sticker shock

[Sigyn]

1 minute ago, ShillyShally said:

Yep, it was sticker shock for our 6 day this fall versus our 5 night in 2019 - then I paid $49.99 a day and we definitely got our value out of it.

 

For our 6 night the best price to date is $75.99 a day and I did book it because it's a birthday/anniversary cruise and I just want to have it all tied up in advance, but I'm not sure I'm the same drinker I was 4 years ago, lol, that aging thing, so we shall see if I worry about the DBP for cruises we have booked in 2024 and 2025!

I totally understand! I did a cruise in 2013 and spent the entire cruise slightly buzzed!!!! I cannot see myself doing that again. My husband and I did that one on the cheap, tho. We took rum runners hidden in our luggage filled with Malibu Black and filled our bubba cups in our room every morning, afternoon and evening. Multiple times. Good times. 🤣

[garywatson]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:44 PM, Jam0610 said:

My wife and I never buy the drink package. Like most items we could never drink enough to break even.

Do enjoy the 3 night Dining Package $ 112.99 plus tip. Feel that it is well worth our money.

 

Now that I'm Diamond I think I get 4 servings of booze per day for free, and that's about two times what I'm likely to drink.  I would have to really chug them down for the liquor package to be worth it for me. One thing Royal should think about as they are jacking up the prices, is that it will motivate people to bring prescription Xanax or Oxycontin or (illegal) pot edibles with them to make the booze last longer, which will cause all sorts of problems.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

7 minutes ago, njsmom said:

I agree, they're insanely expensive. It works out to about $550 a person for a 7-day cruise when you buy at the lowest sale price I've seen for the Harmony of the Seas cruise I embark upon in two days. I used to buy the drink packages, but now I'm just buying the drinks as I go because I simply do not drink $550 during a one-week cruise. But if I were to buy a package, I would feel the need to try to drink that much to warrant the expense. Not a healthy choice for my liver!!!

 

Edited to say the exception is NCL, where the fares come with a basic drink package and upgrading was about $330 a person. That was worth it to me because it included my favorite, Vueve Cliquot champagne. My husband and I had a bottle of that with dinner every night on our recent holiday cruise. And lots of still and sparkling waters and Starbucks coffee. But most cruise lines don't include Starbucks and the high-end champagnes. 

With the drink package if you don’t feel well and want to take a Tylenol you’re at risk of not breaking even. Found that out when I developed a severe migraine unrelated to drinking at the beginning of my cruise. Lost a day using the package and barely made up for it later in the week. 

[Thisguylikestocruise]

One cruise hack is take 2 short cruises b2b, and only book the drink package for half of the b2b, and only drink during that 4-5 day sailing.

[Sigyn]

4 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

With the drink package if you don’t feel well and want to take a Tylenol you’re at risk of not breaking even. Found that out when I developed a severe migraine unrelated to drinking at the beginning of my cruise. Lost a day using the package and barely made up for it later in the week. 

I didn't even think of that, and I tend to get migraines on occasion. I can see buying a drink package if you know you drink 10+ drinks a day but for someone like me who wants 1-2 drinks throughout a vacation day normally and 3-4 if they are trying hard to make a package worth it, and maybe one more if it's a beach day and up for sampling different frozen concoctions, then it's just not a viable option.

 

My husband can easily drink 7-8 drinks in a day and feel 100% fine the next day, so he is someone who can use a drink package. But since both people have to buy it in a cabin, it's still not worth it for us. I tend to get hangovers, so I'm just not that person. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by njsmom

[ginger123snaps]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

that's just crazy to me. We cruise, but we don't get any packages or internet, other than an occasional soda package for the kid. And we don't cancel because of the drink package prices.

 

Can you not cruise without adding thousands of dollars in drink, food or internet packages? These are OPTIONAL charges. It can be done, you know. And it's still super enjoyable.

 

Everyone's idea of a vacation is different.  When I'm spending $10K on cabins alone...I don't want just the basics.  I want to be able to enjoy.  We enjoy drinks and we also enjoy our WIFI.  If I'm having to add almost another $3K...NOT including all the other fees/charges...then yes it's not crazy to rethink the cost/value of this vacation.  It's crazy to me that you would be okay spending that sort of money for just the basics.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

41 minutes ago, ginger123snaps said:

 It's crazy to me that you would be okay spending that sort of money for just the basics. When I'm spending $10K on cabins alone...

well, that's the thing. I am spending $2.5K for the three of us for the basic cruise fare (with food, lodging, fun activities/entertainment, and gratuities included), not $10K. Would be even cheaper if it weren't during a spring break cruise.

 

If i could spend $10K on just the cabins, then - what's $3K more for drinks, internet and specialty dining for 5 people?

 

Besides, if I spend $2.5K on cabins, then adding $3K for all of the unnecessary stuff

will still keep me under $10K. 🙂

 

47 minutes ago, ginger123snaps said:

it's not crazy to rethink the cost/value of this vacation.

 

I, for one, would rethink spending $3K on stuff we don't really need to enjoy a cruise rather than completely cancelling the whole cruise for 5 people. But if that's what your family wants - cancel away!

Mine would rather cruise without internet or an alcohol package for a week.

[dunrobbin]

6 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

I get sticker shock when I see the prices of the actual cruise.  The airfare is also nuts now.  Ironically the last cruise we were on a few weeks ago (celebrity apex) was overbooked.  We were told that it was 105% of capacity.  Clearly, lots of wealthy people out their.  The prices aren't deterring them!  All suites were booked.

What did they do with the extra 5%?

[Cruise a holic]

9 minutes ago, dunrobbin said:

What did they do with the extra 5%?

People had three or four in a cabin or suite.  They anticipate in regular cabins/suites two.  Lots of kids on our last apex sailing 

[grandgeezer]

15 minutes ago, dunrobbin said:

What did they do with the extra 5%?

100% capacity is calculated by multiplying the total number of cabins times two persons per cabin. Many cabins will hold three or four, that’s the extra 5%.

[dunrobbin]

21 minutes ago, dunrobbin said:

What did they do with the extra 5%?

Least they don't put you on standby at the pier!!

[Merion_Mom]

On 3/27/2023 at 3:15 PM, luckyinpa said:

ever notice vices are more expensive than healthy things. i dont know the price of juice smoothies on board but i'm betting less than 14 per

 

they are smart to jack up the booze price. id put it higher if i was boss. theres no price people wont pay.

 

same with the 2000 dollar cococay overwater cabanas! 

 

[CruisingWalter]

20 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

first, you are paying a much higher rate for the cabin to begin with compared to their "no frills rate." And then it's "only $153" in gratuities tucked on.

So, no, it's not "only $153 pp for a week."

 

Royal Caribbean Drinks package averages about $70 to $80/pp per day or $1120 per week for 2.

Carnival Cheers has showing at $60 lately so that $840 per week for 2

NCL Free at Sea is $306 per week for 2.

MSC drinks package is pretty cheap too to be honest.

 

So absolutely positively "yes" it's only $153pp per week on NCL. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

6 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

NCL Free at Sea is $306 per week for 2.

So absolutely positively "yes" it's only $153pp per week on NCL. 

the problem with the NCL Free at Sea package is that you can't tuck it on the lowest rate (Sail Away). Hence, the difference between the lowest rate that you would pay without the "free" stuff and the rate you must choose in order to add the free stuff is a lot more than only the gratuities you think you are paying.

 

And did you notice how most of the POM cruises have the Sail Away rate sold out for over a year in advance? even for 2025. How convenient. Just to push you to buy a higher rate with "free" stuff.

 

But if you do find a sailing with the Sail Away rate, here is an illustration to what I am talking about: you can't have "free" stuff if you pay $829 pp. You must pay $909 pp first, and then add gratuities. You will say - oh, it's less than a hundred bucks pp. Yes, it is for THIS cruise, but my point is that it's in addition to the $153 you said it costs.

 

[CruisingWalter]

19 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

the problem with the NCL Free at Sea package is that you can't tuck it on the lowest rate (Sail Away).

 

Correct, it's been that way for quite some time. If you want Free At Sea, you have to book any category other than Sail Away. There's only a limited amount of cabins in that category for any given sailing, though more tend to open up the closer you get to the cruise depending on capacity. You can purchase a Drinks Package and WiFi separately exactly the same as you would on Royal Caribbean so at that point, it's more like RCCL with the higher prices Drinks and WiFi. 

Edited April 1, 2023 by CruisingWalter