DocEloise

If the enjoyment you derive from having a beverage package and not adding up the cost of individual drinks in the head every day is worth it, then go for it! if you are going to feel as if you need to get your " money's worth" by adding up your drinks to equal your daily cost then it may cause you more trouble than pleasure.

 

What I'm trying to get across is that it may be worth it to pay for the beverage package for the fun/treat factor even if you don't drink enough to add up to the cost.

 

Either way, enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Well said! My solution to the dilemma, particularly because it would never be worth my spouse having to buy the SBP worked well for me. I purchased pre-paid declining balance beverage cards to pay for my drinks. I could monitor my spending, but didn't have pages and pages of drink charges on my bill or lots of little receipts floating around to track.

 

Eloise

[quote name='Sow There']With 12 HAL cruises under our belt, I will say that we've seen a lot of folks who have been drinking too much but we can't recall anyone who has gotten "out of control."

It's just very uncomfortable when sitting at the dinner table when one or more of our tablemates imbibed a bit (or a lot) before joining us. It makes conversation rather awkward and, frankly, encourages us to excuse ourselves and try the Lido buffet. That has happened more than a few times.

I guess, because we're both non-smokers who have more years behind us than we'd like, and because we're originally from the NY area where we used public transportation a whole lot, we're used to smoking on trains, airplanes, restaurants, on cruise ships, etc., and thus don't find it so bad on a ship that it prevents us from enjoying the veranda experience. Conversely, when the prevailing winds while under way occasionally blow the smoke from the stack(s) through our veranda we have to leave the veranda. Should HAL prohibit using diesel fuel as well?

No, we don't particularly enjoy drifting cigarette smoke but it's hard to imagine that we would ever let it spoil our cruise. However trying to have a congenial dinner conversation with someone who has had too much to drink is no fun at all. Neither is breathing the belching exhaust of engines burning bunker C diesel fuel.

That's why I agree with the "live and let live" notion expressed earlier. Nothing will ever be perfect; not even a HAL cruise.[/QUOTE]
I've been reading most of this entire thread. Thank you for your thoughtful and reasoned comments. I only wish more were like you!