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Deluxe Beverage Package Questions


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2 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

 But the convenience of drinking what you want, when you want, where you want makes it worthwhile, even if you come a little under the breakeven point. 

 

^^^^^  THIS  ^^^^^

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19 minutes ago, T3xasFamily said:

Thanks. Much easier to get the drink package if it's close! 

 

And as an added bonus, it allows me the flexibility to try new drinks I might not otherwise order. 

 

If I don't like the $12 drink, I'll just toss it and order something else. I don't have to worry about "wasting" money on a drink I don't like.

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I think I'll start a new thread -- what's your recommendation for new drinks to try when purchasing the DBP?  I've been making a list . . . Just added Caipirinha to it!!  Personally, I'm looking forward to trying out new things . . .

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13 minutes ago, IRMO12HD said:

I think I'll start a new thread -- what's your recommendation for new drinks to try when purchasing the DBP?  I've been making a list . . . Just added Caipirinha to it!!  Personally, I'm looking forward to trying out new things . . .

 

Blue Hawaiian

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11 hours ago, IRMO12HD said:

I think I'll start a new thread -- what's your recommendation for new drinks to try when purchasing the DBP?  I've been making a list . . . Just added Caipirinha to it!!  Personally, I'm looking forward to trying out new things . . .

 

I usually get whatever the drink of the day is.  At the Schooner bar, I'll try the Collins family of drinks at the Schooner bar.  There is more than just Tom!

 

Champagne Bar - the few ships that still have it, slowly being replaced by the less interesting R-bar - and Boleros will always have some interesting specialty drink.

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21 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

22 hours ago, T3xasFamily said:

Trying to figure out the best thing to do, beverage package or ala carte. Between the two of us we will probably have 6-8 beers a day and maybe a mixed drink or two a couple of times. Doesn't seem as though we will drink $100 worth of alcohol, but maybe? Other than that we mainly drink water....

 

Beer is between $7-$9. Mixed drinks $10-$12.

  

8 beers at $8 (average) = $64 + 2 mixed at $11 each brings you up to $86 with $14 to spare.  Thrown in a few bottles of water ($2.50) and specialty coffee ($3.00), maybe a smoothie or fresh squeezed juice and that will easily cover the remaining balance and then some.

 

Most likely, you'll come out slightly ahead or break even.  But the convenience of drinking what you want, when you want, where you want makes it worthwhile, even if you come a little under the breakeven point.


Keep port days in mind when doing your calculations, too.  You can use the drink package on Coco Cay or Labadee, but if you're gone on an excursion (or whatever) for the whole afternoon on each port day, are you really going to come back and slam four beers and two mixed drinks that evening?  Especially if you have another excursion early the next morning....

You may hit the break-even point half the days, but will you even come close on the other days?

Some people have a higher tolerance for alcohol, or they "cut loose" more on vacation because they don't drink much at home... other people like to remain sober and enjoy and remember their vacation hangover-free.   To each their own.  

Just make sure you're considering all the extenuating circumstances when you're doing the math.  Pull out your itinerary and break it down according to what you think you will do each day.  

Day one:  hectic day, tired from traveling, muster drill mid-afternoon, have to unpack, limited time on the pool deck with everything else going on, going to bed early due to exhaustion. Maybe have one beer and one drink.

Day two: lazy sea day, gonna spend the day lounging on a deck chair drinking drinks with umbrellas in them from 10am-6pm with one drink per hour and then a drink with dinner and another during the show and two more in a lounge before bedtime.

Day three: in port from 8am-6pm, gone on an excursion half the day and shopping in port in the afternoon, then back on board for showers before dinner - maybe a drink with dinner, then early to bed for another port day tomorrow.

Day four: in port from 7am-4pm, snorkeling excursion and then souvenir shopping in port, then back on board for showers and time for a drink before dinner and another at the show and a couple more at the dance club.

Day five: repeat of lazy sea day, a drink per hour all day long, plus dinner plus show plus nightclub.

Day six: in port from noon-7pm, off the ship all afternoon, back just in time for showers and dinner, a drink with dinner and a few drinks at the show / lounge.

Day seven: semi-lazy sea day, but have to pack and have the suitcases out by 11pm, and have to get up early in the morning, so not staying out for drinks in a lounge.  


This is JUST AN EXAMPLE -- tweak it however works for your itinerary and your drink preferences. 

  • Some people will get a few lattes every morning and a bottle of water alongside every alcoholic beverage (drinking water reduces hangovers.... but then, you can get a glass of ice water for free from any bar and not contribute to plastic waste). 
  • Some people will drink two beers every hour instead of just one per hour on lazy sea days.  
  • Some people will stop at a bar to pick up a drink to take back at the room for before-dinner showers when returning from a port day.
  • Some people like a lot of lattes and such, but only want a couple booze-drinks a day (Refreshment package + ala carte works best for them).
  • Some people will drink heavy one day and then take the next day off to let their liver recover.

My point is, do what works FOR YOU.  Nobody here can tell if the package makes sense for anyone else, unless you flat-out say, "I'm going to drink a 12-pack of beer and 10 shots every single day"!!! 

If you're just not sure if you'll drink enough, you can also just take that money (price per day for drink package plus 18% gratuity times number of people times number of days of cruise) and apply it as cash OBC on your account.... at the end of the week, take the leftover money home with you!

IME, people who say, "I'm just not sure if we'll get our money's worth" -- they generally don't even come close to breaking even.  People who KNOW they're going to be drinking to excess definitely break even.

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16 hours ago, brillohead said:

 


Keep port days in mind when doing your calculations, too.  You can use the drink package on Coco Cay or Labadee, but if you're gone on an excursion (or whatever) for the whole afternoon on each port day, are you really going to come back and slam four beers and two mixed drinks that evening?  Especially if you have another excursion early the next morning....

You may hit the break-even point half the days, but will you even come close on the other days?

Some people have a higher tolerance for alcohol, or they "cut loose" more on vacation because they don't drink much at home... other people like to remain sober and enjoy and remember their vacation hangover-free.   To each their own.  

Just make sure you're considering all the extenuating circumstances when you're doing the math.  Pull out your itinerary and break it down according to what you think you will do each day.  

Day one:  hectic day, tired from traveling, muster drill mid-afternoon, have to unpack, limited time on the pool deck with everything else going on, going to bed early due to exhaustion. Maybe have one beer and one drink.

Day two: lazy sea day, gonna spend the day lounging on a deck chair drinking drinks with umbrellas in them from 10am-6pm with one drink per hour and then a drink with dinner and another during the show and two more in a lounge before bedtime.

Day three: in port from 8am-6pm, gone on an excursion half the day and shopping in port in the afternoon, then back on board for showers before dinner - maybe a drink with dinner, then early to bed for another port day tomorrow.

Day four: in port from 7am-4pm, snorkeling excursion and then souvenir shopping in port, then back on board for showers and time for a drink before dinner and another at the show and a couple more at the dance club.

Day five: repeat of lazy sea day, a drink per hour all day long, plus dinner plus show plus nightclub.

Day six: in port from noon-7pm, off the ship all afternoon, back just in time for showers and dinner, a drink with dinner and a few drinks at the show / lounge.

Day seven: semi-lazy sea day, but have to pack and have the suitcases out by 11pm, and have to get up early in the morning, so not staying out for drinks in a lounge.  


This is JUST AN EXAMPLE -- tweak it however works for your itinerary and your drink preferences. 

  • Some people will get a few lattes every morning and a bottle of water alongside every alcoholic beverage (drinking water reduces hangovers.... but then, you can get a glass of ice water for free from any bar and not contribute to plastic waste). 
  • Some people will drink two beers every hour instead of just one per hour on lazy sea days.  
  • Some people will stop at a bar to pick up a drink to take back at the room for before-dinner showers when returning from a port day.
  • Some people like a lot of lattes and such, but only want a couple booze-drinks a day (Refreshment package + ala carte works best for them).
  • Some people will drink heavy one day and then take the next day off to let their liver recover.

My point is, do what works FOR YOU.  Nobody here can tell if the package makes sense for anyone else, unless you flat-out say, "I'm going to drink a 12-pack of beer and 10 shots every single day"!!! 

If you're just not sure if you'll drink enough, you can also just take that money (price per day for drink package plus 18% gratuity times number of people times number of days of cruise) and apply it as cash OBC on your account.... at the end of the week, take the leftover money home with you!

IME, people who say, "I'm just not sure if we'll get our money's worth" -- they generally don't even come close to breaking even.  People who KNOW they're going to be drinking to excess definitely break even.
 

 

Day 1 - 2 drinks (I would say 3 or more easily)

Day 2 - 12 drinks

Day 3 - 1 drink ( I would say 2 - 3, drink before dinner, wine with, a drink on the way back to the cabin)

Day 4 - 4 drinks

Day 5 - 12 drinks

Day 6 - 3 drinks

Day 7 - 10 drinks

 

Total - 44 drinks in 7 days (I think more like 50).

 

So 6.2 drinks per day average.  If break even is 5 per day, you are still ahead.

 

Not including coffee, fresh squeezed OJ and/or a mimosa at breakfast, 2 - 3 bottles of water per day, maybe even more on excursion days.

 

 

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1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

Day 1 - 2 drinks (I would say 3 or more easily)

Day 2 - 12 drinks

Day 3 - 1 drink ( I would say 2 - 3, drink before dinner, wine with, a drink on the way back to the cabin)

Day 4 - 4 drinks

Day 5 - 12 drinks

Day 6 - 3 drinks

Day 7 - 10 drinks

 

Total - 44 drinks in 7 days (I think more like 50).

 

So 6.2 drinks per day average.  If break even is 5 per day, you are still ahead.

  

Not including coffee, fresh squeezed OJ and/or a mimosa at breakfast, 2 - 3 bottles of water per day, maybe even more on excursion days.

 


Keep in mind the difference in cost between beers and frozen drinks, though. The break-even number with beer is higher than the break-even number with daiquiris.  At $6-7 each, you have to drink a lot more beer to add up to the same cost of $12 margaritas and such.

That's why everyone should take a realistic look at what they will be drinking and make the decision that works best for them.

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On 1/28/2019 at 5:47 PM, Tree_skier said:

 

The exemption certainly wasn't only for people who do not drink.  When I called RCi's CS I asked if I could purchase the drink package for myself and the refreshment pkg for my wife.  The CS rep said absolutely and promptly sold me one of each.  At no time was there any question about why she didn't want it or was there any admonition about not purchasing alcohol on my wife's card.  There was absolutely nothing dishonest about what we did.

Ditto. I just called this week and booked an alcohol package for one and a refreshment package for one and they did not ask why. I do actually drink but not much, maybe 1-2 drinks a day, whereas my traveling companion will get her monies worth out of the alcohol package 😂 

 

So when I want alcohol, I'll just buy it at cost and I'm okay with that. Royal Caribbean seems okay with that too 😋

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/28/2019 at 9:37 PM, zdad59 said:

 

Blue Hawaiian

Did you ever start this thread?  I have a few drinks to add and want to see some new one's to try as well.  I searched but since Cruise Critic changed their platform, I'm not too familiar with how it operates.  Oops, quoted the wrong post...

Edited by AACJ
wrong quote
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On 1/28/2019 at 9:23 PM, IRMO12HD said:

I think I'll start a new thread -- what's your recommendation for new drinks to try when purchasing the DBP?  I've been making a list . . . Just added Caipirinha to it!!  Personally, I'm looking forward to trying out new things . . .

Oops, just quoted the wrong post in an earlier post.    

 

Did you ever start this thread?  I have a few drinks to add and want to see some new one's to try as well.  I searched but since Cruise Critic changed their platform, I'm not too familiar with how it operates.

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