drinks, refills and coupons - current info please

[falkcor]

I know there are several threads regarding the drink coupons, etc. - I've read them. But I've also noted recently that there have been some price increases, pretty well across the board, as seen in an updated drink list somebody was kind enough to post in another thread earlier:

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/splendor/bar_menu.htm

 

My Questions (feel free to respond to any of them relevant to your experience):

 

1. Is a drink coupon sufficient to buy the first drink with souvenir 15oz glass - if not, have you actually been charged the difference, and if so, how much? (I've heard no, the balance is / is not charged)

 

2. Is the 'distinctive 15 oz glass' that the 'funship special' comes in (see link) the same as the 'souvenir 15 oz hurricane glass' that the frozen exotic cocktails come in? (I have no idea)

 

3. Is a drink coupon sufficient to buy refills of the drink of the day or a fozen exotic cocktail, think frozen margarita? (I've heard the balance is most often not charged)

 

4. If you're one of those folks who are often charged the balance - have you ever noticed a tip of a dollar a drink made that stop happening? ;)

 

5. I've noticed that for the 'fun ship' - souvenir glassware and refills are only available on outer decks... Really? So you can't get refills of the fun ship, or say a frozen margarita anywhere else? And am I to assume that the 'outer decks' are outside spaces, I'm thinking Lido deck, or what?

 

6. Here's my formula for the equation as to whether these things are worth it... Let's use refills of the 'fun ship as an example'

 

Normal Refill: 6.75 x 1.15 (15% tip) = 7.76 per drink

Cost of Ticket: 21.25 / 4 = 5.31 per drink

Variance (Savings): 7.76 - 5.31 = 2.45 per drink

 

Is that accurate?

 

7. What *exactly* is their current face value? I've heard 5.25 and 5.75

 

---

 

Any help, recent updates regarding use of the tickets, etc. would be very much appreciated. I'm trying to decide if they're worth it for my cruise on Destiny next Saturday.

[Lilmatcat]

I can't answer most of your questions, but I can share our recent experience. We bought the souvenir Carnival hurricane type plastic glass and got refill strawberry margaritas in them in all the lounges we went to on the ship -- we didn't need to be outside on the deck.

 

We were told we could get drink-of-the-day or the frozen blended drinks as our discount refills.

[falkcor]

great - that's the kind of feedback i'm looking for... just to clarify, the d-o-d and frozen blended drinks as '(your) discount refills' - that is with one of the tickets, correct?

 

given the question, i'm sure that's implied, but i'm really trying to get to the bottom of this ;-)

 

thanks for your response

[falkcor]

i guess more to the point questions:

 

8. do you buy them? would you buy them again

 

9. would you recommend using them?

 

10. are they more convenient?

 

i like the idea - and am trying to establish if they actually save (i think they do), but am not interested in them if - for instance, you have to pay the balance - because that seems like it's just an extra step (having the ticket, if signing for the balance), etc.

[Lilmatcat]

I'm sorry I didn't clarify myself better. I didn't have the tickets, so I can't speak to that, but I'll be anxious to see the answer from someone who can so we'll know on our cruise in May.

 

On this one we bought the souvenir glass with the first drink in it for 7.75 (if I recall correctly) and then it was $5.75 or $5.25 for the refill drinks, so we decided to do the souvenir glass so we could have several strawberry margaritas at a reduced price in the bigger glass.

 

Thanks to our bartender Tony for helping us out on that!! :) I thought they were only good for drink of the day, so I'm glad he told us we could get other frozen drinks too.

[MizzCard]

I've used the coupons and find them to be a pain. Much easier just to sign your S&S receipt. They won't cover the (total) cost of the fun ship drink in the hurricane glass...you will pay the difference. I'm pretty sure it will take care of the cost of the refill.

[Kayes]

1. Is a drink coupon sufficient to buy the first drink with souvenir 15oz glass - if not, have you actually been charged the difference, and if so, how much? (I've heard no, the balance is / is not charged)

no, you have to pay the difference. 8.50 - 5.75 (5.25??) = 2.75 +15% = 3.16

2. Is the 'distinctive 15 oz glass' that the 'funship special' comes in (see link) the same as the 'souvenir 15 oz hurricane glass' that the frozen exotic cocktails come in? (I have no idea)

yes

3. Is a drink coupon sufficient to buy refills of the drink of the day or a fozen exotic cocktail, think frozen margarita? (I've heard the balance is most often not charged)

yes

4. If you're one of those folks who are often charged the balance - have you ever noticed a tip of a dollar a drink made that stop happening? ;)

don't know

5. I've noticed that for the 'fun ship' - souvenir glassware and refills are only available on outer decks... Really? So you can't get refills of the fun ship, or say a frozen margarita anywhere else? And am I to assume that the 'outer decks' are outside spaces, I'm thinking Lido deck, or what?

only outer decks.... Lido, Panorama

6. Here's my formula for the equation as to whether these things are worth it... Let's use refills of the 'fun ship as an example'

 

Normal Refill: 6.75 x 1.15 (15% tip) = 7.76 per drink

Cost of Ticket: 21.25 / 4 = 5.31 per drink

Variance (Savings): 7.76 - 5.31 = 2.45 per drink

 

Is that accurate?

yes

7. What *exactly* is their current face value? I've heard 5.25 and 5.75

5.25 last time I used them, probably 5.75 now... coupon covers frozen exotic coctails

8. do you buy them? would you buy them again

yes and yes

9. would you recommend using them?

yes

10. are they more convenient?

for me: yes

[pkrchkr]

Man am I cheap( oops frugal) I have an old DOD glass at home can I use it on our cruise coming up and just get away with refill prices?:D

[pungo3]

Man am I cheap( oops frugal) I have an old DOD glass at home can I use it on our cruise coming up and just get away with refill prices?:D

I'm sure you can if you happen to have a color that they are currently using on the ship. I have pink, yellow, and clear. Do I take them? Nah, I like getting a new one or two each cruise.

[pkrchkr]

I have the clear one.But I did notice on our last cruise the color varied from bar to bar.There was yellow ones, pink ones,clear ones all going a the same time.Heck it is only a buck or two difference.so can I use a drink coupon for DOD?I ordered the highseas pack and it has 4 in it.

[CruisingCarolina]

I have used them

and will continue to use them

I think they are great way to plan and budget

[MTcruiser]

So we have several coupons for soda's and alcohol left from June, Do you think its possible to use them on a future cruise. If i remember right, they were the same color as last time...but not sure.

[kicia]

We have used the coupons from one cruise on a later cruise.

 

We have not purchased the coupons but have gotten them from our 45 day letter.

 

We usually buy two drinks with two coupons - a Bloody Mary and a glass of champagne. The Bloody Mary is less than the face value of the coupon and the champagne is more. We don't get anything back from the lesser one and have to pay the difference for the champagne. I guess we're not getting the right bar waiters.

[LynneL]

We don't get anything back from the lesser one and have to pay the difference for the champagne. I guess we're not getting the right bar waiters.

 

I encountered the same experience - never credited for less but always charged for more. I've stopped buying them - I kept forgetting to bring them with me when sitting by the pool, then where to put them when in the pool, etc. Nice as a little gift to someone but wouldn't get for myself anymore.

[CruisingCarolina]

So we have several coupons for soda's and alcohol left from June, Do you think its possible to use them on a future cruise. If i remember right, they were the same color as last time...but not sure.

 

yes there is no expiration dates on them

you can use them on your next cruise:)

[missygirl]

Where do you go to get the coupons?...any of the bars, front desk?

 

Thanks

Missygirl

[kjunea]

Where do you go to get the coupons?...any of the bars, front desk?

 

Thanks

Missygirl

 

You order them from the Bon Voyage dept on Carnival's website.

 

We use them. I carry my card in a hard case snorkel wallet around my neck and just tuck the coupons in there with it.

 

Refills the Souviner glass, no problem with a coupon. I also will tip $1 most of the time. Usually, by the end of the week, I get a free refill from a bartender that I usually use!

[chiarigirl]

Okay, i have a question. I received some drink coupons as a gift from my TA. However i dont drink alcohol. I take pain medications daily and it really would not mix well. I do like the frozen drinks, etc. Will they make them for me alcohol free. It shouldnt be a problem should it?

[falkcor]

you can get any of the frozen exotic cocktails (banana, mango, raspberry, strawberry daiquiri, dirty banana, miami vice, margarita, pina colada, mudslide, lemonade, rum runner, cappuccino) as a non-alcoholic smoothy, according the the most recent drink menu i've seen, here:

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/splendor/bar_menu.htm

 

thanks for everybody's feedback on my questions

[Ken076]

We used them once and decided they were a PITA to use; you have to carry them and keep track of them, and if the servers charge you for the difference in drink prices you still have to whip out your S&S and sign. If the servers don't charge you the difference for more expensive drinks then you probably make-out; if they do, then you come out about even. ken

[vacruizer]

I wouldn't hassle with buying the tickets. Also - if you don't drink a lot and buy drinks on happy hour specials you can get them cheaper than the coupons.

 

I got four last cruise from a 45 day letter. One of the four times I used them I got charged the difference - around $2.00. Different bartenders each time. So it's luck of the draw. You might come out ahead - you might not save anything at all.

 

They were easy to use, but I kept forgetting to take them with me when I went out around the ship. DH actually ended up using them up mostly the last sea day because we never seemed to have them with us when we wanted a drink earlier in the week.

[debster11]

Okay, i have a question. I received some drink coupons as a gift from my TA. However i dont drink alcohol. I take pain medications daily and it really would not mix well. I do like the frozen drinks, etc. Will they make them for me alcohol free. It shouldnt be a problem should it?

 

They have a whole list of alchohol free frozen drinks. You will not have a problem. Have a great cruise.

[dvdisney]

I loved the drink coupons.

We used them for our first cruise on Elation last May. My hubby was concerned that we would keep swiping the S&S and lose track of the money we were drinking away. So I surprised him with 2 cards (8 drinks total). The bad part was they weren't delivered until the first evening at dinner---so we purchased the sailaway drinks (but managed it well LOL) Then we ended up at the Capts reception and loved the whisky sours, so didn't use any that night! So we pretty much just partied the last day with them. And obviously we aren't heavy drinkers. We never had to pay anything (although we did tip). I was drinking pina coladas, and dh had rum & cokes.

The last trip we didn't get them, as we were traveling with family and figured we wouldn't be drinking much---we should have gotten them LOL.

I've already got them ordered for our trip in December on Inspiration!!

[lesley74]

I'm also appreciating this info. I cruise on 16th November and just got my cabin number, so I feel able to order these now.

 

I am likely to drink wine or a martini or frozen cocktail. My husband is more likely to drink beers. I notice the beers are under the voucher price (he might drink coors light at $3.75) but my drinks might be over the voucher price. So, for example if the voucher is $5.25, can we use 2 coupons for one $3.75 beer and one $6.75 martini - the total being $10.50 and the two couons being $10.50? Just that it would seem a shame if my husband was having an underuse on his coupon and then I was also being charged for my overuse even if the total is still withing the limit?

 

Any thoughts?

 

We're going to order a bottle of Vodka for the cabin I think, and then get soda cards. We will also probably take on some wine. Just need to decide now how many coupons we might use.

[tylerdad]

We just got off the Spirit yesterday.

The coupon has a face value of $5.25

We had some but I never seemed to have them with me for the first few days.