Cheers: I just did the Math. Thank you Carnival!

[Crusin Karen]

Out of Galveston I purchased my cheers online ahead of time. They just charge your for 6 days instead of 7 at the lower rate. Then it doesn't go into effect until day 2. Day 1 is a good time to take advantage of that bottle of wine you can bring on and the free bottle of water they give you.

And we are going to the steak house on the lst night, so there is a free bottle of wine too. Plus we have the past guest party and we are Diamond, so will have Diamond party....so I am really trying to figure out if it would be worth it to purchase Cheers. We are drinkers, but don't drink during the day....we are the 5pm-midnight drinkers! So there are going to be at least 3 nights when we will have some alcohol freebies...decisions, decisions....

[ksmcdonald]

If you were comparing apples to apples, then it would the Vista versus the Escape, which is the newest in NCLs fleet. I know for a fact you can't get a balcony for 799 on that ship at any time of year. Carnival must be doing something right if they were able to get you to drop a substantially more amount of money comparing the two ships that you yourself say are apples to apples.

 

 

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

 

 

Exactly my point, my original post said I was second guessing my Vista cruise after having sailed on NCL. I have had this Carnival Vista cruise booked for a long time and up until now, Carnival has always been my cruise line of choice. Carnival has always been the most inexpensive cruise, that is why we've booked so many. Now I'm finally looking at other lines and I see much more value in NCL. Too late for the Vista cruise I've already paid for, but I can see me gravitating to NCL due to their competitive pricing.

 

 

I just went on both websites comparing Escape June 3rd saling with Vista June 3rd sailing:

 

Carnival Vista - balcony $1519 + $900 drink package + $105 (@$35 X 3 nights dining) = $2524

 

NCL Escape - balcony $1299 (includes drink package and 3 nights specialty dining) + $111 promotion service charge = $1410.

 

 

Vista is an 8 day while Escape is a 7 day, but is one extra day worth $1,114 per person? That is $2,228 more for a couple to cruise Carnival then NCL and get the exact same extras.

Carnival will give you bottle water and specialty coffee for that $2,228 but I would that is some expensive coffee and water!

 

Now, I comparing apples to apples.

[johno1234]

We are drinkers, but don't drink during the day....we are the 5pm-midnight drinkers!

 

Don't forget - during the day you also can get your juices, sodas, shakes, bottled water and barista coffees on Cheers.

[mrak]

Exactly my point, my original post said I was second guessing my Vista cruise after having sailed on NCL. I have had this Carnival Vista cruise booked for a long time and up until now, Carnival has always been my cruise line of choice. Carnival has always been the most inexpensive cruise, that is why we've booked so many. Now I'm finally looking at other lines and I see much more value in NCL. Too late for the Vista cruise I've already paid for, but I can see me gravitating to NCL due to their competitive pricing.

 

 

I just went on both websites comparing Escape June 3rd saling with Vista June 3rd sailing:

 

Carnival Vista - balcony $1519 + $900 drink package + $105 (@$35 X 3 nights dining) = $2524

 

NCL Escape - balcony $1299 (includes drink package and 3 nights specialty dining) + $111 promotion service charge = $1410.

 

 

Vista is an 8 day while Escape is a 7 day, but is one extra day worth $1,114 per person? That is $2,228 more for a couple to cruise Carnival then NCL and get the exact same extras.

Carnival will give you bottle water and specialty coffee for that $2,228 but I would that is some expensive coffee and water!

 

Now, I comparing apples to apples.

 

What drink package on Carnival is $900 per person?

[Sitzmark]

What drink package on Carnival is $900 per person?

 

I'm guessing that is 2 people at 8 days plus 15% tip rounded off to $900.

[ksmcdonald]

What drink package on Carnival is $900 per person?

 

 

yes, my bad, that is for 2 people, for an 8 day cruise. So it would actually be $1519 + $450 + $105 = $2074 per person, not $2524 per person. vs $1410 per person on NCL for the same packages. That is $664 difference per person. That is $1328 more money for two people for a cruise that last one more day. With that $1328 savings you could almost pay for another cruise for one person.

[Mar56]

I was going to pre purchase our Cheers packages but when I went online and read the small print and conditions etc it said that they were non-refundable. So I contacted my Carnival "personal cruise consultant" (not sure what they are called on Carnival sorry) and emailed her what I had read and could she clarify that if I purchased it now, it was non refundable.

 

Her reply was: "I would add Cheers package only when you are ready."

 

So.......they are non refundable????

 

Marion

[Monalis]

I know they are nonrefundable once you get on board...

 

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[Mar56]

I know they are nonrefundable once you get on board...

 

Sent from my XT1030 using Forums mobile app

 

Yeah I knew that/figured that was a given, as well. But in the past, for example, on another cruise line, we pre-purchased our drink plans and then the price went down - so we cancelled and repurchased at the lower price. No issues. I just wonder why her response was so vague re whether you could cancel if you changed your mind so I was hoping someone here may have actually cancelled prior to boarding and DID get a refund?

[nychad10]

Cheers! is absolutely refundable if you pre-order online and then cancel. We just did this 2 weeks ago. We purchased Cheers! with a credit card in November and then purchased $1000 in gift cards from Verizon and AARP. We canceled and re ordered using the gift cards. We received a credit 8 days later.

[Mar56]

Cheers! is absolutely refundable if you pre-order online and then cancel. We just did this 2 weeks ago. We purchased Cheers! with a credit card in November and then purchased $1000 in gift cards from Verizon and AARP. We canceled and re ordered using the gift cards. We received a credit 8 days later.

 

Thank you so much for confirming that!! I appreciate it.

 

Marion

[brebre]

Don't forget that if you buy them with 10% off gift cards, it's even cheaper.

Where do I find the 10% off gift cards?

[firemanbobswife]

Where do I find the 10% off gift cards?

 

 

There are TONS of threads on these. Verizon, AARP, Citi EasyDeals, Allstate.

[ksmcdonald]

Where do I find the 10% off gift cards?

 

 

Can you only use the gift cards on board? Or can I pre-purchase my Cheers online and pay with the gift cards instead online of credit cards.

[firemanbobswife]

Can you only use the gift cards on board? Or can I pre-purchase my Cheers online and pay with the gift cards instead online of credit cards.

 

 

You can use them online to pay for Cheers.

[nychad10]

Can you only use the gift cards on board? Or can I pre-purchase my Cheers online and pay with the gift cards instead online of credit cards.

 

You can use them for almost everything. Pre-cruise to pay for your cruise, excursions, all Fun Shop purchases. Or use them to add to your S&S card once your on board

[ksmcdonald]

You can use them for almost everything. Pre-cruise to pay for your cruise, excursions, all Fun Shop purchases. Or use them to add to your S&S card once your on board

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Michaelsam]

you can still buy rounds for others even using the program . if you tell them you wanna buy drinks for others you can look into it ..

 

I hate the cheers program my wife and I always find a group to hang out with and you cannot buy a round for the whole group if you are on the cheers program

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[sydney dog]

A few questions. On the Fascination in September. Is there a coffee bar on it? Can I get water bottles from any bar? Are bloody mary's still "cheaper" in the morning? I seem to remember Carnival having deals on them and Mimosa's in the AM. I have a very port intensive cruise but I do like my frozen drinks and if foo foo coffee is included it may be worth it.

[SeeJennyCruise]

A few questions. On the Fascination in September. Is there a coffee bar on it? Can I get water bottles from any bar? Are bloody mary's still "cheaper" in the morning? I seem to remember Carnival having deals on them and Mimosa's in the AM. I have a very port intensive cruise but I do like my frozen drinks and if foo foo coffee is included it may be worth it.

 

Don't know Fascination.

Water bottles from every bar.

I still see Bloody Mary's on special in the morning on sea days. I'm not sure about port days.

Foo foo coffee included.

[Crusin Karen]

Don't know Fascination.

Water bottles from every bar.

I still see Bloody Mary's on special in the morning on sea days. I'm not sure about port days.

Foo foo coffee included.

The Bloody Marys are in those little cups, tho. It's not a "full" (12 oz??) size drink.

[JusBeachn]

It makes sense for the 3 day cruises more than longer. Doing the math you meet the price at around 4 drinks. The only problem is the shore days. Most people go ashore, and don't do a lot of drinking on the ship throughout that day. So I would say, to count up your shore days. That's the only way I can see it not making sense.

[johno1234]

If you get a coffee and a bottled water before going ashore, then are back in the afternoon and ready for a beer or cocktail then a couple of glasses of wine with dinner and another coffee then you're still breaking even, even on shore days.

[Alaskan Joe]

My DW and I get the drink package every cruise, and yes we get our monies worth. However our longest cruise was only 8 days and we needed too give our livers a rest for a week when we got back...LoL. I could not see doing that for more days so I think we will decline Cheers on our 14 days Alaskan cruise aboard the Splendor in '18. Trust me when I say my DW and I can drink, but not, night after, night after, night:o. I will be doing the math to see who wins 'Us or Carnival' when it is all over. If we lose money on this 14 day cruise, we will never sail again without Cheers, I guess we can say after 5 cruises this one will be our measuring stick for all other cruises. I personally think we will be right around breaking even, and if that is the case then I would just rather get it and not worry about what I order in the way of drinks.

[SNJCruisers]

It makes sense for the 3 day cruises more than longer. Doing the math you meet the price at around 4 drinks. The only problem is the shore days. Most people go ashore, and don't do a lot of drinking on the ship throughout that day. So I would say, to count up your shore days. That's the only way I can see it not making sense.

So, since you're saying you meet the price at four drinks and if you're back on the ship by 400 pm and you go to bed at say midnight because you're tired from your excursion, that still gives you from 4-12 or EIGHT hours to drink those said four drinks. One alcoholic drink over the course of two hours can be accomplished by your grandmother.