If you were me ...

[lou2003k]

Would you buy a drinks package?

 

10 nights on rhapsody - neither of us drink alcohol at all.

 

Only 3 cruising days total every other day is off ship from 7am - 5pm ( earliest)

 

Royal refresment ( soda) is £5.44 per day each

Royal replenish (soda, coffee, water) is £14.96 per day each

 

What do you get for free and where..if I took neither? And could one of us take the package but not the other( I'm not fussed but my partner drinks a lot of coffee so he may want it? )

 

Thanks

[Siesta Fiesta]

I'd wait until you board the ship and see what the drink selection is really like since it may vary from what they show online. Also, there may some special pricing once on board (not that it's likely).

 

You could also bring those little bottles of water flavoring if you want more flavor variety.

[Clarea]

Drinks included in your basic cruise fare: tap water, regular coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, and juices at breakfast. Some ships also have flavored waters.

[cincicruisers]

You could see how many drinks you partake on day one/two. You can purchase the drink package only buying for the days remaining. I have found on vacation I drink a lot more soda since I don't care for ice tea or lemonade.

[lou2003k]

Drinks included in your basic cruise fare: tap water, regular coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, and juices at breakfast. Some ships also have flavored waters.

 

Query though as I like lemonade but if this is free so you get it at the bars still or is there machines etc as I don't remember on our last cruise as we had package.

[reallyitsmema]

Query though as I like lemonade but if this is free so you get it at the bars still or is there machines etc as I don't remember on our last cruise as we had package.

 

The lemonade is in the Windjammer at lunch and dinner. This is american lemonade, not what some on the other side of the pond call lemonade, just to make sure you understand it is not a bubbly soda like Sprite.:)

[Clarea]

Query though as I like lemonade but if this is free so you get it at the bars still or is there machines etc as I don't remember on our last cruise as we had package.

Lemonade and iced tea are normally not available at bars. They are usually available only at restaurants.

[cb at sea]

You can buy cans of soda pop without a package. They don't really care if you bring a few cans aboard, despite what the "rules" say....it's mainly alcohol they confiscate.

 

Included drinks are: ice water, coffee, tea (iced or hot) lemonade or flavored water, milk and juice at breakfast. If you can get by for 1 week with those options...don't pay for a package!

[lou2003k]

Ok thanks everyone

[xxHadleyxx]

The lemonade is in the Windjammer at lunch and dinner. This is american lemonade, not what some on the other side of the pond call lemonade, just to make sure you understand it is not a bubbly soda like Sprite.:)

 

Yes--just following up on this "lemonade" is the American term and is more like lemon squash -- not a bubbly soda at all.

 

and, yes, it is fine for one person to buy a package and the other not to. Or to each buy different packages.

 

If it were ME, I'd probably buy the basic soda only package--though some cruises I don'T and then I buy canned sodas as I want them (the package only includes fountain sodas and many ships seem to mix them very weak). In Norway I bought the replenish package for the nice hot chocolates on that chilly itinerary and made good use of it.

 

But I am not you. Things to consider:

do you spend the full time in port, or tend to be back on the ship early (or leave late) or come back for lunch midday?

 

Do you like to keep bottled water in your room to have first thing in the morning or late at night or are you fine with the tap water /the replenish package includes bottled water)

 

Will you relax and buy what you want, when you want, when paying individually or will knowing it is not yet paid for keep you from getting that soda you'd really like with dinner? Or, conversely, will you feel obliged to drink more than you want to get your money's worth if you buy a package?

[moopetguy]

I wouldn't buy a beverage package in this case if you can live without the drinks you need to pay extra for, or even if you pay for a few, it will probably be more economical in the end.

 

Rhapsody being a Vision-class ship, I'd expect lemonade and iced tea to be available for free anytime on the pool deck at a self-service drink station (near the Windjammer on the port side, where soft-serve ice cream likely is to be located as well) and at the Park Café. There may even be flavoured water available (on Grandeur and Enchantment I saw strawberry-kiwi and lemon-lime). The lemonade is non-carbonated with some (very little) lemon pulp (sugar content varies, sometimes very sweet, sometimes watered down).

 

You should have the option of only one of you buying Refreshment or Replenish. For my first four cruises, only I bought Royal Refreshment and my wife did not buy any (for our fifth, neither of us bought a package at all).

[lou2003k]

You can buy cans of soda pop without a package. They don't really care if you bring a few cans aboard, despite what the "rules" say....it's mainly alcohol they confiscate.

 

Included drinks are: ice water, coffee, tea (iced or hot) lemonade or flavored water, milk and juice at breakfast. If you can get by for 1 week with those options...don't pay for a package!

 

We're cruising from Venice and need to fly from the uk so no cans will be brought on board , it was mainly at night I was worried about while watching a show or sitting at a cafe/bar or casino having a drink in hand is standard even if not alcoholic , I'm thinking il get the soda package and my oh can get the replenish as he loves coffee and will probably have 3 of these a day at least lol!

[lou2003k]

I wouldn't buy a beverage package in this case if you can live without the drinks you need to pay extra for, or even if you pay for a few, it will probably be more economical in the end.

 

Rhapsody being a Vision-class ship, I'd expect lemonade and iced tea to be available for free anytime on the pool deck at a self-service drink station (near the Windjammer on the port side, where soft-serve ice cream likely is to be located as well) and at the Park Café. There may even be flavoured water available (on Grandeur and Enchantment I saw strawberry-kiwi and lemon-lime). The lemonade is non-carbonated with some (very little) lemon pulp (sugar content varies, sometimes very sweet, sometimes watered down).

 

You should have the option of only one of you buying Refreshment or Replenish. For my first four cruises, only I bought Royal Refreshment and my wife did not buy any (for our fifth, neither of us bought a package at all).

 

Thanks this is really helpful as I wondered about the pool deck and Also flavoured water as I enjoy this also . And thanks for the info on buying separate packages as I feel I would be fine but my OH would enjoy coffees etc

[garnetpalmetto]

Thanks this is really helpful as I wondered about the pool deck and Also flavoured water as I enjoy this also . And thanks for the info on buying separate packages as I feel I would be fine but my OH would enjoy coffees etc

 

Keep in mind that regular coffee (not specialty coffees like cappuccino, espressos, lattes, etc) is included in your cruise fare. Also since you seem to have sailed RCI before I imagine you're at least Gold in C&A and there's typically a coupon for a discounted drink at Latte-tudes in your coupon book.

[moopetguy]

Keep in mind that regular coffee (not specialty coffees like cappuccino, espressos, lattes, etc) is included in your cruise fare. Also since you seem to have sailed RCI before I imagine you're at least Gold in C&A and there's typically a coupon for a discounted drink at Latte-tudes in your coupon book.

 

I always forget to mention the free coffee at the drink stations because I'm not a coffee drinker and it completely slips my mind :D

 

Also, they don't put it out, but you can request a carton of milk at the Park Café for free. I have done this before when having to get a night-time bottle of milk together for my daughter after the Windjammer and MDR are closed. (You can get milk from room service as well but the wait time is unpredictable...the bottle needs to be ready NOW for the Royal Highness ;))

[Semi Retired]

Not an alcohol drinker and DH only drinks 1 or 2 each day (normally nothing at home). We wait until embarkment day and get the special pricing for specialty coffee card. You can get one for non-alcoholic drinks also.

[reallyitsmema]

Not an alcohol drinker and DH only drinks 1 or 2 each day (normally nothing at home). We wait until embarkment day and get the special pricing for specialty coffee card. You can get one for non-alcoholic drinks also.

 

That sounds like a Princess deal, not Royal Caribbean.