Are there drink package discounts on embarkation day?

[goldenfarm]

I remember seeing someone mention how there was a discount on drink packages when they boarded the ship, but only on embarkation day. Has anyone else seen this and, if so, what was the deal offered? I can't find that original post. 

[firefly333]

Usually buy one pkg, 2nd half off the full price.

 

Cheaper to buy ahead.

[topnole]

What ever it is, it would likely be a higher price total than whatever it is pre cruise.  There are no absolutes on this, but I’d guess 99.99% you will spend significantly more if you wait till onboard to buy it.  

[Biker19]

28 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Cheaper to buy ahead.

There may be outlier situations like short sailings on which the pre-cruise discount is not that much - in that case, if offered, the on-board BOGOHO might be close or better than the planner price.

[DustFSU]

Usually they go up or the same price of whatever it was a few weeks before boarding.  If they gave you a deal on embarkation day, then everyone would wait till they boarded.  Real way to see if it would be worth it is if you drink 6 or more mixed drinks a day you break even.  If you are diamond or higher, it's not worth it since you get 4 or more drinks free a day.  Then the extra drinks just put on your seapass.

[teddybear231]

Yes, they do offer a "discount" on embarkation day, but on every cruise I've been on that price was always higher than it was in the cruise planner. If you think you will be buying the beverage package, I would suggest you purchase before boarding.

[George C]

If you are diamond plus you get 30 percent off when buying onboard, but since you also get 5 free drinks I doubt it will pay.

[BusyFLmom]

On Freedom in February it was offered the first day at the same price I purchased it for which was the cheapest I have seen ($77.99).  I pre purchased for my husband and I.  My sister did not and purchased it onboard first day.

[Big_G]

We always bought it with our D+ discount but when it reached the point where we were rolling the dice on savings, we just started buying it precruise. 

[The Scurvy Pirate]

1 hour ago, George C said:

If you are diamond plus you get 30 percent off when buying onboard, but since you also get 5 free drinks I doubt it will pay.

It can.  On-line you and your spouse both have to buy a deluxe.  I believe that if you call in to pre-purchase one deluxe then your spouse has to purchase a refreshment package (although I thought there was a post someplace that said they only had to buy the soda package or maybe even a coffee card).  If neither of you pre-purchase, then you can buy one deluxe on board and your spouse doesn't have to buy a drink package.  At that point, you can give your spouse your five free drinks plus their own five free drinks, while you get unlimited through the deluxe.  Saves about $200+ by not having to buy a refresment package.  This obviously assumes you will each drink more than 8 beverages (soda, OJ, coffee, water, beer, wine, liquor) a day, as the "break even point" is about 6 drinks a day for a single deluxe.

[The Fun Researcher]

Off topic, kinda, but I wish they would bring back the drink tickets that they would sometimes start selling later in the cruise.

[Biker19]

Just now, The Fun Researcher said:

Off topic, kinda, but I wish they would bring back the drink tickets that they would sometimes start selling later in the cruise.

Until your fellow cruisers stop/slow their spending on drink packages, they won't.

[The Fun Researcher]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Until your fellow cruisers stop/slow their spending on drink packages, they won't.

Yeah, I'm not expecting anything soon, if ever.  It was nice to take advantage of it while it was being offered.

[karena1]

I always wait and buy on the ship - BUT that is because we are Pinnacle.  The "base" price is the same online or on the ship (for example - if you look in the planner and it says $110 but there is 30% off, it is still $110 base on the ship, but I get 40% off) - I know this is true as I have done this many times, - however, the discount can be more online that what you will get on the ship

 

But for us, the most it ever goes on sale for online is 30% or 35%.  If we wait until we board, we get 40%, so for us, always cheaper to wait and get it on the ship.  But not the case for most people.

 

when we were D+, I always booked online ahead of time when it went to 30% off.

[Biker19]

22 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

It was nice to take advantage of it while it was being offered.

The beer card (quite rare - 10 for $59) was offered on Enchantment Nov last year - so there are a few rare cases where they will offer it.

[dpostman]

For us, the Drink package is like an American Express card...

dp

[iluvit!]

[iluvit!]

Just now, iluvit! said:

Radiance of the Seas, March 18.

[goldenfarm]

26 minutes ago, iluvit! said:

This is exactly what I remember reading about. Thank you so much! I saw it on Harmony of the Seas when we boarded, too, a few weeks ago. I just couldn't remember the pricing for sure, and I had read about it somewhere here on CC. This is the best deal I've seen, period. Works out to $67.50 per day pp. 

Edited April 20, 2023 by goldenfarm