$12 Drinks? No thanks!

[coldflame]

 

About Disney, you're allowed to bring liquor to consume in your cabin which you can't on RCL.

On each Disney formal night 'all passengers' are invited to the Captains Party with 'free drinks'. RCL only gives free drinks for Diamond and up cruisers.

 

Of course, you are also paying $1500-2000 extra for the same itinerary and same dates and comparable ship (Dream class ~ Freedom class).

[richstowe]

Was the bottle for your cabin or to take home?

For our cabin ! We bought it in advance and a card was waiting in our cabin instructing us to have it delivered from room service . We requested it to be brought with extra glasses and ice.

 

Hmmm $16 for a 1/2 bottle vs 12+ service fee for 1 drink. Nice .:)

[Desert_ Dweller]

With the high cost of the drinks not associated with the perk of having the UBP

(Ultimate Beverage Package) or whatever it may be called on each cruise line.

I am wondering about the cost of drinks while cruising in Europe.

Departing from Copenhagen on a NCL ship, if the drink is $11.00 plus 18% gratuity will there also be a 25% Value Added Tax (VAT) ?

:eek: I may have to wait 'til I get home to have my daily 3 or 4 glasses of wine and a Speakeasy Martini.

[coldflame]

That is a little bit unfair comparison since DCL lets you bring your own booze on board.

 

Out of curiosity, I did scan through some of the other cruise line sections in CC and found very little discussion about drinks pricing. So Either the Royal crowd are just complainers... or that the royal crowd do have a legitimate issue with RCL's drink pricing strategies.

 

I think the later.

 

dp

 

So, OK, let's assume in a 7-night cruise you have 10 mixed drinks. That's $120 + $20 (auto-tip) = $140. You are in a world-class ship, with world-class amenities, great service and _most_ things are included in your fare. Is a, say, $50 difference in alcoholic bevs really going to ruin your vacation?

[dcgrumpy]

So, OK, let's assume in a 7-night cruise you have 10 mixed drinks. That's $120 + $20 (auto-tip) = $140. You are in a world-class ship, with world-class amenities, great service and _most_ things are included in your fare. Is a, say, $50 difference in alcoholic bevs really going to ruin your vacation?

 

And once again, most people are complaining because of the sudden 40-50% jump in price.

 

If Chops went from $35 to $52 overnight, people would complain. It's not that they can't afford the extra $17.

Edited April 22, 2015 by dcgrumpy

[dpostman]

So, OK, let's assume in a 7-night cruise you have 10 mixed drinks. That's $120 + $20 (auto-tip) = $140. You are in a world-class ship, with world-class amenities, great service and _most_ things are included in your fare. Is a, say, $50 difference in alcoholic bevs really going to ruin your vacation?

 

When you say WORLD class ship and service... you ARE talking about the Disney Cruised line right? and Most things included.... gheesh, RCL even makes you pay for soda, I mean how cheap is that, do you have any idea how little is costs to make soda and RCL wants to SELL it to you!

 

And by the way, your calcs are way off. You forgot to multiply by 7. So that's 10 drinks PER DAY so $140 X 7 days = $980.

 

Once again, I did not say anything about "Ruining" a vacation, but when I look at all that matters to me on MY vacation, the price of drinks IS one of them, thus this goes in the CONS column for any RCL cuises.

 

dp

[coldflame]

And once again, most people are complaining because of the sudden 40-50% jump in price.

 

I understand. But what I'm trying to say is to look at it from the absolute cost, not percent basis. Say before you used to pay $95 in alcoholic drinks ($80+15), now you are paying $140 ($120+25). That's $50 extra or so. With small amounts it's better to think in absolute cost because it puts things in perspective.

 

If Chops went from $35 to $52 overnight, people would complain. It's not that they can't afford the extra $17.

 

Same as above. Now if they were tor say: cruise gratuities will be 50% more, that's different because we're talking $100s difference *and* unavoidable, unlike premium dining and alcohol.

[coldflame]

When you say WORLD class ship and service... you ARE talking about the Disney Cruised line right? and Most things included.... gheesh, RCL even makes you pay for soda, I mean how cheap is that, do you have any idea how little is costs to make soda and RCL wants to SELL it to you!

 

And by the way, your calcs are way off. You forgot to multiply by 7. So that's 10 drinks PER DAY so $140 X 7 days = $980.

 

Once again, I did not say anything about "Ruining" a vacation, but when I look at all that matters to me on MY vacation, the price of drinks IS one of them, thus this goes in the CONS column for any RCL cuises.

 

dp

 

Most things are included in DCL because you are paying $2000+ over the price of a comparable RCCL cruise.

 

If you need 10 drinks per day, you do have a problem beyond the scope of this thread.

[dpostman]

If you need 10 drinks per day, you do have a problem beyond the scope of this thread.

 

Thanks for your concern. I'll take that under consideration :rolleyes:

[Paul65]

And by the way, your calcs are way off. You forgot to multiply by 7. So that's 10 drinks PER DAY so $140 X 7 days = $980.

 

But, if you buy 10 drinks PER DAY, then the price increase doesn't affect you (other than the increase in gratuity). You would come out better with the drink package deal, whether the average individual drink price is $8 or $12, and you'd likely pay about $400 for the package for a 7 night cruise either way. :cool:

[dcgrumpy]

I understand. But what I'm trying to say is to look at it from the absolute cost, not percent basis. Say before you used to pay $95 in alcoholic drinks ($80+15), now you are paying $140 ($120+25). That's $50 extra or so. With small amounts it's better to think in absolute cost because it puts things in perspective.

 

 

 

Same as above. Now if they were tor say: cruise gratuities will be 50% more, that's different because we're talking $100s difference *and* unavoidable, unlike premium dining and alcohol.

 

For my husband and I it will be hundreds, not $50.

 

 

Either way it doesn't matter. I don't care what it is or how much it costs. My point was if anything goes up 50% in one day people will complain about it.

[dpostman]

But, if you buy 10 drinks PER DAY, then the price increase doesn't affect you (other than the increase in gratuity). You would come out better with the drink package deal, whether the average individual drink price is $8 or $12, and you'd likely pay about $400 for the package for a 7 night cruise either way. :cool:

 

You are absolutely right. My wife and I just stepped off Liberty 3 weeks ago and we both had the Ultimate Package. (Not quite that bad ;))

 

dp

[ryano]

Most things are included in DCL because you are paying $2000+ over the price of a comparable RCCL cruise.

 

If you need 10 drinks per day, you do have a problem beyond the scope of this thread.

 

First of all, RC ships are FAR from "world class". "World class" ships sail under Regents, Crystal, Oceania, Cunard, Silversea etc.

 

Secondly, how much someone else drinks is absolutely NOYB. What an uncalled for and unnecessary remark.:confused: I hope the Admin removes that.

 

You are totally missing the point here. No one said ANYTHING about ruining a vacation. People are, however, upset with the sudden +/- 50% increase in drinks and rightfully so. Especially when said drinks are now weaker and the service is anywhere from "meh" to just downright poor.

[ryano]

Some people seem to think a "good" bartender is just one that goes heavy on the liquor..

 

To me, a good bartender is one that doesnt ignore your existence for 20+ minutes as you are waiting on a drink when clearly they arent very busy at all. They serve drinks that you dont have to question whether or not they even have alcohol in them and they do it with a smile.

 

There was plenty of "good" bartenders all over the ship on Freedom three years ago. This year I could count them on one hand and have fingers left.

Edited April 22, 2015 by ryano

[xpcdoojk]

First of all, RC ships are FAR from "world class". "World class" ships sail under Regents, Crystal, Oceania, Cunard, Silversea etc.

 

Secondly, how much someone else drinks is absolutely NOYB. What an uncalled for and unnecessary remark.:confused: I hope the Admin removes that.

 

You are totally missing the point here. No one said ANYTHING about ruining a vacation. People are, however, upset with the sudden +/- 50% increase in drinks and rightfully so. Especially when said drinks are now weaker and the service is anywhere from "meh" to just downright poor.

 

Whoa, there are simply no ships that are more world class than RCI. There are no other ships that come close. The only thing that those expensive lines have that RCI doesn't have is world class personal service. You pay the higher prices for unique itineraries and service. Not ship features.

 

These threads are usually the worst example of CC threads. Pretty much bashathons, where nobody changes anybodies opinion, but think that hyperbole will do the trick. Waste of electrons.

 

jc

[Ocean Boy]

If we are listing the best drink "deals" , then I nominate Princess . On our recent Regal cruise there was a "happy" hour every 3 PM and at another bar at 11 PM . We had no problem taking two bottles of beer with us unopened for later consumption .

I was able to buy a small bottle of Skyy vodka (375 ml) for $16, with no tip or tax added . Finally, there was a coupon for a 1/2 bottle of wine in the coupon book when you went to the steak restaurant.

 

It was refreshing to see that not all cruise lines are trying to wrestle every last nickle and dime from its customers. :)

 

That is interesting. You can't even buy a souvenir glass on RCI without having 18% gratuity added. You might think someone was down below actually making the glasses.:rolleyes:

[richstowe]

Whoa, there are simply no ships that are more world class than RCI. There are no other ships that come close. The only thing that those expensive lines have that RCI doesn't have is world class personal service. You pay the higher prices for unique itineraries and service. Not ship features.

 

These threads are usually the worst example of CC threads. Pretty much bashathons, where nobody changes anybodies opinion, but think that hyperbole will do the trick. Waste of electrons.

 

jc

I sometimes have trouble deciding whether someone is joking . Are you joking ? "The only

thing that those expensive lines have that RCI doesn't have is world class personal service. "

How about better food ? What about not nickle and diming you with so many more inclusions ?

How about better furnishings and amenities in cabins and public spaces .

 

 

RC is a fine mass market provider who has spent billions to build the biggest amusement platforms on

the seas but there are many differences between it and premium cruise lines.

Edited April 22, 2015 by richstowe

[iancal]

We did two cruises from Australia this winter. A 14 day to Fiji and the Sun Princess in Feb and a 17 day Australia/NZ cruise on Voyager of the Seas.

 

We cruise often. There was a vast difference in quality and service between these ships. Princess was far, far better in terms of service and food.

 

We really found the RCI cruise prices to be high. Drinks were about 20 percent more costly on RCI AND they were priced in USD. Princess was priced in AUD- a 20 plus percent difference. . So the net difference, adjusted for currency was about 40 percent. Too high. We were not prepared to pay just under $18/19. AUD ( $12 USD plus service) includes service, for a martini on RCI.

 

We booked an RCI train excursion in NZ. It was $229 USD. We cancelled and rebooked directly with the railway. The cost was $110 AUD each, about $90USD. The only difference was a box lunch that RCI provided!

 

We are Diamond on RCI. We had a reasonable Serenade Med cruise this past Oct. however based on our recent VOS experience it will be a while before we book another RCI cruise.

 

We do not mind paying. We just do not want to be fleeced. Especially when the rest of the experience was exceptionally mediocre.

Edited April 22, 2015 by iancal

[dpostman]

First of all, RC ships are FAR from "world class". "World class" ships sail under Regents, Crystal, Oceania, Cunard, Silversea etc.

 

Secondly, how much someone else drinks is absolutely NOYB. What an uncalled for and unnecessary remark.:confused: I hope the Admin removes that.

 

You are totally missing the point here. No one said ANYTHING about ruining a vacation. People are, however, upset with the sudden +/- 50% increase in drinks and rightfully so. Especially when said drinks are now weaker and the service is anywhere from "meh" to just downright poor.

 

 

Thanks for coming to my defense, but I was not really bothered by the comment. You know how they say: "Never trust a skinny Chef". So I won't take drinking advice from someone that doesn't drink, or at least very little. I'm well aware that many people do not/could not drink 10 drinks in a day, and that is perfectly fine. But when on vacation, with a whole day ahead of me... well 10 drinks is easy for many people. I had 42 on our 4 day cruise and not one Advil or Tylenol.

 

10 drinks on a 7 day cruise... My wife's 94 year old grandmother drinks more than that :p

 

dp

Edited April 22, 2015 by dpostman

[RCLFan]

Ok, so maybe this has been addressed already, but my question is this:

 

If you pay $55 per Day for Drink Pkg, you would need to consume 5 Drinks per Day to "come ahead", correct?

 

And while that may be relatively easy to do during Cruising Days, becomes more challenging on Port Days.

 

Do I have this about right?

 

And finally, how does RCL control "sharing" of Pkg. If I order a drink at the Bar, how do they control me from ordering another for wife, at another venue?

[LMaxwell]

 

If you pay $55 per Day for Drink Pkg, you would need to consume 5 Drinks per Day to "come ahead", correct?

 

And while that may be relatively easy to do during Cruising Days, becomes more challenging on Port Days.

 

Do I have this about right?

 

Basically speaking, yes, you have that right.

 

 

And finally, how does RCL control "sharing" of Pkg. If I order a drink at the Bar, how do they control me from ordering another for wife, at another venue?

 

That's a good question. I guess they just look for people being super obvious or loud about it or ordering whatever they consider to be a excessive number of drinks. I don't know what triggers them, but it has been reported here that if they believe you are abusing the package they will rescind your ability to use it and not issue a refund.

[xpcdoojk]

I sometimes have trouble deciding whether someone is joking . Are you joking ? "The only

thing that those expensive lines have that RCI doesn't have is world class personal service. "

How about better food ? What about not nickle and diming you with so many more inclusions ?

How about better furnishings and amenities in cabins and public spaces .

 

 

RC is a fine mass market provider who has spent billions to build the biggest amusement platforms on

the seas but there are many differences between it and premium cruise lines.

What does food have to do with the ship? Comparing the Crystal Serenity to the Oasis of the Seas on a ship versus ship basis is just silly. I am not saying the food is not better on Silverseas than RCI. What does nickel and diming have to do with the ships. Now if you want to say Silverseas provides a better vacation experience, I probably would have nothing to dispute, but Silverseas is not exactly a value bargain. That said, give me any ship with a flowrider, and I will prefer it to Silverseas....

 

Some people have so many axes to grind that they can convince themselves of any stupid thing, but rarely will they convince anyone else. Just saying. BTW the expos are now called the Nationals....

 

jc

[Klstaack]

I just added the bogoho beverage package to our upcoming trip on the Oasis of the Seas. $598 for two people....299 per person for the premium package seems like a good value for me. We have 3 sea days and labadee...so lots of opportunity to get use out of the package.

[tallnthensome]

My DW and I leave on the Indy this Saturday, we are in our 30's and both have the Premium drink package. If it takes 5 drinks a day or so to cover the cost of the package then we should cover that easily every day and especially days at sea. Are we alcoholics? Not remotely but I know from sun up to sun down on sea days I will put away a dozen myself without blinking ...... We plan to get our monies worth. I normally drink beer but on the ship its going to be as many fruity tropical expensive drinks I can get out of them and my package. :)

Edited April 22, 2015 by tallnthensome

[NewSalt]

 

We do not mind paying. We just do not want to be fleeced.

 

And that's what I think people are complaint about.