Any Benefit to Prepaying Beverage Package?

[red919]

Are there any benefits to paying for beverage package before the cruise?

 

And if you do buy it before the cruise, will it automatically show on my cruise card or will I still have to go to a bar or other place to get a sticker. I'd like to get a drink immediately upon boarding and not have to wait in any lines.

 

If I had enough OBC to cover it, of course I'd wait to buy it but unfortunately that's not the case. Just trying to decide if it's to my advantage to pay for it ahead of time. Any input would be appreciated. :)

 

Thanks!

Edited November 16, 2016 by red919

[joe/jack]

If you pre/pay the sticker will be on your card when you check in

That is the only advantage

[reedprincess]

Are there any benefits to paying for beverage package before the cruise?

 

And if you do buy it before the cruise, will it automatically show on my cruise card or will I still have to go to a bar or other place to get a sticker. I'd like to get a drink immediately upon boarding and not have to wait in any lines.

 

If I had enough OBC to cover it, of course I'd wait to buy it but unfortunately that's not the case. Just trying to decide if it's to my advantage to pay for it ahead of time. Any input would be appreciated. :)

 

Thanks!

 

No advantage as far as we can see....the sticker should be in your card at check-in - so you save about 6 minutes of signing up and paying onboard, which could be time spent getting a drink instead. Lol.

Disadvantage - paying immediately when ordering in advance....why give the cruise line your money before you need to? Since you already know the cost, you can earmark those funds and pay off the charge immediately upon return from ceuise....

Enjoy!

[CoffeHound]

I like to prepay for the beverage package because you get your sticker on the card when they hand it to you at check-in. I really like being able to stop by the first bar I see when I board and get a drink without having to find someone to sell me the sticker.

 

Another thing is that in some ports they charge sales tax on anything you purchase before the ship sails, and once I got dinged for sales tax on the beverage package when I bought it when we boarded. I know that quite a few people have reported that Princess has waited to put the charge through until the next day and they did not pay sales tax, but that was not by experience, so now I prepay if I am going to get it.

[Colo Cruiser]

As stated there is no advantage to pre buying and the sticker will be on your card at check in.

[rumbalizw]

As a UK cruiser, the price shown and charged to me in GBP, on the Princess website, works out in my favour as is a good rate, so paying a little while in advance, in pounds, means that I wont be stung for a Foreign Exchange transaction on my card, if I were to buy once onboard...as that'll be in $:)

Edited November 17, 2016 by rumbalizw

[jovisoul]

We were on the Coral two weeks ago and my hubby always gets the soda package. We waited till we were on board and it was only $7.00 per day istead of $8.05 and I believe the whole beverage package was $47.00 a day instead of $56. So, disadvantage if we would have prepaid.

[easyboy]

We were on the Coral two weeks ago and my hubby always gets the soda package. We waited till we were on board and it was only $7.00 per day istead of $8.05 and I believe the whole beverage package was $47.00 a day instead of $56. So, disadvantage if we would have prepaid.

It may not include yet the gratuities.

[red919]

Thank you all for your helpful input. All of this is good to know. :)

[caribill]

We were on the Coral two weeks ago and my hubby always gets the soda package. We waited till we were on board and it was only $7.00 per day isstead of $8.05 and I believe the whole beverage package was $47.00 a day instead of $56. So, disadvantage if we would have prepaid.

 

The 15% gratuity may be on a separate line on your account printout.

[GUT2407]

No advantage that I can figure out.

 

But I usually have OBC so prefer to wait anyway.

[funonabun]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't prepaying lock in the current price of the drink package? So if, hypothetically, Princess were to raise the price of the drink package between now and whenever OP is cruising, OP is saving the difference...

[riclop]

Are there any benefits to paying for beverage package before the cruise?

 

And if you do buy it before the cruise, will it automatically show on my cruise card or will I still have to go to a bar or other place to get a sticker. I'd like to get a drink immediately upon boarding and not have to wait in any lines.

 

If I had enough OBC to cover it, of course I'd wait to buy it but unfortunately that's not the case. Just trying to decide if it's to my advantage to pay for it ahead of time. Any input would be appreciated. :)

 

Thanks!

 

None at all.

[reedprincess]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't prepaying lock in the current price of the drink package? So if, hypothetically, Princess were to raise the price of the drink package between now and whenever OP is cruising, OP is saving the difference...

 

Yes that would be the case, and a pro for pre-paying - if the raise was substantial..... Hopefully, Princess would follow suit of its notifications about gratuity raises and let people know in advance that Beverage Package pricing was going up as of a specific date, so guests had time to prepay before the raise.... Since there's currently no chatter about raising the package price, let's not give them any fuel for the fire...

[helenb]

We have never had to wait to purchase the drink package. We go to lunch in the dining room, and when they come to take the drink order I tell them that I want a soda sticker. They go to the bar and get it for me, while I'm ordering my lunch! They come back with the sticker on my card, my first drink, and the bill for me to sign.

[Woobstr112G]

Not that there is any real benefit of prepaying for the beverage package, but I do because I like to have as much as I can prepaid and out of the way before we board.....:):):)

 

Bob

[easyboy]

We have never had to wait to purchase the drink package. We go to lunch in the dining room, and when they come to take the drink order I tell them that I want a soda sticker. They go to the bar and get it for me, while I'm ordering my lunch! They come back with the sticker on my card, my first drink, and the bill for me to sign.

Likewise. But on HC for me. I have the sticker after coming from the buffet counter.

[WISH84]

Not that there is any real benefit of prepaying for the beverage package, but I do because I like to have as much as I can prepaid and out of the way before we board.....:):):)

 

 

 

Bob

 

 

Amen! For our trip aboard the Regal in two weeks everything is pre-paid. Gratuities, Excursions, AIBP, UBD. Even with a large amount of OBC for this trip. We plan to use the OBC for things we otherwise probably wouldn't do if paying for it such as The Enclave.

 

 

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[Pushka]

There is benefit for Australians prepurchasing as the exchange rate is very much in our favour as it is in Aussie dollars pre cruise.