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My view on drinks package


poider

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prior to cruising my wife and I were debating the drinks packages, were they worth it?

I do not drink a lot at home but can tend to drink a few with company, my wife drinks more than I do but even she is not the heaviest drinker, so we decided to get the premium package rather than have to worry about hefty cruise card bills.

We both drank enough to justify the package, so we go our money's worth.

we both agree now, however that if we didn't have a package we would not have drank anywhere near as much.

We have agreed that on our next cruise we will just buy the soft drink package if any and buy a couple of beers or whatever with meals

Peter

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I've always come to the same conclusion Peter but my upcoming Quantum of the Seas cruise is 8-nights, with 6 sea days and one day at Labadee.  Plus, no wife or kids so I feel like the drink package might actually be worth it but then again, would I be drinking for the sake of drinking?

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Near the end of my last cruise, I felt that I was drinking for the sake of drinking on the Royal Replenish package just to ensure I got the value out of the package. However, it was also nice to have it prepaid and not have to worry about the cost. Despite this, I am considering it for our European cruise simply because the cost of buying soda in port is so much more expensive. Plus, I do like my specialty coffee and couldn't justify having more than one per day if buying a la carte.

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I would like to not worry about price as well, but since I would have to get the highest tier to ensure getting all of whats in the replenish package I would have to drink ALOT I'm afraid. I can see myself drinking 3ish mixed drinks a day leaving up to a 14/day gap. I suppose if I didn't eat so much in the Windjammer the first half of the day I might actually have room for more drinks haha.

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Near the end of my last cruise, I felt that I was drinking for the sake of drinking on the Royal Replenish package just to ensure I got the value out of the package.

That's my fear.  I think I will give it a day or two to see how I'm doing before opting for a package.  Regardless of if my wife is there or not, 6-7 drinks per day is a lot over the course of a week.

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  • 5 weeks later...

So, can you actually let a couple of days elapse and THEN decide to take the package ? Will they reimburse you for the drinks you purchased prior to purchasing the package ? Not sure I understand that rationale unless they will pay you back for what you have already spent.

 

I definitely do NOT purchase the drink packages. I guess the main reason is b/c I just don't drink that much...but combine that with the fact that I drink for free in the Casino (Club Royale perk) and that is where I spend most of my time and I guess it makes sense.

 

There might be a day or 2 out of 7 that a drink package would pay for itself package but there is no way that I can drink enough every day over a 7 day period to make it profitable...especially when you have to get up early on port days and get off the ship. I would be hung over every port day (and every sea day too, I guess !!!) and that would truly suck.

 

It seems to me that RCI is trying to push folks towards the packages by making individual drinks outrageously expensive...and maybe that will work. What is amusing, to me, is the fact that RCI was one of the LAST cruise lines to even adopt the drink packages...and now they're practically making them mandatory. Go figure.

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So, can you actually let a couple of days elapse and THEN decide to take the package ? Will they reimburse you for the drinks you purchased prior to purchasing the package ? Not sure I understand that rationale unless they will pay you back for what you have already spent.

 

I definitely do NOT purchase the drink packages. I guess the main reason is b/c I just don't drink that much...but combine that with the fact that I drink for free in the Casino (Club Royale perk) and that is where I spend most of my time and I guess it makes sense.

 

There might be a day or 2 out of 7 that a drink package would pay for itself package but there is no way that I can drink enough every day over a 7 day period to make it profitable...especially when you have to get up early on port days and get off the ship. I would be hung over every port day (and every sea day too, I guess !!!) and that would truly suck.

 

It seems to me that RCI is trying to push folks towards the packages by making individual drinks outrageously expensive...and maybe that will work. What is amusing, to me, is the fact that RCI was one of the LAST cruise lines to even adopt the drink packages...and now they're practically making them mandatory. Go figure.

If you wait until, say, day 3 to by the package you are only charged for the remaining days (5 on a 7 night cruise).  All your previous idividual purchases remain on your bill. 

 

I agree that they are trying to force people into the packages, I think they are finding it profitable.

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Matt, did you end up doing the package on the group cruise? Also can you chime in on the new pricing for alcoholic drinks?

I did not and glad I didn't.  Others in the group that did do the package at the end of cruise lamented the fact they purchased it.

 

Bottom line, it's difficult for many people to drink 6-7 drinks per day, every day.

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Ah...so it's a pro-rated kinda thing. That makes sense.

 

I'm sure the drink packages ARE profitable for the cruise line. As we have all discussed, you have to BIG TIME Partier to drink 6 -7 drinks every day for 7 days in a row. I would never make it through and it would totally ruin my cruise...for me and anyone else on the cruise WITH me.

 

Rum runners...worth every penny

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Definitely good for the cruise line as there's a huge profit in alcohol. The dining plans run the same way at WDW. Unless you're going to eat an enormous amount every day, it's hard to justify the dining plan much the same as for the beverage packages.

I agree on those Disney Dining plans.  They seem like a good deal but I never would eat that much food normally.  Same with the drink package, it may sting when you sign for those drinks but in the end I never drink anywhere near the amount I would need to in order to break even (which is probably a good thing).  Of course, there have been many reports from couples who have only purchased one drink package that the bartenders and servers will occasionally put their partners drink on their package.  That helps skew the math a little.

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I agree that at the current prices, it's hard to break even unless you are a pretty consistent drinker and aren't getting off the ship much. I did get my value out of the nonalcoholic package on Celebrity, even on a cruise with no port days; however, they were more generous with the plan and would allow you to take an unopened can back to your cabin, would give you the large size bottles of water, etc. if Royal did this, it would be a no brainier for me. Despite this, I am considering buying the Royal Replenish package for my upcoming European cruise mainly because the costs ashore in Norway and Iceland for beverages is so high.

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Here's a supplemental question that could change the value, at least for me. Is the $12 average for mixed drinks before or after auto gratuity? For those who already get the royal replenish, the difference between it and the ultimate package is $36. Depending on the answer, 4 drinks a day or less is at least more feasible.

 

Edit: wow that math lol. So yeah at new single prices 3 drinks a day isn't as bad as I thought, 4 at the old prices.

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Here's a supplemental question that could change the value, at least for me. Is the $12 average for mixed drinks before or after auto gratuity? For those who already get the royal replenish, the difference between it and the ultimate package is $36. Depending on the answer, 4 drinks a day or less is at least more feasible.

 

Edit: wow that math lol. So yeah at new single prices 3 drinks a day isn't as bad as I thought, 4 at the old prices.

The $12 average for mixed drinks is BEFORE gratuity

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The $12 average for mixed drinks is BEFORE gratuity

Ok, that totally changes it for me then. I really wish the single prices hadn't hiked but they have. At $14 per after gratuity , 2 drinks brings it close enough to be worth getting vs just the royal replenish . As long as the package doesn't hike too they might just well be worth it.
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At $14 per after gratuity , 2 drinks brings it close enough to be worth getting vs just the royal replenish . 

Non-alcoholic drinks should be much cheaper than $12.

 

From what I saw on Independence of the Seas last month, most of the menu for alcoholic drinks were $10-12 each (depending on the particular bar menu I was looking at), but I seem to recall that the listed fancy, non-alcoholic drinks (think "mocktails") were $7.

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I would guess its just a matter of time till the package prices go up.

 

Just went up on Celebrity I have heard.

 

If you only need 4 drinks a day to break even on average, they wont make as much money.

 

First the tips go up, then the single drinks go up, next the package's go up.

 

Just wait.....

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WhiteSoxFan - If you find that you have leftover OBC that you need to use or lose, just go to the casino and get chips at a table for whatever amount you need to spend. Example....if you have $100 of OBC left unused, go to a table at the casino and as for $100 on your seapass. Now, they WILL charge you a 5% "convenience fee" (so there will be a charge on your account for $105) but you can turn right around and get cash for those chips at the cashier's cage if you don't want to use them to gamble. Sure...it will cost you $5 but at least you won't lose the $100 OBC.

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WhiteSoxFan - If you find that you have leftover OBC that you need to use or lose, just go to the casino and get chips at a table for whatever amount you need to spend. Example....if you have $100 of OBC left unused, go to a table at the casino and as for $100 on your seapass. Now, they WILL charge you a 5% "convenience fee" (so there will be a charge on your account for $105) but you can turn right around and get cash for those chips at the cashier's cage if you don't want to use them to gamble. Sure...it will cost you $5 but at least you won't lose the $100 OBC.

Good idea but how long are they going to keep doing that before they catch on..I heard princess cruises don't let you use your onboard credit at the casinos so it will probably happen for royal carribean as well..

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We are sailing on the NCL Getaway in October and got the UBP with our booking promotion... I am interested in seeing how it works for us there. On our Enchantment sailing last year I think we would have been better of not getting the package.

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WhiteSoxFan - If you find that you have leftover OBC that you need to use or lose, just go to the casino and get chips at a table for whatever amount you need to spend. Example....if you have $100 of OBC left unused, go to a table at the casino and as for $100 on your seapass. Now, they WILL charge you a 5% "convenience fee" (so there will be a charge on your account for $105) but you can turn right around and get cash for those chips at the cashier's cage if you don't want to use them to gamble. Sure...it will cost you $5 but at least you won't lose the $100 OBC.

Thanks, I knew about this but since they've raised Chops to $39 and they've raised the drink prices I don't think I should have any problem. 

 

I wonder what, if any, backlash they are going to see from raising the drink prices.  I thought they were a little high before but you figure you're a captive audience and your on vacation but now it's just flat out expensive. If drinks go up 25% they can still absorb a 20% dropoff on purchases before they see a dip in revenues.

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Time will tell. Personally, I don't think the casual drinker will be drawn to the drink packages and they're also the ones who would likely give up an overpriced drink. They'd likely just get they're drink in port and/or stop at one when they'd otherwise have two. The quarterly earnings report might shed some light on onboard revenue over the next year.

 

I do think this will encourage more attempts to smuggle booze onboard. I actually think they'd make more money in terms of volume by lowering prices, including those for photos. Remember when VHS tapes were $75 for movies? Nobody bought them. However, when they dropped to under $20, people started buying movies in mass rather than pirating them. A similar situation occured with the music industry.

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Definitely lowered my on board drinking last week, with 5 port days on a 7 night cruise the drink package absolutely did not make sense and at $12 plus tip a pop I was much more likely to skip the extra round before dinner whereas in the past I would probably not have thought about it.

 

Probably doesn't affect RCI bottom line much since they made more profit on my one round of drinks but impacted my satisfaction level quite significantly as I was "thinking about it" rather than just relaxing and enjoying myself.

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Chopps is up to $39 PP now ??? My goodness that is outrageous ! I quit going when they went up to $35. The upcharge restaurants were originally supposed to be a place where you could go and pay a nominal extra fee for an extra nice meal. Now, with the prices they are charging, you are basically paying outside fine dining restaurant prices. I refuse.

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I booked online for a July cruise. I mainly did it to secure the price as I can always cancel later. I'm thinking they're going to raise prices across the board, so I prepurchased the soda package for my wife and the Royal Replenish package for me. While I'm still on the fence about it, I know I can cancel anytime before sailing or even on the first day as my wife did on the Jewel.

 

To be honest, I actually don't like prepaying for the dinners as I have had issue on both Celebrity and Royal for not getting the first night discount refund, being double-charged for the dinners, etc. Also, on a 12 night cruise, I'm guessing availability won't be a problem, which is why I only booked for the first and last night, which is our tradition.

 

On the Jewel in January, there were only two other tables occupied in Chops on the first night and every night after that both Chops and Portofino with less than half full. As a result, one of the servers from Chops was roaming the main dining room and the Windjammer hawking the restaraunt.

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Definitely lowered my on board drinking last week, with 5 port days on a 7 night cruise the drink package absolutely did not make sense and at $12 plus tip a pop I was much more likely to skip the extra round before dinner whereas in the past I would probably not have thought about it.

 

Just got off Jewel last week.  Drinks were a breathtaking $12 plus tip - but buying a drinks package on a cruise that only had one day at sea didn't make any sense to me.

 

The good news is it saved me a TON of money - I barely drank anything at all.  And the Pool Bar was practically empty most of the time....

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The good news is it saved me a TON of money - I barely drank anything at all. And the Pool Bar was practically empty most of the time....

Do you think the vacant bar was a result of a la carte pricing or just a coincidence? Also did you hear much talk about the ship about this?
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Do you think the vacant bar was a result of a la carte pricing or just a coincidence? Also did you hear much talk about the ship about this?

 

Lots of (fairly angry) talk.  I was in a group of 14 people on this cruise (4 children though), and 8 of them said they'd never cruise RC again due to the drink prices.  We were on a port intensive itinerary, so the drink packages didn't make any sense since we weren't back onboard until after 5pm.  One couple in our group ordered a first round of drinks before dinner on day one - the tab was over $26, and that wound up being their last drink onboard.  

 

I watched a couple on day two ask for the price of a Pina Colada in the solarium.  $12.  They walked away shaking their heads and commenting about how this wasn't the experience they were sold.

 

I don't think the pool bar was coincidental, it was spring break week and the ship was packed.  There was rarely 3-4 people there, even at the height of the day.    Not the lines 2-3 rows deep you see on other cruises.

 

We were planning on taking advantage of the onboard booking incentives for one of the longer Serenade cruises this November but cancelled those plans after being hit with these crazy drink prices.  For the first time in 15 years and 12 cruises I'm now considering other cruise lines.   A couple - my closest friend and his wife - went with us on this cruise and called me this morning to let us know that they booked another line for this November instead. We may follow their lead.

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Well I do hope they change course, I'd hate to see anyone lose the Royal fever over this. I suspect if anger over this was that high on one ship that they will see substantially reduced drink profits and change course pretty abruptly. I also suspect with reduced drink consumption will come frustration from bartenders that should also help change the course.

 

In short I believe now is the time to voice concern to Royal directly as well as document what is being seen and heard onboard. In doing this I do believe there will be a DD style reverse of course so long as pressure is applied(constructively).

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