Is it cheaper to purchase drinks package onboard?

[ScotsLady]

Cruising in June, 11 nights to Norway. Currently premium drinks package is $45 per day. If we wait until we get onboard will the prices be much higher?  Would rather not shell out over $1000 just now unless we will save a good amount.

 

Thanks

 

Irene

[Clarea]

From what has been reported here, drink package prices have been less expensive pre-cruise.

 

However, one way it might be less expensive onboard is if you skip the first few days.  They will let you buy the package onboard as long as there are at least 4 days left in the cruise.

 

 

[madra2112]

Irene, I presume we're on the same cruise (Jewel June 7th). If so, the drinks package on my planner in Ireland is showing at its lowest ever. I can't see the onboard price being anywhere near as good. If you intend getting the package, my advice would be do so now!

[Ourusualbeach]

Probably at least $65 a day on board

[TX_Atlantis_Cruiser]

I pre-purchased my drink package for my Med cruise out of Barcelona this summer when I found out that if purchased on board, the VAT tax would be added so it is definitely cheaper pre-cruise.

[sparks1093]

I know that package was much cheaper before our Anthem cruise than it was onboard. If you would drink at least $1000 worth of drinks during your cruise it would be worth it.

[Buckeyebrd]

I was on Oasis Sunday 1-12-20 as a Visitor (my son is a slackliner/highliner in the Aqua 80s show). There was multiple offers for purchase a Deluxe Drink Package  and get 50% off the 2nd one fyi. 

[mac66]

1 hour ago, Buckeyebrd said:

I was on Oasis Sunday 1-12-20 as a Visitor (my son is a slackliner/highliner in the Aqua 80s show). There was multiple offers for purchase a Deluxe Drink Package  and get 50% off the 2nd one fyi. 

Which is a 25% discount off an unknown inflated base price.  Still cheaper to buy it before hand.

[Big_G]

Even with our D+ discount (30%) sometimes we win and sometimes we don't.  

[Coralc]

16 hours ago, ScotsLady said:

Cruising in June, 11 nights to Norway. Currently premium drinks package is $45 per day. If we wait until we get onboard will the prices be much higher?  Would rather not shell out over $1000 just now unless we will save a good amount.

 

Thanks

 

Irene

 

$45 is a very good price! 

[Merion_Mom]

10 hours ago, Buckeyebrd said:

I was on Oasis Sunday 1-12-20 as a Visitor (my son is a slackliner/highliner in the Aqua 80s show). There was multiple offers for purchase a Deluxe Drink Package  and get 50% off the 2nd one fyi. 

 

 

1.  That is very cool!

 

2. That offer is currently on the Anthem, and the resulting price per person per day is $48.75 + 18%

 

20 minutes ago, Coralc said:

 

$45 is a very good price! 

 

I agree.  🙂 

[mac66]

I was on the Allure last year for a 7 day cruise. About the 3rd day there was a card on all the tables at the bar advertising the drink package at a discount. My wife and I did the numbers and it came out to $48/day + gratuity. That was about the cheapest we ever saw it onboard.   Of course you'd only be paying for the last 4 days of the cruise so would save money that way.  That was the first and only time I ever saw RC offer an onboard discount.  We were tempted since we hadn't bought a package but didn't.

[jaygee77]

Couple questions in this same regard:

 

Any truth to the report that you can buy the drink package on board, for only one of the two adults in a cabin? Seems like that might be cheaper than even doing the call-up thing to get one Ultimate and one Refresh package (especially since we'd barely use the Refresh). 

 

Does the Ultimate package ever get offered 1 or more days into shorter (3-5) day cruises? 

 

Thanks! 

[ryano]

17 minutes ago, jaygee77 said:

Any truth to the report that you can buy the drink package on board, for only one of the two adults in a cabin?

 

I highly doubt it.  The other adult will most certainly be required to purchase at least the Refreshment package.    If i recall correctly, when they first reimplemented this rule, they were allowing medical reasons to not have to purchase.  That is no longer 

Edited January 16, 2020 by ryano

[Clarea]

16 minutes ago, jaygee77 said:

Couple questions in this same regard:

 

Any truth to the report that you can buy the drink package on board, for only one of the two adults in a cabin? Seems like that might be cheaper than even doing the call-up thing to get one Ultimate and one Refresh package (especially since we'd barely use the Refresh). 

 

Does the Ultimate package ever get offered 1 or more days into shorter (3-5) day cruises? 

 

Thanks! 

 

We have never been able to avoid buying packages for both onboard, though a couple of times they offers to let one of buy the soda package instead of refreshment.

 

They are supposed to offer the package as long as there are at least 4 days left in the cruise.

[richsea]

48 minutes ago, ryano said:

 

I highly doubt it.  The other adult will most certainly be required to purchase at least the Refreshment package.    If i recall correctly, when they first reimplemented this rule, they were allowing medical reasons to not have to purchase.  That is no longer 

I don’t know if you still can do it, but a few years ago, I bought a drink package just for myself a bartender at the pool bar, no questions asked. Last year, I called them prior to our cruise & explained that my wife doesn’t drink (not medical, she’s just a cheap date!) & bought one for me, although I did also buy her a refreshment package. If you order on line, you must buy two though.

[SConnolly]

On 1/16/2020 at 1:18 AM, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

1.  That is very cool!

 

2. That offer is currently on the Anthem, and the resulting price per person per day is $48.75 + 18%

 

 

I agree.  🙂 

 

 

Merion Mom, for Anthem, thats a good deal and cheaper then the 30% off price pre cruise for March which was $57 per day + 18% gratuity.   Now its back to 20% off.  

[ScotsLady]

Thanks for all the replies. We have ended up buying the package at $45 pp per day. We like wine with lunch and dinner, and time you add in a few cocktails we will break even.

 

Irene