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Having a beverage package gives you the freedom to try new things. Must be at least 18 years of age at time of sailing to purchase. I didn’t like that I felt tempted to “game” the system by drinking more or higher-cost drinks.
What’s NOT included in the Drink Packages?
Stay refreshed and connected with VOOM, the fastest internet at sea, enjoy unlimited high-speed internet and stream all your favorite movies, shows and music while onboard. Share every unforgettable moment of your vacation in real time. If you are a Diamond C&A member, your SeaPass card will be loaded with four free drinks per day. Diamond Plus members get five drinks, and Pinnacle members get six. Those can be water, specialty coffee or tea other than at Starbucks, sodas from bar servers, beer, wine or cocktails up to $14 (except at Bionic Bar). If you prefer nonalcoholic beverages, you can expect to pay around $7 for mocktails and protein shakes, $5 for lattes at non-Starbucks locations and close to $9 for smoothies.
The Best Cruise Restaurants Onboard Brilliance of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruises
Princess provides two offerings for passengers when it comes to alcoholic drink packages. Refresh with Coca-Cola™ products, premium coffee, such as espresso and cappuccino, juices, mocktails and bottled water (sparkling and still). Beer is usually the cheapest alcoholic drink on board, and it can be filling. If you only drink beer, you might find it more difficult to reach the break-even point for your drink package.
NORTH STAR BAR
The water throughout the ships is not only drinkable but also better than what's available in many cities. Before you pull the trigger on buying the drink package, you should know that just because you purchase the unlimited beverage package on your cruise doesn't mean you can drink anything in sight. It's usually better to book online ahead of time because there are often discounts for early purchases. For instance, we've seen discounts of 30-40% on some drink packages for booking early.
The Cheapest Drinks Package
The first is to remember that Celebrity does offer free beverage options. The tap water on board is drinkable; bring your own refillable bottle, and you won't need to purchase bottles of water. The buffet area and all restaurants offer free drip coffee, iced tea, hot tea, hot cocoa, milk, lemonade and punch. The Celebrity drink package that fluctuates most in price is the Premium package, so it always pays to buy it pre-cruise. Advance prices are at least 5% lower online or in the cruise line app before embarkation day.
Which Cruise Lines Offer Free Drink Packages?
Some lines, such as Carnival and Princess Cruises, limit passengers to 15 alcoholic drinks per day, which can make it harder to break even on the package costs. From caffeine craving to soda sipping, from cocktails to mocktails, favorite brews and more, our drink and beverage packages satisfy every preference. There’s a Classic Soda Package and a Refreshment Package to cover nonalcoholic options — perfect for kids. Or sip your way across the fleet’s world-class bars and lounges with a Deluxe Beverage Package. There are even special bundles that let you save on drinks while also enjoying amenities like VOOM®, the fastest internet at sea. Plus, you can use your drink packages on shore at our private destinations Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee.
For those only interested in bottled waters, the Water Package delivers six-, 12- or 24-packs of water to your stateroom. The second package, Prestige Select, includes unlimited spirits, beer, wine and Champagne in bars and restaurants, anytime and anywhere during the sailing. Both packages entitle the purchaser to 20 percent off wine-pairing dinners at La Reserve, available aboard Marina, Riviera and Vista. Cruise ship drink packages generally are honored anywhere you can order a drink on a ship — think bars, lounges and eateries. However, you usually can't use them when ordering room service. They also generally don't apply to drinks taken out of cabin minibars.
Celebrity Cruises drink packages: Cost, inclusions and what to know before you buy
That equals six beers or four or five glasses of wine or cocktails. But in general, if you get a drink package then you'll get alcoholic drinks, including beer, wine, and cocktails up to a certain dollar limit per drink. This limit is normally around $15, depending on the cruise line and package. This covers most drinks on the ship, but some high-end beverages may still be an extra cost. As noted above, cruise drink packages on ships often are quite pricey, and they only make sense if you're a big spender on drinks — a really big spender.
For a fixed per-day rate, a drink package lets you order as many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as you want every day. For non-drinkers and under-aged guests, Carnival offers its Bottomless Bubbles program which includes unlimited fountain sodas and juices. Many Oceania cruisers will find the House Select option suitable as it allows for a selection of beverages during meal service. When an itinerary has several sea days, though, cruisers may prefer the flexibility of enjoying drinks anytime, anywhere with the Prestige Select package.
Itineraries that might reduce consumption would be cool climate cruises and port-intensive European cruises, where you might find yourself drinking local beverages more often than not. In those cases, your onboard drinking could drop to levels below the point at which packages are cost-effective unless you get a bargain price. If your cruise is leaving within the next few months, it's probably best to go ahead and lock in the price — unless Black Friday happens to fall between purchase and the start of the cruise. Celebrity Black Friday deals on drink packages have historically been the lowest prices available all year.
In some cases, there will be more than one tier of such all-encompassing plans. Even if you don’t use the wi-fi service at all, the cost of gratuities is something you’d pay for no matter what. Subtracting that cost out, it means you’ll pay $44 total for the drink package. That’s the cost of only a handful of drinks each day, and don’t forget that non-alcoholic beverages like specialty coffees, water, and soda are also included.
Princess Cruises drink packages: Are the line’s inclusive options deals or duds? - The Points Guy
Princess Cruises drink packages: Are the line’s inclusive options deals or duds?.
Posted: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
MSC Cruises does not add service charges to drink package purchases, in contrast to the policy at most lines. Smuggling alcohol on a cruise ship is not allowed and cruise lines use scanners to x-ray your luggage to look for prohibited items. Cruisers have been coming up with seemingly ingenious ways to sneak alcohol onto cruise ships, but nothing is foolproof. For some of these offers, you need to book an oceanview or a balcony stateroom, rather than the cheapest inside cabins, to get the free drinks.
Now that you have all the details, you can decide, based on your consumption habits, whether a package is right for you. 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.
Stops at private islands may mean even higher consumption because you're away from the air-conditioning for much of the day. Cruises in warm weather areas like the Caribbean will increase your thirst overall. While the listed upgrade price is $20 per person, per night, I've heard from multiple cruisers that the upgrade is sometimes offered as low as $6.99 per person, per night, making that a bargain as well. Don't forget the 20% gratuity per person, per night, that's tacked onto the price. Discover additional ways to bundle your beverage package with other onboard perks — like specially-priced combos that include VOOM Surf + Stream for one device.
Keep in mind being able to use the package in port is a BIG deal. It's essentially an extra day that you can get your money's worth versus spending out of pocket when you are off the ship. It's tempting with unlimited drinks to do what we've all thought -- one person buys the package and just gives a drink to the person they are traveling with. Norwegian Cruise Lines requires each adult in the stateroom (and additional staterooms if you are traveling under the same payment method) to purchase the same drink package.
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