Drinks Package Query

[Riggy84]

Hi all,

 

I did a quick search on this topic and couldn't see my exact query. Hope i'm not repeating something already mentioned!

I'm travelling in august with my 2 kids (13 and 6) and have just gone to book myself a drinks package and it won't proceed without adding a package for the kids too (as in the book now button is greyed out until i select a package for all of us). I know it says both adults must have the same package, but i'm the only adult in my cabin, and it says nothing about if one person in the cabin buys a package then so must everyone else. My kids aren't big soft drinks people, so paying $140 for them is out of the question!

I'm sure when i booked a few months ago and was considering my options, it let me proceed with just my package and nothing selected for the kids. Have things changed or am i doing something wrong? 

I understand i can just book this onboard too, but i want to get everything sorted beforehand if i can, and also i hear the price goes up (does anyone know how much by?)

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[alibabacruisers]

You may want to call and book by phone and they can answer questions you may have as well.

[GeorgianGal100]

Soft Drinks Option

US$10 per person, per day, inclusive of 15% service charge. 
(On board price is US$12 per person, per day, inclusive of 15% service charge) 

Unlimited draught soft drinks, selected fruit juices, squash and cordials.

 

Here's the link for the page...

https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/activity-types/bars-and-lounges/a-world-of-drinks

 

Hope this helps.

[Host Hattie]

Which package are you trying to buy for yourself? The rules are different for each package, for instance for the Soft Drinks package -

• The Soft Drinks Option is charged per person, per day. 
• Each guest assigned to the same stateroom, with the exception of infants aged 3 years and under, must purchase the same Drinks Option. Sharing is not permitted.

[Riggy84]

10 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Which package are you trying to buy for yourself? The rules are different for each package, for instance for the Soft Drinks package -

• The Soft Drinks Option is charged per person, per day. 
• Each guest assigned to the same stateroom, with the exception of infants aged 3 years and under, must purchase the same Drinks Option. Sharing is not permitted.

just the soft drinks package. But I even tried the alcohol package (would get more of my moneys worth having one alcoholic drink a day than I would paying for 2 kids to just drink water!) and that also wouldn’t let me proceed until I chose a package for my kids. 
surely I can’t be the only person cruising who has kids who don’t drink fizzy drinks?

[Riggy84]

Example 

 

and this is all that is said and on the booking page (nothing about people should be on the same soft drinks package)

[Winifred 22]

Unfortunately I think it will be the case that you would need to all buy the package . I don’t think there is much flex on this. 

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by Winifred 22

[Riggy84]

Wine… 🤮

I planned to PAYG a cocktail or 2 of the evening but was really after a soft drinks package for the daytime (I have a fizzy drink addiction🙈) and if my eldest wanted a lemonade or mocktail with her dinner I would happily pay that. I’m not one of these people who’s going to sneak a drink to her on my package, it’s really not worth the hassle!

But if they insist on making me buy 3 soft drink packages then I will refuse and just stick to water for the duration of the cruise and not put any money their way. They shouldn’t force everyone to buy a drinks package. And I’m not made of money so $210 will be money down the drain for me. 

[Pear Carr]

$75 rather than $70 if booked on board - I imagine you will have no problem sorting out your requirements on board as there will be staff selling the packages on embarkation. There are soft (none fizzy) drinks available all day in the buffet which can be taken out to pool area. You can also carry on whatever drinks you like for consumption in cabin which has a fridge. 

[Riggy84]

1 hour ago, Pear Carr said:

$75 rather than $70 if booked on board - I imagine you will have no problem sorting out your requirements on board as there will be staff selling the packages on embarkation. There are soft (none fizzy) drinks available all day in the buffet which can be taken out to pool area. You can also carry on whatever drinks you like for consumption in cabin which has a fridge. 

Thank you. I don’t mind losing a few dollars if I have to wait to book it onboard. I have sent an email to my TA to see if there’s anything I can do. If not I will wait until I board 🙂

[Host Hattie]

There's no need to buy a package at all if the terms and conditions don't suit you, just pay as you go.

[Riggy84]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

There's no need to buy a package at all if the terms and conditions don't suit you, just pay as you go.

I thought about that but considering the price for just a soft drink I would rather not worry about how many I’m buying 😃

ive already decided to do that with alcohol because I know I will never drink $70 worth of alcohol a day and live to tell the tale 😂

[Pushpit]

You probably would get a better outcome onboard, where they will better understand your family group. If you were on the $70 wine package and they were on nothing then that would be OK. The thing they are slightly paranoid about is someone (in a couple) in a stateroom paying the alcohol package, the other person going on the soft drinks package, while saying "I only have a glass of wine at dinner, that won't matter really?". Clearly it does, but if the person definitely is teetotal - perhaps for medical reasons - then onboard they will allow mixing of packages. Your scenario is different to say the least, but there would still be the concern about sharing packages. 

 

I don't drink alcohol, and mainly drink water, and though I've played around with Soft Drinks and the Coffee packages, it's actually difficult to make them worthwhile, particularly if you make up your own coffee in the stateroom.  If you are off ship at ports then that further reduces the opportunity to get value, but even on a Crossing I've struggled to make these packages viable, they are priced just above the point where they would be a steal (unsurprisingly). So I'm usually pay-as-you-go. You can use the onboard Cunard app to monitor spend.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Pushpit

[Winifred 22]

Another factor to consider is that premium soft drinks are excluded you can’t have branded cans or bottles just the fountain styles ones from the bar. 

[Riggy84]

16 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

Another factor to consider is that premium soft drinks are excluded you can’t have branded cans or bottles just the fountain styles ones from the bar. 

I’m ok with that. As long as it’s fizzy and zero sugar I can get my fix!

[BigMac1953]

Can't you just pack a couple of dozen tins of your favourites? and if stopping at ports top up as required.

[Riggy84]

3 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

Can't you just pack a couple of dozen tins of your favourites? and if stopping at ports top up as required.

That’s an idea… but am I right in thinking they only allow you to drink it in your cabin? I don’t plan to spend much time there! Knowing my kids we will spend most of the time in one of the restaurants and some of the time by the pool

[BigMac1953]

3 hours ago, Riggy84 said:

That’s an idea… but am I right in thinking they only allow you to drink it in your cabin?

 

If, as you say, it's just a daily fix, then nobody will bat an eyelid if you pour a glass and take it with you.

[Riggy84]

Just now, BigMac1953 said:

 

If, as you say, it's just a daily fix, then nobody will bat an eyelid if you pour a glass and take it with you.

I’m not saying that in the past I’ve taken a hip flask of vodka in my evening bag at all… if anyone rats me out I will deny it ok??? 
 

👀

[Jack E Dawson]

Riggy84, have you spoken to Cunard directly about this?

 

Jack

[Riggy84]

Just now, Jack E Dawson said:

Riggy84, have you spoken to Cunard directly about this?

 

Jack

Not yet. I booked with a TA so waiting to hear back from them first before I do anything else. 

[Winifred 22]

4 minutes ago, Riggy84 said:

Not yet. I booked with a TA so waiting to hear back from them first before I do anything else. 

It’s my understanding if you have booked through a T A The contact centre is unable to help and will just refer you back to T A . May save you an unnecessary call . 

[Jack E Dawson]

Worst case scenario, you could bring your own soda onboard then supplement with purchases in the restaurants/bars as needed. If you bring an individual drink thermos for outside on deck or just walking around inside, no one is going to know if you have water or soda in there. If your cruise has stops, that makes it even easier to keep your supply topped off.

Jack

[dqtvsound]

On 6/19/2023 at 8:49 AM, Host Hattie said:

There's no need to buy a package at all if the terms and conditions don't suit you, just pay as you go.

Hi,

 

Total crusing newbie here, booked with my wife for Hong Kong to Yokohama on QE in 2025. We don't drink alcohol, so is there a list anywhere of payg prices for soft drinks? Also, are soft drinks available for free while dining? Thanks in advance.

[Pushpit]

25 minutes ago, dqtvsound said:

Total crusing newbie here, booked with my wife for Hong Kong to Yokohama on QE in 2025. We don't drink alcohol, so is there a list anywhere of payg prices for soft drinks? Also, are soft drinks available for free while dining? Thanks in advance.

You do have to pay for soft drinks during dining, apart from carafe water and jug tea / coffee.

 

You will find the menus hidden away in the Cunard site, so doing a google on say "Commodore Club QM2 menu" will get you to the right place, in this case:

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

 

The soft drinks tend to be tucked away at the end, apart from the non alcoholic cocktails. But as a broad guide, it's about $3 a drink for small soda drinks, plus 20%, with bottled water being a bit cheaper, juices a bit more expensive, Fentiman drinks about $4 as are large soda drinks and 330 ml Coca Cola, So if you budget on about $4 per drink you won't be far wrong.

 

Edited to add: welcome to Cruise Critic and the Cunard board.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Pushpit