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Did you wish you’d purchased the Cheers package?


sweets2323
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I drink occasionally. And don’t think I will drink 7 drinks a day (including alcoholic and non alcoholic) but then I don’t know if I’m being realistic with myself and once I get on the ship it may be a whole different story. I’ve never been on an 8 day cruise. Not sure how it will play out. I’m traveling with my kids so I don’t plan on drinking that much.

 

What was your experience?

 

 

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Hi

 

I might drink a "handful" of alcoholic drinks on a cruise. Just don't seem to purchase milkshakes, bottled water, specialty coffees, energy drinks (don't do that at home, why would I do it on a cruise).

 

I know it is more than just the alcohol, but it comes down to the alcohol. I just don't drink (alcohol) everyday. If you do and you are in a cabin with someone who does, I guess it's worth it, if not, then no. My bar bill for a week will come out to about $50. I might have a few drinks while I am off the ship as well, that wouldn't be reflected in my bar bill. I don't drink everyday at home, why would I do that just because I am on vacation?

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I rarely drink at home, but when I'm on a cruise, and I've purchased the drink package (only been on RCL so far - but sailing on Ecstasy in 2 weeks) and have NEVER been disappointed. The first time we cruised, we didn't purchase the drink package and were saddled with a large bill of "incidentals" - a soda here, a coffee drink there, drink of the day, etc. It ended up being more than the price of the package. We made the most of the drink package without "getting drunk." Instead we enjoyed the freedom knowing that we could relax and order things we wouldn't normally order at home. Isn't that the point of being on vacation - doing things you wouldn't do at home? We tried specialty cocktails. Enjoyed a martini before dinner. Purchased a shot of espresso at the coffee bar and brought it to a bartender who made it into a wonderful concoction. All without worrying about the dreaded bill at the end of the cruise.

 

No one can predict whether it will be worth it for you, specifically. Everyone will have their two cents. My two cents is "GO FOR IT!"

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The last few 7 day cruises I've been on have had 4 port days. I can't drink like I used to either. A bottle of wine carried onto the ship, a bottle of peach schnapps ordered ahead of time thru Carnival (goes well with ice tea, lemonade, fruit juice and ice cream), a 1st day Funship Special and a few extra drinks here and there is enough for me and alot cheaper. Now twenty years ago.....it may have been worth it. I know that there are other non-alcoholic beverages included in the plan but I usually order bottled water ahead of time and am a pretty boring drinker anymore......

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I will have a couple of alcoholic drinks and maybe a specialty coffee each day.

That does not come out to $800 for a 7-8day cruise. Our bill at the end of the week is about $300 so we do not feel the need to buy Cheers. We prefer to pay for what we actually use.

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NO...DH is a moderate drinker and I am a light weight and cannot imagine spending that amount of money on drinking for 2 people. I do not do the specialty drinks regularly enough and never drink milk shakes and DH would drink more for sure if he was trying to make it worth while, trust me, not something that would enhance our vacation (watching him get tipsy (aka acting stupid) or drunk every day).

 

For us it is a family vacation and as we do not have a drink in our hand continually at home, it is not the picture we want to paint as normal for our teen just because we are on vacation. A glass of wine with dinner or a beer at the pool (DH) while on vacation is much more typical for us and we DO have a great time without drinking all day, every day.

 

We bring our allotted wine and purchase the wine package (5 bottles in the package plus our 2 carryons) and that is plenty for us to have wine at dinner or on the balcony after dinner. DH will order a bucket or 2 of beer during the whole week but not much more than that.

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NO...DH is a moderate drinker and I am a light weight and cannot imagine spending that amount of money on drinking for 2 people. I do not do the specialty drinks regularly enough and never drink milk shakes and DH would drink more for sure if he was trying to make it worth while, trust me, not something that would enhance our vacation (watching him get tipsy (aka acting stupid) or drunk every day).

 

For us it is a family vacation and as we do not have a drink in our hand continually at home, it is not the picture we want to paint as normal for our teen just because we are on vacation. A glass of wine with dinner or a beer at the pool (DH) while on vacation is much more typical for us and we DO have a great time without drinking all day, every day.

 

We bring our allotted wine and purchase the wine package (5 bottles in the package plus our 2 carryons) and that is plenty for us to have wine at dinner or on the balcony after dinner. DH will order a bucket or 2 of beer during the whole week but not much more than that.

 

 

 

Is the bucket of beer more at the bar or preorder to the room? The preorder is only 4 bottles.

 

Someone mentioned they order peach schnapps but I didn’t see it on the list to order from eitherZ

 

 

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The problem with Cheers is that both adults in the cabin have to purchase it. It only makes sense if both of you are going to drink several drinks a day, everyday, for the entire cruise. If that's what you do, then go for it, if not then pay as you go. We always pay as you go and have never come close to spending the cost of Cheers. YMMV :)

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On my first Carnival cruise I didn't buy the package and I would have saved about $175.00 if I did. Yes, I wish I'd purchased it.

 

Since then, I buy it. I'm usually in a cabin by myself so I don't have to worry about a roommate not wanting it.

 

I also like paying for it before I go as well as anything else I can pay beforehand (gratuities, excursions etc)

 

It's nice to come home from a trip that's paid for...(pretty much!):D

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I drink occasionally. And don’t think I will drink 7 drinks a day (including alcoholic and non alcoholic) but then I don’t know if I’m being realistic with myself and once I get on the ship it may be a whole different story. I’ve never been on an 8 day cruise. Not sure how it will play out. I’m traveling with my kids so I don’t plan on drinking that much.

 

What was your experience?

 

 

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The question is will each of you drink $50 worth of drinks a day? IMO it's pretty easy to break even. A mimosa at brunch, a few $11 margaritas, and 2 more cocktails and you are there. Not to mention if you want a speciality coffee in the morning, a soda, power aid or bottles of water or rock star (also have sugar free) for a pick me up or with vodka. If you haven't already get some pictures of current drink menus with prices. It adds up quickly.

 

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Is the bucket of beer more at the bar or preorder to the room? The preorder is only 4 bottles.

 

Someone mentioned they order peach schnapps but I didn’t see it on the list to order from eitherZ

 

 

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NOOO. I just called to see if perhaps it was still available by calling in but just not listed on the "Fun Shop" order page. It is no longer available. Sorry for providing outdated information. (I will probably order ameretto or rum instead).

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I can't justify the cost. My total S&S bill was under $200 for our last 7 night cruise. Bring my own soda, have a drink or two the first day and a few more one night in the casino. Pre-paid my tips, didn't eat at a Specialty restaurant and didn't spend a thin dime in the shops. And I would never book a Carnival excursion in the Caribbean (yes, I took private excursions at every port). Two people, seven nights and under $200. Nope, Cheers isn't for me!

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I can't justify the cost. My total S&S bill was under $200 for our last 7 night cruise. Bring my own soda, have a drink or two the first day and a few more one night in the casino. Pre-paid my tips, didn't eat at a Specialty restaurant and didn't spend a thin dime in the shops. And I would never book a Carnival excursion in the Caribbean (yes, I took private excursions at every port). Two people, seven nights and under $200. Nope, Cheers isn't for me!

 

 

 

All the excursions I called told me I have to book thru carnival because of contracts. I thought we couldn’t bring soda or water on the ship anymore, just one bottle of wine PP.

 

 

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The question is will each of you drink $50 worth of drinks a day? IMO it's pretty easy to break even. A mimosa at brunch, a few $11 margaritas, and 2 more cocktails and you are there. Not to mention if you want a speciality coffee in the morning, a soda, power aid or bottles of water or rock star (also have sugar free) for a pick me up or with vodka. If you haven't already get some pictures of current drink menus with prices. It adds up quickly.

 

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Hi

 

As I said before, it's not all about the alcohol, but it is mainly about the alcohol. Carnival did make a very good move when they included the other non alcoholic beverages in the packages and they still remain popular. So much so that they are able to continually raise the price.

 

That being said, as you pointed out, a drink here, a couple of margaritas there, a glass of wine with dinner, it adds up. The thing is, I don't drink (alcohol) every day, even when I was younger and would drink a lot on occasion, I did not drink every day. I can't imagine doing so just because I am on vacation and have paid for it in advance, what I am surprised at is how many people do. :)

 

It's your vacation, the math is easy enough. If it works for you, go for it.

 

have a great cruise

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Cheers has never made a lick of sense for me. Coffee, water, tea, lemonade, and other juices available free 24/7.

 

I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, an after dinner liquor now and then, a specialty coffee now and then.

 

Never yet have spent close to $50. a day on beverages. Never yet haven't felt free to drink whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

 

If it takes $50. per person per day to drink all you want, it's worth it.

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Just back from Valor XMas cruise, first time with cheers. I wanted to purchase, it was more "affordable" to do so. My husband wasn't as interested, he basically drinks corona. But my personality calculates constantly what I am spending onboard, cheers liberated me. I do not feel we drank very much at all, but my drinks were from the Alchemy bar, Sangria from Serenity and then wine in dining room. For me, I felt just ordering 4 drinks a day made it worth it for me, plus a couple of sodas and chai tea in the morning. My husband, definitely got his "money" out of it. He drank his usual beer, but tried the Alchemy bar , not to mention spiked coffees, milkshakes and soda. What was very nice for me, was I wasnt afraid to order something and not like it. We both tried bloody marys, and did not like them at all...........being on cheers, it was no big deal. Now for a longer cruise, where the package cost would be nearly double, it will depend on how far in advance we book, what money saving ways I come across ( like buying the discounted carnival gift cards and use them to buy cheers), etc. But overall, if we can afford to buy it, I think we will in the future.

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Just back from Valor XMas cruise, first time with cheers. I wanted to purchase, it was more "affordable" to do so. My husband wasn't as interested, he basically drinks corona. But my personality calculates constantly what I am spending onboard, cheers liberated me. I do not feel we drank very much at all, but my drinks were from the Alchemy bar, Sangria from Serenity and then wine in dining room. For me, I felt just ordering 4 drinks a day made it worth it for me, plus a couple of sodas and chai tea in the morning. My husband, definitely got his "money" out of it. He drank his usual beer, but tried the Alchemy bar , not to mention spiked coffees, milkshakes and soda. What was very nice for me, was I wasnt afraid to order something and not like it. We both tried bloody marys, and did not like them at all...........being on cheers, it was no big deal. Now for a longer cruise, where the package cost would be nearly double, it will depend on how far in advance we book, what money saving ways I come across ( like buying the discounted carnival gift cards and use them to buy cheers), etc. But overall, if we can afford to buy it, I think we will in the future.

 

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I love that I don't have to think about how much things cost, whether its a cappuccino in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. We are not excessive drinkers, but we like to let loose a little on our vacations and I refuse to nickel and dime myself when the whole point of our vacation is to escape reality.

 

I've cruised both with and without Cheers and I can say that Iike my Sign & Sail account at the end of the week MUCH better with Cheers.

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My husband and I both purchased a drink package on our RCL cruise. We ended up cancelling it on the third day. I don't drink much and get a headache if I have two strong drinks in a row. I got a horrible headache and had no desire to have any more drinks. My husband isn't a big drinker either. We'll have a drink while watching a show, but that's about it.

 

We will only purchase the soda package on our cruises. I also pre-order bottled water to be delivered to the cabin. For our next cruise, it's $4.50 for a 12 pack of water. It works for us. I don't drink milkshakes or specialty coffee.

 

I think a lot of people who do like to drink alcohol, specialty coffee, and the other drinks that are covered probably benefit from the drink package. It's definitely different for everyone. If I were trying to decide, I would get a list of the drink prices for the various drinks I think I might like and add up an estimate of the daily cost. If it's close to the cost of the drink package, I would get it.

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Going on the Pride November 2018 14 day Journey. 3 Adults in a Vista Suite= $2400 for Cheers Package(before 1/1 increase).

 

I DON'T think so! My MIL may have 2-3 glasses of wine a day but hubby and I would never come close to the break-even limit.

I plan on buying the Bottomless Bubbles package as I can/will drink my weight in soda each day!:p

 

Karen

Pride 11/4/2018 to 11/18/2018

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Get it, skip the well drinks and go top shelf liquor. 4-5 drinks and you’re above the line already and not even counting non alcoholic bevs

——-

Sample pricing for beverages found on board:

  • Prices and product availability are subject to change without notice.

  • Beer: $5.00 - $7.95 (mostly 16 oz.)
  • Wine by the glass: $5.95 - $12.50
  • Spirits: $6.25 - $17.00
    • Skyy Vodka and soda - $6.25
    • Jack Daniels and Coca Cola - $7.25
    • Shot of Patron Silver - $10.95

    [*]Specialty Cocktails: $8.25 -$12.95

    • Carnival Cosmo - $9.25
    • Pina Colada - $8.25
    • Margarita - $8.95

    [*]Soft Drinks

    • Soda: $2.25
    • Other Soft Drinks (Powerade, Iced Tea, Honest Tea and Ginger Beer) $1.95 - $4.00
    • Energy Drinks: $4.95 and up
    • Water (San Pellegrino, Perrier, Vitamin Water, Bottled Water and Coconut Water): $1.25 - $5.00

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We were really debating this same thing before our Oct cruise. It was just going to be me and my DH and we were definitely planning on having a few drinks. We decided against it and I'm glad we did, we didn't end up spending the cost of cheers over the whole cruise, mostly because we didn't have very many drinks on the ship on port days.

 

Also one other thing to think about and another reason I'm glad we ended up deciding against cheers is the "just one more drink" phenomenon. There were a few nights we were out drinking, and if we had cheers, I probably wouldn't have stopped when I did (since the drinks are paid for, it would have been easy to just order "one more"), and I'm sure I would have been paying for it the next morning. If I was still in my 20s, sure, I would have been all over cheers, but now firmly in middle age, I can't drink all night like I used to and still get up and enjoy the next morning. Of course, all of this logic goes out the window a few drinks in, and I think I'm still invincible, and at least for me, paying separately for each drink does keep me in check, so I can be bright-eyed and busy tailed each morning of the cruise, haha. ;)

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Yes....when it first started being offered we spent pretty much the same amount as the package would've cost even though we still had the end budget in mind the entire trip. The entire cruise was "lets grab some drinks but try not to spend too much money today" and "we already spend $60 on beer at the pool earlier". We started getting it after that. The peace of mind of being to order anything at anytime adds worth to my vacation above and beyond the cost of alcohol.

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