Are drink packages worth the cost.

[mz-s]

47 minutes ago, ledges1 said:

I think it is $.47 per ounce. Never used it.

 

I used it once and the beer was somewhat warm and it charged me a gratuity for a beer I poured myself. I've never touched them again.

[BoozinCroozin]

Here was my experience after Day 1 and making good friends with the bartender at Red Frog on the Lido deck. Pass by going to breakfast at 6:30AM say high to the bartender, walk back by at about 7AM, and nice Red's Rum Treasure, Rum Runner Jumper, or a Frog Island Ice Tea waiting for me. Pretty much 25% of break even just after moving about.

[RollingMeadows]

I don't drink alcohol and my husband is a light drinker, so it's not worth it to us. We did buy it one time on a 3-day cruise just to see if it fit with our cruising style. It didn't, but we also realized if we had as many cocktails or specialty coffees as we wanted each day we'd still only be using about 1/3 of the beverage package. We now increase our cruise budget to include all we can drink, which in our case is about $20 a day per person, if that makes any sense. 

[havanadaydreaming]

first cruise i took we signed up for drink package 2nd day, were still charged for sailaway day.  

 

my wife really doesnt drink enough for the package on a daily basis but i can usually make up for her, especially on sea days.  

 

that said, i usually drink less on land if we have the package.  i do like the peace of mind of not having to calculate cost of buying each drink individually.  

[cruisingguy007]

Depends, most like to state the already inflated costs of a drink and then proceed to state that "it's only six drinks" or whatever. That is fair if you must drink on the ship, would typically drink six a day anyway and would also be willing to pay the huge markups already. I already don't drink in restaurants/bars anymore because prices have become too rich for my blood, $10-$15 drinks aren't worth it for me. I can buy another entry, buy a better entry or buy more appetizers etc for those costs, plus I can drink at home for 90% less, so for me, the answer is no. It's gotten too rich for my blood and I can buy a few al-a-carte if I really want something, buy a bottle from fun shops for cabin, drink on excursions, drink cheaply in port etc., or simply wait until I get home. The drink packages can cost as much as excursions for an entire cruise, heck, more than the entire cruise in some cases, not money well spent unless you were going to spend it anyway. Not having one also makes for more mindful imbibing vs constantly standing in lines and "trying to get your moneys worth" or consuming bottled corn syrup products/drinks to further it's "value", that you otherwise wouldn't order/drink.     

[ChrisCJR]

We tend to do maybe one or two drinks a day, so we never buy the package. 

 

Also worth mentioning is that we save money by waiting to buy drinks in port,, where they can be significantly lower cost if you look around. 

 

The only drink I bought on the ship during my last cruise was on our last day, which was a sea day.  It was also one they had a special on.  

 

Spent well under $60 on drinks for the the three night cruise. 

[hard_eight]

I buy it, I make sure to do most of my drinking at Alchemy or "Top Shelf" at the other venues. The discount on a bottle of wine for dinner is nice too. 

[CajunOyster]

Only you can decide that.  For us, yes, it's definitely worth it.  I would say it's worth it if one or more of the following apply to you:

1) You like to drink expensive medium-to-top-shelf liquor.  There is no seriously expensive top shelf liquor aboard and it wouldn't be covered anyway.  Think Alchemy cocktails or Patron Anejo.

2) You want to try new things without paying for a cocktail you may not like.

3) You ordinarily drink 8-9 beers each day, or 5-ish cocktails.

4) You want to pre-pay your entire bar tab before you even board.

5) You don't want any surprises on your S&S account.

6) You don't pinch pennies and $59 a day is not really something you're concerned about.

 

Because different people have different answers to these questions, you're not going to get a single right answer.

[cruiserbrianj]

Here's my two cents and my perspective has changed recently. We always got the package and it was great...I don't feel we ever didn't get our monies worth. However, I feel we always drank more (not always a good thing). On our most recent cruise we didn't get it, utilized happy hour at the Red Frog Pub, bought a bucket of beer on the lido and we were fine. 

 

Now, we have also started cruising way more than once or twice a year and I personally think that's a big deal....it's A LOT of money for that drink package 4 or 5 times a year. Also, I've had all the drinks I care to have at the Alchemy, there's nothing I need to try. If I want something, I'll get it but I don't need to have it. Like many others have said, it's personal preference, so what works for me may not work for you but this is my outlook on it. I never thought I'd say it, but we probably won't get Cheers again. There's also the little matter that Carnival doesn't carry Coke products....Pepsi is hard pass when it comes to a mixer.

[CajunOyster]

49 minutes ago, cruiserbrianj said:

Pepsi is hard pass when it comes to a mixer.

If you can taste the difference between Coke and Pepsi in a mixed drink, there's not enough liquor in your drink!

[sgttami]

I've always found Cheers to be worth it whether I purchased it or had DOU anywhere (comped)  I only drink Coor's Light for the most part  and maybe a Bloody Mary or frozen drink sometime during the cruise.  No sodas, water, coffee, milkshakes etc.

 

I didn't get Cheers the first time I sailed Carnival and figured I would have saved $125.00 if I did.  Got it ever since.

 

Obviously, if you only drink one or two cocktails a day, it's not for you.

 

I sail solo so I don't have to worry about anyone buying it other than me.

[matymil]

This thread reminds me of simpler times. Welcome back "is cheers worth it?" ive missed you so much

[matymil]

4 hours ago, cruiserbrianj said:

Here's my two cents and my perspective has changed recently. We always got the package and it was great...I don't feel we ever didn't get our monies worth. However, I feel we always drank more (not always a good thing). On our most recent cruise we didn't get it, utilized happy hour at the Red Frog Pub, bought a bucket of beer on the lido and we were fine. 

 

Now, we have also started cruising way more than once or twice a year and I personally think that's a big deal....it's A LOT of money for that drink package 4 or 5 times a year. Also, I've had all the drinks I care to have at the Alchemy, there's nothing I need to try. If I want something, I'll get it but I don't need to have it. Like many others have said, it's personal preference, so what works for me may not work for you but this is my outlook on it. I never thought I'd say it, but we probably won't get Cheers again. There's also the little matter that Carnival doesn't carry Coke products....Pepsi is hard pass when it comes to a mixer.

Was the red frog happy hour pre covid? I thought they got rid of those

[kelkel2]

On 6/9/2022 at 2:04 PM, 51st FMS said:

Are drink packages worth the cost.  Looking at $60.00/day but have no idea what a beer, glass of wine or mixed drink cost on board.

I think it really depends on you. We’re getting it for the first time this cruise, but after doing the math it makes sense. We’re coffee people and I’d much prefer the paid coffee. So if I got 2 of those a day which is very do-able for me, a few drinks by the pool, a drink at dinner and maybe a few after, I’ve easily broken even. And I have a feeling I’d drink more than that. I’m not a heavy drinker by any means, but I’d love to have a few drinks poolside in the afternoon. So to me, yes it’s worth it. 

[cruiserbrianj]

9 hours ago, matymil said:

Was the red frog happy hour pre covid? I thought they got rid of those

Nope, Magic in November 2021 and Sunshine both March/May 2022

[reeinaz]

9 hours ago, matymil said:

Was the red frog happy hour pre covid? I thought they got rid of those

They still have the happy hour.

[cruiserbrianj]

1 minute ago, reeinaz said:

They still have the happy hour.

Magic in November 2021 and Sunshine in March and May. 2 hours on embarkation and then another day or two throughout the cruise....not highly advertised but we asked.

[reeinaz]

2 minutes ago, cruiserbrianj said:

Magic in November 2021 and Sunshine in March and May. 2 hours on embarkation and then another day or two throughout the cruise....not highly advertised but we asked.

The happy hours are listed on the hub ap. When you look for places to drink, any happy hours will be noted in the bar listed.

[Drazil65]

Was the red frog happy hour pre covid? I thought they got rid of those

 

RF had happy hour on Sunshine the last week of May when we sailed.  We also never get cheers, I dont drink much and am quite happy with the wine we bring onboard and we also order a bottle or two for the room.  DH will get a bucket of beer on serenity a couple of times during the week at most and we will get drinks in port if we feel like it but cheers would never be worth the money for us.  

 

If drinking is a big part of your cruise experience then it is probably money well spent for you.  Everyone has their own thing they that makes the cruising experience more enjoyable for them.  We cruise a couple times a year typically and will spend our cruise in a balcony or suite and book certain excursions so that is where we spend our money.  Other people prefer to spend money on cheers for 2 people, it is whatever will enhance your experience.  

[silversneakers]

On 6/9/2022 at 3:04 PM, 51st FMS said:

Are drink packages worth the cost.  Looking at $60.00/day but have no idea what a beer, glass of wine or mixed drink cost on board.

If you drink a lot, then maybe. I, personally, do not drink enough to make the cost attractive.

[smileytrips]

YES, if you are a drinker, you will be glad you did!!

[Guest BasicSailor]

Not to me, but you may differ 😉

[BoozinCroozin]

On 6/10/2022 at 7:35 PM, CajunOyster said:

If you can taste the difference between Coke and Pepsi in a mixed drink, there's not enough liquor in your drink!

Unfortunately, Carnival does not do 50/50 pours. If they did, I would be fine without the drink package. The problem is their drinks are extremely light. Getting to 15 on a sea day is relatively easy and you will not really feel it unless you do it in a short period of time.

[quattrohead]

That calculator is epic !!!

My situation is not so standard, me and 2 teenagers under drinking age, so I can get away with a single drinks package.

 

$59.95 per day per person plus 18% gratuity

How many of each do you think you’ll have a day?
Beer: Average price $7.50 plus tip    6
Wine: Average price $11.30 plus tip     0
Frozen Drinks: Average price $10.50 plus tip 2    
Cocktails: Average price $11.75 plus tip     2
Soda: Average price $2.75 plus tip     10
Gourmet Coffees: Average price $4.00 plus tip     2
Bottles of water: Average price $1.50 plus tip     6
Mocktails: Average price $7.00 plus tip     6

Cost paying per drink: $1038
Cost of drink package: $383

Buying a drink package would save you $655 compared to buying drinks individually.

[DnD CruiserZ]

52 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Unfortunately, Carnival does not do 50/50 pours. If they did, I would be fine without the drink package. The problem is their drinks are extremely light. Getting to 15 on a sea day is relatively easy and you will not really feel it unless you do it in a short period of time.

 

What is this "mixed drink" you speak of? 😁

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by DnD CruiserZ