p&o drinks expensive!

[Thejuggler]

There is a soft drinks card. Its one way P&O make up some of the cash on the alcohol prices as outside of breakfast there are no free soft drinks in the buffet.

[Host Sharon]

P&O UK don't have a soft drinks card, at least not up till last May, or I would have bought one! You need Cunard or Princess for those.

 

You are allowed to take on some alcohol - a couple of bottles or a wine box, but only for consumption in your cabin or balcony.

[Thejuggler]

They do have a card. PrePay for 20 drinks and you save 10%.

[misscolina]

If you think drinks are expensive on P & O try Celebrity or RCI and with a 15% gratuity on top, on Celebrity a bottle of Jameson whiskey with 6 mixers was $84 for cabin consumption. We have never tried Thomsons and never will because of the ships but if you want a decent ship and good food and entertainment there has got to be a bottom line, P&O allow a small amount of liquor to be brought on board try doing that with RCI and the naughty room beckons, believe me!!!!!

[leylander]

If you think drinks are expensive on P & O try Celebrity or RCI and with a 15% gratuity on top, on Celebrity a bottle of Jameson whiskey with 6 mixers was $84 for cabin consumption.

 

I keep reading about celebrity being mega expensive for drinks, but with a drinks package, for the most expensive package of $60/ day inclusive of taxes, you can drink as much Jamiesons as you like, plus as much premium quality wines/beers/shorts/cocktails/premium quality coffees/soft drinks and water that you want. You can get drinks packages for less than that.

[misscolina]

We were on Celebrity for 28 nights from Barcelona to Singapore so the drinks package cost nearly as much as the cruisefare and besides that, we would have been alcoholic by the time we arrived in Singapore.

[tommydunn]

So on a celebrity cruise at 60 dollars a day per person will work out with tips about £2500 for 2 people. So if you think that is good value how much booze are you drinking during the trip? I think it could get very messy.

[leylander]

So on a celebrity cruise at 60 dollars a day per person will work out with tips about £2500 for 2 people. So if you think that is good value how much booze are you drinking during the trip? I think it could get very messy.

 

60 dollars = £37 using my maths. I don't know how you get to £2500. That's the most expensive package, there are cheaper ones that still include world alcoholic drinks. For that you can have as much water, as many freshly squeezed juices, as many soft drinks, as many speciality coffees, as much top quality world wines/beers, as many cocktails that you want. You can start the package at any time during a cruise.

 

How is that dearer than P&O? P&O are lagging here, it can only be a matter of when they introduce drinks packages, not if.

[daiB]

60 dollars = £37 using my maths. I don't know how you get to £2500. That's the most expensive package, there are cheaper ones that still include world alcoholic drinks. For that you can have as much water, as many freshly squeezed juices, as many soft drinks, as many speciality coffees, as much top quality world wines/beers, as many cocktails that you want. You can start the package at any time during a cruise.

 

How is that dearer than P&O? P&O are lagging here, it can only be a matter of when they introduce drinks packages, not if.

 

So that is £37.00 x14 nights, so that is £518 per person x 2, you cannot have only 1 person in a cabin with the package. So that's £1036, so at £4 per pint, that would be just over 9 pints a day for 14 days. That's about 15 to 18 units at two and a half per pint, for the husband and 8 to 10 for his wife.

 

And this is a good idea???

 

No P&O are not lagging behind at all they are being entirely sensible.

 

Fr Celebrity it may be OK for short cruises in the USA but this makes no spence at all for longer cruising.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[leylander]

So that is £37.00 x14 nights, so that is £518 per person x 2, you cannot have only 1 person in a cabin with the package. So that's £1036, so at £4 per pint, that would be just over 9 pints a day for 14 days. That's about 15 to 18 units at two and a half per pint, for the husband and 8 to 10 for his wife.

 

And this is a good idea???

 

No P&O are not lagging behind at all they are being entirely sensible.

 

Fr Celebrity it may be OK for short cruises in the USA but this makes no spence at all for longer cruising.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

Drinks packages are for the individual, not for the cabin. If you want to buy just one, then you can. Neither do you have to buy them for every day, so you don't have to committ to a 14 day package. A couple can also buy different drinks packages, if their tastes differ. You're also trying to twist what they cover. They cover a wide range of drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic. It has nothing to do with having to drink 9 pints a day. The £37/day I quoted is for the highest package, which covers the high quality wines and beers. Celebrity also have package sales twice a year, where they are reduced by 10%, meaning the £37/day, is reduced to £33:30/day. It wouldn't take much on P&O, to reach those daily totals if you wanted to drink premium coffee, fresh juices, premium wines etc, etc.

 

There are alcoholic/non alcoholic drinks packages cheaper than that if you don't need to drink the very best drinks on ship.

 

I can't see how it's a good idea not to offer deals to people who want them. It's just a matter of time.

 

At least we're getting away from the alleged £2500 cost of a drinks package on celebrity, to the actual facts now.

Edited October 31, 2013 by leylander

[Midsomer Madness]

60 dollars = £37 using my maths. I don't know how you get to £2500. That's the most expensive package, there are cheaper ones that still include world alcoholic drinks. For that you can have as much water, as many freshly squeezed juices, as many soft drinks, as many speciality coffees, as much top quality world wines/beers, as many cocktails that you want. You can start the package at any time during a cruise.

 

How is that dearer than P&O? P&O are lagging here, it can only be a matter of when they introduce drinks packages, not if.

 

Personally I wish they'd hurry up and do it! Would save us a fortune! :D:rolleyes:

[daiB]

Personally I wish they'd hurry up and do it! Would save us a fortune! :D:rolleyes:

 

Sorry MM I had forgot about you, there are always exceptions. :)

 

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Midsomer Madness]

:D:D:D:D

 

We are paying £28 pp per day i think with Thomsons, but it still works out loads cheaper than our normal bar bill which is always way over 4 figures for 2 weeks! and I know that if I order a cocktail and don't like it, i can just order a different one :p

[Slugsta]

I certainly got good value from the unlimited soft drink package when we were on a princess cruise, I much prefer it to the one offered by P+O which gives a set number of soft drinks at a somewhat reduced cost.

[CCFC]

On some Costa cruises I have looked at the daily rate is £18, now that really is worth thinking about.

 

"All Inclusive beverages*: includes a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks by the glass (draught beer and wine) and coffee, with the exception of Mini Bar products ad premium brands.

- Adults (18 years and over): € 19.50 per day, including service charges."

[misscolina]

We were on Celebrity for 28 nights, I think this is where the confusion lies with the costing of the drinks package, I agree for 7 - 14 nights a drinks package is worth it but 28 nights is a bit too much even for me, on some excursions we had early mornings and full days as we sailed from Barcelona to Singapore, taking in the Pyramids, Luxor, Dubai, Kula Lumpar to name but a few. Having said that a bottle of Jameson's whiskey was $84 for cabin consumption compared to £26 with P & O. So for me P&O prices wins hands down.

[leylander]

I really don't see how anyone could object to the idea of drinks packages. They reduce the costs - if they didn't, no-one would buy them. The original fears that they cause a rise in drunkenness doesn't particularly stand up either, because if that were the case then there would be far more problems on, for instance Celebrity, than there is on P&O. I doubt that's the case.

 

What I was trying to get across about the comparison of drinks prices between Celebrity and P&O, is that with the right drinks package, you reduce those prices, in some instances quite considerably. I mean if you pay let's say 30 quid for a days package and you only drink one drink, it's cost you 30 quid. If you have ten drinks, it averages out at 3 quid. With P&O, the price is what it is and that's that. It's not so easy to say the American ships are far dearer than the British lines, because it depends on the package price and the consumption of the individual.

 

Then again Thomsons do a weeks drinks package for 90 quid. You can't beat that. Mind you, the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

[leylander]

. So for me P&O prices wins hands down.

 

Earlier post -

 

 

RCCL 750ml can Fosters works out at £5

 

P&O 330ml £3.50

 

so P&O almost triple the price

 

if P&O were to sell lagers in the normal sized 500ml cans it would be much better

 

or get rid of Stella Yuck lol

 

Also, Celebrity sell a range of good beers for $5 (£3:13 + 15%) or less.

Edited November 1, 2013 by leylander

[davecttr]

I really don't see how anyone could object to the idea of drinks packages. They reduce the costs - if they didn't, no-one would buy them. The original fears that they cause a rise in drunkenness doesn't particularly stand up either, because if that were the case then there would be far more problems on, for instance Celebrity, than there is on P&O. I doubt that's the case.

 

What I was trying to get across about the comparison of drinks prices between Celebrity and P&O, is that with the right drinks package, you reduce those prices, in some instances quite considerably. I mean if you pay let's say 30 quid for a days package and you only drink one drink, it's cost you 30 quid. If you have ten drinks, it averages out at 3 quid. With P&O, the price is what it is and that's that. It's not so easy to say the American ships are far dearer than the British lines, because it depends on the package price and the consumption of the individual.

 

Then again Thomsons do a weeks drinks package for 90 quid. You can't beat that. Mind you, the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Mmm, I have had drinks packages on all my Thomson cruises. Mostly free as an early booking perk. As far as i am concerned the quality was exactly the same as P&O. A Bombay Sapphire Gin is a Bombay Sapphire gin and a Schweppes or Britvic mixer is the same. Boddingtons is Boddingtons and lager is lager. They had a good deal last year where you could pre buy 36 pints and get £1 per pint off. A couple of pints a day for a fortnight.

[leylander]

Mmm, I have had drinks packages on all my Thomson cruises. Mostly free as an early booking perk. As far as i am concerned the quality was exactly the same as P&O. A Bombay Sapphire Gin is a Bombay Sapphire gin and a Schweppes or Britvic mixer is the same. Boddingtons is Boddingtons and lager is lager. They had a good deal last year where you could pre buy 36 pints and get £1 per pint off. A couple of pints a day for a fortnight.

 

Yes, forgot about the free ones. They're worth a fortune. TBH, though, I always struggled with the two draught beers.

[fue-fue]

In relation to most other lines P&O seem to me to be very competitively priced although I don't drink beer, but enjoy cocktails and wine. On most other lines their is a gratuity of anything between 15-18% added to all alcoholic drinks. Inconvenient I know, but you could always buy your beer in one bar and move to another for the entertainment?

 

Did our 1st Princess cruise last month (had a great time) but our bar bill was much higher than when we sail on P & O. Every drink incurred 15% tax

[NSWP]

Did our 1st Princess cruise last month (had a great time) but our bar bill was much higher than when we sail on P & O. Every drink incurred 15% tax

Yes, that 15% gratuity is not nice. Also on the Princess bar receipt they give you there is provision for an additional tip. Not for this little black duck, 15% is more than enough.

[kevinyork]

When we went on Azura in 2010, we thought the P&O drinks prices were very good value. A pint of stella was £2.85. Its now £3.70, nearly a 30% increase in 3 years. We were on RCI Adventure of the Seas this spring and a pint was $5.95 incl the 15% tip which at 1.50 exchange rate is £3.96.

 

A litre caraffe of house white was £11.50 in 2010 on Azura, now its £16.75, a 45% increase in 3 years. Seems like the gap is closing!

[kevinyork]

Sorry, also wanted to say that RCI and Celebrity frequently have promotions and include free drinks packages which offer good value. I compared the Azura, Eclipse and Independance spring transatlantics for 2014 a month or so ago and the prices were pretty much the same but RCI and Celebrity were including the free drinks packages making them so much better value. As P&O dont have any drinks packages they cannot offer such inducements.

[tom_uk]

Drinks packages: my problem with them is that I don't like to drink every day, especially on a longer cruise (14 nights or more). If you're paying for the package then non-drinking days seriously impact on their value.

 

My other point is that I don't really drink beer, just wine and more wine, and it seems that the packages are at their weakest with wine. Part of that is also because I like to try lots of different wines - I wouldn't want to be restricted to just a small number of 'included wines'. We loved The Glasshouse on Ventura, for example, because of the range of wines available and we had a serious go at drinking our way through the Reds section of the list.

 

I agree that packages make excellent sense if they're included as a free offer - I can certainly see the point in having a basic drinks package for free and then paying extra for the occasional treat e.g. a really good bottle of wine. But a full-price package e,g, the Celebrity Classic or Premium package, doesn't work out, for me.

 

Going back to price comparisons, I'm sure that wines of the quality that we found in the Glasshouse are available on other lines - i know they are on Celebrity - but I also know that they're much more expensive. For us, and the way we drink alcohol, P&O is definitely cheaper.