First time cruising Carnival...need help.

Ive been on a few cruises before but this is the first with Carnival (going on Sunshine out of NYC). First the only complaint I have before even getting on is the drinking package. All the other cruises I've been on the drinking package was $60 or $70/day and it included everything. I wasn't happy that Carnival is charging $55/day and they limit you on 15 drinks per day (I'm going with in laws so 15 might not be enough). Does anyone know of pricing per drink?

My other question is the wifi package they offer. I want to keep in touch with some family at home and everyone has iPhones. If I get the social or value package, will it support iMessage?

I can't help you with the drink prices, but I'm sure someone on here can.

I get the cheapest plan and use Facebook messenger. It worked great on the splendor a couple months ago. That was the first time I'd used it.

Have you tried searching Cheers program on the board? You will find all kinds of answers as well as drink pricing etc.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ive been on a few cruises before but this is the first with Carnival (going on Sunshine out of NYC). First the only complaint I have before even getting on is the drinking package. All the other cruises I've been on the drinking package was $60 or $70/day and it included everything. I wasn't happy that Carnival is charging $55/day and they limit you on 15 drinks per day (I'm going with in laws so 15 might not be enough). Does anyone know of pricing per drink?

 

My other question is the wifi package they offer. I want to keep in touch with some family at home and everyone has iPhones. If I get the social or value package, will it support iMessage?

15 drinks a day is not enough for you? I would like to know how you freaking walk at the end of the day?

15 drinks a day is not enough for you? I would like to know how you freaking walk at the end of the day?

I've had a lot of practice :cool:

I personally would get the drinking package, but if I get it my wife needs to also and she doesn't drink much. The package says everyone in the room must purchase the package. I guess theres no way around it.

(I'm going with in laws so 15 might not be enough).

This statement makes it sound as if you want to share the drinks? You will get no love here then. The other cruise lines also have a limit of around $10 per drink. Carnival's is $50 per drink. So yes you can pay less and drink crap liquor or you can order EVERY drink with top shelf liquor and enjoy what you're drinking.I ordered all of my drinks with Grey Goose vodka and Patron tequila.:cool::p

Last week on the Dream we had the Social package and it states it does not support iMessage but we were getting them so not sure what's going on with that.

This statement makes it sound as if you want to share the drinks? You will get no love here then.

I wish I could state my case because I plan on keep all of those 15 drinks to myself. I know theres no way around it, but my wife will only have a glass of wine at dinner.

Carnival's Cheers includes juices, sodas, bottled waters, Honest ice tea, vitamin water, speciality coffees, milkshakes, non alcoholic frozen drinks (mocktails), frozen cocktails, wine, etc... will she drink at least 50 dollars worth of something in those categories? I probably left out something too. We are doing are research as we are leaving soon on our cruise.

I am purchasing Cheers for the first time on my next cruise, and the difficulty I have with justifying it is "Will I get up to 15 drinks in a day, or at least enough to get my money's worth?" My wife drinks less than I do. Either way, this cruise is our experiment with the program. A typical cocktail is around $10-11 each. So if I drink more than 5 a day, the program breaks even. My wife enjoys playing the casino, and usually gets the "drinks on us" after a day or two. So to get a new drink, we go back to the casino, put maybe $20 into a machine, and then she gets a drink. So our thought is the Cheers package will save us money there too.

As far as "drink-sharing" is concerned. You are concerned that 15 is not enough. Your wife will likely only have a few drinks a day. I don't see any ethical problems with her ordering drinks and giving them to you, since you are both paying for the program anyway. Sharing with someone NOT on Cheers is problematic. There may be a fine print rule somewhere, but that is the way I would look at it.

It's too late for you because you already have your cruise booked. Here's is what some people do. Let's say your father in law wants to buy the package but your mother in law doesn't drink. You want it but your wife doesn't drink that much. You could have booked you and your father in law in one cabin, your mother in law and wife in another. Both men buy it, neither women buy it.

After you board, you get extra keys for each room and switch to both couples together. Lots of people have been getting around the rules by doing that.

The Alchemy bar drinks are all doubles and if your ship has a sky sox sports bar, there is a double shot drink menu and all of those only count as 1 toward your cheers drink max.

If you're going to need to be slightly tipsy 24/7 tolerate to annoying inlaws (lol) then I would get cheers but buy it online in advance of the cruise for 49.95. Also, if you can buy the carnival gift cards for 10% off through verizon, aarp, allstate, etc you know the price down to $45.95 per day or $720 for 2 people for 7 night cruise. I think you may hit that total without cheers by day 3 or 4.

Have a fun cruise!

It's too late for you because you already have your cruise booked. Here's is what some people do. Let's say your father in law wants to buy the package but your mother in law doesn't drink. You want it but your wife doesn't drink that much. You could have booked you and your father in law in one cabin, your mother in law and wife in another. Both men buy it, neither women buy it.

 

After you board, you get extra keys for each room and switch to both couples together. Lots of people have been getting around the rules by doing that.

Yes! I've also known some people (not me) to get friendly with a bartender, tip him $2 a drink, and after he has exhausted his 15 drinks (and his wife has retired for the night) use her Cheers! drinks. The bartender didn't seem to mind -- he was getting $2 a drink. Again, not me because I don't think I could handle 15 drinks every day, but I've seen it happen.

Ive been on a few cruises before but this is the first with Carnival (going on Sunshine out of NYC). First the only complaint I have before even getting on is the drinking package. All the other cruises I've been on the drinking package was $60 or $70/day and it included everything. I wasn't happy that Carnival is charging $55/day and they limit you on 15 drinks per day (I'm going with in laws so 15 might not be enough). Does anyone know of pricing per drink?

 

My other question is the wifi package they offer. I want to keep in touch with some family at home and everyone has iPhones. If I get the social or value package, will it support iMessage?

I can help you with approximate pricing for drinks on Carnival. Beers tend to be around $5-$6, basic cocktails tend to be around $6-$8 depending on type of liquor, basic frozen drinks are around $8,wine is anywhere from $6-$11 a glass, and craft cocktails and martinis at the Alchemy bar are $11.

Your wife doesn't drink much, but you still might come out ahead with cheers. To simplify it let's say she has one $10 glass of wine a day. That means you need to drink $90 worth to break even. Looking at the math, you will break even if you have 15 $6 drinks a day, or 9 $10 drinks a day. Then you still have things like bottled water, sodas, and specialty coffee that you can get besides the 15 alcoholic drinks. So it is really up to you if you think you will drink enough to make it work.

I really like the Alchemy bar. They make great craft cocktails, and will even make something just for you based on your tastes. All of their drinks are about $11, so that really puts cheers over the top for me.

I know some people will judge anyone who can drink 15 drinks a day, but it really isn't as crazy as you might think. Let's say you have a mimosa or two at brunch, go do a couple activities, have a couple beers by the pool, go to lunch and have another beer or two, go to trivia and have a cocktail or 2, you are already at 6 or 7 drinks in the afternoon over a 5-6 hour period. Then of course you have a couple glasses of wine for dinner, a drink at the show, a drink at the comedy club, a couple drinks at the casino, and a drink or two at the night club. That's about 15 drinks, but over a period of 15 hours or so. One drink an hour isn't going to get you drunk. Now of course if you are in port and don't have a drink until about 5:00 PM when you get back on the ship, then you have the potential to become sloppy after 15 drinks. I just don't like when people assume you are going to be wasted because you have 15 drinks. I've had cheers where I had 15 drinks and barely felt a buzz.

Ive been on a few cruises before but this is the first with Carnival (going on Sunshine out of NYC). First the only complaint I have before even getting on is the drinking package. All the other cruises I've been on the drinking package was $60 or $70/day and it included everything. I wasn't happy that Carnival is charging $55/day and they limit you on 15 drinks per day (I'm going with in laws so 15 might not be enough). Does anyone know of pricing per drink?

 

My other question is the wifi package they offer. I want to keep in touch with some family at home and everyone has iPhones. If I get the social or value package, will it support iMessage?

I lol'ed pretty hard.

Rum Runner. They are "flasks" that look like IV bags. You can fill them up with w/e you want, stick them in your luggage and sneak it in. Since they are plastic bags, the X ray machines will not pick it up.

I don't believe anyone has told you yet that even if your wife does not drink much, she can get specialty coffee drinks and sodas, etc. with the Cheers package which would be an additional cost without. Those are unlimited. That way she feels like she is being decadent, too.

I don't believe anyone has told you yet that even if your wife does not drink much, she can get specialty coffee drinks and sodas, etc. with the Cheers package which would be an additional cost without. Those are unlimited. That way she feels like she is being decadent, too.

I appreciate everyones help. now that I know what the package entails I plan on getting it for my wife and I, and her parents will chip in and they can have some of her alcohol drinks if she's not drinking.

In regards to the wifi, if I get the $10 package which is the middle one would that cover iMessage?

"and her parents will chip in and they can have some of her alcohol drinks if she's not drinking"

you could have your Cheers package revoked without compensation if they catch you sharing, a BIG no,no

In regards to the wifi, if I get the $10 package which is the middle one would that cover iMessage?

imessage works with the social media (lowest) package. I found that out on the Pride a couple of years ago when I was getting imessages when we had that package.

I lol'ed pretty hard.

 

Rum Runner. They are "flasks" that look like IV bags. You can fill them up with w/e you want, stick them in your luggage and sneak it in. Since they are plastic bags, the X ray machines will not pick it up.

Ahhhh...the beloved Rum Runners. Used them several times on past cruises. :evilsmile: