Revenge for the $18 drink package?

[kathy884]

Interesting that you mention an $18 drink package deal.  When doing an NCL cruise (before COVID-19) doing the math for the unlimited free drink package (Pick 2 perk enticement), that perk came out to $18 a day in taxes.  

[drsel]

Yes Norwegians profitability is more than that of Royal and Carnival

[drsel]

They earn more from passengers onboard spending than Royal and Carnival

[drsel]

Just by the way, has anyone seen others sharing their package with friends?

[Milwaukee Eight]

11 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I truly don't get the convenience argument. 🤔Every opportunity to spend money on the ship is convenient😉

Convenience - because you don’t need to track charges on your SeaPass account. Convenience as your drinks are already paid for. Convenience as you can get a bottle of water or two to take back to the cabin. Convenience as you can drink at any bar and are not slamming down drinks in the loyalty lounges. 
 

Conveniently 

M8

[Iamcruzin]

11 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I truly don't get the convenience argument. 🤔Every opportunity to spend money on the ship is convenient😉

 I think that convenience means not having a bill at the end and not having to pay the credit card company when you get home. They still swipe your card or wow band so it's not different then if you were paying as you go along.   

[John&LaLa]

Just now, Milwaukee Eight said:

Convenience - because you don’t need to track charges on your SeaPass account. Convenience as your drinks are already paid for. Convenience as you can get a bottle of water or two to take back to the cabin. Convenience as you can drink at any bar and are not slamming down drinks in the loyalty lounges. 
 

Conveniently 

M8

 

I can do all that with my room key. The same room key you produce to prove you have a pre paid pkg. Pretty cool, huh.

 

As far as tracking, I've heard people sometimes get charged for drinks even when they have the pkg. I know we did on the Allure

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

As far as tracking, I've heard people sometimes get charged for drinks even when they have the pkg. I know we did on the Allure

This has happened to us as well with the package. It’s easy to prove if you have the package. 
 

The booze is better with the package. NA is one of the crappiest Vodkas out there. Nice discounts off bottles of wine onboard. 
 

M8

[Iamcruzin]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I can do all that with my room key. The same room key you produce to prove you have a pre paid pkg. Pretty cool, huh.

 

As far as tracking, I've heard people sometimes get charged for drinks even when they have the pkg. I know we did on the Allure

That's true.  I was charged for a can of coke that I purchased at a kiosk and a glass of wine that I never ordered. The problem seems to happen in the MDR when they take all of the drink orders and all of the cards at the same time. I had the refreshment package and they must have used my card for my wife's glass of wine.

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, drsel said:

Just by the way, has anyone seen others sharing their package with friends?

How would you see this? Nobody knows who has the package or not.

[Biker19]

18 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Nobody knows who has the package or not.

There's DX or sticker on the Seapass card indicating a drink package that some may be able to observe.

[John&LaLa]

31 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

This has happened to us as well with the package. It’s easy to prove if you have the package. 
 

The booze is better with the package. NA is one of the crappiest Vodkas out there. Nice discounts off bottles of wine onboard. 
 

M8

 

People can pay for nicer liquor, it's not just for those with packages. 

 

Look, I get the packages. Lots of benefits. I just don't see convenience being one. That's all.

 

Actually,  I might find them inconvenient.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you inclined to tip your server on pkg drinks? I would be less inclined to do that on a drink thst has the 18% gratuity added to the bill.

 

Dinner pkgs give you a wine discount as well

Edited August 28, 2020 by John&LaLa

[John&LaLa]

31 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

That's true.  I was charged for a can of coke that I purchased at a kiosk and a glass of wine that I never ordered. The problem seems to happen in the MDR when they take all of the drink orders and all of the cards at the same time. I had the refreshment package and they must have used my card for my wife's glass of wine.

 

You should have seen the folio for our STAR cabin. Some days had upwards of 100 lines of charges. Crazy

[Milwaukee Eight]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Actually,  I might find them inconvenient.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you inclined to tip your server on pkg drinks? I would be less inclined to do that on a drink thst has the 18% gratuity added to the bill.

Yes, we typically tip even with the package where gratuities are included.  You’d be surprised how the bartenders remember you. 
 

M8

[drsel]

On Celebrity, the service charges are included in all the alcohol beverage packages and the service is excellent.

in fact bar tenders come around every 30 minutes to ask you if you would like another drink.

every time they swipe your card with the package, they earn the service charges.
So they are only too eager to serve you and earn more

[Iamcruzin]

19 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

There's DX or sticker on the Seapass card indicating a drink package that some may be able to observe.

Those people watchers must be using high powered binoculars. I’m looking right at it and I can barely read it.

 

 

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

There's DX or sticker on the Seapass card indicating a drink package that some may be able to observe.

True but the person who has the sticker still has to get the drink themselves. 

[John&LaLa]

4 minutes ago, drsel said:

On Celebrity, the service charges are included in all the alcohol beverage packages and the service is excellent.

in fact bar tenders come around every 30 minutes to ask you if you would like another drink.

every time they swipe your card with the package, they earn the service charges.
So they are only too eager to serve you and earn more

 

Royal adds 18% to the pkgs. However, if you're a big drinker, that pool goes down considerably. Many who buy pkgs still tip per drink like Rory mentioned

[John&LaLa]

Just now, Iamcruzin said:

True but the person who has the sticker still has to get the drink themselves. 

 

I think I read MSC wasn't allowing bar service. All drinks had to be delivered to your table

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I think I read MSC wasn't allowing bar service. All drinks had to be delivered to your table

Is that just now due to covid or was that always the policy?

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, Iamcruzin said:

Is that just now due to covid or was that always the policy?

 

Covid

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

Those people watchers must be using high powered binoculars

There's a less precise way to tell - anyone who doesn't sign for a drink likely has the drink package. 

[drsel]

There's a less precise way to tell - anyone who doesn't sign for a drink likely has the drink package. 

That's a smart observation, thanks