Drink packages again!

[Vanessa55]

Hi,

 

we we are new to cruising and I’m getting very flummoxed over things!

We have received an email offering 20% of the drink packages. This would bring it to a “usable amount”. We have 4 days to use it. Now my problem is, am I likely to receive better or same offer nearer the cruise? Or do I grab it now? 

Also we are getting confused about gratitudes. We have prepaid the daily one, but does the drink package include the 18% or is that added onto our account for each drink we order?

 

any help greatly appreciated,

thank you in advance.

 

[FMZ]

Hi welcome. Rccl can and will change the price of the drink package for each sailing at their whim. So if you're comfortable with the pricing you are being offered go ahead and book it. I would advise that you check your cruise planner often  because if the price lowers you can cancel your initial purchase and repurchase. The packages are more expensive onboard as are other items in your planner.  The % off really doesn't mean much because it doesn't appear there is really an exact price. So just keep looking at your price per day per person in your planner. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Gratuities are charged on what you pay for the drink package and are charged at time of purchase,  no additional gratuities will be charged on your drinks on board although they may give you a receipt with a spot to add an additional tip.

[Psycho and Barb]

We bought the package for our upcoming March Allure at $50 bucks per day.   We constantly check our cruise planner and saw it offered for $47 bucks per day.  We purchased at the lower price and canceled the higher priced one.  We will continue to monitor our cruise planner.

 

We’ve learned not to pay attention to the sale price!  Have found by monitoring our cruise planner we know what the package base price is...It’s been $50 bucks on the Allure for months.  When we see it lower, we buy it and cancel the higher one,  The best price we have ever gotten was $41 per day. 

[iahawkfan21]

I've purchased and re-purchased the Deluxe package I think three times for our sailings this weekend due to price drops.  You can do this up until two or three days out.  Either call RC or do it within the cruise planner.  Disregard any mention to a sale or the percent, just look at the daily price the sales are just words. 

 

As far as gratuities you may have already paid those, but the 18% on the package will be a service charge.  So, if it's $50 per day you would pay $50*4= $200*18%= $236.  There are only two times you would pay anything over this amount is if you choose to give an additional tip when ordering drinks.  I do often, but it is a completely personal choice and in no way required.  The second time is if you order something that is above the package maximum.  If your max for wine is say $12 per glass and you order a glass at $16, you'll be charged $4 plus 18%, so roughly $4.75.   

[dutchclogs]

I haven't received an email but looking at my cruise planner for upcoming cruise in July I also noted that the deluxe package had  gone from $50 to $47 per day.  Best advice really is to ignore any 'sales' talk and if you can,  to monitor the price. Then if it is a price you are comfortable with, get it. As others say, you can cancel and re buy up to the cut off for pre cruise purchases.

[cb at sea]

Being from the UK, they may very well simply ADD the gratuities into the price of the package, instead of showing it as a separate charge.

[ToddnMichelle]

I was able to cancel my buy one, get one 50% off yesterday and repurchase for $43 on this weeks promo.  Cruise is in April.

[Cruiselover0426]

Ahhh... The old drink package! Thankfully we share my husband's free drink perk in the casino.  He orders 2 (different) drinks and they bring them to us with no problem!  Free drinks all cruise and no overpriced packages forced upon both cabin mates regardless of how much or how little they drink!

[ToddnMichelle]

12 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

no overpriced packages forced upon both cabin mates regardless of how much or how little they drink!

 

who exactly forces the purchaser to press the submit button before buying the package  

 

[Cruiselover0426]

1 hour ago, ToddnMichelle said:

 

who exactly forces the purchaser to press the submit button before buying the package  

 

My point is if one person in the cabin wants the package and feels it is worth it for them the cabin mate must also purchase the package in order for them to get it.  That is a crappy greedy thing for RCI to do.

[akcruz]

9 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

My point is if one person in the cabin wants the package and feels it is worth it for them the cabin mate must also purchase the package in order for them to get it.  That is a crappy greedy thing for RCI to do.

 

2 hours ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

Ahhh... The old drink package! Thankfully we share my husband's free drink perk in the casino.  He orders 2 (different) drinks and they bring them to us with no problem!  Free drinks all cruise and no overpriced packages forced upon both cabin mates regardless of how much or how little they drink!

 

And this is why you can't just buy one package!!  Rampant sharing of what was sold as a per person item.  I can't say what is in the casino rules, but the purchased packages are definitely for 1 person, not to be shared.  Thank those that shared for this new rule.

[Grandma Dazzles]

10 hours ago, Vanessa55 said:

 

Also we are getting confused about gratitudes. We have prepaid the daily one, but does the drink package include the 18% or is that added onto our account for each drink we order?

 

any help greatly appreciated,

thank you in advance.

 

 

When you purchase a drink package an 18% gratuity is added to the price of the package.  As you are from England, it may already be included in your quoted price.

 

drink gratuity is totally separate from the daily gratuity that you have prepaid.  This gratuity covers your cabin steward, dining facilities and miscellaneous other staff. It does not include bar staff.

 

should you decide not to purchase a drink package and purchase drinks individually you will find an 18% gratuity added to each drink tab.  

[Cruiselover0426]

8 minutes ago, akcruz said:

 

 

And this is why you can't just buy one package!!  Rampant sharing of what was sold as a per person item.  I can't say what is in the casino rules, but the purchased packages are definitely for 1 person, not to be shared.  Thank those that shared for this new rule.

I think they would rather let me share his free drinks than have us stop patronizing their establishment. 

[ToddnMichelle]

34 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

I think they would rather let me share his free drinks than have us stop patronizing their establishment. 

 

56 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

 That is a crappy greedy thing for RCI to do.

 

It's pretty much the standard these days not just RCCL's who actually just recently made the switch requiring it for everyone 21 and up because of the abuse.  That being said, still no one is "forced" to buy anything.   If you don't like the stipulations, don't buy it or your other option is to try to circumvent the system which brings us to where we are today.

Edited January 24, 2019 by ToddnMichelle

[mzhibbs]

Anyone know if you can still use the drink package on Royal's private islands like Coco Cay?

[Jerseygirl2624]

Just now, mzhibbs said:

Anyone know if you can still use the drink package on Royal's private islands like Coco Cay?

 Yes. You can use it at labadee and cococay

[Psycho and Barb]

3 hours ago, mzhibbs said:

Anyone know if you can still use the drink package on Royal's private islands like Coco Cay?

Absolutely!  Yes you can...One of the main reasons we purchase it.  Love sitting at Nellies Beach on Labadee and walking 20 feet to get a drink.

[grandgeezer]

5 hours ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

I think they would rather let me share his free drinks than have us stop patronizing their establishment. 

  I think, if they had any ethics, they’d tell you to stop patronizing their establishment. 

If people are getting drinks through stealing or fraud, those are the kind of customers  reputable businesses don’t want. The servers giving you the free drinks are looking for a big tip amd should be fired.

[ONECRUISER]

6 hours ago, akcruz said:

 

 

And this is why you can't just buy one package!!  Rampant sharing of what was sold as a per person item.  I can't say what is in the casino rules, but the purchased packages are definitely for 1 person, not to be shared.  Thank those that shared for this new rule.

Agree 100%, theft 

Edited January 25, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[vacationlover_mn]

On 1/24/2019 at 4:30 AM, Vanessa55 said:

Hi,

 

we we are new to cruising and I’m getting very flummoxed over things!

We have received an email offering 20% of the drink packages. This would bring it to a “usable amount”. We have 4 days to use it. Now my problem is, am I likely to receive better or same offer nearer the cruise? Or do I grab it now? 

Also we are getting confused about gratitudes. We have prepaid the daily one, but does the drink package include the 18% or is that added onto our account for each drink we order?

 

any help greatly appreciated,

thank you in advance.

 

If you want it, grab it now and cancel/rebook if the price goes down. Don’t waste your time looking at the % off, look at the per day price.  They use funny math, and the % off doesn’t seem to be valid.  My 30% off last year is now cheaper per day than the 50% off sale they have going on now 😉