Very unhappy with RCL beverage package policy

[Landlocked Luke]

I'm always amused at the idea of a couple sharing a cabin with kids or in-laws to save money, yet then drop serious money on two alcohol packages. if you can't have a nice vacation without over a half dozen drinks a day you might have a problem. If money is an issue the cheapest thing to cut is booze.

[StolidCruiser]

3 minutes ago, Landlocked Luke said:

I'm always amused at the idea of a couple sharing a cabin with kids or in-laws to save money, yet then drop serious money on two alcohol packages. if you can't have a nice vacation without over a half dozen drinks a day you might have a problem. If money is an issue the cheapest thing to cut is booze.

 

[retiredgram]

4 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

Figure out the cost of the beverage package with gratuity for one person and then just pre pay your on board account that amount. There is a good chance that you will have a credit at the end of the trip.

Best solution.

[smplybcause]

5 minutes ago, Landlocked Luke said:

I'm always amused at the idea of a couple sharing a cabin with kids or in-laws to save money, yet then drop serious money on two alcohol packages. if you can't have a nice vacation without over a half dozen drinks a day you might have a problem. If money is an issue the cheapest thing to cut is booze.

 

I dunno, how much time do you really spend in your room? Unless you're one to sit on a balcony for hours - your room is often the place you use the least on a cruise. Makes sense to cut costs on the things you use the least. 

[Clarea]

57 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

 ... Some mainstream cruise lines offer a little more free however I don't think any of them offer soda.

 

I think Disney still includes soda with the basic cruise fare.

[Landlocked Luke]

4 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

I dunno, how much time do you really spend in your room? Unless you're one to sit on a balcony for hours - your room is often the place you use the least on a cruise. Makes sense to cut costs on the things you use the least. 

 

Can't think of a single reason to not having young children or a parent in your room with you?

Putting the kids/parents across the hall or in an adjoining cabin doesn't cost that much more and definitely has some rewards.

I know from experience that having two adjoining Promenade cabins is quite a bit less than four sharing a single oceanview cabin.  

Edited December 7, 2018 by Landlocked Luke

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

Exactly. There was a documentary on the Discovery channel as few years ago where it was said if you bought the cheapest inside cabin, ate in the MDR only and did not buy drinks, the cruise line was as best breaking even.

 

The profit was made on drinks, excursions, upgraded rooms and specialty restaurants.

And that’s with the ship sailing full.

 

its on board spend and excursions that turn the profit.

[GUT2407]

6 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

I dunno, how much time do you really spend in your room? Unless you're one to sit on a balcony for hours - your room is often the place you use the least on a cruise. Makes sense to cut costs on the things you use the least. 

I spend a lot of my time in my cabin. 

[HBE4]

15 minutes ago, Landlocked Luke said:

I'm always amused at the idea of a couple sharing a cabin with kids or in-laws to save money, yet then drop serious money on two alcohol packages. if you can't have a nice vacation without over a half dozen drinks a day you might have a problem. If money is an issue the cheapest thing to cut is booze.

 

I find my kids and in-laws to be far more enjoyable after I've had a half-dozen drinks.

[gatour]

22 minutes ago, Landlocked Luke said:

I'm always amused at the idea of a couple sharing a cabin with kids or in-laws to save money, yet then drop serious money on two alcohol packages. if you can't have a nice vacation without over a half dozen drinks a day you might have a problem. If money is an issue the cheapest thing to cut is booze.

 

Actually the cheapest thing is cutting the cruise.

 

If you think about it.

2 drinks with lunch or there abouts

a pre dinner drink while your wife is getting ready in the cabin.

then 2 drinks with dinner.

During the main show a drink or two.

Afterwards stopping in a lounge to listen to some live music another drink or two.

Spread over a full day getting up to 7-8 drinks without getting falling down drunk is not hard to do.

[Landlocked Luke]

8 minutes ago, gatour said:

 

Actually the cheapest thing is cutting the cruise.

 

If you think about it.

2 drinks with lunch or there abouts

a pre dinner drink while your wife is getting ready in the cabin.

then 2 drinks with dinner.

During the main show a drink or two.

Afterwards stopping in a lounge to listen to some live music another drink or two.

Spread over a full day getting up to 7-8 drinks without getting falling down drunk is not hard to do.

 That only works out if you are on a cruise to nowhere.

A typical seven day cruise has two sea days where you could get those seven drinks in. If you actually go ashore you are falling behind. People often forget that when calculating if a package is worthwhile. If you have the money and it is part of your budget then why not. However if you are already making sacrifices to cut costs the easiest cost to cut is booze. For my upcoming cruise in four weeks adding the alcohol package is just slightly more than the actual cost of the cruise (not including gratuities). If I wanted to add it the cost would be $821.10 right now (that includes a 15% discount right now)

As I said, if dropping over $800 on alcohol is a necessity and fits in the budget that's great. If you are looking to keep costs in line that would be the easiest choice to make.

[HBE4]

10 minutes ago, Landlocked Luke said:

 That only works out if you are on a cruise to nowhere.

A typical seven day cruise has two sea days where you could get those seven drinks in. If you actually go ashore you are falling behind.

 

Actually, that only eliminates 2 of the drinks (lunch time) so you should still be able to get 5-6 drinks, which often is the break-even point for me.

 

Also, it includes bottled water (to take on the island) as well as smoothies and specialty coffee so you'll still come out ahead on port days.

 

For me, it's all about the convenience, not the ability to get falling down drunk cheaply. 

[HBE4]

 

Oh, and $821 is crazy expensive for a drink package.  Last cruise I was on, it was a little over $330 for 7 nights.

[smplybcause]

1 hour ago, Landlocked Luke said:

 

Can't think of a single reason to not having young children or a parent in your room with you?

Putting the kids/parents across the hall or in an adjoining cabin doesn't cost that much more and definitely has some rewards.

 I know from experience that having two adjoining Promenade cabins is quite a bit less than four sharing a single oceanview cabin.  

 

Dude, not the point at all. For one thing - the OP only has 3 people so you're "it's cheaper for 4 to have 2 cabins" is just useless.

[Landlocked Luke]

Just now, HBE4 said:

 

Oh, and $821 is crazy expensive for a drink package.  Last cruise I was on, it was a little over $330 for 7 nights.

For two. With the current 15% discount plus automatic gratuity.

Regular price is $60/day + 15% or $483 for a seven day cruise.

[Landlocked Luke]

21 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Dude, not the point at all. For one thing - the OP only has 3 people so you're "it's cheaper for 4 to have 2 cabins" is just useless.

I was trying to generalize for the situation many cruisers face with family. The OP is sharing a cabin with a MIL. That is a situation all by itself.

[schlimazel_traveler]

I'm also dismayed about this, which is a change in policy since my last cruise. 

I'm curious to know whether it results in more package sales or fewer.

In my cabin, the result will be fewer packages sold, and an overall lower bar bill.

[Crazy planning mom]

If you read the OP, they weren't getting the beverage package because they were diamond.

[Rbucek]

7 hours ago, orville99 said:

Even with the current pre-cruise discount, a Deluxe Beverage Package on Oasis (at least the January 27 cruise) comes out to ~$62/day (including the 18% gratuity). That's equivalent to ~10 beers/day; 4-5 foo-foo cocktails/day; or ~ 6-7 glasses of wine/day. If your daughter is not that heavy of a drinker, you're further ahead by just covering her bar tab a la carte.

Weird... We only paid $42 per drink package, it was a no brainier at that price.

[Eastern flygirl]

I would like to thank all of the constructive suggestions you have posted.  I really don’t want to abuse the RCL policy.  Both my husband and I have the Diamond Club, plus all the drinks we want in the casino with the Prime Status.  We have never purchased a bev package, and never will.  I talked to my fifth rep from RCL today, and they refuse to make an exception.  I will consider all my option for the cruise.  Thanks again.

[BND]

I think as another poster said, just give her OBC and have her buy the drinks she wants.  DH and I utilize the DL or CL in the evening and I occasionally buy a drink during the day so our onboard bill is never much.  Even before we became D, our bill was never more than $200 for a 9+ night cruise unless we bought something in one of the shops.  Package was never worth it.  Unless she really knocks them back, even drinking fresh squeezed OJ and specialty coffees, it takes a few to go over the amount.  You need to look at what she will actually drink and not what she'd do if it was "unlimited" to really get a good comparison.  Most people by the 4th day cut way back on how much they drink.  Package sounds good until you try to drink enough to make it worthwhile for a week or more.

[dmpuszcz]

23 hours ago, matj2000 said:

Why are you sharing a cabin with your adult daughter??

Why not?  Our adult son has gone with us in the past.  He doesn't have a lot of money but he loves cruising.

 

[matj2000]

9 hours ago, gatour said:

I imagine because of cost.

 

On our Med cruise, I shared a cabin with my MIL and wife.  I took the pullman while they took the beds.  The reason was because of cost.  There wereactualy several sets of inlaws that we took the cruise with us.  There wasn't anyone to share a cabin with my MIL.  She is not a frequent cruiser so the double points would be worthless to her.  And I am not a C&A points chaser so the cost booking a cabin for just myself (and rearranging things once on the ship) wasn't worth it to get double points.

 

8 hours ago, bowler15547 said:

 

I am an adult and I share a cabin with my parents when we travel together to save on costs. Not sure why you care, or what bearing it has on your life.

 

13 minutes ago, dmpuszcz said:

Why not?  Our adult son has gone with us in the past.  He doesn't have a lot of money but he loves cruising.

 

Because sharing a cabin is like sharing a small bedroom.

 

I enjoy my privacy.

 

I would not share a bedroom with my adult kids or mother in law...

 

If I couldn't afford my own cabin, I would rather stay home...….

Edited December 8, 2018 by matj2000

[itsmeagain]

Teach the Daughter how to gamble. 😂

[voyager70]

51 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

 

 

Because sharing a cabin is like sharing a small bedroom.

 

I enjoy my privacy.

 

I would not share a bedroom with my adult kids or mother in law...

 

If I couldn't afford my own cabin, I would rather stay home...….

 

Some people don't have that luxury.  I agree with you my SO and I would never share our cabin with anyone but I know plenty of people who book 3 or 4 in a cabin due to cost restraints.  They love cruising and this is the only way they can afford it.