Possible Price Increase for Drinks packages on Cunard

[etruriaguy]

14 hours ago, Zeg said:

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. 

We are on qm2 on Nov 19th transatlantic in a few weeks and literally just bought the package a few moments ago for the week as well for $70pppd.   Glad it’s been reduced back down.  For us it’s worth it now.  

[sucramdi]

The rumoured increase turned out to be new pricing for shorter voyages, which previously didn't have a drinks package available. For the 5+ night voyages the price hasn't changed since it went from $69 to $70 pppd. 

[techteach]

This is a 3 day cruise September, 2024. $85.00 per day.

 

[Winifred 22]

This September it was 90$ for the 3 night Le Havre trip when they first introduced it. Didn’t seem to be any shiortage of takers judging by the queues to purchase on the lido deck the first afternoon.  

[Underwatr]

There has always been more of a party atmosphere (for Cunard) on the short cruises compared to longer itineraries. I assume some bean counter has done the math and concluded that they'd need to raise prices on the short trips to clear a profit compared to selling only by the drink.

[AUH]

Onboard prices on the eastbound crossing which left yesterday are as follows:

 

$80 for beer, wine and spirits

$40 for premium soft drinks

$15 for specialty hot drinks

$12 for soft drinks

 

I was originally not intending to buy a drinks package, but after factoring in the 15% service charge for PAYD and now that we are on day 2 (meaning I am only buying it for the six full days at sea), it does suit my consumption profile after all. 

[Pushpit]

The pre-purchase prices on a westbound Crossing, just after you dock into Southampton, are slightly higher now:

 

per night (so x 7 for most Crossings)

$72 for beer, wine, spirits and premium soft drinks

$36 for premium soft drinks (includes hot drinks)

$13.50 for speciality hot drinks 

$10.80 for soft drinks 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Pushpit

[D&N]

Currently on the UK site:

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

It shows options where the price drops from 15 nights and then again from 85 nights.

 

$49.50/day for someone sailing 85 nights or more seems very good value. Providing they don't plan too many dry days!

[bluemarble]

Here's my attempt to document the drinks package price changes in charts which I hope are relatively easy to follow. I find it useful to document things such as this for future reference.

 

Previous Drinks Package Pricing

 

Beers, Wines and Spirits Option	Pre Voyage	On Board
Voyages less than 5 nights	$85	$90
Voyages 5 nights or more	$70	$75
Soft/Hot Drinks Options	Pre Voyage	On Board
Premium Soft Drinks Option	$30	$35
Speciality Hot Drinks Option	$12.50	$15
Soft Drinks Option	$10	$12

 

New Drinks Package Pricing

 

Beers, Wines and Spirits Option	Pre Voyage	On Board
Voyages less than 5 nights	$85.50	$95
Voyages 5-14 nights	$72	$80
Voyages 15-84 nights	$67.50	$75
Voyages 85 nights or more	$49.50	$55
Soft/Hot Drinks Options	Pre Voyage	On Board
Premium Soft Drinks Option	$36	$40
Speciality Hot Drinks Option	$13.50	$15
Soft Drinks Option	$10.80	$12

[HopefulCruiser123]

I am a very light alcohol consumer.  My husband really enjoys good alcoholic cocktails and will not be shy about ordering what he wants.  We will probably order a bottle of wine with dinner a couple of nights (and take what we don't consume back to our cabin), and I "might" have a ridiculously garnished cocktail once or twice during our cruise or a glass of wine here or there.  Since both adults in the same cabin must have identical packages, and since the bottles of wine wouldn't be covered anyway, I think it makes sense for us to purchase the premium soft drink packages and then pay as we go for alcoholic beverages.  

[Pushpit]

1 hour ago, HopefulCruiser123 said:

I am a very light alcohol consumer.  My husband really enjoys good alcoholic cocktails and will not be shy about ordering what he wants.  We will probably order a bottle of wine with dinner a couple of nights (and take what we don't consume back to our cabin), and I "might" have a ridiculously garnished cocktail once or twice during our cruise or a glass of wine here or there.  Since both adults in the same cabin must have identical packages, and since the bottles of wine wouldn't be covered anyway, I think it makes sense for us to purchase the premium soft drink packages and then pay as we go for alcoholic beverages.  

You will find it quite difficult to make the Premium Soft Drink package viable, unless you drink quite a significant amount of soft drink and premium coffee/tea and / or alcohol-free mocktails. None of these packages are bargains, and in your shoes I'd do the sums carefully. Most people will, I strong suspect, save money by simple "pay as you go". Even the basic soft drink package, which was $10 a night until recently, is a tough one to cover.

[LittleFish1976]

3 hours ago, Pushpit said:

You will find it quite difficult to make the Premium Soft Drink package viable, unless you drink quite a significant amount of soft drink and premium coffee/tea and / or alcohol-free mocktails. None of these packages are bargains, and in your shoes I'd do the sums carefully. Most people will, I strong suspect, save money by simple "pay as you go". Even the basic soft drink package, which was $10 a night until recently, is a tough one to cover.

 

One Frobisher juice - $3.60

One small bottle of water - $3.90

One Mocktail (Banana Mama) $5.75

 

Total = $13.25 + tax (15%) = $15.23

 

I know you can get a 'juice' free in the buffet but it may be what one feels like in a bar.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

I kept track this last time, and after waiting until the second day to buy in and adding the 15%, we did slightly better than break-even. For us the point is the luxury of not having to think about what things cost, as we habitually do in our frugal “real lives.”

[Winchester Ranger]

The latest update is that you book the drinks package first and then decide later if you want to add the cruise as an optional extra.

[Mayflower1]

Can anyone please advise me what is the choice of Wines in Queens Grill if one buys the  Drinks, Wine & Spirits Package. We have not bought a Package in the Past and generally only drink Red Wine with Meals but do like Spirits before/after Dinner.

[maggielou362]

On 12/25/2023 at 10:47 PM, Winchester Ranger said:

The latest update is that you book the drinks package first and then decide later if you want to add the cruise as an optional extra.

Great tip, @Winchester Ranger. Makes sense to me.

[Judyrem]

I just purchased the drink package for the July TA crossing for 72$.

[Pushpit]

4 hours ago, Judyrem said:

I just purchased the drink package for the July TA crossing for 72$.

I think this is in line with post #84 above, so it's good to know the prices there are still correct.

[MrsPeel55]

On 12/21/2023 at 2:31 AM, Pushpit said:

You will find it quite difficult to make the Premium Soft Drink package viable, unless you drink quite a significant amount of soft drink and premium coffee/tea and / or alcohol-free mocktails. None of these packages are bargains, and in your shoes I'd do the sums carefully. Most people will, I strong suspect, save money by simple "pay as you go". Even the basic soft drink package, which was $10 a night until recently, is a tough one to cover.

 

we almost bought the premium soft drinks package for later next year sailing for 35 a day each of us (can't remember right now but I'm almost sure is US $), thought about buying after reading this thread, we thought if we pay now, will be saving if the package increases price.... then to be sure, we looked at the final bill we payed in September.

Our conclusion was as you point out:

No way we would be spending $35 a day each in soft drinks, the alcohol we drunk, the most expensive were the bottles of wine at MDR,I can't drink much alcohol as my medication galore doesn't much allow, then the amount of soft drinks we would consume would never amount to £35 a day each....   my daughter pointed out that with the amount of on board credit we have this time, we could cover drinks with that and still have some money left for hairdressers and maybe something else without having too spend of our own money.... 

[corporate services]

We have just returned from the Christmas QV cruise and our onboard account was eye wateringly high, mostly due to alcohol purchased, but we also got duped into buying a spa package!  We also made the mistake of letting the sommelier in the Britannia restaurant choose the wine so ended up

drinking ridiculously priced bottles of wine, lesson learned there.  With regard to drinks packages do I understand correctly that bottles of wine purchased in the restaurant are not included, what about if you buy wine by the glass in the restaurant?

[corporate services]

Also, what is to stop just one person purchasing the drinks package and then buying drinks for everyone in their group?

[D&N]

11 minutes ago, corporate services said:

We have just returned from the Christmas QV cruise and our onboard account was eye wateringly high, mostly due to alcohol purchased, but we also got duped into buying a spa package!  We also made the mistake of letting the sommelier in the Britannia restaurant choose the wine so ended up

drinking ridiculously priced bottles of wine, lesson learned there.  With regard to drinks packages do I understand correctly that bottles of wine purchased in the restaurant are not included, what about if you buy wine by the glass in the restaurant?

You may have noticed the last pages of the wine list  where there were wines by the glass. Or of course you might not have seen it if you let the sommelier choose. Currently anything up to $13.50 on that list is included plus other drinks to that value (max 15 alcoholic per day).

If you decide to buy bottles as well you pay the list price plus 15% service less 20% discount. We plan to do that with wines in the $60 to $90 range next time, splitting a bottle between two nights with our  meal and having list wines by the glass once our taste buds are numbed.

 

Everyone in the room must buy the same package. Sommeliers and waiters will be on lookout for anyone doing what you ask, it's clear in the Ts&Cs.

Edited January 11 by D&N

[PORT ROYAL]

1 minute ago, corporate services said:

Also, what is to stop just one person purchasing the drinks package and then buying drinks for everyone in their group?

Nothing to stop the physical purchase of a full round of drinks for all one’s friends/group.  Done it numerous of times.

 

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Nothing to stop the physical purchase of a full round of drinks for all one’s friends/group.  Done it numerous of times.

 

Isn’t that cheating?

[Host Hattie]

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Isn’t that cheating?

Not if you're actually buying them but you can't charge drinks for others on your package.