So I finally tried the Cheers program, here are my thoughts.

Hello all, it's been awhile since I've posted a thread on the CCL forum. The last time was a cruise review from the Paradise. It was my last truly "open bar" cruise with Carnival.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2111153

The following year we did our guys cruise on RCI and had a decent enough time. But we missed Carnival's nightlife, so we decided to brave the infamous Cheers program and it's dreaded 15 per-day cap.

Our group booked the Sensation for 9/8/16. We tactically chose that one because it was a Thursday to Monday four night cruise with two stops (KW and Cozumel). We figured drinking in the two ports would help us avoid hitting the daily cap. The cruise itself was great. No issues, with the exception of a DJ in the club that talked too much and only played thirty seconds of each song.

The Cheers program was a mixed bag. I like that it includes specialty coffees, sodas, and energy drinks. But having to count your drinks, or get a periodic tally from the bartender definitely sucks.

As a (male, 220 lb, 6'1") beer drinker, having one an hour isn't unusual or overly indulgent. So on two of the days I had my first beer around noon and hit my fifteenth in the nightclub late that evening. Never was I heavily intoxicated or in need of intervention.

Going to an all inclusive in Cozumel helped a bit since we didn't start digging into our ship drinks until the afternoon.

So I will say that while I don't feel that the program is a total ripoff, I am still firmly of the opinion that the cap needs to go away. The bartenders are fully capable of judging when a guest needs to be cut off. I witnessed one such instance personally on this cruise.

The arbitrary cap doesn't take into consideration a person's size, tolerance, the strength of the drink or other factors that come into play. The cap is just there to keep a group of hard partying boozers like us from drinking up the company's profit margin.

I'll share a few pics while I'm here:

More pics:

Dante's Pool Bar in Key West, very fun!

Once you hit 15, did they cut you off completely or did you just have to pay for individual drinks?

The cap is just there to keep a group of hard partying boozers like us from drinking up the company's profit margin.

I think this, more than anything else, is the reason for the cap.

Glad you had a good time though!

Once you hit 15, did they cut you off completely or did you just have to pay for individual drinks?

You're done. Once you hit 15 in a 24 hour period (6 am to 6 am) you cannot even buy more.

I think this, more than anything else, is the reason for the cap.

 

Glad you had a good time though!

It is, most certainly. It has zero to do with preventing folks from being over served. The staff can do that themselves.

The silly thing is that on RCI, I have no idea how often I have more or less than 15. I don't need to count. I'd wager many days on RCI are probably less than 15. But since CCL throws a number out there, I chafe at being restricted.

I agree that the cap is there to protect their margins. If it was in place for safety, then everyone paying a la carte for drinks would get shut off after 15 too! It's business.

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Fifteen 25 ounce Fosters could have worked! That is 30 plus normal beers.

Nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

Fosters are the best bang when drinking beer.

Did all of your group hit the dreaded 15?

It is, most certainly. It has zero to do with preventing folks from being over served. The staff can do that themselves.

 

The silly thing is that on RCI, I have no idea how often I have more or less than 15. I don't need to count. I'd wager many days on RCI are probably less than 15. But since CCL throws a number out there, I chafe at being restricted.

RCI has a different demographic and no need for a cap to protect the profit margin. Of course one has the option of going a la carte and not having a limit.

It is, most certainly. It has zero to do with preventing folks from being over served. The staff can do that themselves.

 

The silly thing is that on RCI, I have no idea how often I have more or less than 15. I don't need to count. I'd wager many days on RCI are probably less than 15. But since CCL throws a number out there, I chafe at being restricted.

This is similar to my thought on the matter, but I think they may actually be costing themselves money by placing the cap.

With the 15 drink cap, I feel obligated to ensure that everyone has used up their daily allotment which is a stretch some days. With no cap, I'd certainly drink less than 15 on most days.

This is similar to my thought on the matter, but I think they may actually be costing themselves money by placing the cap.

 

With the 15 drink cap, I feel obligated to ensure that everyone has used up their daily allotment which is a stretch some days. With no cap, I'd certainly drink less than 15 on most days.

If they were losing money they would eliminate the program since the primary goal is to make money. I think most people just worry about reaching the break even point every day (6 to 7) rather than trying to use all 15 drinks.

Definitely a matter of opinion on the cap. I got it for the first time on our 7-day a few weeks ago and found the cap a complete non factor. It was easy to get to about 7 a day, but even with specialty coffees and vitamin water, etc., I never went over 10 drinks. I enjoyed drinks in the same pattern I had in the past other than I did make a conscious effort to buy at least one specialty coffee a day. I did love the fact that I could order whatever I wanted and it if I didn't like it, just ask for something else 5 minutes later.

For the ease of not having to worry about what I'm spending on beverages, I would get it again. I don't drink beer. If I did, I might not see the value in it.

Thanks for the review!

I agree that the cap is there to protect their margins. If it was in place for safety, then everyone paying a la carte for drinks would get shut off after 15 too! It's business.

 

 

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I believe everyone has a 15 drink limit, Cheers program or no. At least, that is what one of the bartenders told me.

Fifteen 25 ounce Fosters could have worked! That is 30 plus normal beers.

Yeah, but have you tasted Fosters? :D

Fosters are the best bang when drinking beer.

 

Did all of your group hit the dreaded 15?

Everyone hit the cap on various days, but not all of us everyday due to different schedules and activities.

For me, I almost hit it the first night (left the club on #14). I did hit it night two after Key West. Didn't even come close after our all inclusive in Cozumel, and then hit it early (about 2 am) the last night.

I believe everyone has a 15 drink limit, Cheers program or no. At least, that is what one of the bartenders told me.

No. You don't have an imposed limit without the package.

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Is it just 15 beers/alcohol drinks or since you can use if for pop/ vitamin water is that included in the 15 drinks

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Is it just 15 beers/alcohol drinks or since you can use if for pop/ vitamin water is that included in the 15 drinks

 

 

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It's only for alcohol drinks, the other drinks in the package have no limit.

If they were losing money they would eliminate the program since the primary goal is to make money. I think most people just worry about reaching the break even point every day (6 to 7) rather than trying to use all 15 drinks.

This. With Cheers, when someone hits the 15 drink limit, they are no longer served alcoholic drinks right? So, not clear how no longer serving someone makes sense dollars wise.

And from other Cheers posts here, I'm not sure folks getting Cheers even worry about the "break even point". Seems many were more fixed on, I don't have to "worry" about the cost of a drink with Cheers....or if I order a drink I don't like, I toss it aside, and get something else...no worries.

But for me after reading many of these Cheers post, I'm turning in my Professional Alcoholics Card. Based on what I've read here, we just don't drink enough for Cheers to work for us. Even with the add on of non-alcoholic beverages, we simply don't drink that much....We are on the Vista TA next month, and even with the sea days, the $1500 price tag for Cheers, I just can't get past. Last thing I want to do on any cruise is hand them some dollar amount, and then hope it works to our favor, but odds are, it won't. There are a couple of other factors for the TA that make the $1500 less desireable, but sheesh I'm a light weight!

We were on the Sunshine back in may...9 day journeys cruise, we said we would "drink like we had Cheers"....added our drink costs after the cruise, fell way short of what we would have paid for Cheers...

Do they've any drinks that are sugar free as my DW is diabetic

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But for me after reading many of these Cheers post, I'm turning in my Professional Alcoholics Card. Based on what I've read here, we just don't drink enough for Cheers to work for us. Even with the add on of non-alcoholic beverages, we simply don't drink that much

Same with us. Buying TWO Cheers packages plus trying to get our money's worth EVERY DAY isn't worth it here either.

Clearly Carnival knows what they are doing since plenty of people sign up.

I agree with Grady. We take a "Boy's" cruise every year. Many times it was Carnival due to price and length of cruise. We try to stay with 4 or 5 nights.

January 2016 we were on Victory. We found that there are a couple ways to use up the excess when one of our group had several left. The 2017 cruise is on RCCL primarily because of the 15 cap on Carnival. Plus we will get lobster on RCCL. JMHO :D