so if I don't purchase a drink or dining package will we starve or dehydrate?

[diazwoman61]

It has been a long time since I was on a cruise. We drink very little alcohol so we will just put those on room cards, if I do not buy packages where/when/how do the kids access water, once in a while a soda and I access cold tea and hot coffee? I am assuming these are available in the windjammer? can you bring your on sports bottle and fill it for the day?

as for food, is it the windjammer and dining room our total options if I do not upgrade a dining package?

 

thanks for the info

[smokeybandit]

There is absolutely no need for a dining or drinking package and you'll still have plenty of food options

[scooby1]

You definitely don’t need a drinks package, unless you are really going for it then it doesn’t work out. You can buy the odd drink, or request some of the flavoured drinks in the MDR and not need to spend a penny the water tastes great to us. 
 

Our kids would go to the MDR or Sorrentos to get nice cool flavoured drinks they never had a soda / fizzy drink at all, only in a speciality restaurant as they just aren’t fussed by them.

[cruiseguy1016]

The Main Dining Room is always free as is the Windjammer so there is plenty of free food during designated meal hours. Depending on the ship, there are also other free options throughout the day at places like Sorrentos, Promenade Cafe, El Loco Fresh etc. The water out of the tap in your cabin is the same water they serve at bars and restaurants. There is no reason you can't fill a water bottle there.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

12 minutes ago, diazwoman61 said:

can you bring your on sports bottle and fill it for the day?

as for food, is it the windjammer and dining room our total options if I do not upgrade a dining package?

 

There isn't a place to fill a sports bottle, unfortunately. If you want to carry a bottle around with you, and you don't want just water (which you can get from your sink and ask your stateroom attendant for ice), you would have to fill it from glasses of iced tea/flavored water in the Windjammer or similar eateries, so not the most convenient.

 

Complimentary dining options will depend on the ship, but all of them have something beyond WJ and the main dining room. You can check out your ship on the Royal website, and it will list the dining options, including which ones have an extra fee and which do not.

Edited September 4, 2023 by la_croisiere_s'amuse

[vision14k]

Pretty sure nobody in the history of cruising ever went hungry or thirsty. Lol

[roupa]

We have NEVER bought a beverage or dining package in 20+ years of cruising, and we have never felt hungry or thirsty!

Of course you should monitor your account balance should you choose alcoholic or gourmet beverages as that can add up easily.  A drink or two a day will definitely be cheaper and than a “package”.There are plenty of “ free” options available despite the marketing for “extras”.

[UK Fan 78]

I have never bought a dining package, but I do purchase the drink package sometimes because I enjoy specialty coffees and access to the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.

[diazwoman61]

great, I think we will "rough it" then haha

[OCSC Mike]

I manage to gain 8-10 lbs per 7-night cruise without spending hardly any extra, let alone buying any sort of package... I think you'll be OK.

 

For full disclosure, I do get Diamond perks including many free cappuccinos and my 4 drink vouchers per day (plus 1-2 of my wife's), but you'll still be fine.

Edited September 4, 2023 by OCSC Mike

[Eddie Wilson]

i have suggested in the past to test just how inexpensively we could take a cruise? 

No extras, inside cabin, discount air carrier (in Ohio, so don’t have the option like many of you to just drive over to a dock).

 

One of the old self move companies had a slogan, “Adventure in Moving”, this would be like “Adventure in Cruising”

 

Im sure they still provide food and drink.

 

Eddie 

[sadiwest]

On the one hand we typically only srink water at home, which we flavor with liquid water enhancer.  If you're so inclined to bring that on board, you could have any flavor drink for free.

 

On the other hand, we splurge on the non alcoholic drink packages because im a sucker for flavored coffees and bottles of water.  I bring stick packs of drink mix and occasionally use the Coke Freestyle machine (for non carbonated options).  

 

We don't buy dining packages because the options don't appeal to us.  We could do without the beverage packages but meh...it's a vacation.  I want variety and large quantities of flavored coffees.

 

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, sadiwest said:

I want variety and large quantities of flavored coffees.

 

At this point you just want to board the ship! 🤣

 

(Sorry, couldn't help it.)

[sadiwest]

1 minute ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

At this point you just want to board the ship! 🤣

 

(Sorry, couldn't help it.)

You are not wrong. Being onboard itself is a win. 

[loman]

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

I manage to gain 8-10 lbs per 7-night cruise without spending hardly any extra, let alone buying any sort of package... I think you'll be OK.

 

For full disclosure, I do get Diamond perks including many free cappuccinos and my 4 drink vouchers per day (plus 1-2 of my wife's), but you'll still be fine.

Yep , i dont spend any extra either . Diamond level will  take care of anything extra i want .

Edited September 5, 2023 by loman

[FOXTROT]

Regardless of what you read on here, people are not starving to death because of the bad food. The food was actually ver good on our last 2 cruises. You do not need  to purchase anything.

[shipgeeks]

Fifty cruises under our belts, and we have never wished we had a beverage package or specialty restaurant meal.

[Kiki and The Noush]

You definitely do not have to purchase a thing.  Like everyone else has said, you won't be thirsty and you won't starve.  I think a lot of it comes down to what experience you want, what matters most about your vacation to you and of course, how much you're willing to spend.  

 

I hope you have a great cruise!

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, Kiki and The Noush said:

I think a lot of it comes down to what experience you want, what matters most about your vacation to you and of course, how much you're willing to spend.

 

This sums up cruising in general to me. There are an almost infinite number of ways to enjoy a cruise; that's why I recommend them to people. You can personalize everything based on your preferences... and of course food falls into this category.

[TwoMisfits]

For the Op, probably a non-Diamond member, it might be useful to actually document what drinks are free and where/when.  

 

Tap water is always free, but what might be included better than that?  Is milk always available and if so, what type (to include non-dairy ones)?

[OCSC Mike]

15 minutes ago, TwoMisfits said:

it might be useful to actually document what drinks are free and where/when

 

That's a good point. My wife lives on the strawberry kiwi flavored water (when available) so we grab a few cups from Park Cafe or wherever to keep in the cabin cooler when we happen to be going back to our cabin. She also usually brings one of those large water bottles that keeps liquid cold and tries to keep it full (occasionally adding a few ice cubes).

[Mum2Mercury]

16 hours ago, diazwoman61 said:

It has been a long time since I was on a cruise ...

- A beer will cost about $10 (including 18% mandatory gratuity).  You can economize by purchasing the Pool Bar's Beer Bucket, which is kinda like buying 4 /getting 5 (are my details right?) or by purchasing a pitcher at Playmakers. 

- A cocktail will cost about $15 (including 18% mandatory gratuity).  You can economize by purchasing the day's drink special for $2-3 less.  

- If you don't buy a drink package, you can get a soda from any bar, though the soda package gives you the option to use the fancy soda machine, which has MANY more drink packages. 

- When my kids were teens, I did spring for the soda package because they'd be fetching their own drinks /hanging out in the kids' club, and -- being a girl mom -- I emphasized strongly, NEVER drink anything that's been out of your hand for a moment.  I didn't want them to feel they "had to" finish a drink because they'd paid for it.  I'll die on that hill.  

- If Windjammer is open, cups of ice water will be sitting out to take.  The Cafe Promenade has a self-serve water container.  A selection of tea bags and hot water + coffee will always be available in both places.  

- As others have said, do consider bringing along water-enhancers or those little tubes that make lemonade or fruit punch.  We are low-carb eaters, and MANY -- no, MOST -- drinks available onboard are high in sugar.  We like those drinks but prefer to save our carbs for food!  

- With no package (and without buying individual upgraded meals), you can eat at the Windjammer Buffet, the Main Dining Room, Sorrento's Pizza, and the Cafe Promenade on most ship.  Other ships will offer specialty fast-food type dining -- might be Fish and Ships, might be the Mexican place.  Regardless, no-cost food will always be available.  You can also order through room service, though you'll probably pay a fee.  

16 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

There is no reason you can't fill a water bottle there.

You're not supposed to fill a water bottle from a water spigot in, say, Cafe Promenade.  It's about cleanliness, as your mouth's been on the water bottle, and most people don't wash their water bottles.  ICK. 

But you may take as many cups of ice water as you wish and fill your bottle.  

15 hours ago, Eddie Wilson said:

i have suggested in the past to test just how inexpensively we could take a cruise? 

No extras, inside cabin, discount air carrier (in Ohio, so don’t have the option like many of you to just drive over to a dock).

Yes!  When we were younger and traveled with the kids, we needed to be picky about our dates, our room, always needed a balcony for that bit of extra space. 

When we retired, we decided to see just how cheaply we could cruise -- and be happy.  We actually LIKE inside rooms (not that we wouldn't prefer a balcony, but for the money ... you get the point).  We buy a few drinks and spend nothing on food.  

We're fortunate to be able to drive.  We buy essentially nothing new for a cruise. We can cruise quite cheaply and be happy, which means we can cruise more often -- though we've also learned that we strongly prefer fall, so we're seasonal cruisers.  

TRY IT.  It's the only way you personally can know whether you'll be happy sailing in the cheap seats.  

14 hours ago, sadiwest said:

You are not wrong. Being onboard itself is a win. 

So true, so true. 

[robmtx]

On 9/4/2023 at 6:22 PM, vision14k said:

Pretty sure nobody in the history of cruising ever went hungry or thirsty. Lol

 

Monday, July 6th, 2009. 11:30 AM Ship time. Celebrity Millennium in Skagway, AK

All breakfast service throughout the ship ended at 10:30 AM. Lunch didn't start until 12:00 PM.

I had to be dockside at 12pm for a ShoreEx so I tried to get something to eat at 11am, searching the ship until 11:30 AM. One crew recommended to order room service as that was the only thing available at the time, but I didn't have enough time to wait for room service.

So disembarked at 11:50 AM -- HUNGRY  🙂 - but I wasn't thirsty hehe

 

[BridgeMates]

On 9/4/2023 at 6:39 PM, sadiwest said:

On the one hand we typically only srink water at home, which we flavor with liquid water enhancer.  If you're so inclined to bring that on board, you could have any flavor drink for free.

 

On the other hand, we splurge on the non alcoholic drink packages because im a sucker for flavored coffees and bottles of water.  I bring stick packs of drink mix and occasionally use the Coke Freestyle machine (for non carbonated options).  

 

We don't buy dining packages because the options don't appeal to us.  We could do without the beverage packages but meh...it's a vacation.  I want variety and large quantities of flavored coffees.

 

What if partner wants the drink pkg and I only want the non-alcoholic pkg, can we do this?

[firefly333]

5 minutes ago, BridgeMates said:

What if partner wants the drink pkg and I only want the non-alcoholic pkg, can we do this?

Yes but you have to call for one to book drinks, the other to book the refreshment pkg.