Deluxe Beverage Package Question

[dswallow]

4 minutes ago, Baowen said:

Don't worry - the drink package will cover your drinks unless you order something super expensive. I noticed that the limit was $12 on some of  the smaller ships but it was $13 for the bigger ships like the Allure.

 

 

The drink prices vary between the larger/newer ships and the smaller/older ones by $1, and the drink package is adjusted on each, accordingly, to include those top prices as the limit covered per-drink.

[SullytheBFG]

16 hours ago, strickers said:

7th also fingers crossed. Staying at the HI the night before so I can be ready to board as early as possible. I reckon I’ll be able to break even by 2pm most days!

We are an hours drive away from Southampton so coming down same day. I am looking forward to not cooking food, getting drinks and having my bed made! Hardly been anywhere for over a year. I think it might be a bit of a p##S up cruise! 

[strickers]

43 minutes ago, SullytheBFG said:

We are an hours drive away from Southampton so coming down same day. I am looking forward to not cooking food, getting drinks and having my bed made! Hardly been anywhere for over a year. I think it might be a bit of a p##S up cruise! 

With all the Key Workers on board I hope they have stocked up the bar properly!

[madibeme]

On 5/26/2021 at 4:15 PM, WVHillbilly said:

I almost always give an extra $1 per drink, It makes the bartender/waiters remember you and get prompt service.

 

Here's a little example of how i think tipping that extra $1 helps.  A couple days into the cruise, Schooner was pretty crowded and i saw a couple setting at a table with a couple empty chairs.  So i asked if we could share their table, the lady said yes but if you want something to drink you'll have to go to the bar, saying they were slow.   We just smiled and said okay, a minute later our drinks were delivered, the lady had this shocked look on her face.  We had actually ran into one of the waiters we had before when we first walked into the bar.  He took our order and said go ahead and find a seat and I'll find you.

Exactly! We have "skipped" the line so many times by tipping extra. They just arrive with your usual before you can even order. I usually bring about $50 in ones and get above and beyond service.

[MikeBayAreaCa]

My wife thinks  I'm the biggest tightwad in the world.  Cheap is a word she uses often, but she does know I tip well, be it a haircut, or going out to dinner.  
 

On a cruise I tip everyone and I tip well.  We have always gotten great and the workers are putting in much more than eight hours a day.   We have seen our late seating waiter working in the Windjammer at 7 in the morning .  
 

I don’t expect anything extra, but it’s certainly possible.  
 

You just have to budget for tipping.     I take a bunch of ones and fives and even some two dollar bills.  
 

When the cruise is over I get to go home to the nice house and continue my life in retirement.  The waiter, room steward  or bartender we tipped is back at it the very next week making someone else’s vacation enjoyable.  

[elsplace2]

Are Shots Tequila, etc. included in the Drink package?  

[Biker19]

Just now, elsplace2 said:

Are Shots Tequila, etc. included in the Drink package?  

Yes.

[elsplace2]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

Yes.

Awesome!  Thanks for the quick response!

[Joseph2017China]

On 5/26/2021 at 4:13 PM, Cigar King said:

Unpopular opinion.  If you can't afford to tip generously you probably can't afford to be spending money on a cruise.

I tip 18%.  I can afford to tip more, but rich people don't get rich by tossing money around, they get rich by not paying for things not needed.....18% is more than enough for a drink. 

[Tree_skier]

On 5/28/2021 at 10:59 AM, dswallow said:

 

My personal best, 12 nights, Anthem of the Seas, 1/7/2018 through 1/19/2018. This was an intentional test of what I could manage. It's very important to have drinks made properly, not in large glasses with an excess volume of liquid. And it takes a little time to train bartenders not to overpour after you're tipping them regularly sometimes. I like my drinks properly made, not tasting like all alcohol. So yeah, I know if I watching dollars and cents while simultaneously wanting maximum alcoholic effect, things could be different. Normally I spend a lot of time in my cabin just drinking iced water and reading; this sailing I had to force myself to read at bars a whole lot, which is fine, though I prefer laying down to read a lot of the time, harder to do in bars. 🙂

Normally I float somewhere around 7 to 10/day. I had one 11-night sailing where I averaged just over 5.

 

I almost never go into ports, so I'm aboard all day hanging out on the ship.

 

And I do try to remember to take a picture of every drink, too. Though this sailing I got just 134 pictures, 12 of them coffee... so you can see how sometimes I don't remember to count them in the app, too! And in places like Music Hall at night, folks start buying each other shots a lot and I often forget to take photos but usually remember to add them to a separate counted category, sometimes not, though. I wish they would simply include all these things on the SeaPass account printouts we get. I'd love to know in correct detail, per day, everything.

I started the counting just so I had some sense of where the deluxe beverage package price should matter to me. Then it just sort of became somewhat of a habit. And the bartenders would start reminding me to count them, or ask what I was up to as the days went by.


 

What app is that?

[RedIguana]

On 5/27/2021 at 12:53 PM, RedIguana said:

As others have said it will cover up to $13 on the more expensive ships (Oasis class I know from experience). The red stuff I have a penchant for usually runs a little more than that, so i just sign for the extra few bucks. I also hand out ones to the bartenders. Between 2 real coffee's in the morning, fresh OJ, a few bottles of water minimum, and 3-4 glasses of the red stuff at night, I will easily break even on DBP even on long port days. Sea days toss a pina colada or two in the afternoon. And maybe a Scotch pre and post dinner. Hard to pass up an ale at the pub. Please don't show me the Tequila, I may be tempted. Sigh, I'm not sure I can wait 483 days... going to have to talk wife or daughter into one later this year

Hate to quote myself...but talked the wife into Brilliance for a quickie 5 day in October. I might be having escargot withdrawals.