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New Cunard Drink Package


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We received a mailing advertising various sailings with the special $12 drink offer. Additionally, when researching Cunard cruises, also saw it offered on the Cunard site as well as our travel agency. It does apply to specific sailing though.

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The only time I have ever seen a "free drinks package" to Queens Grill suites was for a very short time last summer for our cruise in October. We booked our suite priced at £3000 pp and with discounts came to £2700 pp. Shortly after we booked they offered the so called "free drinks package" if you booked a QG suite and the Cunard price for our cruise was just over £3500 pp so to pay for the "free drinks package" Cunard increased the price by over £500 pp so not "free" after all.

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I looked at the fine print on the drinks package and see that it only covers drinks up to $12. If a drink is more expensive, it will not be compensated and no partial payment will be allowed.

 

I looked at the Commodore Club menu and see that MANY items, including most, if not all, martinis and US-sized shots of call vodkas, are priced at $12.95 or $12.50 and are not covered. Similar shenanigans in the wine pricing. (Although in some cases two sizes of pour are available and the smaller ones fall within the guidelines)

 

The details http://www.cunard.com/settings/terms-and-conditions/us-fare-features/?page=17825&mg=0&lead=1

 

Menu http://www.cunard.com/Global/Images/Ships/QM2/refit/Commodore_Club_bar_menu_2016.pdf

Edited by MarkBearSF
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I looked at the fine print on the drinks package and see that it only covers drinks up to $12. If a drink is more expensive, it will not be compensated and no partial payment will be allowed.

 

I looked at the Commodore Club menu and see that MANY items, including most, if not all, martinis and US-sized shots of call vodkas, are priced at $12.95 or $12.50 and are not covered. Similar shenanigans in the wine pricing. (Although in some cases two sizes of pour are available and the smaller ones fall within the guidelines)

 

The details http://www.cunard.com/settings/terms-and-conditions/us-fare-features/?page=17825&mg=0&lead=1

 

Menu http://www.cunard.com/Global/Images/Ships/QM2/refit/Commodore_Club_bar_menu_2016.pdf

 

 

 

Mark, the only drinks that expensive are specialty or with top shelf liquor. We had the package as Queens Grill in May when we did the roundtrip and never paid out of pocket for a drink the whole cruise. If I want the top shelf stuff, it's at home in my bar setup.

 

 

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Mark, the only drinks that expensive are specialty or with top shelf liquor. We had the package as Queens Grill in May when we did the roundtrip and never paid out of pocket for a drink the whole cruise. If I want the top shelf stuff, it's at home in my bar setup.

 

Look at the menu and see if it compares with your experience. I believe an earlier post on this thread (it could have been you) mentioned a $13 limit for the grills promotion at the time. That one dollar makes all the difference with the current pricing.

 

Certainly, one can have a perfectly good time within the limits of the package. In some cases ordering a smaller size glass or foregoing one's usual label. And foregoing common cocktails.

 

The best thing about the (upgraded) drinks package on Celebrity a few years ago was the simple convenience of not needing to worry. It appears that the current Cunard promotion offers anything but.

 

However, considering it's being offered at no additional cost, it may very well be a great option for many cruisers. I just think that it's important to know the details beforehand so as to set one's expectations and strategies appropriately.

 

- Mark

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The possible downside is NCL offered free drinks package (up to $15) on our TA in 2016 on the Spirit. The passenger breakdown was about 50% Brits 30% US/Canadian, 20% elsewhere. We ran out of canned/bottle Beer three days away from Barcelona, I found that out when I wanted a beer instead of my usual drink. Made me laugh at the time.[emoji41]

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On a similar promotion in the UK last year the price for a P1 increased by a £1,000.

 

After the promotion finished the fare went back down again.

 

That's a lot of drinking to make up for the difference.

 

 

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On a similar promotion in the UK last year the price for a P1 increased by a £1,000.

 

After the promotion finished the fare went back down again.

 

That's a lot of drinking to make up for the difference.

 

 

I think that underlines the level of contempt Cunard (or Carnival) show for their customers. They really do think we are that gullible.

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Cunard's pricing is very fluid. Everyone has their own price point at which they deem the cruise and stateroom/suite offered a 'good' price.

 

When we booked our last trip (back in October 2016 for a July 2017 cruise) they were offering the 'free unlimited drinks package' for Grills. It was what we considered a good price and the drinks promo was the icing on the cake. Two weeks after we booked, the price went up and there was no drinks promo.

It's not simply a case of Cunard putting the price up and offering a drinks promo, then reducing it back down again. There's lots of factors at play.

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I would agree with ClanMcLean. We recently received the "$12 Drink Promo" in a mailing, which prompted me to look at sailings. We ended up finding a Princess Grill at an excellent price point, with the drink promo and OBC offered by our TA as the icing on the cake. The double icing was when my TA called yesterday and said Cunard even further discounted our P2 Grill! Very wonderful news!

 

We experienced a similar drink promotion on Celebrity, which really left libation consuming problem-free, and allowed us to indulge in various cocktails that we would never have considered. I do think we took advantage of the offer, but didn't sloppily over-consume and waste alcohol.

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I looked at the fine print on the drinks package and see that it only covers drinks up to $12. If a drink is more expensive, it will not be compensated and no partial payment will be allowed.

 

I looked at the Commodore Club menu and see that MANY items, including most, if not all, martinis and US-sized shots of call vodkas, are priced at $12.95 or $12.50 and are not covered. Similar shenanigans in the wine pricing. (Although in some cases two sizes of pour are available and the smaller ones fall within the guidelines)

 

The details http://www.cunard.com/settings/terms-and-conditions/us-fare-features/?page=17825&mg=0&lead=1

 

Menu http://www.cunard.com/Global/Images/Ships/QM2/refit/Commodore_Club_bar_menu_2016.pdf

 

 

 

I'd say 85% of the drinks on offer were within price for the $12 package. You just need to make sure you ask for a small measure where appropriate e.g wine.

You don't need to add the service charge, so it's the pice on the menu.

 

 

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For those who watch for these deals, HAL has a similar offer for bookings through mid-November. We booked Greece for August 2018 while on an Alaska cruise this week.

 

(I'm sure there's been discussion as to why Cunard seems not to be going to Greece in 2018. We'd much prefer to be on a Queen.)

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Any likelihood that Cunard might extend their Drinks Package to U.K. bookers. I can accept that there can be different contractual arrangements for those who book in different countries, but onboard packages should apply to all passengers

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Any likelihood that Cunard might extend their Drinks Package to U.K. bookers. I can accept that there can be different contractual arrangements for those who book in different countries, but onboard packages should apply to all passengers

 

Some of the people on here that had the offer are from the uk. It just depends on who they are trying to attract and different itineraries. There are also some very good OBC offers from time to time.

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I would appreciate the chance even to purchase said package, as you can with Royal Caribbean (not that I have sailed with them but from looking online for a future cruise).

 

I used the soda package last time which was great value and will do on my upcoming transatlantic but the chance to pay a set amount and not have to keep track would be nice. It isn't just for the alcoholic beverages but for the coffees, mocktails, fresh juices and bottled mixers. They all add up at the end of the day!

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  • 10 months later...

We're American and saw the Cunard "Big Balcony Offer" of free drinks and assumed it automatically applied. We booked through a So African travel agent who never mentioned anything either way. Now I have asked and I am dismayed that we are offered nothing. Any suggestions?

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The "free drinks" offer is, to my knowledge, only offered to the U.S. market and would have to be booked with a U.S. based agency or on the Cunard U.S. website for passengers with a U.S. address. Additionally, it's been offered as a short term booking incentive and not something that's always out there. Finally, it has only been for those booking Grill accommodation.

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Forgot to mention, we are in Queen's Grill and have a US address, billing address, and used a US credit card, but a South African travel agent. Also Cunard online ad only said it had to be booked by July 31st, 2018. Not happy.

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I suspect it's owing to being booked outside the U.S. As so often discussed here, Cunard like most lines is very much into market driven pricing and it's where you live and where you book that determines what you pay and what deals you get.

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