Royal testing to bring back same drink package for all

[Salsaseas]

Seems each ship has its own rules. I had Deluxe - didn't have to sign for anything, anywhere. Except for specialty coffees at café promenade. It wasn't paper, it was a card/swipe/sign on screen thing.

 

Myself and my adult daughter had deluxe and my husband did not have a package at all. His drinks all appeared on a bill at the end.

 

If our cards were given as a set of 3 and 3 drinks ordered - 1 cocktail, 1 diet cola 1 budweiser - they were always very surprised when we were honest and said the bud is to be "charged"... I guess we must be rare in our honesty?

 

I agree that by doing away with "select", the moderate drinkers (couple of beers and a wine or two) might feel they are being squeezed too much.

If my husband & I both purchase the deluxe drinks package ( which is currently the only option for alcohol packages now in Australia) would we receive an itemised drinks receipt at the end. Hoping so, that way I’d know if it was worth it & worth doing on future cruises.

Also on a royal blog I read cocktails are $13 but in Australia the $55 deluxe package includes drinks to the value up to $12. Surely this is wrong?

[Clarea]

If my husband & I both purchase the deluxe drinks package ( which is currently the only option for alcohol packages now in Australia) would we receive an itemised drinks receipt at the end. Hoping so, that way I’d know if it was worth it & worth doing on future cruises.

Also on a royal blog I read cocktails are $13 but in Australia the $55 deluxe package includes drinks to the value up to $12. Surely this is wrong?

Maybe it's different for Australia based cruises, but we have never received an itemized list of drink package drinks on both European and US based cruises.

[Lifesaver1984]

If my husband & I both purchase the deluxe drinks package ( which is currently the only option for alcohol packages now in Australia) would we receive an itemised drinks receipt at the end. Hoping so, that way I’d know if it was worth it & worth doing on future cruises.

Also on a royal blog I read cocktails are $13 but in Australia the $55 deluxe package includes drinks to the value up to $12. Surely this is wrong?

 

Speaking from my experience on cruises out of Sydney

 

1) No you won't get an itemised list. You'll have to attempt to keep your own list to help with that.

2) The price of cocktails on sailings in Australia is higher yes because they factor in the service charge to the list price. However they account for that and the deluxe package will cover up to $14 or $15 drinks. I forget which it is. You won't have a problem paying extra for any drink, unless you go more top shelf

[fishtaco]

If my husband & I both purchase the deluxe drinks package ( which is currently the only option for alcohol packages now in Australia) would we receive an itemised drinks receipt at the end. Hoping so, that way I’d know if it was worth it & worth doing on future cruises.

Also on a royal blog I read cocktails are $13 but in Australia the $55 deluxe package includes drinks to the value up to $12. Surely this is wrong?

 

You will still have to keep an eye on both your accounts even with the drinks package because sometimes you can get charged for drinks you have not had or a charge where there should not have been a charge and need to have them removed.

 

You dont need to go to Guest Services you can sort it via the cabin phone as it is not urgent and will usually be sorted before shift change.

[lampskies]

Maybe it's different for Australia based cruises, but we have never received an itemized list of drink package drinks on both European and US based cruises.

 

You will get an itemized run down of EVERY drink ran on stateroom but it will show 0 charge.....trust me we had 7 pages on out 11 nighter lol

[Clarea]

You will get an itemized run down of EVERY drink ran on stateroom but it will show 0 charge.....trust me we had 7 pages on out 11 nighter lol

What ship?

[Milwaukee Eight]

You will get an itemized run down of EVERY drink ran on stateroom but it will show 0 charge.....trust me we had 7 pages on out 11 nighter lol

 

 

 

Have not seen this on Ships with interactive TV, for drinks while on the Drink Package. I have seen drink charges when my SeaPass Card was not working.

 

 

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[fishtaco]

If my husband & I both purchase the deluxe drinks package ( which is currently the only option for alcohol packages now in Australia) would we receive an itemised drinks receipt at the end. Hoping so, that way I’d know if it was worth it & worth doing on future cruises.

Also on a royal blog I read cocktails are $13 but in Australia the $55 deluxe package includes drinks to the value up to $12. Surely this is wrong?

 

This is a very hard question only you can answer about value.

I drink a fair bit on a cruise and we have only had the package once.

 

After sailaway you have to ask yourself just how much do you really drink onboard given port days v sea days and in my particular situation we have never drank the cost of the package when buying a la carte but this does mean economizing a bit or watching which priced drinks you buy to stop from wishing you got the package.

 

Ok the drinks package advert pic shows USA "call drinks" so aussie "Top Shelf" even on the aussie RCI site so they cannot deny or charge extra on that top shelf or call drink with the package,what they can do is charge more for a deluxe cocktail. For instance If you ordered a Cadillac margarita with Patron and Cointroau instead of standard margarita withTripple sec it may then become within the $13-$14 cocktailprice. you wont get Jonnie Walker Blue but you will get Jonny Walker Black if its a standard call drink.

 

To buy it or not? many like myself and wife contemplate buying it for weeks and weeks even though we already have experience with it.

 

Our next cruise was not our choice of cruise and we are thinking we may not get off the ship at any of the four ports as we have done them enough already,this would make the premium package on a 10 night cruise more worth it because it will be used to our fullest requirment, sods law though we will buy it and stiil get off at every port on the day lol :D

 

If you dont think you can drink the provided water, juice,tea and coffee (we dont mind provided) then the delux package is worth it with just the bottled water and booze.

[AmandaKaye79]

You will get an itemized run down of EVERY drink ran on stateroom but it will show 0 charge.....trust me we had 7 pages on out 11 nighter lol

 

 

 

Really? What ship? We have never received an itemized statement that had drinks. This includes the tv screen and the printed bill on the last night.

 

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

Really? What ship? We have never received an itemized statement that had drinks. This includes the tv screen and the printed bill on the last night.

 

 

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I agree. We have had the itemized bill when my SeaPass Card failed to register my package.

 

 

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[Salsaseas]

You will get an itemized run down of EVERY drink ran on stateroom but it will show 0 charge.....trust me we had 7 pages on out 11 nighter lol

Lol! We will be the same I’m sure 😉

What cruise ship was this on & was it from Australia? We are going on the Radiance of the seas at Xmas. First time with royal. Does anybody have a recent photo of drinks menu? TIA

[Clarea]

Lol! We will be the same I’m sure 😉

What cruise ship was this on & was it from Australia? We are going on the Radiance of the seas at Xmas. First time with royal. Does anybody have a recent photo of drinks menu? TIA

Pretty much every fancy (blender/frozen) drink will be at the limit of the drink package, which is probably around $14 for Australia based ships, since those prices are inclusive of gratuity.

[fishtaco]

Lol! We will be the same I’m sure 😉

What cruise ship was this on & was it from Australia? We are going on the Radiance of the seas at Xmas. First time with royal. Does anybody have a recent photo of drinks menu? TIA

 

Australian RCI drinks menu from thread on AU NZ cc board on page #9

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2563170

[fishtaco]

Pretty much every fancy (blender/frozen) drink will be at the limit of the drink package, which is probably around $14 for Australia based ships, since those prices are inclusive of gratuity.

 

Yes but I do think many of us aussie get confused with Well Top shelf and Call drinks, it will not be just "well drinks " and cocktails with pre mix it will have to also included all the Call drinks shown in RCI package pics as per their site, if these drinks are available on the aussie cruises.

[Merion_Mom]

If my husband & I both purchase the deluxe drinks package ( which is currently the only option for alcohol packages now in Australia) would we receive an itemised drinks receipt at the end. Hoping so, that way I’d know if it was worth it & worth doing on future cruises.

Also on a royal blog I read cocktails are $13 but in Australia the $55 deluxe package includes drinks to the value up to $12. Surely this is wrong?

This is the only alcoholic package option everywhere; it's not "an Aussie thing." :)

[Merion_Mom]

You will get an itemized run down of EVERY drink ran on stateroom but it will show 0 charge.....trust me we had 7 pages on out 11 nighter lol

 

I have only seen my drinks itemized on the interactive TV with "zero" charge when using my 3 daily drink vouchers. And only on Anthem.

[Salsaseas]

This is the only alcoholic package option everywhere; it's not "an Aussie thing." :)

Yes I do know this just didn’t want anyone who didn’t know this commenting wrong info as the internet says so many different things I would like to hear from anyone who has done a cruise recently from Australia (since the new changes) thanks

I have actually asked my travel agent & royal are drinks in aus or US dollars & they both say US dollars but I’m getting conflicting info

[DiamondSuiteCruiser]

On my recent Alaska cruise I had the drink package, DW did not. If I ordered a drink for just myself, I never had to sign for it. If I bought a drink for DW, I had to sign for it. DW had one or two drinks a day. I usually ordered them for her when I ordered mine. The bartender always asked for a second card to pay for the second drink. I told them I wanted to pay for it with my card. They seemed to have trouble grasping the concept of me getting one for free (on my drink package) and then using my card to pay for the second. They're probably used to people trying to get more than one free drink at a time.

 

Much like us you are honest, we have had crew members when ordering a drink for my MIL, say no big deal and try to just give us the drink for free. We’ve also been on a spring break cruise with one of our sons and now DIL and the crew telling them to just buy one drink package and share it to save money. They did not even try and sell that to us, maybe because they think older people are able to pay more, or because we are more honest. Either way the crew members don’t help matters when they are telling you to cheat the system!

[BekkaW]

Yes I do know this �� just didn’t want anyone who didn’t know this commenting wrong info as the internet says so many different things I would like to hear from anyone who has done a cruise recently from Australia (since the new changes) thanks ��

I have actually asked my travel agent & royal are drinks in aus or US dollars & they both say US dollars but I’m getting conflicting info ��

 

I have cruised multilpe times from Australia and elsewhere, most recently Ovation in November.

 

All prices onboard the ship are US$. For everything, no exceptions.

 

Drink package is everything up to $14 which covers most cocktails (incl frozen) and mixed drinks. It covers a reasonable but limtied selection of wine.

 

What else do you want to know? Happy to answer any queries

 

Edited to add: bill on stateroom TV showed $0 for every drink

[fishtaco]

Yes I do know this �� just didn’t want anyone who didn’t know this commenting wrong info as the internet says so many different things I would like to hear from anyone who has done a cruise recently from Australia (since the new changes) thanks ��

I have actually asked my travel agent & royal are drinks in aus or US dollars & they both say US dollars but I’m getting conflicting info ��

 

Not sure what the conflicting info is but RCI ships use US$

 

If the ship is leaving and returning to and from Australia you buy your drinks package online in AU$ same as you pay the cruise fare in AU$,all online gifts and packages are charged in AU$

 

If you wait until you board the ship to buy the drinks package or any package it will be charged to your acc in US$ same as everything you buy onboard across the RCI fleet.

 

If not with a TA your cruise payment goes to RCI Miami and converted into US$ at your expense via international exchange charges if you use a credit card so you even pay for your RCI cruise in Miami.

 

The reason its so confusing is RCI Australia is not really a company its just used as one, RCI ships are all part of the same RCI fleet.

 

The reason for paying in AU$ from Australia is because of the very strict consumer protection laws we have.

 

Carnival AU on the other hand is an Australian company and the reason all onboard sales are in AU$ same as P&O/Princess AU.

[Ocean Boy]

You will still have to keep an eye on both your accounts even with the drinks package because sometimes you can get charged for drinks you have not had or a charge where there should not have been a charge and need to have them removed.

 

You dont need to go to Guest Services you can sort it via the cabin phone as it is not urgent and will usually be sorted before shift change.

I was once charge for a drink that I did not have and guest services approached the issue as if I was trying to screw over RCI. The woman backed down when she saw that I had no intention of backing down. I got really annoyed and told her to either produce a receipt that I signed or remove the charge. The charge disappeared.

Edited January 6, 2018 by Ocean Boy

[Clarea]

I was once charge for a drink that I did not have and guest services approached the issue as if I was trying to screw over RCI. The woman backed down when she saw that I had no intention of backing down.

I think that was a bad attitude for the GS rep to take, and I would have asked for the Guest Services Manager.

 

 

However, I can understand how they might unfortunately fall into that mode where they suspect someone is lying to them all the time, because it happens quite often when it comes to paying the bill. We used do B2B cruises on Monarch fairly often, and the gathering point for B2B guests was right next to Guest Services. The gathering time was during the last 15 minutes of guest walk-off, so this was when we heard the most buzzer sounds (instead of the nice ding) as people were trying to walk off without paying their bill. The "discussions" at the GS counter were quite loud and you would not believe the stories that were told as to why the bill could not be paid.

[Beachammo]

I have only seen my drinks itemized on the interactive TV with "zero" charge when using my 3 daily drink vouchers. And only on Anthem.

We had most of our diamond happy hour drinks, purchased at the bars on Explorer, show up on the bill with $0.00......first time that I've seen that happen. It was a 23 night cruise and the bill was 13 pages.

 

Never had an issue getting a drink that the bartender charged us by accident off the bill. It usually happens at least once per cruise.

 

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[Cdn Cruise Lover]

Although we've always been loyal to Royal and are Diamond+ members, I'm afraid our upcoming cruise in February will be our last with Royal due to this change in policy. I drink, my husband and mother do not. To be forced to buy deluxe drink packages for all three when only one drinks in our cabin is truly unacceptable.

 

Going forward, we will sail with another cruise line that is more flexible and/or includes drinks (Norwegian, Celebrity) on their cruises. So long, Royal. It's been fun.

[starrcards]

When I booked the delu8xe drink package for me for our February Oasis cruise, they let me get the refreshment package for my wife who does not drink.