Drinks packages are there better deals once on board

[markandallan]

Hi all

Are the drinks packages offered at a special/ reduced price once on board or are you better off to purchase them before sailing. I'm from Australia and our Dollar is crashing at the moment. I have $700 OBC from RCCL and I have purchased another $1300 OBC a few weeks ago. So I was thinking do I just wait to we get on board and purchase the packages then and hope they may have a special offer or purchase them now. The ultimate package is around $90 AUS at the moment. We are traveling on Explorer Xmas New Years.

 

Thanks

Mark

[avn2525]

There is no price difference of the drink packages onboard. We had a delayed boarding and did not get on until after 5pm and they still did not ch age the price or offer a discount!

[spookwife]

best you can hope for is a day or two into the cruise they will let you buy a package just for the remaining days. there is rarely any significant advantage to waiting until you bored other than to use up OBC.

[Tinious]

If there were deals on board, no one would buy in advance.

 

I'm personally going to buy last four days of my upcoming 7 day, but that's more for timing and other reasons, not for any deal.

[markandallan]

Thanks for the responses . I may just buy one package in advance for my partner and I will see how I go the first few days on board and buy one then if I feel I'm going to spend to much.

Cheers

Mark

[BekkaW]

Did I read it correctly that you have $2000 OBC? If you buy packages in advance what else will you use that for? On a week long cruise the most we have spent was about $1300 which included excursions, CD of our photos and spa appointments. If I had that much OBC I would wait until on board to purchase the drinks packages.

[markandallan]

Hi it's a 13 night cruise.

[goodycruising]

Did you have the OBC earmarked for excursions or anything else? We are doing nearly the same itinerary on Voyager in Nov, 13 nights also, and we have been working out how much we might spend also.

 

We see a lot on here about people liking a package as they can try different drinks, and if you don't like it then no worries try something else, but how many people really want to try a lot of drinks? Maybe you do, and you do have quite a few sea days on this itinerary.

 

We just take a relaxed view on it and drink a few things we like, and while we take a certain amount of $US on a travel card (costs US$6 to withdraw on board, plus $2 fee from the card issuer - don't know the max withdrawal, but we have taken out US$800 in one go), we don't worry about ordering whatever we want, but we aren't big drinkers. That is the "how long is a piece of string" question. I would say your idea of the person that might drink more getting the package, and the other maybe seeing in the first few days might be a good idea.

 

It is hard to know until you actually experience it for yourself, but I would also say relax and enjoy, and don't over worry about it. I think it is a good question about specials on board, as I thought they might have some offers also.

[pharaoh]

Does anyone know if you can upgrade your package? For example if you start off with the Replenish package, and then decide to upgrade to the Premium package, does the amount you paid roll over so that you need only pay the balance?

[Tinious]

From what has been said here many times you definitely can upgrade, but only with 4+ days left as if you were buying a new package.

[CaptData]

Does anyone know if you can upgrade your package? For example if you start off with the Replenish package, and then decide to upgrade to the Premium package, does the amount you paid roll over so that you need only pay the balance?

 

Yes, you only pay the difference.

[denatravels]

From what has been said here many times you definitely can upgrade, but only with 4+ days left as if you were buying a new package.

 

I upgraded with 2 days left on Rhapsody (although they were also offering discount packages with 3 days left)

[griffy116]

We didn't buy the drink package. We just don't drink enough to make it worth the price. We had the Diamond lounge drinks that were free, plus the 3 drinks a night, carried two bottles of wine and then just bought the other drinks. Every person we met on deck had bought the drink package. On the days at sea, MOST of them were ordering drinks by 10:30. Some of them said they had bloody mary's with breakfast or mimosas. There were a lot of folks trying out drinks, taking one sip and sitting it aside and ordering a different drink. They LOVED having the drink package. Not one single one of them complained about it. Just didn't make sense for us. For them, it made perfect sense.

[Big_G]

Thanks for the responses . I may just buy one package in advance for my partner and I will see how I go the first few days on board and buy one then if I feel I'm going to spend to much.

Cheers

Mark

 

We're doing the wait and see because we haven't cruised since the price increases. Up until now, it hasn't made financial sense but if it's close I may do it. With the vouchers and her two bottles of wine, the wife may not.

[SoALcruiser]

I think my husband and I will purchase our drink packages on board---to use our OBC. I'm curious though; if you purchase online, where do you get your souvenir coke cup? Do you get in line where the packages are sold, or do you have to go to customer service?

Thanks in advance. And , as always, happy cruising!

Kaye

[papajak]

I think my husband and I will purchase our drink packages on board---to use our OBC. I'm curious though; if you purchase online, where do you get your souvenir coke cup? Do you get in line where the packages are sold, or do you have to go to customer service?

Thanks in advance. And , as always, happy cruising!

Kaye

 

Your cup will be waiting for you in your cabin when you board.

[jaydog240011]

When you get out too sea you don't pay the state tax

[denatravels]

When you get out too sea you don't pay the state tax

 

 

In NJ and Rome, there was no additional tax-- purchased at the dock.