Drinks packages coming to P&O

[SquishTheWhale]

The thing that actually struck me from the packages is the cost of the non alcoholic package. £20 a day pp?! That's outrageous. On Princess it was around £6 and you didn't have to buy it for both people in the cabin. I know you can get coffees in the P&O one, but come on. I'll take a 6 pack of diet coke on board with me lol.

 

Just a quick question, if one orders a bottle of wine in the MDR and only drinks half of it, do they store it for the next night for you? And if so does that still work on freedom dining?

[majortom10]

2 minutes ago, SquishTheWhale said:

The thing that actually struck me from the packages is the cost of the non alcoholic package. £20 a day pp?! That's outrageous. On Princess it was around £6 and you didn't have to buy it for both people in the cabin. I know you can get coffees in the P&O one, but come on. I'll take a 6 pack of diet coke on board with me lol.

 

Just a quick question, if one orders a bottle of wine in the MDR and only drinks half of it, do they store it for the next night for you? And if so does that still work on freedom dining?

Yes there is no problem ordering a bottle of wine and saving half for the next night and it doesnt make any difference if in club dining or freedom.

[SMUDGEDGOAT]

My hubby and I have experienced a drinks package before on other cruise lines and found that we do save money as we do enjoy a drink or three!  However, looking at the terms and conditions of P&O package there are a few questions I would like answering before taking the plunge and I am sure there are other cruisers out there wondering the same thing.

Firstly - do the 15 alcoholic drinks include the mixer?  My usual tipple is double vodka and tonic (I normally drink doubles so not just asking for it because it is "free")   On my last cruise with P&O, I was drinking doubles with a Fevertree tonic which from memory came to a total of around £9.05 - what will happen in this case?  Will I pay for the double vodka from the package and then pay separately for the tonic?? Or because the drink total is over the £6.95 per drink limit, will I have to pay the full total? Or will I be allowed to purchase a drink over the £6.95 limit and pay the difference between the two drinks?  The other question is if I don't have the allotted 15 drinks in one day, do they roll over onto the next day?? Looking forward to hearing these answers!!  

[Tom Baker]

Only single measures can be ordered at a time with a 15 minute wait in between drinks. If you order a double vodka you will have to pay for the whole drink. I somehow don't think your idea of a rollover scheme will wash with P&O, they anticipate you will drink less on port days and they wouldn't want you to catch up on sea days, that would cut into their profit margin.

[SquishTheWhale]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

Yes there is no problem ordering a bottle of wine and saving half for the next night and it doesnt make any difference if in club dining or freedom.

 

Thanks! I thought that was how it usually worked but wasn't sure. Cruised a few times but we don't drink wine so thought I'd better ask for my parents as they are joining us on the next one.

[jeanlyon]

I am certain they won't roll over what you haven't drunk on one day.  It's one of the reasons I can't believe that price package will work for most people.  Most folks don't drink that quantity every day, port days, not feeling well days, all sorts of things get in the way.

[galeforce9]

7 hours ago, Tom Baker said:

Only single measures can be ordered at a time with a 15 minute wait in between drinks. If you order a double vodka you will have to pay for the whole drink. I somehow don't think your idea of a rollover scheme will wash with P&O, they anticipate you will drink less on port days and they wouldn't want you to catch up on sea days, that would cut into their profit margin.

What a ludicrous system. Time to move to a proper all inclusive line.  

[daiB]

1 hour ago, galeforce9 said:

What a ludicrous system. Time to move to a proper all inclusive line.  

 

Why, when it is cheaper to stay with P&O and just pay for your drinks

[P-L-B]

1 hour ago, galeforce9 said:

What a ludicrous system. Time to move to a proper all inclusive line.  

I respect the views of some that the P&O drinks package would work for them and because they are optional that's fine.

However, if your drinking habits are more modest you will probably find due to the relatively low cost of drinks on P&O that you would save compared to taking a drinks package offered on other lines.

Edited February 4, 2019 by P-L-B

[galeforce9]

6 hours ago, P-L-B said:

I respect the views of some that the P&O drinks package would work for them and because they are optional that's fine.

However, if your drinking habits are more modest you will probably find due to the relatively low cost of drinks on P&O that you would save compared to taking a drinks package offered on other lines.

Agreed.  For p&o cruises I will pay for each drink or cruise with Seabourn if I want to enjoy whatever I want to drink and when.  

[Selbourne]

The more I think about the £40 per person per day drinks package, the more I am convinced that the issue is going to be all the restrictions and exemptions, which do seem excessive. 

 

Given human nature, I bet that a good number of people who rush to buy this package within the first 2 days will not have read the small print and all the exclusions. As I said in an earlier post, the majority of drinks that we like on a cruise (all fairly normal drinks) are excluded e.g, doubles, premium tonics, bottles of wine etc etc 

 

P&O make it very clear that, once purchased, the drinks package is non-refundable, even on a pro-rata basis. I bet that even heavy drinkers who may feel that they will get through 15 drinks every day of their cruise, even on port days, will soon tire of all the restrictions. I know that I would (not that we ever drink remotely that much) as, when we are on holiday we want what we really fancy and not what we would be ‘allowed’. 

[bee-ess]

We have had 'free' packages on Celebrity  and Princess and have paid for one on Cunard and although they were more expensive per day than P&O's offering it was cost effective for us on Cunard and would have been on Princess and Celebrity if we had bought them. The problem with the P&O package is that the daily cost is out of kilter with the bar prices and has too many rules and exceptions, whereas on the other mentioned lines the drinks are far more expensive and we reach the daily cost quite easily with coffees, soft drinks and water as well as the alcohol. Having done our sums on the P&O package we would not reach the daily cost, so it is a no from us.

Edited February 5, 2019 by bee-ess

[pete14]

44 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

We have had 'free' packages on Celebrity  and Princess and have paid for one on Cunard and although they were more expensive per day than P&O's offering it was cost effective for us on Cunard and would have been on Princess and Celebrity if we had bought them. The problem with the P&O package is that the daily cost is out of kilter with the bar prices and has too many rules and exceptions, whereas on the other mentioned lines the drinks are far more expensive and we reach the daily cost quite easily with coffees, soft drinks and water as well as the alcohol. Having done our sums on the P&O package we would not reach the daily cost, so it is a no from us.

 

I agree completely. The restrictions make the package too expensive for most people who drink moderately on their cruise. If it allowed a bottle of wine with the evening meal (from a selection at the lower end of the price scale or for example £20 reduction on higher priced bottles) and double measures of spirits with a premium mixer if required, it would be more attractive. 

However, if people want to buy the package, that is up to them. It is no good for me because I don’t drink excessively, although I might if I bought the package, but, unless it is seen to increase drunken behaviour on the ship, there is no harm in it for those that want it. What I would not like is for it to be used as a ‘freebie’ to encourage people to book cruises. I much prefer a cheaper bottom line with obc to spend as I wish than higher prices and lower obc to cover the cost of a ‘free’ drinks package.

[Slugsta]

I think that the rule about only being allowed one drink at a time, and then wait 15 minutes, is pretty general across the lines that offer drink packages. Of course, implementation might vary.

[majortom10]

It is being mentioned repeatedly by different people with regards to the exclusions in the small print of bottles of wine. I know of no cruise line that includes bottles of wine in their drinks package and even higher end all inclusive cruises that include drinks might have wine by the glass but not bottles of wine. Does anyone realistically expected P&O to include bottles of wine in their drinks package or any other cruise line as a matter of fact. If anyone knows of cruise lines that include bottles of wine in their drinks packages perhaps they could enlighten me but I wont be holding my breath in anticipation.

[jeanlyon]

The only time we have had AI drinks was on Fred Olsen.  And you are right, they had about 6 different wines at the back where they served from and just kept topping up our glasses.  That was fine.  But on P&O, we will just order our bottles from the wine line as we usually do and they keep it for the following night or nights.

 

It will be interesting to see if the prices of alcohol go up if not very many people buy the packages.

[P-L-B]

2 hours ago, pete14 said:

 

I agree completely. The restrictions make the package too expensive for most people who drink moderately on their cruise. If it allowed a bottle of wine with the evening meal (from a selection at the lower end of the price scale or for example £20 reduction on higher priced bottles) and double measures of spirits with a premium mixer if required, it would be more attractive. 

However, if people want to buy the package, that is up to them. It is no good for me because I don’t drink excessively, although I might if I bought the package, but, unless it is seen to increase drunken behaviour on the ship, there is no harm in it for those that want it. What I would not like is for it to be used as a ‘freebie’ to encourage people to book cruises. I much prefer a cheaper bottom line with obc to spend as I wish than higher prices and lower obc to cover the cost of a ‘free’ drinks package.

I agree, especially regarding the latter part of your post.

[P-L-B]

29 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

The only time we have had AI drinks was on Fred Olsen.  And you are right, they had about 6 different wines at the back where they served from and just kept topping up our glasses.  That was fine.  But on P&O, we will just order our bottles from the wine line as we usually do and they keep it for the following night or nights.

 

It will be interesting to see if the prices of alcohol go up if not very many people buy the packages.

Hopefully not Jean, although unfortunately that's my fear.   🙁

[majortom10]

Personally having cruised with both Princess, who have had a drinks package for years, and P&O I can see P&O doing what Princess do for their US not customers, very rarely in the UK, is use the drinks package as a "freebie" in the cruise price called Sip n Sail and increase cruise price to cover costs. Whether this will be value for money we will wait and see. I know a lot of Americans book cruises including Sip n Sail offer and then if a later offer comes up with cheaper cruise and no drinks package they cancel and refare, as they call it, without any loss of deposit or monies which of course we cannot do in the UK.

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

It is being mentioned repeatedly by different people with regards to the exclusions in the small print of bottles of wine. I know of no cruise line that includes bottles of wine in their drinks package and even higher end all inclusive cruises that include drinks might have wine by the glass but not bottles of wine. Does anyone realistically expected P&O to include bottles of wine in their drinks package or any other cruise line as a matter of fact. If anyone knows of cruise lines that include bottles of wine in their drinks packages perhaps they could enlighten me but I wont be holding my breath in anticipation.

 

As one of those who referred to bottles of wine not being included, I should clarify that my point was not in relation to comparisons with other cruise lines. It was merely that we like to order a nice bottle of wine and not just choose from a limited and pre selected choice of wines by the glass. Furthermore, it can sometimes be a challenge to order one bottle at dinner, let alone having to order multiple times by the glass. On that basis (and several others), the exclusion of bottles of wine (or at least an allowance towards them) renders the package useless for us.

[jeanlyon]

Selbourne, if you get a copy of the wine list, we find it easier to order on the Wine Line, then the bottle is on the table when you arrive.

[davecttr]

3 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Personally having cruised with both Princess, who have had a drinks package for years, and P&O I can see P&O doing what Princess do for their US not customers, very rarely in the UK, is use the drinks package as a "freebie" in the cruise price called Sip n Sail and increase cruise price to cover costs. Whether this will be value for money we will wait and see. I know a lot of Americans book cruises including Sip n Sail offer and then if a later offer comes up with cheaper cruise and no drinks package they cancel and refare, as they call it, without any loss of deposit or monies which of course we cannot do in the UK.

Marella/Thomson have been offering their drinks packages as an early booking incentive for years. A major change is from this summer the drinks packages are included in the fare. I expect P&O will follow this route. When the drinks package was chargeable it was about £200 per week. now there will be a premium upgrade for £50 per week which gives you everything except champagne and wine by the bottle. It seems these are similar prices to P&O

[terrierjohn]

9 hours ago, galeforce9 said:

Agreed.  For p&o cruises I will pay for each drink or cruise with Seabourn if I want to enjoy whatever I want to drink and when.  

The downside of course is that you could enjoy 2 cruises with P&O for the price of one Seabourn cruise.

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Selbourne, if you get a copy of the wine list, we find it easier to order on the Wine Line, then the bottle is on the table when you arrive.

 

Good point Jean, but we go Freedom Dining, so I guess that would still involve a wait as they don't know where you will be sitting (& when)? A bottle usually lasts us two nights, so we have some 'on the go' and if we are running low we generally order the next bottle towards the end of the meal so that we just have to hand over the ticket when we arrive. Sometimes they can be very quick, other times I find myself trying to get a wine waiters attention, which is irritating. I've read somewhere that they are trialing wine service by waiters. I would have thought that they have more then enough to do!

[alija1960]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Selbourne, if you get a copy of the wine list, we find it easier to order on the Wine Line, then the bottle is on the table when you arrive.

What is the Wine Line? Do you pre-order from cruise personlizer or whilst on board