Individual drink prices on Royal?

[Cruzinnana47]

Our family group is sailing in October on the Serernade from Boston to Bermuda and wonder if purchasing  drink packages would be worth it.  Could someone who has sailed recently give us an idea of what to expect for prices with both soft drinks (soda, water, juice) and "average" cocktails, wine or beer.   Our group is split: 2 for soft drinks only, 3 may be having a few alcoholic drinks each day.  Want to get an rough idea if it may be better to just order drinks as we go rather than purchase the packages.

 

TIA!.

[Biker19]

40 minutes ago, Cruzinnana47 said:

Our family group is sailing in October on the Serernade from Boston to Bermuda and wonder if purchasing  drink packages would be worth it. 

For all packages, the typical break even point is 4-5 drinks per day.

[taglovestocruise]

$$3 or so for a bottle of water, $4 for a coke. House brand Gin and Tonic was 9.50 on Symphony.  Martini with grey Goose $14.00. The UBP breaks even after a juice in the morning, a couple of waters through out the day,  a few specialty coffees during the day, late afternoon smoothie and a drink or two at night and a glass of of wine during dinner.  Serenade prices may be slightly less. Sometimes the cruise planner has a sale of $44 + 18% grat.  happy cruising. 

[Cruzinnana47]

4 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

$$3 or so for a bottle of water, $4 for a coke. House brand Gin and Tonic was 9.50 on Symphony.  Martini with grey Goose $14.00. The UBP breaks even after a juice in the morning, a couple of waters through out the day,  a few specialty coffees during the day, late afternoon smoothie and a drink or two at night and a glass of of wine during dinner.  Serenade prices may be slightly less. Sometimes the cruise planner has a sale of $44 + 18% grat.  happy cruising. 

Thanks much--that gives us a good comparison to go by.  Appreciate your response.

[Cruzinnana47]

28 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

For all packages, the typical break even point is 4-5 drinks per day.

That's actually what my DH thought--thanks!

[blackshirt]

8 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

The UBP breaks even after a juice in the morning, a couple of waters through out the day,  a few specialty coffees during the day, late afternoon smoothie and a drink or two at night and a glass of of wine during dinner.  

Of course that is presuming you normally pay for the fresh squeezed juice, bottled water and specialty coffees. If you are ok with the free juice and water and don’t need specialty coffees, now you’re back to the 4-5 alcoholic drinks to hit the break even point. Also remember, that’s every day. 

[brillohead]

Another possibility is if only two people might get the full benefit of the drink package, put them in the same room "on paper" (you can switch rooms on the ship) as all adults in the room over the age of 21 have to purchase the deluxe package if one does.  

Everyone else can get the soda package (or the refreshment package, if they will make use of the specialty coffees and bottled waters and mocktails) and just pay per drink for alcohol.   

[crochetcruise]

18 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

$$3 or so for a bottle of water, $4 for a coke. House brand Gin and Tonic was 9.50 on Symphony.  Martini with grey Goose $14.00. The UBP breaks even after a juice in the morning, a couple of waters through out the day,  a few specialty coffees during the day, late afternoon smoothie and a drink or two at night and a glass of of wine during dinner.  Serenade prices may be slightly less. Sometimes the cruise planner has a sale of $44 + 18% grat.  happy cruising. 

 

Thank you for this information. I have a cruise booked with another cruise line, and my currency conversion from USD$ to AUD$ is $1 to $1.30  so will use your figures as a helpful guideline and allow extra spending money.

[doones2]

19 hours ago, blackshirt said:

Of course that is presuming you normally pay for the fresh squeezed juice, bottled water and specialty coffees. If you are ok with the free juice and water and don’t need specialty coffees, now you’re back to the 4-5 alcoholic drinks to hit the break even point. Also remember, that’s every day. 

If your on a 7 day cruise to Bermuda you are most likely going to be in Bermuda for close to 3 days.  That’s 3 days of not being on the ship much.  You’ll be buying your drinks on shore.

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, crochetcruise said:

 

Thank you for this information. I have a cruise booked with another cruise line, and my currency conversion from USD$ to AUD$ is $1 to $1.30  so will use your figures as a helpful guideline and allow extra spending money.

A different cruise line could be much different, I think Royal has the highest priced drinks of any cruise line.  happy cruising

[crochetcruise]

23 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

A different cruise line could be much different, I think Royal has the highest priced drinks of any cruise line.  happy cruising

 

THANK YOU! What I'm trying to do, is make sure I have enough ready cash with me, to cover all expenses.

[kingcole]

Even with quite a few Royal cruises under my belt I’m having difficulty putting a value on the Deluxe Drinks package on our upcoming HOS trip.

 

Before, we have always taken the drinks package and usually buy at the right price. So thinking about $55 a day with tips.

 

For us, we are not huge drinkers during the day but typically go to town in the evening and can knock back a decent amount of wine with a meal. Outside of meal times, I would mainly be on beer where as my wife would typically have more expensive cocktails. We’ve also put a decent value on water and coffee, less so the now not so posh orange juice for breakfast.

 

However, towards the end of the cruise we typically have a very slow or sometimes an alcohol free day. Or at least we would like to but, having paid for my drinks package - no way. I’m luzzing it down my neck even when I might prefer a cup of tea! Then there are port days. Yes, I’ll spend money ashore but my brain is thinking, why am I paying for drinks when I would not have to pay anymore on board.

 

So, I’m not daft enough not to realise that the drinks package is still correct for our profile, except one thing is different....

 

For the first time ever we are in a grand suite. So, waters and coffees are taken care of. Drinks in the suite lounge and wine with the meal when we dine at CK.

 

Added to this, we would probably choose better wines (than can be drunk with the DP) when dining in speciality restaurants with the 40% discount.

 

So, for the first time ever, we are sailing without the drinks package. This means I’ll be boozing it in Mexico (and feeling rather good some locals are getting my doh rather than Royal), may enjoy a drink free day without guilt and will be smugly drinking my beer, water and coffee, along with my mediocre orange with my a wry grin.

 

Despite all these factors, am I still going to spend more money by not buying the package?

 

I should say, I won’t go out of our way to drink in the SL. We will drink exactly where we would have before but will prob choose the SL on occasions and always before dining at CK. As it happens the old viking crown lounge was one of our fav places.

Edited August 11, 2019 by kingcole

[brillohead]

40 minutes ago, kingcole said:

Despite all these factors, am I still going to spend more money by not buying the package?

I'll be interested to hear your take on this after you get back, including the cost breakdown -- I hope you'll come back and share your story!

[kingcole]

3 hours ago, brillohead said:

I'll be interested to hear your take on this after you get back, including the cost breakdown -- I hope you'll come back and share your story!

 

Will do. 

[popcicle]

last cruise I tried to order a grasshopper and a pink squirrel, they were clueless......ended up with a kaluah and cream which was fine, not a big drinker, don't do soda, so we will do one fluffy drink during the day on sea days, and one in the evening, bringing my own green tea bags to throw in a bottle of water........and what ever is free at meal time......

 

[DISFANS3]

Good info..