Gears Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 So here's the subject line from the e-mail verbatim: EXCLUSIVE! It's a special announcement for you: Save big before you board. The Deluxe Beverage Package is priced $3 more than it was last week (when it was $47). Aren't I special! Nothing else has changed...but it's EXCLUSIVE!. SMH...RE LetsTryThisPlace 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted January 29, 2018 Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 1 hour ago, Gears said: So here's the subject line from the e-mail verbatim: EXCLUSIVE! It's a special announcement for you: Save big before you board. The Deluxe Beverage Package is priced $3 more than it was last week (when it was $47). Aren't I special! Nothing else has changed...but it's EXCLUSIVE!. SMH...RE Prices are going up in 2018. Don't be surprised if its $65 on board. It varies by ship from $57 on board to as high as $65 on board in 2018 as reported so far (in $USD). The sky is the limit, so it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWC Posted January 30, 2018 Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 My wife and I are considering trying a different approach to this. This is our first RCI cruise as we're coming from Disney - which has no such packages. Given that everything in addition to alcohol is included in the deluxe package, we think it *might* be a good option - but we don't know. My wife likes the premium coffees, wine at dinner, and an occasional tequila. I'd like the juices, coffees, and I can be talked into good mixed drinks. Neither of us are beer drinkers (much) and we'd both drink a lot of bottled water. When we consider adding all the things we will likely drink in total besides alcohol, it would probably be close for us, except on the days when we leave the ship. The cruise we're doing later this year is a 7-night on the Allure with 4 ports of call, two of which we plan to explore, so there are two days where things get iffy. I got a $200 OBC for booking a junior suite. We are considering just adding $500 to our OBC, so for a total of what the drink package will cost for both, and then do a la carte for the whole trip and see where we land. At least that way we'll know the next time. Really when I think about the drink package - I am saving absolutely *nothing* on each drink, they are still the same price. I can get all the bottled water we'd consume for about $10/day. We only start saving when we can (and want to...) consume more than $55/59 day besides what is complimentary, x2 for both in the stateroom. Realistically, I don't see us consuming $100/day EVERY day on premium beverages even if we do a la carte. We might go over some days, but also be way under on others. Obviously this adds the extra hassle of checking the OBC account which takes some of the fun and adventure out of cruising, but on the other hand I find it as much of a hassle to keep track of how many drinks I've had and then force myself to have two drinks I don't really feel like having just to get my "money's worth". To each their own - we're gonna budget $700, take two bottles of wine with us, order a 24-pack of water and see what happens. If we do go over, well, then we're willing to say we were idiots and worse alcoholics than we thought, and we'll know next time. I have a feeling anything extra will be targeted toward wife @ spa so I'm not figuring on coming out with a surplus anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetsTryThisPlace Posted January 30, 2018 Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 8 minutes ago, HWC said: My wife and I are considering trying a different approach to this. This is our first RCI cruise as we're coming from Disney - which has no such packages. Given that everything in addition to alcohol is included in the deluxe package, we think it *might* be a good option - but we don't know. My wife likes the premium coffees, wine at dinner, and an occasional tequila. I'd like the juices, coffees, and I can be talked into good mixed drinks. Neither of us are beer drinkers (much) and we'd both drink a lot of bottled water. When we consider adding all the things we will likely drink in total besides alcohol, it would probably be close for us, except on the days when we leave the ship. The cruise we're doing later this year is a 7-night on the Allure with 4 ports of call, two of which we plan to explore, so there are two days where things get iffy. I got a $200 OBC for booking a junior suite. We are considering just adding $500 to our OBC, so for a total of what the drink package will cost for both, and then do a la carte for the whole trip and see where we land. At least that way we'll know the next time. Really when I think about the drink package - I am saving absolutely *nothing* on each drink, they are still the same price. I can get all the bottled water we'd consume for about $10/day. We only start saving when we can (and want to...) consume more than $55/59 day besides what is complimentary, x2 for both in the stateroom. Realistically, I don't see us consuming $100/day EVERY day on premium beverages even if we do a la carte. We might go over some days, but also be way under on others. Obviously this adds the extra hassle of checking the OBC account which takes some of the fun and adventure out of cruising, but on the other hand I find it as much of a hassle to keep track of how many drinks I've had and then force myself to have two drinks I don't really feel like having just to get my "money's worth". To each their own - we're gonna budget $700, take two bottles of wine with us, order a 24-pack of water and see what happens. If we do go over, well, then we're willing to say we were idiots and worse alcoholics than we thought, and we'll know next time. I have a feeling anything extra will be targeted toward wife @ spa so I'm not figuring on coming out with a surplus anyway The other option is like what I am doing and get the refreshment package. I am planning to get the refreshment package for my self as my wife tries to avoid sugary drinks and might only have wine here and there (so bringing out 2 on) and I plan to pay for the "shot" for my mixed drink. We don't drink as much as we used (well at least as much as I used too pre-marriage lol) so I cant justify the deluxe package but I can justify enough for the refreshment package and got it on the last sale and saved 30% so it was a no-brainer for me. I will be posting how hard it is to get them to add my boose at al-le-carte. This might be an option for you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWC Posted January 30, 2018 Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 1 hour ago, LetsTryThisTech said: The other option is like what I am doing and get the refreshment package. I am planning to get the refreshment package for my self as my wife tries to avoid sugary drinks and might only have wine here and there (so bringing out 2 on) and I plan to pay for the "shot" for my mixed drink. We don't drink as much as we used (well at least as much as I used too pre-marriage lol) so I cant justify the deluxe package but I can justify enough for the refreshment package and got it on the last sale and saved 30% so it was a no-brainer for me. I will be posting how hard it is to get them to add my boose at al-le-carte. This might be an option for you too. Yep that's another good plan but that one doesn't really work for us either. We rarely ever drink sugary stuff outside of sweet tea and if I ever do, never coke products. I'm in the Pepsi camp - yea I know, the minority.... Maybe I should ask a question here based on your statement about a la carte drinks - on Disney whatever we ordered from any bar or stand showed up on our OB account because they just scanned our card, and we paid any balance at the end. Is it more complicated than that on RC - because if so then I'm rethinking the package? Disney's stateroom prices have kinda gotten out of control so that's why we're trying RCI. Disney's price for a common stateroom with a verandah is currently about the same as an RCI Allure Junior Suite (which is 100 sq ft larger) and with each of us having the deluxe drink package - go figure. However, I will say after digging into Royal's packages, Disney does make eating and drinking a lot less complicated. Everything on the ship is complimentary with the fare except for one dining room requiring reservations and alcohol. Everything else, any non-alcoholic drinks, juices, coffees, soft serve IC, all included and you just don't have to think about it. Plus they also allow two bottles of wine in a carry-on during embarkation - last time we went it was PER PERSON not per stateroom like RCI . My wife was all set for the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetsTryThisPlace Posted January 30, 2018 Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 2 minutes ago, HWC said: on Disney whatever we ordered from any bar or stand showed up on our OB account because they just scanned our card, and we paid any balance at the end. Will be the same on pretty much all cruise lines. You connect a card to your account at the beginning and it will all process at the end of the cruise so you don't need to do anything unless you have to change something like, for example, your card gets compromised at a port (rare but has happened so always be careful) and you need to use a different one, you will need to go to customer service but that's the only thing really. That or something seems wrong to you on charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWC Posted January 30, 2018 Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 Thanks for confirming that, makes it easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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