Beverage Package Pricing

[AustinCruise]

7 minutes ago, Presbycruiser67 said:

I agree the.package has more than juat alcohol, but in that case I might purchase the soda package.  The ship I will sail on, the Mariner, has the fancy coke machines that.include Dasani water, both still and sparkling.

But the soda package doesn’t include fresh squeezed juices, coffees, non-alcoholic frozen drinks. 
 

in any case, there is no right answer!  Everyone has different desires and budgets. Glad they offer so many options. 

[poocher]

55 minutes ago, Presbycruiser67 said:

If I drank enough to make the beverage package worth the mobwy it would blow out my liver.  How do so many people drink so much???

Not sure what you think “so much” is.  A non-drinker in my everyday life, my cruise day starts with a specialty coffee laced with Baileys.  Afternoons around the pool will mean a couple of frozen umbrella drinks plus several bottles of sparkling water for hydration.  A glass of wine or 2 with dinner.  Nighttime entertainment will mean at least one more drink or perhaps more coffee & Baileys.  My liver can handle that for a week and I will more than cover the $67 (including gratuities) I’ve paid.  Really you don’t have to get #%#%faced to make the DBP work.

[wayne_trisha]

Two glasses of fresh juice, 2-3 coffees, and 2-3 bottles of water.  I’m over half way to recouping the daily cost of the DBP before even having alcohol.  2 drinks at the pool and 2 glasses of wine at dinner and I’m ahead.  DBP also allows me to try out different drinks. If I don’t like them, I have no pressure to drink them.   If I paid $15 for a drink and tip I am probably going to drink it even if I don’t really like it.  

[2Long2NxtCrz]

3 hours ago, Presbycruiser67 said:

I agree the.package has more than juat alcohol, but in that case I might purchase the soda package.  The ship I will sail on, the Mariner, has the fancy coke machines that.include Dasani water, both still and sparkling.

What you probably want is the Refreshment Package which includes everything except alcoholic drinks.  You can even get mocktails on it, if that's your jam.

 

I couldn't live without my fancy coffees and the sparkling water that I have continuously throughout the day.

[Psycho and Barb]

6 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Congratulations on those good prices.

 

But I believe that you are doing a disservice to imply that this is common or to be expected  

But it is common and to be expected.   We have never had the price of a booze package remain at the same price from the time we booked till we sailed…It’s always changed several times. It changes so much we have a spreadsheet to track the changes.  Our first leg of our explorer of the seas B2B cruise next month the price has changed 8 times since we booked…The second leg has changed 6 times.  Our serenade of the seas cruise has changed 4 times since we have booked.   Even our recently booked odyssey of the seas cruise has changed 1 time.  So yes the price changes are common and expected.  
 

[WAHMto5]

Noticed prices have been a bit higher since reopening this year. For Symphony last month, the lowest was $58. Mariner next month, lowest has been $61 and so far Allure  in January the lowest has been $58. 
As others have mentioned if you use the package to its fullest, it is well worth it!

[DMWT Cruiser]

Over the past six weeks, prices for the Deluxe Beverage Package on our mid-Nov cruise have ranged from $52.99 pp/pd to $61.00 pp/pd.  The refreshment package has ranged from $22.99 pp/pd to $30.00 pp/pd.  The soda package has been $8.99 pp/pd and has not changed.  All of these prices are before the 18% gratuity/service charge.

[jonj]

I understand the price varies by date / ship. Anyone who has sailed on a newer ship have you seen prices for less than $60. I know when we sailed on the Freedom the beverage package was much less than on the Symphony when it was new. We are going to be on the Odyssey. 

Edited October 26, 2021 by jonj

[jonj]

One more question, what is the cost difference to buy onboard vs in advance? Is only one of us wants it, is that possible? Currently for Jan 29, 2022 Odyssey it says $66.99 pp, per day plus tip of course. Says it is a 20% discount. Is purchasing it onboard really about $15 more pp, per day?

[harmonysrq]

Can you call Royal agent and negotiate down deluxe beverage package price? when is black Friday? I am sailing November 4 on serenade of the seas. DBP currently $67.99. This is my first time on Royal,  do they ever upgrade guaranteed rooms?

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, jonj said:

Is purchasing it onboard really about $15 more pp, per day?

That price sometimes also varies, though much less than the planner. Don't try to guess too much on pricing, buy when you are comfortable with the price and cancel/rebuy if you see it cheaper. You can have the second person in the cabin buy only the refreshment package, but you can' do that online, you have to call.

[Biker19]

Just now, harmonysrq said:

Can you call Royal agent and negotiate down deluxe beverage package price?

 

 This is my first time on Royal,  do they ever upgrade guaranteed rooms?

No, what you see online is the price.

 

Rarely do you get something other than the GTY category booked.

[wayne_trisha]

3 hours ago, jonj said:

One more question, what is the cost difference to buy onboard vs in advance? Is only one of us wants it, is that possible? Currently for Jan 29, 2022 Odyssey it says $66.99 pp, per day plus tip of course. Says it is a 20% discount. Is purchasing it onboard really about $15 more pp, per day?

Not sure about on the ship but pre-cruise I always call when the beverage packages are on sale. My wife rarely drinks and for years we have been able to call RCCL and have her pay for the refresh package and I get the deluxe package. We get 4 drinks per day as diamond and she might have four alcoholic drinks the entire cruise.

[poocher]

18 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

But it is common and to be expected.   We have never had the price of a booze package remain at the same price from the time we booked till we sailed…It’s always changed several times. It changes so much we have a spreadsheet to track the changes.  Our first leg of our explorer of the seas B2B cruise next month the price has changed 8 times since we booked…The second leg has changed 6 times.  Our serenade of the seas cruise has changed 4 times since we have booked.   Even our recently booked odyssey of the seas cruise has changed 1 time.  So yes the price changes are common and expected.  
 

Yes the price changes often but, at least for me and the 2 cruises I currently have booked, it’s the same change every time.  On sale $58 - off sale $67.  It never varies from those 2 prices and certainly has not come CLOSE to under $50.  So maybe that’s the norm for you but not for me and many others.

[poocher]

4 hours ago, jonj said:

One more question, what is the cost difference to buy onboard vs in advance? Is only one of us wants it, is that possible? Currently for Jan 29, 2022 Odyssey it says $66.99 pp, per day plus tip of course. Says it is a 20% discount. Is purchasing it onboard really about $15 more pp, per day?

Yes

[Merion_Mom]

18 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

But it is common and to be expected.   We have never had the price of a booze package remain at the same price from the time we booked till we sailed…It’s always changed several times. It changes so much we have a spreadsheet to track the changes.  Our first leg of our explorer of the seas B2B cruise next month the price has changed 8 times since we booked…The second leg has changed 6 times.  Our serenade of the seas cruise has changed 4 times since we have booked.   Even our recently booked odyssey of the seas cruise has changed 1 time.  So yes the price changes are common and expected.  
 

 

My post was in response to a post that said their price was always below $50.  It had nothing to do with price changes.

[BekkaW]

18 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

But it is common and to be expected.   We have never had the price of a booze package remain at the same price from the time we booked till we sailed…It’s always changed several times. It changes so much we have a spreadsheet to track the changes.  Our first leg of our explorer of the seas B2B cruise next month the price has changed 8 times since we booked…The second leg has changed 6 times.  Our serenade of the seas cruise has changed 4 times since we have booked.   Even our recently booked odyssey of the seas cruise has changed 1 time.  So yes the price changes are common and expected.  
 

it’s not the changeable prices/refund availability that MM was saying is not common, it’s the prices in the $40 range. I agree with her that is not common or to be expected. Certainly not impossible, but not standard either. 

[harmonysrq]

I want to purchase the DBP and My roommate doesn’t want it. 

 I just read this in the fine print:

Each adult of legal drinking age assigned to the same stateroom must purchase this package. Price shown is per person, per day.

 

how does that work if I purchase online? Are we both going to be charged for that package?

[Big_G]

31 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

My post was in response to a post that said their price was always below $50.  It had nothing to do with price changes.

 

30 minutes ago, BekkaW said:

it’s not the changeable prices/refund availability that MM was saying is not common, it’s the prices in the $40 range. I agree with her that is not common or to be expected. Certainly not impossible, but not standard either. 

 

We have two cruises booked for over a year and the price has never dipped below $50. We haven't seen below $50 since before the lines were shutdown. One cruise went all the way to $72. If you see it in the $50's you should probably book it.

Edited October 26, 2021 by Big_G

[AustinCruise]

3 minutes ago, harmonysrq said:

I want to purchase the DBP and My roommate doesn’t want it. 

 I just read this in the fine print:

Each adult of legal drinking age assigned to the same stateroom must purchase this package. Price shown is per person, per day.

 

how does that work if I purchase online? Are we both going to be charged for that package?

You may not book online. You have to call. I don’t know if they require an excuse, but the reason is people were getting one drink package and sharing.

 

roomate will need to purchase  the refreshment package. 

[jonj]

Is there a max cost when on the Bev package? For example I see $22 for a glass of Moet. 

[Merion_Mom]

15 minutes ago, jonj said:

Is there a max cost when on the Bev package? For example I see $22 for a glass of Moet. 

 

$13 on most ships.

[ray985]

9 hours ago, jonj said:

I understand the price varies by date / ship. Anyone who has sailed on a newer ship have you seen prices for less than $60. I know when we sailed on the Freedom the beverage package was much less than on the Symphony when it was new. We are going to be on the Odyssey. 

This has a breakdowns of the prices people have seen since cruising resumed, broken down by ship, departure port, and cruise length:

https://cruisespotlight.com/rcl-deluxe-beverage-package-analysis

[Psycho and Barb]

On 10/25/2021 at 1:21 PM, Psycho and Barb said:

That is not a good price...Needs to be in the $40's for a good price.  We have three cruises booked and the highest booze package is $47.  However as others have said, you can always buy, cancel and rebuy.  They key is to constantly check your cruise planner...At least 3 times a week.  We have found good deals by doing this and most were not even in Royals so called sales!  After you've monitored your cruise planner, you will learn what your cruises base price is.  If you see it cheaper then the base price, buy it again and cancel your previously package.   
 

 

5 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

My post was in response to a post that said their price was always below $50.  It had nothing to do with price changes.

We never said our price was always below $50.  

[AustinCruise]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

$13 on most ships.

 

And you just pay any overage.