Unsure whether to order a drinks package before cruise or whilst on it?

[beckyboo1986]

Hi,

 

I've booked my first cruise and I'm trying to work out whether it's worth booking a drinks package which includes alcohol.

 

It works out to £330.73 including service charge for my week long cruise. Without knowing roughly what the cost of drinks onboard are, it's difficult to compare if it's worth purchasing or not.

 

Could someone give me some rough prices for say margarita, vodka and lemonade, glass of wine, soda?

 

Do they give you a glass to use for things like soda to drink during the day? When they say specialist coffees, what does this include please?

 

What drinks could I get free of charge with dinner or during the day please? Are there any water fountains that I could fill a bottle up with please?

 

I did try searching the forum but I couldn't quite find the answers sorry.

 

Thanks.

[Clarea]

Rough price for margarita when sailing out of the UK would be $12-$14. Soda is $4+. Vodka and lemonade is around $9-$10.

 

Specialty coffees are things like espresso, cappucino, latte.

 

Beverages included in the basic cruise fare: tap water, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade (US style), milk, and juices at breakfast.

[aubreyc1988]

Hi,

 

I've booked my first cruise and I'm trying to work out whether it's worth booking a drinks package which includes alcohol.

 

It works out to £330.73 including service charge for my week long cruise. Without knowing roughly what the cost of drinks onboard are, it's difficult to compare if it's worth purchasing or not.

 

Drinks on board pricing depends on what you are getting. If its £330.00 and you are thinking about purchasing it now or later, in the cruiseplanner will always be cheapest.

 

Could someone give me some rough prices for say margarita, vodka and lemonade, glass of wine, soda?

 

Martinis are probably 10-12.00 plus 18% gratuity, mixed drinks are 8-12.00 plus 18% gratuity, Well drinks (Rum and coke, vodka tonic, etc) are 8-10.00 plus 18%. Wine by the glass is pretty expensive, 10-12.00 plus gratuity. Drink of the day is a good value, at 8.00 plus gratuity. Some, if most RCI cruises, now offer a "Coupon booklet" day 3 or 4 on the cruise, which runs about 80-90.00 which is for 10 drinks, which isn't a bad deal. From what I understand with the booklet, you get to choose any 10 drinks. Some RCI Casinos do offer 1.00 mimosas from 11am-12pm or around that time. Been on three ships that have done that, all on sea days. Not sure if its' fleetwide. I also saw some deals on my feb cruise on Adventure where you buy a drink, get a shot for 1/2 price.

 

Do they give you a glass to use for things like soda to drink during the day? When they say specialist coffees, what does this include please?

 

Beverage package includes a somewhat insulated cup, to get soda from, on most if not all ships. Specialty coffees include the ones at the Promenade Cafe...when I cruised last Feb, they let me pick any size of any beverage on the board, but that may have changed. Does not include starbucks.

 

What drinks could I get free of charge with dinner or during the day please? Are there any water fountains that I could fill a bottle up with please?

 

Free drinks are Water/Tea/Coffee/milk/Lemonade/some various watered down from concentrate juices out of a machine. You may take a glass from the buffet, fill it up with water, and then use the glass to pour the water into your waterbottle. Don't put the waterbottle directly underneath for sanitary reasons.

 

I did try searching the forum but I couldn't quite find the answers sorry.

 

Thanks.

 

I hope this helps. Whether or not the package is worth it to you depends on the amount you drink per day, but definitely the cost is better if you purchase it via the cruise planner before your cruise :)

[beckyboo1986]

Thank you both for your replies.

 

I think it does seem like the package would be good. I might just wait until I get on-board and see how I feel after the first day. I assume if I purchased the drinks package on-board, it shouldn't cost more?

 

Cheers.

[cb at sea]

I would wait....see what the prices look to be...then decide. The cost is the same per night left on your sailing.

[aubreyc1988]

Thank you both for your replies.

 

I think it does seem like the package would be good. I might just wait until I get on-board and see how I feel after the first day. I assume if I purchased the drinks package on-board, it shouldn't cost more?

 

Cheers.

 

When I bought the package on Adventure in Feb, I bought it on cruiseplanner for 36.00USD including gratuities per day. When I got onboard, I saw prices were 56.00+18% gratuity. So there was a pretty big price difference.

[DeadPhish]

Thank you both for your replies.

 

I think it does seem like the package would be good. I might just wait until I get on-board and see how I feel after the first day. I assume if I purchased the drinks package on-board, it shouldn't cost more?

 

Cheers.

 

Often times its discounted pre-cruise around 20%. Also, while on board if you purchase it while still in port they can also charge you sales tax if applicable.

[beckyboo1986]

When I bought the package on Adventure in Feb, I bought it on cruiseplanner for 36.00USD including gratuities per day. When I got onboard, I saw prices were 56.00+18% gratuity. So there was a pretty big price difference.

 

What's Cruise Planner please? Is that when I log in on Royal Caribbean website? That's where I got the price £330 from.

[Clarea]

What's Cruise Planner please? Is that when I log in on Royal Caribbean website? That's where I got the price £330 from.

Yes, the Cruise Planner is a section of Royal's website were you can order drink packages, specialty restaurants, excursions, etc.

[payitforward]

What's Cruise Planner please? Is that when I log in on Royal Caribbean website? That's where I got the price £330 from.

 

Yes. If you watch it, there are sometimes discounts offered on the different packages.

[LisaAtlCruiser]

I would get it pre cruise if it goes on sale. I keeping watching all my future bookings and it seems some are on sale 20% off. Some are on sale 10%. Some have a "pre cruise price" and some are just normal. I have a feeling RCL is testing out prices.

[jasper15]

It's worth noting that you can buy the drinks package now and keep watching the prices in the cruise planner. If it goes down in price, you can cancel what you have paid for and that money will be returned to your credit card. Then you re-book it at the new price. This is common practice.

 

I will point out that when I sailed on Independence a few weeks ago out of Southampton, the prices for the drink package on-board the ship was 25% more expensive than what I had purchased mine for a few weeks earlier.

Also with the drink package, it includes unlimited bottled water, which is handy to take on shore excursions.

[Pencruise]

Thank you both for your replies.

 

I think it does seem like the package would be good. I might just wait until I get on-board and see how I feel after the first day. I assume if I purchased the drinks package on-board, it shouldn't cost more?

 

Cheers.

 

On a recent cruise we did with friends the drinks package online was $44 per day and onboard it was $58, they kicked themselves for not buying it in advance.

[liveperson]

When is your cruise? We bought ours prior to our cruise because I kept watching the prices. I purchased during a sale, and got ours for 20% less. Hope this helps.

[Merion_Mom]

When I bought the package on Adventure in Feb, I bought it on cruiseplanner for 36.00USD including gratuities per day. When I got onboard, I saw prices were 56.00+18% gratuity. So there was a pretty big price difference.

I have never seen it anywhere NEAR that cheap. Are you SURE of those figures?

[DeadPhish]

I have never seen it anywhere NEAR that cheap. Are you SURE of those figures?

 

We got one near that price (last year some time?) but it was for the old drink packages. It was right before they combined them, and we ended up getting upgraded to the Deluxe package. So we essentially paid 20% (or whatever it was) off the lowered tier alcohol package, but got the full Deluxe package.

[Clarea]

We got one near that price (last year some time?) but it was for the old drink packages. It was right before they combined them, and we ended up getting upgraded to the Deluxe package. So we essentially paid 20% (or whatever it was) off the lowered tier alcohol package, but got the full Deluxe package.

Sounds like you had the old Premium package.