All you can drink packages?

Opened up CC to see this on the main page:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4671

Seems a little pricey to me, but I'm not a big drinker. Looking forward to seeing more details.

I think its a good option for those who seem so adverse to "signing chits" when they order drinks.

Interesting. I'm pretty sure we will continue to be pay-as-you-go wine drinkers.

No way would we spend $60-100/day on booze for 21 days (our next cruise in March on Regatta). We just don't drink that much and I for one don't want the calories!

We hardly ever drink cocktails at home, never mind out and about. We do enjoy wine with dinner but not even every night for that. Sometimes on a seaday I will enjoy the cocktail of the day if I am out by the pool. One is all I can tolerate calorie wise.

We bought a few bottles of wine, Scotch and an aperitif before boarding Marina in September. Gave almost all of it to a friend who lives in Athens. Just didn't consume it. Took our complimentary champagne up to Horizons and shared it with our new friends as we said goodbye on the last night.

We will never be those people whose bar bill will exceed what they paid for the cruise.

What we have enjoyed in the past was when they had a sale on ends in the lobby and we bought several bottles to drink whenever we felt like it. if they did this on Marina in September, we missed it. It was such a busy cruise, there was no time to smell the roses, or anything else!

Mo

I understand that O wants to be competitive and increse profits. However, not sure this is a step in the right direction. It might make a change in the type of cruisers attracted to O. Even could have a negative impact on loyal O fans. But, time will tell.

Not for us either

We may drink 1 glass of wine every few days

I am sure it will be good for some people

this all depends on the price of beer or wine on the ship. If a beer is $7 per, then at 4 per day you break even. 4 beer per day does not = a drunk. One at lunch, one at dinner and a couple for the road. Not hard to do, and not a drunk either.

Anyway, I'm sure the fancy drinks cost at least that. And have seen the price on some "premium house wines" that can get right up there in cost.

Guess it depends on your lifestyle....

Not the case since it appears that the $29.95 wine and beer package is only with meals. It may very well be only beer on tap so it would be impractical to keep extra beer in glasses from lunch in your cabin. I am sure that Oceania has it all figured out.

Wonder if they will change their policy about bringing liquor and wine on board - or enforce the one they already have in writing. We may have wine with dinner and often a cocktail B4 dinner sometimes in our cabin or in one of the bars, but would never begin to drink enough (or want to) to buy one of the packages.

this all depends on the price of beer or wine on the ship. If a beer is $7 per, then at 4 per day you break even. 4 beer per day does not = a drunk. One at lunch, one at dinner and a couple for the road. Not hard to do, and not a drunk either.

 

Anyway, I'm sure the fancy drinks cost at least that. And have seen the price on some "premium house wines" that can get right up there in cost.

 

Guess it depends on your lifestyle....

Over $18,000 per person per year for the premium package? Some lifestyle.

Wonder if they will change their policy about bringing liquor and wine on board - or enforce the one they already have in writing. We may have wine with dinner and often a cocktail B4 dinner sometimes in our cabin or in one of the bars, but would never begin to drink enough (or want to) to buy one of the packages.

This is my concern as well. If O is going to push the packages, there is some incentive for them to limit people bringing their own alcohol on board.

I also wonder if this will bring any changes in the nightly happy hour 1/2 price drinks.

While the proposed O packages are priced in line with what is offered by Celebrity, the Celebrity premium alcohol package includes soft drinks and coffees which cost extra without the package on Celebrity but are included in the fare on O. So the benefit is not equal.

I haven't found the drink package information on the O website yet, so I'm reserving judgment until I see the details directly from O.

This is my concern as well. If O is going to push the packages, there is some incentive for them to limit people bringing their own alcohol on board.

 

I also wonder if this will bring any changes in the nightly happy hour 1/2 price drinks.

 

While the proposed O packages are priced in line with what is offered by Celebrity, the Celebrity premium alcohol package includes soft drinks and coffees which cost extra without the package on Celebrity but are included in the fare on O. So the benefit is not equal.

 

I haven't found the drink package information on the O website yet, so I'm reserving judgment until I see the details directly from O.

According to the info in the CC news post, O is offering a much better deal. Their premium package is $49.95/person/day, and the package price includes gratuities. The only exclusion is one of their top cognacs. So, on O you get all the drinks that you want including soft drinks and coffees for $49.95.

Celebrity's premium package is $54.00/person/day + 15% service charge =$62.00/person/day. Also, Celebrity's package excludes any drink more than $12.00.

On Celebrity, you will pay $12/person/day more than on Oceania for the same benefits if you ignore Celebrity's exclusions.

According to the info in the CC news post, O is offering a much better deal. Their premium package is $49.95/person/day, and the package price includes gratuities. The only exclusion is one of their top cognacs. So, on O you get all the drinks that you want including soft drinks and coffees for $49.95.

 

Celebrity's premium package is $54.00/person/day + 15% service charge =$62.00/person/day. Also, Celebrity's package excludes any drink more than $12.00.

 

On Celebrity, you will pay $12/person/day more than on Oceania for the same benefits if you ignore Celebrity's exclusions.

These packages are certainly going to save ME a nice chunk of change :D

My recollection from when I read about the Celebrity package was that both people (of a couple) have to take it. Am I wrong? And if I'm not, is O requiring that as well?

Even if I thought I would drink that much in a day, DH wouldn't. So $100/day becomes not at all enticing. I suppose if I wanted a super-expensive bottle of wine each day ... But then, it seems that only house wines are included.

Also, is it a second requirement that you get the package for the entire cruise? As some have said, on a port intensive cruise interest in such a package might be very much reduced.

Just curious because it's highly unlikely we'll ever take advantage of such an offer!

Mura

My recollection from when I read about the Celebrity package was that both people (of a couple) have to take it. Am I wrong? And if I'm not, is O requiring that as well?

 

Even if I thought I would drink that much in a day, DH wouldn't. So $100/day becomes not at all enticing. I suppose if I wanted a super-expensive bottle of wine each day ... But then, it seems that only house wines are included.

 

Also, is it a second requirement that you get the package for the entire cruise? As some have said, on a port intensive cruise interest in such a package might be very much reduced.

 

Just curious because it's highly unlikely we'll ever take advantage of such an offer!

 

Mura

From what I've read, Celebrity does not require both people in a cabin to purchase the beverage package. I don't think that Oceania will either.

You can purchase the beverage package on Oceania after the cruise has started pro-rated at $49.95/day/person. However, I don't think that you cancel the package after a few days, but I may be wrong. Have to see Oceania's policies regarding the beverage packages.

My recollection from when I read about the Celebrity package was that both people (of a couple) have to take it. Am I wrong? And if I'm not, is O requiring that as well?

 

Mura

On Celebrity both people of a couple do not have to take the beverage package but the couple cannot "share" one package.

Okay, then I think what I was remembering was that once you start the package you can't stop ... although I would imagine that the cruise line would be very happy to have you START the package sometime after the cruise begins (no doubt they'd prefer you do it the whole time).

I stand corrected regarding the issue of both halves of a couple needing to subscribe!

Mura

Just wondering how they keep people from sharing? Seems one person with the unlimited card could simply order one drink, give it to their spouse or significant other and then go up to the bar and get another drink?

Then give the drink to their friend and go get another? Not suggesting this is a proper way to act but, sure there are or will be people doing just this. Makes me wonder if Oceania will require all people in a cabin purchase the package??

According to the info in the CC news post, O is offering a much better deal. Their premium package is $49.95/person/day, and the package price includes gratuities. The only exclusion is one of their top cognacs. So, on O you get all the drinks that you want including soft drinks and coffees for $49.95.

 

Maybe the $12 extra on X cover the coffee & sodas that is already included on Oceania without any package

We are responsible adults who would appreciate some vin ordinaire with dinner and sometimes lunch when we're on board (we try to have lunch ashore when we're in port)...a few beers during a sea day or when we return after a day in a steamy location. It would be nice if O offered something similar to AZ.

We might try AZ next year after the fiasco with our CPT to SNG cruise this year. If we do, we'll post our experiences, including the quality of the gratis wine.

Celebrity's package also covers off bottled water which is now included on O.

Pretty hard to do comparisons between the two without knowing what "level" of alcohol O is including - Celebrity has a detailed list of all the brands that are included in their package.

Maybe the $12 extra on X cover the coffee & sodas that is already included on Oceania without any package

These packages are certainly going to save ME a nice chunk of change :D

We hear ya:D

I would have definitely purchased a package had it been available last year...even on our port intensive itinerary. For us it's pre dinner cocktails, wine wine dinner and post dinner drinks. Everyday. :D

Just wondering how they keep people from sharing? Seems one person with the unlimited card could simply order one drink, give it to their spouse or significant other and then go up to the bar and get another drink?

 

Then give the drink to their friend and go get another? Not suggesting this is a proper way to act but, sure there are or will be people doing just this. Makes me wonder if Oceania will require all people in a cabin purchase the package??

It will start in Jan. $29.95 beer and wine, $49.95 premium beer and wine

We just returned from a Marina cruise in June and I can't for the life of me recall the cost of a glass of Johnnie Walker scotch on the rocks. Does anyone know? I remember the house red/wind wine was $6.95 plus 18% gratuity since the price went up a dollar from 2010.

It will start in Jan. $29.95 beer and wine, $49.95 premium beer and wine

The $49.95 package is certainly more than just beer and wine, thank goodness. The description that I'm reading is:

includes beer and premium house wine (from a selection of red and white vintages that change daily), all beverages on the bar menu (except Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac) and room service beverages (but not mini-bar selections).

The first thing that we do on ANY cruise is to instruct the butler to empty the mini bar, anyway; and our last encounter with Louis XIII didn't end well.