Cheers Review with Totals

[caitmac1]

THanks for posting this!

 

I'm currently planning my third cruise and contemplating trying Cheers this time since it's a shorter cruise. I'm not a super heavy drinker, but I <3 the Alchemy Bar, and frankly, I would very HAPPILY consume 3-4 Remedies a night if I wasn't going "oh god, this is $12 for boozy fruit juice". At that point, add in a Bellini at breakfast, sodas or shakes while sitting around, and I think I'd be a little on the + side of breakeven....

[TxChick]

I also found myself drinking more to get my money's worth. I've also compared my receipts and find we pretty much break even so we prefer to buy Carnival gift cards thru Verizon and we do better that way.

[AprilJ]

We counted our # of drinks on the way home and averaged them at $8.50 (as husband drank beer too) and figured we saved $210 with Cheers. Next cruise we are taking our son and probably will not purchase Cheers just 2 bottles for the room.

[erinmarie424]

THanks for posting this!

 

I'm currently planning my third cruise and contemplating trying Cheers this time since it's a shorter cruise. I'm not a super heavy drinker, but I <3 the Alchemy Bar, and frankly, I would very HAPPILY consume 3-4 Remedies a night if I wasn't going "oh god, this is $12 for boozy fruit juice". At that point, add in a Bellini at breakfast, sodas or shakes while sitting around, and I think I'd be a little on the + side of breakeven....

 

We had three cocktails from Alchemy every night with Cheers! Last time without Cheers! we only had two total from there. Easy to break even with an Alchemy on the ship!

[hulksmash]

We had three cocktails from Alchemy every night with Cheers! Last time without Cheers! we only had two total from there. Easy to break even with an Alchemy on the ship!

 

Cheers pairs best with the Alchemy Bar.

[Buckett]

OP thanks for your research, and sharing your results! :D I did the same thing in January but on Holland America. The beverage package was part of a promo we booked, and I was just curious how much we would have spent if we didn't have it, so I kept all my receipts and did a daily breakdown like yours. I don't still have it, but it was fun to do and I know we saved some $.

 

I think my sis and I are going to try Cheers for the first time in January when we do our yearly short cruise to Ensenada. The addition of the other stuff like specialty coffees, energy drinks, etc. was what made it more attractive to me. Plus as others have said, I will be more inclined to to sit at the Alchemy Bar with Cheers. :D On the Miracle this past March I glanced at the menu and was like hmmm, naaahhh I don't think I want to spring for $12 cocktails so I passed. Same with coffee, I usually just order room service coffee but now I will indulge in some double shot vanilla lattes every morning! Followed shortly thereafter by a Bloody Mary. :)

[Afchicana]

Just some notes:

1. The orange juice in the havana bar (made from some special machine) is NOT included according to some rude bartender.

2. Doubles are NOT included but you can add things like flavor add ins on the coffees...just not extra liquor.

3. To maximize drinks and minimize time I did sit at the bar and order a cocktail then 5 minutes later ordered another and then 5 minutes later a bottle of water. So I had a drink at the bar, one to carry around and a bottle of water in my bag... had it not been for this it my total would have been much lower.

4. The spiked milkshakes are freaking amazing and included

5. They can do an iced coffee drinks blended like a frappacino you just ask for it blended and they are happy to do it.

 

Had we not had the package and just paid-per-drink I would have drank less ... especially after day 2.

[Justinetime2cruise]

Awesome review, props to you for keeping track of them all! LOL i wanted to try to take a picture of every drink I consume when we cruise next month as a way for me to track. Thanks for posting!

 

Good idea!!

[Vagabond Knight]

I've read a lot about the Cheers program, but couldn't find this anywhere. I know people have mentioned that floaters and doubles are a no-go, but what about a drink that, by definition, involves two different liquors... for example, a Black Russian? Surely you don't have to get a Kahlua on ice and then sit there for five minutes and then get a vodka to mix it with, do you?

[coevan]

those are considered mixed drinks and they count as only one drink. even a Long Island Ice Tea is one drink

[Rh2458]

I've read a lot about the Cheers program, but couldn't find this anywhere. I know people have mentioned that floaters and doubles are a no-go, but what about a drink that, by definition, involves two different liquors... for example, a Black Russian? Surely you don't have to get a Kahlua on ice and then sit there for five minutes and then get a vodka to mix it with, do you?

 

People can order a long island iced tea and that's loaded with different liquors.

[First and Ten]

Recently off a 5 night Cruise on the Elation (no Alchemy Bar) DW and I didn't get the Cheers package (she is not a big drinker)....With Cheers we would have spent $590 for the package. Paying as we went (we tried some new drinks), we spent $390....saved $200

Edited June 17, 2016 by First and Ten

[dacsmom]

Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[jgive]

Thanks for posting this! I'll be cruising next week and looking forward to Cheers

[TrqoisWtrs]

Good thread! I've often wondered about this, but also had the feeling I would need to pound to make it worth my while, especially on days with a full day in port. :) So like others, will use my Verizon gift cards, carry on bottle of vino, etc.

 

And yes, the guava juice is amazing. We always bring an extra large insulated mug and fill it in the morning to make adult beverages at night. :) (P.S. and you are allowed to order up to 6 OJs from room service. We discovered that was the limit.;))

 

I'm makring twleve terqiila surbnishezises.

Thanks for the LOL on a slow Friday afternoon in the office. :D

[originalgeek]

And just a "heads up", mimosas don't have to be orange juice and champagne. Every ship we have been on has guava juice at the buffet, breakfast time. I have a large tervis type cup that I fill with it. I bring champagne to mix with it. Sometimes things just taste better on vacation than at home. I have bought the guava juice at home and have never liked it. But, LOVE it on the cruise. It is also good mixed with rum. And probably any other liquor. :) Enjoy your cruise!

 

Awesome - I've never had guava juice - or any guava that I can recall which is weird since I live in Florida and see it everywhere...but I'll definitely have it next month on Conquest!

[originalgeek]

Good thread! I've often wondered about this, but also had the feeling I would need to pound to make it worth my while, especially on days with a full day in port. :) So like others, will use my Verizon gift cards, carry on bottle of vino, etc.

 

And yes, the guava juice is amazing. We always bring an extra large insulated mug and fill it in the morning to make adult beverages at night. :) (P.S. and you are allowed to order up to 6 OJs from room service. We discovered that was the limit.;))

 

Thanks for the LOL on a slow Friday afternoon in the office. :D

 

Always happy to help! :) And thank you! I will be utilizing your info re: OJ and guava juices. I have a couple Tervises but not sure if they are big enough. Imma have to look around and see what I can find - (without spending 70 dollars for a Yeti lol)

[cruzelover55]

Awesome - I've never had guava juice - or any guava that I can recall which is weird since I live in Florida and see it everywhere...but I'll definitely have it next month on Conquest!

 

Try some sort of pastry with guava "paste" in it. We used to live in Miami and a nearby bakery had this, very good. I picked a guava off a tree in the Dominican Republic, Yikes!!! Sour, horrible, and not red. (maybe not ripe, as how would I know?) They must really add a lot of sugar and coloring to get the final product. Publix in Miami sells the "paste" and I have made turnovers with it. Have never seen it anywhere in Galveston. Yum, forgot about until this thread. :)

[originalgeek]

Try some sort of pastry with guava "paste" in it. We used to live in Miami and a nearby bakery had this, very good. I picked a guava off a tree in the Dominican Republic, Yikes!!! Sour, horrible, and not red. (maybe not ripe, as how would I know?) They must really add a lot of sugar and coloring to get the final product. Publix in Miami sells the "paste" and I have made turnovers with it. Have never seen it anywhere in Galveston. Yum, forgot about until this thread. :)

 

I see guava pastries in the publix bakery all the time but I've never bought any. I'll fix that this weekend. :)

[cruizinisthebest]

And just a "heads up", mimosas don't have to be orange juice and champagne. Every ship we have been on has guava juice at the buffet, breakfast time. I have a large tervis type cup that I fill with it. I bring champagne to mix with it. Sometimes things just taste better on vacation than at home. I have bought the guava juice at home and have never liked it. But, LOVE it on the cruise. It is also good mixed with rum. And probably any other liquor. :) Enjoy your cruise!

 

hmm hmm! I thought about that guava juice this morning! I'm maybe a little OCD with figuring out how to drink while onboard, lol. I have sat down and wrote it out and did it again today. Thanks again for this thread. It's helping me decide to nix Cheers. We enjoy drinking and I really have a high tolerance, but I just don't like drinking a bunch of drinks for days in a row. That's too much of a change to my system. I think we'll do fine with a couple of bottles and a few additional drinks around the ship.

 

I may change my mind again. Who knows!:p

[mufc99]

How do you keep track when you have Cheers?

 

Do you get a card?

 

Or do you just fall over when you have reached your limit! :-)

[Afchicana]

The system keeps track of the # of alcoholic beverages you've had and won't allow any past 15. My husband got to 14 one day and the bartender told him he had one left. That was a sea day and he wasn't even a little drunk but I was exhausted so he didn't get to his 15. I did keep track of my drinks for fun by simply using a note app on my phone and writing "cocktail 9" and then going to the next line ...I had a different note for each day.

[picabo972]

So I'm in one room with one kiddo and the other half is in another room with one kiddo. Am I reading correctly that only one of us will have to pay for the Cheers package since we have separate rooms? Obviously no sharing...I got that part.

[sc4125]

So I'm in one room with one kiddo and the other half is in another room with one kiddo. Am I reading correctly that only one of us will have to pay for the Cheers package since we have separate rooms? Obviously no sharing...I got that part.

 

 

Yes, only one of you will have to purchase it. My sister & I have different cabins so I am able to purchase by myself. She tends to drink more alcohol but she (and I) will get Drinks On Us cards from the casino when we board and she spends WAY more time in the casino than I do. She is also someone who starts the vacation enjoying the buzz a little too much on day 1 and 2 - not so much the rest of the cruise.

 

The only reason I will purchase CHEERS is because I got a great casino rate for the cruise so don't mind spending extra on "entertainment." Not sure that I will come out ahead, but maybe because 1) I do love the specialty coffees, and 2) I will only be off the ship for an extended period of time in 1 of the 4 ports (I've been to all of them before) so I plan to be laying out at the almost empty Serenity and having a few drinks during most of the other port days.

 

I got it last year when I was on a cruise celebrating my birthday and definitely didn't get my money's worth - but it was fun ordering drinks whenever I wanted without being concerned with whether I would like them or not. I had days when I'd have 5-6 drinks but then other days when I would only have 2 drinks. The coffee will help offset it this time (I hope).

[cruizinisthebest]

So I'm in one room with one kiddo and the other half is in another room with one kiddo. Am I reading correctly that only one of us will have to pay for the Cheers package since we have separate rooms? Obviously no sharing...I got that part.

Yes. That's the way we always book. Even if I get Cheers, he won't. He doesn't need it with the way he drinks. Mostly beer and wine and just a few daily.

 

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