"Ultimate Drinks Package" on Iona

[snaefell]

Our cruise out East on Quantum was 15 nights,shore days pretty much every other day,drinking pretty much as we would back home at the end of the cruise we both had a bill just under £200, which we were quite happy with.

Many we spoke to were on the drinks package & every day seemed like a challenge to make sure they drank their quota,especially hectic at the end of a long shore day when they had a late start!

[Bgees]

While we were disappointed with the range of cocktails available on the drinks package, we are still going to get it again for our upcoming Iona cruise in April. For us, the tipping point is that the children are included for free, which makes the cost £20 each per day, a figure that we would easily exceed if purchasing drinks separately. Without the children included we would not bother with the package as P&O drink prices are reasonable.

 

 

[Amyracecar]

In my view it's quite hard to compare if the package is worth it even based on what you might drink otherwise. Whenever we've had a package (not on P&O) it's worked out that we've had decent value out of it, but that's usually because we drink a lot more 'because we can'. Would we have paid $9 every night for an Aspen Coffee if it wasn't included? Certainly not. Shall I have an extra cocktail because it's included? Yes please. Would I skip a Costa coffee occasionally and be happy to just get something basic in the buffet? Probably. 

 

I've always got excellent value from packages, but on the other hand when I go pay-as-you-go I've always paid far less in the end and not thought I've deprived myself. So I guess it just comes down to 'Am I happy to pay £40 a day on this particular cruise or not'. 

[MaisieMoo123]

The cocktails included in the drinks package on Iona weren't extensive but there was always at least a couple in every bar that were included

[newbie cruissy]

2 minutes ago, MaisieMoo123 said:

The cocktails included in the drinks package on Iona weren't extensive but there was always at least a couple in every bar that were included

That's interesting, and not in line with the photos of drinks menus I've seen online. Were the cocktails advertised as in your picture? i.e. if you have the drinks package these are included? 

[MaisieMoo123]

6 minutes ago, newbie cruissy said:

That's interesting, and not in line with the photos of drinks menus I've seen online. Were the cocktails advertised as in your picture? i.e. if you have the drinks package these are included? 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by MaisieMoo123
Forgot to post reply

[MaisieMoo123]

I was on Iona and collected all the bar menus and collated this list from them, plus I might have had to work my way through the list to test them all out!

[Rob DJ]

On 2/20/2022 at 2:17 PM, Bgees said:

While we were disappointed with the range of cocktails available on the drinks package, we are still going to get it again for our upcoming Iona cruise in April. For us, the tipping point is that the children are included for free, which makes the cost £20 each per day, a figure that we would easily exceed if purchasing drinks separately. Without the children included we would not bother with the package as P&O drink prices are reasonable.

 

 

Due on in Iona in October (was meant to be this Feb but that's another story).  I agree on the tipping point for sure - we are travelling with our three sons and this lets my wife and I purchase the drinks package and get free sodas/hot chocolate throughout the cruise for all three of our kids.  Without this we definitely wouldn't have been able to justify it and would probably have found ourselves drinking far more than we are used to,  just to justify the spend.      

[MaisieMoo123]

Something that has changed regarding drinks is that the menu in Andersons the gins are all shown as perfect serve and over the £6.95 drinks package price.  This made lots think they couldn't drink in there but you can ask the waiter for a single serve and by doing that can work your way through the gin menu with only 2 being over £6.95

[DamianG]

On 2/6/2022 at 5:34 PM, MX-Drew said:

The waiter I know has advised I don't go for the package now. So in answer to your question ... No. 😕

 

We are having a think on how much / what we drink.

Hi

May I ask if the cost is charged to your onboard account “up front” (i.e. as a lump sum at the start of the cruise) or on a daily basis?

Also does any Peninsular club discount for onboard spend apply to the drinks package or is it excluded from that benefit?

Thanks in advance.

Damian

[MX-Drew]

19 minutes ago, DamianG said:

Hi

May I ask if the cost is charged to your onboard account “up front” (i.e. as a lump sum at the start of the cruise) or on a daily basis?

Also does any Peninsular club discount for onboard spend apply to the drinks package or is it excluded from that benefit?

Thanks in advance.

Damian

It is charged up front as a lump sum and any Peninsular club discount is applied after any OBC is used up (Peninsular club discount is not applied to OBC).

[Waju]

I mentioned our idea on here a couple of years ago but it works for us - when we were trying to decide if a drinks package was a good idea we decided to take the £40 pppd with us in cash and deposit it with reception.  That makes it feel like we have paid up front (as you would with the package) for our drinks.

 

On a sea day we have what we like during the day/evening but on a port day if we are off the ship all day we may only have a couple of drinks before/with dinner as we are shattered and then toddle off to bed.  If you have a port intensive cruise (the Med for instance) it would be difficult to drink £40 worth each everyday.

 

Anyway, by doing it this way at the end of the cruise any unused 'drinks credit' is bought home with you.  As I said, it works for us and we've always had whatever we want to drink for a lot less than £40pppd.

 

 

 

[DamianG]

1 hour ago, MX-Drew said:

It is charged up front as a lump sum and any Peninsular club discount is applied after any OBC is used up (Peninsular club discount is not applied to OBC).

Perfect, thank you for the prompt response.