Premium Beverage Package

[Dan-P]

I wouldn't buy the package if I had to do it over again.

 

#1 people are right. No matter how much you can drink $55 a day or $110 per couple is a LOT for 7 days.

 

#2 for us water was not included. We were told randomly all week some drinks weren't included yet others were drink CR Black and that was? Very odd. It seemed totally inconsistent and after finding 5 or so drinks I knew were included I never varied from those because I was tired of hearing a drink wasn't covered.

 

#3 at Labadee the people going around with the drinks won't serve you, you have to go to the bar where you get a dentist cup sized drink which melts in a flash. We tried buying the premium cups but they wouldn't sell them until the end of the day.

 

#4 It doesn't include the better coffees or soda from what we saw.

 

 

I wouldn't do it again. I'd rather spend $100 more and not feel like I was going before a jury every time I ordered a drink. They may work out the kinks it in but as a person that likes to toss them back I really saw no benefit in retrospect and too much confusion to make it something I'd do again.

 

I was on the Majesty of the Seas in early February, very shortly after the drink packages were announced, and did not have your experience. Every drink I ordered (and those ordered by the other five people traveling with me) was included (maybe I am just a boring drinker :p ), the bartenders were extremely nice - especially after realizing I am a generous tipper on top of the included 15%, and we too did get receipts for every drink ordered.

 

As I recall, your last cruise was the Spring Break cruise that you weren't real pleased with. This might of had something to do with the confusion from the bar staff as they may have been overwhelmed with the college kids.

 

I do agree that nobody in my six person travel group drank enough to cover the cost of the package, but we would all buy it again. I liked having it prepaid, which meant not keeping track of a tab and/or having a big bill at the end of the cruise, I was able to order drinks that I might of normally not been willing to buy, and I didn't feel like I was wasting money if I didn't like it as I would just put it down and get another drink.

 

Bottled water, bottle/can soda, bottles of wine, and premium coffee are not included and that was pretty clear when I read up on the package. Neither my other half, or I, are wine or coffee drinkers, so that was irrelevant to us. Fountain soda from the bars and MDR are included.

 

I had also gotten the soda package with the Freestyle cups - which I would not do again as I just don't drink enough soda (although the Freestyle machines were fun to make crazy soda concoctions with :D and being able to fill the cup to take back to the room was nice too). I also had gotten a bottled water package that was delivered to my stateroom on the first day.

 

Having all of it prepaid was a huge bonus for us even if it ended up costing a little more than paying as we went.

 

Dan.

[Mim Lloyd]

A poster on another thread posted the Compass from their March 10, 2013 sailing on the Mariner.

 

It states "For an early drink the Cafe' Promenade Bar and Plaza Bar open at 6:00 am and the Casino Bar and Pool Bar open at 9:00 a.m. The Dragon's Lair and Casino Bar remains open later than the other bars."

 

Thanks for the info.

[AACJ]

Are Martinis at the Martini bar part of this package? What about Champagne (sparkling) at the Champagne bar?

 

We will have beer, wine, Martinis, champagne, cosmos, and my 7 and 7's on our trip...as usual. It looks like the beer, 7's and cosmos are covered, just worried about the rest.

[fishtaco]

Anything from room service is excluded from the package. There is always at least one bar open, or just ask the servers (walking around in the WJ) and they can point you to where to go or get it for you. I know they bring wine and other cocktails during lunch and dinner. Someone else can probably add here.

 

 

 

From what I have heard you need to purchase on the 1st day and it is for the entire length of the cruise. There have been some reports of people cancelling part way through, but I am not sure how open they are to that. Yes, Mimosas are included.

 

I can confirm that they are "Very Open" to cancelling! All it took was a call from cabin to drinks manager and refund was shown on TV bill within 24 hours!

 

 

Den

[rrodriquez2]

I was on the Majesty of the Seas in early February, very shortly after the drink packages were announced, and did not have your experience. Every drink I ordered (and those ordered by the other five people traveling with me) was included (maybe I am just a boring drinker :p ), the bartenders were extremely nice - especially after realizing I am a generous tipper on top of the included 15%, and we too did get receipts for every drink ordered.

 

As I recall, your last cruise was the Spring Break cruise that you weren't real pleased with. This might of had something to do with the confusion from the bar staff as they may have been overwhelmed with the college kids.

 

I do agree that nobody in my six person travel group drank enough to cover the cost of the package, but we would all buy it again. I liked having it prepaid, which meant not keeping track of a tab and/or having a big bill at the end of the cruise, I was able to order drinks that I might of normally not been willing to buy, and I didn't feel like I was wasting money if I didn't like it as I would just put it down and get another drink.

 

Bottled water, bottle/can soda, bottles of wine, and premium coffee are not included and that was pretty clear when I read up on the package. Neither my other half, or I, are wine or coffee drinkers, so that was irrelevant to us. Fountain soda from the bars and MDR are included.

 

I had also gotten the soda package with the Freestyle cups - which I would not do again as I just don't drink enough soda (although the Freestyle machines were fun to make crazy soda concoctions with :D and being able to fill the cup to take back to the room was nice too). I also had gotten a bottled water package that was delivered to my stateroom on the first day.

 

Having all of it prepaid was a huge bonus for us even if it ended up costing a little more than paying as we went.

 

Dan.

 

Dan I haven't been able to decide if it was untrained staff or the breakers. At the MDR there seemed to be no clue who was taking the drink orders and what was covered.

 

A suggestion to RCCL. How hard would it be to put an icon next to each drink on the various menus that indicates what package it is included in? That would remove all confusion on the pre-printed drinks for crew and passengers.

 

I can't say that crew knowledge of what is included in a package is the fault of spring breakers, that's bad training. I like the idea of the package but I don't think I'd buy it again.

[AACJ]

Dan I haven't been able to decide if it was untrained staff or the breakers. At the MDR there seemed to be no clue who was taking the drink orders and what was covered.

 

A suggestion to RCCL. How hard would it be to put an icon next to each drink on the various menus that indicates what package it is included in? That would remove all confusion on the pre-printed drinks for crew and passengers.

 

I can't say that crew knowledge of what is included in a package is the fault of spring breakers, that's bad training. I like the idea of the package but I don't think I'd buy it again.

 

I would also suggest they say SPECIFICALLY on the RC website what the house wines are too prior to purchasing. I would like to try them here on dry land prior to being limited to something I wouldn't want to drink, thereby being stuck with a package I don't want.

[bluegirlum]

I would also suggest they say SPECIFICALLY on the RC website what the house wines are too prior to purchasing. I would like to try them here on dry land prior to being limited to something I wouldn't want to drink, thereby being stuck with a package I don't want.

 

I only drink white wine--reds give me a migraine--but really, are there that many wines that you won't drink? I think this drink package is meant for Joe Cruiser who will drink a variety of drinks. If you're that specific about what you drink, then it's probably not for you. On my last cruise, one gal only drank craft beers, but she got the package and made it work.

[AACJ]

I only drink white wine--reds give me a migraine--but really, are there that many wines that you won't drink? I think this drink package is meant for Joe Cruiser who will drink a variety of drinks. If you're that specific about what you drink, then it's probably not for you. On my last cruise, one gal only drank craft beers, but she got the package and made it work.

 

 

Well, it's not for me per se.. I can drink most any wine and anything I see on the list. My wife and I read on CC that the house wines were terrible. I'm more concerned with my wife, she doesn't like heavy cabs or merlots and she is more a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio drinker at dinner. We'll usually have beer at the pool, wine at dinner, then have some martinis's and/or champagne after dinner and an occasional 7 and 7 in there somewhere, so most of the package looks great! Just worried about my wife enjoying the wines.

[bluegirlum]

Well, it's not for me per se.. I can drink most any wine and anything I see on the list. My wife and I read on CC that the house wines were terrible. I'm more concerned with my wife, she doesn't like heavy cabs or merlots and she is more a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio drinker at dinner. We'll usually have beer at the pool, wine at dinner, then have some martinis's and/or champagne after dinner and an occasional 7 and 7 in there somewhere, so most of the package looks great! Just worried about my wife enjoying the wines.

 

Maybe if she has enough of the other drinks first, the pinot grigio will taste ok by dinner? :D

[scottnkim]

Clearly some differences of opinion and worth from the previous cruisers, as well as the premium drink package rules being applied differently ship to ship.

 

Some thoughts from Allure 3/10- 3/17....we bought the Premium package.

#1) About 95% of the time, we had to sign receipts with $0.00 as the toal....like hearing that some ships dont make you. Was thrilled the times we didnt have to sign...just a pain. (however, I could get close to adding up how much we actually drank, since I kept all the receipts).

 

#2) Yes...at least for this cruise, Martini's were included. I had never tried a martini before, but this quickly became our favorite place, and I tried just about everyone off the menu.

 

#3) Like everything in life, this package might be beneficial for you, and might not. For us, it certainly was, both financially and more importantly, for the guilt factor. We had drinks when we wanted...many mixed drinks that were up close to $10 a pop. 6 drinks over the course of a 12 hr day is easy to do when basking in the beauty of the carribean, and even on some of the port days, drinks with dinner and at a show afterward certainly don't make those days a "financial loss". As far as heavy drinkers needing dry days???? Only if you were drinking at a pace that has you drunk and hungover.... we never guzzled, were never "sloppy drunk", but certainly enjoyed a week of being able to enjoy such great entertainment, food, sites and sounds, and not a car key to be had!!!

 

#3) For those asking about loading up the refridgerator back in the stateroom....there are enough places to get beer, as well as bartenders pushing carts around with them, we would just grab a couple on the walk back and have a few in the fridge....they never opened them for us, so was no big deal at all.

 

#4) One question I had....did everyone who purchased the premium package get the specialty soda cups as well? Seems they should be included...

 

For us, this package was perfect, and will be purchased again on our next cruise.

[bluegirlum]

#4) One question I had....did everyone who purchased the premium package get the specialty soda cups as well? Seems they should be included...

 

 

I think it pretty clearly states in the info about it that the specialty cups don't come with it. :( I was curious about this too, especially for ships that have the Coke freestyle machines.

[AACJ]

Maybe if she has enough of the other drinks first, the pinot grigio will taste ok by dinner? :D

 

Ha,...I can't say that thought hasn't crossed my mind. :eek:

[erin_cruisers]

We cruised Brilliance at the beginning of the month, and decided (rather spur of the moment actually) to get the premium package.

 

We're no strangers to the drinks package after getting it on Celebrity before.

 

However on RCI, water is not included and neither is the fesh orange or grapefruit juice (like it is on Celebrity)

 

But the biggest deal breaker is the wine selection.

By the glass - which is the only way you can order wine with the package, is very limited, and probably just ok if you like California wines.

But we prefer Italian first, French second, and unfortunately for us, there was only one french, and rather weak one at that.

 

On the plus side, it is nice to know going in what your total bar tab will be, and that you can decide any time to have a cocktail, try new ones without worry, and also not have to sign chits.

 

I read above where someone asked if you still get receipts and the answer is no. Nothing to sign, and no receipts.

 

Also, you can not order buckets, or order a few beers unopened to take back to your stateroom. :(

One at a time period, and if you want to order for your SO, then you need their card too.

[zapman]

can I order the premium package and my wife the basic or do they have to be the same?

[cherylrrt]

One thing we love is the all inclusive resorts because of the liberty of having the drinks included in your stay. We tossed around going back to the Iberostar Tucan in Mexico but went with the cruise instead. When deciding on purchasing the premium drink packages we compared the prices of that resort to our cruise in December. The resort is pricing at around $600.00 more than our total cruise costs. If we added the premium drink package, the total cost is around $100.00 more than the resort.

 

We feel that the drink package will far exceed the quality of the drinks that we got in Mexico, so we decided to both purchase the premium drink package. Now we feel that we made the right choice, it is so nice to be able to do this on the ship and not have to worry about what costs we are racking up.

 

I hope this comparison helps!

[KKB]

I posted this on another thread, but its pretty much dead now. Just wondering if royal has raised their drink prices...I remember a coors light bottle being $3.50 and now it is listed as $4.50.... And they did away with regular mojitos which used to be $6 and have frozen mojitos now for $7. Were prices raised due to the availability of being able to purchase a beverage package? Or is my memory not serving me right... :)

 

When did you last cruise? We have been cruising since 2004, and we have NEVER seen beer for $3.50!!:)

[Juanita17]

My wife and I are taking the 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Freedom of the seas. I am very interested in comments about the Premium Beverage Package. Been reading other posts, and I am wondering if anyone can share their experances. We are looking forward to drinks with dinner and then in the Viking Crown Lounge. I am assuming we will not have issues ordering drinks.

 

Thanks for any comments.

 

I have been quoted $550 for drinks package on an 11 day cruise. I figured out that would be the equivalent to 10 alcoholic drinks so I reckon I will be better off watching out for the 'Cocktail of the Day" @ $7 or $8 per drink and consume my usual 2 or 3 drinks a day. Much cheaper.

[Frankmac]

Yes indeed Juanita. Does indeed seem like in your case it would make no sense to purchase the package.

 

I think you have to be a 6/7 drinks per day person to make it worthwhile

[rxvan1959]

We were really conflicted about buying the premium alcohol package before we went on our 7 day western Caribbean cruise. I believe it was $385 a person. We decided not to get it, and just see what our bar bill was, and learn for next time. Am I glad we didn't do it. We would of prepaid $770 for the premium package. Our total bar bill for the 7 days was around $400. I guess if your real partiers, staying up late it would be worth it. Remember the days your off the island you will pay out of pocket. I think people figure they are on vacation and will drink a lot, but in reality, most people do not drink all day long for 7 days straight. Just our experience.:eek:

[rxvan1959]

We were really conflicted about buying the premium alcohol package before we went on our 7 day western Caribbean cruise. I believe it was $385 a person. We decided not to get it, and just see what our bar bill was, and learn for next time. Am I glad we didn't do it. We would of prepaid $770 for the premium package. Our total bar bill for the 7 days was around $400. I guess if your real partiers, staying up late it would be worth it. Remember the days your off the island you will pay out of pocket. When we were in Jamaica, we went to Margaritaville for about 3 hours and had a blast, but probably would not have gone if we knew our drinks were already paid for on the ship. I think people figure they are on vacation and will drink a lot, but in reality, most people do not drink all day long for 7 days straight. Just our experience.:eek:

[mrsfuzzmo]

Just got off the FOS yesterday and purchased the Premium Package. All six of us thought it was Welllllll worth it. Still don't like having to sign all the little slips of paper, but dealt with it. You get a sticker on your SeaPass card and all you do it give your card to your bartender/waiter and he/she will bring you the drink.

 

Any specific questions, please let me know. We used it WELL!

[KuffMUp]

I am going on Explorer in April and am going to get the drink package.Does any one know if they give you a receipt?id like to add up after to see how we did.Thanks

 

We got the package on our recent cruise on Brilliance. For us it was totally worth it because we like to drink on our cruise. They didn't give us a receipt unless we asked for it although they did swipe our cards. If I took both sea passes to the bar, I could get one for me and one for DH. If you ask for the receipt, you have the option of adding "additional" tips. When we find a bartender that knows what we want and gets it for us before we ask, we like to tip extra. I have read though that other ships give out receipts automatically without you having to ask for it.

 

As for drinks, Fosters was the only beer that was excluded from the package. I didn't get any wine on this trip but have read that some ships recently got rid of La Terre"ble" wine and are substituting something akin to the caliber of Sutter Home. I got every drink I asked for without problem. I had to pay for the after dinner shots because I wanted to keep the glass. I never ordered the drink of the day but while waiting at the bar for my drink, I heard people ask for the drink of the day in an ordinary glass and they were able to get it.

[davidndawn]

Can we have a latest bar price for a beer, house wine, vodka n coke and a basic cocktail please from people that have just returned thanks

[tonyrocks922]

I've been searching this board and other websites and I can't find any definitive answers to what whisk(e)ys are included. I'm a big bourbon drinker and love scotch with dinner, so if most all of those are included, I'll go for it, but I can't seem to find a definitive list.

[Clarea]

I've been searching this board and other websites and I can't find any definitive answers to what whisk(e)ys are included. I'm a big bourbon drinker and love scotch with dinner, so if most all of those are included, I'll go for it, but I can't seem to find a definitive list.

Someone posted this a while back:

 

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/louhun88/media/rcidrinkspremium_zpsf6b2f430.gif.html#/user/louhun88/media/rcidrinkspremium_zpsf6b2f430.gif.html?&_suid=136863130710209224933350243157