Are drink packages “additive”?

[don731]

We’re considering a TATL repo cruise on QE in September 2023.  We’re old hand Cunard sailors dating back to QE2, but haven’t cruised with them since covid.  A question on the drink packages:  Does each price level include the previous package?  For example, does the coffee package include soft drinks?  Does the alcohol package include soft drinks and coffee?  Also, is there a happy hour in the bars each night?  We’re not huge drinkers, but do love a barista coffee a couple times per day, plus a soft drink at the pool.  Perhaps one or two basic cocktails before dinner (we don’t usually have wine at dinner).  On other lines, we’ve found that a combined coffee/soft drink package and happy hour cocktails was the best deal for us.  Thanks in advance!

[TheOldBear]

From my reading the coffee package does not include soft drinks - but the $70 / day package does.

 

I cannot consider any package a good value for us, based on purchases on our last several sailings.

[Host Hattie]

No Happy Hour 

[Bell Boy]

You are not huge drinkers  and don't drink wine in the evenings with a meal ?   I'm afraid you have already answered your own question.  It would be a ridiculous to pay $150 per day ( 2x $75) just to enjoy an occasional latte and pre dinner cocktail  or two.   

[Bell Boy]

58 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

From my reading the coffee package does not include soft drinks - but the $70 / day package does.

 

I cannot consider any package a good value for us, based on purchases on our last several sailings.

Just incase anyone is confused with my pricing in the above post re drinks package , $70 pre paid in advance  - $75 paid  once onboard . 

[don731]

10 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

You are not huge drinkers  and don't drink wine in the evenings with a meal ?   I'm afraid you have already answered your own question.  It would be a ridiculous to pay $150 per day ( 2x $75) just to enjoy an occasional latte and pre dinner cocktail  or two.   

Looks like even with our "max" combined consumption of coffee, soda, and alcohol, we would only approach half the cost of the top package.  Cheers!

[elmsliebev]

We had the premium alcohol free package last year which included coffees and soft drinks, and alcohol free cocktails/beer. It worked out well for us. There is usually a cocktail of the day that I think is slightly cheaper? 

[BigMac1953]

There used to be "drink of the day" which was not necessarily a cocktail, but that's as near to a happy hour as you got! However, they stopped it about 10 years ago.

[lissie]

On 4/9/2023 at 3:32 AM, don731 said:

Looks like even with our "max" combined consumption of coffee, soda, and alcohol, we would only approach half the cost of the top package.  Cheers!

We like lots of cocktails, and some coffee, don't drink pop. We drink wine with  dinner - we don't come near to 1/2 the price of the alcoholic package - just order what you drink and add it to your account. 

[exlondoner]

11 hours ago, lissie said:

We like lots of cocktails, and some coffee, don't drink pop. We drink wine with  dinner - we don't come near to 1/2 the price of the alcoholic package - just order what you drink and add it to your account. 

When, I first read the title, I misread additive as addictive. I think they might be, as I would feel I had to drink more to get my money’s worth. Never good.

[Wagtail adventures]

You need to be both consistently drinking quite a bit to get value out of $75 per person per day.  Assuming a beer is around $7 that would mean 10 pints of beer plus a couple of speciality coffees every single day in order for it to be better value than just purchasing as you go.  

 

If you are a wine, spirits or cocktail drinker then it may pay for itself sooner, but even so, you are going to be drinking many drinks every day in order to make it pay.

 

I think for Queen's Grill it would be even harder to derive value, as you get free alcohol provided in your suite anyway, as well as a full bottle of champagne upon boarding.

 

So bottom line is, how hard do you like to party? 😀

[neeuqdrazil]

There is both a 'Premium Soft Drinks' package, as well as separate Hot Beverages and Soft Drinks packages. The Premium Soft Drinks package, which is more than the combined other two, also includes non-alcoholic cocktails, small bottled waters, and more soft drink options (the soft drinks package only includes draught soft drinks, but they do also have bottled soft drinks, which may be included in the premium package?) 

 

You could do both the Hot Beverages and Soft Drinks packages for a combined $22.50/day per person, or the Premium Soft Drinks package for $30/day/person, both of which would be significantly more cost effective than the $70/day/person alcoholic option.(Prices and details sourced here: https://www.cunard.com/en-us/activity-types/bars-and-lounges/a-world-of-drinks) 

[D&N]

6 hours ago, Wagtail adventures said:

You need to be both consistently drinking quite a bit to get value out of $75 per person per day.  Assuming a beer is around $7 that would mean 10 pints of beer plus a couple of speciality coffees every single day in order for it to be better value than just purchasing as you go.  

 

If you are a wine, spirits or cocktail drinker then it may pay for itself sooner, but even so, you are going to be drinking many drinks every day in order to make it pay.

 

I think for Queen's Grill it would be even harder to derive value, as you get free alcohol provided in your suite anyway, as well as a full bottle of champagne upon boarding.

 

So bottom line is, how hard do you like to party? 😀

I agree that it doesn't seem a good option for beer drinkers, but you appear to be making a common mistake in the calculation. 10 x $7 = $70 + perhaps 2 x $3.50 for coffees = $77 plus 15% service charge, so what you describe would cost $88.55.

We never drink beer. Still and sparkling wines, Aperol Spritz, Grand Marnier, bottled water, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We saved about 20% at 6 to 8 alcoholic drinks per day.

We only had large wine measures once. It's very nice of waiters to find a way of getting round the restrictions but we prefer to have small measures to keep better track of our consumption.

[Wagtail adventures]

1 minute ago, D&N said:

I agree that it doesn't seem a good option for beer drinkers, but you appear to be making a common mistake in the calculation. 10 x $7 = $70 + perhaps 2 x $3.50 for coffees = $77 plus 15% service charge, so what you describe would cost $88.55.

We never drink beer. Still and sparkling wines, Aperol Spritz, Grand Marnier, bottled water, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We saved about 20% at 6 to 8 alcoholic drinks per day.

We only had large wine measures once. It's very nice of waiters to find a way of getting round the restrictions but we prefer to have small measures to keep better track of our consumption.

Ah sorry, that has confused me.  On my QM2 voyage in December where I didn't have a drinks package, whenever I was given the receipt/bill at the bar there was an optional line for a gratuity (at my discretion, not 15%) - I assumed this would have been the same for everyone, drinks package or not.  

[D&N]

Just now, Wagtail adventures said:

Ah sorry, that has confused me.  On my QM2 voyage in December where I didn't have a drinks package, whenever I was given the receipt/bill at the bar there was an optional line for a gratuity (at my discretion, not 15%) - I assumed this would have been the same for everyone, drinks package or not.  

Since we were on a package I've never had one of those receipts, but you were being charged the 15% automatically on your bill. If you chose to give a discretionary gratuity that would have been on top of the 15%.

[Wagtail adventures]

1 minute ago, D&N said:

Since we were on a package I've never had one of those receipts, but you were being charged the 15% automatically on your bill. If you chose to give a discretionary gratuity that would have been on top of the 15%.

OK, thanks, understood!  Looks like the servers did well out of me!