Beverage consumers - package or no?

[sgttami]

I mostly drink Coors Light.  No waters, coffees, milkshakes etc.

 

Unless I'm on a casino offer where drinks are included, I get Cheers.

 

6-7 beers a day and it pays for itself.

 

 

[EngineCo52]

On 6/27/2020 at 6:13 PM, Suna said:

I am new to Carnival and really trying to decide if the drink package is the way to go or if we should pay out of pocket. We do like our frozen beverages and rum, vodka, tequila and beer. ... pretty much everything but wine. Having always been on the ‘free’ package with NCL, I don’t remember how much I drank in a day. We like to drink, and always seemed to have one in our hand, but we don’t drink to get drunk. 
I think I would like the easy ness of buying the package but ... will we save money paying out of pocket?

 

so drinkers .... what do you do?

 

if you are drinkers i would totally get it. look at the prices of the drinks youll be consuming most of the time they will range anywhere from $6ish-$12ish for beer and wine per drink, and $8ish-$20 for the hard stuff...im a huge fan of the alchemy bar and their drinks tend to be more expensive so 4 drinks there and i break even. it's great to stop there and get one of their handcrafted cocktails. 

[Joebucks]

Finally, we can get back to arguing about drink packages.

 

Personally, I love to drink. I find these packages to be a complete waste. It seems easy to create a "Drink schedule" that makes sense for one day. Then times that by 2 people and 7 days. It gets old fast.

[thesmiths]

My wife does not drink so we don't get the package, we would lose money.

 

I preorder a bottle of rum for the cabin. Then get a few while out and about.

I guess my total consumption is normally around $500 to $600.00 with that $100.00 bottle of pre-ordered Rum included.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1midsun]

On 6/27/2020 at 5:56 PM, Suna said:

I do like coffee ... and water would be a bonus. Do you know if you can take a couple of bottles of water off with you in port?

Yes, you can take the bottled water off the ship with you.

 

We have purchased the package our last couple of cruises, to us, it is worth it.  You only need to drink 5 or 6 drinks a day, and since it includes the bottled water, specialty coffee and milkshakes, it is worth it.  I figure a specialty coffee in the morning, a beverage at lunch, a cocktail or two by the pool in the afternoon, a glass of wine or two at dinner, and a night cap.  Well worth it.

 

Plus, if you decide you want to try something new, you don't need to feel guilty if you don't like it  🙂

[PhillyFan33579]

6 hours ago, Joebucks said:

Finally, we can get back to arguing about drink packages.

 

Personally, I love to drink. I find these packages to be a complete waste. It seems easy to create a "Drink schedule" that makes sense for one day. Then times that by 2 people and 7 days. It gets old fast.

I would make the argument (in order to discuss something different for a change) you don’t love to drink if you find the drink packages a complete waste. It sounds more like you are a casual drinker than someone who loves drinking. We buy the drink package on every cruise line we sail on and always feel like it is a great deal. I know cruises would be a lot more expensive for us without it.  Any time I am on a ship drinking never gets old. For what it’s worth, we definitely drink a lot more on cruises than we do in real life, where things like jobs and driving get in the way of drinking. 

[Joebucks]

18 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I would make the argument (in order to discuss something different for a change) you don’t love to drink if you find the drink packages a complete waste. It sounds more like you are a casual drinker than someone who loves drinking. We buy the drink package on every cruise line we sail on and always feel like it is a great deal. I know cruises would be a lot more expensive for us without it.  Any time I am on a ship drinking never gets old. For what it’s worth, we definitely drink a lot more on cruises than we do in real life, where things like jobs and driving get in the way of drinking. 

 

My average week consists of 10-15 drinks. I was in Florida this past weekend, and I had about 15 then.

 

There's a psychological factor to these packages. When you walk on the boat and drink 1, 2, and 3 are all "included" you start to feel good about it. As with any type of "unlimited" package, subscription, etc, companies know that utilization is heavier up front. In the long run, once the initial excitement ends, it ends up being a profitable venture, or they wouldn't offer it.

 

I've gotten Cheers twice, and I regretted it both times. Around days 3-5, it got old. I felt compelled to get expensive stuff to "get my monies worth". Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Alchemy. I can only drink so many sugary drinks though. I would never buy 6 cocktails a day, so comparing that to a "break even" point is moot. Carnival's drinks are also weak pours. Then you go to a port, and want something on the beach. Do you skip out? Do you buy yet another drink? Do you bring one?

 

Personally, we've never broken $300 for a 7 day, non-Cheers, cruise, and even that is high. It also helps that my girlfriend doesn't drink much, but I still talk her into a few frozen drinks here and there. After all, vacation is better with a drink! The bottles, at around $100 are the best deal on the ship for me, by far. 1 liter of whiskey or rum goes a LONG way, and is 75%+ of what I would drink anyways. Then I buy a drink here and there out of pocket, usually at alchemy at night. Use the gold voucher on the last day. People often complain that going to the room is such a chore, but I am already there for a few points of the day. I can pour myself a double (or triple) which will last me for quite a while. I actually find that more convenient than having to keep going to the bar. Then of course, we bring the 2 bottles of wine. All in all, I'm really not missing out on anything. I actually feel better not drinking all of those fillers. I pocket $500.

[jdoc2007]

If you are on the fence about it and have never experienced Cheers before, I would suggest to just purchase it, use it and then after your cruise, decide if you want to purchase it again.  There are so many mathematical formulas to calculate the differences and many opinions on why you should/should not purchase.  

 

[Kosh III]

We're cruising from Galveston for the first time, a 5 day.  

I've heard conflicting information and want to get clarity.

1.  Is the Cheers package  not available on the first day? When is it available?
2.  Can coffee, milkshakes and bottled water be bought on the first day with the Cheers package? 

3. If it's not available on the first day, they only charge for the remaining 4 days?
TIA

[PhillyFan33579]

30 minutes ago, Kosh III said:

We're cruising from Galveston for the first time, a 5 day.  

I've heard conflicting information and want to get clarity.

1.  Is the Cheers package  not available on the first day? When is it available?
2.  Can coffee, milkshakes and bottled water be bought on the first day with the Cheers package? 

3. If it's not available on the first day, they only charge for the remaining 4 days?
TIA

Cheers is not available until day two on cruises out of Galveston. They only charge you for the days it is available, so 4 days for your cruise. Since you can’t buy Cheers on day one, you can’t use it for anything on day one. 

[xostacylee]

We had it for our 4-day cruise and it was great. Definitely got our money's worth - but we are (hopefully) doing a 7 day cruise in January, and are on the fence. $700 between the two of us is a big pill to swallow. We'll probably end up doing it though because there's 3 days at sea and we're on the third floor lol

[Organized Chaos]

On 6/30/2020 at 7:29 AM, Joebucks said:

Finally, we can get back to arguing about drink packages.

 

Personally, I love to drink. I find these packages to be a complete waste. It seems easy to create a "Drink schedule" that makes sense for one day. Then times that by 2 people and 7 days. It gets old fast.

 

To each their own. Cheers isn't for us, but I understand it's worth it to some people ("worth" is subjective). But I think there's a big misconception about it when people think they drink their money's worth. Those drinks are heavily marked up to begin with. In many cases, twice as much as you'd pay in a typical bar. So for one thing, even if someone drinks enough for the cost of the drinks consumed equals the cost of Cheers, Carnival is still profiting heavily. Also, because of that heavy markup, the price of Cheers compared to the cost of drinks isn't a 1:1 dollar ratio. If someone pays $430 for Cheers for a 7-day cruise, they're not getting $430 worth of drinks, thanks to the big markup. Don't get me wrong, I still believe it's "worth it" to some people, all power to them. This is not to disrespect them at all. I just think some believe it's a 1:1 give & take ratio, when it's not. So for anyone who's undecided, I think they should factor that into their decision making process.

[skridge]

On 6/27/2020 at 6:13 PM, Suna said:

I am new to Carnival and really trying to decide if the drink package is the way to go or if we should pay out of pocket. We do like our frozen beverages and rum, vodka, tequila and beer. ... pretty much everything but wine. Having always been on the ‘free’ package with NCL, I don’t remember how much I drank in a day. We like to drink, and always seemed to have one in our hand, but we don’t drink to get drunk. 
I think I would like the easy ness of buying the package but ... will we save money paying out of pocket?

 

so drinkers .... what do you do?

My wife and I usually break even on the booze and end up getting free soft drinks waters and specialty coffee which ends up being a huge win because we drink a good bit of all of those.  Also it is very nice to just include it as part of the price.  I definitely wouldn't pay for it until the day before you are leaving in the current environment.  No need to give a interest free loan right about now.  

[skridge]

On 6/27/2020 at 6:13 PM, Suna said:

 

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Edited July 1, 2020 by skridge
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[c-boy]

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

To each their own. Cheers isn't for us, but I understand it's worth it to some people ("worth" is subjective). But I think there's a big misconception about it when people think they drink their money's worth. Those drinks are heavily marked up to begin with. In many cases, twice as much as you'd pay in a typical bar. So for one thing, even if someone drinks enough for the cost of the drinks consumed equals the cost of Cheers, Carnival is still profiting heavily. Also, because of that heavy markup, the price of Cheers compared to the cost of drinks isn't a 1:1 dollar ratio. If someone pays $430 for Cheers for a 7-day cruise, they're not getting $430 worth of drinks, thanks to the big markup. Don't get me wrong, I still believe it's "worth it" to some people, all power to them. This is not to disrespect them at all. I just think some believe it's a 1:1 give & take ratio, when it's not. So for anyone who's undecided, I think they should factor that into their decision making process.

agreed , definitely not worth it for a seven day cruise. 10 day's or more averaging 6 or more drinks a day than, he11 ya !

[coevan]

14 minutes ago, c-boy said:

agreed , definitely not worth it for a seven day cruise. 10 day's or more averaging 6 or more drinks a day than, he11 ya !

 

 

This makes absolutely no sense

 

[beerman2]

3 hours ago, c-boy said:

agreed , definitely not worth it for a seven day cruise. 10 day's or more averaging 6 or more drinks a day than, he11 ya !

If you can drink 6  for 10 consecutive days or more, how is it not worth it for 7 days?

 

7 days of Cheers = x amount of $$

10 days of Cheers=x amount of $$

 

It breaks down the same cost per day!

 

 

[crewsweeper]

On 6/27/2020 at 6:13 PM, Suna said:

I am new to Carnival and really trying to decide if the drink package is the way to go or if we should pay out of pocket. We do like our frozen beverages and rum, vodka, tequila and beer. ... pretty much everything but wine. Having always been on the ‘free’ package with NCL, I don’t remember how much I drank in a day. We like to drink, and always seemed to have one in our hand, but we don’t drink to get drunk. 
I think I would like the easy ness of buying the package but ... will we save money paying out of pocket?

 

so drinkers .... what do you do?

Late in response here, but go with Cheers based on your NCL habits and likes.  

You'll get a receipt for each drink you "purchase" .  If your bar tender is good, do leave an extra tip.  And If you are on a Carnival ship with the Alchemy Bar, make full use.  Enjoy the craft beer selection vs the big beer swill.  Enjoy the better coffees and frappes.

[Organized Chaos]

OP, just to make sure you know, when you buy Cheers, the 18% drink gratuity is automatically included. Yes, you can tip extra if you want, but if you don't, the bartenders aren't getting stiffed.

[pc_load_letter]

22 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

 In many cases, twice as much as you'd pay in a typical bar. 

 

Maybe in your AO but in socal, at a restaurant, long island iced tea or simple margarita are easily $12 or more. Even beers are 6$ to 10$ for a pint. 

 

We believe the pricing (of drinks on board) to be well within a reasonable approximation to land based prices.

[ProgRockCruiser]

30 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

Maybe in your AO but in socal, at a restaurant, long island iced tea or simple margarita are easily $12 or more. Even beers are 6$ to 10$ for a pint. 

 

We believe the pricing (of drinks on board) to be well within a reasonable approximation to land based prices.

I'd agree with this - yeah, I can find dive bars where the beer is cheap (and the talk is too, a dead-end situation), and the well liquor even cheaper, but of I go to Bahama breeze or even Buffalo Wild Wings, drinks are $6 to $8 minimum.

 

We, um, exercise our Cheers! package quite well.  Even on port days it is well worth our while.  But we are on vacation, and have functioning livers, it seems.

[Joebucks]

I love me those gift ships that sell $2 carribean beers.

[Organized Chaos]

3 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

Maybe in your AO but in socal, at a restaurant, long island iced tea or simple margarita are easily $12 or more. Even beers are 6$ to 10$ for a pint. 

 

We believe the pricing (of drinks on board) to be well within a reasonable approximation to land based prices.

 

Yes, in my neck of the woods, which includes a surrounding bi-state region, prices are often a lot cheaper. Many times by half, depending on the establishment, when compared to a cruise ship. Then again, paying more on a cruise is to be expected, kind of like going to a pro sporting event. I'm not going to argue about the difference in prices between your area and mine. Bottom line, the drinks on the ships are marked up. They couldn't make a profit if they weren't. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that markup. If that's what Carnival's passengers are willing to pay, all power to Carnival and those passengers. The free market at work. And again, I don't take issue with people who think Cheers is worth it. I was just pointing out that some people talk like buying Cheers is a way to break even, but it's not. Carnival doesn't sell drinks to break even. This thread was started by someone who was on the fence about purchasing the package, so I was just offering my 2 cents about something they, and others like them, might wish to consider. I'll reiterate, my comment wasn't a sign of contempt for Cheers or the people who buy it.

[beerman2]

What it's marked up or not , it saved me $400 on an 8 day Southern Caribbean cruise 2 years ago.

 

Didn't feel like I had to drink to get monies worth, it's vacation and you just roll with it.

[coevan]

2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

Bottom line, the drinks on the ships are marked up.

 

 

bottom line all food venues mark up prices, were not in business to come out even. Not sure where OC lives but here in Colorado brew pubs beers are $6-8, drinks 10-15, cruise ship is right in line with average prices. In big cities $20 martinis are the norm