Drink package - Check my math

[jd99]

Good point I never looked at it that way. However, since it's included there ain't much you can do but factor the entire cost into your per drink cost to figure out if it's worth it or not.

 

You must be an accountant?

 

Ha! Furthest thing from an accountant (i'm a writer). But I may have a diet coke or two every day and thus I'd rather figure that I'm paying $4 a coke and figure that 3 glasses of wine makes the drink package worth it and that fourth glass that I often want but may skip is just gravy.

[ukintheus]

Hmmm. trying to figure out who you are....don't remember that screen name. But your cruise history sure matches up with ours!

 

I know your username but maybe our paths never actually crossed on a ship! :o LOL If we did then it would probably have been a Galveston sailing - we've hit those pretty hard while they have been here.

[jd99]

I know your username but maybe our paths never actually crossed on a ship! :o LOL If we did then it would probably have been a Galveston sailing - we've hit those pretty hard while they have been here.

 

I'm thinking we may have been on November 2010 Magic together? We used to always go the week after Thanksgiving. Never sailed out of Galveston.

[ukintheus]

I'm thinking we may have been on November 2010 Magic together? We used to always go the week after Thanksgiving. Never sailed out of Galveston.

 

Yes, I think that must be it. That was our first cruise! We were on the sailing right after Thanksgiving, the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.

[Mjasp]

what do you mean you backed out the soda part. It's included in the Premium Package, you can't pick and choose parts of the package. Is your cruise 4 nights or 7 nights, you made your math too complicated. Simply put, $47 per day plus the 18% gratuity makes it $55.46 per day. I found most of the wines were priced either at $8-12 or $14 and over and your limit is wine up to $12 per glass. Drinks are around $11-14 (I'm including the gratuity) so $36 for wine (minimum) and $20 for drinks and you basically break even. Like you said, at least 3 glasses of wine and 2 cocktails and you break even on pre-buying your package. So I'd buy it, knowing it's paying me on those days I'd have more than 2 cocktails and 3 glasses of wine.

 

Hmmm, So they limit you on the price of wine? You only are allowed wine that is $12 a glass or less?

[chandom]

Hmmm, So they limit you on the price of wine? You only are allowed wine that is $12 a glass or less?

Anything over $12 you pay the difference plus the 18% gratuity.

 

Example: $14 glass of wine, $12 covered by the package. The remaining $2 + 18% on that would be charged ($2.36).

[johnjen]

I went through this "process" and realized that I don't consume as much alcohol as the premium package would subscribe me polishing away a lot....if you feel you're going to break even or beyond, go for it. But the two key factors for me were:

 

1. I'll probably consume 2-3 beers a day. At night, I'd probably have maybe at most, two drinks. Not worth the package - unless I went 007 and snuck the wife a few.

 

2. In-port days - I'd be like, drinking out at Maho Beach in St. Maarten, wowing at the jets flying low over me, and guzzling a few brews. When I get back to the ship I'd be in "I'd better get my alcohol quota in" and get drunk on those nights.

 

My decision was realizing we'd spend LESS THAN HALF the cost of the premium package. Someone earlier even commented I'm a lightweight, haha, I totally agreed and had a good laugh, so no, I'll be fine.

[cdwh1902]

Think yourselves lucky. Our aussie dollar is very weak at present. We are booked on the Ovation of the Seas 15 night Christmas Cruise out of Sydney over to New Zealand. For us the packages with the 20% discount are:

 

Ultimate: $86.31 pp/pd = USD 63.95

 

Premium: $76.53 pp/pd = USD 56.70

 

Select: $58.62 pp/pd USD 43.43

 

Call that discrimination!!

[Coralc]

Hey, I can kind of do this. Just bought the Premium Package for the Harmony crossing coming up in Oct. Below is what I paid plus Royal's crazy service charge...

 

Premium: 39/day

 

Going on the Freedom Jul 10. Was thinking of buying another Premium Package for that one before we board...

 

Premium: 47/day

 

What's up with that? Haven't been following the drink package threads that much. Does the number of days per cruise (Harmony: 13 - Freedom: 7) have anything to do with the price?

 

Tim

 

I have been following the drink package threads.

 

Royal Caribbean has stated that the drink package pricing varies by ship and sailing, but they have also "said" that they prices for the packages are higher onboard and also on the summer cruises.

 

So Harmony is a longer cruise in the Fall. Freedom is a 7 day cruise in high summer.

 

$39 is a good price on Harmony!

Liberty September is $44. :D

[drewsky3]

How did you guys get notification of a 20% discount. I leave in 6 days on Explorer of the Seas and I have heard or seen nothing. I check the website daily.

 

 

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[reallyitsmema]

How did you guys get notification of a 20% discount. I leave in 6 days on Explorer of the Seas and I have heard or seen nothing. I check the website daily.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I only saw it by going into my cruise planner for each of my booked cruises. Just sailed Oasis last month and there was no discount on that sailing. Our sailing for Anthem in September is showing a discount.

[cruisin4kicks]

How did you guys get notification of a 20% discount. I leave in 6 days on Explorer of the Seas and I have heard or seen nothing. I check the website daily.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Can't speak for all but I just went to the website and pulled up my reservation from "My Cruises". Click on the "Get Started" button on the "Cruise Planner" tab and it's right there... just checked while I was typing this and it says 20% off Premium package for the Freedom cruise we have booked in July.

 

Tim

Edited June 11, 2016 by cruisin4kicks

[drewsky3]

Yeah,I do not have it. Must only be the bigger ships.

 

 

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[KazAllen]

We also are in Australia but are cruising home to Sydney from Honolulu in Sept his year. I logged into my Cruise Planner about a month or so ago and bought the Premium Package for both hubby and myself - price (with 20% disc) was $57.52 per person per day incl. 18%, which I thought was a great price. We are on Radiance which isn't one of the bigger ships.

Edited June 12, 2016 by KazAllen

[GUT2407]

Your maths puzzles me a little, but on the wine and cocktails get it.

[bulldogz]

If you purchase a premium package for $47, do you pay the 18% gratuity on the $47 a day or do they add it per drink order?

[reallyitsmema]

If you purchase a premium package for $47, do you pay the 18% gratuity on the $47 a day or do they add it per drink order?

 

Your package is $47 + 18% gratuity per day. You sometimes will be given a $0 slip to sign when you order drinks and on there you can add an additional tip if you so desire but you are paying 18% gratuity on the total cost of the package.

[MichaelCMTX]

I like paying ahead of time so that I'm not stuck with a big bill at the end.

 

To me, that's the answer. This is vacation and I don't want to worry that what I do on Day 2 is going to come home to roost under the door the final night. It's paid, it's done, not going to turn it into a big math problem ("If I have x of this drink and y of this drink on a sea day, but on a port day....") now or later.

 

If you purchase a premium package for $47, do you pay the 18% gratuity on the $47 a day or do they add it per drink order?

 

In my experience the gratuity is paid on the package. Now, having said that, I say find a bartender or bartenders who treat you well and throw them a little something extra.

[drewsky3]

Yes, the 18% is added to the price you see listed when you go to check out. I think there is a service charge too.

 

 

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[GatorWop]

So for all of those that were concerned they were not getting their "20% discount" by paying $47 and $53 day for premium and ultimate packages, respectively. This is from the June 2nd Anthem sailing.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50233384&postcount=31

 

As RCI has been saying for awhile now, pricing on board would be going up and this has now come to fruition.

[lovetotraveltx]

Besides alcohol and water that was mentioned we liked getting fancy coffees in the morning and late afternoon. Also sometimes after the show at night.

 

My husband's favorite part was being able to have multiple types of wines with dinner. You could start with a white or proseco and switch to red. Or lighter then heavier red...

 

We are by no means heavy drinkers but thought it well worth it.

[Coralc]

Yes, the 18% is added to the price you see listed when you go to check out. I think there is a service charge too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

There is no service charge.

 

So for all of those that were concerned they were not getting their "20% discount" by paying $47 and $53 day for premium and ultimate packages, respectively. This is from the June 2nd Anthem sailing.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50233384&postcount=31

 

Wow. We have pre purchased the package. I'm not sure what we will do with future cruises.

 

As RCI has been saying for awhile now, pricing on board would be going up and this has now come to fruition.

 

Wow. We have pre purchased for the fall cruise. I'm not sure what we will do with future cruises.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Coralc

[seafoy]

The 47 plus gratuity for a 7 night cruise comes to $388 when I put it in my basket. When i back out the soda package cost because it doesn't come into play whether the package is worth it for me for wine/alcohol and water bottles - the weekly total is $322 and divides out to $46 total per day including gratuity. 3 wines at 13 each comes to 39 plus gratuity or $46. So any additional cocktails and bottles of water become "freebies" on this package!

 

And I realize that you don't "back out" the soda package - like you have to pay for it no matter what. But in my opinion the soda package "is what it is" and doesn't come into play regarding is the 'alcoholic drink' package worth it. I think those who use the 5-6 drinks per day are flawed in their math because they don't take into account that the soda package consumes $8 per day plus gratuity of that full package price. But maybe that's just me.

 

I just got off the 6/5 Allure sailing, and like you was going back and forth trying to determine whether we should get the packages. We had done a package on another cruise line(Princess) a year ago and had a tough time "breaking even" so to speak...and that was only a 5 day cruise...lol! BUT, their drink prices were a lot lower at the time than RCCL. So, just like you, I figured I would at least get the soda package, because I enjoy the flavored Dasani waters the freestyle machine offers, at $8 day....an additional $39 more I could get the premium package. On the Allure this is 3-4 drinks! The others that are telling you a $12 limit are incorrect, it is $13 on the Allure.

 

As you are a wine drinker, you will be most likely spending $12 per glass, as there really wasn't any $13 wines I saw, usually either $11, $12 or $14...and up from there, unless you really wanted the cheap stuff! We felt the bars that made the best drinks were the Martini bar and Sabor for margaritas. Martini's were $13, as well as the margarita's. Most of the frozen drinks were $11.

 

Let me tell you....we ended up having NO problem meeting that 3-4 per day:D...and am REALLY happy I ended up buying beforehand! There were many times my frozen drink would melt so fast and not taste very good, or a drink was made too sweet for my liking, and I could freely abandon it if necessary. Sometimes, I didn't like a drink or only felt like drinking half. In addition, we usually got a couple water bottles each per day.

 

The package price onboard was $59 plus gratuities.... So, if you are going to purchase, definitely do so before boarding!

 

Also...one tip that we learned... When ordering a drink, ask for it to be made with certain liquor...i.e. Bacardi Mojito, Grand Marnier Margarita....or they will most likely use the "generic no brand stuff"!

[jd99]

I just got off the 6/5 Allure sailing, and like you was going back and forth trying to determine whether we should get the packages. We had done a package on another cruise line(Princess) a year ago and had a tough time "breaking even" so to speak...and that was only a 5 day cruise...lol! BUT, their drink prices were a lot lower at the time than RCCL. So, just like you, I figured I would at least get the soda package, because I enjoy the flavored Dasani waters the freestyle machine offers, at $8 day....an additional $39 more I could get the premium package. On the Allure this is 3-4 drinks! The others that are telling you a $12 limit are incorrect, it is $13 on the Allure.

 

As you are a wine drinker, you will be most likely spending $12 per glass, as there really wasn't any $13 wines I saw, usually either $11, $12 or $14...and up from there, unless you really wanted the cheap stuff! We felt the bars that made the best drinks were the Martini bar and Sabor for margaritas. Martini's were $13, as well as the margarita's. Most of the frozen drinks were $11.

 

Let me tell you....we ended up having NO problem meeting that 3-4 per day:D...and am REALLY happy I ended up buying beforehand! There were many times my frozen drink would melt so fast and not taste very good, or a drink was made too sweet for my liking, and I could freely abandon it if necessary. Sometimes, I didn't like a drink or only felt like drinking half. In addition, we usually got a couple water bottles each per day.

 

The package price onboard was $59 plus gratuities.... So, if you are going to purchase, definitely do so before boarding!

 

Also...one tip that we learned... When ordering a drink, ask for it to be made with certain liquor...i.e. Bacardi Mojito, Grand Marnier Margarita....or they will most likely use the "generic no brand stuff"!

 

Thank you for all that great information! You confirmed my thoughts on many levels. Will be buying the package beforehand for sure. wondering if you had any experience in Vintages as I picture myself spending more time there than any other bar. :)

[MikeBayAreaCa]

I purchased one premium already, but am going to use my $450.00 of cruise credit for the second on board. I know the price will be higher, but it is BoA points and essentially we are getting 2 for 1. The pre purchase price was 388.00 total for the week.