably pay some close attention to you then.

[GuavaTechAngels]

You can only get 1 alcoholic beverage per card. So - you can't go down to the bar, and bring 4 drinks back to your room. If you have another person's card that says "Ultimate" (or what ever drink package you have) on the card, you can bring back two drinks.

 

The "10-15 minute time limit" only applies to the Coke Freestyle machines in the Windjammer and on the Promenade.

 

For the person you quoted - there are too many bartenders at too many bars who are happy to give you great service. Don't put up with underwhelming service. If one seems 'blah' find another and let other bartenders know that you got some bad service after tipping extra. They'll probably pay some close attention to you then.

 

Thanks for the heads up! :)

[ewenix]

For the person you quoted - there are too many bartenders at too many bars who are happy to give you great service. Don't put up with underwhelming service. If one seems 'blah' find another and let other bartenders know that you got some bad service after tipping extra. They'll probably pay some close attention to you then.

 

Unfortunately I've seen this on 3 different ships over the last few years since these plans were introduced. It's also not just the bartenders, it also appears to be affecting the roaming wait staff. (I think part of the problem there is that they've cut the roaming wait staff down which creates longer lines at the bars.)

I get that I can go find another bartender, and I've done that in some cases. The problem I have is that I've already been forced to pay gratuity up front (which makes it not gratuity anymore) but now I have to go hit up several different bars just to find a motivated bartender and tip them even more than what I've already paid just to get them to provide decent service.

 

I don't have a problem tipping even above the prepaid amount but I don't like being forced to tip and consistently get bad service.

[casinostreer]

Unfortunately I've seen this on 3 different ships over the last few years since these plans were introduced. It's also not just the bartenders, it also appears to be affecting the roaming wait staff. (I think part of the problem there is that they've cut the roaming wait staff down which creates longer lines at the bars.)

I get that I can go find another bartender, and I've done that in some cases. The problem I have is that I've already been forced to pay gratuity up front (which makes it not gratuity anymore) but now I have to go hit up several different bars just to find a motivated bartender and tip them even more than what I've already paid just to get them to provide decent service.

 

I don't have a problem tipping even above the prepaid amount but I don't like being forced to tip and consistently get bad service.

 

Agreed. That's a shame that you've had that experience. I would be very upset as well.

 

We've been fortunate on the last three cruises to have had some excellent bartenders. I hope that what you encountered doesn't become the norm.

 

Hopefully it will either get better - or enough people complain for RCL to do something about it.

[CaptData]

When it first came out I did not buy it for the cruise.. My bar bill was lower then the total cost of it but it seemed the Bar guys pd more attention to the ones who had the drink package. So I had to tip more to get served faster. In the end it would have been better to get the package. So the next time I got the package and although I did not break even I did have more fun and less worries. I also tipped less.

 

This time I have the Royal Replunage package. We'll see how close I am.

[rudeney]

Having the packages likely has reduced bartender tips so they may be a bit less service-oriented. it's likely that the bartenders are not getting a full 18% tip on drinks served through the packages. Doing so could mean money out of RCCL's bottom line if passengers with packages consumed enough to exceed the price of the drinks without a package. For example, you pay $49 per day for the package plus $8.82. If you drank, say $60 in day and RCCL paid the bartenders $10.80 (18% of that), then they' be losing almost $2 vs. cash bar prices.

 

My guess is that the 18% charged on packages (or maybe even less than that?) is split among all bartenders. Thus they are getting a fixed amount and there is no incentive to serve more drinks. And I hope not, but it could be even worse - RCCL could actually have an incentive for them NOT to serve as many drinks to package holders. Maybe they get gratuities based on the overall net profit of the packages. SO, the fewer drinks they serve, the more they make. But like I said, I hope it's not that way!

[bgcruiser]

There are definitely cases where it was included. Unfortunately, RCI are completely incompetent at communicating with their staff, so there is inconsistency with everything that is going on. Ask one question and you'll get a different answer from everyone you speak to. I don't even know how they manage to operate. I honestly can't imagine if there was an actual emergency on one of their ships. Luckily the ships are spectacular.

 

 

 

Five+ drinks a day seems just fine to me while on vacation =).

 

Hi all just chiming in,

It's been a really long time since we cruised, but back getting back into it and very excited. I was on the RCI FAQ site today. This is what the verbiage straight from their web site says r/t drink pkgs and where you may use them:

 

"The beverage packages are honored at any of our bars or lounges, Windjammer Café, Main Dining Room, and our private destinations during normal business hours. Room service and minibar are not included."

 

I take this to mean you are not allowed to use the pkg at any of the Specialty venues?

[Clarea]

...I take this to mean you are not allowed to use the pkg at any of the Specialty venues?

The beverage packages are honored in the specialty venues.

[ewenix]

Having the packages likely has reduced bartender tips so they may be a bit less service-oriented. it's likely that the bartenders are not getting a full 18% tip on drinks served through the packages. Doing so could mean money out of RCCL's bottom line if passengers with packages consumed enough to exceed the price of the drinks without a package. For example, you pay $49 per day for the package plus $8.82. If you drank, say $60 in day and RCCL paid the bartenders $10.80 (18% of that), then they' be losing almost $2 vs. cash bar prices.

 

My guess is that the 18% charged on packages (or maybe even less than that?) is split among all bartenders. Thus they are getting a fixed amount and there is no incentive to serve more drinks. And I hope not, but it could be even worse - RCCL could actually have an incentive for them NOT to serve as many drinks to package holders. Maybe they get gratuities based on the overall net profit of the packages. SO, the fewer drinks they serve, the more they make. But like I said, I hope it's not that way!

 

I would be in favor of them removing the up front gratuity and charging me a $1 on each drink, or some other plan that keeps the incentive to quickly provide the customer a good quality product.

 

(A beer machine that reads your card and limits you to 1 per 15 minutes would be okay too.)

Edited August 17, 2015 by ewenix

[bgcruiser]

The beverage packages are honored in the specialty venues.

 

Thanks Clarea. This will be our first time on RCI and so long since we last cruised I have a lot of research and catching up to do!

[jimmyzwei]

My guess is that the 18% charged on packages (or maybe even less than that?) is split among all bartenders. Thus they are getting a fixed amount and there is no incentive to serve more drinks. And I hope not, but it could be even worse - RCCL could actually have an incentive for them NOT to serve as many drinks to package holders. Maybe they get gratuities based on the overall net profit of the packages. SO, the fewer drinks they serve, the more they make. But like I said, I hope it's not that way!

 

I would lean more towards the method used by most corporate owned resturants and bars. Which is ALL tips are comingled and then split evenly by all involved based on hours worked that day/shift. So unless your Tipping in cash and there is not a company policy which says keeping tips and not putting into collection is grounds for being let go. JMHO