Carnival Open Bar and Wine Program

[johnaricka]

I want in !!!!!!! I'll join any group!! I dont even drink much but those drinks add up quickly!

[Skeeter1602]

Has anyone ever had the opportunity to buy the Open bar and Wine program? I will be cruising on Carnival Cruise lines in June 2007, and our groups travel agent offered this to us. It sounds like a great deal. But no one we know has ever used this before. It is a total of $200 for the program, which comes out to $40 a day, and i know that My Fiance' and I will spend more than that per day on alcohol..... So if anyone has any information on this it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!!!!!!

 

I went with a group of 40 last Feb on the Miracle. Our group opted for the Open Bar cards. It worked out great. I Probably spent that or more. Some in our group probably scored big time!!!:D

 

You get a seperate card fom you S&S card to use for the purchases. They still ring up the drinks but the receipt will say what you bought and the total was zero. One couple I know spent 200 in one day between them!! OUCH. I didn't want to be them the next day. You can get the drink specials if you refill an existing drink special glass, or you just buy it as a drink in a normal glass.

 

Mark

[Skeeter1602]

Well, I actually have the paper work for the program in front of me and it really does sound good. My concern is "can it be to good to be true?" I can drink a good bit of alcohol as well as my Fiance', our main concern is will we be cut off once we reach a certain dollar limit, or is it unlimited??? And it is for drinks that are $7.50 or less. So does anyone know the actual $ amounts for mixed drinks (whether it be top shelf or not) and for the beer (any brand)?

 

No cap that I know of. As I said in a previous post we had some in our group ring up some pretty hefty tabs on their open bar cards. No problems

[cascole]

I didn't even know they did this! What a way to go... I know my bar tab is always over $200! Time for a CC all inclusive cruise!

[becca23]

This is Great news if our TA can swing it. He is a pitbull.

[wannacruisemore]

I want it too. Anyone that gets info........please post. I am sure we are ALL doing research..lol:)

[cruisin07family]

That sounds fantastic. How do you find out about these group cruises or the all-inclusive cruise groups?

[OhioJeff]

That sounds fantastic. How do you find out about these group cruises or the all-inclusive cruise groups?

 

Get your friends together and make a group. You wont find them advertised anywhere.

 

Cruise Critic isnt allowed to do one as an official group. I guess because of liability issues.

[dibs15]

THanks for the list of Drink Prices do you know if they have Bailey's Irish Creme and if it is priced as the other Irish Creme that is listed there?

[m steve]

for any cruisers. Just let you pre order it for all adults in cabin just like drink coupons. They still make a profit buying duty free. Not too many years ago all drinks were included in the fares. I know we probably drink $40 worth excluding wine at dinner. So I won't drink Johnnie Blue after dinner and we never buy the froo-frow up drinks. A daily bloody before lunch on at sea days and vodka or rum and soda at the pool. We'll still bring on a couple of bottles for the convenience of drinking on the balcony after returning from shore.

[CruzCra-Z]

I didn't even know they did this! What a way to go... I know my bar tab is always over $200! Time for a CC all inclusive cruise!

 

This is news to me too.... good to know.

[crusinpsychRN]

I don't recall Host Randy ever talking about this!

[AmberMarie]

Carnival emailed me back telling me to call them! Boo

[OhioJeff]

I don't recall Host Randy ever talking about this!

 

Its been talked about quite a bit, Randy wanted to do one, but it wasnt allowed.

[Wiseone24]

Wow! It would be nice if this wasn't only for groups of 30 or more. I'd definitely pay the $200!

[GoinCruisin]

Its been talked about quite a bit, Randy wanted to do one, but it wasnt allowed.

 

Exactly... we've discussed it for every group cruise, but it's not going to happen with a CC group cruise... oh how we wish :o

[ashleyrae911]

Thanks to all have info on this subject. I will be cruising in approx. 17 days CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!! I will have all the details of the open bar and wine program for anyone interested as soon as i return........

 

but if anyone has anymore information on it before i go it would be greatly appreciated.

thanks to all again!!!:D

[tha sista]

I have met people cruising who are doing the "drink card". My group even got invited on their next group cruise in order to get the card. There is a catch however...or so I found. I found that I could book the cruise myself through carnival or another TA and save about $600+ per person. For us it didn't make sense to pay more for the cabin in order to spend another 200 on the card and overall pay about $1200 more for the week. Our alcohol bill for the week usually totals about $1000 for two....but we also smuggle several other refreshments!

 

Enjoy!

[Wennfred]

Im going to suggest to Carnival that they allow the purchase of the Drink Card to all Platinum members.

 

 

Fred

[trarecar]

I wonder what the exceptions would be? Since it has to be at least a group of 30, if you get a minimum of 30 people in your group to sign up for it, I would hope they would let those people get it, even if the rest didn't want it. That would be fair.

[GoinCruisin]

I wonder what the exceptions would be? Since it has to be at least a group of 30, if you get a minimum of 30 people in your group to sign up for it, I would hope they would let those people get it, even if the rest didn't want it. That would be fair.

 

Nope... our group last year had about 150 in it, we talked to RCL and CCL... they BOTH said that everyone in the group had to purchase the package in order to get it. That is one of the stips for getting the package.

[Molly BPOE]

I assume only the adults must participate. If you had a group of say 40 adults and 30 children, I am sure only the adults would need to purchase.:confused:

[GoinCruisin]

I assume only the adults must participate. If you had a group of say 40 adults and 30 children, I am sure only the adults would need to purchase.:confused:

 

Actually, they force the kids to get drunk :p LMAO!

 

No, it's just adults... but when we were quoted, we were quoted a soda plan for the kids.

[GB Chicago]

Yup, a very small martini at dinner was $8.50. If you like decent wine - I'm talking something a notch above Meridian or Yellow Tail I would definitely get a list of the wines offered before I'd pop for $40 per day

[Skeeter1602]

Yup, a very small martini at dinner was $8.50. If you like decent wine - I'm talking something a notch above Meridian or Yellow Tail I would definitely get a list of the wines offered before I'd pop for $40 per day

 

About the Martini's. I just odered vodka on the rocks with a couple of olives. Voila! Martini that fit in the open bar program:D A lot of our group hung out together, and we are big tippers. After a while the BT's got to know us and were pouring good stuff for us, Ah that Grey Goose.....MMMM;)

 

Remember that $40 per day also includes the 15% gratuities also, so it really isn't that bad a deal. Any drink with a price of $6.95 or less was covered I believe. This came to a total of $7.99 with tip. After 5 drinks any day you are in the money!! 5 drinks add up fast in a 24 hr period! Some people in my group would had bar tabs close to $500-$1000, but only paid $280 for the open bar card.

 

My total for the week would have been $580. My Gf's was $350 something, so we came out ahead. (after that cruise I wanted to say "My name is Mark and I am an alcoholic <LOL>) Was fun though.

 

We had one girl in our group that got pregnant from the time we booked till departure and tried to get a refund. They would not refund the $280, but did give her the soda card, $50 OBC, and had flowers and a congratulations card in her room when she arrived. I thought that was really nice!! She was happy with this.