Pay as we go or drinks package?

We have 3 P&O cruises booked, having only ever sailed Celebrity we are used to having a drinks package.

I wouldn’t say we were big drinkers but using a calculator we think we would come close to £40 a day each on drinks (probably over). I drink a lot of water/coffee so even without any alcoholic drinks I can see this stacking up.

Do you have to sign for every drink you buy and does this not need to be done with a drinks package?

Our first cruise is only a week long at Easter and we are contemplating paying for our drinks rather than a package. Anyone any thoughts/comments?

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I don't think it's possible to generalise. Some people who use a lot of either alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and coffee will find it good, others like myself will not. I don't buy water. We boil the kettle in our room and fill our bottles with that when it's cool. We also don't use soft drinks. So for us it's drinks in the bar and wine with dinner. Also, if you are out in port or in bed ill or something else, then you will waste that day's package.

you would need to work out your spend before deciding.

One thing we take into account when thinking about drink package (or not) for cruise, is the destination. We are much more likely to take one if travelling to the Scandinavian countries where drinks cost a fortune ashore. In cheaper destination (e.g. the Med), we tend to buy alcoholic drinks ashore at times, so do not want so much on the ship.

Also water and soft drinks are available very cheaply in the Med, so are easily bought and taken back to the ship (I think restrictions are only on alcohol being taken on board). You would only be able to drink those in the cabin, but we have usually found it easy to get ice from room service or cabin steward, or ask for a glass of ice from a bar. Not usually a charge for this and we just make sure we give a bar tender/room maid/room service a small tip. Hence gains both for us and the staff.

Again, P&O have tea coffee making equipment in the cabin and in a self service base on board, so you only have to pay for hot drinks ordered in a bar. Do you get hot drinks with the P&O packages (I do not know the answer to that as have not sailed with them for a couple years, but often they are not included)?

... Again, P&O have tea coffee making equipment in the cabin and in a self service base on board, so you only have to pay for hot drinks ordered in a bar. ...

Do all cabins on P&O have tea and coffee making units ?

Do all cabins on P&O have tea and coffee making units ?

Yes all cabins have a kettle and tubes of one cup coffee granules and tea bags, plus long life milk sachets and even little packets of rubbishy French biscuits.

Yes and I take my own coffee bags as I don't like instant. Although we usually have 3-4 costa Coffees on a 19 nighter.

Yes and I take my own coffee bags as I don't like instant. Although we usually have 3-4 costa Coffees on a 19 nighter.

On our one and only P&O cruise our suite had a single cup coffee pod machine which when finally mastered didn't produce the best of coffee. And I agree instant is not our favourite. So if our now Balcony cabin has a kettle, I think a french press might be the answer. Can't start the day without a good cup of coffee.

The drinks package is being assessed at the moment, with feedback from the trial, so may or may not be rolled out to the fleet.

The drinks package is being assessed at the moment, with feedback from the trial, so may or may not be rolled out to the fleet.

Or equally maybe rolled out across the fleet nobody as yet knows.