Drink Package queries

[Daddyglove]

Just a quick question.

Does anyone know if the frozen fruity slushy drinks from Costa are included in the drinks package?

[swanseaboy]

From my recollection, the Costa frozen slushy drinks were excluded but best to double check onboard before buying the package!

 

[CaptainPedantic]

On 2/20/2023 at 10:26 PM, Daddyglove said:

Just a quick question.

Does anyone know if the frozen fruity slushy drinks from Costa are included in the drinks package?

Definitely worth checking before buying if this is your thing. The Ts & Cs aren't 100% clear as far as I can tell... Primo Costa coffees are included, but freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and milkshakes are excluded. Gut feeling is that they wouldn't fit within the included category...

[Cruisemeister2002]

Never had a drinks package and probably never will. Not that I have anything against those that do. But my wife and I (Sounds posh, but I'm not) aren't big drinkers. I am considering a wine package ( which incidentally contradicts what I have previously said) of 12 Bottles of Captains choice. For a forthcoming cruise. But rather than pre-book will decide when getting on board and seeing the prices of wine on the menu. If anyone has a copy of current prices would be grateful. When I say I wouldn't buy a drinks package it would be the one that's just under £40 per day. I will be taking the allowance of a 1 litre bottle of spirits onboard as will the wife. Our usual drinking habits would be a beer/G&T afternoon, maybe two if watching a football match, back to the cabin late afternoon and after a shower and in the process of getting dressed for the evening a G&T or Vodka and Tonic. Then to a bar about an hour before our evening meal and then either take a drink through to our table or a drink at the table with an occasional bottle of wine every few nights with our meal. From the MDR or speciality dining venue to the theatre show, then on most evenings back to our cabin. But occasionally if a cabaret artist we like we would go from the show to that venue. Sometimes having another drink, sometimes not.

[Dinglebert]

As I understand it I could book the drinks package onboard for same £39.95 as prior to cruise.  I also understand I can do this on day 1 or 2 and therefore would either be £280 or £240 (ignoring the pennies). 
 

Looking to check if firstly I am correct.  Secondly can I use my obc for the purchase?

 

if so and if I buy the package it seems a an easy and cheaper option to both use my obc.  My previous experiences on sail days given the time we would be onboard is that financially I would not be drinking £40 of alcohol. 

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, Dinglebert said:

My previous experiences on sail days given the time we would be onboard is that financially I would not be drinking £40 of alcohol. 

If you are not going to drink £40 of alcohol a day, don't buy the package. Just use your obc to pay for any drinks you have. 

 

[swanseaboy]

I normally buy the package on day 2. Once your obc is used up, your loyalty discount will apply to the remaining balance (if any). 

 

You can also have small Costa Coffees, Pepsi's, juices and water. A few coffees, a few Pepsi's, wine with dinner and a few cocktails and you're in credit 😉

Edited February 26, 2023 by swanseaboy

[Dinglebert]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

If you are not going to drink £40 of alcohol a day, don't buy the package. Just use your obc to pay for any drinks you have. 

 

It was only day 1 I absolutely know I wouldn’t 

[jeanlyon]

Unless you are a heavy drinker or do lots of soft drinks and coffes, that package is way too expensive. 

[Britboys]

Also have to take into account how many days in port and how much time you are likely to spend on the ship those days...

[CCFC]

Got off Azura yesterday, yes you can use OBC. With the price of the drinks onboard its quite easy to get your money back even on embarkation day.

[GemC]

I don't think you have to be a heavy drinker, bear in mind it is not just alcohol the drinks package covers,

i have worked out for myself if i have on a daily basis (which is not a lot)

2 beers

1cocktail

1 spirit

2 premium coffee

2 soft drink

1 bottle water 

it will cost somewhere in the region of £37. give or take a few pence.

so overall not to far off the drinks package price,

Add 1 extra drink of any kind to that and you will be at drinks package price. 🙂 

[Ardennais]

We could never justify having a drinks package. We had £200 OBC on Iona week before last and only spent £225 - and that included 6 x £2.50 room service delivery for breakfast and some ice cream in Ripples. Spending on drinks was around £180 for both of us for a week. 

[Happy afloat]

Also bear in mind that all occupants of the cabin have to sign up for the package.

Not worth it for us as the the wife doesn't drink enough.

[majortom10]

5 hours ago, GemC said:

I don't think you have to be a heavy drinker, bear in mind it is not just alcohol the drinks package covers,

i have worked out for myself if i have on a daily basis (which is not a lot)

2 beers

1cocktail

1 spirit

2 premium coffee

2 soft drink

1 bottle water 

it will cost somewhere in the region of £37. give or take a few pence.

so overall not to far off the drinks package price,

Add 1 extra drink of any kind to that and you will be at drinks package price. 🙂 

But will you drink that amount on port days where you are off the ship.

[CCFC]

Must admit we had £550 OBC for a seven day cruise so getting the Ultimate drinks package for two only cost me £10.

[oystercatching]

I’m on Britannia in July, solo traveller. I’m contemplating the drinks package for simplicity as I enjoy my Prosecco, my wine, my GnT, my cocktails and my coffees and juices! Pacing myself of course! After paying out for my cruise I don’t want to feel restricted in my enjoyment.

If I take the drinks package, is there any point in taking my allowed 1 litre of spirit on board? Why pay out and drink my own alcohol? What have I missed…….? 🙋‍♀️😎

[wowzz]

38 minutes ago, oystercatching said:

I’m on Britannia in July, solo traveller. I’m contemplating the drinks package for simplicity as I enjoy my Prosecco, my wine, my GnT, my cocktails and my coffees and juices! Pacing myself of course! After paying out for my cruise I don’t want to feel restricted in my enjoyment.

If I take the drinks package, is there any point in taking my allowed 1 litre of spirit on board? Why pay out and drink my own alcohol? What have I missed…….? 🙋‍♀️😎

Well, if you take a few tonics on board as well,  you can have a stiff G&T in your cabin, as opposed to the very weak drink you get in the bars.

[GemC]

18 hours ago, majortom10 said:

But will you drink that amount on port days where you are off the ship.

Quite possibly, 🙂

[JeanieC,Aston]

19 hours ago, majortom10 said:

But will you drink that amount on port days where you are off the ship.

Yes,,,this being ashore is a red herring,,,,,,most people may have one or two alcoholic drinks during the day or none.

Most people who go ashore are back on board for a late lunch unless they are on a 8 hr excursion.

The real drinking is of an evening.

My wife likes a Prosecco,,,at £6.25 she has x2 before dinner,x2 during dinner,x2 after dinner she is quids in with the DP without counting coffee or soft drinks.

[jeanlyon]

38 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Yes,,,this being ashore is a red herring,,,,,,most people may have one or two alcoholic drinks during the day or none.

Most people who go ashore are back on board for a late lunch unless they are on a 8 hr excursion.

The real drinking is of an evening.

My wife likes a Prosecco,,,at £6.25 she has x2 before dinner,x2 during dinner,x2 after dinner she is quids in with the DP without counting coffee or soft drinks.

is she still standing after those?  🤣

Edited February 27, 2023 by jeanlyon

[wowzz]

30 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

is she still standing after those?  🤣

Prosecco is hardly strong !

[JeanieC,Aston]

3 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

is she still standing after those?  🤣

Have you seen P&O drink measures?😏

Plus I’m sure some inexperienced bar staff on my Iona cruise two weeks age where using the 25ml spirit measure,they were the meanest glass of Prosecco I’ve ever been served.

[Guest ccpm]

 

17 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

is she still standing after those?  🤣

You can bet they will be Jean. P&O seem to have a contract to buy the weakest Prosecco going and the measure is very very small. On shore you would be sending it back and telling the bartender to get their glasses on.

[JeanieC,Aston]

9 minutes ago, ccpm said:

 

You can bet they will be Jean. P&O seem to have a contract to buy the weakest Prosecco going and the measure is very very small. On shore you would be sending it back and telling the bartender to get their glasses on.

The Prosecco they serve on P&O is called Canti….it’s £8 a bottle in the supermarkets.

Alcohol by volume=11%

The measure on P&O supposed to be 125ml.

I agree with you the measures are all over the place,,,depends on which bar server and which bar you go in.