Drink Package Went Down

[Cruisegirl6]

My cruise in October on the Navigator was $61 yesterday and today it is $57

My cruise in January on the Harmony was $65 yesterday and today it is $61

 

Honestly, that really isn't much of a savings, I am hoping for a better discount for the beverage package, what would you do?  Purchase it now or wait and hope for a better deal?

[Clarea]

If you are committed to the drink package, then purchase now and keep looking for a lower price.  No reason to wait.

[Cruiser_1977]

There are a few threads on this. I booked my Sept. Nav cruise in March. I have been watching it like a hawk. It got to $49 and I bought it. It hasn't been that low again. After weeks at $52 it sat at $56 for several more weeks. The last week or so it's been at $65. Down to $61 today.

Edited August 20, 2019 by JennyB1977

[DeadPhish]

Hold out for $18!!

[charmy98]

I just received this email,  Surprise! You've got access to our special sales event. It says buy one and get one 50% off for deluxe drink package, when you go on to your cruise planner to purchase it is still saying the full amount for both. Does that mean you have to phone to get the discount?

[Ourusualbeach]

Like Bob said buy it now.  If you keep waiting hoping the price will go lower one of these times it will actually go up and you won’t get it at the cheapest price.

[watson61]

I bought mine for my Sept. Symphony cruise at $49.  That tends to be the price where I go for it, especially since I rarely see it below that.

On Princess, it's usually around $60. No way would I buy it at that price. Not worth it for me.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, charmy98 said:

I just received this email,  Surprise! You've got access to our special sales event. It says buy one and get one 50% off for deluxe drink package, when you go on to your cruise planner to purchase it is still saying the full amount for both. Does that mean you have to phone to get the discount?

The price you see already has the 50% off built into it.

[charmy98]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The price you see already has the 50% off built into it.

No because I have been watching the price on the cruise planner for weeks, they put it up to $81 a day CAD and today it is still $81 a day. 

[Ourusualbeach]

18 minutes ago, charmy98 said:

No because I have been watching the price on the cruise planner for weeks, they put it up to $81 a day CAD and today it is still $81 a day. 

Yes.  RCL has fake sales.  It’s all based off the supposed on board price.  

 

That would be a first if you actually got one for 81 and the second for 40

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by Ourusualbeach

[brillohead]

2 minutes ago, charmy98 said:

No because I have been watching the price on the cruise planner for weeks, they put it up to $81 a day CAD and today it is still $81 a day. 

Or, ask a question from people who know more than you do, and ignore them when they give you the answer.

The NAME OF THE SALE changes randomly,  but that doesn't change anything.  The price per person is the price per person.

[blackshirt]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The price you see already has the 50% off built into it.

 

6 minutes ago, charmy98 said:

No because I have been watching the price on the cruise planner for weeks, they put it up to $81 a day CAD and today it is still $81 a day. 

So if you don’t believe the answer, go ahead and call and find out. Those sale emails go to just about everyone with a cruise booked. As noted, fake sales.

[Clarea]

17 minutes ago, charmy98 said:

No because I have been watching the price on the cruise planner for weeks, they put it up to $81 a day CAD and today it is still $81 a day. 

 

Welcome to the world of RC pricing.  They use a different kind of math than the rest of us.

[RG306]

Our November sailing was 59 no sale, then 49 BOGO 50%, then 59 no sale, then 55 no sale and now 55 BOGO 50%. The price listed is what you pay per person regardless of the banner. I’m actually getting very annoyed at the pricing for the extras (the increase in the water park on Coco Cay alone is double with a “sale”) on our sailing. If there isn’t a decent labour day sale Royal may not be seeing as much of our money as they’re used to lol. 

[charmy98]

9 minutes ago, blackshirt said:

 

So if you don’t believe the answer, go ahead and call and find out. Those sale emails go to just about everyone with a cruise booked. As noted, fake sales.

They sure are fake emails! We will just pay as we go. Half the time with the stops we will be off the ship anyway and having to pay for drinks. Will probably be cheaper to drink off the ship... 🙂

[charmy98]

3 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Welcome to the world of RC pricing.  They use a different kind of math than the rest of us.

 

Yep, I am getting used to it and getting wiser into the bargain

[leight]

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Welcome to the world of RC pricing.  They use a different kind of math than the rest of us.

So just out of curiosity.. is it only RCI or other cruise lines too? We have a carnival cruise booked in Nov (softball booze cruise) and their drink package has remained the same $54 every time I check. I paid for the cruise DH is paying for the drink package so will it vary or should I just have him buy the aarp gift cards for that discount and be done with it?

[awestover89]

4 minutes ago, leight said:

So just out of curiosity.. is it only RCI or other cruise lines too? We have a carnival cruise booked in Nov (softball booze cruise) and their drink package has remained the same $54 every time I check. I paid for the cruise DH is paying for the drink package so will it vary or should I just have him buy the aarp gift cards for that discount and be done with it?

All cruise lines. Or they do something like advertise free drink packages but increase the cost of the cruise by $1,000. It's definitely not unique to Royal

[reallyitsmema]

9 minutes ago, leight said:

So just out of curiosity.. is it only RCI or other cruise lines too? We have a carnival cruise booked in Nov (softball booze cruise) and their drink package has remained the same $54 every time I check. I paid for the cruise DH is paying for the drink package so will it vary or should I just have him buy the aarp gift cards for that discount and be done with it?

 

Make sure you look at the terms of the gift cards before you buy them.  The ones we can get can only be applied to the cruise fare, not onboard purchases.  Pretty sure they are more flexible on Carnival but wouldn't want to be stuck with cards that I couldn't apply.

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, awestover89 said:

All cruise lines. Or they do something like advertise free drink packages but increase the cost of the cruise by $1,000. It's definitely not unique to Royal

Or inflate the price of the free booze package to pitches no one would ever pay and then charge higher gratuities on the inflated price

[leight]

1 minute ago, awestover89 said:

All cruise lines. Or they do something like advertise free drink packages but increase the cost of the cruise by $1,000. It's definitely not unique to Royal

 Thank you. We got the $18 deluxe beverage package for our two RCI cruises (we weren't planning on getting it for these cruises at all but I was checking my planner that morning and grabbed it!)  but the Carnival

booze cruise is with drinking buddies and the drink package is a necessity on that cruise! It sounds like the aarp gift cards are the best savings we will get for that one.

 

[taglovestocruise]

4 hours ago, charmy98 said:

No because I have been watching the price on the cruise planner for weeks, they put it up to $81 a day CAD and today it is still $81 a day. 

The sale price is based on the onboard price, not on any price you have previously seen in the cruise planner.  With Royals fuzzy math the onboard price may not even be for the ship you are sailing.  

[kag19]

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Like Bob said buy it now.  If you keep waiting hoping the price will go lower one of these times it will actually go up and you won’t get it at the cheapest price.

 

I agree.  If you know you are going to get the package just book it now.  If the price goes down then you can rebook but if the price goes higher then you are ahead.

[Sooner01]

Carnival's Drink package does not vary in price.  It's $5 cheaper to purchase in advance rather than wait until on the ship, but it is a set price across the Carnival fleet.

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, Sooner01 said:

Carnival's Drink package does not vary in price.  It's $5 cheaper to purchase in advance rather than wait until on the ship, but it is a set price across the Carnival fleet.

 

What a novel idea!🙂