Query re drinks packages 🍷🍸🍾🍹🍻

[compozer]

We just returned from a cruise and spent many hours at Crooners and Vines. We had the drink package which we booked 9 months before. There is no way we come close to 15 drinks a day so no big deal to us. BUT, there was a group of people that were really upset that they changed the policy and those that booked a long time ago were not grandfathered in.

Turns out that many couples only purchase one package and would go from bar to bar getting different drinks. Or using different waiters at the pool - one for the guys drink and another one for the womans. Princess can pull your record up very fast and track your drinking habitsand they did.

I have a good friend that is an officer on the ship and we shared a number of drinks together. I asked about it and was told, Yes, many people were cheating the system. It was very easy for Princess to check up on people.

Who knows, maybe they will start confronting cheaters and charging them for a second drink package. A costly bill!!! I think that would be great.

[paul929207]

We just returned from a cruise and spent many hours at Crooners and Vines. We had the drink package which we booked 9 months before. There is no way we come close to 15 drinks a day so no big deal to us. BUT, there was a group of people that were really upset that they changed the policy and those that booked a long time ago were not grandfathered in.

Turns out that many couples only purchase one package and would go from bar to bar getting different drinks. Or using different waiters at the pool - one for the guys drink and another one for the womans. Princess can pull your record up very fast and track your drinking habitsand they did.

I have a good friend that is an officer on the ship and we shared a number of drinks together. I asked about it and was told, Yes, many people were cheating the system. It was very easy for Princess to check up on people.

Who knows, maybe they will start confronting cheaters and charging them for a second drink package. A costly bill!!! I think that would be great.

I was told that one of the benefits of the new Medallion was that it would allow Princess to greatly reduce cheating on drinks. BTW, it they catch someone cheating, they cancel the package with no refund.

[dides]

I have a blog post which I updated with the revised Premier Beverage Package details - the main change for us was the exclusion of large bottles of sparkling water (you now only get 20% off). So on our Regal cruise last month we had to order to separate small bottles of San Pellegrino each time even though we both had the package. Quite annoying.

[land lover]

We have had experienced the old 4 times(most recently June, Majestic cruise) and new drink package, just returning on Dec.2nd from Emerald.

 

Convenience, is what I enjoy about it......as others have stated it is pretty difficult to get to drink 15.....however I tried, this cruise just because they threw in the limit..;)

 

 

On this recent Emerald sailing, the new rules were every alcoholic bottle received with the package must be opened, so no unopened mini Korbel to keep in the fridge or beer to take back to the room except Grolsch(that was kept corked).

 

And unfortunately as time has gone on they do not have as many choices for hard cider(only strongbow) beers and small bottled wines like they had when the they introduced the package.

 

BTW........Both my DH and I have had the package never had a problem getting drinks and bottled waters at the same time for both of us.....when I have his card....

 

 

Is it worth it? Try it and then you can decide......

Edited December 18, 2017 by land lover

[land lover]

OP, just read you are cruising South East Asia how long is your cruise and on what ship?

 

On some ships there are more drink options than others so this can make the drink package more attractive.

[GRAYTech]

......Is it worth it? Try it and then you can decide......

 

Or do what we did. Keep track of what you drink and total it up at the end. Between the BOGO, PES deals, Sabatinis, 5 for 4 beer, carry on wine, Suite minibar we were under the AIBP cost in total by quite a bit and I would say we are on the higher end of consumption.

 

I would love it as a true perk, not just buried in the cruise price. The convenience must be great but I also don't need incentive to consume more than I already do.

[BaggsieScotland]

We have had experienced the old 4 times(most recently June, Majestic cruise) and new drink package, just returning on Dec.2nd from Emerald.

 

Convenience, is what I enjoy about it......as others have stated it is pretty difficult to get to drink 15.....however I tried, this cruise just because they threw in the limit..;)

 

 

On this recent Emerald sailing, the new rules were every alcoholic bottle received with the package must be opened, so no unopened mini Korbel to keep in the fridge or beer to take back to the room except Grolsch(that was kept corked).

 

And unfortunately as time has gone on they do not have as many choices for hard cider(only strongbow) beers and small bottled wines like they had when the they introduced the package.

 

BTW........Both my DH and I have had the package never had a problem getting drinks and bottled waters at the same time for both of us.....when I have his card....

 

 

Is it worth it? Try it and then you can decide......[/quote

 

 

 

Thanks so much for replying. It's a lot of pennies...... so it's great to get points of view. Can I just check if you can take drinks back to your cabin? My husband and I like to go back a chill out sometimes. :D

[joanne2]

Thanks so much for replying. It's a lot of pennies...... so it's great to get points of view. Can I just check if you can take drinks back to your cabin? My husband and I like to go back a chill out sometimes. :D

 

Yes you can take drinks back to your cabin.

[BaggsieScotland]

Thanks so much for replying. It's a lot of pennies...... so it's great to get points of view. Can I just check if you can take drinks back to your cabin? My husband and I like to go back a chill out sometimes. :D

 

Yes you can take drinks back to your cabin.

 

 

Sorry I also meant to ask if you can take more than the one? :o

[voljeep]

yes

[Bill B]

People keep saying they love the "convenience" of the beverage package. How is it any more convenient than ordering a drink that's charged to your folio?

[mllewis48]

People keep saying they love the "convenience" of the beverage package. How is it any more convenient than ordering a drink that's charged to your folio?

 

 

 

Not so much convenience but cost if you have more than 6-7 drinks per day.

 

 

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[GRAYTech]

People keep saying they love the "convenience" of the beverage package. How is it any more convenient than ordering a drink that's charged to your folio?

 

The transaction remains the same, no more or less convenient. It would be the time of day for me. Without the package we hit the specials offered. BOGO$1 was at 3PM and 11PM on our last cruise which is both a bit early and a bit late for me.

 

With PBP the specials don't matter. More convenient to go where/when you want than planning around BOGO hours.

[Kintamani]

One thread mentioned a limit of 15 x drinks per day. Also your partner need not purchase the premium Beverage Package. At $ 68.99 x 21 days for one person living in South Africa cost would be just over Rand 20,000. A killer for us as a quality wine at home can be purchased for R30 (we buy wholesale for R22) Cheapest onboard wine price @ $25 + 15% = R400.

No real cost solution for us - difficult to enjoy a bottle of wine at supper when at the back of your mind you could at this price drink 18 x bottles at home and a better quality of wine. We enjoy our wine so the package for one may be viable but may well check on board before buying and confirm my Wife can share a bottle or two at the table and also determine how many drinks do they calculate one bottle to be.

[DaveinWhales]

It does very much depend on personal preference, mine is not to spend nearly £100 per day on drink for two of us although we could easily manage it. Our cabin on the Sapphire was very close to Horizon Court where you can get a tumbler of perfectly acceptable iced water at anytime of day. You can also get free lemonade which is excellent too. ( Look for the table by the window near the water dispenser where there are a couple of jugs full.) I would begrudge paying the prices Princess ask for bottled water and personally can never distinguish between one and another.

You can also get free coffee there all day too which is OK but nothing brilliant.

So, for me it's about alcohol. You get 15 drinks and you have to put them on your individual cards. I guess you could order one at a bar and walk away with it, give it to someone else then go and order another from a different bar but who would bother? If you had 15 cocktails a day it would cost you around $150 (plus 15%) but would you want to drink that many any way? In the restaurants you can get house wine by the glass included as one of the 15 but don't imagine it will be free flowing if the waiters are busy so you might be better off buying a bottle so you end up spending even more even though you have 25% off. ( They will save any you haven't drunk until the next night too).

In the end we elected for moderate drinking instead of our usual consumption on holiday. 2 beers for me pre dinner at $6.75 per can, 2 G&T's plus dispensed tonic at $7 each for my wife. With dinner we shared a bottle of wine, we chose the least expensive at $28 a bottle. That came to around $55 per day on top of which you pay 15% service charge. Very moderate drinking but half the price of a package for two and on a 14 day cruise it still adds up to a lot of money just for drink.

On some of the stops you will possibly be on shore in to the evening so you won't be drinking on board then and if you are planning tours you may well find the start times are very early too so you might just decide to go to bed after dinner which is what we tended to do.

They do have a happy hour from 9-10 when it's buy one get one for $1.

Remember you can bring as much water and soft drink on board as you want too, plus a bottle of wine per person too.

[CalgaryMac]

We received free drinking packages for me and my partner(Sip and Sail bonus). It costs about $1100.00 to buy so unless you are a very heavy drinker I cant see that it is worth the cost. We were on a 2 - week Disney Cruise a couple of years ago and might have spent about $700.00 for wine for the two weeks. It was enough for us. I noticed that you can buy different packages on other lines. Disney had flexible packages for wine that we might consider if we go with them again. I couldnt see a similar package on Princess - just there unlimited package.

[reedprincess]

We received free drinking packages for me and my partner(Sip and Sail bonus). It costs about $1100.00 to buy so unless you are a very heavy drinker I cant see that it is worth the cost. We were on a 2 - week Disney Cruise a couple of years ago and might have spent about $700.00 for wine for the two weeks. It was enough for us. I noticed that you can buy different packages on other lines. Disney had flexible packages for wine that we might consider if we go with them again. I couldnt see a similar package on Princess - just there unlimited package.

Princess offers wine packages onboard, only for cruises longer than 7 nights.. Silver oe gold, fixed number of bottles for a discount off the pricing, around 25-35% off depending on which package..

[DaveinWhales]

Princess offers wine packages onboard, only for cruises longer than 7 nights.. Silver oe gold, fixed number of bottles for a discount off the pricing, around 25-35% off depending on which package..

 

No it doesn't, it offers it on some cruises but not all including Sapphire Princess when in the Far East. We would have bought one had there been one, believe me we asked..... several times to make sure.