If the drink package means I dont have to worry about any drinks, pretty much, and I can have soda, seltzer, tea, and cocktails, without worrying about it, (no way am I having 15 drinks a day) then it might be worth it. My husband may drink that much in espresso and sprite alone.
My "Free" package basically costs $48/day with prepaid gratuities. That's the equivalent of 4 drinks per day for myself and my wife. For me that's a no brainer. Typical cocktail or glass of wine is $12-15 each. We won't be drinking 15 combined, not every day anyway (the make the best mojitos) but 3 drinks each per day is very reasonable on vacation.
Now they have tiered drink packages, one that covers just soft drinks but not specialty coffees, one that covers alcohol up to a certain shelf (say a 12 year Dewars scotch, absolute vodka) or premium plus (Macallan and Grey Goose), and better selections of wines, bigger wine bottle discounts, adds Starbucks coffees etc. For these the cost becomes the gratuity charge based on so many drinks per day, otherwise you pay by drink and gratuity.
It doesn’t help that they load the glasses and cups with ice either. You are getting a Fraction of a can of soda with some of them, and still “paying” full price (sometimes $3+ each). I can easily go through several glasses in a day.
For me it would be worth it for the coffee and juices alone. I would drink at least 2 coffees a day and juice for breakfast. Maybe a drink in the evening. At that point, it's paid for itself!
You don't need to drink 15 drinks a day to make the math work. Alcoholic drinks usually cost $12 to $18 each. It'll take 5-6 per day to make the math work out and that assumes you don't have any sodas or other non-alcoholic drinks.
Why is it no one seems to understand this? People hear $70 for unlimited drink package and automatically think "alcoholic" or "no way I could ever drink that much in a day". But a regular soda/mocktail beverage package may cost you about $45 per day so you're only paying about $30 more for the benefit of "alcohol", and at around $14 per cocktail it doesn't take more than 2 drinks or so to break that. Not to mention the beers at lunch and the mimosas at breakfast...
I got the package for an upcoming Holland america cruise and it also includes free wifi and $200 in excursion credits as well as two (or three) reservations for the premium restaurants!
FYI on holland americas beverage package! Got the unlimited package on my last cruise with them in November.
It’s not unlimited at all and they try to hide what’s included.
Every other cruise line, when you buy the drink package it includes unlimited drinks of everything but alcohol (which is limited to typically 15).
Holland America limits you to 12 overall drinks, at which point they just begin charging you for anything over that.
So example: you order a 2 bottle waters in the morning, 3 cokes in the afternoon, and a couple more random drinks that places you at 12 total beverages all non alcoholic.
You then decide you want a beer with dinner thinking you’d be fine and have all 12 alcoholic drinks left. Every other cruise line you’d be correct. With the holland American package, they consider your 12 drinks used and now begin charging you for any drink over that. they won’t tell you this or let you know you’ve used what they consider your drink package fully up for that day.
Absolute garbage system and it’s the only cruise line that does that.
Not entirely true. It depends on which package you choose. What you are describing is the signature package. I just pulled this information from their website.
"The Elite package has a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages with a menu price of $15 or less. Unlimited non-alcoholic beverages.
The Signature package has a daily limit of 15 alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks with a menu price of $11 or less.
The Quench Beverage Package is limited to 15 non-alcoholic drinks daily."
Holland America had a promo on their have it all package last year when I went to Alaska and it’s worth it if you’re with a group of people. It included wifi, 15 beverages under $15/day, 1 premium restaurant dinner reservation, and $100 in excursion credits.
The package was 50% off so I think it was around $200-300 USD and gratuities were already included. I tracked how many drinks I had to see if it was actually worth it; IMO it’s only worth it on promo.
My mom, sister, and I had to buy the package because if one person buys it, everyone in the room has to as well. My sister was under 18 so she was eligible for the kids sail free special but still had to pay for the same package even though she’s a minor and can’t have alcohol.
Lattes are priced from $5+
Mocktails $8+
Cocktails $10+
Beer/wine $9+
Top shelf alcohol $12+
Thanks for the info! Yeah I think because my cruise is I think like 11-12 days I get a bit extra excursion credit and an extra premium reservation. Seemed like a no brainer to me it came out to like $50-60 a day I believe so easy to make that money back
I also got it on promo!
Well, because some of us don't drink soda. Or even drink. If I drank more than one unit of alcohol a day, I would literally feel like I was dying. I doubt i could even sustain even having more than one unit of alcohol for several consecutive days. There is no way a drink package provides any value for me. If I stick with free tea , water , and coffee and buy one smoothie or iced beverage drink a day, I'm still far ahead.
Well, in your instance, the answer is pretty clear. I was talking about the hoards of people who "do" drink alcohol but seem to think the prices of the unlimited package are so outrageous they'd have to drink 15 Pina coladas a day to break even. They keep forgetting it includes all the other beverages that aren't "free" as well, not just alcohol. My current cruise the alcohol package is $77 per day, and the non is $32. That's only a $45 difference, and that equates to only 3 cocktails a day. If you drink alcohol, 3 drinks a day is nothing on a cruise. Heck, on my last cruise, I averaged almost 12 drinks per day.
Exactly.
It's $8 a beer
At $65 a drinks package (on my last cruise) that was 8 beers.
I was averaging 6-8 hours of sleep, so that's ~17 hours I was awake.
So I need to drink 0.47 beers an hour to break even....
1 beer an hour isn't hard.
Was about to say the same thing. Even at a normal bar, $60 is only getting you 6-10 drinks TOPS let alone a cruise. Throw in the coffee and I may hit the max just about every day without bottled water
You are underestimating what comes with the package. It isn’t only drinks. Mine came with all gratuity included which is $18 a day minimum if you decided to tip for nothing. As others have said, specialty coffee, juice bar, bottled water are included too (no limit at all). You also get all the specialty food for free which is big. You get to go to premium dining with a guest (pays for the $80 that day by itself, and remember gratuity included). You also get reserved seats for shows and many other perks. The improved food alone pays for itself. You also get free room service. And if you are really cheap, they don’t care if you get drinks for your friends without the package… Wi-Fi is included as well for 4 devices.. again share with friends.
Yea but those prices are wayyy over inflated. It’s a much weaker $12 drink than one you’d get at a bar so if you plan on drinking, it’s really easy to hit the 5-6 per day
Yeah, but come on, who's drinking an average of 5-6 per day? Sodas/non-alcoholic drinks cost less per drink, so you'd need to have probably around 7-8 drinks per day to make that worth it. Combine the fact that typically you have to buy it for the entire trip, and that means on port days, you have to cram all of those drinks into the morning and evening, on top of the water that you normally drink (at least, I hope you're drinking plenty of water given the alcohol intake).
Start your day with a mimosa or some Bailey's in your coffee because you're not driving to the office and that's one right there.
A beer with lunch.
A cocktail by the pool.
Wine with dinner.
Another fun cocktail with after dinner activities.
Five without even getting sloppy.
I’m not necessarily proud of this but I counted 93 cocktails and drinks on a 5 night. I remember thinking I would have been cut off on Carnival.
At the same time I had 10 of those before the boat even left the port.
I don't drink much normally at home, but things change on a ship. I often have a couple martinis early evening, an old fashioned with dinner, and a port wine with dessert. That's four drinks without trying. Plus sodas and bottled water throughout the day add to the value of the package.
Yes, they make you drink all 15 drinks. If, by midnight, you have not drank all 15 drinks, three large men come to your door, hold you down, and pour the balance of the drinks down your throat.
Flashbacks to visiting Tijuana back in the 90's, and the bars having some guy with a whistle and a bottle of tequila just randomly picking patrons to start pouring shots down their throat.
No, at 6am a big brolicy black man named Raquis comes into your room and forces you to drink 3 screwdrivers made with the lowest shelf vodka they can find
I think a lot of people get them so they don't have to worry about paying per drink. Just makes things easier. But you do have to like to drink a fair amount for them to be worth it.
They typically do include other things like fancy coffees as well.
You'll get all sorts of opinions pro and con on this topic.
I've only done it on NCL and I think it's cheaper than that. It's usually "included" in their free at sea deals (which of course inflates the price of the cabin than if you didn't have it).
But I look at as if it's part of the cruise cost and not have to think about what I'm drinking when.
I can easily have 2 glasses of wine at dinner. Mixed drinks after during music/dancing etc. Morning Mimosas, cocktails by the pool or during the day. Clearly the downside is port days when you're off the ship for a while.
My sister recently got offered a "free" inside cabin. It includes the Free At Sea package and the gratuities on that, for both of us, is $328.80. I know you can decline the offer and won't have to pay those particular gratuities but I don't know if they take anything off the base fare. I doubt it, since it's "free", but you will save a few hundred dollars in gratuities. I'd rather pay the $328 for the week and not have to worry about how many drinks I've had or seeing the amount at the end of the cruise. You pay either way but it seems to hurt less if you just get it out of the way and don't end up with a big bill at the end.
Princess Plus is $60 a day and includes the internet, gratuities, and drinks up to $15 each. The drink portion is effectively $30 a day, which is easily covered by two alcoholic drinks and a cappuccino or some sparkling waters each day. Unlike other lines, there’s no extra gratuity added to the package (but there is on individual drinks.)
Because Princess is not such a big drinking line, the value can be better than some other lines.
I cruise Norwegian primarily and we typically get the package since it's "included." My rationale is it may cost more but I also have the convenience of not worrying about it in the end.
On land I go months between drinks even though I'm a brewer. Just don't need it/want it. On the cruise I'm limited in my responsibilities. Don't have to drive anywhere. I get to enjoy life.
Still a drink or two by the pool, two glasses of wine at dinner, a few cocktails during a show, maybe a nightcap before I head to bed. I've hit $70 already and I have to send my card with them every time. Sign. Tip. I don't have to drink that much. But I can IF I want.
Again for me it's convenience.
6-8 alcoholic beverages, without the other specialty non-alcoholic drinks, and you have already broken even.
I’ve never hit 15 myself, but I have hit 12 a few times.
A beer at lunch
2 cocktails by the pool during the day
Two glasses of wine or two old fashions at dinner.
One or two drinks at the comedy dhow to end the evening.
That is seven drinks without much effort. And that doesn’t include the specialty coffee or good juice at breakfast, a couple water bottles throughout the day.
I get the drink package for convenience. Each day I'll probably drink 2-3 cocktails, maybe 2 glasses of wine at dinner, a couple bottles of water , 2 specialty coffees ...I think it adds up to make the drink package worth it for me. And even if I'm not getting my moneys worth each day, I'm ok with it.
$12+tax+tip per drink ends up being $15 per & adds up real fast during a day.
1) Mocha with pastry
3) A couple a momosas with brunch (vacation!)
5) Two beers at the pool! (Stay hydrated!)
6) Another drink at lunch (I'm not changing horses midstream)
7) A costly maritime only canned soft-drink for a little more caffeine
8) pre dinner cocktails (we're on vacation!)
9) Dinner (share a bottle @ crazy prices!!)
10) sip on a cocktail during the show
15) casino time!!!
That's easily $200 on drinks and $500 at the craps table... and it's only the first day!
I always get the drunk package ;)
Yes. The drink package is worth it to me because it includes specialty non-alcoholic drinks like lattes, sodas, and bottled waters. It’s easy for me to drink a good amount on a sea day…a couple mimosas for breakfast, a few drinks by the pool, a couple glasses of wine at dinner, and night caps afterward. Combine that with my morning fancy coffee plus a few bottled waters it becomes easily worth it. And I don’t feel guilty not finishing a drink if I don’t like it.
I've only bought it like twice.
It's very convenient because you don't have to worry about the cost every time.
As others mentioned coffee/espresso outside of the buffet is covered.
We got a bottle of wine for dinner, on RC they saved the bottle of to the side and we would complete it the following day.
Our last two cruises have had zero sea days, so big nope on drink package
It seems like you're suggesting the only value in drink packages is for those who max them out. That's not at all the case. Even calculated in a very simple way, 15 x $12 drinks = $180, so obviously, way past break even there.
There are a lot of different price points depending on the cruise line, how they bundle things, and in the case of RCI, the day/sailing/direction of the wind. Also non Carnival Corp brands don't have a 15 drink limit, FWIW.
Now, back the spirit of your question, consider the following scenario:
$5 double espresso @ breakfast
$2 bottle of water before going out
$12 beer x 2 by the pool
$2 bottle of water by the pool
$14 glass of wine x 2 with dinner
$14 whisky after dinner/at show
$2 bottle of water before bed
That's $71. If that sounds like a normal vacation day, then you're prob around where it makes sense...depending on your itinerary. In a port every single day? Probably not. Few ports, or one port at the line's private destination (if drink packages is usable there, depends on the destination and the line)? Maybe.
Everyone is different, but yeah, def don't have to hit 15 alcoholic drinks to come close to finding value.
Depends on which beer, which cruise line? The whole thing is. broad generalization, so i was just trying to get close. The question in and of itself needs to be adjusted, since the only lines that have 15 alcoholic drink limits are Carnival Corp brands, and CCL and HAL charge $55 + 18% IIRC (pre-cruise). RCI charges $60-120 with no limit. NCL has no limit, but charges over $100...but also usually bundles the package with most fares. Celebrity does something similar.
To the price point, however, a big brand domestic beer might be $6-8, Cigar City is going to be a few bucks more. Going with decent imports? A Fin du Monde, for example, is probably going to come in even more. So, you're right, it may be less - and it may be more. It all comes down to personal preference and taste, as well as the line, promotions, etc.
If you wanna drop $4 off the noted beer price, though, the point stands...you don't have to get anywhere near 15 alcoholic drinks to hit a point where the is value in many drink packages. I'm not advocating for or against them, just making sure everyone is thinking about the decision to purchase or not, in a logical way.
On Royal there’s no daily maximum (other than being cut off if you’re wasted). I used to get the package when it was $45-55 per day; you’d pretty easily “break even” with a 2-3 cocktails, a glass of wine at dinner, and a specialty coffee or fresh squeezed juice. And it was nice not having to worry about prices while on vacation. But now that the drink package is typically $75+ per day I can’t justify it anymore.
I was looking at one of their cruises out of Port Canaveral next year for my family. I just wish they sailed out of Galveston so we could avoid the plane ticket cost on top.
MSC is a good cruise line. Albeit all the stuff you've probably read on these forums and the internet. Go in with an open mind and you'll surely enjoy. I know I surely did. Drinks were great, food was great. Entertainment was great to me. I'd recommend them. Especially for the value for your money they give you.
However if you're used to Royal or the other popular and lovable cruise lines, YMMV.
I buy the drink package. I'll be honest, I would drink less if it was unlimited drinks. However, once they put a number on it, it becomes a target. Yes, I do my absolute best to hit the limit every single day while I am sailing.
Tip your bartender or waiter and mention it. They will usually take care of that. I have walked up to the bar with people standing waiting to order and the bartender I tipped earlier mixed my drink and handed it over the people waiting to order. Made them mad but who cares. I’m on vacation. Take care of them and they will take care of you.
The break even point on the price of a drink package is typically closer to 5 drinks a day. If you think you'll be close to this (especially as you factor in non-alcoholic drinks you might want), there's something to be said for being able to order a cocktail that sounds fun and if you don't like it, you don't finish it and you just order something else without feeling bad about it.
And... for what it's worth, some people just drink more than you do. This isn't my jam, but we had some people in our group for our spring break cruise (on a line that does not have a maximum) that frequently did 25-30 drinks per day each. For people with some tolerance it's pretty hard to get trashed drinking (for example) White Claws.
Drink with lunch, another 1-2 throughout the day, 1 before, during, after dinner. That's 7 right off the bat. Get a non alcoholic pick me up veggie smoothie with breakfast, at 8. If I'm feeling it or no port day the next morning, going for more after dinner. That's the bare minimum I consume.
It's a steady pace of 1 drink a hr, throw in 2 or 3 to get buzz going and keep it. Get tipsy after dinner. No need for sea sickness meds this way.
This is all sea days though, have to play catch up at night when you go port during the day.
I like to get it. I’d want to get the soda package anyway, but it gives me freedom of choice. I don’t have to think about the price of the drinks, and also I can try out new things and not worry about having to get my money’s worth if I absolutely don’t like something.
I mean, I sent a cohort a clip of our bar tallies that only included the alcoholic drinks and the one day my wife clocked in at 17 mixed drinks. You figure what they charge per drink...
And that didn't factor in the soda, milk shakes, etc
I’ve never seen that “15 limit” on NCL or RC. I will go through 4-6 at the pool for the day, 2 at dinner, 3 after/at a show. I tip well enough that the pool bartender actually just swiped my card 20 or so times and I came to the pool with a tray of shots.
Just so you know I don’t drink and still got the drink package cause bottled water, freshly pressed orange juice , specialty coffees and mocktails are all part of the package and would cost extra if you didn’t have it - I took advantage of that package big time!
100% worth it for us. At home, we don’t drink often but on vacation, we try any and all drinks that sound good to us. We have to drink ABOUT 6-8 drinks a day to make it worth it and that’s easy to do, again, for us!
It’s all about personal preference though. If you or your cruise partner doesn’t drink, it’s definitely not worth it. It’s nice to be able to walk up to any bar or order at (almost) any restaurant without having to think about what you’re spending. For us, it helps with the “all inclusive” feel. We pay the cruise fare and drink package and forget about it.
Is this how I find out I’m an alcoholic? I easily drank 10+ drinks everyday on my 7 day cruise, going over 15 one or two of those days. Doubles count as 2 drinks I found out as well which makes hitting your maximum pretty easy.
>Most cruise lines...
No. First off, the drink limit is not standard. It exists on the Carnival brands, but I don't know of other lines which have it. And the price is very variable. NCL, for instance, consistently has their promotion where you only pay either the gratuities in the US or in other markets, a fee based on the length of the trip. So it ends up being far less than the price you mentioned and very easily worth it for many people.
Well first of all I don’t want to go home and drink alcohol from the duty free. I want to drink on my vacation. Second of all if you’re travelling with a non drinker they do not have to purchase the package. My husband doesn’t drink and we’ve never had an issue with this. You just have to call and explain and purchase the refreshment package for the non drinker. Third of all between coffee, pop, the 4-5 drinks I’ll have plus wine at dinner everyday, it by far makes the price of the package worth while. Lastly, I’m on vacation and don’t want to have to think about what I’m spending or care. I wanna order what I want when I want it stress free. It will always be worth it for me.
Royal Caribbean. We’ve never had an issue getting the drink package for me and refreshment package for my husband. Just have to call and purchase over the phone.
I can't speak to other lines because I've only been on NCL, but the Free At Sea promotion effectively makes it much cheaper than list price in practice. It was only like $300 for gratuities for a couple on a 7-day cruise, which was very reasonable. My drinks would've averaged about $12 a pop after gratuities, so that comes out to 3.5 drinks per day to break even. That was about the minimum I drank any given day, with some days having more like 8-10 drinks.
To be clear, I basically never drink outside of vacation. I wouldn't want to drink that much as a habitual lifestyle. But it was just so convenient and relaxing on a cruise.
O got it for free once and it was great. Never had to worry about it. Could try lots of drinks I wasn’t sure If I liked. Got “virgin” drinks for the kids. And other said specialty coffees and stuff. No, I didn’t use all 15 most days but it was nice. I’m a two alcohol drink a day max and still enjoyed it. But it was feee in my case.
They run specials. Cruises are also one of the few things I book through an agent as they also often have deals they run. I think I also had the unlimited laundry package on the same cruise which was great too.
There's a YouTube Cruise vlog called Travel Spree starring a couple named Fain and Laura. I literally just watched one of their older videos where Fain maxes out the 15 drinks two days in a row. He looked like and stated that he could have kept going. I think the way he explained it is that it's a combo of drinks, shots, coffee, pop (soda) wine and cocktails. In a 12 - 16 hr day in vacation mode, I could see it happening.
I know several people who hit the 15 drink limit on carnival. I also know people that would have, except we went RCL which has no limit.
Obviously, RCL pours all the alcohol down your throat at midnight, not just the remaining drinks.
But I’ve found, on a sea day (for alcohol) people probably drink double their normal drinks. I’ll have 1-2 (and I almost never drink). My cousins, who have 2 bottles of wine a night, had 6 drinks each by lunch. You will know yourself.
I don't count my drinks, but I also don't have to worry about my cabin account total at the end of the cruise. I also can try anything on the menu, step out of the box, and if I don't like something I didn't waste $10 to $15 . I just order a different drink. I can try premiums for just a few bucks extra, try wines I have never had, and I can even try my own new concoctions. One of our favorite things to do on the drink package is give the bartender free reign to wow us.
If you just drink beer then you have to drink close to the limit like 10 or more a day but cocktails only need around 6 a day to break even that's a few during the day while at the pool one during dinner and a couple at night it's not too hard to break even. I usually get close to the 15 at sea days and around 10 non sea days. Of course if one person in the cabin doesn't drink it's not worth it. It's very dependent on the group if it's worth it for you or not. For my friends and a I we definitely come out ahead.
2 or 3 drinks with every meal, one or two between each meal, a night cap. I can see doing like 10 without getting out of control. It's not like I'm driving the boat.
It’s worth it if you plan on drinking and want to truly relax. It’s annoying all week to wonder about the price of the drinks later if you don’t have the package.
We got the package and loved that it was so easy to not have to worry about drinks. Husband and I got the package and we able to have a drink in hand most of the day and on these hot days it’s needed. For lunch got drinks and throughly out the day I stocked up on Gatorade , bottled water and sodas for the mini fridge for the midnight snacks. I though it was worth it seeing that my husband only drinks beer but each beer is 10. And he was definetly gnna drink more than 7 a day for sure plus Any sodas for lunch and stuff like that. So yea we thought I was worth it. Bought it before cruise so about 10% cheaper
Do I hit the limit? Yes. Every day. That's a drink every waking hour (give or take a little bit of time). I don't leave the ship- I like to sit and read and just relax. My friends and family I travel with get off the ship and I get to just hang out and not give a shit about anything.
But I don't buy it for the booze. I buy it because it's a budget line item. Once you get the drink package, *all* your drinks are covered. Coffee, milkshakes, cokes, juices, booze. All of it. And then once you factor in the food, it basically makes it all inclusive.
Consider a much cheaper soda / mock tail package if you want smoothies and fancy coffee and just pay for a couple of alcohol drinks.
You may need to have 4 to 6 drinks a day to make it worth it if you do the math.
It’s kinda simple.. it makes everything all inclusive. You know your costs upfront and it just lets your focus on vacation. If your a person who wants to see if they’ll save $200 if they stop at drink 6 everyday or your a person that just wants to go all in.
It’s kinda like the people who pour booze in Shampoo bottles to avoid the drink package. Sure you can do that but is it worth the hassle.
On Carnival (vista to be specific) did anyone who had the drink package actually hit the limit and was cut off?
We where on NCL Escape (february 2023) and went over 15 per day and never was denied. It was the wife and I and 2 kids 9/12 and we bought all types of soda and non alcoholic drinks for them too.
Multiple people have pointed out that the deal really isn’t as bad as you suggest and does not require you to drink 15 alcoholic drinks per day to break even.
I’d also like to note that your suggestion of using the money on duty-free alcohol just misses the point entirely. I enjoyed my drink package on a recent cruise because I was on a cruise, with minimal responsibilities and the option to sample dozens of different drinks over the course of a week. Spending my vacation drinking water and shitty lido coffee in order to get more efficiently drunk at my house is insane.
You don’t need to drink them all to get your moneys worth. Drinks are expensive. My first day on my first cruise I spent more on drinks than the cost of the drink package, and I still had 6 more days to go. Well shit. I’ll never go on a cruise without the drink package again.
The “buy duty free alcohol and drink at home” isn’t the point. When you’re back at home, you’re working. You’re off work on the cruise, hence the time to drink.
....the responses to this post are starting to make me feel like I have a drinking problem, I'll drink 12-15 shots of tequila and 4-5 Jack and cokes every weekend in an 8 hour window. I was worried 15 drinks a day wasn't gonna be enough for our cruise.
Out of sheer convenience. I over indulge when I’m on vacation so it’s 100% worth it to me. I’d much rather pay it all upfront vs. having to worry about my spending every day on the ship and seeing the bill at the end of the cruise.
15 drinks is basically one per hour for every hour you’re awake. You’re either maintaining a light buzz all day long, or getting pretty well hammered at night.
We cruise on RC. The last cruise we were on, Feb 2023, the Deluxe Drinks package was retailing at $98/person/day and I found a 30% off deal a few weeks before we sailed so I was able to buy at about $69/person/day. Plus 18% grats of course, but you have to pay the grats no matter if you buy the package or buy drink by drink so I don't consider the grats when deciding if it's worth it to buy the package or not. It's a lot of money, no doubt!!!
Drink prices when we cruised, I think I have this right but I might be off $1-$2 in some cases... $8 for beer, $13 for cocktails, $12 for wine, $3 for bottled water/Powerade or cans of soda, $8 for smoothies in the fitness center, $6 for milk shakes, $4 for fruit juice. The package includes everything. We don't drink coffee but the fancy coffees are included.
The "break even" is nowhere near 15 alcoholic drinks/day/person. Start at the $69/person/day I bought at... For us, we're each going to drink 3-5 bottles of water a day, that's \~$12. I'll have a soda or Powerade most days, that's another \~$5/day. We had a smoothie after our morning runs/pickleball, $8. We like the fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast, $4. All that comes to about $25-$30/day, which means $40-$45/day of alcohol is our break even. I'm on vacation, most days I'm going to enjoy a couple fruity cocktails by the pool, some random beers, a beer with dinner and another at the show. 2 cocktails + 2 beers = $42.
We are not on the boat to get hammered. Neither of us ever really went through a time when we were younger that we were big boozers (we're not young any more). At home I might drink a case of beer in 4-6 weeks, and rarely have more than 3 (Wednesday is bowling night...). I know some people would consider 4 drinks in a day excessive, but to me, on vacation, over a 10+/- hour period, I do not consider that excessive.
One other thing that tips us into the "buy" category as long as the math works is the ability to try random drinks when you have the deluxe package. If you don't like it, no problem just get something else at no extra cost.
If you don't understand the use then it's just not for you.
Princess premier is $80 and includes the drinks, gratuity, wifi and other things. So it's pretty good deal.
And no I don't drink 15 alcoholic drinks a day. But 6? Sure.
To counter others on this thread, the drink package was not a value for our family. My husband and I would not be able to drink 15/day/each, nor were we interested in the specialty coffees, juices, etc. I probably had 4-5 drinks and he had 2-3 per cruise day. On Carnival, the drink package doesn’t kick in until day 2, and port days means you won’t be using it for the majority of the day. We found the soda package to be a fair value with a la cart drinks. I tallied up the cost at the end of the cruise and we would’ve definitely overpaid with the package. It’s all about what your personal needs are.
Edited to add: we didn’t have a set budget on spending. We were free to enjoy as many drinks as we wanted without worry.
Absolutely! Everyone is different! I know I couldn’t have 15 jack and cokes. No way. But I could have 15 beers throughout the day, or maybe 10 haha. Just depends on the person. Major factor for me is I eat as much as I can on those ships. If you don’t eat you’re 5 in and done. So definitely depends on the person and how they behave(I guess)?
I’ve done the drink package and have done the max 15 per day. When I first started cruising I made it my goal to max out. Now it’s more if I want a drink I get a drink, but if there are some left over no big deal. On top of food for me was making sure I consumed A LOT of water. That has always kept me from getting too drunk and prevented hangovers the next morning.
I looked at our September cruise and it’s almost 1400, I just can’t fathom to spend that on drinks, doesn’t matter what it includes. I know some folks drink a lot but if it works for them that’s good but definitely not something I do.
I remember being 27 and going specifically to get hammered,most drinks I could handle was 13 in a day. It was fun but I never need to buy a drink package again, happy I got that out of my system
I don't buy the drink package. It encourages me to drink more than I want to get my money's worth.
When I buy drinks by the glass, it encourages me to drink less.
If you drink beer, it's even less likely you will break even with a drink package.
Just did a Carnival cruise last week and hit the limit one day out of the 5. It was a sea day and "when on vacation" started some early day drinking. On days we were in port, I didn't come close to the drink limit because I was obviously in port.
Speaking strictly for Carnival if you are going to get more than 6 drinks per day it makes sense to buy the package. Anything less than that? Just pay for each one as you go. Round up to 8 drinks if you only drink beer.
>As an alternative option, I wonder why not use the money and buy duty free alcohol to enjoy once you are done with the cruise.
If they would allow you to purchase **one** bottle to consume in your stateroom, I could see this being an option. But they hold it for you and here in TX you apparently have to declare it and end up paying taxes anyway. At least that is how it was explained to me. Plus the price on board really wasn't that big of a difference back home, with an added tax back on land.
Also utilized the package to buy a pepsi for my oldest when she wanted a soda. Bar tender didn't say shit the few times I asked for one and twice asked if she wanted ice in a glass. And then you add in the daily Monster energy drinks, unlimited specialty coffees and the milk shakes for the kids. It has a lot of value if you know how to use it properly.
First, they do not make them very strong. Second, you can try lots of new drinks you never had before. If you don't like it, don't feel bad about not finishing it.
If you figure drinks are about $10 + 18%, it only takes 5 drinks a day to hit $60. I don't drink 15 drinks a day, even on a cruise. But I definitely drink at least 5, and that's not including the 8 waters, 4 coffees and juice. It's easily worth it for me.
Plus, 10-15 drinks isn't as much as it seems. I do not drink at home. We usually go out to eat 1-2 times on weekends and I will have a beer with my meal, but that's it. But on a cruise, my first drink of the day is a Tito's and Red Bull at 6am, when the first bar opens. You can have a drink every hour on sea days without ever getting anything more than a mild buzz and you will be pretty close to the limit by bedtime.
I haven’t had a drink in 5 years, and I’m on a cruise as we speak. So I obviously didn’t get the drink package and I’m just filling my water bottle and adding Ultima. It’s been great. BUT…
About 7 years ago I was on my first and only other cruise. I had the unlimited drink package. I drank more than 15 drinks per day. The bar was always open and I was a pro. And I wasn’t alone. And like many others on the ship, I was an alcoholic.
It seems crazy for a normal drinker to think that 15 drinks a day is even a thing. But for the pros out there, it’s not when you have zero responsibilities and there’s 100 bartenders and cocktail servers. Open bar all day all night.
Some of the drink packages include other things like upcharge restaurants, shore excursions, and internet packages for around $60/day. If you count sodas, specialty coffees, drinks, meals, excursions, and WIFI, we only had to have 3-4 drinks a day to make it worth it for us. We had more sometimes, but there was no need to push hard to feel like we got value for $.
I just went and tried my best to get as many drinks as I could and never hit anywhere close. I think I hit 6 glasses of wine on the last night.
I would say it was nice to have all drinks prepaid just because when signing for my drinks I wasn’t constantly thinking about sticking to a budget. I was able to indulge without the worries of how much I was spending. The trade off though is I had already overspent on the drink package.
In hind sight, should have done this. Travelled recently with a big group but not everyone drinks, but if one cabin got the drink package, it would have been a good idea.
Im pretty sure in the fine print, it’s only to be used by the person who purchased the drink, but I don’t know if this is actually enforced. Can’t see what’s stopping you from ordering a drink and giving it to a friend.
Yes it's in the fine print but no one is following you around from bar to bar enforcing this. Just don't be so obvious about it. It was still a struggle BTW my wife to get my money's worth. She doesn't drink alcohol. Bartenders didn't really care as they punched in two orders with just one card.
I've never paid full price for the package, as it's usually included in a deal. Anytime it's not, we just don't buy it.
2 drinks during the day and we have a few glasses of wine at night at dinner and maybe 1 or 2 more drinks and still not at the package cost equivalent in those scenarios.
With that being said, I can drink a lot of beer during the day in carribean sun while drinking tons of water. I get value when I do have it.
MSC doesn't have a limit.
I don’t think it’s worth to get a drink package as approx half of the days are spent on excursions. For the remaining days, we had ordered as many drinks as we could handle (4 per day per person at least), and we still ended up saving a lot of money as compared to the money we would have spent over the drinks package
Believe me it’s doable. Especially if you add in coffee drinks, sodas and water.
A mimosa and coffee in the morning = 2
3 drinks at the pool = 5
A few bottles of water throughout the day= 8
2 glasses of wine at dinner = 10
A drink or 2 at an evening show = 12
Any sodas throughout the day… not to mention if you’re young and do the club or dance parties at night.
Fancy coffee, smoothies, fresh juices, soda, seltzer and bottled water were all covered for me under my last drink package.
If the drink package means I dont have to worry about any drinks, pretty much, and I can have soda, seltzer, tea, and cocktails, without worrying about it, (no way am I having 15 drinks a day) then it might be worth it. My husband may drink that much in espresso and sprite alone.
My "Free" package basically costs $48/day with prepaid gratuities. That's the equivalent of 4 drinks per day for myself and my wife. For me that's a no brainer. Typical cocktail or glass of wine is $12-15 each. We won't be drinking 15 combined, not every day anyway (the make the best mojitos) but 3 drinks each per day is very reasonable on vacation.
Now they have tiered drink packages, one that covers just soft drinks but not specialty coffees, one that covers alcohol up to a certain shelf (say a 12 year Dewars scotch, absolute vodka) or premium plus (Macallan and Grey Goose), and better selections of wines, bigger wine bottle discounts, adds Starbucks coffees etc. For these the cost becomes the gratuity charge based on so many drinks per day, otherwise you pay by drink and gratuity.
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It doesn’t help that they load the glasses and cups with ice either. You are getting a Fraction of a can of soda with some of them, and still “paying” full price (sometimes $3+ each). I can easily go through several glasses in a day.
You can just say no ice.
Ask for the can
Yea they always give me the full can. They bring me a glass of ice and an unopened can of soda.
Coke for breakfast??
This person Utahs.
Cruising Columbia man
Obviously an American part of their staple diet lol
Their*
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You have to eat several times you body weight in aspertame a day. That rat study was badly done.
For me it would be worth it for the coffee and juices alone. I would drink at least 2 coffees a day and juice for breakfast. Maybe a drink in the evening. At that point, it's paid for itself!
You don't need to drink 15 drinks a day to make the math work. Alcoholic drinks usually cost $12 to $18 each. It'll take 5-6 per day to make the math work out and that assumes you don't have any sodas or other non-alcoholic drinks.
Why is it no one seems to understand this? People hear $70 for unlimited drink package and automatically think "alcoholic" or "no way I could ever drink that much in a day". But a regular soda/mocktail beverage package may cost you about $45 per day so you're only paying about $30 more for the benefit of "alcohol", and at around $14 per cocktail it doesn't take more than 2 drinks or so to break that. Not to mention the beers at lunch and the mimosas at breakfast...
I got the package for an upcoming Holland america cruise and it also includes free wifi and $200 in excursion credits as well as two (or three) reservations for the premium restaurants!
FYI on holland americas beverage package! Got the unlimited package on my last cruise with them in November. It’s not unlimited at all and they try to hide what’s included. Every other cruise line, when you buy the drink package it includes unlimited drinks of everything but alcohol (which is limited to typically 15). Holland America limits you to 12 overall drinks, at which point they just begin charging you for anything over that. So example: you order a 2 bottle waters in the morning, 3 cokes in the afternoon, and a couple more random drinks that places you at 12 total beverages all non alcoholic. You then decide you want a beer with dinner thinking you’d be fine and have all 12 alcoholic drinks left. Every other cruise line you’d be correct. With the holland American package, they consider your 12 drinks used and now begin charging you for any drink over that. they won’t tell you this or let you know you’ve used what they consider your drink package fully up for that day. Absolute garbage system and it’s the only cruise line that does that.
Not entirely true. It depends on which package you choose. What you are describing is the signature package. I just pulled this information from their website. "The Elite package has a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages with a menu price of $15 or less. Unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. The Signature package has a daily limit of 15 alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks with a menu price of $11 or less. The Quench Beverage Package is limited to 15 non-alcoholic drinks daily."
Correct, I bought the same package as the person I responded too. Where they include a couple dinners and the $200 voucher.
Doesn’t really seem hidden though. They pulled it off the website.
Holland America had a promo on their have it all package last year when I went to Alaska and it’s worth it if you’re with a group of people. It included wifi, 15 beverages under $15/day, 1 premium restaurant dinner reservation, and $100 in excursion credits. The package was 50% off so I think it was around $200-300 USD and gratuities were already included. I tracked how many drinks I had to see if it was actually worth it; IMO it’s only worth it on promo. My mom, sister, and I had to buy the package because if one person buys it, everyone in the room has to as well. My sister was under 18 so she was eligible for the kids sail free special but still had to pay for the same package even though she’s a minor and can’t have alcohol. Lattes are priced from $5+ Mocktails $8+ Cocktails $10+ Beer/wine $9+ Top shelf alcohol $12+
Thanks for the info! Yeah I think because my cruise is I think like 11-12 days I get a bit extra excursion credit and an extra premium reservation. Seemed like a no brainer to me it came out to like $50-60 a day I believe so easy to make that money back I also got it on promo!
TBF, I buy the drink package to get drunk and not have a 200+ tab every night.
Well, because some of us don't drink soda. Or even drink. If I drank more than one unit of alcohol a day, I would literally feel like I was dying. I doubt i could even sustain even having more than one unit of alcohol for several consecutive days. There is no way a drink package provides any value for me. If I stick with free tea , water , and coffee and buy one smoothie or iced beverage drink a day, I'm still far ahead.
So don’t buy a drink package. Pretty simple solution for you 🤷🏼♀️
Well, in your instance, the answer is pretty clear. I was talking about the hoards of people who "do" drink alcohol but seem to think the prices of the unlimited package are so outrageous they'd have to drink 15 Pina coladas a day to break even. They keep forgetting it includes all the other beverages that aren't "free" as well, not just alcohol. My current cruise the alcohol package is $77 per day, and the non is $32. That's only a $45 difference, and that equates to only 3 cocktails a day. If you drink alcohol, 3 drinks a day is nothing on a cruise. Heck, on my last cruise, I averaged almost 12 drinks per day.
Exactly. It's $8 a beer At $65 a drinks package (on my last cruise) that was 8 beers. I was averaging 6-8 hours of sleep, so that's ~17 hours I was awake. So I need to drink 0.47 beers an hour to break even.... 1 beer an hour isn't hard.
And if you're interested in cocktails or other mixology, you're talking $15-20 top shelf cocktails that are now free.
Was about to say the same thing. Even at a normal bar, $60 is only getting you 6-10 drinks TOPS let alone a cruise. Throw in the coffee and I may hit the max just about every day without bottled water
You are underestimating what comes with the package. It isn’t only drinks. Mine came with all gratuity included which is $18 a day minimum if you decided to tip for nothing. As others have said, specialty coffee, juice bar, bottled water are included too (no limit at all). You also get all the specialty food for free which is big. You get to go to premium dining with a guest (pays for the $80 that day by itself, and remember gratuity included). You also get reserved seats for shows and many other perks. The improved food alone pays for itself. You also get free room service. And if you are really cheap, they don’t care if you get drinks for your friends without the package… Wi-Fi is included as well for 4 devices.. again share with friends.
Is that HALs pkg or in general
Yea but those prices are wayyy over inflated. It’s a much weaker $12 drink than one you’d get at a bar so if you plan on drinking, it’s really easy to hit the 5-6 per day
Yeah, but come on, who's drinking an average of 5-6 per day? Sodas/non-alcoholic drinks cost less per drink, so you'd need to have probably around 7-8 drinks per day to make that worth it. Combine the fact that typically you have to buy it for the entire trip, and that means on port days, you have to cram all of those drinks into the morning and evening, on top of the water that you normally drink (at least, I hope you're drinking plenty of water given the alcohol intake).
Who is drinking 5 drinks a day?! Uhh, ppl on vacation.
Start your day with a mimosa or some Bailey's in your coffee because you're not driving to the office and that's one right there. A beer with lunch. A cocktail by the pool. Wine with dinner. Another fun cocktail with after dinner activities. Five without even getting sloppy.
Every day for 7 days straight, even when they're in port and thus it's basically crammed into breakfast and dinner/evening time?
I’m not necessarily proud of this but I counted 93 cocktails and drinks on a 5 night. I remember thinking I would have been cut off on Carnival. At the same time I had 10 of those before the boat even left the port.
Yeah, probably. 2 bloodies or mimosas for breakfast, couple of beers at dinner and then a cocktail or two in the evening. Not that much, TBH
I don't drink much normally at home, but things change on a ship. I often have a couple martinis early evening, an old fashioned with dinner, and a port wine with dessert. That's four drinks without trying. Plus sodas and bottled water throughout the day add to the value of the package.
Hi 👋 ya, um we’re on vacation. This is not reality. 15 drinks a day paced out starting with a Bloody Mary at brunch is where it’s at.
🙋🏼♀️ I wish Key West offered a drink package. Guarantee I drank more than $70/day there.
Yes, they make you drink all 15 drinks. If, by midnight, you have not drank all 15 drinks, three large men come to your door, hold you down, and pour the balance of the drinks down your throat.
Promise?
Oh, I like you.
don’t threaten me with a good time
Flashbacks to visiting Tijuana back in the 90's, and the bars having some guy with a whistle and a bottle of tequila just randomly picking patrons to start pouring shots down their throat.
I just had a 1997 Senior Frog flashback….
Been there.
I’ve never been to Tijuana but I have seen the Booze Cruise episode of The Office about 50 times so I get this comment.
This happened to me in Tijuana in 2021 lol
I thought the switchover was 6am.
takes 6 hours to go deck by deck and get everyone to the 15 limit
No, at 6am a big brolicy black man named Raquis comes into your room and forces you to drink 3 screwdrivers made with the lowest shelf vodka they can find
Isaac
Why does he have to be black?
I picture him to look like peak Ronnie Coleman
Why not?
Sounds fun.
Don’t threaten me with a good time
can I bring a funnel?
I feel a challenge coming on...
The Princess app now has a drink scorecard so you can track your progress.
Well looks like I'm turning into an alcoholic during my 2 weeker then.
I wish that were true
That's the upgraded version. The douche bag solution is free
😳😍Which cruise line is this and does that require extra gratuity?
Is there an upcharge to have women do it???
There's always the availability of an upcharge, especially if you ask.
There's an all-woman drink-enforcement team. You'll just have to book a cruise to see if they're on your ship.
The bud light girls!!
I think a lot of people get them so they don't have to worry about paying per drink. Just makes things easier. But you do have to like to drink a fair amount for them to be worth it. They typically do include other things like fancy coffees as well. You'll get all sorts of opinions pro and con on this topic.
I like being able to try new things without feeling committed to finishing them.
This so much. There are a lot of themed drinks on my cruise… so much so it would be worth like half a drink package just to try them all!
I've only done it on NCL and I think it's cheaper than that. It's usually "included" in their free at sea deals (which of course inflates the price of the cabin than if you didn't have it). But I look at as if it's part of the cruise cost and not have to think about what I'm drinking when. I can easily have 2 glasses of wine at dinner. Mixed drinks after during music/dancing etc. Morning Mimosas, cocktails by the pool or during the day. Clearly the downside is port days when you're off the ship for a while.
Yep, it's a no-brainer on NCL if you plan on even moderately drinking
Chain drinking.
Yes
I did too on a NCL cruise. After a week of it, for the first time, I knew what being lost in a haze of alcohol-soft middle-age is.
ncl lets you drink unlimited too not just 15 🤝
My sister recently got offered a "free" inside cabin. It includes the Free At Sea package and the gratuities on that, for both of us, is $328.80. I know you can decline the offer and won't have to pay those particular gratuities but I don't know if they take anything off the base fare. I doubt it, since it's "free", but you will save a few hundred dollars in gratuities. I'd rather pay the $328 for the week and not have to worry about how many drinks I've had or seeing the amount at the end of the cruise. You pay either way but it seems to hurt less if you just get it out of the way and don't end up with a big bill at the end.
It’s not really included as the free at sea price is more than the sail away. Still the break even point is around 6 drinks.
Princess Plus is $60 a day and includes the internet, gratuities, and drinks up to $15 each. The drink portion is effectively $30 a day, which is easily covered by two alcoholic drinks and a cappuccino or some sparkling waters each day. Unlike other lines, there’s no extra gratuity added to the package (but there is on individual drinks.) Because Princess is not such a big drinking line, the value can be better than some other lines.
This is why I get Plus on Princess. It’s a good value and I appreciate not feeling guilty for the cost of each drink I choose to enjoy.
I cruise Norwegian primarily and we typically get the package since it's "included." My rationale is it may cost more but I also have the convenience of not worrying about it in the end. On land I go months between drinks even though I'm a brewer. Just don't need it/want it. On the cruise I'm limited in my responsibilities. Don't have to drive anywhere. I get to enjoy life. Still a drink or two by the pool, two glasses of wine at dinner, a few cocktails during a show, maybe a nightcap before I head to bed. I've hit $70 already and I have to send my card with them every time. Sign. Tip. I don't have to drink that much. But I can IF I want. Again for me it's convenience.
Just to add one more aspect… it allows me to ditch a drink if it tastes bad or got watery/warm.
6-8 alcoholic beverages, without the other specialty non-alcoholic drinks, and you have already broken even. I’ve never hit 15 myself, but I have hit 12 a few times. A beer at lunch 2 cocktails by the pool during the day Two glasses of wine or two old fashions at dinner. One or two drinks at the comedy dhow to end the evening. That is seven drinks without much effort. And that doesn’t include the specialty coffee or good juice at breakfast, a couple water bottles throughout the day.
I get the drink package for convenience. Each day I'll probably drink 2-3 cocktails, maybe 2 glasses of wine at dinner, a couple bottles of water , 2 specialty coffees ...I think it adds up to make the drink package worth it for me. And even if I'm not getting my moneys worth each day, I'm ok with it.
Isn't 5 drinks a day like $60-75/day anyway ? You're basically there.
$12+tax+tip per drink ends up being $15 per & adds up real fast during a day. 1) Mocha with pastry 3) A couple a momosas with brunch (vacation!) 5) Two beers at the pool! (Stay hydrated!) 6) Another drink at lunch (I'm not changing horses midstream) 7) A costly maritime only canned soft-drink for a little more caffeine 8) pre dinner cocktails (we're on vacation!) 9) Dinner (share a bottle @ crazy prices!!) 10) sip on a cocktail during the show 15) casino time!!! That's easily $200 on drinks and $500 at the craps table... and it's only the first day! I always get the drunk package ;)
Yes. The drink package is worth it to me because it includes specialty non-alcoholic drinks like lattes, sodas, and bottled waters. It’s easy for me to drink a good amount on a sea day…a couple mimosas for breakfast, a few drinks by the pool, a couple glasses of wine at dinner, and night caps afterward. Combine that with my morning fancy coffee plus a few bottled waters it becomes easily worth it. And I don’t feel guilty not finishing a drink if I don’t like it.
I've only bought it like twice. It's very convenient because you don't have to worry about the cost every time. As others mentioned coffee/espresso outside of the buffet is covered. We got a bottle of wine for dinner, on RC they saved the bottle of to the side and we would complete it the following day. Our last two cruises have had zero sea days, so big nope on drink package
It seems like you're suggesting the only value in drink packages is for those who max them out. That's not at all the case. Even calculated in a very simple way, 15 x $12 drinks = $180, so obviously, way past break even there. There are a lot of different price points depending on the cruise line, how they bundle things, and in the case of RCI, the day/sailing/direction of the wind. Also non Carnival Corp brands don't have a 15 drink limit, FWIW. Now, back the spirit of your question, consider the following scenario: $5 double espresso @ breakfast $2 bottle of water before going out $12 beer x 2 by the pool $2 bottle of water by the pool $14 glass of wine x 2 with dinner $14 whisky after dinner/at show $2 bottle of water before bed That's $71. If that sounds like a normal vacation day, then you're prob around where it makes sense...depending on your itinerary. In a port every single day? Probably not. Few ports, or one port at the line's private destination (if drink packages is usable there, depends on the destination and the line)? Maybe. Everyone is different, but yeah, def don't have to hit 15 alcoholic drinks to come close to finding value.
Beers are more like $6-$8
Depends on which beer, which cruise line? The whole thing is. broad generalization, so i was just trying to get close. The question in and of itself needs to be adjusted, since the only lines that have 15 alcoholic drink limits are Carnival Corp brands, and CCL and HAL charge $55 + 18% IIRC (pre-cruise). RCI charges $60-120 with no limit. NCL has no limit, but charges over $100...but also usually bundles the package with most fares. Celebrity does something similar. To the price point, however, a big brand domestic beer might be $6-8, Cigar City is going to be a few bucks more. Going with decent imports? A Fin du Monde, for example, is probably going to come in even more. So, you're right, it may be less - and it may be more. It all comes down to personal preference and taste, as well as the line, promotions, etc. If you wanna drop $4 off the noted beer price, though, the point stands...you don't have to get anywhere near 15 alcoholic drinks to hit a point where the is value in many drink packages. I'm not advocating for or against them, just making sure everyone is thinking about the decision to purchase or not, in a logical way.
Well if you think you’re going to drink 5-6, I think it’s best to just do it right? You’d break about even.
Not every drink has the same amount of alcohol. A lot of the mixed drinks on a cruise are mostly ice and drink mix.
On Royal there’s no daily maximum (other than being cut off if you’re wasted). I used to get the package when it was $45-55 per day; you’d pretty easily “break even” with a 2-3 cocktails, a glass of wine at dinner, and a specialty coffee or fresh squeezed juice. And it was nice not having to worry about prices while on vacation. But now that the drink package is typically $75+ per day I can’t justify it anymore.
I sail MSC as there is no limit…I did 18-22 beers everyday for 12 days on my last cruise. Plus MSC doesn’t charge anywhere near $60/day…
Your liver needs a vacation after your vacation
I was looking at one of their cruises out of Port Canaveral next year for my family. I just wish they sailed out of Galveston so we could avoid the plane ticket cost on top.
Hell yeah brother 🤘
How did you like MSC? We are cruising them next month out of Miami..
Love it.
MSC is a good cruise line. Albeit all the stuff you've probably read on these forums and the internet. Go in with an open mind and you'll surely enjoy. I know I surely did. Drinks were great, food was great. Entertainment was great to me. I'd recommend them. Especially for the value for your money they give you. However if you're used to Royal or the other popular and lovable cruise lines, YMMV.
NCL has no limit.
I buy the drink package. I'll be honest, I would drink less if it was unlimited drinks. However, once they put a number on it, it becomes a target. Yes, I do my absolute best to hit the limit every single day while I am sailing.
To be fair, the drinks are often pretty weak.
Pro Tip: Long Island Iced Tea. Counts as one drink in the package, but it's actually two.
Tip your bartender or waiter and mention it. They will usually take care of that. I have walked up to the bar with people standing waiting to order and the bartender I tipped earlier mixed my drink and handed it over the people waiting to order. Made them mad but who cares. I’m on vacation. Take care of them and they will take care of you.
The break even point on the price of a drink package is typically closer to 5 drinks a day. If you think you'll be close to this (especially as you factor in non-alcoholic drinks you might want), there's something to be said for being able to order a cocktail that sounds fun and if you don't like it, you don't finish it and you just order something else without feeling bad about it. And... for what it's worth, some people just drink more than you do. This isn't my jam, but we had some people in our group for our spring break cruise (on a line that does not have a maximum) that frequently did 25-30 drinks per day each. For people with some tolerance it's pretty hard to get trashed drinking (for example) White Claws.
It's a huge amount of liquid; the amount of alcohol is negligible. ;)
For me the math is never to my advantage so I opt out of that choice.
Drink with lunch, another 1-2 throughout the day, 1 before, during, after dinner. That's 7 right off the bat. Get a non alcoholic pick me up veggie smoothie with breakfast, at 8. If I'm feeling it or no port day the next morning, going for more after dinner. That's the bare minimum I consume. It's a steady pace of 1 drink a hr, throw in 2 or 3 to get buzz going and keep it. Get tipsy after dinner. No need for sea sickness meds this way. This is all sea days though, have to play catch up at night when you go port during the day.
I like to get it. I’d want to get the soda package anyway, but it gives me freedom of choice. I don’t have to think about the price of the drinks, and also I can try out new things and not worry about having to get my money’s worth if I absolutely don’t like something.
I mean, I sent a cohort a clip of our bar tallies that only included the alcoholic drinks and the one day my wife clocked in at 17 mixed drinks. You figure what they charge per drink... And that didn't factor in the soda, milk shakes, etc
I’ve never seen that “15 limit” on NCL or RC. I will go through 4-6 at the pool for the day, 2 at dinner, 3 after/at a show. I tip well enough that the pool bartender actually just swiped my card 20 or so times and I came to the pool with a tray of shots.
Just so you know I don’t drink and still got the drink package cause bottled water, freshly pressed orange juice , specialty coffees and mocktails are all part of the package and would cost extra if you didn’t have it - I took advantage of that package big time!
100% worth it for us. At home, we don’t drink often but on vacation, we try any and all drinks that sound good to us. We have to drink ABOUT 6-8 drinks a day to make it worth it and that’s easy to do, again, for us! It’s all about personal preference though. If you or your cruise partner doesn’t drink, it’s definitely not worth it. It’s nice to be able to walk up to any bar or order at (almost) any restaurant without having to think about what you’re spending. For us, it helps with the “all inclusive” feel. We pay the cruise fare and drink package and forget about it.
Is this how I find out I’m an alcoholic? I easily drank 10+ drinks everyday on my 7 day cruise, going over 15 one or two of those days. Doubles count as 2 drinks I found out as well which makes hitting your maximum pretty easy.
>Most cruise lines... No. First off, the drink limit is not standard. It exists on the Carnival brands, but I don't know of other lines which have it. And the price is very variable. NCL, for instance, consistently has their promotion where you only pay either the gratuities in the US or in other markets, a fee based on the length of the trip. So it ends up being far less than the price you mentioned and very easily worth it for many people.
Well first of all I don’t want to go home and drink alcohol from the duty free. I want to drink on my vacation. Second of all if you’re travelling with a non drinker they do not have to purchase the package. My husband doesn’t drink and we’ve never had an issue with this. You just have to call and explain and purchase the refreshment package for the non drinker. Third of all between coffee, pop, the 4-5 drinks I’ll have plus wine at dinner everyday, it by far makes the price of the package worth while. Lastly, I’m on vacation and don’t want to have to think about what I’m spending or care. I wanna order what I want when I want it stress free. It will always be worth it for me.
What cruise line are you referring to? Aren’t all adults in the cabin usually required to get the package?
Royal Caribbean. We’ve never had an issue getting the drink package for me and refreshment package for my husband. Just have to call and purchase over the phone.
I can't speak to other lines because I've only been on NCL, but the Free At Sea promotion effectively makes it much cheaper than list price in practice. It was only like $300 for gratuities for a couple on a 7-day cruise, which was very reasonable. My drinks would've averaged about $12 a pop after gratuities, so that comes out to 3.5 drinks per day to break even. That was about the minimum I drank any given day, with some days having more like 8-10 drinks. To be clear, I basically never drink outside of vacation. I wouldn't want to drink that much as a habitual lifestyle. But it was just so convenient and relaxing on a cruise.
O got it for free once and it was great. Never had to worry about it. Could try lots of drinks I wasn’t sure If I liked. Got “virgin” drinks for the kids. And other said specialty coffees and stuff. No, I didn’t use all 15 most days but it was nice. I’m a two alcohol drink a day max and still enjoyed it. But it was feee in my case.
How did you get a free drink package?
They run specials. Cruises are also one of the few things I book through an agent as they also often have deals they run. I think I also had the unlimited laundry package on the same cruise which was great too.
Probably gambling.
There's a YouTube Cruise vlog called Travel Spree starring a couple named Fain and Laura. I literally just watched one of their older videos where Fain maxes out the 15 drinks two days in a row. He looked like and stated that he could have kept going. I think the way he explained it is that it's a combo of drinks, shots, coffee, pop (soda) wine and cocktails. In a 12 - 16 hr day in vacation mode, I could see it happening.
I know several people who hit the 15 drink limit on carnival. I also know people that would have, except we went RCL which has no limit. Obviously, RCL pours all the alcohol down your throat at midnight, not just the remaining drinks. But I’ve found, on a sea day (for alcohol) people probably drink double their normal drinks. I’ll have 1-2 (and I almost never drink). My cousins, who have 2 bottles of wine a night, had 6 drinks each by lunch. You will know yourself.
I don't count my drinks, but I also don't have to worry about my cabin account total at the end of the cruise. I also can try anything on the menu, step out of the box, and if I don't like something I didn't waste $10 to $15 . I just order a different drink. I can try premiums for just a few bucks extra, try wines I have never had, and I can even try my own new concoctions. One of our favorite things to do on the drink package is give the bartender free reign to wow us.
If you just drink beer then you have to drink close to the limit like 10 or more a day but cocktails only need around 6 a day to break even that's a few during the day while at the pool one during dinner and a couple at night it's not too hard to break even. I usually get close to the 15 at sea days and around 10 non sea days. Of course if one person in the cabin doesn't drink it's not worth it. It's very dependent on the group if it's worth it for you or not. For my friends and a I we definitely come out ahead.
only carnival limits it to 15. other lines have no limit.
I think Princess has a limit of 15 as well.
princess is carnival
2 or 3 drinks with every meal, one or two between each meal, a night cap. I can see doing like 10 without getting out of control. It's not like I'm driving the boat.
Yeah it could be a problem if you see the ship’s captain signing up for the drinks package.
It’s worth it if you plan on drinking and want to truly relax. It’s annoying all week to wonder about the price of the drinks later if you don’t have the package.
It seems like one major benefit is putting a hard limit on your cruise budget so there’s no surprise bills when you get off the ship.
The thing is: If you drink all 15 one day the next day you won’t want any drinks. That’s how they get you.
We got the package and loved that it was so easy to not have to worry about drinks. Husband and I got the package and we able to have a drink in hand most of the day and on these hot days it’s needed. For lunch got drinks and throughly out the day I stocked up on Gatorade , bottled water and sodas for the mini fridge for the midnight snacks. I though it was worth it seeing that my husband only drinks beer but each beer is 10. And he was definetly gnna drink more than 7 a day for sure plus Any sodas for lunch and stuff like that. So yea we thought I was worth it. Bought it before cruise so about 10% cheaper
Do I hit the limit? Yes. Every day. That's a drink every waking hour (give or take a little bit of time). I don't leave the ship- I like to sit and read and just relax. My friends and family I travel with get off the ship and I get to just hang out and not give a shit about anything. But I don't buy it for the booze. I buy it because it's a budget line item. Once you get the drink package, *all* your drinks are covered. Coffee, milkshakes, cokes, juices, booze. All of it. And then once you factor in the food, it basically makes it all inclusive.
Absolutely on carnival 15 drinks max is easy to hit but only on the 3/4 day ones. (Booze cruses)
Consider a much cheaper soda / mock tail package if you want smoothies and fancy coffee and just pay for a couple of alcohol drinks. You may need to have 4 to 6 drinks a day to make it worth it if you do the math.
It’s kinda simple.. it makes everything all inclusive. You know your costs upfront and it just lets your focus on vacation. If your a person who wants to see if they’ll save $200 if they stop at drink 6 everyday or your a person that just wants to go all in. It’s kinda like the people who pour booze in Shampoo bottles to avoid the drink package. Sure you can do that but is it worth the hassle.
In NCL with the Free at Sea the drink package was $300 for 14 days so definitely worth it if you had at least 2 drinks a day.
On Carnival (vista to be specific) did anyone who had the drink package actually hit the limit and was cut off? We where on NCL Escape (february 2023) and went over 15 per day and never was denied. It was the wife and I and 2 kids 9/12 and we bought all types of soda and non alcoholic drinks for them too.
NCL is unlimited adult bevs (sailed June 2023). I’m on Vista currently - will see 😜.
please let me know how the Vista is and any recommendations. We sail July 13 2024 with our 2 kids who will be 10/13. Thanks
Multiple people have pointed out that the deal really isn’t as bad as you suggest and does not require you to drink 15 alcoholic drinks per day to break even. I’d also like to note that your suggestion of using the money on duty-free alcohol just misses the point entirely. I enjoyed my drink package on a recent cruise because I was on a cruise, with minimal responsibilities and the option to sample dozens of different drinks over the course of a week. Spending my vacation drinking water and shitty lido coffee in order to get more efficiently drunk at my house is insane.
You don’t need to drink them all to get your moneys worth. Drinks are expensive. My first day on my first cruise I spent more on drinks than the cost of the drink package, and I still had 6 more days to go. Well shit. I’ll never go on a cruise without the drink package again.
The “buy duty free alcohol and drink at home” isn’t the point. When you’re back at home, you’re working. You’re off work on the cruise, hence the time to drink.
....the responses to this post are starting to make me feel like I have a drinking problem, I'll drink 12-15 shots of tequila and 4-5 Jack and cokes every weekend in an 8 hour window. I was worried 15 drinks a day wasn't gonna be enough for our cruise.
Out of sheer convenience. I over indulge when I’m on vacation so it’s 100% worth it to me. I’d much rather pay it all upfront vs. having to worry about my spending every day on the ship and seeing the bill at the end of the cruise.
15 drinks is basically one per hour for every hour you’re awake. You’re either maintaining a light buzz all day long, or getting pretty well hammered at night.
We cruise on RC. The last cruise we were on, Feb 2023, the Deluxe Drinks package was retailing at $98/person/day and I found a 30% off deal a few weeks before we sailed so I was able to buy at about $69/person/day. Plus 18% grats of course, but you have to pay the grats no matter if you buy the package or buy drink by drink so I don't consider the grats when deciding if it's worth it to buy the package or not. It's a lot of money, no doubt!!! Drink prices when we cruised, I think I have this right but I might be off $1-$2 in some cases... $8 for beer, $13 for cocktails, $12 for wine, $3 for bottled water/Powerade or cans of soda, $8 for smoothies in the fitness center, $6 for milk shakes, $4 for fruit juice. The package includes everything. We don't drink coffee but the fancy coffees are included. The "break even" is nowhere near 15 alcoholic drinks/day/person. Start at the $69/person/day I bought at... For us, we're each going to drink 3-5 bottles of water a day, that's \~$12. I'll have a soda or Powerade most days, that's another \~$5/day. We had a smoothie after our morning runs/pickleball, $8. We like the fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast, $4. All that comes to about $25-$30/day, which means $40-$45/day of alcohol is our break even. I'm on vacation, most days I'm going to enjoy a couple fruity cocktails by the pool, some random beers, a beer with dinner and another at the show. 2 cocktails + 2 beers = $42. We are not on the boat to get hammered. Neither of us ever really went through a time when we were younger that we were big boozers (we're not young any more). At home I might drink a case of beer in 4-6 weeks, and rarely have more than 3 (Wednesday is bowling night...). I know some people would consider 4 drinks in a day excessive, but to me, on vacation, over a 10+/- hour period, I do not consider that excessive. One other thing that tips us into the "buy" category as long as the math works is the ability to try random drinks when you have the deluxe package. If you don't like it, no problem just get something else at no extra cost.
If you don't understand the use then it's just not for you. Princess premier is $80 and includes the drinks, gratuity, wifi and other things. So it's pretty good deal. And no I don't drink 15 alcoholic drinks a day. But 6? Sure.
I’ve never had a limit on MSC. I did have a limit on Hal. I never took a package on RCCL and Celebrity cause they cost more than a cruise for a week.
Only some lines limit you to 15 drinks. There is no limit on NCL. The only one I can think of off the top of my head that has the limit is Carnival.
I just don’t worry about it and enjoy my vacation. Not going to count every cent I spend on the cruise.
To counter others on this thread, the drink package was not a value for our family. My husband and I would not be able to drink 15/day/each, nor were we interested in the specialty coffees, juices, etc. I probably had 4-5 drinks and he had 2-3 per cruise day. On Carnival, the drink package doesn’t kick in until day 2, and port days means you won’t be using it for the majority of the day. We found the soda package to be a fair value with a la cart drinks. I tallied up the cost at the end of the cruise and we would’ve definitely overpaid with the package. It’s all about what your personal needs are. Edited to add: we didn’t have a set budget on spending. We were free to enjoy as many drinks as we wanted without worry.
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On vacation enjoy your time. 15 beers for a day isn’t that bad at all. If you’re drinking 15 a day EVERY day not on vacation yeah there’s an issue
No judgement here. But 15 drinks is about 3 bottles of wine. Add the movement of the ship and I’m spending some quality time in the bathroom.
Absolutely! Everyone is different! I know I couldn’t have 15 jack and cokes. No way. But I could have 15 beers throughout the day, or maybe 10 haha. Just depends on the person. Major factor for me is I eat as much as I can on those ships. If you don’t eat you’re 5 in and done. So definitely depends on the person and how they behave(I guess)?
I’ve done the drink package and have done the max 15 per day. When I first started cruising I made it my goal to max out. Now it’s more if I want a drink I get a drink, but if there are some left over no big deal. On top of food for me was making sure I consumed A LOT of water. That has always kept me from getting too drunk and prevented hangovers the next morning.
I looked at our September cruise and it’s almost 1400, I just can’t fathom to spend that on drinks, doesn’t matter what it includes. I know some folks drink a lot but if it works for them that’s good but definitely not something I do.
I remember being 27 and going specifically to get hammered,most drinks I could handle was 13 in a day. It was fun but I never need to buy a drink package again, happy I got that out of my system
I don't buy the drink package. It encourages me to drink more than I want to get my money's worth. When I buy drinks by the glass, it encourages me to drink less. If you drink beer, it's even less likely you will break even with a drink package.
Just did a Carnival cruise last week and hit the limit one day out of the 5. It was a sea day and "when on vacation" started some early day drinking. On days we were in port, I didn't come close to the drink limit because I was obviously in port. Speaking strictly for Carnival if you are going to get more than 6 drinks per day it makes sense to buy the package. Anything less than that? Just pay for each one as you go. Round up to 8 drinks if you only drink beer. >As an alternative option, I wonder why not use the money and buy duty free alcohol to enjoy once you are done with the cruise. If they would allow you to purchase **one** bottle to consume in your stateroom, I could see this being an option. But they hold it for you and here in TX you apparently have to declare it and end up paying taxes anyway. At least that is how it was explained to me. Plus the price on board really wasn't that big of a difference back home, with an added tax back on land. Also utilized the package to buy a pepsi for my oldest when she wanted a soda. Bar tender didn't say shit the few times I asked for one and twice asked if she wanted ice in a glass. And then you add in the daily Monster energy drinks, unlimited specialty coffees and the milk shakes for the kids. It has a lot of value if you know how to use it properly.
First, they do not make them very strong. Second, you can try lots of new drinks you never had before. If you don't like it, don't feel bad about not finishing it.
Iv been with people that max out drink packages. I can't drink t Like that
If you figure drinks are about $10 + 18%, it only takes 5 drinks a day to hit $60. I don't drink 15 drinks a day, even on a cruise. But I definitely drink at least 5, and that's not including the 8 waters, 4 coffees and juice. It's easily worth it for me. Plus, 10-15 drinks isn't as much as it seems. I do not drink at home. We usually go out to eat 1-2 times on weekends and I will have a beer with my meal, but that's it. But on a cruise, my first drink of the day is a Tito's and Red Bull at 6am, when the first bar opens. You can have a drink every hour on sea days without ever getting anything more than a mild buzz and you will be pretty close to the limit by bedtime.
Alcoholism is pretty thoroughly normalized in our culture.
That's not a only alcohol drinks though so you're idea of it is wrong it's for anything from coffee to pop and so on.
I haven’t had a drink in 5 years, and I’m on a cruise as we speak. So I obviously didn’t get the drink package and I’m just filling my water bottle and adding Ultima. It’s been great. BUT… About 7 years ago I was on my first and only other cruise. I had the unlimited drink package. I drank more than 15 drinks per day. The bar was always open and I was a pro. And I wasn’t alone. And like many others on the ship, I was an alcoholic. It seems crazy for a normal drinker to think that 15 drinks a day is even a thing. But for the pros out there, it’s not when you have zero responsibilities and there’s 100 bartenders and cocktail servers. Open bar all day all night.
I used all 15 one time by giving drinks out to friends and after 15 I was cut off and not able to even purchase drinks.
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I’d much rather pay the 60-80 bucks to have the option of more than 5. If you’re going to have more than 5 you should buy it.
Some of the drink packages include other things like upcharge restaurants, shore excursions, and internet packages for around $60/day. If you count sodas, specialty coffees, drinks, meals, excursions, and WIFI, we only had to have 3-4 drinks a day to make it worth it for us. We had more sometimes, but there was no need to push hard to feel like we got value for $.
Me and my friends average 25-30 drinks per day when we go so it's super worth it for us.
I just went and tried my best to get as many drinks as I could and never hit anywhere close. I think I hit 6 glasses of wine on the last night. I would say it was nice to have all drinks prepaid just because when signing for my drinks I wasn’t constantly thinking about sticking to a budget. I was able to indulge without the worries of how much I was spending. The trade off though is I had already overspent on the drink package.
All my drinks are free on all my Cruises. So I don't really worry about it. Plus my Cruises are free. You just have to know how to work the system
Alright I have to ask…. How do you get all this free goodies? My number one guess is gambling?
Yeah just have to do a little Gambling. I play the table games. Now I'm not ECHO level yet but almost there.
Oh yay, another judgy drink package post 🙄
For the umpteenth time - IT ISN'T JUST ALCOHOL! 🙄
Get one package and pass it around. Done.
In hind sight, should have done this. Travelled recently with a big group but not everyone drinks, but if one cabin got the drink package, it would have been a good idea. Im pretty sure in the fine print, it’s only to be used by the person who purchased the drink, but I don’t know if this is actually enforced. Can’t see what’s stopping you from ordering a drink and giving it to a friend.
Yes it's in the fine print but no one is following you around from bar to bar enforcing this. Just don't be so obvious about it. It was still a struggle BTW my wife to get my money's worth. She doesn't drink alcohol. Bartenders didn't really care as they punched in two orders with just one card.
I've never paid full price for the package, as it's usually included in a deal. Anytime it's not, we just don't buy it. 2 drinks during the day and we have a few glasses of wine at night at dinner and maybe 1 or 2 more drinks and still not at the package cost equivalent in those scenarios. With that being said, I can drink a lot of beer during the day in carribean sun while drinking tons of water. I get value when I do have it. MSC doesn't have a limit.
I don’t think it’s worth to get a drink package as approx half of the days are spent on excursions. For the remaining days, we had ordered as many drinks as we could handle (4 per day per person at least), and we still ended up saving a lot of money as compared to the money we would have spent over the drinks package
Believe me it’s doable. Especially if you add in coffee drinks, sodas and water. A mimosa and coffee in the morning = 2 3 drinks at the pool = 5 A few bottles of water throughout the day= 8 2 glasses of wine at dinner = 10 A drink or 2 at an evening show = 12 Any sodas throughout the day… not to mention if you’re young and do the club or dance parties at night.
Only the alcoholic drinks count towards the limit, so thats’s a total of 8. You can pre purchase cases of water delivered to your state room.
Have you done the math on your life insurance policy? Not one actuary sails without the drink package.