Beverage consumers - package or no?

[Organized Chaos]

7 minutes ago, coevan said:

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

 

Holy cow, my comment wasn't about comparing drink prices across the country. I believe I clarified that in my last post, but let's continue to beat this dead horse. And this is a Cheers thread, so food prices are irrelevant. My point, again and for the last time, was that some people talk as if they break even just because they buy Cheers. It doesn't work that way. If you had noticed, I said Carnival doesn't sell drinks to break even. Carnival sets their prices to create profit, even when passengers purchase Cheers. Coevan, you clipped a tiny piece of my comment out of context. Y'all are ignoring the crux of my comments. You're trying to argue over something that's irrelevant to the point. Feel free to continue, but I'm moving on.

[kutty77]

Im sure this has been asked before but Why are you not allowed to use the cheers package on day 1?  I also wish that they had a middle package like other cruise lines do.  That includes non-alcoholic drinks and all. I know that you can also get those with the cheers package but why pay for the liquor part if you don't drink it.  

[c-boy]

On 7/1/2020 at 5:08 PM, beerman2 said:

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!

 

 

I'm assuming the package is $430 and I'm assuming that a 7 day cruise is really a 5 day cruise with  3 ports.  I just don't see myself spending the 400 plus for a five day adventure .... unless there's some really good wines  on the menu 😄 

Edited July 3, 2020 by c-boy

[beerman2]

6 hours ago, c-boy said:

I'm assuming the package is $430 and I'm assuming that a 7 day cruise is really a 5 day cruise with  3 ports.  I just don't see myself spending the 400 plus for a five day adventure .... unless there's some really good wines  on the menu 😄 

That's a big difference ( 3 ports) to some. I look at it like I'm back on the ship usually by 3:00-3:30. That gives me 7 hours minimum to drink. 1 Drink an hour is easily done.

 

If it's Carnival I always start the day with a spiked coffee, NCL a couple of Bailey's and coffee with breakfast.

 

Plus I enjoy Martini's $$ before dinner.

[bury me at sea]

10 hours ago, kutty77 said:

Im sure this has been asked before but Why are you not allowed to use the cheers package on day 1?  

 

This is true only on ships sailing from Galveston and one other port - New York I think.  It has to do with archaic state liquor laws in Texas.

 

You don't pay for day one in the Cheers package from those ports.  If it's a 7 day cruise, it will cost the daily price times 6.

[Organized Chaos]

14 hours ago, kutty77 said:

I also wish that they had a middle package like other cruise lines do.  That includes non-alcoholic drinks and all. I know that you can also get those with the cheers package but why pay for the liquor part if you don't drink it.  

 

I agree, I'd like to see something between Bubbles & Cheers. We don't drink a whole heck of a lot on our cruises, so Cheers doesn't make sense. Besides, we can't really afford it. Bubbles doesn't include milkshakes, which I like, or specialty coffees, which my wife likes, so a middle tier would be nice.

[PhillyFan33579]

On 7/1/2020 at 3:00 PM, 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.

i don’t see the logic in your comment.  Let.’s say I drink 10 drinks a day that cost $10 each. If I don’t have Cheers, I spend $100 day plus 18% gratuity on $100.  If I purchase Cheers, I pay $51.95 per day plus 18% gratuity on $51.95. There is nothing subjective about the amount of money you save per day, the number is objective and the amount of money I save can easily be calculated every day. 
 

I agree with you that drink prices are inflated on cruise ships, but that is irrelevant (for the most part...if you only drink beer that might change things) when considering if Cheers is worthwhile. If a drink costs $10 that is exactly how much money I would spend on the drink if I didn’t have Cheers. So once again, if get 10 drinks a day that cost $10 each, I am saving a significant amount of money by purchasing Cheers than paying as I go. 
 

I have commented on this several times on this board, Cheers was implemented to benefit Carnival, not the passengers.  Carnival wouldn’t sell Cheers if they didn’t profit from the program. A lot of other cruise lines have multiple drink packages unlike Carnival. I am sure someone at Carnival has calculated selling a refresh program like RCI does might work great for RCI, but it wouldn’t benefit Carnival. So therefore as of today Carnival has not implemented an intermediate drink package like other cruise lines have. 

[c-boy]

6 hours ago, beerman2 said:

That's a big difference ( 3 ports) to some. I look at it like I'm back on the ship usually by 3:00-3:30. That gives me 7 hours minimum to drink. 1 Drink an hour is easily done.

 

If it's Carnival I always start the day with a spiked coffee, NCL a couple of Bailey's and coffee with breakfast.

 

Plus I enjoy Martini's $$ before dinner.

goOOOOO BUCKEYE'S !  

[SNJCruisers]

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

We like to drink, and always seemed to have one in our hand, but we don’t drink to get drunk. 

Not going to take the time to go through the 30% of responses that say get it, the 60% of responses that say don't and the 10% that leave it up to you.

I will tell you that ever since drink packages have become available, I have gotten them.  They have been part of packages on NCL, MSC and Celebrity and purchased on Carnival and Royal.  We have it already lined up via packages on our future cruises on Princess and Celebrity and will get Cheers on our 2021 Mardi Gras cruise.

I am a person who likes value and I do perceive it with the Cheers package. You could only drink 1 drink every 90 minutes after 500 and still break even.  You also get unlimited non alcoholic drinks including espresso based and even milkshakes.  With the transition to Pepsi on board, drinks like Pure Leaf bottled iced tea are also included.  And NCL has nothing like the Alchemy Bar in which to enjoy pre-dinner drinks at.  Enjoy.

Edited July 3, 2020 by SNJCruisers

[SNJCruisers]

On 6/30/2020 at 8:29 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.

What gets old fast Joe is you staying that you love to drink and then in the next sentence state that the Cheers package is a complete waste. And then the following sentence you state that it gets old fast, basically implying that drinking for 7 straight days for two people gets old fast.  So, what is it, does it get old fast, or do you love to drink.  Because if you truly, love to drink like you stated, then it can't get old fast.  

Now, if you only like to drink instead of love to drink and your wife doesn't drink, then I could see your point.

[coevan]

Touche' I have always said if you are a moderate drinker at home get Cheers. If you don't drink or are a tea totter, don't.

[SNJCruisers]

5 hours ago, coevan said:

Touche' I have always said if you are a moderate drinker at home get Cheers. If you don't drink or are a tea totter, don't.

The thing is, for 50 weeks a year, I drink substantially less than one drink per week.  But, during my two weeks of vacation I do the exact opposite and I enjoy my adult beverages, whether it be on a cruise or at an all inclusive.  So in general I drink a almost twice as much during my two weeks of vacation than I do the other fifty weeks during the year.

[beerman2]

5 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The thing is, for 50 weeks a year, I drink substantially less than one drink per week.  But, during my two weeks of vacation I do the exact opposite and I enjoy my adult beverages, whether it be on a cruise or at an all inclusive.  So in general I drink a almost twice as much during my two weeks of vacation than I do the other fifty weeks during the year.

Now that's impressive you can do that and your body tolerate/adapt to it. Cheers!

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, beerman2 said:

Now that's impressive you can do that and your body tolerate/adapt to it. Cheers!

I agree.  I rarely have a drink unless I am on a cruise.  When I do drink on a cruise, I have to spread the drinks out and never have more than two in a row.  My body cannot tolerate a lot of alcohol and I know my limits.  This is why the drink package will never work for me.  But I think the majority of people drink much more often than I do, so people should always do what works for them.  Even someone having five alcoholic drinks a day amazes me. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by TNcruising02

[Eli_6]

I personally would only consider the drink package on 2 to 5 day sailings. No way can my husband and I drink $110 worth of drinks every day for 7+ days... especially when there are typically ports on 3 or more of those days. 

 

Also, the one cruise we did the drink package, we had trouble getting drinks due to the bars being really busy. It may have been that particular sailing, though.  Never had that problem on other sailings.  I felt like we spent way too much time waiting on drinks. I would have rather have spent that money on bottles for the room.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Eli_6

[SNJCruisers]

7 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

.. especially when there are typically ports on 3 or more of those days. 

I don't buy the port excuse.  If you are  back on board by 430 and go to bed early at 1100, that gives you 6.5 hours to enjoy a few adult beverages.  Two before dinner, 2 with dinner, 2 after dinner.  Cheers is covered.  Or just enjoy 5 at Alchemy, Cheers is covered. But this back and forth has been debated for years on too many numerous threads.

[coevan]

don't forget the morning Bloody Mary or Mimosa

[skridge]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

don't forget the morning Bloody Mary or Mimosa

I miss morning Bloodies and mimosas

[PhillyFan33579]

12 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I personally would only consider the drink package on 2 to 5 day sailings. No way can my husband and I drink $110 worth of drinks every day for 7+ days... especially when there are typically ports on 3 or more of those days. 

Just an FYI, Carnival doesn’t sell Cheers on 2 day cruises, although it’s not like Carnival has a lot of two day cruises. 

[Laurab23]

On 7/4/2020 at 2:10 AM, SNJCruisers said:

The thing is, for 50 weeks a year, I drink substantially less than one drink per week.  But, during my two weeks of vacation I do the exact opposite and I enjoy my adult beverages, whether it be on a cruise or at an all inclusive.  So in general I drink a almost twice as much during my two weeks of vacation than I do the other fifty weeks during the year.

I am pretty much the same except other than cruises I drink about 1 drink a month. On cruises I drink a lot. I also drink a lot of water along with the alcohol. Even my 14 day cruise I had no problem drinking at least 5 a day and I really thought Cheers for a 14 day cruise might be a waste of money but it wasn't. Never reached 15. I think the most I drank was 9 one day. 

[PhillyFan33579]

On 7/3/2020 at 9:04 PM, coevan said:

Touche' I have always said if you are a moderate drinker at home get Cheers. If you don't drink or are a tea totter, don't.

Is a tea totter similar to a teetotaler? 😊

Edited July 5, 2020 by PhillyFan33579

[Joebucks]

On 7/3/2020 at 8:15 PM, SNJCruisers said:

What gets old fast Joe is you staying that you love to drink and then in the next sentence state that the Cheers package is a complete waste. And then the following sentence you state that it gets old fast, basically implying that drinking for 7 straight days for two people gets old fast.  So, what is it, does it get old fast, or do you love to drink.  Because if you truly, love to drink like you stated, then it can't get old fast.  

Now, if you only like to drink instead of love to drink and your wife doesn't drink, then I could see your point.

 

Tacos are my favorite food. I wouldn't buy a $500 taco package. On the cruise, they are included. I still wouldn't have them more than about 3 times. Does this mean I don't love tacos?

 

This past weekend was a holiday weekend, I had about 6 drinks each on Friday and Saturday. I'll probably have about 2-3 today. Knowing my usual patterns, I will probably not have more than about 2-3 until the weekend. Seeing that most of them were at my house, cost was not an issue. And yes, the girlfriend had 1.

 

Personally, I believe you can enjoy the things you love in moderation. Vacation isn't about unlimited consumption to me. For some, that may be more enjoyable than others. In the end, let's call it what it really is. Marketing. For me, $800 for a week of alcohol is a waste.

[SNJCruisers]

3 hours ago, Laurab23 said:

I am pretty much the same except other than cruises I drink about 1 drink a month. On cruises I drink a lot. I also drink a lot of water along with the alcohol. Even my 14 day cruise I had no problem drinking at least 5 a day and I really thought Cheers for a 14 day cruise might be a waste of money but it wasn't. Never reached 15. I think the most I drank was 9 one day. 

Laura, your husband is one lucky man.

[SNJCruisers]

31 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

This past weekend was a holiday weekend, I had about 6 drinks each on Friday and Saturday. I'll probably have about 2-3 today.....Vacation isn't about unlimited consumption to me. For some, that may be more enjoyable than others. In the end, let's call it what it really is. Marketing. For me, $800 for a week of alcohol is a waste.

This weekend, you consumed 15 alcoholic drinks.  I consumed zero.  When most people vacation, they do it as a change to what they normally do.  You're  accustomed to alcoholic drinking steadily with the occasional uptick.  Whereas I'm accustomed to a drink once in a blue moon and the imbibing process is one aspect of my two weeks of vacationing that I look forward to.

 

When I cruise, 90% of the time it's in an inside cabin. Maybe you prefer a balcony, I don't  know.  Just like when some people have stated on the boards that once they cruised in a balcony, they have never gone back to an inside, it's  the same with the drink packages for me.  Ever since they came out, I have gotten them on my last 10+ cruises whether a la carte on Carnival  and Royal or included as a package deal on other lines.   Some prefer a balcony, but for me I'll take an inside and use the savings towards Cheers as well as always using 10% off gift cards, prepaying to get 10% off and looking out for the occasional sale similar to the one from a few months ago that saved me another 10% off of Cheers as well as 10% off of cruise cash.

[coevan]

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Is a tea totter similar to a teetotaler? 😊

 

 

I blame spell check. I knew it didn't sound right