Alcohol Package, Tips & Tricks

Well... I'm booked on the 7day cruise and interested in getting the alcohol package but I heard everyone in the same room must purchase the package as well.

 

I'm with my wife who does not drink at all along with my 8 year old son. Will they force my wife to get the package?

 

Am I correct they charge for full 7 days even tho the last day we are back in port and won't be drinking at all.

Everyone over 21 must get the package, they do not charge you for the day you arrive in port (that is the 8th day)

You will need to look at the cost for both of you and determine if you, drinking alone, excluding any non alcoholic beverages your wife might consume such as juice, soda, milkshakes and coffees, to determine if purchasing it is worthwhile.

You can put the package in your cart, and get the exact price with tips, before checking out.

Sounds to me that unless you can really shuffle down some drinks you might be better just paying by the drink as everyone in your room over 21 has to purchase the package - When hubby and I travel I will only have maybe 2 drinks a night and that is pushing it so for us its better to just pay by the drink

Yes, your wife would have to buy the package. If you try to purchase it online, the system will automatically add it for everyone over age 21. Remember, though, even if she doesn't drink alcohol, she could still get soft drinks, coffee, bottled water, milkshakes, and energy drinks with the package. Factor those in when you are trying to figure out whether it's worth it.

 

Plus, if you hit your limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day, she might be nice and "buy" you a few more. Technically against the rules, I know....

If your wife does not drink at all, do not get the package. Don't let anyone tell you that you might make it up in coffees, juices, bottled waters, etc. That is $840 you will not get your money's worth on. I tend to believe that even if both people drink, most still aren't getting $840 worth of drinks.

 

From here, I would balance out the two other options: pay by the drink or pre-purchase a bottle. If you are likely to purchase a large variety of cocktails, and other drinks, I would pay as you go. If you are someone who will stick mainly to one type of drink, aka jack and coke, I'd buy the bottle, and bring some sodas. Maybe even a mixture of both. I generally love to drink, and though the plan would be a good idea for me. It is a chore to drink that much, for that long.

If your wife does not drink at all, do not get the package. Don't let anyone tell you that you might make it up in coffees, juices, bottled waters, etc. That is $840 you will not get your money's worth on. I tend to believe that even if both people drink, most still aren't getting $840 worth of drinks.

 

From here, I would balance out the two other options: pay by the drink or pre-purchase a bottle. If you are likely to purchase a large variety of cocktails, and other drinks, I would pay as you go. If you are someone who will stick mainly to one type of drink, aka jack and coke, I'd buy the bottle, and bring some sodas. Maybe even a mixture of both. I generally love to drink, and though the plan would be a good idea for me. It is a chore to drink that much, for that long.

 

Very refreshing to read good sound advise as it relates to Cheers package.

There is no true average price of a drink on board as they can range from a menu price of $2 for soda, juice or 0.5L bottles of water to $13 for a premium martini to $45 per shot of a special reserve cognac available only in the steakhouse. So a flat out statement of saying you only need X or Y number of alcohol to make the program pad off is misleading. Your best bet is to google 2018 carnival bar menus look for your favorite drink, think of how many you might actually drink then add in a few bucks a day for water, soda, or specialty coffees and see if your habits will cover the cost of having to buy the program for both you and your wife.

 

Well... I'm booked on the 7day cruise and interested in getting the alcohol package but I heard everyone in the same room must purchase the package as well.

 

I'm with my wife who does not drink at all along with my 8 year old son. Will they force my wife to get the package? YES, no exemptions, all adults of drinking age need to get the package. Almost all of the mass market cruise lines now use this same policy concerning alcohol included packages.

 

Am I correct they charge for full 7 days even tho the last day we are back in port and won't be drinking at all. You are charged for the 7 nights you are on board. As noted if leaving from NY or TX it will be 1 less night due to their local liquor laws. The half day for boarding and the morning of disembarkation in other departure ports will still have you covered for any included package drink, like a mochachino or 2 before leaving the ship.

If your wife doesn't drink then don't buy the package.

If your wife doesn't drink then don't buy the package.

 

It really depends on what and how much OP and his wife drink. If he would have a half dozen beers and a coffee in the morning, and she stuck to water and lemonade, then it's obviously a terrible deal. If he would have 8-10 cocktails, and she was a fan of the specialty coffee, sodas, maybe a milkshake, they would at least break even.

The Cheers package is only worth it if BOTH of you would take advantage of it. To me, unless you are going to spend all of your time on the ship, Cheers doesn't add up. (Hey, that just my opinion.)

In my case, my DW doesn't drink. So, even though the price per bottle is OUTRAGEOUS, I buy two bottles of whatever for our cabin. It works out in the plus column as far as price per drink adds up. Do the math, and you will find the cruise line wins in either case! ;)

We just got done with our cruise and we purchased Cheers. I roughed out how much we would have spent on various drinks, and it would have been in the $1,200.00 range - so it paid off for us.

 

We also tend to like to drink the premium drinks which run in the $12-$14 range and my DH likes to try the shots of the high end liquors. Cheers allows us to do that without worry about the bill. He also has an ongoing love affair with the coffee bar each cruise. I just discovered this cruise they carry Coke Zero - so my non-alcoholic beverage costs went up.

 

Best bet about whether or not it is worth it for the OP is to do what a few folks have recommended, check out the current drink prices, average out how much you think each of you would drink of the various beverages each day and see where you land.

 

An alternative for alcohol drinks are the bottles that you can prepurchase and have in the room - or go to the Carnival website and purchase the "Bar Cash" or "Cruise Cash" credits. They are sold in increments of $25 and that money will be credited towards your account. Do read the fine print, because if you don't use it, you may lose it. So don't purchase more than you are certain you will spend. If I recall correctly Bar Cash is only for alcohol, while I think Cruise Cash goes for everything. But do double check before purchasing if you go that route. Policies do change from time to time.

There is no true average price of a drink on board as they can range from a menu price of $2 for soda, juice or 0.5L bottles of water to $13 for a premium martini to $45 per shot of a special reserve cognac available only in the steakhouse. So a flat out statement of saying you only need X or Y number of alcohol to make the program pad off is misleading. Your best bet is to google 2018 carnival bar menus look for your favorite drink, think of how many you might actually drink then add in a few bucks a day for water, soda, or specialty coffees and see if your habits will cover the cost of having to buy the program for both you and your wife.

 

 

This is what I did as well as read a ton of threads here and on FB.....good advice.

If your wife doesn't drink then don't buy the package.

You would have to stay hammered the entire cruise to have a chance of coming out ahead on the $840 it will cost. Don't get the package.

The Cheers package is only worth it if BOTH of you would take advantage of it. To me, unless you are going to spend all of your time on the ship, Cheers doesn't add up. (Hey, that just my opinion.)

In my case, my DW doesn't drink. So, even though the price per bottle is OUTRAGEOUS, I buy two bottles of whatever for our cabin. It works out in the plus column as far as price per drink adds up. Do the math, and you will find the cruise line wins in either case! ;)

 

The bottles are not priced outrageously. Sure, you can but them cheaper at a liquor store. However, that is not how the alcohol game works.

 

A 1 liter bottle of Jack Daniels is about $110 with gratuity. I like this comparison because Jack and Coke is popular, especially with males. Assuming the average J&C has 1.5 ounces of liquor, a bottle would give you at least 22 J&Cs worth. If J&Cs were $5 a piece (which they are not), you would "break even" with the bottle.

I generally love to drink, and though the plan would be a good idea for me. It is a chore to drink that much, for that long.

That statement is an oxymoron. If you do generally love to drink, then you should have zero problems drinking 5 drinks per day for 7 straight days from the Alchemy Bar, which would put you ahead of the game with Cheers.

You would have to stay hammered the entire cruise to have a chance of coming out ahead on the $840 it will cost. Don't get the package.

 

I disagree. This has come up before, and it's different for everyone. But here's how I see it.

 

If you have a couple of specialty coffees in the morning, a bloody mary at brunch, a few sodas or bottles of water during the day, hit the Shake Spot after lunch, then maybe a frozen drink around the pool or a pre-dinner cocktail, a couple of glasses of wine at dinner (and you don't have to drink the cheap Santa Carolina stuff), and finally a nightcap in the casino or comedy club -- if you drink all that you would get your money's worth out of the package.

 

I could drink five drinks spaced through the day and not be "hammered" the entire time. And depending on the drinks, you could easily equal the cost of the package if you have just five a day. You don't have to shoot for the 15 drink limit and stay hammered. It just depends on what and how much you like to drink.

 

I'm looking forward to having Cheers so I can just order whatever I want, whenever I want it and not have to worry about every dime I'm spending, or ordering a cheaper glass of wine rather than the more expensive one because I'm worried about the costs adding up.

The Cheers package is only worth it if BOTH of you would take advantage of it. To me, unless you are going to spend all of your time on the ship, Cheers doesn't add up. (Hey, that just my opinion.)

In my case, my DW doesn't drink. So, even though the price per bottle is OUTRAGEOUS, I buy two bottles of whatever for our cabin. It works out in the plus column as far as price per drink adds up. Do the math, and you will find the cruise line wins in either case! ;)

Understand that your DW does not drink, so Cheers would obviously not be beneficial to you, but your Cheers doesn't add up unless you stay on board does in fact add up. Obviously you're concerned about not getting your monies worth on port days. You're back on board by 500 and if you go to bed at midnight, that is 7 hours to get your monies worth. 5 drinks in the Alchemy Bar will do it.....or how about 4 beers and 4 shots....both easily doable over a 7 hour period. I understand your point of view about Cheers not working for you because your wife does not drink, but your don't buy it because of port days doesn't hold water with you just like it doesn't hold water with many others who bring up the same theory.

You would have to stay hammered the entire cruise to have a chance of coming out ahead on the $840 it will cost. Don't get the package.

Eight drinks per day at the Alchemy Bar, combined with miscellaneous non alcoholic drinks such as San Pellegrino to stay hydrated, bottled iced tea and a couple of espresso based coffees....and voila, a single guy has come out ahead and unless you're a total lightweight, eight alcoholic drinks per day does not make you stay hammered the entire cruise. And with this scenario, you're not even having any alcohol till Alchemy opens at 200 or so.

You would have to stay hammered the entire cruise to have a chance of coming out ahead on the $840 it will cost. Don't get the package.

 

That's $120/day.

 

There's high end scotches, brandies and the like that would eat that up pretty quickly.

Sorry, in my comments above, I forget that OP's wife does not drink. That does make it a different calculation. However, surely she does drink something. If she loves coffee, soda, milkshakes, energy drinks, bottled water etc then this combined with the husband's alcohol consumption might make it worthwhile. But I think for most couples, if one of them does not drink any alcohol at all, then it probably would not make much sense to buy Cheers.

 

But again, this is very individual and before buying the package, any cruiser should really think about their drinking patterns and the cost of drinks. What works for one person/couple may not work for another.

If your wife does not drink at all, do not get the package. Don't let anyone tell you that you might make it up in coffees, juices, bottled waters, etc. That is $840 you will not get your money's worth on. I tend to believe that even if both people drink, most still aren't getting $840 worth of drinks.

 

From here, I would balance out the two other options: pay by the drink or pre-purchase a bottle. If you are likely to purchase a large variety of cocktails, and other drinks, I would pay as you go. If you are someone who will stick mainly to one type of drink, aka jack and coke, I'd buy the bottle, and bring some sodas. Maybe even a mixture of both. I generally love to drink, and though the plan would be a good idea for me. It is a chore to drink that much, for that long.

 

You have to remember that the break even point for the buyer is 5 to 6 drinks depending on the quality of alcohol you order in your drinks. Might as well order top shelf all the time even though the mixes make it almost impossible to tell the alcohol quality. You can get creative and drink all of you drinks neat and stick with the high end tequilas, scotches, whiskeys and the highest cost wines by the glass. Remember, drinks included can go up to $50 per drink.

Understand that your DW does not drink, so Cheers would obviously not be beneficial to you, but your Cheers doesn't add up unless you stay on board does in fact add up. Obviously you're concerned about not getting your monies worth on port days. You're back on board by 500 and if you go to bed at midnight, that is 7 hours to get your monies worth. 5 drinks in the Alchemy Bar will do it.....or how about 4 beers and 4 shots....both easily doable over a 7 hour period. I understand your point of view about Cheers not working for you because your wife does not drink, but your don't buy it because of port days doesn't hold water with you just like it doesn't hold water with many others who bring up the same theory.

 

 

I am always amazed at the people who argue you are in Port xxx amount of days. Most cruises pax are back on board by 3:30-4:30 with Curaçao being the exception.

 

Which means exactly like you said , pax are still onboard 7-8 hours daily.

 

They do realize you can have Bailey's and Coffee or Bloody Mary or Mimosa or Scewdriver for breakfast.

 

Just back from Vista and Cheers more than paid for itself for DW and I.

 

DW loved the Tiramisu Martini's at Atrium Bar, and they made a very very good dirty .

 

Everyone's system reacts differently to alcohol and the individual and only the individual knows that answer. It's crazy one must ask it's worth.

 

 

However people do have a tendency to over analyze things.

That statement is an oxymoron. If you do generally love to drink, then you should have zero problems drinking 5 drinks per day for 7 straight days from the Alchemy Bar, which would put you ahead of the game with Cheers.

 

I just can't do it. Last night I went out, had a bunch of drinks, and had a good time. I don't want any today. Throughout the rest of the week, I will maybe have about 4 drinks, then a bunch on the weekend again. I do love alchemy, but I can't just keep forcibly sucking down their drinks. All of the sugar and alcohol makes me feel like crap and gain weight.

 

You have to remember that the break even point for the buyer is 5 to 6 drinks depending on the quality of alcohol you order in your drinks. Might as well order top shelf all the time even though the mixes make it almost impossible to tell the alcohol quality. You can get creative and drink all of you drinks neat and stick with the high end tequilas, scotches, whiskeys and the highest cost wines by the glass. Remember, drinks included can go up to $50 per drink.

 

 

The break even point is over-discussed. From a math perspective, sure you can break even with some high-end drinks. However, from a different perspective, $840 is a lot of money for drinks. When all that money leaves my wallet for alcohol, rivaling the price of the whole cruise itself, I cannot say I broke even. That does not make the vacation for me, and the same goes for a lot of people. In what instances do we ever spend this much on alcohol? Now, if both passengers of the cabin would spend that much anyways, it would be dumb to not get it. I've never in my life been on vacation with a female that will drink that much. I agree though, it is a great time to experiment with some high-end drinks you may not normally order.

 

 

Another way to look at it is the season pass I bought for a local amusement park the past 3 years. It was over $200. Sounds easy to get your money's worth. Just attend at least 4 times last year. I didn't. I never do. My highest year, I went 3 times. Even then, I had to push myself to go to justify all of the money I spent, to somehow make myself feel better? Every other year was 2 visits. Why was I trying to force myself to go just to break even? What is the point of justifying unnecessary costs? The world is moving heavily towards subscription-based "unlimited" access monthly and up-front fees. The truth is, the vast majority of people never get their monies worth for what they buy. I see that in my industry too. Most of the costs are incurred up-front, then they have little or no utilization of it afterwards. Companies do it to make money, not to offer "break evens".