What is Your Bar Bill? or would it be?

[eltigre]

We never get a deal on the Cheers package  and being Canadian figure a 22% exchange rate.

So on a 7 day at $63.50 per day times 2 people times 7 days say $890 to round off. Average drink price $10 now, I'm thinking, that's 89 drinks in 7 days or 6 drinks a day per person.  Three to four port days for 8 hours each are removed from the equation.

 

So if my math is right, is it still a good plan to get a Cheers Pkg?

What is your or bar bill? Or what would it be if you didn't have the package?

[ray98]

$1000+ easy for us.  It was $7-800 years ago with much cheaper drinks before drink packages became the rage.

 

The number of port days really doesn't matter to me.  I never start drinking to mid-afternoon anyway and we are just about always back on board by that time.  Even if I started at 6 we never wrap up our day until 11 or later.  At two drinks per hour I could still consume 8-10 drinks, way more than the 'break even'.

Edited November 24, 2021 by ray98

[Colorado Beach Bum]

I’ve done both and it usually comes out way better to have a drink package.  Have just paid as I went a couple of times cause the wife doesn’t get her monies worth with cheers. If both drink in the 7-10 drinks a day then cheers is the way to go. 

[mexicobob]

The cruise lines would not be offering drink packages if they were losing money. The house always wins in the casino and at the bar. 

 

[ray98]

16 minutes ago, mexicobob said:

The cruise lines would not be offering drink packages if they were losing money. The house always wins in the casino and at the bar. 

 

 

....but it isn't that simplistic.  A program like Cheers adds value to a vacation for most and enhances the customer experience.  In a high markup sector such as the bar, sometime finding a balance between pure profit and fostering an enhanced experience is what leads to repeat customers that keep spending their money with you for years to come.

[sanger727]

Whether or not it’s a ‘deal’ entirely depends on you. We have cruised with or without drink packages and having them does change how we cruise.

1. Without drink package - always bring on the two bottles of wine, bring a refillable water bottle to refill at buffet, drink very little soda, drink more in ports, have regular coffee, drink less on ship - bill will be under $200

 

2. with drink package - don’t bother bringing wine or refillable bottle, grab bottles of water as we go, get more sodas when out and about on ship, drink less in ports, have cappuccinos and lattes more, have more day drinking afternoons and drinks around dinner time 

[BamaMomRollTide]

8 hours ago, eltigre said:

We never get a deal on the Cheers package  and being Canadian figure a 22% exchange rate.

So on a 7 day at $63.50 per day times 2 people times 7 days say $890 to round off. Average drink price $10 now, I'm thinking, that's 89 drinks in 7 days or 6 drinks a day per person.  Three to four port days for 8 hours each are removed from the equation.

 

So if my math is right, is it still a good plan to get a Cheers Pkg?

What is your or bar bill? Or what would it be if you didn't have the package?

We would never buy Cheers because:

A) we don’t drink that much

B) we’re already bringing 2 bottles of wine on for a 5 night cruise

C) two days in port, so might have some drinks there.

D) can’t see spending $500 for 5 days of Cheers, when we’d not drink anywhere close to that.

[lilchuckie]

8 hours ago, ray98 said:

$1000+ easy for us.  It was $7-800 years ago with much cheaper drinks before drink packages became the rage.

 

The number of port days really doesn't matter to me.  I never start drinking to mid-afternoon anyway and we are just about always back on board by that time.  Even if I started at 6 we never wrap up our day until 11 or later.  At two drinks per hour I could still consume 8-10 drinks, way more than the 'break even'.

 

Am I the only one who thinks cruise drink prices have gone down? Especially beer.

[Saint Greg]

I used to track that. I don’t anymore. Here’s one of the old ones from my phone.

 

 

[naxer]

The way we cruise, the bill would easily be $1-1200 without Cheers.  I only really drink on a cruise, and prefer to stay on the ship over doing excursions.  Then, adding the coffee, it makes it even more worthwhile--I only ever buy coffee on vacation, too. I never eat out, except when company comes, and I think that's what allows me to afford the Cheers package.  I'm a real bore at home, but get me on a cruise or on a vacation where I don't have to drive, and I'm sitting at a bar yucking it up with the best of them. 

[Saint Greg]

14 minutes ago, lilchuckie said:

 

Am I the only one who thinks cruise drink prices have gone down? Especially beer.

They haven’t. They’ve stayed the same or gone up.

 

Here’s 2018 vs 2021

 

 

[Calnev1]

2 hours ago, naxer said:

The way we cruise, the bill would easily be $1-1200 without Cheers. 

This would be true of 99% of the people on the ship who buy at least one drink.  🙂

[Calnev1]

I am someone who is competitive, cost conscious, and who doesnt drink much.  Buying the Cheers package would lead only to  pain and misery as I strove mightily to get my money's worth.

[fabby50]

I don't drink, my husband does.  I would never buy the package as we both would have to get it.  It has been nice when its included.

[grillinchillin]

Handy Dandy Drink-o-matic calculator! 

 

https://cruisespotlight.com/drink-package-calculator

 

 

 

[evandbob]

No need for me to use a calculator.  In all of my 50+ cruises since 2003, my bar bill has been Zero.

[eltigre]

15 minutes ago, grillinchillin said:

Handy Dandy Drink-o-matic calculator! 

 

https://cruisespotlight.com/drink-package-calculator

 

 

 

Used your  Handy Dandy Drink-o-matic calculator and found out in my calculations I forgot to include the 18% gratuity on the package.  😲 

[Laurab23]

7 hours ago, naxer said:

The way we cruise, the bill would easily be $1-1200 without Cheers.  I only really drink on a cruise, and prefer to stay on the ship over doing excursions.  Then, adding the coffee, it makes it even more worthwhile--I only ever buy coffee on vacation, too. I never eat out, except when company comes, and I think that's what allows me to afford the Cheers package.  I'm a real bore at home, but get me on a cruise or on a vacation where I don't have to drive, and I'm sitting at a bar yucking it up with the best of them. 

You sound a lot like me.

[DramaQueen22]

We opt not to purchase Cheers.  Both my husband and I drink 2-3 drinks a day, less on a port day.  We don't get smoothies or juices.  If I want an iced coffee, I get one.  For us the cost runs about $50 a day for those purchases.

 

We just did an 8 day on the Horizon and spent less for the entire week than it would have cost for 1 person's Cheers package.  

[LatinaInTexas]

We are very casual drinkers, only average about $70 in drink charges per week long cruise.

Had Cheers recently for first time because of $120 each promo price.

Estimated cost of alcohol and non alcohol drinks was about $916. Also another $75 or so in extra tips.

Having Cheers had pros and cons but not something I could/would ever pay full price for.

[JoeMo]

I've never been much of a drinker, but I've made up my mind to change that. Between the Cootie Virus and the new boss, I'm gonna start drinking heavy. Starting with the Cheers package this weekend.

Hope ya'll have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

[Duanerice1]

We don't purchase it but when we sail on Celebrity it is usually included (and yea we pay for it but not separately).  I don't drink but still like having it as I drink coffee, soda and like grabbing a bottle of water as we leave the ship. 

 

When we don;t have it, many times our bar bill is zero.  Wife takes a couple of bottles of wine and that's usually enough for her.  We've never had a bar bill over $50.00.

[Virga]

Back before you could buy the drink package on any sailing, we usually doesn't a few hundred bucks on bonvoyage bottles, brought on what they'd let us, tried our luck bringing back from ports, and still had bar bills - probably spent about what we currently spent on Cheers, despite only having a few drinks at bars.

 

Now we get to make friends with the bar staff, try whatever we like, and get free water/electrolytes/energy drinks.  Plus just tips on the bill at the end, which is always nice for planning purposes!

 

On the downside, we'll apparently never be offered anything but RU9 for the Cheers package offers - they apparently know they don't make any money off our drinking!

[Ilovesailaway]

Op I don't remember exactly what my bar bills used to be before you could buy drink packages. 

I get the package now because I like having a fixed cost. I'm on vacation. I don't want to wonder how high is my bill getting?  or if I should order a cheaper drink?

I want the convenience of drinking whatever I want wherever I want. I will pay for that. Just like I will pay a little more for better flights or better hotels if they will add to my experience and the cost is reasonable. Its vacation.

[MeganGC1983]

29 minutes ago, Ilovesailaway said:

Op I don't remember exactly what my bar bills used to be before you could buy drink packages. 

I get the package now because I like having a fixed cost. I'm on vacation. I don't want to wonder how high is my bill getting?  or if I should order a cheaper drink?

I want the convenience of drinking whatever I want wherever I want. I will pay for that. Just like I will pay a little more for better flights or better hotels if they will add to my experience and the cost is reasonable. Its vacation.

All of this. Before Cheers! I would try to talk myself out of drinks and I don’t want to do that on vacation. Once it’s paid for, I never look back.