Drink packages

[Superman47]

Is it worth buying one

[Bakerette]

Yes it is worth buying a drink package if you know that you are going to have 5 or more different kinds of drinks a day like mixed drinks, coffee’s from cafe promenade , water, virgin mixed drinks, sodas, and etc.

A can/glass of soda cost $3,25 each, coffee can cost $5 or more, cocktails and other types of alcoholic beverages cost  minimum of $13 per drink. The dx package is $57.99 a day, refreshment package is $26.99 a day, & the classic soda package is $8.99 a day. 

[KenCP]

If you are planning on drinking bottled water, a few cocktails, a couple wines with dinner and a drink or two during a show etc it may be worth it. Here is a great calculator that was developed and posted by @Grenadyr this may help you out.  Also look for packages when they go on sale.  They are always specials posted in your cruise planner.  You can always purchase a package them when it goes on sale cancel and rebook it.

https://connect.calcapp.net/?app=9tts3#/

[GregD]

I have always used a drink package. There is some great info here to help you decide if its worth it to you. 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-drink-package

[mcoler18]

I think its absolutely worth it, we got ours included as part of the cruise price but on our planner it is £36 ($47) a beer including the grat is about $9.50, it will pay for itself in beer alone just round the pool on the day, thats not even thinking about evenings.

[Matt]

 

[jticarruthers]

Generally yes, but definitely depends on your drinking habits (do you drink bottled water and specialty coffees, then almost certainly, if you dont then maybe not) and the type of cruise (port day intensive lessens the value if you are going to be off the ship a lot, sea day intensive increases the value since you will be spending more time onboard using the package.

[mcoler18]

Is Labadee included in the drink package?

[Rene Desmarais]

I'm Canadian and the currency conversion kills it for me.  any of the packages are too expensive.

[RWDW1204]

39 minutes ago, mcoler18 said:

Is Labadee included in the drink package?

Yes.

[DublinFC]

I think it is worth it for the peace of mind I will have when ordering drinks.  I don't want to be thinking of the cost per drink while on vacation.  Order and enjoy simple as that.  Ive bought mine for next year already.  I am hoping to get it cheaper when a cruise planner sale comes up for our sailing.  My credit card said "what are ya doing?!?!"  While I said "challenge accepted!"

[mcoler18]

1 hour ago, RWDW1204 said:

Yes.

Thats even better, on our 8 night sailing we have 3 sea days and Labadee.

[WesKinetic]

You can do the math and certainly make it work for you. But there's also a "quality vs. quantity" argument for it as well. I love the drink package because, if I'm paying by the drink, I will most likely stick with drinks I've had and know I'll like. But with the drink package, I will branch out and try new things. Worst case scenario, if I don't like something I just order something else. But I've discovered a lot of really tasty cocktails I otherwise probably wouldn't have tried without the drink package. 

[tiny260]

5 hours ago, Matt said:

 

Where's the Kraken? 

[packercruising]

Just get it and don't worry about it.  

[Marlena]

Questions for anyone who bought one on symphony or other oasis ships. The fine print when you buy says cocktails under 12 $ but most are 13 or 14. Are they included? Or do you have to pay 2 $ extra per cocktail?

[AshleyDillo]

The limit is $13 on Symphony.  Over that you would pay the difference plus the 18% gratuity.

[Bakerette]

I agree with @AshleyDillo. If the limit is $13 dollars & you order drinks that is more than the limit you would have to pay the pay the difference plus the 18%gratuity charge on the difference between the drink package limit and the price of the drink that you ordered. 

[ThyriC]

I'm a fan of the drink package.  Its more the peace of mind than trying to beat the drinking game.  I like to think of it more like "drinking insurance" than I think of it as a game of "beat the house".  Here's why.

1.  Soda costs 3.50 each.  Same with bottled water.  Do you like bottled water or do you like tap water?  Do you like tea or lemonade over soda?

2.  Specialty Coffees are in the 5 dollar range.  Do you like your coffee plain?  Or do you like a latte or other specialty coffee?  

3.  Adult beverages.  Your typical rum and coke will run you around 8 dollars.  A Lava Flow with Kraken rum will run you 13.  

Now lets add up our numbers.  You wake up, have a latte or two.  That's 10 dollars for the day thus far.  Now you go do trivia or something and have a soda.  We're up to 13.50 for the day.  Its now lunchtime.  We're on vacation so we get our day drinking on.  Lets have that lava flow.  26.50 for the day.  Lets also have a bottle of water so we dont have issues with alcohol.  we're already at 30 on the day.  Now we have a latte at midday for a little extra pep, 35 for the day.  Lets have a soda before dinner.  38.50 for the day.  Lets have a glass of wine with dinner.  45 for the day.  We go to the nightclub or to the evening show, lets have a rum and coke and dont forget that bottle of water.  56.50 for the day.  Before gratuity on the adult beverages.  You're pushing 60 dollars without the DBP and that's really not drinking heavily at all.  

And this isnt trying to challenge our alcohol tolerance in the least and we've hit a rather high number for the DBP.  Anything more than that, and you've exceeded the DBP.  That's not to say you cant have a great time having regular coffee or tea with breakfast, drinking tap water, "enhanced water" tea and lemonade throughout the day, the same with lunch and dinner, and maybe one alcoholic beverage a day to get you to 13 a day.  Then, yes, the DBP is not for you.  

But for me, I'm on vacation.  I want my frozen adult beverages.  I want my special coffees, and I need my soda to survive.  I'm not a fan of tap water on a ship.  Its definitely drinkable, I'm just not a fan of it.  Bottled for me please.  

 

[Morganno]

@ThyriC has  summed it up nicely and this is my reasoning too.

Also don't forget the ability to try several different cocktails and drinks you always wanted to try but didn't due to the price.

Lava Flows, mud slides, several different martini flavours and vodka flavors.

Sounds extravagant but you can simply order them and if you don't like them hey no problem you haven't just spent $13+tip for it so no problem just to leave it and order something else.

Also don't worry about them watering down the drinks like some all inclusive resort. On explorer of the seas we actually had to tell the bartenders to go easy on the alcohol measures the lava flow is easy to drink but it packs a punch 

 

[WannaCruise]

Great video and example above as well.

One thing from the video I didn't realize....you can purchase it on say, day 4?  I assume you just pay for the # of days you'll be using it and not charged as if you purchased it on day 1?  If so, this is a nice alternative if you want to just try it on the last day (if even an option)

[twangster]

25 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Great video and example above as well.

One thing from the video I didn't realize....you can purchase it on say, day 4?  I assume you just pay for the # of days you'll be using it and not charged as if you purchased it on day 1?  If so, this is a nice alternative if you want to just try it on the last day (if even an option)

Yes it is prorated but the last day of DX sales varies by ship (and cruise length).  If I'm toying with this approach I make a point of asking on day one when the last day for DX sales will be.  

For a 7 night cruise the last day might be day 3 on one ship and day 4 on another.  Ask early.  

[WannaCruise]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

Yes it is prorated but the last day of DX sales varies by ship (and cruise length).  If I'm toying with this approach I make a point of asking on day one when the last day for DX sales will be.  

For a 7 night cruise the last day might be day 3 on one ship and day 4 on another.  Ask early.  

Got it.  So you can't just say I'll buy it on day 6. They will set that final day when you can purchase it.  Thanks for explaining.

[twangster]

9 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Got it.  So you can't just say I'll buy it on day 6. They will set that final day when you can purchase it.  Thanks for explaining.

By day 6 it's more common to see a 10 drink card available but that too is variable.  Some ships don't ever offer the drink card.  

I've never seen DX still sold on day 6 of a 7 night cruise.  With a sea day common towards the end of a cruise that would skew the price model for the DX package.  Pricing takes into account people will drink more on some days and less on others.  That is averaged and factored into the price model. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

21 minutes ago, twangster said:

For a 7 night cruise the last day might be day 3 on one ship and day 4 on another.  Ask early.  

@WannaCruise I recently just learned this too on the Anthem GC.  A fellow cruiser did not purchase the package pre-cruise and decided on Day 4 that he wanted to purchase it.  They needed to get special permission for doing so as they said the cut off was Day 3.  In the end it was not a problem but like @twangster said, ask early.

[twangster]

1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

@WannaCruise I recently just learned this too on the Anthem GC.  A fellow cruiser did not purchase the package pre-cruise and decided on Day 4 that he wanted to purchase it.  They needed to get special permission for doing so as they said the cut off was Day 3.  In the end it was not a problem but like @twangster said, ask early.

That was a 9 night cruise right?  Just goes to show how this varies by ship.  

[Lovetocruise2002]

33 minutes ago, twangster said:

That was a 9 night cruise right?  Just goes to show how this varies by ship.  

Yes.  There was actually quite a bit of talk afterwards about that among a few of us.  Quite a few of us were surprised that the cut off wasn't later since it was a 9 night.

[WannaCruise]

36 minutes ago, twangster said:

By day 6 it's more common to see a 10 drink card available but that too is variable.  Some ships don't ever offer the drink card.  

I've never seen DX still sold on day 6 of a 7 night cruise.  With a sea day common towards the end of a cruise that would skew the price model for the DX package.  Pricing takes into account people will drink more on some days and less on others.  That is averaged and factored into the price model. 

That's what we're hoping for on our Adventure cruise later this year (kids aren't with us on that one).  We had the 10 drink card on Symphony on night 4 (I think) which worked out great.  Adventure is a 6 nigher though so not sure whether they'll offer the drink card, and sounds unlikely they'll sell the drink package mid cruise from your comment.

[BunnyHutt]

Whether it’s a “deal” or not depends on how much consume of any particular type of beverage. I like having the sunk cost taken care of so I’m not worried about the onboard statement. 

When we sailed as a family a few years ago we all had the Refreshment Package and my husband and I purchased “adult beverages” a la carte. Could count on one hand the number of drinks we had over the course of 7 days. When I sailed with a girlfriend earlier this month we splurged and got the Deluxe pkg, using OBC to offset some of the cost. Neither of us are big drinkers, but over the course of the day - and when you factor in bottled water - we absolutely got our money’s worth. And, even if we didn’t, it was nice to order something without worrying about the cost. 

[BTE]

It depends on the price you pay for the deluxe package vs what you intend to drink. I think it's worth it if you purchase the package for as cheap as you can get it. I paid $42 in Jan but costing me $47 in Aug.

[BTE]

Also saw this in another post

 

You can use this great drink calculator developed by @Grenadyr to see if a drink package would be beneficial.

[FloridaCruiseGirl1210]

On 7/18/2019 at 11:18 AM, mcoler18 said:

Thats even better, on our 8 night sailing we have 3 sea days and Labadee.

Same here! What sailing are you going on? 

We have 4 port days including Labadee (though we don't get to PR til 1pm so I'm sure I can make some damage to the drink package that day). 

[FloridaCruiseGirl1210]

Question to those DX consumers @Matt @twangster and whomever else I'm forgetting. 

I thought i saw on Mariner that at Cafe Promenade the speciality drinks are a certain price with flavor shots being $0.50 each, does the drink package include those? I like my coffee with vanilla or caramel syrup (or creamer) so I would prefer to know ahead a time opposed to finding $8/$10 in syrup charges on my account at the end and being VERY confused...

[AshleyDillo]

23 minutes ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

Question to those DX consumers @Matt @twangster and whomever else I'm forgetting. 

I thought i saw on Mariner that at Cafe Promenade the speciality drinks are a certain price with flavor shots being $0.50 each, does the drink package include those? I like my coffee with vanilla or caramel syrup (or creamer) so I would prefer to know ahead a time opposed to finding $8/$10 in syrup charges on my account at the end and being VERY confused...

Yes..it will include all the drink shots you want..might be capped at a $13 drink price, though.

[mcoler18]

9 hours ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

Same here! What sailing are you going on? 

We have 4 port days including Labadee (though we don't get to PR til 1pm so I'm sure I can make some damage to the drink package that day). 

Same as you, 26/10/19

[YOLO]

@KenCP  So how is it possible to cancel an existing Cruise Planner purchase and re-book it?  Do I need to call RCCL directly to do that?  This sounds easy in theory, but hard in practice...

 

[Skid]

7 minutes ago, YOLO said:

So how is it possible to cancel an existing Cruise Planner purchase and re-book it?  Do I need to call RCCL directly to do that?  This sounds easy in theory, but hard in practice...

 

It is actually very easy. Go on cruise planner. At the top click on order history. Open the particular order you want and click cancel. Then just order again. Refund will be to original form of payment and will take a few days. If you had bought it using on board credit, that OBC will show in your account immediately so you can then use it for the new purchase. I have done it several times.

Of course, you can call also if you prefer.

[YOLO]

42 minutes ago, Skid said:

It is actually very easy. Go on cruise planner. At the top click on order history. Open the particular order you want and click cancel. Then just order again. Refund will be to original form of payment and will take a few days. If you had bought it using on board credit, that OBC will show in your account immediately so you can then use it for the new purchase. I have done it several times.

Of course, you can call also if you prefer.

Skid, thanks for this info!  Not sure why, but I never noticed the 'ORDER HISTORY'  link before.  My eyes always go right to the 'CART'.  I have been waiting for prices to go down before purchasing, but with this info, I will book now and then keep looking for a price drop.  No, my preference would be to do this directly on the website and to not have to call.  This is great.  Thanks Again...

[FloridaCruiseGirl1210]

2 hours ago, mcoler18 said:

Same as you, 26/10/19

YAY! How excited are you? 

Feel free to DM me! Also are you on the FB group?

[pezgirl]

1 hour ago, YOLO said:

Skid, thanks for this info!  Not sure why, but I never noticed the 'ORDER HISTORY'  link before.  My eyes always go right to the 'CART'.  I have been waiting for prices to go down before purchasing, but with this info, I will book now and then keep looking for a price drop.  No, my preference would be to do this directly on the website and to not have to call.  This is great.  Thanks Again...

This took me forever to figure it out as well.   It is really easy once you know where to look.