Beverages

My husband and several friends will be sailing on the new Symphony of the Seas next April. Was wandering what everyone who would like to respond, views are on purchasing the beverage package? We will maybe have two, or maybe three drinks a day each? Also, does anyone know how much one mix drink, or wine or beer cost on the newer ships?

No need to purchase the drink package. Mixed drinks are about $10-$12. The breakeven is 5-6 drinks per day...a little less if the package is on sale. Think about your typical bar bill on past cruises and use that as a guide.

You may also want to consider the Refreshment package

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I don't drink soda. We do occasionally like to get wine or cappuccino with dinner, and we have a few drinks. We never have a bar tab that is more than $200-300 for a 7 day cruise. I can't justify buying one package, let alone two. I don't think the wife and I have ever had a $900+ bar tab, which is the cost of 2 drink packages. To get our money's worth from 2 drink packages would require us to drink 30 glasses of wine, 20 cappuccinos, and 40 mixed drinks in a week. I honestly don't think we drink that much in an entire year. To top it off, we are Diamond members and get free drinks every evening.

I bought the liquor package once. I found that I forced myself to drink more, so that I felt like I was getting my money's worth, and still couldn't do it. The break even is 4-7 drinks a day, depending on what you are drinking. Not too difficult to do on a sea day, but on days where you are ashore in port for most of the day, harder to do.

OTOH, my Father in law will drink 10-12 drinks a day. You rarely see him without a glass of Bourbon in his hand- even when he is NOT on a cruise. For him, he gets his money's worth. My wife and I do not. Prices are:

Top shelf liquor drinks: $13 plus 18% gratuity

Shots and simple drinks: $10 plus 18% gratuity

Wine: $5 to $10 per glass, plus 18% gratuity

2 to 3 a day, do not get it.

Drink prices are different on different ships, and drink packages go on sale.

But you will need to drink at least 4 - 5 per person to make it worthwhile. But remember, it also includes specialty coffees, fresh squeezed OJ, bottles of water, and other things.

With what you say that you are going to drink it definitely would not be worth it.

Occasionally when we have the drinks package we only maybe get them if we do not intend to go ashore much would say we break even.

It is just perhaps the ease of having it is why we have a couple of packages then but probably then drink more than we normally would do just to get our monies worth.

I don't drink soda. We do occasionally like to get wine or cappuccino with dinner, and we have a few drinks. We never have a bar tab that is more than $200-300 for a 7 day cruise. I can't justify buying one package, let alone two. I don't think the wife and I have ever had a $900+ bar tab, which is the cost of 2 drink packages. To get our money's worth from 2 drink packages would require us to drink 30 glasses of wine, 20 cappuccinos, and 40 mixed drinks in a week. I honestly don't think we drink that much in an entire year. To top it off, we are Diamond members and get free drinks every evening.

 

I bought the liquor package once. I found that I forced myself to drink more, so that I felt like I was getting my money's worth, and still couldn't do it. The break even is 4-7 drinks a day, depending on what you are drinking. Not too difficult to do on a sea day, but on days where you are ashore in port for most of the day, harder to do.

 

OTOH, my Father in law will drink 10-12 drinks a day. You rarely see him without a glass of Bourbon in his hand- even when he is NOT on a cruise. For him, he gets his money's worth. My wife and I do not. Prices are:

Top shelf liquor drinks: $13 plus 18% gratuity

Shots and simple drinks: $10 plus 18% gratuity

Wine: $5 to $10 per glass, plus 18% gratuity

$5 wine? what? where?

Included in your fare is : ice water, coffee, tea (iced or hot), lemonade, milk and juice at breakfast. That should keep you hydrated. You can buy anything without a package. Doesn't sound like a package would be worth it, for you.

On Carnival you can buy a case of water before your cruise and they will deliver it to your stateroom. I was going to pre purchase it for our upcoming cruise on Freedom OTS but it's about $38 or $48 for the case! Is that price right?

On Carnival you can buy a case of water before your cruise and they will deliver it to your stateroom. I was going to pre purchase it for our upcoming cruise on Freedom OTS but it's about $38 or $48 for the case! Is that price right?

The water package on Royal is for 12 1 litre bottles of Evian.

The water package on Royal is for 12 1 litre bottles of Evian.

Is this the $38 cost?

Is this the $38 cost?

Yes, for 12 1L bottles. Ridiculous.

Pay as you go if you are happy with 2-3 drinks/day. As discussed in another thread, I did feel the mixed drinks were not strong. We were on the package and got our money's worth every day, but it did change the way we drank. There were three occasions where I tried something different for the sake of trying something different and didn't care for the taste and thus didn't drink them. I liked being able to get soda water with lime at bars for free. Not sure, but I assume there would be a charge for that if I didn't have the package. We had two glasses of wine with dinner every night, and none of the wines in the main dining room were $5. There are drink specials at various times though if you check the cruise compass so you might find two for one deals available.

I would like to thank you all for your help w/this! Looks like for us would be to pay as you go! Wow, the prices of a drink has really gone up since our last cruise. We paid 7.50 on our last cruise! Thanks again!

$5 wine? what? where?

I agree - more like $10 and up.

You do know you can carry on 2 bottles of why per cabin correct?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I thought I read you can only bring that on when you first get on the ship, not after that, correct? We will be staying in Barcelona for a few days before, so I was thinking about buying a good wine there? Any suggestions? Our wine of choice is a good Cabernet.

I thought I read you can only bring that on when you first get on the ship, not after that, correct? We will be staying in Barcelona for a few days before, so I was thinking about buying a good wine there? Any suggestions? Our wine of choice is a good Cabernet.

Correct, if you bring wine on other than initial embarkation, they would probably take it and hold it until the end of the cruise.

We found a good selection of wine at El Corte Ingles.

Yes, for 12 1L bottles. Ridiculous.

I could get 13 one liter bottles from Amazon for $21. Then lug them onboard and hope they are allowed.

Or I pay a premium, as one does on vacation, and have all the literal heavy lifting and preolanning done for me.

I like Evian and a liter is a decent sized bottle, so... :)

I could get 13 one liter bottles from Amazon for $21. Then lug them onboard and hope they are allowed.

 

Or I pay a premium, as one does on vacation, and have all the literal heavy lifting and preolanning done for me.

 

I like Evian and a liter is a decent sized bottle, so... :)

You can probably get 32 (or more) 500ml bottles of spring water for under $5 at a local grocery store. If they are not allowed, you're out $5, no big deal.