Drink packages increase for 2019/2020 sailings

[Chanda 0]

When did the drink packages go up in price? ☹️

For the deluxe package: Onboard pricing is currently  $63.00 - $89.00/per day for 2019-2020 sailings.

Refreshment package: Onboard pricing is currently $29.00 - $38.00/per day for 2019-2020 sailings.

Classic soda package: Onboard pricing is currently $12.99 - $15.00/per day for 2019-2020 sailings.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/beverage-packages

[YOLO 337]

This varies from cruise to cruise.  For my booked cruises:

Anthem on 191021 the DBP is $51 pppd.    (Refresh $26 and Soda $8.99)

Harmony on 201101 the DBP is $65 pppd.  (Refresh $28 and Soda $8.99)

[mattymay 173]

Deluxe Beverage Package is no longer worth it. I've tried but I simply cannot get through $90 worth of alcohol a day for 7 days straight anymore!

[monctonguy 1,336]

Its over $100 in CAD.....in some cases close to double the cost of the cruise...insane....but Royal will continue to raise prices on everything they can to max profits....I just cant wait till they reach the break point and have to start cutting pricing to keep and attract customers....its going to happen.....just a matter of time...they are going to price themselves out of the middle class.......

[Matt 8,859]

5 hours ago, Chanda said:

When did the drink packages go up in price? ☹️

Announced late last year: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/10/15/royal-caribbean-posts-2019-drink-package-pricing

[JLMoran 5,482]

55 minutes ago, Matt said:

Announced late last year: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/10/15/royal-caribbean-posts-2019-drink-package-pricing

That doesn't explain the price spike a number of us have seen for our upcoming late 2019 or 2020 sailings. I'm really hoping these current calculated on-board prices of ~$81/night are just a glitch and not anything permanent going forward.

Curious to know, do you have any similar articles about package price increases before that one from last year? Might give an idea of how often they've bumped the on-board price in the past and whether this might be a real, permanent bump.

[marti314 482]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Announced late last year: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/10/15/royal-caribbean-posts-2019-drink-package-pricing

This new pricing is in addition to what they posted last year, this time upwards of 30% increase in some cases.  With gratuity 83.00 a day for a Jan 2020 sailing.  

But Wait, if they make each drink 19.95 its only 4 drinks to break even!  The Math always works! 

[Chanda 0]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Announced late last year: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/10/15/royal-caribbean-posts-2019-drink-package-pricing

Announced late last year: DBP $63-$79, now $63-$89. Refresh prior $29, now $29-$38. Soda prior $12.99, now $12.99-$15. 

How often do prices increase? Does it increase every year? Twice a year? 

I just saw the key program on my cruise planner for Harmony of the Seas April 2020. It's 50.53CAD, for a family of 4, probably not worth it either just like the new prices for the drink packages. 

[Susie 213]

🤔 Really simple solution. Don't buy anything extra except you think it worth it. 

[Matt 8,859]

2 hours ago, marti314 said:

With gratuity 83.00 a day for a Jan 2020 sailing.  

That's in Australia Dollars, not US.

My Brilliance Jan 2020 sailing shows UDP for $65 per person

[marti314 482]

Unfortunately this is USD.  69 + 12.42 grat = 81.42 per day USD.  If the onboard was really 69 + 20% this puts the On board price at 83.00 + 18% = 98.00 per day.

I feel like that 50 ish dollars per day price (now that it requires you the other person in your cabin to purchase) was that breaking point.  Women typically can not or do not drink as much as men so this just becomes almost impossible to justify.

[marti314 482]

I am beginning to wonder if we are being TRICKED into thinking that pre-cruise purchases are always cheaper.  Boarding day on Liberty last week had this.  Obviously the math comes out to be 49.50 a day per person and it never ever went below 52 a day on the cruise planner throughout all the sales.  Yes they did remove this offer after day 1

[VinceC 94]

I just got off the Allure and I think the Boarding day prices were lower than everything that I have seen in the Cruise Planner.   Can this really be possible?  are we getting shammed into pre-purchasing or is this just a rare occurrence?

[WAAAYTOOO 8,506]

This is the second such posting I have read today.  Maybe things are changing !!

[DublinFC 262]

This is something to keep an eye on.  has anyone who was recently on a cruise noticed the drink cards being sold?  I am wondering if holding out for them on a 7 day sailing would be worth it? 

 

[Yo2slick 88]

1 hour ago, marti314 said:

I am beginning to wonder if we are being TRICKED into thinking that pre-cruise purchases are always cheaper.  Boarding day on Liberty last week had this.  Obviously the math comes out to be 49.50 a day per person and it never ever went below 52 a day on the cruise planner throughout all the sales.  Yes they did remove this offer after day 1

Our Liberty sailing has been on sale for 46 per day for end of August.  How weird.

[marti314 482]

1 hour ago, Yo2slick said:

Our Liberty sailing has been on sale for 46 per day for end of August.  How weird.

I think thats expected since I am guessing that sailing was rather inexpensive meaning they are trying to get any revenue they can.

[cobra614 58]

I booked our first cruise ever for this past July last December,  watched the cruise planner almost every day and bought the key for $19.99 and the deluxe beverage package for $49 plus gratuities on Symphony.  I just booked a May 2020 cruise today on harmony today (thanks Stehpanie from MEI) and the key is $37.99 and the deluxe beverage package is $65 before gratuities.  No way I'll pay those prices, so I will be stalking the cruise planner for sure.

[OrlandoC 42]

I think most of the prices being shown are near full price. Royal just came off that week long planner sale at the start of August so not many people are getting the low rates right now. For example my October Mariner 4 night went up from $49 during the sale to $65 now. They didn't jack up the regular price this week. It is just not being discounted. 

If your sailing is still far out keep looking for the price to drop again. It likely will. 

[VinceC 94]

4 hours ago, marti314 said:

I am beginning to wonder if we are being TRICKED into thinking that pre-cruise purchases are always cheaper.  Boarding day on Liberty last week had this.  Obviously the math comes out to be 49.50 a day per person and it never ever went below 52 a day on the cruise planner throughout all the sales.  Yes they did remove this offer after day 1

I just came off the Allure and this was the Boarding Day deal, $490 for 1st and 1/2 off 2nd ($245) totaling $735 for 2 persons.

$367.50/person and $52.50/day/person.  Are we getting ripped off?

[lkg276 13]

They seem to be recouping the $18.00 mistake by raising the upcoming cruises. Just a thought......

[OrlandoC 42]

26 minutes ago, VinceC said:

I just came off the Allure and this was the Boarding Day deal, $490 for 1st and 1/2 off 2nd ($245) totaling $735 for 2 persons.

$367.50/person and $52.50/day/person.  Are we getting ripped off?

That seems like a fair deal to me. The Liberty has the $12 drinks vs the $13 on the Allure so the packages are comparable in price. Its around the amount you can get from the Cruise Planner if you watch for the biggest price drops.

Reading between the lines, I think these Day 1 BOGO deals are a result of poor sales after they raised the on-board prices at the start of 2019. All the sales people they have wandering around the port and ships trying to sell packages were probably getting laughed out of the room when they said it was $70-$90+ per person per day. There was probably a huge drop in those purchases so instead of admitting defeat and lowering the package to 2018 levels they now have "One Day ONLY!" sales on board comparable to the Cruise Planner sales.

 

[cobra614 58]

31 minutes ago, VinceC said:

I just came off the Allure and this was the Boarding Day deal, $490 for 1st and 1/2 off 2nd ($245) totaling $735 for 2 persons.

$367.50/person and $52.50/day/person.  Are we getting ripped off?

If this is before gratuities  than I paid less at $49.00 A day per person on my July Symphony cruise.

[CoupleOfCruisers 53]

6 hours ago, marti314 said:

Unfortunately this is USD.  69 + 12.42 grat = 81.42 per day USD.  If the onboard was really 69 + 20% this puts the On board price at 83.00 + 18% = 98.00 per day.

I feel like that 50 ish dollars per day price (now that it requires you the other person in your cabin to purchase) was that breaking point.  Women typically can not or do not drink as much as men so this just becomes almost impossible to justify.

I’m a little confused are gratuities included in posted price of $69? If not do you pay when buy the package or per drink once on ship? 

[WAAAYTOOO 8,506]

The price that is posted on the website is the “base” price for the UDP. On top of that you must prepay the 18% gratuity.  Once you pay the full price (base + gratuity) you are fully paid. If you purchase drinks one at a time (no package) you will pay the cost of the drink + 18% gratuity.