Drink Package Doctor's Note

[RandomUser123]

I see different stories about this. If my wife were to obtain a doctor's note indicating she cannot drink alcohol then can I just purchase the drink package for myself? I have seen some say yes and others say no. Without going into detail she is in a position based on her medical history where she could get one. 

[brillohead]

The note isn't necessary at all.

You'll just have to call and get the drink package for you and the Refreshment package for her.  

 

[Jkaczanowski]

I don’t drink. No medical reason, I just don’t.  No problem calling and getting deluxe for DH and refreshment for me. Agent asked why and I said I haven’t drank in 20 years.  It took him some time with me on hold but it wasn’t a problem. 

[wallyj]

4 hours ago, RandomUser123 said:

I see different stories about this. If my wife were to obtain a doctor's note indicating she cannot drink alcohol then can I just purchase the drink package for myself? I have seen some say yes and others say no. Without going into detail she is in a position based on her medical history where she could get one. 

Are you also implying, since your wife does not / can not drink alcohol, can you buy just the drink/alcohol package for yourself and your wife does not have to purchase any drink package?

 

I believe Royal’s policy is the ‘other’ passenger has to purchase the ‘refreshment’ package, so do the math if the cost of the adult package and the refreshment package per day will be less than if you just purchased your drinks ala carte.

[twangster]

You have to call in, you can't do it online. 

 

If you reach an agent that flat out refuses thank them and call back.  As others have stated the non-drinker adult in the same cabin will have to purchase the refreshment package.  

[leisuretraveler223]

9 hours ago, RandomUser123 said:

I see different stories about this. If my wife were to obtain a doctor's note indicating she cannot drink alcohol then can I just purchase the drink package for myself? I have seen some say yes and others say no. Without going into detail she is in a position based on her medical history where she could get one. 

 

After the complete documentation BS of the last two years, if someone comes at a doctor saying "write me a note so I don't have to buy a beverage package on a cruise", they're hopefully going to laugh at them and walk away, or straight faced tell them it's going to be $100.

 

Stop bringing the medical community in to cover every angle of BS there is.  Doctors are writing notes so people going to the islands don't have to get a Covid test because they were positive on an AT-HOME test the doctor never saw a month ago (how the Hell are they part of that equation?).  They're writing notes so kids who were out of school for A DAY and they never saw they can return to school.

 

The cruise line can't MAKE you purchase anything. And if they try to, find a more reasonable tool to oppose it than "I'm going to get a doctors note!".

 

Either that, or it's $100 per note.  Easy enough.

[blueslily]

11 minutes ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

After the complete documentation BS of the last two years, if someone comes at a doctor saying "write me a note so I don't have to buy a beverage package on a cruise", they're hopefully going to laugh at them and walk away, or straight faced tell them it's going to be $100.

 

Stop bringing the medical community in to cover every angle of BS there is.  Doctors are writing notes so people going to the islands don't have to get a Covid test because they were positive on an AT-HOME test the doctor never saw a month ago (how the Hell are they part of that equation?).  They're writing notes so kids who were out of school for A DAY and they never saw they can return to school.

 

The cruise line can't MAKE you purchase anything. And if they try to, find a more reasonable tool to oppose it than "I'm going to get a doctors note!".

 

Either that, or it's $100 per note.  Easy enough.

 

Thank you. Working in the medical field during all this COVID stuff has been quite an adventure.

Edited September 4, 2022 by blueslily
Fixed my spelling error

[leisuretraveler223]

3 minutes ago, blueslily said:

 

Than you. Working in the medical field during all this COVID stuff has been quite an adventure. 

 

No kidding, tell me about it!  The proliferation of BS has been staggering.

[Joseph2017China]

The reason both people need to get a drink package was theft.  The cruise lines finally gave up, and changed rules.  Very simple.  

 

A person needs to drink 5 drinks or 8 beers to break even per day.  If you get a refreshment package, than break even is 8 drinks or 12 beers.  Soda and water is nearly free for the cruise, like maybe a cost of $0.25 per drink or less.  

 

The object is to make money and cut out theft.

 

My wife "should not" drink for medical reasons, but the idea that you "can not drink" for medical reasons is absurd.  All doctors tell you you should not drink.  It can be for medical reason, or just because it is bad for you.  

 

If you wife/husband or someone else should not, can not, or has no desire to drink, they they should not drink coffee or soda either.  That includes sweet tea, or any drink that is sweet.  

 

Stop trying to get around using excuses for not paying the enormous prices of a drink package.  If one person does not want to, the just buy drinks as you go.  That is the way you do it other places, off the ship, so do it on the ship.  Don't ask a doctor for a note, or make up excuses. They heard them all.  

[ggo85]

Actually, there are some people can’t don’t drink for medical reasons, usually based on medication they take.  And some people who just don’t drink alcohol for religious or personal reasons.  My DH doesn’t drink anything other than water and decaf coffee. No specialty coffee. No soda.  No sports drinks.  No iced tea.  Alcohol creates havoc with medicine he is required to take daily (or he will die). He chooses not not drink the other stuff.  
 

There are cheaters and I have no patience for that.  However, there are also people who aren’t going to use any of the packages while their traveling companion will —  and is willing to pay to do so.  The compromise seems to be requiring the refreshments package, even though it might be a waste of money.  In that case, it’s probably cheaper for the one who drinks alcohol to buy by the drink.  

[Joseph2017China]

5 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

Actually, there are some people can’t don’t drink for medical reasons, usually based on medication they take.  And some people who just don’t drink alcohol for religious or personal reasons.  My DH doesn’t drink anything other than water and decaf coffee. No specialty coffee. No soda.  No sports drinks.  No iced tea.  Alcohol creates havoc with medicine he is required to take daily (or he will die). He chooses not not drink the other stuff.  
 

There are cheaters and I have no patience for that.  However, there are also people who aren’t going to use any of the packages while their traveling companion will —  and is willing to pay to do so.  The compromise seems to be requiring the refreshments package, even though it might be a waste of money.  In that case, it’s probably cheaper for the one who drinks alcohol to buy by the drink.  

My wife takes 12 different medicines all of which should not be used with booze.  Without the medicine, my wife will die.  She will still have an occasional drink.  She will also on occasion have soda, and other drinks.  She is not dead yet.  LIKE I SAID, most doctors will tell you not to drink, and most medicines will tell you not to drink because it will protect them legally.  I'm no doctor, but as I SAID, the no drinking for medical reasons is absurd excuse for getting a doctors note.  The poster just can buy as they go, and don't need a package.  That is why you don't need a package, the choice you must do, in order to protect yourself for perceived dangers.  

 

If one person has a religious reason, great for them, their spouse needs to also respect that and not drink either.  

 

Drink package is an option, and finding excuses for others to get it, is absurd, and should not involve your church, doctor, or herbal healer to write you a note.  Which is what the poster wanted to get around it.  

 

So for any person that does not want, will not, will die doing so, or just hates the taste, than you don't get a package and drink like you do everyplace else you go, one drink at a time and pay for it

 

[ggo85]

The point I am making is that there are many people who will never share their drink package with their spouse / traveling companion because that person doesn’t drink alcohol, soda, etc. We were recently on Silversea - all-inclusive for drinks. My DH had zero alcohol, soda, specialty coffee, etc.  He just doesn’t drink the stuff. 

 

 I know there are cheaters and accept the current requirements for what they are.  But don’t assume everyone is trying to cheat.  

[alex_drew]

To the OP...you do NOT need a Dr's note.  My husband doesn't drink.  I do.  I call.  I tell them that I want to buy the DX pkg, that my husband doesn't drink because of medication he is on and that my understanding is that my husband will then be required to buy the Refreshment pkg.  I have never had any kind of issue. No one has ever asked for any kind of documentation. 

 

Husband doesn't drink sodas, but he does like the bottled water and, because he has the pkg, he enjoys the  freshly squeezed OJ and he will occasionally get a specialty coffee.  That's it.  Don't worry about needing any kind of Dr's note...totally not necessary.  Enjoy your cruise.

[brillohead]

12 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

Soda and water is nearly free for the cruise, like maybe a cost of $0.25 per drink or less.  

I do get so tired of people posting inaccurate information here.

Folks, don't believe this for a minute.

[wallyj]

15 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

 

  Soda and water is nearly free for the cruise, like maybe a cost of $0.25 per drink or less.  

 

 

3 hours ago, brillohead said:

I do get so tired of people posting inaccurate information here.

Folks, don't believe this for a minute.

My first guess is @Joseph2017China, meant ‘free for the Cruiseline’ in terms of the cost to stock these items? I have heard many times for fountain soda, the cost is ‘pennies’ per serving?

[leisuretraveler223]

5 hours ago, brillohead said:

I do get so tired of people posting inaccurate information here.
 

 

Then you must be perpetually absolutely EXHAUSTED!  If there is ONE thing you can count on here, it's people posting complete and utter garbage.

[Joseph2017China]

5 hours ago, wallyj said:

 

My first guess is @Joseph2017China, meant ‘free for the Cruiseline’ in terms of the cost to stock these items? I have heard many times for fountain soda, the cost is ‘pennies’ per serving?

Yes, nearly free for the cruise line.  A soda fountain drink costs approximatel7y $.05 depending on the contract they have.  The cup and supplies in a restaurant will add another small amount. Soda for restaurants is one of the biggest mark up and profit items.  Coffee and Ice Tea are also extremely cheap to produce with  big mark-ups.  

[Joseph2017China]

9 hours ago, brillohead said:

I do get so tired of people posting inaccurate information here.

Folks, don't believe this for a minute.

Just so you know, a cup of soda cost about $.05 plus maybe $0.25 for a paper cup (which the cruise line does not use) and the price you pay for a cup of soda now is over $2.00.  I forget the exact price, but the wholesale price is extremely low and the price the cruise line and all restaurants is high in comparison. What is inaccurate? 

[brillohead]

5 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

What is inaccurate? 

This thread is about people paying for drinks, not about what Royal pays for drinks.  

So making it sound like it will only cost a quarter per soda on board is inaccurate. 

 

If you want to discuss profit centers, that's not the point of this thread.

[angelhelly]

This is what I've learn from my experience 

 

1) You do not need a note to have one passenger have the deluxe package and the other one refreshment package.  You just need to call. However, the person I talked to said if I could not drink sugary drinks, I could have a note from the doctor to avoid having a package altogether. I like bottle water and my espresso's way to much so I'm good with the refreshment package.

 

2) I can not drink alcohol. My body just wont take it (wont get into details why). Geez, I have aged balsamic vinegar in a salad and the  alcohol content of it is enough to make me paranoid drunk, pass out for the evening and wake up with a terrible hangover the next day. It is a big issue for me in Cruises and AI, especially with desserts. And yes, I have a doctor note about it. I just ask my doctor every year at my physical to renew my note.

 

So yeah, medical reasons do exists. 

 

 

 

[fenton04]

My first job out of college was a chemist for a biochemical company.  One day boss came with a paper.  He said "make this from start to finish we are putting this in our catalog".  When I completed the project he brought me a document. In chemistry you write down all your steps.  If something happens to you then another chemist can make the product.  Now its been close to 50 years since I produced the product.  But I remember that the document had spaces for how long I spent on it,  how much did the starting material and chemicals cost,  then I was supposed to multiply it by some ungodly high number to determine the cost of the product.  I asked what is this ungodly number.?  My boss said that it includes water, electricity, and equipment. etc etc.  So that .25 cent cost of a soft drink is misleading.

Just sayin....

[Airbear232]

22 hours ago, brillohead said:

This thread is about people paying for drinks, not about what Royal pays for drinks.  

So making it sound like it will only cost a quarter per soda on board is inaccurate. 

 

If you want to discuss profit centers, that's not the point of this thread.

My gosh, everyone sounds stressed - we all need a cruise!

[Jerseygirl2624]

2 hours ago, Airbear232 said:

My gosh, everyone sounds stressed - we all need a cruise!

And a drink 🥃.

😂😊

[ALKID]

2 hours ago, fenton04 said:

My first job out of college was a chemist for a biochemical company.  One day boss came with a paper.  He said "make this from start to finish we are putting this in our catalog".  When I completed the project he brought me a document. In chemistry you write down all your steps.  If something happens to you then another chemist can make the product.  Now its been close to 50 years since I produced the product.  But I remember that the document had spaces for how long I spent on it,  how much did the starting material and chemicals cost,  then I was supposed to multiply it by some ungodly high number to determine the cost of the product.  I asked what is this ungodly number.?  My boss said that it includes water, electricity, and equipment. etc etc.  So that .25 cent cost of a soft drink is misleading.

Just sayin....

And how does this relate to doctors notes on cruise ships?

[fenton04]

No mention of Doctor excuse.  Just commenting on the statement of tHe 25 cent soft drink.  I offer equal time to opposing viewpoints.