Diamond and buying a beverage package

Just curious to see if diamond and above C&A members buy the beverage package or are the 3 drinks on card/diamond lounge enough?

Just curious to see if diamond and above C&A members buy the beverage package or are the 3 drinks on card/diamond lounge enough?

You know the 3 drinks on your sea pass are only during the same hours as the cocktail hours in the evening at the Diamond and Concierge Lounges. If you want drinks any other time of day, you will have to pay for them. So, it’s up to you if you want to have drinks during the day and how many you would drink. We never buy it. We wouldn’t drink enough to make the cost of the package worth it. We just enjoy our free drinks at the lounges in the evening.

Gwen [emoji3]

We always buy the drink package.

Depends on itinerary. We have not bought it for Alaska as we will be off the ship all day and too tired at night. We have bought it for Symphony as don't plan on leaving the ship much, and the weather will be hotter hence need for cold beer by the pool!!!

We never buy it. But that has a lot to do with our age. We are mid-60's and simply do most of our drinking during happy hour. No more bloody mary breakfasts, beer lunches, pina colad afternoons, etc. Just can't handle it anymore. Also keep in mind the hours you are not on the ship. So for us, we would not break even. Really depends on your drinking habits.

Also you can drink all you want in the Diamond Lounge between the hours of 4:30-8:30. The three drinks are on your card that you can get in the bars if you chose not to go to the lounge.

To purchase or not to purchase....depends on how much you drink!

Just curious to see if diamond and above C&A members buy the beverage package or are the 3 drinks on card/diamond lounge enough?

It would be interesting to see the ratio of Diamond and above how many ever buy the drink package, Diamonds are usually older and don’t think as much.

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We don't buy it either. We drink mostly during the happy hour with an occasional drink here and there during the day

Surely it all depends on how much you like to drink ;) and on the itinerary. We rarely buy the package and find in the evening the lounge/vouchers work for us and we buy any lunchtime beers as we go along. On a port intensive cruise those lunchtime beers, and maybe early evening cocktail will be bought on shore (and usually at a much lower price than RC charge). On a cruise with many sea days eg. a Transatlantic we have sometimes bought the package part way into the cruise when the sea days start.

Just curious to see if diamond and above C&A members buy the beverage package or are the 3 drinks on card/diamond lounge enough?

All depends if you want to drink during the day and/or want the fancy drinks (frozen/blender) that cannot be served in the DL/CL/SL.

We also bring the bottles of wine for DH to enjoy at non-DL times during the week since I don't drink, and we find that he'll then only need to purchase a few beers outside of the lounge hours. We're in our 40s.

I do not buy beverage packages, the DL lounge hours are enough for me re: alcoholic beverages.

My husband gets the drink package (and now I have to also). He enjoys a drink when we board, an occasional beer/ drink during the day, wine with dinner, a late night drink, etc. I will not break even with my package, by any means. This next trip I will drink bottled water more, enjoy some premium teas, and have an occasional soft drink. I may end up with 2-3 alcoholic drinks at the most. We are D+. I view the Diamond lounge as a place to visit with fellow experienced travelers. I enjoy hearing their experiences and suggestions. For whatever reason, I really can’t drink. 1/2 a glass of wine and I’m semi-drunk, and I do not like that feeling. That being said, I tried a mudslide once on board and got up and was very unsteady on my feet. It kind of snuck up on me lol (diamond lounge does not serve these)

It would be interesting to see the ratio of Diamond and above how many ever buy the drink package, Diamonds are usually older and don’t think as much.

 

 

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I suspect that many of them most likely still think a lot. ;)

Mid-20s Diamond and I don't buy it. I will buy a few drinks during the day on sea days, and I'll take advantage of the diamond lounge before late seating dinner. But frankly I'd rather buy a bucket of local beers on the beach in port than anything they sell onboard.

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We ever buy it. We use the bogo drink coupons and also the three free diamond drinks they load on the card.

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It would be interesting to see the ratio of Diamond and above how many ever buy the drink package, Diamonds are usually older and don’t think as much.

 

 

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A classic autocorrect or typo. I resemble that remark.

And I have never bought the drink package.

mac_tlc

Last cruise I bought the package and it ended up far from worth it. We did go to the Diamond Lounge and had a couple of drinks nightly, I also had a glass of wine with dinner.

Over the course of the week, I think I had maybe 2 drinks a day from the package. I won't do it again if I plan on using the DL.

We sat with some other people in the lounge and they spent the whole time the lounge served drinks drinking martinis. They had MTD and wouldn't go to dinner until Happy Hour was over and they were in the lounge by 4PM because it was really crowded the week we were there. This couple was in their late 70's. If I drank a couple of martinis, I'd be on the floor!

Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't.

We always buy the drink package. We prefer to drink what we want and when we want. Although we are doing the Greek Isles next year and haven't decided yet if we will buy it or not since we will be in port almost every day. If we can get a good price on it, we probably will.

My hubby and I are sailing on Freedom this April on a 6 night cruise. I know there is a Diamond lounge up in the Viking Lounge area. Do we still get the drinks loaded on our card as well? And if so are they only available during Happy Hour times? Thanks fellow cruisers!

Also you can drink all you want in the Diamond Lounge between the hours of 4:30-8:30. The three drinks are on your card that you can get in the bars if you chose not to go to the lounge.

To purchase or not to purchase....depends on how much you drink!

Just FYI for you and anyone reading this thread:

The happy hours are three and a half hours long, not four.

They run either 4:30 to 8 or 5 to 8:30. Generally the rule is that the time frame begins one hour before first traditional seating and ends at the time of second traditional seating.

Anthem is an exception. HH = 5 - 8:30 but fixed seatings are 5:30 and 8:15.

It would be interesting to see the ratio of Diamond and above how many ever buy the drink package, Diamonds are usually older and don’t think as much.

 

 

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I don't think that "Diamonds are usually older" holds true any more. (nor does that mean that they don't DRINK) Achieving Diamond (80) points just doesn't take that long, and young people are cruising more and more. Many enter adulthood already being Diamond or Diamond Plus.

Also you can drink all you want in the Diamond Lounge between the hours of 4:30-8:30.

Or sometimes all you can order pending on getting someone's attention. ;)

3-4 drinks a day is enough for me period. Having been the child of an abusive drinker, I always cringe when I hear people mention the need to get their money's worth. But even before the packages, I was not one of those with a 4 figure bar bell at the end of a cruise.

My hubby and I are sailing on Freedom this April on a 6 night cruise. I know there is a Diamond lounge up in the Viking Lounge area. Do we still get the drinks loaded on our card as well? And if so are they only available during Happy Hour times? Thanks fellow cruisers!

Yes and yes.