Your personal thoughts on the cheers package?

[brepri_h]

Cruising with 4 people and we aren't huge drinkers. We might each have 2-3 drinks per night. However, we read an article that said you really need 5 drinks to break even and of course it includes more than just alcohol. We'll probably buy 3-4 bottles of water pe rday and I personally love specialty coffee so it seems it might be worth it. What to do you think?

 

What are you person thoughts on the cheers package?

[Keys2Heaven]

Oh boy....It's popcorn time!

 

Cheers! discussions are VERY subjective. I've heard it's more like 6 drinks to break even. And you'll get responses on how to skirt the rules, etc.

 

Now, if I were on a shorter-day cruise (i.e. booze cruise), it might have some merit. But, the cost becomes prohibitive (at least for us) on longer (7 day or more) cruises.

 

Have fun reading the responses.

[brepri_h]

Oh boy....It's popcorn time!

 

Cheers! discussions are VERY subjective. I've heard it's more like 6 drinks to break even. And you'll get responses on how to skirt the rules, etc.

 

Now, if I were on a shorter-day cruise (i.e. booze cruise), it might have some merit. But, the cost becomes prohibitive (at least for us) on longer (7 day or more) cruises.

 

Have fun reading the responses.

 

LOL I know, def popcorn time! It's actually a 4 day cruise I'm asking about!

[jdoc2010]

I personally enjoyed it - for the specialty coffees and S.Pellegrinos and wine at dinner. And to order drinks I have never tried - if I didnt like them, no big deal, I just got a different one. For me, its the worry free part I appreciated- I pre-purchased with a 10% discount gift card, so breaking "even" was easier.

[theriac]

I wouldn't worry about how many drinks I can have to make it worth it, but rather embrace the fact that I know I don't have to worry about any surprises when the cruise ends with my bill. You said it yourself you prefer getting bottled water, and the premium coffees so those to me are what make the program so attractive.

[MrsKC08]

It all depends on your consumption, really. It's the same discussion for each cruise line and I see it daily. To be honest, and subjective...it depends on how port intensive a cruise is (you obviously will drink less on days that you are off the ship in port). On our last two Royal cruises, hubs and I both got the deluxe drink package because we knew we would be on the ship most of the time throughout the 7 nights of each cruise. Not to mention that it includes the fresh squeezed oj in the morning, the coffee, still and sparkling water, and any drink up to $13 per drink (Royal Caribbean rules of course).

You also have to bear in mind that every person in the cabin of legal drinking age must purchase the package or not at all. Yes, there are some ways around that...but let's be fair as to what the rules state. We have a 3 night cruise coming up in May (girls only cruise), and I've contemplated getting the drink package but I don't want to force my roomie to have to get one too so I'm not sure if we will get the package or not.

BUT, for me...I like having a package and having it prepaid so I don't have to worry about each drink that I order. I offers me the ability to also try new drinks and if I don't like them, I don't feel like I am out the cost for the drink. I can simply order another one. It's easy for me to see that in a course of say...16 hours or so that I might be awake that I would have 6 drinks without any problem when you factor in all the different drink types that are included.

 

Just my two cents.

[bigdog1958]

Cruising with 4 people and we aren't huge drinkers. We might each have 2-3 drinks per night. However, we read an article that said you really need 5 drinks to break even and of course it includes more than just alcohol. We'll probably buy 3-4 bottles of water pe rday and I personally love specialty coffee so it seems it might be worth it. What to do you think?

 

What are you person thoughts on the cheers package?

 

You have been on cruises before... Have you normally spent 100.00 a day per couple on those other cruises for your drinks, water and coffee? If so, then its worth it.. If not, then you are paying more then you normally would for these items, which is exactly what carnival is looking for.

[Ziggy7]

Figure out what you drink each day and compare it with the price of the package

[Eggfrmr]

This will be my first time on Carnival. I want to get the beverage package but my room mate doesnt drink. What are the work arounds to the rule about everyone in the cabin having the package?

 

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[stevefrisco]

Carnival needs to do away with the requirement that everyone in the cabin purchase the package. I think it is messed up that they force pregnant women to buy the package yet won't let them drink if they find out about the pregnancy. Literally the most messed up thing ever.

[bar1068]

You have been on cruises before... Have you normally spent 100.00 a day per couple on those other cruises for your drinks, water and coffee? If so, then its worth it.. If not, then you are paying more then you normally would for these items, which is exactly what carnival is looking for.

 

But, if you pay for Cheers, you won't have any "surprises" at the end of the cruise and won't have to "worry" during the cruise. Could be more like, oh crap, I paid over $800 (for 2 for 7 day cruise) for Cheers, but only had about $564.32 worth of drinks. Would that be a surprise, or a shock and would I now worry more or less?

[easyboy]

We just pay as we order. My wife does not take alcoholic drinks

 

 

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[brepri_h]

You have been on cruises before... Have you normally spent 100.00 a day per couple on those other cruises for your drinks, water and coffee? If so, then its worth it.. If not, then you are paying more then you normally would for these items, which is exactly what carnival is looking for.

 

No. First couple of cruises I wasn't a drinker. One I was pregnant. Then I started having a drink or two per cruisr. Last cruise I drank more frequently and every cruise I've probably had 2 specialty coffes per day plus many bottles of water.

[brepri_h]

We just pay as we order. My wife does not take alcoholic drinks

 

 

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My husband does not drink much so I'm starting to think we should pay as we go.

[Keys2Heaven]

Carnival needs to do away with the requirement that everyone in the cabin purchase the package. I think it is messed up that they force pregnant women to buy the package yet won't let them drink if they find out about the pregnancy. Literally the most messed up thing ever.

 

Why? It's a great marketing shtick and money maker for them.

 

 

But, I agree. Would be nice if other drink packages were available as are on other cruise lines.

[ABQrobin]

My husband will drink 4-5 beers a day, throughout the day. I don't drink at all, maybe one specialty drink one night, maybe one or two coffee drinks. We think that if we bought the Cheers package, we would feel obligated to get our money's worth, then be intoxicated the whole cruise...which defeats the purpose of the cruise for us. We go on a cruise to see new places, have adventures. Each to his/her own.

 

robin

[bjd2]

We enjoy it very much. I like the all inclusive feel rather than dreading what our bill might be at the end or being careful to check the account and limit if we feel we're spending too much. Not what I want to do on vacation.

 

We also request top shelf liquors in our drinks, which makes the "break even" point even lower. We enjoy specialty coffee and bottled water, Vitamin water and Honest Tea, as much as we want.

 

It's not right for everyone, but for us it is.

[beerman2]

This will be my first time on Carnival. I want to get the beverage package but my room mate doesnt drink. What are the work arounds to the rule about everyone in the cabin having the package?

 

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There are no " work arounds". Carnival FAQs are very specific. All over 21 in a cabin need to purchase it.

 

Oh wait there is one, you each get seperate cabins , then you will be able to purchase cheers for 1 person.

[surfjock27]

We aren’t big drinkers on land, but when we cruise, we like to cut loose a little.

With that said, we will never cruise without Cheers! again. The convenience and the all inclusive feel is what wins us over. It also allows us to try things that we may not normally try if we were paying per drink.

[StolidCruiser]

Carnival needs to do away with the requirement that everyone in the cabin purchase the package. I think it is messed up that they force pregnant women to buy the package yet won't let them drink if they find out about the pregnancy. Literally the most messed up thing ever.

 

They don't force anyone to buy their discounted beverage package - not even pregnant women. Those who buy into it do so of their own free will with the full understanding of the seller's terms and conditions that go along with it. Don't like it? Don't buy it and don't call it a forced option.

 

If a woman buys the package while pregnant with the intention of drinking, that's her right. It's also the right of the vendor to refuse to serve alcohol to a pregnant woman even though she purchased a package to consume it. It all comes down to one word - liability.

 

Whenever a CHEERS thread comes up where people bemoan the unfairness of both persons in a cabin being required to purchase a discounted beverage package, please keep repeating your story about your significant other being refused alcoholic beverages while pregnant and how bogus you feel it is. It's entertaining each and every time.

[ray98]

Making the cruise all-inclusive adds its own value above simply the monetary cost of the package.

 

If you plan on having an average of 4 drinks a day it doesn't take much to get over the package cost when you start factoring in bottled water, specialty coffee and milkshakes.

[Jelly_Toast]

For me, it's a no. I have thought about it very strongly for my past cruises and have been tempted several times for my upcoming cruise. I would love the idea of trying things without worrying that I didn't like it or having as much as I wanted. But I priced it out for my husband and I: $805 for our 7 day cruise means we would have to drink over $114 a day to break even. Even with water and coffee we never would do this, so it's a pass for us. It's extremely tempting to buy but I feel like it would just make me drink way too much. Maybe on a shorter cruise in the future. Carnival is obviously making money on this package or they would never offer it. For those who save money, that's great but for me it just would end up costing more than I would have spent.

[Ziggy7]

You can buy 12 bottles of water for 4.50, 24 bottles for 9.00, etc and have delivered to your room, so including that in price comparison seems silly to me, but that is just my opinion lol

[Katbart]

We purchased the Cheers program on our last 7 day cruise. We will probably not purchase on our next. Leaving from Galveston (and some other ports) you are unable to use the program until the second day, meaning no "free" drinks at departure, the first evening or dinner. On port days you are not on the ship very long. At dinner the most we could usually drink was one glass of wine before dinner and one with dinner, the drink stewards are scarce. We are moderate drinkers, my husband heavier, but we were unable to make the program "pay" for us, even with "fancy" drinks on board. The mini bar and in stateroom drinks are not included.

Best advice, research and figure what you will drink and go from there. Do keep in mind if you plan to drink in the dinning room, it will take awhile to get a drink ordered, and received.

[stevefrisco]

 

If a woman buys the package while pregnant with the intention of drinking, that's her right. It's also the right of the vendor to refuse to serve alcohol to a pregnant woman even though she purchased a package to consume it. It all comes down to one word - liability.

 

What are you talking about liability? I'm not a lawyer and don't play one on the internet so maybe you can explain to me how there is any more potential for liability for an entitiy in serving a lady with and without child? If there were, bars would make people who they thought were able to bear children take a pregancy test before tabs were started. A lot of gender and age assumptions. There is no more reason to not serve a pregnant person than there is to not serve a crusty old man.