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Deluxe Drink Package


D Murphy

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After posting our concerns about the deluxe drink package..we called RCL once again.

Due to medical reasons..(chemo treatments) my wife cannot drink and thus being forced to buy 2 drink packages is prohibitive

We were told that she wouldn't have to buy the drink package..but WOULD have to purchase one of the other packages

The soda..water..etc..is $20/ day...Has anyone else been told the same?..

That would still bring our total to about $900 for a 12 day cruise out of Baltimore..

 

THAT IS INSANE!!!....As diamond members we expected more from RCL

 

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I saw your original post - I'm not surprised you received a different response when you called back. 

Yes, this seems typical. My mother-in-law does not drink at all, and my father-in-law was interested in purchasing an alcohol package. After discussing with Royal, they told my MIL that she would have to buy the Refreshment package if her husband bought the Deluxe drink package. 

I agree - I'm disappointed by the changes to the drink packages. However, it seems that due to the amount of people sharing the packages is basically the reason we can't have nice things. I do know many are frustrated by this policy change, but I get it to a point.

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13 minutes ago, ellcee said:

If you're a Diamond member don't you get 3 free at night? Maybe the drink package isn't worth it for you with the free drinks...just pay as you go?

+1 for this. Between that and being allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine on board, I'd hope that could cover a good amount of any alcohol-based drinking you might be doing. Then you could get 2 refreshment packages if desired, or just go with the complimentary beverages.

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51 minutes ago, D Murphy said:

We were told that she wouldn't have to buy the drink package..but WOULD have to purchase one of the other packages

The soda..water..etc..is $20/ day...Has anyone else been told the same?..

That appears to be the line these days.

 

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1 hour ago, ellcee said:

100% insane and insensitive in some cases.

If you're a Diamond member don't you get 3 free at night? Maybe the drink package isn't worth it for you with the free drinks...just pay as you go?

I've already told hubby that once we hit diamond next year, we're done with the drink package.  He doesn't drink anything so it's not worth it for us.

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Discussing medical issues with guests introduces HIPPA laws and compliance.  The real issue here is social media.  Someone figures out they can claim medical or something else and get around the policy then social media explodes with "how to circumvent the drink policy".  No company can ask for proof of medical or dig into medical details without running into HIPPA, so they are left with little choice.  The same people that created this issue by sharing the drink package are the same ones doing everything they can to circumvent the policy and cheat.  That leaves Royal with few options.  Requiring the Replenish package is a compromise.

RCI simply fell in line with NCL and Carnival who has had this policy for years.    It's hard to single out RCI and claim they are being outrageous with this policy when the other cruise lines always have had the same policy.  

My diamond status is irrelevant to the issue but honestly since achieving diamond I haven't felt inclined to buy the drink package.  A beer and frozen something each day comes to around $20.  Free drinks during diamond happy hour plus a couple drinks during the day is like having a drink package that cost $20 per day. 

On 12 night cruises I never did the drink package before making diamond - drink fatigue kicks in around day 7 for me.  Many days I only drink in the evenings so diamond happy hour is a game changer.  On a recent 9 night cruise even the diamond happy hour started into drink fatigue territory towards the end.

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Personally I don’t understand the controversy. Everyone knows the reason why they did this.  They aren’t alone. Other cruise lines have the same policy. I used to buy a pkg for myself and not my wife. Now I can’t do that. It’s their ship and MY choice. So, now I don’t get any pkgs, go a la carte, and there’s NO WAY my bar tab will be anywhere near the cost of 2 pkgs. 

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12 minutes ago, Michael Vitale said:

Personally I don’t understand the controversy. Everyone knows the reason why they did this.  They aren’t alone. Other cruise lines have the same policy. I used to buy a pkg for myself and not my wife. Now I can’t do that. It’s their ship and MY choice. So, now I don’t get any pkgs, go a la carte, and there’s NO WAY my bar tab will be anywhere near the cost of 2 pkgs. 

This is the case for myself too. My wife rarely drinks (heck she has lowered my tolerance too lol) and it was worth it for myself but not when I have to buy too. I understand it but this trip I got the refreshment package because I still can get most things and go al la carte for the liquor and it's still only 1 person needing it. We'll bring 2 bottles of wine for her and that should last her the whole cruise.

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I know it can be frustrating partially for fear of the unknown.  Some like to know the total cost of the cruise in advance and are worried about a big surprise bill at the end.   Our first measurement is to look at how many port days vs cruising days you have.  Then are those ports ones you are going to get off the ship for or not.  Finally in my spouses case when she does have a drink she just wants a glass of wine.  Since we can bring 2 bottles on we simply have the room steward deliver a couple glasses to our stateroom  and she pours a nice glass of wine to take with her to dinner or the show.  Drink fatigue sets in pretty quickly for me so even if I may exceed the first couple of days there is no way I'm going to pass the cost of 2 drink packages.  That said we moving up to a cruise on Allure this fall and we are really seeing the ship as the destination.  So we plan to spend a majority of our time on ship so we are buying the drink package.  Hope this helps

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On the Navigator last week we saw a man buy 3 drinks at different times and take it to his son (I assume) either way that is why they have to do this. We are certainly not diamond members but I bought my wife the refreshment package because she can’t drink personal reasons. I get it and have no problem our last Carnival cruise they would not even do that. 

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On 2/7/2018 at 7:38 AM, ellcee said:

If you're a Diamond member don't you get 3 free at night? Maybe the drink package isn't worth it for you with the free drinks...just pay as you go?

Plus as a Diamond you get to go to the Diamond lounge if the ship has one, but I don't drink so basically my wife gets 6 drinks per night plus the diamond lounge.

On Allure in October they didn't have the wine that my wife liked in the diamond lounge, so the Diamond Concierge found what she liked and had it in the lounge from that night forward, she got a good tip at the end of the week.

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I am struggling with the drink package.  My daughter is absolutely for getting it but I am not sure we would spend that much on alcohol and the non-alcoholic drinks we would want.  We have 2 sea days and 2 port days.  I can see spending that much (currently $50 pp) on our sea days but not sure about the port days.  It would be nice to have it all paid in advance but I'm not sure how I would feel about having it overpaid in advance.

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40 minutes ago, Pooch said:

I am struggling with the drink package.  My daughter is absolutely for getting it but I am not sure we would spend that much on alcohol and the non-alcoholic drinks we would want.  We have 2 sea days and 2 port days.  I can see spending that much (currently $50 pp) on our sea days but not sure about the port days.  It would be nice to have it all paid in advance but I'm not sure how I would feel about having it overpaid in advance.

Is this your first cruise?  Why don't you test it out and skip it this time and keep track of how much you spend and then you will know for next time if it's worth it or not.  We did not start getting the package until about 3 cruises in.  

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28 minutes ago, Pooch said:

I am struggling with the drink package.  My daughter is absolutely for getting it but I am not sure we would spend that much on alcohol and the non-alcoholic drinks we would want.  We have 2 sea days and 2 port days.  I can see spending that much (currently $50 pp) on our sea days but not sure about the port days.  It would be nice to have it all paid in advance but I'm not sure how I would feel about having it overpaid in advance.

All valid concerns.  I've cruised with a package and without.  Even on port days a mimosa in the morning, wine at dinner, cocktail in the evening, specialty coffee, bottled water to take off the ship on your excursion, it adds up pretty quickly. 

No shame in not doing it this time to see how it works out in preparation for next time.

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10 minutes ago, twangster said:

All valid concerns.  I've cruised with a package and without.  Even on port days a mimosa in the morning, wine at dinner, cocktail in the evening, specialty coffee, bottled water to take off the ship on your excursion, it adds up pretty quickly. 

No shame in not doing it this time to see how it works out in preparation for next time.

Now that I can enjoy the Diamond Lounge with my SO, I'm wondering if our beverage package should be cancelled... but then you reminded me between the mimosas, at least 6 beers he will drink at the pool, dinner drinks, and after dinner drinks.. it might be worth keeping! :3_grin:

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1 minute ago, HLWIser said:

Now that I can enjoy the Diamond Lounge with my SO, I'm wondering if our beverage package should be cancelled... but then you reminded me between the mimosas, at least 6 beers he will drink at the pool, dinner drinks, and after dinner drinks.. it might be worth keeping! :3_grin:

Diamond access is a game changer, at least when I'm solo.  Do you keep pace with him during the day? 

If you both drink 6 beers each day (plus other drinks) that's one thing.  If he drinks 6 and you drink 2 that changes the math at least for a married couple paying from the same bank account.    

There are often 10 drink cards or 10 draft beer cards offered on some cruises starting mid-cruise.  The savings amount to a few bucks per drink but perhaps those would fill in the gaps between diamond happy hours.  

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1 hour ago, Pooch said:

Ok which is it?

Mimosas from room service are NOT included in the drink package. I know it kind of defeats the purpose of ordering food in, but have one person take cards to the nearest bar and grab a round of mimosas and bring them back to the room. 

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11 hours ago, mamabdw said:

Mimosas from room service are NOT included in the drink package. I know it kind of defeats the purpose of ordering food in, but have one person take cards to the nearest bar and grab a round of mimosas and bring them back to the room. 

My bad.  Correct.  NOT for room service

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15 hours ago, HLWIser said:

 

Now that I can enjoy the Diamond Lounge with my SO, I'm wondering if our beverage package should be cancelled... but then you reminded me between the mimosas, at least 6 beers he will drink at the pool, dinner drinks, and after dinner drinks.. it might be worth keeping! :3_grin:

 

15 hours ago, twangster said:

Diamond access is a game changer, at least when I'm solo.  Do you keep pace with him during the day? 

If you both drink 6 beers each day (plus other drinks) that's one thing.  If he drinks 6 and you drink 2 that changes the math at least for a married couple paying from the same bank account.    

There are often 10 drink cards or 10 draft beer cards offered on some cruises starting mid-cruise.  The savings amount to a few bucks per drink but perhaps those would fill in the gaps between diamond happy hours.  

I think what @twangster makes a lot of sense - the diamond happy hour plus ability to carry on two bottles of wine can fill in a lot of gaps. That said, since if I'm recalling this cruise correctly - since it's you, your SO, and friends it seems like it may be worth it to hang on to the package! It's easy to say 'okay I guess I'll have one more!' when you're out with friends on vacation. 

My husband and I have said that once we hit the whole kid thing (not anytime soon!), the diamond happy hour will probably be what we lean on over a drink package (we'll hit Diamond July next year). However, we did end up getting it on our quite port heavy southern Caribbean cruise when they had it on sale for $39/pp a day. That made it pretty worth it for us - a couple glasses of wine with dinner alone would make $24, plus any bottled water/coffee/any other drinks would bring that number up.

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1 hour ago, KLAconQueso said:

My husband and I have said that once we hit the whole kid thing (not anytime soon!), the diamond happy hour will probably be what we lean on over a drink package (we'll hit Diamond July next year). However, we did end up getting it on our quite port heavy southern Caribbean cruise when they had it on sale for $39/pp a day. That made it pretty worth it for us - a couple glasses of wine with dinner alone would make $24, plus any bottled water/coffee/any other drinks would bring that number up.

Ya at $39 /pp pd is worth it for sure but not the $55 to me at least just because my wife drinks so little. 

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1 hour ago, KLAconQueso said:

My husband and I have said that once we hit the whole kid thing (not anytime soon!), the diamond happy hour will probably be what we lean on 

Haha! You are so right!  Remember you said that!  When we cruise Disney with the kids we never drink anything.  Next month, I ended up cancelling my drink package (that I got for $41/day) and just getting the refreshment because in the end I won't be doing much partying with my kiddies, so not worth it.  Life with children.....

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3 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Haha! You are so right!  Remember you said that!  When we cruise Disney with the kids we never drink anything.  Next month, I ended up cancelling my drink package (that I got for $41/day) and just getting the refreshment because in the end I won't be doing much partying with my kiddies, so not worth it.  Life with children.....

Well, for what it's worth I bought the drink package ($43/night) and fully plan to be getting myself a margarita as soon as possible after we board, as well as enjoy a couple of glasses of wine or beer with dinner each night, and a cocktail to sip during shows. And probably something fruity and umbrella-adorned while lounging by the pool or the sun deck.

Life with teenage children. They're old enough to get themselves out of whatever trouble they might get into. :10_wink: :29_smirk:

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1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

Well, for what it's worth I bought the drink package ($43/night) and fully plan to be getting myself a margarita as soon as possible after we board, as well as enjoy a couple of glasses of wine or beer with dinner each night, and a cocktail to sip during shows. And probably something fruity and umbrella-adorned while lounging by the pool or the sun deck.

Life with teenage children. They're old enough to get themselves out of whatever trouble they might get into. :10_wink: :29_smirk:

That will be a few years for me Joe.  I'm living the world of tweendom right now.

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5 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

When we cruise Disney with the kids we never drink anything

"I'm living the world of tweendom right now.", ok, that's explains your comment above. Have to maintain your calm, collected, rational demeanor.  Because after a drink or two you might be inclined to rip a tween's head off after the first or second utterance of "as if" or "whatever". :27_sunglasses:

 
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4 minutes ago, rjac said:

"I'm living the world of tweendom right now.", ok, that's explains your comment above. Have to maintain your calm, collected, rational demeanor.  Because after a drink or two you might be inclined to rip a tween's head off after the first or second utterance of "as if" or "whatever". :27_sunglasses:

 

You got it!!  It's "as if" then "whatever" followed up by "eye roll" then stomping away. 

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On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 8:00 AM, KLAconQueso said:

 

I think what @twangster makes a lot of sense - the diamond happy hour plus ability to carry on two bottles of wine can fill in a lot of gaps. That said, since if I'm recalling this cruise correctly - since it's you, your SO, and friends it seems like it may be worth it to hang on to the package! It's easy to say 'okay I guess I'll have one more!' when you're out with friends on vacation. 

My husband and I have said that once we hit the whole kid thing (not anytime soon!), the diamond happy hour will probably be what we lean on over a drink package (we'll hit Diamond July next year). However, we did end up getting it on our quite port heavy southern Caribbean cruise when they had it on sale for $39/pp a day. That made it pretty worth it for us - a couple glasses of wine with dinner alone would make $24, plus any bottled water/coffee/any other drinks would bring that number up.

Yes, you're right! Its my boyfriend, his sister, her husband, and myself. I think since we will be traveling with them, it will make sense to keep it so we can enjoy pool drinks, after dinner/ karaoke/ piano/pub bar with them without having to worry. I do think the Diamond Lounge is worth it when traveling just us two, or even with kiddos like you said - since bringing your own wine can fill in the gaps. I hate to say I am "heavy drinker", but I think I will easily hit the 5 a day breakeven point. :) Good strategy on the Diamond Happy hour once kids come along!

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I have read all the replies and agree with some and just don't understand some. The bottom line is RCL wants to make as much $ as possible. I get it..

Their bottom line does not always coincide with my bottom line..I understand their drink package requirements and their reasoning for doing so.

I do feel however..$12 a drink is prohibitive..I also feel that paying $26 a day for water and soda is excessive..The old saying that a few bad apples spoil the whole whatever..is applicable here

I feel that when RCL sees that their expectations for customer booze spending has fallen well below their break even point..changes will be made. Until then you must pay their going rate for booze...For tips...For taxes..For miscellaneous fees...and whatever else they con conjure..for the privilege of cruising. Enjoy yourselves everyone..Have one on us..Oh wait..we CAN't afford it..LOL

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On 2/8/2018 at 12:25 AM, D Murphy said:

After posting our concerns about the deluxe drink package..we called RCL once again.

Due to medical reasons..(chemo treatments) my wife cannot drink and thus being forced to buy 2 drink packages is prohibitive

We were told that she wouldn't have to buy the drink package..but WOULD have to purchase one of the other packages

The soda..water..etc..is $20/ day...Has anyone else been told the same?..

That would still bring our total to about $900 for a 12 day cruise out of Baltimore..

 

THAT IS INSANE!!!....As diamond members we expected more from RCL

 

I'm sure when RCL relaxed the beverage package policy so all adults in a cabin did not have to buy one they expected more from their customers. However and not surprisingly it was abused to the point the policy was changed back.

It was something people were happy to boast about on various forums generally justified because RCL is a big company so its okay stick it to them. Only problem with that is eventually it's the customers that do the right thing that pay the price for their behavior.  

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