Beverage Packages--save money??

I am sure that you know there are beverage packages on most cruise lines (RCCL, NCL, etc). We have the option to buy a specific beverage package per person. Would it be easier to save $$$ to just buy the beverage package for one person and order the drinks to share with other guests who goes with him/her instead of buy the package for each person? Is that possible? For example: RCCL have the unlimited beverage package for one person that costs about 40 dollars per day. If this person and his guest (ideally a married couple, boyfriend/girlfriend or two cruising buddies) spilts the costs ($20 dollars per day) to contribute toward his individual package by using his sail pass card to order two drinks from the same drink package that he paid with his sea pass card, that would be ideal to save money instead of buying another package for another person. I've wondered if people have done that. Any risk factors involved with cruisers using the same drink package to share? Thank you in advance for your input :cool:

Packages can't be "shared"...they are "per person". If they catch you (and they look out for that sort of thing), they have options....revoke the package, put you off the ship....not worth the hassle!

Packages are per person.

If you are caught your package may be cancelled without refund and you charged per drink.

Packages are not allowed to be shared with another person. For us, the drink package would cost wayyyyy more than our typical expense of drinks onboard.

If the package isn't good value for you. Don't buy it. Really tha simple.

What you're suggesting is similar to two people going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and trying to share one plate among two people. The price is per person.

If honest doesn't motivate you, here are a couple more reasons to avoid this course of action:

- You cannot order two drinks at once from a bar using one drink package, and the bar tender will "catch on" if you return in five minutes for a second drink. So if you were willing to try this, the owner of the package would spend lots of time running around from bar to bar to get multiple drinks ... and it would show up suspiciously on the computers.

- A drink at dinner is something many people want. Your dining room wait staff will know who has a drink package and who doesn't, so you'll never be able to scam a drink in the dining room.

- Similarly, if you ever want to go sit in a bar in the evenings, the waitress won't bring you additional drinks if you're clearly passing them over to your table mate.

- Say the two of you split up -- one of you wants to spend an hour in the casino, while the other wants to lay out by the pool. Whoever doesn't have the drink package can't have a drink.

- If caught, they can add the cost of the second drink package to your bill, so you'd have jumped through all these hoops ... only to be charged in the long run.

Either buy your drinks one-by-one, or both of you get the package. But don't try to scam the ship. Or even sneak your own alcohol onboard; it's not hard, and at least that's alcohol that you legitimately own.

cb at sea has it right and other posters are right.

You have to justify it per person.

Keith

Also with some cruise lines if one person in a cabin that has the drink package , BOTH have to have it. So say husband and wife...If husband pays $50 per day for the drink package, wife will also pay $50 per day for drink package. Mandatory.

So in order to attempt to share you have to have separate cabins. FYI

Do some math...

If it is a port intensive itinerary, it would be unlikely.

DH & I feel we are fairly heavy drinkers on a cruise. We have gotten the drink package free with booking on our last 2 (and next...) Celebrity cruises. We did some math after the first one & felt it was a wash.

Even if we consider it a wash will will still get it--why?

No receipts--give them your card, get your drink. Anywhere, anytime.

I can try whatever I want (depending on my plan)

I can get specialty coffees (I HATE regular coffee on all lines!!), vitamin waters, etc.

I can be very value oriented--if buying drinks one by one, I will go cheap just to go cheap. The drink package allows me the freedom to order what I want.

I say run some numbers before deciding.

Also with some cruise lines if one person in a cabin that has the drink package , BOTH have to have it. So say husband and wife...If husband pays $50 per day for the drink package, wife will also pay $50 per day for drink package. Mandatory.

 

So in order to attempt to share you have to have separate cabins. FYI

I hope this s not true on RCCI because I don't drink and hubby does and so he is getting it I am not

I hope this s not true on RCCI because I don't drink and hubby does and so he is getting it I am not

i know for a fact that in Carnival if your husband wants the package, that everyone in the stateroom would be required to purchase. I have heard that is how most lines are going.

I am sure that you know there are beverage packages on most cruise lines (RCCL, NCL, etc). We have the option to buy a specific beverage package per person. Would it be easier to save $$$ to just buy the beverage package for one person and order the drinks to share with other guests who goes with him/her instead of buy the package for each person? Is that possible? For example: RCCL have the unlimited beverage package for one person that costs about 40 dollars per day. If this person and his guest (ideally a married couple, boyfriend/girlfriend or two cruising buddies) spilts the costs ($20 dollars per day) to contribute toward his individual package by using his sail pass card to order two drinks from the same drink package that he paid with his sea pass card, that would be ideal to save money instead of buying another package for another person. I've wondered if people have done that. Any risk factors involved with cruisers using the same drink package to share? Thank you in advance for your input :cool:

Since we don't drink a lot, I like the Wine and beer packages on the MSC Divina (no - it's not "unlimited"). The wine package includes 7 bottles ($160 + 15% service charge), we got 16 beer coupons ($59 + service charge). We cruised with another couple, so each night at dinner, we selected a bottle of wine from the wine list, the waiter brought out the wine and opened for us.

Since we don't drink a lot, I like the Wine and beer packages on the MSC Divina (no - it's not "unlimited"). The wine package includes 7 bottles ($160 + 15% service charge), we got 16 beer coupons ($59 + service charge). We cruised with another couple, so each night at dinner, we selected a bottle of wine from the wine list, the waiter brought out the wine and opened for us.

Princess has a similar wine package.

Someone posted a Bev package "calculator" on the Princess Forums so you can add up to see if it'll be worth the cost. Unless you have sea days or TA I can't see how it would be worth the cost. Just get a coffee card, bring 2 bottles of wine (1 pp, no fee on Princess), stock up on your fav soda/water in port. Buying 2 drinks each evening per person doesn't add up to alot. If your caught cheating or defrauding the cruise line, you'll have to face the consequences. They keep an eye because people try doing it all the time costing them $$

Princess has a similar wine package.

Great. We will be ordering a package in November. Thanks

RC does not require everyone in the room to purchase the Beverage package.

But if only one person buys it you cannot share it.

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MSC sells drink vouchers which can be shared.

I never buy a Royal Caribbean drink package. I did the math, and I'd have to have like, 8 drinks a day for me to get my money's worth. I'm a lightweight, and you have to factor in that you'll be gone most of the day in ports anyway.

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Keep in mind that any drink ordered if you don't have the All Inclusive Beverage Plan gets an automatic 18% tip added to the cost of that drink.

With an All Inclusive Beverage Plan an 18% tip is part of the selling price of the plan - regardless of how many drinks you order during the cruise.

If a couple EACH consume 5 drinks a day (1 drink before lunch, 1 drink before dinner, 2 classes of wine with dinner and 1 drink after dinner) at a cost of $10.00 per drink [as a math example] those 10 drinks plus the 18% tip will cost the couple $118.00 per day ($100.00 for the drinks and $18.00 for the tips). That's $826.00 for a 7 day cruise (as an example our upcoming Windstar 7 day cruise beverage plan costs $869.00 per couple). The numbers can get adjusted downward by drinking less costly beverages and skipping that drink at lunch if you're on a land tour but ten drinks a day per couple when you're on a cruise having a great time with new friends isn't as many drinks as it sounds. Many couples (mature guests not the 'booze cruise', "I can out drink you" folks) can easily consume that quantity of drinks and maybe one or two more per day. Kind of changes the perspective of how expensive an All Inclusive Beverage Package looks at first glance.

With the exception of river cruises where wine/beer is usually included at no charge with lunch and dinner we always buy the Beverage Plan. All Inclusive Beverage Plans are convenient and often a money saver if you fit into the 10 drinks a day per couple demographic. Want a Mimosa with breakfast? Now you're drinking 12 drinks per day. It's easy spending money on a cruise ship.

I find a lot of benefits to the drink packages. One of the biggest is the simplicity. No signing receipts and no surprise at the end of the cruise when you settle up.

Also, you need to check what is included. A lot of the alcohol packages also include at least some of the waters, specialty coffees and sodas too.

I also agree with the above poster, it is very easy even for someone who doesn't over drink to average 5 drinks per day, particularly if the cruise has multiple sea days.