"Cheers" Versus "By the Beverage"

Trying to determine whether it is more cost efficient to purchase the "Cheers" package or to purchase "by the drink". At $50.00 per day/per person, I am thinking that it might be better to purchase 'by the drink'. However, if each drink from soda to cocktail has a hefty price tag, then I might reconsider things.

Your experience in these matters will be greatly appreciated. For instance, how much is a soda? How much is a glass of wine, etc., etc., etc. if you order by the drink.

Thanks.

Beer, glass of wine, etc cost about the same as at average bar in my world, at least. I am a fairly heavy drinker but do not drink soda. I come out ahead buying by the drink (or bottle of wine at dinner).

I had trouble justifying the cost of Cheers before all of the other options were added to the program: bottled water, sports drinks, specialty coffees, ...

They all add up, and now they're covered by Cheers.

Figure roughly $6 for beer and $10.00 for cocktails. It takes roughly 6 drinks to break even. Coffees were around $4. I think all of the stuff at the coffee shop is less than the price of beer.

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A chocolate shake is $3.95($4.54 after 15% gratuity). A smoothie is $5.25($6.04 after 15% gratuity).

A daiquiri is $8.25($9.49 after 15% gratuity). When I was on the Fantasy a month ago, the Red Frog Rum Bar had a higher price(can't remember what) for a daiquiri. The atrium bar and main lounge had it for $8.25. The casino bar may have had it for $8.25(can't remember).

Also on the Fantasy, a bartender at the casino bar said that he thought a can of soda was $2.25. He didn't actually look it up. The price wasn't on the menu. The most recent menus(November 2015) I could find online had a can of soda at $1.95. Then again, those same menus have outdated daiquiri prices.

http://www.cruisemapper.com/wiki/719-carnival-cruise-alcohol-drink-prices

http://www.cruisemapper.com/wiki/711-carnival-cruise-bar-menu-prices

Really depends on the person. If you are a heavy and habitual drinker, you may be better off with the package. I don't take liquor nor the mixed drink with alcohol. Just the occasional glass of beer or 2, but not daily. The package doesn't work for me.

2 Bailey's with coffee, or 2 mimosas, or 2 bloody Mary's/screwdrivers for breakfast

3-4 say from noon-4

1-2 Martini's before dinner

1-2 drinks/glasses of wine with dinner

2 drinks at shows / just walking around after dinner

9- 12 drinks over a 12-14 hour period . Less than a drink an hour.

Your Cheers package is worth it.

Just depends on your habits, on port days there is no way I can drink that much in a days time, so not worth it to us. My husband and I have calculated how much we spend every cruise on alcohol and yet to come close to the cheers total price. Honestly we just drink whatever and whenever we want and don't really keep track of it while on the ship because it's vacation after all, and we let the captain do the driving.:D

2 Bailey's with coffee, or 2 mimosas, or 2 bloody Mary's/screwdrivers for breakfast

 

 

 

3-4 say from noon-4

 

 

 

1-2 Martini's before dinner

 

 

 

1-2 drinks/glasses of wine with dinner

 

 

 

2 drinks at shows / just walking around after dinner

 

 

 

9- 12 drinks over a 12-14 hour period . Less than a drink an hour.

 

 

 

Your Cheers package is worth it.

This is true if you plan on drinking that much and stay on board to do it every day. What are you doing on port days? I consider myself a fairly heavy drinker, or at least heavier than my husband. We got Cheers and I just didn't think it was worth it. We loved not thinking about what we ordered, but I discovered my favorite drink is a mojito or wine with dinner and I didn't often have more than 5 a day. I think I probably broke even, but doubt my husband did. I loved the coffee shop though. Interestingly, my husband thought Cheers was well worth the cost. He loved just being able to grab a drink without thinking about price. It depends on what you drink and how much you think you'll consume. Only you can really decide if it's worth it for you.

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Interestingly, my husband thought Cheers was well worth the cost. He loved just being able to grab a drink without thinking about price. It depends on what you drink and how much you think you'll consume. Only you can really decide if it's worth it for you.

 

 

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i agree with your husband. Before Cheers, I might have one specialty coffee the entire trip. Now, I can have a couple of them every day and not give it a second thought. Bottled water? I don't spend money on that at home, but I'll drink all I want on the boat.

If order to break even, DH and I would have had to buy 80 drinks onboard on our recent 8 day Conquest cruise. This is far more than we usually drink, considering that in port days we drank $1 and $2 beer on the islands. So for us, by the drink made sense. We spent about 1/3. onboard of what cheers would have cost us.

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This is true if you plan on drinking that much and stay on board to do it every day. What are you doing on port days? I consider myself a fairly heavy drinker, or at least heavier than my husband. We got Cheers and I just didn't think it was worth it. We loved not thinking about what we ordered, but I discovered my favorite drink is a mojito or wine with dinner and I didn't often have more than 5 a day. I think I probably broke even, but doubt my husband did. I loved the coffee shop though. Interestingly, my husband thought Cheers was well worth the cost. He loved just being able to grab a drink without thinking about price. It depends on what you drink and how much you think you'll consume. Only you can really decide if it's worth it for you.

 

 

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We are not big on excursions, so may spend 3 hours in port maybe 4.

Still have 2 for bfast another 2-3 back on board ( 2 hrs before dinner), 2-3 pre dinner/dinner, then the 2-3 at night (shows, piano bar, just walking around).

Still puts you at 8-10 over the course of 12-14 hrs. I don't drink like I used to either but it's vacation. Cheers pays for itself and there is NO bill at the end!

I'm a frugal person but even i will admit its so nice to order whatever you want...whenever you want....its freedom! We got it once as a booking perk and now we pay for it every time!

As many have stated, the value you will realize is dependent on your consumption and preferences. I don't factor the cost of water of special coffees because bottled water is so inexpensive to deliver to the room, and we would not go to the coffee bar if we did not have Cheers. For years we bought one or more wine packages to paid for individual drinks. Last August with three port days we purchased Cheers and while we did realize value, we spent several nights at the steak house where we had prompt bar service and $20 glasses of champagne.

The spreadsheet I found somewhere and updated for last August has the daily break even for two Cheers at $114.88 a day.

Beer, glass of wine, etc cost about the same as at average bar in my world, at least. I am a fairly heavy drinker but do not drink soda. I come out ahead buying by the drink (or bottle of wine at dinner).

if you are a "heavy drinker", no way would you pay more with cheers. If you don't drink 6 drinks in 24 hours, you are NOT a heavy drinker. we were drinking $10 glasses of Cabernet at dinner, 2 every night

I just bought it this morning for my spouse (we have split rooms). With the coffee so bad (only the dining room is passable), I figure we will break even if he only drinks 3 alcoholic beverages/day...he drinks expensive (single malt scotch, high end bourbon, dark red wines) so that helps, but I see...

Large Vanilla Cappucino (morning) $5

Large Decaf Vanilla Cappucino (evening) $5

2-3 Bottles of Water/day $5

1 glass of wine with dinner $11

2 single malt scotches or bourbons on the rocks $24-$30 (or more) during the evening

1-2 cans of coke (if he goes lower end and wants a Bourbon and Coke) $4

Total $54-$60/day...and I have no worries about the ending bill...usually, he felt guilty ordering alcohol and stuck to the cheap stuff, so now he doesn't have to...

I don't drink, so I'm not getting the package...but it does work even for a very moderate drinker, if you are also a caffeine drinker...

I am not a coffee or soda drinker, so all my beverages are adult. I can do more than 6 a day on a sea day, but on port days, no way. Even if I have a bloody Mary before we head off, buy the time we get back, shower and change, we are headed to dinner. I would have to have 5 (just to break even) between then and bed (which for us means we are back in the room by 9 or 10 - we WANT our sleep on vacation) which just gets too much. A "drink" is defined as 4 oz of wine or a 1 and 1/4 oz "one shot" beverage - and the Carnival drinks, especially the martini's are pushing 3. My liver can't handle that for more than a night or two.:eek:

Hubby is the same way. He "likes" the coffees, but is just fine with what is free on the Lido, so its no big deal to pass. We have never spent more than $400 on drinks on a 7 day cruise, so for us it just isn't worth it.

We are not big on excursions, so may spend 3 hours in port maybe 4.

 

Still have 2 for bfast another 2-3 back on board ( 2 hrs before dinner), 2-3 pre dinner/dinner, then the 2-3 at night (shows, piano bar, just walking around).

 

Still puts you at 8-10 over the course of 12-14 hrs. I don't drink like I used to either but it's vacation. Cheers pays for itself and there is NO bill at the end!

Oh there's still a bill- 57.44 per person per day so a 7 day cruise is $804 dollars. Sounds like a bill to me :D

Oh there's still a bill- 57.44 per person per day so a 7 day cruise is $804 dollars. Sounds like a bill to me :D

Exactly!

You just pay for it at the beginning of the cruise or at the end but it's the same amount either way.

Hubby and I were doing the math to see if it was worth it. I think that you should look at it as a week total instead of by day. Yes you drink less on port days, but for us the sea days more than made up for it. We also enjoy trying more expensive wines/ scotch than we would drink if we were paying by the glass. We do drink the fancy coffees, and I drink bottled water between every alcoholic drink. I also prefer the chocolate martini for dessert instead of the Carnival desserts that I am not really a fan of. Even being pretty conservative with what we will realistically drink we figured it was worth it to us.

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As many have stated, the value you will realize is dependent on your consumption and preferences. I don't factor the cost of water of special coffees because bottled water is so inexpensive to deliver to the room, and we would not go to the coffee bar if we did not have Cheers. For years we bought one or more wine packages to paid for individual drinks. Last August with three port days we purchased Cheers and while we did realize value, we spent several nights at the steak house where we had prompt bar service and $20 glasses of champagne.

 

The spreadsheet I found somewhere and updated for last August has the daily break even for two Cheers at $114.88 a day.

Anyone remember the name of the $20.00 / glass champagne?

Does the 15 drink a day limit apply to the non alcoholic drinks ?

Does the 15 drink a day limit apply to the non alcoholic drinks ?

No.

Oh there's still a bill- 57.44 per person per day so a 7 day cruise is $804 dollars. Sounds like a bill to me :D

No bill at the end! Never said NO bill at all. "End" being the operative word. Please, I know the cost and it's paid before the cruise not after!

Anyone remember the name of the $20.00 / glass champagne?

I believe it was Heidsieck, ‘Monopole Brut Rose’, Champagne, France