Drinks Package on longer cruises

i was just wondering what thoughts were on purchasing the drinks package on longer cruises. Im booked on Voyager in October for 16 nights. The longest cruise I've done before this is 9 nights. I'm concerned that after a week I will be over drinking.

i was just wondering what thoughts were on purchasing the drinks package on longer cruises. Im booked on Voyager in October for 16 nights. The longest cruise I've done before this is 9 nights. I'm concerned that after a week I will be over drinking.

So don't buy the package. Sometimes it makes sense to pay as you go.

I'm on a 14 night next year and have the same dilemma. I know i can make it worth my money to buy the package on a 7 night, but by the end of that i feel like its wearing on me drinking that much. I'll be interested to see what you end up deciding and whether or not you feel like you made the right choice.

I had it on a 10 night recently, there were days when I drank heaps and days when I didn't feel much like drinking. On the latter I still drank juice/coffee/sparkling water/soda and took bottled water on excursions with me, so it was still a good choice overall.

i was just wondering what thoughts were on purchasing the drinks package on longer cruises. Im booked on Voyager in October for 16 nights. The longest cruise I've done before this is 9 nights. I'm concerned that after a week I will be over drinking.

You don't have to purchase on the first day. You can purchase later in the cruise, as long as there are at least 4 days left.

Last cruise was 12 nights on Anthem with drinks package. I do feel I overindulged. I was never blacked out or hungover, but I was having way too many extra calories and alcohol. I decided next time I will pay as you go instead of the package. Less temptation for that "just one more" drink.

We had it on 12 day cruise last year, should not have bought it, only because it was Europe had only 2 sea days and we were in a suite so spent lots of time in concierge lounge. Will be getting it again on 9 day Navigator cruise later this year

We determined on our last cruise to pay as we went and see how much we spent at the end to see if it would make sense to us to purchase a package in the future. It absolutely didn't make sense for us. On the last night of the cruise, we had a few drinks at one bar and I guess the bartenders just assumed we had a package...we were on a spring break cruise...lots of people did. I told them that it didn't make sense for us to have one. The bartender laughed and said that a drink package was a big commitment. We agreed and said while we do like to drink here and there and one day the package would have made sense for us, but not for the rest of the cruise. I know it makes sense for some but our bar bill at the end showed us that we made the right choice in not choosing it.

I've never felt it worthwhile for me since it was first introduced. I have no problem with the ship's water and bring a sports bottle to fill with ice water for excursions or sitting by the pool. Love iced tea also. Have late seating dinner so grab a couple of drinks on the way back to the cabin with D coupons. Stop in the DL for one or two more and take a glass of wine to dinner. Don't drink coffee or oj, so not much else is of value - oh, don't drink soda either. At most I'd be buying 1-2 drinks a day. Of course, ymmv.

Our August cruise is a 15 day TA from Copenhagen so temps for most of the cruise until we begin crossing will be in the 50;s. If I were to buy the Deluxe for my husband, we are looking at $780 approximately. On warmer cruises he will average 7 beers/day but doubt he will on that cruise. I am debating on waiting the first week if we can. By paying it ahead then it is taken and not on our the On board acct.. Decisions, decisions. :)

i was just wondering what thoughts were on purchasing the drinks package on longer cruises. Im booked on Voyager in October for 16 nights. The longest cruise I've done before this is 9 nights. I'm concerned that after a week I will be over drinking.

Hmmm, 16 nights with a drinks package is quite an expense. See how you go for the first few days and check your onboard account, if it looks like you'll save money with the package then go for it. If you're on a port intensive cruise you'll find that you're hardly onboard long enough to benefit from the initial expense of the drinks package.

I would not buy an alcohol package for that length of a cruise. I would consider buying a Refreshment Package since we drink a lot of bottle water, specialty coffees and soda but I would only buy that if it was at the sale price ($18/day instead of $26/day).

Only you know your drinking habits and your port schedule. If I have a lot of long port days, I also do not buy a drink package.

do they give you an itemized bill at the end of the cruise so you know what you spent and for what ?

and does it say how much a certain drink was ?

do they give you an itemized bill at the end of the cruise so you know what you spent and for what ?

and does it say how much a certain drink was ?

You do get an itemized bill at the end of the cruise, but it does not list any beverages that were covered by unlimited beverage packages.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I will see how much I spend on the first couple of days. I may just get the package for the last few days of our cruise.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I will see how much I spend on the first couple of days. I may just get the package for the last few days of our cruise.

The rule is that you must have at least 4 days left in the cruise to purchase the package. I've seen ships offer it with fewer days left from time to time, but not often.

The rule is that you must have at least 4 days left in the cruise to purchase the package. I've seen ships offer it with fewer days left from time to time, but not often.

However, that late in the sailing, the 10 drink card may be offered which may make more sense financially.

do they give you an itemized bill at the end of the cruise so you know what you spent and for what ?

and does it say how much a certain drink was ?

If they swipe your card for a drink and you have a package it will show up on your itemized bill with the bar location. But the cost will show $0.00. When we ate at Chops it only showed one entry even though we had several glasses of wine with dinner.

It helped at the end of the cruise to see overall number of drinks even without exact costs to see if the package was worth it, which it was on this cruise. Funny how you have more than you think you do. DW swore she had a certain number, when the bill showed about 25% more than she thought.

A few cruise ago we didn't get the package and it paid off. We left Galveston in cold rainy weather and came back a full day as the same. Since there was no deck time the drink consumption went way down.

However, the DW spa time "consumption" went way up. Drink package would have been cheaper!!!!!

Do they always offer a 10 drink card. I have never noticed it before. I usually get the drinks package though so I wouldn't have been looking for it either. It sounds like a good option.

Do they always offer a 10 drink card. I have never noticed it before. I usually get the drinks package though so I wouldn't have been looking for it either. It sounds like a good option.

The drink card is not always offered.

I am currently on a TA on the freedom of the seas and they are offering a discounted drink package for the days at sea before we start hitting ports .

When I've been on 14 nights I've always had a drinks package, mostly due to not having to worry about the cost of drinking because you never know how you're going to feel.

I am not a big drinker at home and probably only drink about 4 times a year. But when I'm on holiday I enjoy having cocktails etc, when they're spaced throughout the day and mixed with all the food you're eating, you never really feel like you've had too much alcohol. Depending on what you drink you normally only need about 4 or 5 drinks to offset the cost of the package which is quite easily done when spaced throughout the day.

I had it on a 10 night recently, there were days when I drank heaps and days when I didn't feel much like drinking. On the latter I still drank juice/coffee/sparkling water/soda and took bottled water on excursions with me, so it was still a good choice overall.

Same here and I am in the middle of an 18 day cruise. We just did an 8 day cruise b2b with this one and we didn't buy the drink package for that one. We brought on 2 bottles of champagne and Royal owed us 2, but actually gave us 3. We bought some drinks and ended up taking 2 of the 5 bottles onto this cruise. They will probably go to the hotel with us when we get off in Hawaii. :D Between the drinks, bottled water, soda, fresh squeezed oj and special coffees it is worth it. Now I would also be ok without all the extras and drink less booze. :eek:

I find that on longer cruises it makes more sense to pay as I go, otherwise halfway through, I'm drinking more than I want to in order to break eaven.