Our experience with a drink package and Cheers

[SNJCruisers]

I think the Blue Iguana Bar had Don Julio Anejo tequila for maybe 13.95?

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

[sjcruiser]

I agree with preferring Royal's package. We haven't tried Carnivals, but will this summer on two cruises. Royal was just the better option for us at the time. I also like thats its unlimited, although we never came close to getting 15 drinks, but we did try drinks we wouldn't normally have, and will do the same on Carnival. My preferred drinks are whiskey, scotch, bourbon and cognac with cigars in the evening, so I'll be trying out all the top of the line stuff at Carnival besides my normal Glemorangie and Woodford.

 

After trying drink packages on Carnival, NCL, and RC I prefer RC's package. With Carnival's package I don't like that everyone in the cabin over 21 has to purchase, the 15 drink limit and the price is too high and never offered on sale. I don't think the precruise purchase is a good price. My husband rarely drinks alcohol but on RC gets the Royal Refreshment package which covers basically all non alcoholic drinks. I usually only drink beer and basic cocktails so the $50 per limit drink means nothing to me. On our upcoming RC cruise I got the deluxe drink package on sale for $40.00 per day plus 18% gratuity and the refreshment package for $18 per day plus 18% gratuity.

I think the Carnival drink package only works for a limited group of cruisers and would love to see Carnival rework their drink package offering so those that prefer an all inclusive experience can choose something that works for them.

Whenever I price out cruises across the 3 mentioned lines for usually 7 day cruises in balcony cabins I always add in the cost of drink packages and Carnival is almost always the more expensive "all-inclusive" cruise option. Please Carnival, you're missing the boat!😀

[SNJCruisers]

Really where else do you find any drinks over about $12? .

After doing some research, I found Grey Goose VX vodka @ 20.95, Roca Patron Silver tequila @ 15.95 and Pyrat Cask 1623 rum @ 25.00.

[beerman2]

After doing some research, I found Grey Goose VX vodka @ 20.95, Roca Patron Silver tequila @ 15.95 and Pyrat Cask 1623 rum @ 25.00.

 

 

May have to try a Grey Goose VX dirty Martini!

[krehberg]

After trying drink packages on Carnival, NCL, and RC I prefer RC's package. With Carnival's package I don't like that everyone in the cabin over 21 has to purchase, the 15 drink limit and the price is too high and never offered on sale. I don't think the precruise purchase is a good price. My husband rarely drinks alcohol but on RC gets the Royal Refreshment package which covers basically all non alcoholic drinks. I usually only drink beer and basic cocktails so the $50 per limit drink means nothing to me. On our upcoming RC cruise I got the deluxe drink package on sale for $40.00 per day plus 18% gratuity and the refreshment package for $18 per day plus 18% gratuity.

I think the Carnival drink package only works for a limited group of cruisers and would love to see Carnival rework their drink package offering so those that prefer an all inclusive experience can choose something that works for them.

Whenever I price out cruises across the 3 mentioned lines for usually 7 day cruises in balcony cabins I always add in the cost of drink packages and Carnival is almost always the more expensive "all-inclusive" cruise option. Please Carnival, you're missing the boat!😀

 

 

I'd prefer Royal's package too if I got it for $40/day, however, the 2 times I was on Royal, I had to pay $55/day. I find it being unlimited compared to CCL's 15 drink limit is a moot point in that the only way I could reach 15 on CCL is if I drank swill like Miller Lite, Bud or Bud Light. No way I could drink 15 cocktails or glasses of wine. Because of that, I find them pretty equal, though RCCL does have better beer and wine selection, but most of their wines exceed the $ limit.

[tandemcruzr]

Only if you leave from Galveston or New York

 

You can now add Mobile to that list.

[SNJCruisers]

We are set to cruise on Carnival Vista next January with four ports and three sea days. We had talked about the getting the drink package too. But, I looked at the cost for eight days and it is $997 for two. So, I think for us it is not worth it since we will be off the boat quite a bit. What I am going to do is buy bar credits over the next year. If it were a three or four day cruise with only a couple ports then it may be worth it.

 

Sandi

The cost for 8 days is about 920 if you prepay it at 50 per day pp plus 15% gratuity. Also, you do have at least 8 hours on the back end of port days to enjoy the package. And it does include large bottles of water to take ashore as well as espresso based coffees to start your day. When factoring these in, you just need to drink four alcoholic drinks over that eight hour span. Even a person who sips a drink real slow can consume it in two hours. [emoji3]

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

[bobbismith]

You can now add Mobile to that list.

I just bought the Cheers package for a May 2017 Mobile four day cruise and they charged me the full four days.

 

Bobbi

[krehberg]

The cost for 8 days is about 920 if you prepay it at 50 per day pp plus 15% gratuity. Also, you do have at least 8 hours on the back end of port days to enjoy the package. And it does include large bottles of water to take ashore as well as espresso based coffees to start your day. When factoring these in, you just need to drink four alcoholic drinks over that eight hour span. Even a person who sips a drink real slow can consume it in two hours. [emoji3]

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

 

 

and if you can get the discounted gift cards to pay for cheers in advance its now down to $828. That's $103.50 per day per couple (including gratuity) or roughtly $88/day before gratuity.

[Smithkids5521]

Thank you for your view on the Cheers program- I agree with your point about trying new drinks that you normally wouldn't try. I like your idea about the shot of rum with a soda chaser ;)

 

For our upcoming cruise on the Legend- I was seriously considering purchasing it for DH and myself, but I think now I am just planning to take the approx. $800 we would have spent on Cheers and just add it to our onboard account. This way if we spend that amount (or more) on drinks it is fine, but if not then at least I can use the leftover funds for formal night pictures, paying for night owl at Camp Ocean for DD, etc.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :D

[livingourdreams]

Is the 15 drink limit applicable to alcoholic beverages only? Or do coffees and waters count towards the 15 total?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[SNJCruisers]

Is the 15 drink limit applicable to alcoholic beverages only? Or do coffees and waters count towards the 15 total?

All non alcoholic beverages are unlimited. The 15 only includes alcoholic drinks such as mixed, beer, wine, spiked coffees, spiked milkshakes. The limit is 50.00 per drink, but items such as buckets of beer, beer towers, pitchers of beer and fishbowls are excluded from the program. Also excluded are the ergonomic wine dispensers and self serving beer taps that are on a few of the newer ships as well.

[livingourdreams]

All non alcoholic beverages are unlimited. The 15 only includes alcoholic drinks such as mixed, beer, wine, spiked coffees, spiked milkshakes. The limit is 50.00 per drink, but items such as buckets of beer, beer towers, pitchers of beer and fishbowls are excluded from the program. Also excluded are the ergonomic wine dispensers and self serving beer taps that are on a few of the newer ships as well.

 

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums