Unlimited Beverage Package: Strategies?

[Chloesimon]

Make sure to buy your friends, family, new acquaintances, and the whole bar a round or two!

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, vjmatty said:

 

Never understood the difference between "fresh" OJ and "fresh squeezed" OJ.... isn't all of it squeezed?

 

 

(Ducking) 😛

 

 

 

The term "fresh squeezed" is protected by the FDA and means that the juice has not been processed in any form.

After squeezing the oranges, the juice is stored in vats where the oxygen is removed—that prevents the juice from spoiling, but also takes out the flavor, so “flavor packs” are added to the juice. Fresh squeezed orange juice, is devoid of “flavor packs,” but contains lots of actual flavor.

[BobNoxious]

I don't "need" to beat it, it just happens.   Lattes when I wake up.   Bloody Mary.   ~4 frozen drinks by pool.   Shot before nap time.   2 redbulls before dinner.   1 drink at dinner.   Then, I go out drinking at the bars.   Followed by shot before bedtime.     Wash, Rinse, Repeat...

[S.A.M.J.R.]

3 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

One of my strategies is asking for a bottle of water when you order a drink.  Over the course of the first few of days I like to load my cabin refrigerator with waters so that I have plenty for the entire week.  On port days I load up my rucksack with with waters for both myself and DW and we stay well hydrated during any tour/excursion we are on.  At $3 a bottle it really helps take a chunk out of the overall cost of the DBP.  Another strategy, if you like OJ, is to make sure you always order the fresh squeezed OJ from one of the servers in the Windjammer at breakfast.  If you are an OJ snob like me you will really appreciate the difference between what they serve to the masses vs. the good fresh squeezed stuff. The OJ is $5 a glass one of those each morning also help to get good value. My final strategy for getting value out of the package is... DON'T DRINK WINDJAMMER COFFEE!  Pick up a Latte or a Cappuccino in the morning before heading in to breakfast.  The two weakest parts of Royal's beverage game are their regular coffee and the previously mentioned OJ.  Stay away from them.

 

Welcome to cruise critic. 

 

 

Of course, if you get the refreshment package, that covers all the "extras", and is probably $50/day (if not more) cheaper.  

 

How to get every last bit out of the drink package... drink, drink, drink some more, drink, and drink.  Get up at 8am, go to bed at 2am, and have 16 drinks (one an hour, I mean, that's not a lot, right?)... preferably all alcohol (most expensive). 

[poocher]

7 minutes ago, BobNoxious said:

I don't "need" to beat it, it just happens.   Lattes when I wake up.   Bloody Mary.   ~4 frozen drinks by pool.   Shot before nap time.   2 redbulls before dinner.   1 drink at dinner.   Then, I go out drinking at the bars.   Followed by shot before bedtime.     Wash, Rinse, Repeat...

Wow, you certainly get the most out of that package!

[HicksRA]

Drink all day;

Puke all night.

[Tree_skier]

3 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Of course, if you get the refreshment package, that covers all the "extras", and is probably $50/day (if not more) cheaper.  

 

How to get every last bit out of the drink package... drink, drink, drink some more, drink, and drink.  Get up at 8am, go to bed at 2am, and have 16 drinks (one an hour, I mean, that's not a lot, right?)... preferably all alcohol (most expensive). 

Oh there is no doubt that the refreshment package is cheaper.  I was just explaining how I get and calculate value for the DBP.  On my last cruise aboard Odyssey in February I had the DBP and I got it for $60 a day. My week long total, if calculated as paying cash, would have been over double that (8x60=480). 

 

My point is that you don't have to stagger around drunk all day to get great value out the DBP.  I sleep in, and don't stay up till 2am and still get very good value out of the package.

[exm]

Buy a drink package, sit at the bar and sell&order drinks at a 50% discount to people waiting to order. Do that until you break-even on a daily base and you can drink for free! What can go wrong?

[vjmatty]

3 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

The term "fresh squeezed" is protected by the FDA and means that the juice has not been processed in any form.

After squeezing the oranges, the juice is stored in vats where the oxygen is removed—that prevents the juice from spoiling, but also takes out the flavor, so “flavor packs” are added to the juice. Fresh squeezed orange juice, is devoid of “flavor packs,” but contains lots of actual flavor.

Makes sense, just one of my minor pet peeves on this site, right up there with unlikely or inaccurate plurals (“we called the pursers desk”) so I made a joke of it. No idea it was a federal requirement to distinguish multiple ways something can be fresh 🤷🏻‍♀️

[RedIguana]

23 hours ago, vjmatty said:

Never understood the difference between "fresh" OJ and "fresh squeezed" OJ.... isn't all of it squeezed?

Well if you just pop a straw into an orange it becomes "fresh sucked" OJ

 

I'll see myself out now......

[LGW59]

23 hours ago, vjmatty said:

 

Never understood the difference between "fresh" OJ and "fresh squeezed" OJ.... isn't all of it squeezed?

 

 

(Ducking) 😛

 

 

 

"fresh" OJ and "fresh squeezed" OJ - Oh my, surely you jest!?!  There have been live cruise vlogs here with the quest to find "fresh squeezed" to the point of taking and posting pictures of both, searching throughout the ship and asking behind the scenes kitchen/beverage staff where it is, what kind of machine do they use, does it get squeezed by a machine or by hand.  The indignity of saying it is fresh squeezed when it is machine squeezed or pre-packaged.  Can't wait for those vlogs to start up again...

[Dantorr]

On 6/30/2022 at 7:32 PM, Cigar King said:

When you're on board you'll see a notice for "Friends of Bill W".  Go to the meeting.

Noted! 👍.......Thanks! for the advise, am sure that it will be the best place to share 

[Dantorr]

On 6/30/2022 at 7:26 PM, Seannie said:

In fairness to Dantorr, surely we can’t expect the bloke who wants strategies for squeezing the last penny out of the Unlimited Beverage Plan to use Courier New? 

Thanks! for the support 👍

[Dantorr]

On 6/30/2022 at 7:00 PM, poocher said:

Figure out the per day price of the package including gratuities Divide that number by $15 (cost of an alcoholic beverage with tip).  Drink that many every day.  Beat the package by adding non alcoholic options such as smoothies, specialty coffees, bottled water, soda.  Voila you did it!

And please change your font.

Thanks! for sharing.....great advise to put it by numbers 👍

 

Regarding the font, sorry.....the best I can do is size it up 😛 

[Dantorr]

On 7/1/2022 at 11:58 AM, Tree_skier said:

One of my strategies is asking for a bottle of water when you order a drink.  Over the course of the first few of days I like to load my cabin refrigerator with waters so that I have plenty for the entire week.  On port days I load up my rucksack with with waters for both myself and DW and we stay well hydrated during any tour/excursion we are on.  At $3 a bottle it really helps take a chunk out of the overall cost of the DBP.  Another strategy, if you like OJ, is to make sure you always order the fresh squeezed OJ from one of the servers in the Windjammer at breakfast.  If you are an OJ snob like me you will really appreciate the difference between what they serve to the masses vs. the good fresh squeezed stuff. The OJ is $5 a glass one of those each morning also help to get good value. My final strategy for getting value out of the package is... DON'T DRINK WINDJAMMER COFFEE!  Pick up a Latte or a Cappuccino in the morning before heading in to breakfast.  The two weakest parts of Royal's beverage game are their regular coffee and the previously mentioned OJ.  Stay away from them.

 

Welcome to cruise critic. 

 

 

Great wisdom!!!!!! Thanks!....I now that alcohol topics are "controversial", but you can't expect everyone to be on "frat" mode the hole cruise, that's why I create this topic....so the one that actually done it, manage to master it, can share how they do it........ 

Edited July 2, 2022 by Dantorr

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

"fresh" OJ and "fresh squeezed" OJ - Oh my, surely you jest!?!  There have been live cruise vlogs here with the quest to find "fresh squeezed" to the point of taking and posting pictures of both, searching throughout the ship and asking behind the scenes kitchen/beverage staff where it is, what kind of machine do they use, does it get squeezed by a machine or by hand.  The indignity of saying it is fresh squeezed when it is machine squeezed or pre-packaged.  Can't wait for those vlogs to start up again...

I’m so uneducated in all things orange…. I had no idea that this is a thing 

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

I’m so uneducated in all things orange…. I had no idea that this is a thing 

Once you have tried their fresh squeezed OJ. It is hard to go back to that yellow liquid they call OJ in the windjammer. 🙂 

[PhillyFan33579]

On 6/30/2022 at 6:22 PM, Dantorr said:

I know this has to be a burn out topic, some may say controversial......

 

Been a while since my last cruise, want to start this topic to share your strategies to conquer/get the best/squeeze the last penny of the UBP.

 

Please, don't be shy......share your wisdom 🤪

I could probable give you some ideas, but I can’t read your font so I have no idea what you are asking about. 

[vjmatty]

13 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Once you have tried their fresh squeezed OJ. It is hard to go back to that yellow liquid they call OJ in the windjammer. 🙂 

Oh I get that it’s better than the nasty WJ stuff, I just didn’t understand why the word “fresh” wasn’t sufficient. 

[Tree_skier]

2 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

Oh I get that it’s better than the nasty WJ stuff, I just didn’t understand why the word “fresh” wasn’t sufficient. 

It distinguishes between fresh from concentrate and fresh from an actual orange.

[vjmatty]

12 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

It distinguishes between fresh from concentrate and fresh from an actual orange.

Ah ok….in my world, concentrate would never be considered fresh. But I recognize that’s not the industry’s view. 

[karena1]

On 6/30/2022 at 6:32 PM, Dantorr said:

Thanks for the advise! just want for the people to share how they beat the DBP, get their money worth, squeeze every penny.....

We always get our money's worth.  If my beer is half empty and warm, I order a new one.  If husband's drink is watered down, get a new one.  If we try something we don't like, we get a new one. Plus with my husband's specialty coffees with Bailey's in the morning, water/soda and I have a couple Mimosa's, the package pays for itself before you know it.

 

[poocher]

2 hours ago, Dantorr said:

Thanks! for sharing.....great advise to put it by numbers 👍

 

Regarding the font, sorry.....the best I can do is size it up 😛 

When you click on reply to topic (or start a new one) you can click on font at the top.  PLEASE change it to something readable.  And since this fancy script is not the default setting, I’m guessing you know how to change it and choose not to.

[QueSeraSera]

2 hours ago, vjmatty said:

.in my world, concentrate would never be considered fresh. But I recognize that’s not the industry’s view. 

Actually this is also industry's view as required by the CFR (Code of Federal Regulations).  OJ from concentrate must be labeled "Orange Juice from Concentrate" .  However, I leave it to you to judge whether the spirit of the law is always faithfully followed:

 

[gottacruisemore]

On 7/1/2022 at 8:35 AM, LGW59 said:

Your font is very annoying and difficult to read here.  It’s a cruise question not a wedding invitation.

Hey, as a designer let me say, that font is in no way wedding appropriate! 🤣😂

Edited July 3, 2022 by gottacruisemore