P & O Drink Packages

Seems P & O Australia are trialling drinks packages with a view to iron out the bugs to offer on their fleet of ships.

Does anyone know more about this?

Well Princess (which like P&O is Carnival) has just introduced into their Australian based ships an All Included Beverage Package of $59 pp pd. I wondered if this was eventually going to happen across all Carnival owned ships.

Anyway a few weeks ago I rang P&O and asked about drink packages and was told they are introducing a soft drinks package soon and the way she worded it I got the impression they might be considering an alcoholic one as well.

We'll just have to wait and see, as long as the value is there I find a drinks package very convenient.

I just got off Pacific Dawn where the soft drink package was offered. It cost $49 for the seven day cruise, and there were conditions such as no cans, just glasses of softdrink. A can of softdrink cost $2.75.

It may be introduced once they see how it goes on Princess. I wouldn't hold your breath.

Just returned from the Pacific Jewel and they've introduced a soft drink package. $7 per day per person. Not cans, just by the glass. If you get a mixed drink, the soft drink component is taken off. Not a huge saving, but it worked well for us.

It looks like an alcohol drinks package is being trialled on Pacific Pearl. We're looking into this...

Louise Goldsbury

Here's the story. Looks like alcohol packages are on the way!

http://www.cruisecritic.com.au/news/news.cfm?ID=6545

I know I am late to the party on this, but is there a misprint in the article?

Soft launched on this week's cruise P535 from Sydney to the Loyalty Islands, the “Premium Beverage” package is priced at AU$69 per adult per day during the trial period and includes wine, beer and spirits up to the value of AU$12, plus bottled water, soft drinks, coffee and tea.

Why would you pay $57 per day for soft drinks once you have used your allocated $12 of alcohol? Is that how it reads to anyone else?

It is $12 per drink. Not only $12 of booze.

It is $12 per drink. Not only $12 of booze.

Duh - that makes sense! Thanks for the clarification.

Duh - that makes sense! Thanks for the clarification.

No worries.

Anyone know that P&O are doing f you go over the $12, charge the whole amount or just the difference?

I believe it's just the difference.

I double checked this, and unfortunately you won't be able to purchase any drinks about $12 and just pay the difference. Drinks above $12 are excluded from the package and must be paid for separately, and in full.

The one point I didn't see is whether the package must be bought by every member of the booking? I know on HAL if you're in a triple then all three must buy their package, even if only one is a drinker. It's a tough one because if all must buy then that's unfair on those who won't go anywhere near to using their allowance but if all don't have to buy you'll always get the cheats who'll get themselves a drink and then go back and get another but give it to their partner.

The one point I didn't see is whether the package must be bought by every member of the booking? I know on HAL if you're in a triple then all three must buy their package, even if only one is a drinker. It's a tough one because if all must buy then that's unfair on those who won't go anywhere near to using their allowance but if all don't have to buy you'll always get the cheats who'll get themselves a drink and then go back and get another but give it to their partner.

No, all adults in the cabin don’t have to buy it. I checked with P&O.

Thanks for checking that, Louise. Always good to see your name in print.

Just back from Melbourne cup cruise.

I'm writing this so people know how the drinks package is working. P&O are doing an un-advertised drinks trial. Price was $553 for 7 nights per person ($79 a day, so i guess they are trialing different prices on different cruises), no apparent requirement for all people in the cabin to take it up.

For that, you get all drinks up to $12 a serving. That covered every cocktail except 2 (long island iced tea, and a rum thing), all beers, one of each type of wine and bubbles, most of the spirits, cans of jim beam and coke, vodka and red bull, soft drinks, specialty coffee, water, juice etc. To be honest, we didn't ask for anything that we couldn't get.

It was a bit painful because they would only give one drink person, so i had to take my wife with me to the bar to get 2 drinks, where on celebrity you could just take two cards to the bar. I guess they will learn these things. They also do a sale on the computer for every drink, so rather than scanning one card and selling 2 drinks, they go through the whole process twice.

The cocktails at $11 or $12 only have 1 1/2 nips in them, so its easy to drink a lot of them. $8 or $9 for imported beers adds up too.

Overall, we are not party animals and i reckon we would have spent the same without the package. However, the package takes all the stress away and you can enjoy your drink without worrying about the cost. For anyone out for a party cruise, its an absolute bargain.

The drink service was pretty slack at times, but i don't think most people had the package, so they were slow serving paying customers as well.

Thanks very much for that update. When did they ask you to take up the package? Prior to boarding or after? The other bit I've learnt is that on Pacific Dawn only, all members of a cabin must take up the package whereas on the other ships individuals can choose whether to or not. That was advised to me by P & O. And quite wise that they've made it only on 7 nights or longer cruises so that people can't just get smashed on the 2-3 nighters.

We are cruising in Pearl next month (NYE cruise)

Friends of ours just got off Pearl and they said that everyone in your cabin had to get. His wife doesn't really drink and didn't want so he couldn't get unless he purchased one for him and one for his wife. He said many passengers were complaining about it. :eek:

So I am a little confused as above have said different. We have cruised RCCL the past couple years and the first cruise we both had to get and the last time only 1 person could get. Fiona :)

Friends of ours just got off Pearl and they said that everyone in your cabin had to get. His wife doesn't really drink and didn't want so he couldn't get unless he purchased one for him and one for his wife. He said many passengers were complaining about it. :eek:

So I am a little confused as above have said different.

I'm just going on an email I received from P & O but I don't think they've finalised the rules themselves yet. The package was $69 when it first appeared but has since become $79. That's nearly $950 for my upcoming 12 day cruise which is a lot of money and questionable to its value. If they insist my less drinker wife take it as well then we definitely won't be.

The idea should be to make getting a drink more convenient for the passenger. If they make it too dear all they'll do is end up with a bunch of people getting plastered every night in an attempt to avoid losing money on the package.

Yes, they also said it was $79 and they said that they were very strict on all passengers in the cabin getting it. No exceptions. Gerko. Are you on the NYE cruise also? Just read where you said 12 nights. Fiona :)

I'm just going on an email I received from P & O but I don't think they've finalised the rules themselves yet. The package was $69 when it first appeared but has since become $79. That's nearly $950 for my upcoming 12 day cruise which is a lot of money and questionable to its value. If they insist my less drinker wife take it as well then we definitely won't be.

The idea should be to make getting a drink more convenient for the passenger. If they make it too dear all they'll do is end up with a bunch of people getting plastered every night in an attempt to avoid losing money on the package.

RCI's comparable drink package is more expensive. It must be working because a promo starts tomorrow which sees anyone over 18 that books a cruise 8 days or longer, gets a free drink package. Less than 8 days, and you get the soft drink package.

. Are you on the NYE cruise also? Just read where you said 12 nights. Fiona :)

On the Xmas cruise in Pacific Eden to Cairns and Cooktown.

RCI's comparable drink package is more expensive. It must be working because a promo starts tomorrow which sees anyone over 18 that books a cruise 8 days or longer, gets a free drink package. Less than 8 days, and you get the soft drink package.

The other downside is the service once everyone gets a package. I did a cruise on Solstice where virtually every adult had a drinks package and the bar service was absolutely rubbish. Short staffed and slow. And to add insult to injury I had the Top Shelf package and virtually none of the bars had any of the advertised top shelf labels. In the main bar one night I tried to get a good Malt first, then a Chivas then a Black Label and the only scotch they could offer was JW Red. The Top Shelf package was a total ripoff.I guess if they think they've already got your grog money in advance then there's no need for the staff to work hard to get it on board.