Alcohol Beverage Package

Hello,

Has anyone pre-purchased the alcohol beverage package before?

Have you had any issues with getting a couple of drinks for a spouse or having them use your card?

Have you heard how they monitor this and if there are any penalties?

Thank you!

They can't use your card. I've seen people use the card and then take the drink to a spouse but it's not approved by Princess to share.

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If they discover you are sharing the drinks form AIBP, they will revoke it.

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Hello,

 

Has anyone pre-purchased the alcohol beverage package before?

 

Have you had any issues with getting a couple of drinks for a spouse or having them use your card?

 

Have you heard how they monitor this and if there are any penalties?

 

Thank you!

It is per person, no sharing.

They monitor it well and can cause you some trouble onboard. Not worth it.

Feel free to share with your wife but, when they catch you (when - not if) they will not only revoke the package that you have paid for but will charge you full price for every drink you have had. I'm not certain but I "think" they will also keep the money you paid for the package which could be a very costly thing to have happen.

(Hopefully someone "in the know" will correct me if I'm wrong. Alternately, if I'm correct I'm hoping someone can verify this.)

Don't do it. Follow the rules. It's just not worth it to try and cheat the system.

Feel free to share with your wife but, when they catch you (when - not if) they will not only revoke the package that you have paid for but will charge you full price for every drink you have had. I'm not certain but I "think" they will also keep the money you paid for the package which could be a very costly thing to have happen.

 

(Hopefully someone "in the know" will correct me if I'm wrong. Alternately, if I'm correct I'm hoping someone can verify this.)

 

Don't do it. Follow the rules. It's just not worth it to try and cheat the system.

Yes, the few times we've seen and spoken with someone who has been caught, the package is revoked with no refund and all drinks up to that point were charged to their account.

The bartenders put in your folio number each time you order a drink, which confirms you have a package and aldo tracks what you're drinking, hoe much and when for tracking and inventory purposes..

The bartenders aren't stupid - you're not the first to think of this op. They know what to look for, etc. Once - they'll likely let it slide, more than that it reflects on them and they don't want to get busted either, and so will report you.

It's pretty easy - just follow the rules and buy your wife her drinks while you enjoy your package for yourself or don't buy the package at all and pay-as-you-go...

Hello,

 

Has anyone pre-purchased the alcohol beverage package before?

 

Have you had any issues with getting a couple of drinks for a spouse or having them use your card?

 

Have you heard how they monitor this and if there are any penalties?

 

Thank you!

With the package you can also get a 40% discount on bottles of wine under $100 as well. You can share these.

If ya can't play by the rules, don't cruise.

With the package you can also get a 40% discount on bottles of wine under $100 as well. You can share these.

From what I've seen when checking prices this seems to bring the cost of wine on Princess down around the same price range as one would pay at a store on land. A definite improvement!

The plan is per person no sharing - if you do share and get caught you will lose the plan, get charged for drinks and not be refunded the price of the plan. This is definitely not worth the risk.

We were last on the MSC Divina and while we had a beverage package because of the cabin we booked, several people had purchased drink coupons.

I think they were $75 or $85 for a book of 15. They were for any drink (except very premium), soda, coffee, water, gelato. You could share with your partner, or even "buy" someone else a drink.

I have read that Royal Caribbean is also offering something similar on some of their sailings, although that can only be purchased on board, and is offered during the last 4 days or so of the cruise.

I really like this idea.

I will be on a cruise on Viking Ocean next week, and I will probably not be purchasing their upgraded drink package, because they - unlike Princess - require all passengers in the same cabin to purchase it. Princess used to have that requirement, but they removed it.

This is much better for couples where one drinks a lot more than the other. I can purchase the drink package without my wife buying it also. Then I can buy bottles of wine (at 40% off) for her while continuing to drink wine by the class under the package for me.

If Princess starts noticing couples trying to share the package, they will go back to the requirement that all passengers in the same cabin must purchase it. Then those of us who are honest would lose benefits because of the dishonest people abusing the system. If you share your package, you are not only hurting Princess and possibly yourself, you are hurting everyone else who currently buys the package but whose cabinmate does not.

Yes, the few times we've seen and spoken with someone who has been caught, the package is revoked with no refund and all drinks up to that point were charged to their account.

The bartenders put in your folio number each time you order a drink, which confirms you have a package and aldo tracks what you're drinking, hoe much and when for tracking and inventory purposes..

The bartenders aren't stupid - you're not the first to think of this op. They know what to look for, etc. Once - they'll likely let it slide, more than that it reflects on them and they don't want to get busted either, and so will report you.

It's pretty easy - just follow the rules and buy your wife her drinks while you enjoy your package for yourself or don't buy the package at all and pay-as-you-go...

I agree, don't buy it. The more I look into this package the less I like it. Looks more like a convoluted mess that more than likely is making the crew unhappy as it forces them to be invigilator's over guests they are striving to foster harmonious relations with.

Here is another thread with like discussions of the pros and cons of this program: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2443878

With the package you can also get a 40% discount on bottles of wine under $100 as well. You can share these.

True, but don't forget that the 40% discount on a bottle of wine is only good in the dining rooms and bars, you do not get this if you order wine bottles from room service.

True, but don't forget that the 40% discount on a bottle of wine is only good in the dining rooms and bars, you do not get this if you order wine bottles from room service.

You can have them save the bottle for your next dinner - they will even ydeliver it to a different dinner venue if you like. I believe You could also take it with you back to your cabin if you like.

You can have them save the bottle for your next dinner - they will even ydeliver it to a different dinner venue if you like. I believe You could also take it with you back to your cabin if you like.

Yes, you are certainly correct in that observation, since I have already pointed out this in previous posts in response to some of your's before. But for those who still have doubts, good that you bring this up again, some don't get the message:

1. "You can have them save the bottle for your next dinner- they will even deliver it to a different dinner venue if you like." Both these statements are correct, and as I've mentioned before, we have done that over years of sailing on Princess as well as other lines. However, as far as "different venues", well, that is correct as well, providing, just hope, they can make it work. As we have been on Princess cruises where they have taken over a half hour to find the bottle in the "venue" we saved it in the night before (dinner was over when it showed). As far as different venues saving such for subsequent meals too, sometimes it works, sometimes not. That is why, I often try to save the wait staff and "us" the hassle and simple take the partly finished bottle back to the cabin ourselves.

2. We do, all the time, take our not finished wine bottle back to the cabin, which is okay. Have done so for years, and years. As I asked before, the pertinent question in this context being, if we purchase the beverage package and then pay for our dinner bottle of wine with that package and gain the 40% discount, do we gain the ire of watch dog waiters in the staff when we go back to the cabin with that bottle, since, according to the rules, it is forbidden to use the beverage package for cabin purchases? If that is okay, then, that is a good legal way to get around the limitation on using the beverage package, 40% bottles off of wine, for consumption in your cabin.

Yes, you are certainly correct in that observation, since I have already pointed out this in previous posts in response to some of your's before. But for those who still have doubts, good that you bring this up again, some don't get the message:

 

1. "You can have them save the bottle for your next dinner- they will even deliver it to a different dinner venue if you like." Both these statements are correct, and as I've mentioned before, we have done that over years of sailing on Princess as well as other lines. However, as far as "different venues", well, that is correct as well, providing, just hope, they can make it work. As we have been on Princess cruises where they have taken over a half hour to find the bottle in the "venue" we saved it in the night before (dinner was over when it showed). As far as different venues saving such for subsequent meals too, sometimes it works, sometimes not. That is why, I often try to save the wait staff and "us" the hassle and simple take the partly finished bottle back to the cabin ourselves.

 

2. We do, all the time, take our not finished wine bottle back to the cabin, which is okay. Have done so for years, and years. As I asked before, the pertinent question in this context being, if we purchase the beverage package and then pay for our dinner bottle of wine with that package and gain the 40% discount, do we gain the ire of watch dog waiters in the staff when we go back to the cabin with that bottle, since, according to the rules, it is forbidden to use the beverage package for cabin purchases? If that is okay, then, that is a good legal way to get around the limitation on using the beverage package, 40% bottles off of wine, for consumption in your cabin.

In answer to #2 - no, it wouldn't raise or gain any ire or even raised eyebrows from beverage package watch dog staff. You've paid for the bottle and, as you've noted, you can then consume with whom you like, in whatever venue you like...exactly the same as getting a beer or water or soda or cocktail from a bar with the package and taking it back to your cabin to enjoy later. There's no prohibition against that with any package at all. The limits with regards to cabin consumption have to do with Room Service ordering - the package doesn't cover a nothing via room service. But bring a drink yourself back to you cabin - by all means, go for it and enjoy...

In answer to #2 - no, it wouldn't raise or gain any ire or even raised eyebrows from beverage package watch dog staff. You've paid for the bottle and, as you've noted, you can then consume with whom you like, in whatever venue you like...exactly the same as getting a beer or water or soda or cocktail from a bar with the package and taking it back to your cabin to enjoy later. There's no prohibition against that with any package at all. The limits with regards to cabin consumption have to do with Room Service ordering - the package doesn't cover a nothing via room service. But bring a drink yourself back to you cabin - by all means, go for it and enjoy...

Well, thanks, I tend to agree with your arguments here in this regard. But then, when I get enthused over something----anyway, I'm welling to give it a go next voyage. I'll report back, from jail, LOL