Avoiding full-priced alcohol on Royal Caribbean

[jdg623]

11 hours ago, pink845 said:

We used to at least get a couple of free drinks at the Top Tier Cocktail event.  However, on our recent Allure of the Seas cruise in early December 2018, there was no Top Tier cocktail party with the captain and the band where free booze is handed out with canapes.  All they had was a 10:45 am presentation in the Aqua theatre at the back of the ship with watered down mimosas.     I wonder if this is a new trend.

It's been done that way on Oasis class ships for years. Differs on other ships, but we haven't had canapes at the top tier event on any ship in recent memory. We're lucky to get one drink now!

[Tree_skier]

There is always the "drink of the day". On our last Liberty cruise in Nov. I saw some sort of frozen/blended drink on sale every day.  If I remember right it was $8.50 ea. time.  

[popcicle]

Texas does have some weird liquor laws, we couldn't get a drink on Liberty until we were out at sea, unless we chose a few specified labels, and the charge to bring any back negated the saving you got in other ports.

[gsb]

Rum runners"

[Riverviewnb]

Here are your options to drink cheaper:

 

1. Permitted:

 

- bring 2 750 ml bottles of wine aboard;

- use any coupons from C&A;

- booze on shore;

- Captains night;

- Art auctions;

- $1 mimosas at noon in casino

- C&A loyalty event

- drink punch pass;

- bucket of beer;

-Fosters oil can.

 

2. Frowned upon:

- smuggling booze on board;

- fermenting fruit juice in your room from the Windjammer;

- scouting out orphaned drinks left behind;

- drinking the alcohol based hand sanitizer;

-

 

[CaribbeanLover22]

 

17 hours ago, cincychad said:

Don't dismiss the beverage package.  Have purchased for Allure sailing on Feb 10th for $42 per day.  Break even is 3.5 to 4 drinks per day.  

Also got the drink package for $42/day on our Jan. 20th Allure sailing. Break even point for me is around 2 drinks as it also includes bottled water(good for taking out on excursions), coffee, tea, pop, fresh squeezed juice, smoothie in the spa café, milkshakes in JR. Think of it as the difference between the deluxe package and the refreshment package is usually about $20-which is about 2 drinks/day, which is easily done by most people that would be drinking anyway. 

[critterchick]

17 hours ago, pink845 said:

We used to at least get a couple of free drinks at the Top Tier Cocktail event.  However, on our recent Allure of the Seas cruise in early December 2018, there was no Top Tier cocktail party with the captain and the band where free booze is handed out with canapes.  All they had was a 10:45 am presentation in the Aqua theatre at the back of the ship with watered down mimosas.     I wonder if this is a new trend.

 

6 hours ago, jdg623 said:

It's been done that way on Oasis class ships for years. Differs on other ships, but we haven't had canapes at the top tier event on any ship in recent memory. We're lucky to get one drink now!

 

On our last couple of cruises (Rhapsody and Serenade), the Top Tier party was before noon in the theater, which was the only venue large enough to hold the number of people eligible to attend. I'm sure that cut way down on the alcohol bill. Perhaps they revert to the evening when there are fewer attendees, but we haven't been on a cruise like that for awhile.

[katiel53]

13 hours ago, DISFANS3 said:

Going to look into the drink cards next cruise...

I have sailed on Allure four times and two of the times the 10 drink card for $79 plus 18% gratuity was offered and two times it was not.  It was offered on my two January cruises. It was published in the Compass for day 

The two times it wasn't offered were when we cruised in June.  I believe it depends upon how the alcohol sales are doing on the trip.  If alcohol is selling well, it isn't offered.  If sales are low, then it is.

 

I am cruising next week on Harmony and wondering if it will be available on that cruise.  My guess is that it will be as the package price for the alcohol package is $46 per day.  My June cruise, again on Allure is $52 per day and that is supposedly 30% off, but I do know there is creative math involved.  I doubt that it will be available in June, but who knows?

[Paris334]

If the beverage package is $42 I'd book it!  That's a low price and you can then decide if you want to keep it or not.  (Or keep shopping and see if it goes lower?)  I just canceled our $52/day package today (on Independence in March) because they were advertising $52/day with second passenger gets 50% off so that lowered the price A LOT.  BUT - after I canceled and went to re-buy, the "new" price was the same!  The "fine print" said that the price already reflected the discount.  So same price.  So I bought it again and will keep looking to see if it lowers.  If it does, I'll cancel this one and re-buy.  If it doesn't, I'll probably just cancel it.  The nice thing about the package is you can shop it and cancel if you change your mind!