QM2 Drinks - advice needed

[IAH]

Hello 

 

First time cruiser here! Hoping to learn from some of your wisdom... Two of us in a cabin, we will both drink quite a bit, (probably a couple of cocktails a day, wine with dinner, and a couple of beers on tap, and a night cap or two..) we are wondering whether it is worth getting the drinks package (all inclusive $70 pp one). I am fairly confident we will probably average about that per day (i expect some days we will have an earlier night etc) but what is people's experience with the $12 drinks limit? Is the reality that we will only have a few drinks to choose from?

 

Grateful for any thoughts and experiences!!

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by IAH

[naturelovergirl]

I'll start by saying that we purchase our drinks and do not do the drinks package. It is much better for us to pay as we go. It goes on our account. Easy peasy.

 

Know that unlike some other lines which allow you to pay the "difference" between drinks if your drink is of a higher cost, Cunard is not that way. You will pay the full price (on top of the drinks package you have already purchased) minus a small percentage off.

 

Some people like it because the gratuity is included in the package.

Other people are just fine staying under the $12 limit.

 

If you like wine, you will definitely be limited to what you are drinking, for sure. Some people instead prefer to get a wine collection of bottles for their meals.

 

Again for us, I would rather just order what I want.

[IAH]

Thank you @naturelovergirl! Can you explain the wines package with dinner please? I can't see anything about this online.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by IAH

[naturelovergirl]

Yes-

If you google "Cunard Wine Collections" a pdf should pop up for you.

Basically you can choose 6 or 12 bottles from either the "Captain's Collection" or the "Commodore's Collection" for your voyage.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Our first time on Cunard, we budgeted $100/day for drinks. After that we realized how much more relaxed we could be with the drinks package. Truth is that we just about break even on it, but not having to think about each drink us much more pleasant for us.

 

The package covers PLENTY of ground, and bartenders are great about working it out so that even slightly over-limit drinks can come in under what is now (I believe) the $13 limit. The package is a luxury, yes, but one we are happy to splurge on so we can turn off all the mental gymnastics we usually do when considering large purchases and small.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Oh, one more note: the QM2 has a specialty chocolate drinks bar (I’m sure someone will add the name) that makes the package even more worthwhile. I was disappointed at not finding it on the Queen Elizabeth.

[3rdGenCunarder]

22 minutes ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

Oh, one more note: the QM2 has a specialty chocolate drinks bar (I’m sure someone will add the name) that makes the package even more worthwhile. I was disappointed at not finding it on the Queen Elizabeth.

 

It was (is?) part of Sir Samuel's, but I'm not sure it's still there. Last fall, the turndown chocolates were not Godiva, and the display case of chocolates to buy had only one variety in it. Could have been supply issues, but I got the impression the connection with Godiva was on the way out. I looked online, and I can't find mention of Sir Samuels or the Godiva part of it anywhere. 

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

2 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

It was (is?) part of Sir Samuel's, but I'm not sure it's still there. Last fall, the turndown chocolates were not Godiva, and the display case of chocolates to buy had only one variety in it. Could have been supply issues, but I got the impression the connection with Godiva was on the way out. I looked online, and I can't find mention of Sir Samuels or the Godiva part of it anywhere. 

Oh no!! I’m sure we will be able to drown our chocolate sorrows elsewhere, but boo!

[IB2]

No.

[Joe33472]

5 hours ago, IAH said:

Hello 

 

First time cruiser here! Hoping to learn from some of your wisdom... Two of us in a cabin, we will both drink quite a bit, (probably a couple of cocktails a day, wine with dinner, and a couple of beers on tap, and a night cap or two..) we are wondering whether it is worth getting the drinks package (all inclusive $70 pp one). I am fairly confident we will probably average about that per day (i expect some days we will have an earlier night etc) but what is people's experience with the $12 drinks limit? Is the reality that we will only have a few drinks to choose from?

 

Grateful for any thoughts and experiences!!

 

 

 

From the sounds of your post, it sounds like the package would be good for you.   As other have mentioned, certain hot beverages are included, as well as the premium soft drinks package.  My OH drinks very little alcohol (can't imagine her having more than one cocktail a day), but she loves soft drinks, hot chocolates, coffee drinks, and teas.  She'll definitely drink her way past $70 per day.  No problem there.   

 

Me on the other hand, I was a little concerned that there wouldn't be some wine choices at meals (which is what I primarily drink).   But I see some things on the menu that are definitely in the price range of the package.  I'm not sure if this is helpful in your decision process, but I found this last week in another post here.  It appears to be a current (or somewhat current) bar menu with prices.   

 

https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qv/qv_main_bar_menu_aug_2022a.pdf

 

I'm still a little confused about the gratitude and the package, but I think that including the tip that the drink can't be more than $13.  So, $13.00 / 1.15 = $11.30 maximum price.    Plenty to drink on the link above less than that amount, albeit just a couple of red wine choices.  

 

[naturelovergirl]

Here is the Commodore Club menu online right now

Quite excellent drinks

 

https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qm/qm_commodore_club_menu_aug_2022a.pdf

 

[D&N]

1 hour ago, Joe33472 said:

I'm still a little confused about the gratitude and the package, but I think that including the tip that the drink can't be more than $13.  So, $13.00 / 1.15 = $11.30 maximum price.    Plenty to drink on the link above less than that amount, albeit just a couple of red wine choices.  

The maximum list price per drink is $13. The 15% gratuity is not charged when you have the drinks package.

When we travelled the limit was $12 per drink and the package was $69. We had between 6 and 8 alcoholic drinks each per day. Taking into account Illy coffee, Forte tea, hot chocolate and bottles or cans of water in restaurants and bars we estimate our saving for 2 people was about $500 over 14 nights.

 

For us the big problem is a lack of choice on the list of wines by the glass. Therefore there were 3 meat meals where I wasn't prepared to drink plonk and ordered wines at around $70+15% less the 20% discount from the package.

 

Most of the wines that we would consider drinking on their list under $13 per glass are the sort of wine we pour from boxes to drink daily at home. There are no whites or rosés that we would choose to drink with a gourmet meal and the Rioja Reserva is the only red. At the time we travelled I don't think the Rioja was within the limit. We also found that many of the whites and rosés that we were happy to drink with a lunchtime salad or while dancing through the evening would run out of stock.

 

The main list has a good choice of reds and whites that we would happily order. The choice of Provence Rosé is very poor but we get plenty of them here so happy to do without for a couple of weeks.

 

[Joe33472]

7 minutes ago, D&N said:

The maximum list price per drink is $13. The 15% gratuity is not charged when you have the drinks package.

 

Thank you for this!  I clearly didn't understand how the gratuity works with the drink package.   This is great to know.  It might open up some other drinks options.   $13 is better than $11.   I wish they charged the difference above $13 and a gratuity on that.  

 

7 minutes ago, D&N said:

For us the big problem is a lack of choice on the list of wines by the glass. Therefore there were 3 meat meals where I wasn't prepared to drink plonk and ordered wines at around $70+15% less the 20% discount from the package.

 

I was actually surprised that there were not more choices for wines by the glass.   And the uninspiring choices of red wines (which I mostly drink).  Should be interesting.  Although I could probably drink a whole bottle wine at dinner, it's probably not the best idea for a variety of reasons!

 

Thanks again for the info regarding the gratuities. 

[lissie]

2 hours ago, naturelovergirl said:

Here is the Commodore Club menu online right now

Quite excellent drinks

 

https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qm/qm_commodore_club_menu_aug_2022a.pdf

 

Exactly this. We love cocktails and we love the commodore club  special cocktails and the perfect pour gins in the midships bar. None of these are under $12 . 

 

We also like wine and its a very limited selection to be had by the glass - we buy by the bottle (they will keep the bottle if you dont finish it).

 

For night caps - my partner brings his own whiskey on board. We also bring our own wines on board to either drink in our stateroom or pay the $25 corkage to drink in the restaurant. 

 

We don't get the package its too restrictive. If he drank as much coffee as I do we'd buy the coffee only option. 

[LittleFish1976]

I took the drinks package for the first time recently on QE. I was on board for 11 nights. I'm not normally a big drinker but found it quite easy to get through 3 cocktails in a day as well as a mocktail or two, a glass of wine with dinner as well as a dessert wine. Add to that the bottled water with meals and the odd coffee or soft drink or juice in one of the bars or lounges and it is not terribly difficult to reach the threshold of $60 drinks cost in a day. I use the figure of $60 as that is the net amount of the breakeven point (roughly). When you add on the gratuity of 15% it takes you up to the daily cost of the package (as I said, roughly).

 

I'm very fussy about what I drink and found the choice of wines by the glass to be adequate - even enjoyable. I was very disapointed that they were out of stock of the English sparkling which I had been looking forward to trying as none of the French champages fall within the package. I don't drink prosecco.

 

I enjoyed having the package and would probably do so again as long as my voyage wasn't longer than a week due to the fact that I don't normally drink much at all and I wouldn't want to do that for longer than a week or so!

[GeorgianGal100]

It's such a shame that Cunard don't offer the ability to purchase two different drinks packages per stateroom, I assume because people may abuse the system by ordering for each other?  Do other cruise lines allow you to do this?  I'm travelling to the Fjords in July with my 18 year old daughter, I would have seriously considered the beers, wines and spirits package for myself and chosen the premium soft drinks option for my daughter who doesn't drink alcohol.  As we both have to purchase the same package it just wouldn't be cost effective and we will therefore pay as we go.

Another thought about working out whether the package is worth it, is that if the trip is port intensive you may not spend a lot of time on the ship and have to play catch up in the evenings (or have several Bloody Mary's at breakfast then sober up with speciality coffees before heading out)!

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, GeorgianGal100 said:

It's such a shame that Cunard don't offer the ability to purchase two different drinks packages per stateroom, I assume because people may abuse the system by ordering for each other?  Do other cruise lines allow you to do this?  I'm travelling to the Fjords in July with my 18 year old daughter, I would have seriously considered the beers, wines and spirits package for myself and chosen the premium soft drinks option for my daughter who doesn't drink alcohol.  As we both have to purchase the same package it just wouldn't be cost effective and we will therefore pay as we go.

Another thought about working out whether the package is worth it, is that if the trip is port intensive you may not spend a lot of time on the ship and have to play catch up in the evenings (or have several Bloody Mary's at breakfast then sober up with speciality coffees before heading out)!

It might be worth asking nicely about the packages when you get on board. I seem to remember reading about a case where leniency (or common sense) had been applied in this matter.

[GeorgianGal100]

51 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

It might be worth asking nicely about the packages when you get on board. I seem to remember reading about a case where leniency (or common sense) had been applied in this matter.

Thank you, yes I think I read the same post.  It does mean though that the price goes up when booking on board but I will certainly bear that in mind.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

1 hour ago, GeorgianGal100 said:

Thank you, yes I think I read the same post.  It does mean though that the price goes up when booking on board but I will certainly bear that in mind.

I’m not aware of a price difference on board. True?

[GeorgianGal100]

8 minutes ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

I’m not aware of a price difference on board. True?

I was meaning if you booked the drinks package before starting your cruise, which I would prefer to do for budgeting's sake, it was cheaper per day than waiting and booking on board. For instance $70 before boarding or $75 when on board.  I'm unable to book two different packages before boarding but as exlondoner kindly advised I may be able to request this on board if they see that although my daughter is 18 and now classed as an adult, she's not, hopefully, going to have much need of the alcoholic drinks package.

[exlondoner]

10 minutes ago, GeorgianGal100 said:

I was meaning if you booked the drinks package before starting your cruise, which I would prefer to do for budgeting's sake, it was cheaper per day than waiting and booking on board. For instance $70 before boarding or $75 when on board.  I'm unable to book two different packages before boarding but as exlondoner kindly advised I may be able to request this on board if they see that although my daughter is 18 and now classed as an adult, she's not, hopefully, going to have much need of the alcoholic drinks package.

I can’t find the extra cost for booking onboard anywhere. Booking on board can use up your obc nicely.

[GeorgianGal100]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

I can’t find the extra cost for booking onboard anywhere. Booking on board can use up your obc nicely.

I may be misreading this and will be a little embarrassed, but I found this on their website for booking packages. 

 

Beers, wines and spirits.

Beers, wines, and spirits. 
$70 per person, per day inclusive of 15% service charge 
(On board price is $75 per person, per day, inclusive of 15% service charge) 

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Well, that’s new! And not happy-making as we have $600 in OBC we’re not going to use for anything else.

[exlondoner]

44 minutes ago, GeorgianGal100 said:

I may be misreading this and will be a little embarrassed, but I found this on their website for booking packages. 

 

Beers, wines and spirits.

Beers, wines, and spirits. 
$70 per person, per day inclusive of 15% service charge 
(On board price is $75 per person, per day, inclusive of 15% service charge) 

Hmph. I’m sure you are right. I looked on the VP and the FAQs, where the price is wrong anyway, and neither of them disclose this gem.

[Host Hattie]

3 minutes ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

Well, that’s new! And not happy-making as we have $600 in OBC we’re not going to use for anything else.

There's no need to use your OBC on the drink package, just pay as you go & the price will come off your OBC as you use it up.