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Let’s keep everything the same except for a bloody Mary ($14) instead of juice at breakfast and a second glass of wine with dinner ($12). You would have saved more than $18 by purchasing the drink package. If you purchase the drink package, you must pay for every day you are on vacation, even when you spend the day in port. If you spend more money purchasing individual drinks than the cost of the package, then the drink package is worth it for you. If you plan to spend the day in port, you will consume fewer beverages than on sea days, but you’ll still be paying full price for the beverage package. With the My Drinks Plus package, you’ll receive premium cocktails, mini bar purchases, prestigious liquor brands, and bottled Corona and Becks.
Are cruise line drink packages worth the price? Not necessarily - USA TODAY
Are cruise line drink packages worth the price? Not necessarily.
Posted: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Are Cruise Drink Packages Worth the Price?
Collect bottles from the onboard bars to stash in your cabin so you can drink them after a shipboard pub crawl or throw them in your day pack when you head off the ship. Cruisers have trouble leaving their Starbucks addiction behind them and flock to the extra-charge coffee cafes onboard. With a beverage package, you can indulge your caffeine addiction with the good stuff at no extra charge. The drink doesn't have to be eye-raising to be experimental.
Why Cruise Drink Packages Are Not Worth It, Per Frequent Cruiser - Business Insider
Why Cruise Drink Packages Are Not Worth It, Per Frequent Cruiser.
Posted: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
You Prefer a Bottle of Wine at Dinner
Another drawback of the free cruise drink packages that lines sometimes offer with booking promotions is that they're not really free. Cruise lines typically charge customers who get a free drink package a gratuity fee for receiving the package in the amount of 15% to 20% of whatever the package normally costs. That can result in your "free" drink package actually costing you more than $100 a week. The decision about whether or not to get a cruise ship drink package changes when you can get a package for free. Some big-ship lines will throw in drink packages for no extra cost as a perk during limited-time or ongoing booking promotions. It can pay off to buy a drink package if you are someone who normally orders a lot of individual drinks on a cruise ship, particularly pricier drinks such as premium cocktails and wines by the glass.
What is a drink package on a cruise ship?
That pretty much nullifies the benefit included in the packages for everyone with status. With a few exceptions, each package builds on the previous (lower-priced) package. Here is what's included in each Celebrity cruise drink package.
When calculating, remember to factor in port days, where you won’t be on the cruise ship for the whole day. Finally, many cruise lines have a rule that if one person purchases the drink package, everyone sharing the cabin must also buy the drink package. The deluxe drink package covers nearly every beverage on the ship up to $13 per drink. Additionally, package holders receive a 40% discount on wines priced up to $100 and a 20% discount on wines priced above $100. The limit only applies to alcoholic beverages, so feel free to order unlimited soda, juice, and specialty coffee. Is one of the lowest-priced drink packages of the mainstream cruise lines.
You Like Knowing Your Bill Ahead of Time
The cost of cruise ship drink packages varies widely by line. At several of the biggest cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America, the main drink packages that include all types of drinks cost about $60 per person per day. Other brands, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, charge as much as $138 per person per day for a top-tier package.
Captain's Club members can also access discounts on pre-cruise purchases of drink package upgrades for those who opt for the All Included fares. If your cruise is leaving within the next few months, it's probably best to go ahead and lock in the price — unless Black Friday happens to fall between purchase and the start of the cruise. Celebrity Black Friday deals on drink packages have historically been the lowest prices available all year. There are no daily limits on how many drinks you can have on a Celebrity Cruises drink package, but you can only order one drink at a time. The exception to that is that you can usually request a bottle of water at the same time you order an alcoholic drink. You can still order drinks that are over the $10 limit imposed by the package.
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If your vacation plans include alcoholic beverages, buying this package is a nice way to pay your cruise bar tab in advance rather than deal with the shock of a high bill at the end of the cruise. A bit more expanded, the Easy Plus offers drinks up to $10 a glass. There is a wider selection of cocktails, wines, beers as well as sodas, juices, and energy drinks. The total cost of a standard drinks package on a seven-night cruise with Celebrity Cruises is a whopping £1,200 per couple.
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With the drink package, you won’t need to track your spending and won’t be surprised by an unexpected bill at the end of your cruise. Some people love knowing exactly how much they will spend with the package before stepping on board. For these passengers, the uncertainty of the running bar tab creates too much stress when you should be relaxing. Now that you know your choices and why you might want each package, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of whether these packages are worth purchasing for you or not.
Diamond Plus members also have a discount of 30% on Deluxe Beverage Packages when purchased on board. That's rarely a good deal unless you simply forget to buy in advance, as pre-purchase in the cruise planner or app is almost always at least 30% lower than the onboard price. Whichever package you choose, your value may also depend on your itinerary and activities. On a Caribbean cruise that includes a sea day or two and a stop at CocoCay, you'll likely drink more – simply because you're relaxing more than touring, and the hot temperatures will make you thirsty.
Royal Caribbean drink packages allow you to drink what you want and when you want without feeling like you are being nickeled and dimed. The all-inclusive, extra-fee beverage plans aren't necessarily for everyone, but they are a nice way to enhance your cruise and take some of the stress out of in-the-moment vacation decisions. If you book any of the beverage packages before sailing, MSC does not charge the 15% gratuity. If booked onboard, expect the gratuity to be added to the cost of the package.
No Doubts Premium Drinks offers 10 top-shelf specialty cocktails, liquor, beer and wines by the glass. An Unlimited Soda Package includes refills of soda along with a souvenir cup. Maybe you're waiting for the price of your drinks package to drop, but don't wait too long because you may be forced to wait until you're onboard if you miss the cutoff date. Cruise lines tend to differ on this, but two to three days prior to embarkation is a good rule of thumb.
You'll simply pay the difference between the $10 limit and the cost of the drink. Some cruisers on social media have said they found it necessary on some sailings to say the word "classic" when ordering drinks in order to avoid being served a premium drink and having an upcharge apply. Before you pull the trigger on buying the drink package, you should know that just because you purchase the unlimited beverage package on your cruise doesn't mean you can drink anything in sight. MSC CruisesIn late 2021, MSC updated its drink package offerings with a new lineup. Celebrity CruisesCelebrity offers different drink packages, billed as the Classic and Premium packages.
The Bar Tab can be used anywhere on the ship and at The Beach Club at Bimini. Those booking the Oceania's ongoing "OLife Choice" promotional fares can choose a complimentary House Select beverage package as part of the deal. Packages must be purchased for the entire duration of each voyage.
If you’re traveling with little ones, unlimited soft drinks and fruit juices are included for them as well. After finding the best Carnival cruise deals, purchasing the Cheers! Royal also offers a Refreshment Package that includes all non-alcoholic beverages, freshly-squeezed juices, still and sparkling water, specialty coffees and teas.
Even bottles of wine that you’ve bought from the duty-free shop on board are off limits with most cruise lines. Instead, staff will hold your purchases until you disembark. However, non-alcoholic beverages don’t count in this figure and there is no limit on how many you can have. So don’t worry that having a bottle of water in between drinks is going to limit how many cocktails you can have. If you know you plan to purchase a drink package, then it’s a much better value to get it through the all-inclusive offers instead of purchasing it by itself at the current prices.
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