Possible Price Increase for Drinks packages on Cunard

[Winifred 22]

2 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

 

I've been reading on other social media that the new $90 drinks package for voyages under five nights has indeed been rolled out for those booking on board QM2's 3-night Le Havre Short Break cruise which departed yesterday, 1 September (in line with the go-live date for QM2 in the first quote above).

 

So far though, I am not seeing drinks packages being offered yet in My Cunard for the 18 September 4-night Hamburg Short Break cruise on QM2. Will continue to keep an eye on My Cunard for further developments on that score.

I am on the 3 night Le Havre  cruise it’s definitely available . 

[Kynance]

@bluemarble - I am on the 18 September Hamburg short break too and am not seeing any drinks packages being offered either. The screen shot below is from my “My Cunard”  and confirms what you are seeing. 
 

 

 

[snorkelphile]

On 8/28/2023 at 2:38 PM, Wonky said:

Just logged in for my 19th Sep cruise and showing $70.

Us too for our July 2024 crossing.  I am thinking of purchasing the package NOW, for that cruise to reserve the lower price......

[Wonky]

1 minute ago, snorkelphile said:

Us too for our July 2024 crossing.  I am thinking of purchasing the package NOW, for that cruise to reserve the lower price......

Look further up the thread, it looks like the price rise is only for shorter cruises.

[snorkelphile]

4 minutes ago, Wonky said:

Look further up the thread, it looks like the price rise is only for shorter cruises.

Thanks, I didn't read further on.  No rush then!

[Eastcroft]

On 9/2/2023 at 6:14 PM, Kynance said:

@bluemarble - I am on the 18 September Hamburg short break too and am not seeing any drinks packages being offered either. The screen shot below is from my “My Cunard”  and confirms what you are seeing. 
 

 

 

I'm booked on a Hamburg short break next year as my first cruise and also can't see any way to book. It doesn't present any options at all. 

[bluemarble]

I just spoke to the gentleman selling drinks packages on board QM2 on day 2 of the current eastbound crossing (which will be followed a 4-night Hamburg segment). He was aware it was not yet possible to purchase the new packages for voyages of four nights or less online via My Cunard to receive the pre-booking discount. He was not able to offer any insight as to when that funtionality might be implemented. I wonder if it might be possible to purchase them via a call to Cunard customer service.

[Winifred 22]

34 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

I just spoke to the gentleman selling drinks packages on board QM2 on day 2 of the current eastbound crossing (which will be followed a 4-night Hamburg segment). He was aware it was not yet possible to purchase the new packages for voyages of four nights or less online via My Cunard to receive the pre-booking discount. He was not able to offer any insight as to when that funtionality might be implemented. I wonder if it might be possible to purchase them via a call to Cunard customer service.

I think I read somewhere it was September they were available . They were doing a roaring trade on the Le Havre 3 nighter last week but in case people are not aware the short cruise offering is 90$ pp not

the usual rate. 

[chryso]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:33 PM, NE John said:

I see new Dinks package policy increased the price of cocktails covered from $12 to $13. I can now order that $12.30 Old Fashioned under the new policy. There are many nice cocktails offered between $12-13 that are now covered. 

Hopefully the Old Fashioned doesn't suddenly rise to $13.30.

[BeachTunes]

A random note about the $70/day drinks package for 5+ night cruises..

 

Considering that the package INCLUDES the 15% gratuity, in theory, the daily rate is about $61 per day before tax. When factoring this, it definitely appears more economical. For us, the value is there: 2 x $5 bottles of water + 1 x $4 specialty coffee + 1 x $13 pre-dinner cocktail + 2 x $12 glasses of wine with dinner and 1 x $13 post dinner cocktail = $64.00 before the 15% gratuity or $73.60 after tax. (And we admittedly will be enjoying more bevies on sea days!) 

 

Another consideration is that our ship will be in 3 Spanish ports during our 7 night cruise which might add another 10% Spanish VAT tax on drink purchases while docked, making our daily "ritual" ring in at over $80/day if we didn't have the package. 

 

To each their own, though! 🙂

Edited September 13, 2023 by BeachTunes

[D&N]

@BeachTunes

 

My calculations are very similar to yours. We saved on the package last time and tried to stick with wine by the glass. We found that too restrictive and ended up buying 3 decent bottles of wine.

 

Next time we plan to have a half bottle of decent wine every night. We might make better use of our free water supply in BC but we're not going to trail bottles of water all over the ship. I have also averaged the current prices of wines by the glass that we would drink and come up with lower item prices than you.

 

Even so with the package our total spend is likely to be around $85 per person per day. Without we would be looking at $110 per day. That's about $700 saving over 14 days.

 

And other than the possible variation in the price of the seven bottles of decent wines we decide to buy, which we'll save 20% on, the price is fixed for the trip.

 

Our average intake will be 2 drinks each at lunch and 5 or 6 each between 6pm and Midnight.

Those that drink less than that may not find it cost effective.

 

[LittleFish1976]

19 hours ago, BeachTunes said:

A random note about the $70/day drinks package for 5+ night cruises..

 

Considering that the package INCLUDES the 15% gratuity, in theory, the daily rate is about $61 per day before tax. When factoring this, it definitely appears more economical. For us, the value is there: 2 x $5 bottles of water + 1 x $4 specialty coffee + 1 x $13 pre-dinner cocktail + 2 x $12 glasses of wine with dinner and 1 x $13 post dinner cocktail = $64.00 before the 15% gratuity or $73.60 after tax. (And we admittedly will be enjoying more bevies on sea days!) 

 

Another consideration is that our ship will be in 3 Spanish ports during our 7 night cruise which might add another 10% Spanish VAT tax on drink purchases while docked, making our daily "ritual" ring in at over $80/day if we didn't have the package. 

 

To each their own, though! 🙂

 

Totally agree. That is how I approached my own calculations. The incorporation of the gratuity into the package price seems to be something many people don't take into account.

[maggielou362]

On 8/29/2023 at 7:16 PM, LittleFish1976 said:

Can confirm this fact. Purchased this afternoon for February, 2025 @USD70 per day. 30% increase in the price makes it worthwhile purchasing so far ahead (for me, in any case - I know you abstemious lot don't need it 😁).

Hello, just joined Cruisecritic today, booked on QM2 from Fremantle to Sydney in Feb 2024. I too am NOT abstemious and have just hit up my credit card for US$1400 for two of us for our ten-day voyage ("voyage" sounds more Cunard than "cruise") just in case the rumours are correct. SO looking forward to sailing! Thanks for all of your tips and advice

[MrsPeel55]

Thanks @bluemarble for that info.

 

I haven't read the whole thread, but within my foggy brain I have a question:

 

When I log in to my account looking at our QV Dec 2024 sailing, it gives me the prices bluemarble shows us above.

We decided to go for the Premium Soft Drinks as I can't drink much alcohol, we did find the prices of bottles of wine we bought for lunch and dinner and the cocktails very reasonable, but when we were looking at the booking yesterday, first thing that comes up is inviting us to book the drinks package. We thought there is still over a year for this cruise, let's leave to pay when we are close to sailing..... now after something I read here, got a question:

(once again, apologies if I miss the answer already there, not having a good day with my health today)

 

Does paying the Premium Soft Drinks now (for our Xmas 2024 sailing) means if the price goes up in the future we wont have to pay the increase?

 

[MrsPeel55]

3 hours ago, maggielou362 said:

Hello, just joined Cruisecritic today, booked on QM2 from Fremantle to Sydney in Feb 2024. I too am NOT abstemious and have just hit up my credit card for US$1400 for two of us for our ten-day voyage ("voyage" sounds more Cunard than "cruise") just in case the rumours are correct. SO looking forward to sailing! Thanks for all of your tips and advice

 

welcome to Cunard.

We just did our first on board Queen Victoria , came back home Friday 15th, couldn't be happier,  and I totally get the using "voyage" instead of cruise!... 

I'm sure you will love your sailing! Also, Cruise Critic Community made our whole trip be more than perfect, these guys are knowledgeable and willing to share info that made a world of difference to us! ❤️ 

 

[Pushpit]

37 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

Does paying the Premium Soft Drinks now (for our Xmas 2024 sailing) means if the price goes up in the future we wont have to pay the increase?

Correct.

 

However on longer cruises I would find it very difficult to achieve value for money on this package unless you had very specific tastes in (say) mocktails and were going to drink a lot of them. I recently tried to get value for money on the Hot Drinks package, which is half the price, and it's quite difficult even on a 2 night sailing. I would carefully work out from your recent trip what you spent money on here, and see whether it adds up. These packages are not stand-out bargains.

[PORT ROYAL]

3 hours ago, maggielou362 said:

Hello, just joined Cruisecritic today, booked on QM2 from Fremantle to Sydney in Feb 2024. I too am NOT abstemious and have just hit up my credit card for US$1400 for two of us for our ten-day voyage ("voyage" sounds more Cunard than "cruise") just in case the rumours are correct. SO looking forward to sailing! Thanks for all of your tips and advice

Welcome…

@MrsPeel55 has discovered first hand the difference between a Cunard Voyage and a cruise.

One’s personal perspective.

A Voyage on Cunard is a genteel sea perambulation where Cunarders enjoy all the experiences offered by a Queen and its Cunarders, which involves calling at interesting places for Cunarders to experience.  In a nutshell, a Cunard Voyage is the bringing together various wonderful and diverse experiences.

 

A cruise, is taking a holiday tour, which involves the conveyance, not by a coach, but by a ship, from one place to another. 

[Victoria2]

22 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Welcome…

@MrsPeel55 has discovered first hand the difference between a Cunard Voyage and a cruise.

One’s personal perspective.

A Voyage on Cunard is a genteel sea perambulation where Cunarders enjoy all the experiences offered by a Queen and its Cunarders, which involves calling at interesting places for Cunarders to experience.  In a nutshell, a Cunard Voyage is the bringing together various wonderful and diverse experiences.

 

A cruise, is taking a holiday tour, which involves the conveyance, not by a coach, but by a ship, from one place to another. 

We travel on Cunard and we take cruises. Can't say we go from one place to another unless it's S'ton to S'ton as we sometimes don't bother getting off the ship. 🙂

[MrsPeel55]

@Pushpit thank you.

Yes, this is what we have been doing. We got friendly with some people who had different drinks packages, one of them had the Premium Soft Drinks one. My daughter said we should look into that because we did order a huge amount of Coke, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, Indian tonic, fruit juice, etc.

We just finished unpacking and our living room is full of different piles of clothes for laundry and some to go to Dry Cleaners. I just finished yesterday putting together the paper work from the trip. Next step is making the calculations of how much we spent on non alcoholic drinks, we were gonna do this later, but seeing this I think it will be the next step.

You maybe right, so, yes, will carefully make calculations. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that our final bill was considerably lower than I thought it would be, as every lunch and dinner saw me in an extremely happy ability to enjoy wonderful wines!!!!

 

@Victoria2 my daughter says hi and she hopes we one day we cross path on board Queen Victoria!!!! ❤️ 

 

 

[Pushpit]

10 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

@Pushpit thank you.

Yes, this is what we have been doing. We got friendly with some people who had different drinks packages, one of them had the Premium Soft Drinks one. My daughter said we should look into that because we did order a huge amount of Coke, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, Indian tonic, fruit juice, etc.

Obviously the much lower priced Soft Drink Option would cover you for cola, tonic water, fruit juice and any other fountain drinks. Value for money is more easily achieved particularly if you start ordering them at lunch and dinner. 

[Victoria2]

16 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

 

...

@Victoria2 my daughter says hi and she hopes we one day we cross path on board Queen Victoria!!!! ❤️ 

 

 

One day MrsPeel55 , one day and it won't be until possibly '26 as we don't fly at the moment but I would love that but be aware, I don't go for highfalutin Cunard. We're pretty ordinary folk who just like to travel well.  🙂

[maggielou362]

9 hours ago, MrsPeel55 said:

 

welcome to Cunard.

We just did our first on board Queen Victoria , came back home Friday 15th, couldn't be happier,  and I totally get the using "voyage" instead of cruise!... 

I'm sure you will love your sailing! Also, Cruise Critic Community made our whole trip be more than perfect, these guys are knowledgeable and willing to share info that made a world of difference to us! ❤️ 

 

Thank you Mrs Peel. I am so looking forward to sailing on an ocean liner!

[MrsPeel55]

On 9/23/2023 at 6:52 PM, Victoria2 said:

One day MrsPeel55 , one day and it won't be until possibly '26 as we don't fly at the moment but I would love that but be aware, I don't go for highfalutin Cunard. We're pretty ordinary folk who just like to travel well.  🙂

 

?

I thought it was  clear from day one that this was precisely the reason we like you so much?  we ourselves are pretty ordinary people, don't think I have ever spoke/typed anything that suggested we are not......

maybe is me being a bloody foreigner  LOL  

even after 35 years sometimes I have to think a few times to put together sentences proper meaning when I can't see people speaking, facial expression and tones of voice get lost online.

anyway, never mind.

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by MrsPeel55
typos, grammar

[Victoria2]

48 minutes ago, MrsPeel55 said:

 

?

I thought it was  clear from day one that this was precisely the reason we like you so much?  we ourselves are pretty ordinary people, don't think I have ever spoke/typed anything that suggested we are not......

maybe is me being a bloody foreigner  LOL  

even after 35 years sometimes I have to think a few times to put together sentences proper meaning when I can't see people speaking, facial expression and tones of voice get lost online.

anyway, never mind.

 

Don't worry  MrsPeel55 you have typed nothing of the sort and indeed, I have felt from our first 'conversations' we're kindred spirits, as I have felt similar for quite a few members. 👍

 

I know there will be some members on our '24 QA cruises so maybe I might be able to meet them in '24 and others, later on just as you will be able to meet folk on your next bookings.

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Victoria2
fat finger typing error

[Zeg]

For what it’s worth just yesterday booked a 2025 cruise on Queen Anne and paid $70 pppd for the drinks package.  
 

Hope that’s helpful.