Beverage Package and Soda Package on Disembarkation Morning

I just returned from a 2 week B2B on Star. Prior to my leaving, there had been some discussion here as to whether the drink packages would still apply on the morning of disembarkation. I decided to "take one for the team" and try it out! We had booked our 2 weeks as two separate 7 night cruises so I pre booked the beverage package for the first 7 nights only. The soda package for my kids was pre booked for both 7 day voyages.

After the first 7 days, in Whittier, I grabbed myself a coffee from the International Cafe on disembarkation morning. My kids both had a mocktail. When I checked my bill, the coffee showed a charge but nothing for the mocktails. Later on, when everyone had left, I went to guest services and asked....(not that I ever intended to get the coffee charge removed - I had always had the experience that the package wasn't valid on the last morning). Guest services confirmed that the beverage package ended at 6am that morning. The soda package also ended at 6am but the new pre-ordered one kicked in immediately, so the kids drinks did not get charged for. They also confirmed that coffee cards ARE valid and can be used, providing there are still "punches" left. So there you go, mystery solved!

By the way, I put things right and purchased another 7 day drink package for the next leg of the cruise.....I more than got my money's worth this time round! :')

Thank you for sharing your story. Good info.

That is opposite to our experience.

We have bought the beverage packages many times and have always been able to get coffees and sodas the morning of disembarkation, later than 6 am.

Most recently this was successful July/18 on Caribbean Princess, with the cards all "electronic". We used our big package for coffees and our daughter used her coffee card and soda package, no problem, no charges, and I checked after we got home as well - no "surprise" charges.

We were able to use the card on the last day for speciality coffees with the drink package in both December on the Regal and February on the Crown, but the cocktail part of the package had expired at 6 am we were told.

I wonder if they are yet again making another change to the drink package.

Thanks for posting your experience. I’ll be sure to ask before I order a speciality coffee on the last morning so I don’t have a charge on the account at a later time.

Once again, Princess wins with the inconsistency award! I was told by the bartenders on Star that they had just finished revamping their system so now the packages are all electronic, it is all automatic (previously they had to select yes/no to apply the package when it appeared on the screen). This worked far better than it did on the Ruby in April where I was charged for a drink almost everytime I ordered, despite having the package! In two weeks, the only drink I was charged for was the coffee on disembarkation morning! Maybe once all ships are fully automated they might all have the same rules?!?!

I just returned from a 2 week B2B on Star. Prior to my leaving, there had been some discussion here as to whether the drink packages would still apply on the morning of disembarkation. I decided to "take one for the team" and try it out! We had booked our 2 weeks as two separate 7 night cruises so I pre booked the beverage package for the first 7 nights only. The soda package for my kids was pre booked for both 7 day voyages.

 

 

After the first 7 days, in Whittier, I grabbed myself a coffee from the International Cafe on disembarkation morning. My kids both had a mocktail. When I checked my bill, the coffee showed a charge but nothing for the mocktails. Later on, when everyone had left, I went to guest services and asked....(not that I ever intended to get the coffee charge removed - I had always had the experience that the package wasn't valid on the last morning). Guest services confirmed that the beverage package ended at 6am that morning. The soda package also ended at 6am but the new pre-ordered one kicked in immediately, so the kids drinks did not get charged for. They also confirmed that coffee cards ARE valid and can be used, providing there are still "punches" left. So there you go, mystery solved!

 

 

By the way, I put things right and purchased another 7 day drink package for the next leg of the cruise.....I more than got my money's worth this time round! :')

This is not what the fine print indicates. While alcoholic beverages are timed from 6am, there is no limit on non-alcoholic beverages. You should have received your coffee drink at no charge.

Quote

• Alcoholic drinks are limited to 15 beverages per 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.). Alcoholic drinks requested above the daily limits are at the discretion of the shipboard management and crew and charged at regular menu prices.
  
• Non-alcoholic drinks do NOT have this limitation nor do they count toward this maximum.
  

As a comment cutting off alcoholic beverages at 6am on boarding day cuts at least 6 hours off the package, assuming one boards at noon.

I have had a bloody Mary for breakfast (after 8:00 am) on several different cruises with the PBP, and I've never been charged.

If you look at the Terms & Conditions for the package on the Princess website, there is no exclusion for embarkation morning. They charge you for the number of nights of the cruise, so you are paying for that morning.

OP may have had a special case with the B2B. If you are disembarking, then the drink would be charged to your account for the cruise that is ending, so it should be included. However, if you are on a B2B, I don't know what time Princess would start charging beverages to the second cruise instead of to the first one - they may not wait until you disembark and re-board. It appears from OP's post that they start charging the second cruise at 6:00 am in order to enforce the 15-drink daily limit.

I have had a bloody Mary for breakfast (after 8:00 am) on several different cruises with the PBP, and I've never been charged.

 

If you look at the Terms & Conditions for the package on the Princess website, there is no exclusion for embarkation morning. They charge you for the number of nights of the cruise, so you are paying for that morning.

 

OP may have had a special case with the B2B. If you are disembarking, then the drink would be charged to your account for the cruise that is ending, so it should be included. However, if you are on a B2B, I don't know what time Princess would start charging beverages to the second cruise instead of to the first one - they may not wait until you disembark and re-board. It appears from OP's post that they start charging the second cruise at 6:00 am in order to enforce the 15-drink daily limit.

That's a good point - maybe the B2B thing was a factor in this? Or maybe it's another of those Princess things where it depends on the ship/the server/the day/whether mercury is in retrograde....etc, etc, etc

Anyone else have an experience to share?  We will have the PBP and would like to have "good" coffee the last morning, maybe even in a to go cup.

Thanks.

We did a 4 night repo cruise Oct19 2018 Vancouver to LA

We had our usual cappuccinos  before we disembarked the ship

Emerald Princess 

We've always gotten our one last coffee before disembarking but with the beverage package, the alcohol is cut off during the last night of the cruise.  I tried to order a mimosa with breakfast the last morning and they denied me.  

Good to know about the coffee cards!  I still have one that is nearly unused!  

Also, on my last cruise, I knew we had to get up very early as we were the first walk off group.  This may sound gross but I got a cappuccino to go before retiring for the evening on the last night of our cruise .... with plans to drink it the next morning.  You know, it was just as delicious cold as when it is hot!  I'm doing that same thing from now on, especially if I have to get up and off the ship really early!  

We were on the Regal in April before she went to Europe. We got lattes with the premium beverage package every morning including disembarkation. No charges showed up on our account. 

Just disembarked the Emerald Princess on May 3 in Ft. Lauderdale.  My DH and I ordered our usual Mimosas and specialty tea along with 2 bottles of water with no charge.  Same thing we ordered on our last morning in January on the Emerald, the Ruby in December and the Crown in November and have never been charged.  

The terms and conditions that are on the website do not clearly state an end time for the PBP.  Wonder if there is an official statement somewhere?  Seems people are getting different results. 

18 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

The terms and conditions that are on the website do not clearly state an end time for the PBP.  Wonder if there is an official statement somewhere?  Seems people are getting different results. 

6 am - 6 am 'day'

1st 'day' starts about 5-6 hours before you can board - unless on a b2b,etc

We had a cruise where we were delayed getting off.  Went up to Lido, hung around the pool and ordered screwdrivers until we could get off.  No charges.  

20 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

We've always gotten our one last coffee before disembarking but with the beverage package, the alcohol is cut off during the last night of the cruise.  I tried to order a mimosa with breakfast the last morning and they denied me.  

 

Good to know about the coffee cards!  I still have one that is nearly unused!  

 

Also, on my last cruise, I knew we had to get up very early as we were the first walk off group.  This may sound gross but I got a cappuccino to go before retiring for the evening on the last night of our cruise .... with plans to drink it the next morning.  You know, it was just as delicious cold as when it is hot!  I'm doing that same thing from now on, especially if I have to get up and off the ship really early!  

So love this idea of grabbing the cappuccino the night before.  I love cold coffee so it works for me, thanks.

3 hours ago, voljeep said:

6 am - 6 am 'day'

 

1st 'day' starts about 5-6 hours before you can board - unless on a b2b,etc

6 to 6 is listed as the times for counting alcoholic beverages for the 15 drink limit nothing more that I can tell.  Anyone know?

4 hours ago, happy cruzer said:

The terms and conditions that are on the website do not clearly state an end time for the PBP.  Wonder if there is an official statement somewhere?  Seems people are getting different results. 

Go to your Cruise Personalizer under Onboard Reservations => Beverage Packages => Premier Beverage Package and click on "View full terms & conditions". A window will pop up with "The Premier Beverage Package Terms & Conditions 2019". Look at the first item in the last section (labeled "Terms and Conditions):

• Alcoholic drinks are limited to 15 beverages per 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.). Alcoholic drinks requested above the daily limits are at the discretion of the shipboard management and crew and charged at regular menu price.

This seems very clear to me.

This policy actually lets you drink 8 times 15 alcoholic beverages (or 120 alcoholic beverages) on a 7-night cruise, but you would have to work on it. You are allowed 15 alcoholic beverages on the day you board (from boarding until 6 a.m. the next morning). Then you have six full days during which you are allowed 15 alcoholic beverages between 6 a.m. and 6 a.m. the next morning. On the day you disembark, you are allowed 15 alcoholic beverages from 6 a.m. until you get off the ship (probably 10:00 am or 11:00 at the latest).

I know several people (myself included) who occasionally reach the 15-drink limit on full days at sea. However, I haven't heard of anyone who has managed to drink 15 alcoholic beverages from 6 a.m. until leaving the ship about four hours later. I may have had a couple of Bloody Marys with breakfast before leaving the ship, but that's about it for me. But just because no one has done it does not mean it's not allowed under the Terms and Conditions.

Never been charged for my Diet Coke on the last day.

I don't think think the limit has anything to do with when the package starts or ends.  But if it did, the math says on a 7 night cruise it would end at 6 am the last morning.

I guess it will be what it will be :)...

19 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

 

 

So love this idea of grabbing the cappuccino the night before.  I love cold coffee so it works for me, thanks.

You know, I thought it would be kind of gross by the next morning and it was absolutely delicious!!  No line and didn't have to draw straws to determine which one of us would get up earlier to go get the coffee for the morning.  Our disembarkation time was 7 AM, which was on time ... so, this worked so perfectly.  We even picked up a couple of quiches from the International Cafe at the same time ... those were also absolutely perfect for the morning and never had to leave the cabin for a breakfast run either.  Absolutely delicious!!!  Then, we weren't in need of anything at the airport or the flight home.  I always hated the fact that there is no room service on that last morning ... but who needs it when you have these options?  

I am surprised but pleased to hear that package has worked on disembarkation day. In the past we have been told that any drinks that day were charged at full price. We've only had the package twice but, each time, I secured mini bottles of champagne the last night of the cruise to use for our disembarkation lounge Mimosas the next morning. Had I thought the package would still work I may well have had a Bloody Mary or my own weirdo breakfast drink,  Pernod and OJ. (Love that as a morning drink. 😋)

On every cruise in recent memory wife gets a coke or two before going ashore and I get a hot chocolate or two (we typically don't leave until 10 or 10:30). Both of us have the Soda and More package. Never a problem or a charge.