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Paying for Drinks without the drink package


Dano

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Hi,

Leaving in a week on Oasis of the seas.  I am not a big drinker and know I would just fall under the minium amount I would have to break even If I got the deluxe drink package. That said I don't like to wait for a drink when I order one.  How are the drinks paid for if I don't get the package?  Do they use the Card on file with the sea pass and you just present that, much like you do with the drink package?   or is there the normal way of using a credit card or cash?  Also when you pay per drink do they automatically add 18% gratiutity.  Thank you in advance for responses. 

Dan

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The drinks will show up in your onboard folio, and sometimes when the bars are super busy they don't give you a paper receipt to sign.  Before they had the drink packages (way back when) we had to check the folio before the last day to hopefully make sure that everything was in check.  

 The deluxe drink package also includes fresh OJ, and bottle water it is not just booze...

 

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5 hours ago, Dano said:

That said I don't like to wait for a drink when I order one.  How are the drinks paid for if I don't get the package?  Do they use the Card on file with the sea pass and you just present that, much like you do with the drink package?   or is there the normal way of using a credit card or cash?  Also when you pay per drink do they automatically add 18% gratiutity.  Thank you in advance for responses. 

Dan

My recent experience:  mid/end of June on Oasis of the Seas.
Schooner Bar:    I found that if I sat down in the Schooner bar area and ordered from the waitstaff the time til I got my drink had been long as opposed to going to the bar and ordering a drink.   It could be the ship I was on was still  understaffed  while the #'s aboard had increased  I know the staffing has been increasing so this problem should solve fairly quickly.   Some of the waitstaff take A LOT of drink orders and they are filled elsewhere. 
Solarium Hot tub  The hot tub area was the same, long wait times.....at times I felt trapped waiting for my drink that seemed to never arrive and I was now ready to dry off and move on but they had my seapass card!  Other times, the drinks arrived fairly quickly (under 10 minutes)  Again, the bar near the solarium had some lines, but it seemed to me it would have been quicker to get out, go order drinks and then go back to the hot tub with them. 
Lime and Coconut-side bar (there are 3 Lime and Coconut)  I learned to order a drink at Lime and Coconut (no line typically) when heading to the Solarium, then my next drink order could be placed while I had a fresh one in my hand!
Casino= The wait at the casino bar could be long at times  and other times, they had a 3rd bartender and things went quickly.  The waitstaff that came around to the gambling tables was scarce, in which case alert the dealer who gets the pit boss, who gets the server.  Even then, the server seemed to take at least 15-20 minutes to bring a drink and if you asked for a bottle of water with it, the server would typically forget it.  Mind you, the server knew me, knew my drink order but just seemed to forget water on a regular basis.  Slot machine, for the one machine I liked the server never came around, funny enough when the casino host was chatting 2 machines down I was finally able to catch a servers eye and my order and taken and delivered quite quickly.  (on same ship played slots in October and the service was much quicker)
Globe and Atlas? (Promenade)-drink service was pretty good.  By that I mean I wasn't looking over my shoulder to see if the server got lost so order to delivery time was reasonable. My son at times would run across to the Sorrento's Pizza and get a drink there-there never seemed to be anyone waiting for drinks there (type of beverage is limited at Sorrento)

Adventure of the Sea-end of May
Casino-never sat long enough at the table to order a drink 🙄  The waitstaff came around for drink orders quickly at  the slot machines and returned fairly quickly.
The Bar on the Promenade had quick service.  The bartender was super nice, she recalled my son from the hot tub area and made him a drink (he had no drink package and I gave him one of my free Diamond drinks) that would have knocked anyone's socks off.  
I did not utilize the hot tub/pool area, so I cannot comment.

There is no way for waitstaff to know before they get to you if you have a drink package or not ....they will know once they see your seapass card.  Those with a drink package have it noted on their card (and it comes up in the computer).

The seapass card is your form of payment (they put a credit/debit card on file).  When you do not have a drink package the gratuity is automatically added to your drink bill and there is an opportunity to add an additional tip, if you care to.  If I am not adding an additional tip to my receipt I write CASH or NONE.  Check your account daily/every other day, in the event of a misbilled item.  It's not often, but it does happen.
 

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just off Oasis yesterday.  6180 passengers we were told.  I didn't find the wait (if any) to be long at the bars.  I am one to walk up and order, rather than wait for a roaming server.  We are not real late night people, so not sure how busy the clubs are after 10.  I will say the main dining room seemed short staffed though.  First night was a disaster, but by the time the second formal night came it was a well oiled machine, and you could easily notice the hustle in everyone's steps.  

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Currently in the pre-planning stages for our first cruise next year..how much are individual drinks onboard (beers, mixed drinks)? I'm just curious how many drinks per day would make the deluxe package worthwhile vs the "refreshment package"? Thanks!

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@2beagle

It all depends on the  price of the drink package, and it seems to me no rhyme no reason for the prices - I have seen prices from the mid $ 40's upwards to $ 90's for the Deluxe drinking package.  Take the total cost, add 18% gratuities and divide by days.  Figure beers are around $ 8, and mix drinks are a tad bit more $$.  The last cruise we were on RC made money on us, the cruise before that RC "lost", we over drank...

Also welcome to the boards! 

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2 hours ago, 2beagle said:

Currently in the pre-planning stages for our first cruise next year..how much are individual drinks onboard (beers, mixed drinks)? I'm just curious how many drinks per day would make the deluxe package worthwhile vs the "refreshment package"? Thanks!

Currently prices including gratuities is beer $8 to 9 each.  Mixed drinks $15 if your willing to only drink the daily special $12.

Irellivent of the package price a good figure for calculation is 6 to 8 drinks a day.  You can pad that a little by figuring 2 specialty coffees or fresh squeezed OJ as one mixed drink.

Just know also that 7 days of drinking every day can be overwhelming if you don't normally drink like that.

Back when we first started cruising we did the packages and pretty much broke even or a little ahead.  That ended when we hit Diamond status as we could use the lounge in the evenings.  Now with the coupons its buy a drink when we need to.

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3 hours ago, 2beagle said:

Currently in the pre-planning stages for our first cruise next year..how much are individual drinks onboard (beers, mixed drinks)? I'm just curious how many drinks per day would make the deluxe package worthwhile vs the "refreshment package"? Thanks!

8-9 for beer

10-11 for a basic drink, think jack and coke

13 for fancy, think Kraken Colada; Miami Vice

all prices pre tip (18%) from Oasis last week

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On 7/16/2022 at 1:59 PM, Qeytondude said:

just off Oasis yesterday.  6180 passengers we were told.  I didn't find the wait (if any) to be long at the bars.  I am one to walk up and order, rather than wait for a roaming server.  We are not real late night people, so not sure how busy the clubs are after 10.  I will say the main dining room seemed short staffed though.  First night was a disaster, but by the time the second formal night came it was a well oiled machine, and you could easily notice the hustle in everyone's steps.  

I guess we were on the same ship, I was at 11207.  Yea, the first nite was disaster, I ordered my beer and 30 mins still haven't arrived, I check with my waiter, and he said the bar was backup due to first nite and short staff.  The beer was $9.43 per bottle.  The assistant waiter was no where to be find on the first 3 nites  The 4th nite, we got a new assistant waiter, much better..

Drinks is not cheap, Unless you gamble a lot.  Once you hit Prime, drinks are on the house at casino.  On the 5th nite, I hit Prime, so the rest of the trip.  Drinks were on casino.  Of course dinner I still order beer, which is not bad. 

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  • 3 months later...
3 hours ago, GoodRat said:

How much is the "Drink of the Day"

From: 

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

Dated 10/11/2022

Drink Price
Beer $7.49 (American); $7.99 (Import)
Glass of wine $9.00 - $25.00
Bottled water $2.25
Cocktail $10.00 - 14.00
Hard Cider $7.25 - $7.99
Can of Soda $3.25
Drink of the Day $8.00
Latte $4.25
Bottle of water (500 ml) $3.25
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On 7/18/2022 at 5:40 PM, Qeytondude said:

8-9 for beer

10-11 for a basic drink, think jack and coke

13 for fancy, think Kraken Colada; Miami Vice

all prices pre tip (18%) from Oasis last week

The "fancy" cocktails are now all $14 (on the Voyager last week). Drink of the day $11.  Wine, I think $11. Mimosa and Bloody Mary were both $11 at breakfast. Can of soda was $3.50. 

Again, all pre-tip

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