Real life pros and cons of getting the deluxe drink package

[R Turner]

My husband and I are going on our 10 year anniversary on Mariner of the Seas in April 2023. We are debating the Deluxe drink package. I have read the blogs and watched the youtube videos, but would love some insight from those of you who have personally used it. Give me all the opinions, the good, the bad, the ugly!!

[WAYNO]

Other than the cost, there is no ugly.  Super easy to say anywhere on the ship or on the beach at Royal Caribbean properties, "please bring me another drink". 

The only reason I'm no longer buying this package, is we get 4 drinks each per day with our Diamond status, and unlimited free drinks in the Casino.  Without these perks, I'd still be buying the drink package, and not looking back.

I don't mind the cost so much, as I know I have to pay to play.  And I make the package worthwhile.  But, as in my case, my wife doesn't drink at all, and I've had to buy drink packages for both of us.  Other folks have gotten around this requirement.  I've not been so lucky.  I still make it worthwhile. 

[Adriana]

I am all about getting the package for me for multiple reasons. I use it for fruit smoothies, teas & coffees (which I typically never drink), oodles of water, soft drinks and alcohol. I think all the water alone pays for it, haha! I like the peace that if I am at dinner and try a wine and really do not like it, I can get something else. I can get an espresso and spirit of my choice, but only have a bit of and not feel like I have to have all of it because I just shelled out $14 for it. I like trying out different special drinks and just having as much of it as I want. I really, really love the freedom and peace of it and not tallying numbers in order to stay on budget. Having said that, my next cruise, I will be going as Diamond and will have four drink vouchers each day. I still contemplated getting the package, but the price of the refreshment package was really decent and a big difference for the full package. For now, the refreshment package made more sense and if for some reason, I order more than four alcoholic drinks, out of pocket will be best as no way I will be buying like six more drinks. 

[FloatyBoaty]

I've had the Deluxe package on all of my cruises so far. I love not having to worry about what I'm drinking & how much I'm spending or having to sign a receipt each time. I start every day with a big ol' latte from Cafe Promenade, a smoothie from Vitality for lunch, get water bottles throughout the day & make sure I always have a couple available in the room as well. I can try a new cocktail (just like Adriana, above) and just not drink it if I don't like it! I never would have paid $14 for a Lavender Martini for instance. It was delicious, but for me, a too much lavender to finish. So, I just set it aside and ordered something else, no big deal! I like seeing all of the $0.00 charges on my account

That said, as mentioned above, when I hit Diamond next year, I will probably only order the Refreshment package (and save my 4 free vouchers for fun martinis) 

If you buy it, watch the price. If the price goes down return it and buy again as I'm sure you've seen mentioned if you've been checking out the videos & posts, etc.

It can definitely make your cruise a little more carefree.

 

[Adriana]

@FloatyBoaty, now I must try a lavender martini!!

[asquared17]

2 hours ago, FloatyBoaty said:

I never would have paid $14 for a Lavender Martini for instance. It was delicious, but for me, a too much lavender to finish.

where did you get a lavender martini?? this sounds amazing

[FloatyBoaty]

Lavender Martini is in the Trellis Bars in Central Park - they make it with Vodka there.

In the Schooner Bars (or the Champagne Bar on Allure) they make it with rum and call in kind of interchangeably a Lavender Martini or Lavender Daiquiri.

I generally drink vodka more but I think the rum might balance the lavender better.

[asquared17]

43 minutes ago, FloatyBoaty said:

Lavender Martini is in the Trellis Bars in Central Park - they make it with Vodka there.

In the Schooner Bars (or the Champagne Bar on Allure) they make it with rum and call in kind of interchangeably a Lavender Martini or Lavender Daiquiri.

I generally drink vodka more but I think the rum might balance the lavender better.

rum and i do not mix well so i will go for the vodka route!

a new drink to discover at the trellis bar! thank you so much for the tip!!

[GatorCruiser]

There are no downsides to the DBP, though my liver doesn’t see it that way .

[Pooch]

On the other hand here.  Having the DBP makes me order drinks I don’t actually want.  I just don’t drink enough over the whole cruise to break even.  It used to be a no brainer but last cruise, 5 drinks every day was too much for me.  I know, lightweight!  With it I drank too much, without it I won’t have as many as I might like.  I don’t drink specialty coffees or smoothies & the ships water tastes fine to me so no help there. Thankfully will be Diamond after this next cruise.

[WesKinetic]

@Pooch hit the only real downside--some people feel like they need to "get their money's worth" and constantly searching out drinks becomes a chore instead of relaxing. 

For me the big upside that a lot of people don't talk about is quality as opposed to quantity. If I'm paying by the drink, odds are I'm going to order something I know I'll like. But with the UDP, I'll try a bunch of new things. Don't like something? Dump it and get something else. No harm, no foul. I've discovered a lot of really tasty drinks that I probably otherwise would not have ordered. 

When you're debating whether or not to get it, be sure to compare prices vs. what you would otherwise get. A lot of people only look at the UDP price compared to getting nothing. But if you think you will pay for a certain number of drinks by the glass or that you like getting your specialty coffees in the morning, sometimes the price to upgrade from that to the UDP isn't as big as it first seems. 

[wordell1]

You basically need to average about 5 full price drinks a day, depending on the price you paid to break even, or a few less plus some specialty coffees, smoothies etc.

Make sure you factor in the port stops.  It may be harder to get to 5 if you are on in port on excursions all day.  For me, I easily drink 5 a day while at sea, but don't even get close on port days.  We typically bring 2 bottles of our own wine aboard also which mitigates a few of the drinks.

I have used the UDP on cruises where it was sea day intensive - especially if Coco Cay is one of the ports as the package works there.  

If you are still close in deciding, I would consider the following two arguments:

1.  Having the package means not having to worry about the price of the drink.  I tend to be cheap and the idea of ordering $13 - $14 drinks bothers me on some level, even if I know that I am ahead by not having prepaid for the package.  It also allows me to try drinks that I might not have ordered (especially at the prices!)

2. Having the package may mean that you feel like you need to "get your money's worth" and result in you drinking more than you really want to.

 

Having tried it both ways, I would lean towards buying the package if you are still torn.

[Zacharius]

I'm a big fan. I don't worry so much about "trying to get my money's worth" because I know that some days I'll drink less, some I'll drink more, and I'll also take advantage of juice at breakfast, soft drinks, a coffee each morning after my run, and bottled waters. I may try drinks I wouldn't otherwise, and at low risk - if I don't like it, get something else. I also am able to stock up on bottled waters for shore excursions, which may help offset any "not getting your money's worth on shore days" feelings. 

[mac66]

I find myself drinking way too much with the drink package (DP). One tends to order a drink just because you can instead of wanting one.  A Bloody Mary in the morning, a beer or two at lunch, a drink or two or three around the pool and/or at trivia in the afternoon, pre dinner drink(s), Two or three glasses of wine with dinner, a drink or two at the show and a nightcap. So that's 6-13 drinks a day.

It really adds up and you will become physically dependent on alcohol if you even drink half that much. 

We don't drink FO-FO drinks, bottled water, soda, or fancy coffee's so that part of the DP doesn't justify the cost.

 

 

[Done]

Since we qualified for the drink vouchers we do not get the DBP.  The cost of the DBP has also deterred us.  The highest I have ever paid for it was $53 per person, per day but those prices are long gone for the foreseeable future.

[smokeybandit]

Just make sure you will drink enough to make the package financially worth it

[Susie]

Pros: You can drink or try whatever you want to, without worry about the cost.

Cons: You will drink too much because you want to get it worth the money you paid for.

We are Diamond now so we just passed the Drink package then get the 3 night Dinning package instead.

[CruisinMikeD]

For us, the refreshment package works better, then we buy alcohol as needed.  In short, we don’t buy enough of the expensive drinks to break even on the deluxe package, so we don’t worry about buying whatever drinks we want a-la-carte.  (Long explanation below.)

We buy the refreshment package because we love coffee, smoothies, and fresh squeezed juice.  We also drink a lot of bottled water: on excursions, in the room at night, etc.  It’s a great deal for us at $23 pp/day. For alcohol, I can drink a fair amount, up to 10 in a day, but it’s not enjoyable for me to do this every day.  My lady only drinks 1-3 a day at most, just enough to feel relaxed.

I compared the cost between buying additional alcoholic drinks vs skipping the refreshment package and instead buying the deluxe drink package.  For me, I calculated that we each need to drink at minimum 5 full-priced alcoholic drinks every day to break even on the deluxe drink package.

We’re unable to buy 5 full-priced drinks each per day for our following reasons:

1.  We bring two bottles of our own wine, and we will drink these with meals.  Even if we get charged for corkage, it’s only $15 per bottle.  

2. We will try the $8-$9 drink of the day every day.  If we like it, we’ll have more than one.

3. We get mocktails included with the refreshment package, and we can spike them with an $8 shot.

4. Sometimes I prefer a beer, and that’s usually less than $10.

5. We’re not on the ship long enough on excursion days to buy enough full-priced drinks.  Sometimes our excursions include a couple of drinks, or an open bar.

6. Chef’s Table!   Do not go to the Chef’s table if you’re already buzzed - you may regret it.  Champagne is INCLUDED while waiting.  Glass of wine is INCLUDED with EACH course.  That’s 6 glasses of wine/bubbly during the experience if I remember correctly.  Last time I went, a guest was feeling “really good” when she arrived, and not so good when she made the wise choice of excusing herself from the table early to call it a night.

7. We don’t want to worry about drinking more for the sake of breaking even on the deluxe package. No need to worry about hangovers so we can be more active on the ship (flow rider, rock climbing) and on excursions.

8. If we want to get slammered… one day on our cruise is good enough for that, and usually the following day requires little to no alcohol.

Pro-tip: Boozy Shakes.  On Allure of the Seas, use your refreshment package to get a shake from Johnny Rockets, then walk over to Sabor and buy a shot from the bar.  Mix and enjoy!

[Done]

It would be nice if RC offered a hybrid Deluxe Beverage Package for those of us getting Crown and Anchor drink vouchers.  Offer a discount to purchase the DBP in exchange for the C&A drink vouchers.

[Dlove707]

I like to have as much of my vacation paid for in advance as possible so that is the biggest pro for me

[FloatyBoaty]

1 hour ago, Toby said:

It would be nice if RC offered a hybrid Deluxe Beverage Package for those of us getting Crown and Anchor drink vouchers.  Offer a discount to purchase the DBP in exchange for the C&A drink vouchers.

I was just thinking that yesterday!!! I'll be so excited to reach Diamond, but don't want to worry about whether the vouchers are being used for my coffee or having to pay for an extra drink. I absolutely appreciate that they offer the vouchers, but love the "don't have to think about it" aspect of the Deluxe Beverage Package. 

[kadmgs]

22 hours ago, Toby said:

It would be nice if RC offered a hybrid Deluxe Beverage Package for those of us getting Crown and Anchor drink vouchers.  Offer a discount to purchase the DBP in exchange for the C&A drink vouchers.

They do offer an onboard discount if your are Diamond Plus (30%) or Pinnacle (40%). However, that is onboard prices, so the pre-cruise price would probably still be better. A discount code to use for pre-cruise purchase... now, we are talking. Highly unlikely, though.  

[GoldenTimeHero]

On 10/17/2022 at 3:04 PM, Adriana said:

@FloatyBoaty, now I must try a lavender martini!!

I had the Lavender Daiquiri and it was a very interesting flavor. Not bad just different. Would order again.  

[loki007]

we always buy the DBP even though my wife probably doesn't get her moneys worth most days. I just don't want to think about it and worry about my bill at the end of the cruise. Pre-paying for the DBP is worth it for us. 

[Pooch]

And I have tried to think that way too, successfully in the past.  But it would have cost us $1400 this trip and I just feel like we’ll barely cover half of that.

[GatorCruiser]

On 10/19/2022 at 1:08 PM, Bankai said:

For us, the refreshment package works better, then we buy alcohol as needed.  In short, we don’t buy enough of the expensive drinks to break even on the deluxe package, so we don’t worry about buying whatever drinks we want a-la-carte.  (Long explanation below.)

We buy the refreshment package because we love coffee, smoothies, and fresh squeezed juice.  We also drink a lot of bottled water: on excursions, in the room at night, etc.  It’s a great deal for us at $23 pp/day. For alcohol, I can drink a fair amount, up to 10 in a day, but it’s not enjoyable for me to do this every day.  My lady only drinks 1-3 a day at most, just enough to feel relaxed.

I compared the cost between buying additional alcoholic drinks vs skipping the refreshment package and instead buying the deluxe drink package.  For me, I calculated that we each need to drink at minimum 5 full-priced alcoholic drinks every day to break even on the deluxe drink package.

We’re unable to buy 5 full-priced drinks each per day for our following reasons:

1.  We bring two bottles of our own wine, and we will drink these with meals.  Even if we get charged for corkage, it’s only $15 per bottle.  

2. We will try the $8-$9 drink of the day every day.  If we like it, we’ll have more than one.

3. We get mocktails included with the refreshment package, and we can spike them with an $8 shot.

4. Sometimes I prefer a beer, and that’s usually less than $10.

5. We’re not on the ship long enough on excursion days to buy enough full-priced drinks.  Sometimes our excursions include a couple of drinks, or an open bar.

6. Chef’s Table!   Do not go to the Chef’s table if you’re already buzzed - you may regret it.  Champagne is INCLUDED while waiting.  Glass of wine is INCLUDED with EACH course.  That’s 6 glasses of wine/bubbly during the experience if I remember correctly.  Last time I went, a guest was feeling “really good” when she arrived, and not so good when she made the wise choice of excusing herself from the table early to call it a night.

7. We don’t want to worry about drinking more for the sake of breaking even on the deluxe package. No need to worry about hangovers so we can be more active on the ship (flow rider, rock climbing) and on excursions.

8. If we want to get slammered… one day on our cruise is good enough for that, and usually the following day requires little to no alcohol.

Pro-tip: Boozy Shakes.  On Allure of the Seas, use your refreshment package to get a shake from Johnny Rockets, then walk over to Sabor and buy a shot from the bar.  Mix and enjoy!

You make some really compelling points in this post. Especially number 7 and 8. 

[mac66]

The other option is to BYOB and wine.

[karl_nj]

On 10/19/2022 at 1:08 PM, Bankai said:

For us, the refreshment package works better, then we buy alcohol as needed.  In short, we don’t buy enough of the expensive drinks to break even on the deluxe package, so we don’t worry about buying whatever drinks we want a-la-carte.  (Long explanation below.)

All excellent points, I've also had trouble making "deluxe bev package math" work. 

We like to have wine with dinner, and I've found that I enjoy some of the cheaper bottles they have onboard.  A bottle of their Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is $37.  There are 5 glasses of wine in a bottle, so that comes to $7.40 a glass.  Using $14/drink as a baseline doesn't really work there.

Even if you go a bit more expensive, maybe to the Robert Mondavi Merlot, where they charge $12/glass.   That is only $45/bottle, which is $9 a glass when you buy "in bulk"

 

[Mike T]

On 10/18/2022 at 2:18 PM, Zacharius said:

 I also am able to stock up on bottled waters for shore excursions, which may help offset any "not getting your money's worth on shore days" feelings. 

THIS!  Great tip!

[CruisinMikeD]

The Deluxe Drink Package on my cruise just dropped to $68!  Conspiracy theory: someone from Royal is on this board reading my posts and dropped the price just enough for me to break even.  They're thinking, "We're listening, here's an extra $13/day in savings for that one drink.  You know you want it, so buy the DBP... you'll love it!  Go get your drinks worry free... and come to the casino and play!"

Well played Royal.  Well played.

[AshleyDillo]

15 minutes ago, Bankai said:

They're thinking, "We're listening, here's an extra $13/day in savings for that one drink. 

That $13 ceiling has gone up to $14, as well (as did the prices of those individual $13 drinks)..so even better deal now.

[R Turner]

51 minutes ago, Bankai said:

The Deluxe Drink Package on my cruise just dropped to $68!  Conspiracy theory: someone from Royal is on this board reading my posts and dropped the price just enough for me to break even.  They're thinking, "We're listening, here's an extra $13/day in savings for that one drink.  You know you want it, so buy the DBP... you'll love it!  Go get your drinks worry free... and come to the casino and play!"

Well played Royal.  Well played.

Ours just went down too!! I was on the fence about getting it, but this thread and the sale that is happening today has convinced me to go ahead and make the purchase. 

[Templecruiser]

I was on fence since my wife and I are Diamond members. But when it hit $68 and we will be on a 8 day cruise with only 3 stops and one being Labadee, I got myself one and got the refreshment package for the wife. If she goes beyond her 4 vouchers, she then can have mine. So total cost for both wad $858 with tips. And at $14 max drink, it just under 5 drinks a day.

[mac66]

On our next cruise the drink package cost more than the cruise.  Going to have to pass.  Who'd a thunk that we'd be paying over $1,100 on booze to drink for a week and think that normal?