Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Worth It? Celebrity Cruises Drink Packages Explained Prices, Whats Included, and More

are drink packages worth it on a cruise

A Royal Caribbean drink package may be worth it to some on a Bahamas cruise, while those on an Alaskan cruise with Holland America may realize they drink fewer frozen cocktails while exploring Glacier Bay. Whether or not a drink package is worth the money is often a point of contention. With the Princess deal, however, we think it’s definitely worth it for most people. When in a typical port of call, the drink package does not extend to land. Since these spots are independent of the cruise line, don’t expect to be able to use drink offer to get a beverage on shore.

Princess Cruises Drink Package

Funds left on the card at the end of the cruise are refundable to your onboard account. I was hard-pressed to find any discounts off the advertised Holland America drink package prices. For those who want to eliminate some of the limits on their drink package, Elite is the way to go. This package includes everything from the earlier packages but raises the price limit to $15 per drink.

Companies That Send People Money When They’re Asked Nicely

You spend a lot of time on the shipWe all have heard of a “homebody” — those people who just like to hang out at home and not go out much. Therefore, a “shipbody” would be someone who likes to hang out on the ship, even when it’s in port. We’re not saying you never get off, but when the ship is in port you spend most of the time still hanging out by the pool. If one person in a cabin purchases a package, all others in the cabin aged 21 and over must purchase a package. Package users may only order one item at a time for individual consumption.

The Value of the Drink Package Decreases Every Time You Add Someone Else to Your Cabin

And yet, with the piano bar hopping and the music playing, I found myself ordering another martini at last call. Had I been paying $16 a pop for these, I would have probably stopped two drinks prior. Still, I found myself saying yes to a last-call special – simply because I could. In addition, a private Woodford Reserve Bourbon Selection is included, along with a personalized Jack Daniel's Whiskey Single Barrel Select program. Apart from that, most beverages you see on the ship will be available under the package. Let’s play with some numbers using Royal Carribean’s Deluxe Drink Package as an example.

Can You Use the Drink Package in Port?

It works great for tweens and teens who regularly drink soda. The Coca-Cola package covers fountain drinks from bars and bar servers on all ships in the fleet. Three ships — Koningsdam, Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam — have Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain machines that allow you to mix and match your flavors at will. Canned soft drinks are not included in the package, but fountain drinks are unlimited.

Disney cruise drink packages: How to save on beer, wine, cocktails and coffee - The Points Guy

Disney cruise drink packages: How to save on beer, wine, cocktails and coffee.

Posted: Sun, 29 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Serious soda drinkers (me included) could suck down a couple of these in a flash on a hot day in the Caribbean. All adults of legal drinking age within a cabin must buy the same alcoholic drink package. If one person does not drink, they can be granted special permission to buy only the Quench package. Sorting out the differences between the packages and understanding what you are actually paying for can be confusing.

The gratuity is 20% and is added when you purchase the package. That eliminates any additional tip on individual drink orders unless you want to tip extra. Your drinks may be ordered from any bar, restaurant or bar server in public areas, such as pools or entertainment venues. The packages are also valid for use on private islands like Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Whether to buy a cruise drink package when you sail is one of the most common questions that appears on our Cruise Critic forums.

Drink packages may be used at private island destinations including Ocean Cay and Sir Bani Yas in Emirates. The Minors Package includes mocktails and all the same selections as the adult Alcohol-Free Package. This package is usable everywhere except specialty restaurants and signature venues. Day 1, you wake up for some orange juice ($3.50) with your breakfast. You enjoy a cocktail ($14) mid-afternoon by the pool and a Diet Coke ($3.50) over the course of the day. At dinner, you have a glass of wine ($12 average) with your ribeye and a small pour of bourbon ($12 average) to finish off the night.

are drink packages worth it on a cruise

Convenient Port Canaveral “Park & Cruise” Hotels

You’ve done the research on cruise lines, itineraries, and cabin types and found a great deal on a fabulous and much-needed vacation at sea. But, before you set sail, there’s one decision you have left to make. Plus, each cruiser is allowed to bring up to 12 cans of nonalcoholic drinks on board on embarkation day. Your cabin attendant can keep you stocked with ice and glassware in your cabin. At the regular price, you'd either need to drink a lot of alcohol every day to break even, or really lean into the nonalcoholic beverages if you can't handle that much liquor daily. Obviously, if you can find a discounted package, you'll break even more easily.

Those booking the Oceania's ongoing "OLife Choice" promotional fares can choose a complimentary House Select beverage package as part of the deal. No doubt Norwegian's Free At Sea promotion is an attractive offering as it includes the Unlimited Open Bar Package. Coffee lovers can still add on the Unlimited Starbucks Package to have the best of both offerings. Packages must be purchased for the entire duration of each voyage.

See our section titled “Is it Better to Buy the Drink Package or Get it Through Princess Plus/Premier? Princess provides two offerings for passengers when it comes to alcoholic drink packages. There might be some exceptions but room service and in-room mini bars usually are not covered by cruise line drink packages.

There is an additional 18% gratuity charge tacked onto this amount. Over the course of a 7-day cruise, the total would come to $536.82. Wondering if the alcoholic drink package on Princess is worth it? Or maybe you know you want the package, but want to know all the details of how it works before you buy. Princess Cruises is the only cruise line that doesn’t require cabinmates to purchase the drink package.

That leaves soda drinkers with the choice to buy a beverage package, pay per drink or get their soft drink fix in ports of call. Celebrity Cruises also offers a full lineup of drink packages, giving you the ability to pay one set daily price and then have your choice of beverages without worrying about a bill. Drink as much as you want, and you’ll know exactly what you’ll spend. Its wallet-draining fine wine package costs £240 and gets you just six bottles to savour over the course of your cruise.

Remember that bartenders and servers will only serve you one drink at a time. And if you are traveling with a group, don’t even consider using your beverage package on friends in other cabins. The cruise line will revoke your drink package if you get caught sneaking a drink to a travel companion.

Starting with their second cruise, all members get one complimentary specialty coffee per cruise when dining in a specialty restaurant. A couple of other factors could influence your drink needs and decision to buy a drink package or not. It's time to get down to whether you are saving money with these packages or whether that even matters to you. Let's look at each package again to see how much you need to consume to break even.

Others prefer a more complete bill for their vacation paid upfront, including all the drinks they could imagine served at their every whim. The grayest area tends to be for those with Elite or Elite Plus status who also gamble. You might save money by simply bringing some of your own drinks on board and a refillable water bottle.

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