Ways to Save on Drinks without a Drink Package

[Spif Barwunkel]

As much as I can appreciate the OP's detailed listing on how to save drink money without a drink package, the presentation seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek to me. Even if accurate, too much thinking and work to be done, for me, when I get on the ship. There is most always a reasonable price available to upgrade to a premium package, which we will do if not already included in the booking, and not just for alcoholic beverages. It is a convenience, and we never spend all of what we pay. Never try to. Sometimes value is not just what you hold in your hand or put in your mouth. Intangibles work for us as well. 

 

Did a spread sheet comparing OP's formula to what the typical drink (package) spending is for us. Too much effort required for a savings of $7.38. 

 

[late2cruisin]

51 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

As much as I can appreciate the OP's detailed listing on how to save drink money without a drink package, the presentation seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek to me. Even if accurate, too much thinking and work to be done, for me, when I get on the ship. There is most always a reasonable price available to upgrade to a premium package, which we will do if not already included in the booking, and not just for alcoholic beverages. It is a convenience, and we never spend all of what we pay. Never try to. Sometimes value is not just what you hold in your hand or put in your mouth. Intangibles work for us as well. 

 

Did a spread sheet comparing OP's formula to what the typical drink (package) spending is for us. Too much effort required for a savings of $7.38. 

 

I think the OP was talking about not having ANY drink package (as opposed to not wanting to upgrade your classic package to premium.) Also, I'm not sure where you're getting your $7.38 figure from...

[NorthStarStateCruiser]

12 minutes ago, late2cruisin said:

I think the OP was talking about not having ANY drink package (as opposed to not wanting to upgrade your classic package to premium.) Also, I'm not sure where you're getting your $7.38 figure from...

You are correct. And I'm also curious about this $7.38 figure.

[the penguins]

13 hours ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

I'll start this list and hopefully can chime in with other tips to save a buck when not purchasing a drink package.  This would only apply to people purchasing the cruise only fares.  Here it goes

 

1. Carry on 2 bottles of 750mL wine PER PERSON.  That would be 4 bottles total for 2 people staying in a stateroom.
2. For beer drinkers, purchase a pack of 6 beers at the pool bar.  You get 6 for the price of 4.
3. You can get a pitcher of a cocktail at the sunset bar.  Could be some savings there.
4. Drinks are free at the casino when actively playing, although YMMV.
5. Reserve a cabana (Edge class only).  Comes with 6 beers and a 1L bottle of Grey Goose that can be swapped with a bottle of your choice of equal or lesser value.
6. If you like simple mixed drinks, purchase a bottle of your favorite liquor from the Bon Voyage Gifts page.  The liquor bottles come with a 6 pack of soda.  You'll save some money versus purchasing the mixed drinks one at a time at the bar.
7. Select drinks are available complementary from 5-7 at bars and lounges for Elite and above Captain's Club members.

 

 

Boy are we saved a lot of hastle by not drinking any alcohol. Free speciality coffees, teas and chocolate in Al Bacio. Free water during the Elite Happy Hour - enough to take us through the next day. Free smoothies and juice at the Elite breakfast. Definitely no drinks package required.

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, the penguins said:

Boy are we saved a lot of hastle by not drinking any alcohol. Free speciality coffees, teas and chocolate in Al Bacio. Free water during the Elite Happy Hour - enough to take us through the next day. Free smoothies and juice at the Elite breakfast. Definitely no drinks package required.

We have no hassle as alcohol drinkers, we simply have a drinks package and see it as part of the holiday price!

 

8 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

As much as I can appreciate the OP's detailed listing on how to save drink money without a drink package, the presentation seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek to me. Even if accurate, too much thinking and work to be done, for me, when I get on the ship. There is most always a reasonable price available to upgrade to a premium package, which we will do if not already included in the booking, and not just for alcoholic beverages. It is a convenience, and we never spend all of what we pay. Never try to. Sometimes value is not just what you hold in your hand or put in your mouth. Intangibles work for us as well. 

 

 

 

Agree…We probably don’t break even with our drinks package but it is a long time since we have tried calculating. We just enjoy getting what we want when we want it! Before drinks packages we probably drank the same on a cruise as we do now but we were far more conservative in our choices. We would stick to wines and cocktails we knew. Too risky to buy a cocktail you don’t know if you will like or not…Now I try anything, part of my holiday pleasure!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I am just glad our TAs group price that includes “Alway Included” is the same price as Sail Only 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 hour ago, chemmo said:

We have no hassle as alcohol drinkers, we simply have a drinks package and see it as part of the holiday price!

 

THIS. I just lump it all in and don't worry myself doing math to make sure I'm "getting my money's worth". I'd rather just have the peace of mind to get a drink when I want it and not worry about a budget for the drinks.

[drakes2]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

We have no hassle as alcohol drinkers, we simply have a drinks package and see it as part of the holiday price!

 

Agree…We probably don’t break even with our drinks package but it is a long time since we have tried calculating. We just enjoy getting what we want when we want it! Before drinks packages we probably drank the same on a cruise as we do now but we were far more conservative in our choices. We would stick to wines and cocktails we knew. Too risky to buy a cocktail you don’t know if you will like or not…Now I try anything, part of my holiday pleasure!

On my 11 night Eclipse cruise in May I had the AI and upgraded to premium with my Elite discount. The ship did not have a great selection of premium wines and mid way were offering wines from the basic package. I enjoy my big bold cabs and the closest I could get was Decoy.  On my recent Equinox cruise I noticed the sommelier had a lot of bottles of CK Mondavi cab which is part of the basic package.  Some guests who paid for premium package were drinking the Mondavi. 

[chimchimtx]

1 hour ago, drakes2 said:

On my 11 night Eclipse cruise in May I had the AI and upgraded to premium with my Elite discount. The ship did not have a great selection of premium wines and mid way were offering wines from the basic package. I enjoy my big bold cabs and the closest I could get was Decoy.  On my recent Equinox cruise I noticed the sommelier had a lot of bottles of CK Mondavi cab which is part of the basic package.  Some guests who paid for premium package were drinking the Mondavi. 

I was not impressed with the Blu sommelier on our recent Equinox cruise.  My husband is not a big wine drinker and just ordered Pinot Grigio each night.  She knew we were on the premium package but because we weren’t making a big fuss she kept slipping in the cheapest thing she had.  When I ordered a Pinot Noir she brought me a 6.99 BOTTLE…cupcake or barefoot.  I can’t remember exactly but similar quality.  She asked if it was ok and when I said “I guess if that is all you have” she kept pouring.  We were close enough to the tray to see the options that night so I flagged her down and made her switch it to the Decoy I could see.  Lesson learned.  I ordered by name after that.  I could tell by her face she realized she had been caught.  Very disappointing since there wasn’t a list of wine available to look at and she sure wasn’t sharing what they had each night.  

[AnnaNicole]

9 minutes ago, chimchimtx said:

I was not impressed with the Blu sommelier on our recent Equinox cruise.  My husband is not a big wine drinker and just ordered Pinot Grigio each night.  She knew we were on the premium package but because we weren’t making a big fuss she kept slipping in the cheapest thing she had.  When I ordered a Pinot Noir she brought me a 6.99 BOTTLE…cupcake or barefoot.  I can’t remember exactly but similar quality.  She asked if it was ok and when I said “I guess if that is all you have” she kept pouring.  We were close enough to the tray to see the options that night so I flagged her down and made her switch it to the Decoy I could see.  Lesson learned.  I ordered by name after that.  I could tell by her face she realized she had been caught.  Very disappointing since there wasn’t a list of wine available to look at and she sure wasn’t sharing what they had each night.  

We had the same experience on Solstice recently.   If I did not specifically state the wine, water, etc, they gave me a Classic Package beverage instead of a premium package beverage.  I upgraded to Premium because I drink Evian water and Decoy red wine at home.  Evian was not available on Solstice during my cruise. 

[mac66]

Last April we bought a couple bottles of bourbon in the ship's store and were allowed to take them back to our cabin.  That was on the second day of a 7 night cruise. We were surprised.

[drakes2]

4 hours ago, AnnaNicole said:

We had the same experience on Solstice recently.   If I did not specifically state the wine, water, etc, they gave me a Classic Package beverage instead of a premium package beverage.  I upgraded to Premium because I drink Evian water and Decoy red wine at home.  Evian was not available on Solstice during my cruise. 

During Elite happy hour I ordered a cosmo martini from the casino bar. Took a sip and didn't like it so went to martini bar where server made it with Absolut vodka and Cointreau. Was excellent. Later was at the casino and same bartender said they use the cheapest vodka they have onboard unless you have the premium package and even then if you don't specify they'll make it with a cheaper brand.  One sommelier even told me one of the basic package wines was available on both packages. 😆 

[drakes2]

4 hours ago, chimchimtx said:

I was not impressed with the Blu sommelier on our recent Equinox cruise.  My husband is not a big wine drinker and just ordered Pinot Grigio each night.  She knew we were on the premium package but because we weren’t making a big fuss she kept slipping in the cheapest thing she had.  When I ordered a Pinot Noir she brought me a 6.99 BOTTLE…cupcake or barefoot.  I can’t remember exactly but similar quality.  She asked if it was ok and when I said “I guess if that is all you have” she kept pouring.  We were close enough to the tray to see the options that night so I flagged her down and made her switch it to the Decoy I could see.  Lesson learned.  I ordered by name after that.  I could tell by her face she realized she had been caught.  Very disappointing since there wasn’t a list of wine available to look at and she sure wasn’t sharing what they had each night.  

They'll do anything if they think they can get away with it. Most of us seasoned cruisers know better.

[WKUTopperFan]

Always order your cocktail by liquor name. When I want a bloody mary... I tell the bartender I want a bloody Mary with Absolut Pepper... and if they don't have that make it with Grey Goose. When I want a Cosmo I ask for a Kettle One Cosmo... I don't play around and let a bartender serve me call liquor. OF course, by ordering premium spirits they charge me premium prices but I'm okay with that. On a cruise, I pay for a premium beverage package so I have that issue covered 😛

[Smmessineo]

On 10/10/2022 at 1:28 PM, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

I'll start this list and hopefully can chime in with other tips to save a buck when not purchasing a drink package.  This would only apply to people purchasing the cruise only fares.  Here it goes

 

1. Carry on 2 bottles of 750mL wine PER PERSON.  That would be 4 bottles total for 2 people staying in a stateroom.
2. For beer drinkers, purchase a pack of 6 beers at the pool bar.  You get 6 for the price of 4.
3. You can get a pitcher of a cocktail at the sunset bar.  Could be some savings there.
4. Drinks are free at the casino when actively playing, although YMMV.
5. Reserve a cabana (Edge class only).  Comes with 6 beers and a 1L bottle of Grey Goose that can be swapped with a bottle of your choice of equal or lesser value.
6. If you like simple mixed drinks, purchase a bottle of your favorite liquor from the Bon Voyage Gifts page.  The liquor bottles come with a 6 pack of soda.  You'll save some money versus purchasing the mixed drinks one at a time at the bar.
7. Select drinks are available complementary from 5-7 at bars and lounges for Elite and above Captain's Club members.

 

 

Thanks for posting this! A good reminder that there are lots of opportunities for free or cheaper drinks onboard. 

[southernbreezes]

22 hours ago, drakes2 said:

On my 11 night Eclipse cruise in May I had the AI and upgraded to premium with my Elite discount. The ship did not have a great selection of premium wines and mid way were offering wines from the basic package. I enjoy my big bold cabs and the closest I could get was Decoy.  On my recent Equinox cruise I noticed the sommelier had a lot of bottles of CK Mondavi cab which is part of the basic package.  Some guests who paid for premium package were drinking the Mondavi. 

I had the same experience on the Reflection in April the wines were fair at best if not poor (no Decoy). But wow on the Edge in July the wine was excellent! I just wonder if it is a supply issue or does each ship have its own beverage manager that orders the wines and some are trying to maximize profits.

Edited October 12, 2022 by southernbreezes

[drakes2]

17 minutes ago, southernbreezes said:

I had the same experience on the Reflection in April the wines were fair at best if not poor (no Decoy). But wow on the Edge in July the wine was excellent! I just wonder if it is a supply issue or does each ship have its own beverage manager that orders the wines and some are trying to maximize profits.

I'm not so sure its a supply chai  issue as I spent my first night pre cruise in Fort Lauderdale and at lunch went to a seafood restaurant and asked for Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc or the villa Maria both not available the waitress said the owner got a great deal on a lower end wine. Evening was right next door to the seafood restaurant and they had kim Crawford.  I think the cruise lines are purchasing whatever they can get a bargain  on. 

[drakes2]

10 hours ago, WKUTopperFan said:

Always order your cocktail by liquor name. When I want a bloody mary... I tell the bartender I want a bloody Mary with Absolut Pepper... and if they don't have that make it with Grey Goose. When I want a Cosmo I ask for a Kettle One Cosmo... I don't play around and let a bartender serve me call liquor. OF course, by ordering premium spirits they charge me premium prices but I'm okay with that. On a cruise, I pay for a premium beverage package so I have that issue covered 😛

Whenever I have the AI I always upgrade to Premium mainly for the Evian and Perrier water but on my recent Equinox it just did not make financial sense for many reasons primarily as their wine list is well below Celebrity standards also the fact that so many opportunities to go to events where some great full size cocktails were served at no charge.  

[bye-seaya]

22 hours ago, chimchimtx said:

I was not impressed with the Blu sommelier on our recent Equinox cruise.  My husband is not a big wine drinker and just ordered Pinot Grigio each night.  She knew we were on the premium package but because we weren’t making a big fuss she kept slipping in the cheapest thing she had.  When I ordered a Pinot Noir she brought me a 6.99 BOTTLE…cupcake or barefoot.  I can’t remember exactly but similar quality.  She asked if it was ok and when I said “I guess if that is all you have” she kept pouring.  We were close enough to the tray to see the options that night so I flagged her down and made her switch it to the Decoy I could see.  Lesson learned.  I ordered by name after that.  I could tell by her face she realized she had been caught.  Very disappointing since there wasn’t a list of wine available to look at and she sure wasn’t sharing what they had each night.  

We had a similar experience in Luminae on the Edge last November. I let the sommelier know that I like full body reds and open to trying & learning about wines based on his recommendations.

Every night, he’d come to the table and would say “ we have Pinot, Chardonnay or Cab - which would you like?” No recommendations, no asking what are having for your meal or appetizer for a pairing suggestion, no talking about the region or varietal. If I wanted to try something- I needed to ask for the specific brand. So ended up quite often ordering ones I was familiar with. I had a feeling he wasn’t a trained sommelier. Also, he was going home at the end of the cruise and thought perhaps was a bit “over” waiting on guests and maybe a bit homesick - which I can understand. 

[drakes2]

22 minutes ago, bye-seaya said:

We had a similar experience in Luminae on the Edge last November. I let the sommelier know that I like full body reds and open to trying & learning about wines based on his recommendations.

Every night, he’d come to the table and would say “ we have Pinot, Chardonnay or Cab - which would you like?” No recommendations, no asking what are having for your meal or appetizer for a pairing suggestion, no talking about the region or varietal. If I wanted to try something- I needed to ask for the specific brand. So ended up quite often ordering ones I was familiar with. I had a feeling he wasn’t a trained sommelier. Also, he was going home at the end of the cruise and thought perhaps was a bit “over” waiting on guests and maybe a bit homesick - which I can understand. 

My sommelier on the Silhouette last November 2021 did not like Italian wines so would not recommend. I ended up going to the Tuscan restaurant and asked to try a Tuscan red which was delicious. 😆 

[dazey]

We always purchased the premium drink package for many, many years but also questioned if we drank enough to cover the cost.  Recently we were offered a Blue Chip offer for tax and fee only and to add standard beverage package would have been almost $1000 and premium would have been close to $1260.  It was our chance to find out.

 

We are Elite so had the 5-7 HH, we do enjoy the casino and we did not get a drink with lunch (which is probably a good idea).    If we dined at a specialty restaurant we did order a drink and towards the end of the cruise we were ordering a nice wine with dinner and not just carrying a drink into the dining area from the casino.  Our drink bill for the 7 night cruise was at most $200-$300 so we did save and did not feel like we sacrificed a good time.  It is possible we drink less than most which could make a big $ difference.

[neverlaysup]

On 10/10/2022 at 12:45 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

Most of the OP's list is news to me.  I thought bringing wine on board was limited to 2 bottles per stateroom, not person.  The discounts on 6 packs of beers seems like a good deal.  Someone mentioned that liquor purchased in port was allowed to be carried back to the room.  In the past, it was collected and returned the evening before disembarkation.  Sounds like X has changed some of its policies.

 

Before the days of drinks packages, I used to drag DH to the art auction for the free sparkling...

This was about 10 years ago but our dining table mates used to buy a split or two of local wine at each port and carry it back on the ship in his pants cargo pockets. Never stopped once by security.

[neverlaysup]

On 10/10/2022 at 1:01 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

You can bring has many bottles as you like , but be prepare to lose them in the  naughty room 😁

put 2 in each of you check bags , 2 in your carry on 😀

We did this on a previous cruise, when the rule was only two per cabin. I had two in checked luggage and two in my backpack. No visit to the naughty room for us, we enjoyed all 4 bottles.

[Denny01]

I can’t believe no one has suggested the Obvious way of saving on drinks with no package:

 

Just bring a long straw. Saunter up to the bar next to someone who has a drink you’d like and stick it in and sip away. Don’t be too noisy about it and be quick….it works great!

 

If you get caught, just look very innocent and go…Oh Sorry I thought this was my mates’s drink!! or some such stupid excuse. You’ve got to go to differnt bars because the bartenders seem to catch onto this…or they just recognize me!

 

den

[rbelshaw]

50 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I can’t believe no one has suggested the Obvious way of saving on drinks with no package:

 

Just bring a long straw. Saunter up to the bar next to someone who has a drink you’d like and stick it in and sip away. Don’t be too noisy about it and be quick….it works great!

 

If you get caught, just look very innocent and go…Oh Sorry I thought this was my mates’s drink!! or some such stupid excuse. You’ve got to go to differnt bars because the bartenders seem to catch onto this…or they just recognize me!

 

den