Cruising (and drinking)

Firstly when you buy the drinks package, it limits you to a maximum of 15 alcoholic drinks a day. It does not mean that you are expected to drink that many alcoholic drinks a day! In fact the cruise operator would much rather you didn't for quite a number of different reasons.

On the one cruise I have been on, with DH and DD, we decided against the alcoholic drinks package. We are not heavy drinkers, rarely touching alcohol before 6.00pm, and then having an aperitif before dinner and sharing a bottle of wine between us at dinner. Our total bill for all on board expenditure came to well below the cost of three drinks packages. This was also a six day cruise,

Is it all alchohol or do you get cappuccinos etc, soft drinks, bottled water?

The included coffee is awful 😱 and having bottled water to take out with you or by your bed at night is handy rather than water from the tap which also tastes bad. I prefer to clean teeth in bottled water too.

I guess they’ve had problems where a couple of people in the group buy the package and then share the drinks around the table.

That’s probably how they make their profit. knowing most people, wouldn’t ever drink that amount.
Last day of my cruise, Cunard there were empty whiskey, gin, & vodka bottles all lined up outside the cabins: suites.
So people obviously took their own booze.
We never bothered with a drinks package as I rarely drink.
Plenty of tea & coffee at meal times.
My bill was 79p for a packet of rennies 😂

We typically cruise twice a year, river cruises.

For us drink package does not work out well.

Coffee, fizzy water are available all day and night. Wine and beer offered with lunch and dinner. All that is included is all we need.

Perhaps enquire as to the standard for all day, all meals?

We never have the drinks package and would not go on a cruise line where it was included in the price. It is unhealthy and encourages people to drink far more than they would at home. Many cruise ships include an on board spend and we use some of this to buy the few alcoholic drinks we would enjoy.It is obvious why the whole party needs to buy the package otherwise it is open to abuse.

It is obvious why the whole party needs to buy the package otherwise it is open to abuse.

Any cruise we have been on sells the drinks package per cabin, so usually per couple. A table of six could easily have some with the package and some on pay as you go.
You present your cruise card when you order a drink and it's scanned to your account. The waiters will be aware of any attempts to abuse the system.
And they certainly wouldn't force anyone to drink fifteen drinks a day, it's not compulsory so don't worry on that score!

Loobs can you tell us what cruise line you are sailing with?

We have been on 3 cruises over the past 2 years with Fred Olsen and always went with friends. Their rules were that all people in the same cabin (not table) had to have the drinks package (or not of course). We just ordered drinks per couple and you had to show your room card from which they could tell if you had the package or not. This worked perfectly well when we were with a couple who didn’t have it and we did. Their drinks were charged to their room account and nothing was charged to ours. This seems a lot fairer.
Are you sure with your cruise it applies per table and not per room? Hope that makes sense.

Sorry crossed posts with V3ra who is saying the same thing.

We opted against the drinks package, but alcohol was expensive. The house wine was awful and so we were glad we hadn’t bought the package. Our cruise line did allow passengers to bring in alcohol to drink in their cabins and provided ice! I would look carefully at the restrictions for the package. You can usually only order 125ml of wine at a time, no doubles of spirits, drinks are served at a table or consumed at the bar and as you’ve found, the package must be booked per cabin. As has been suggested, maybe 2 cabins have the package for the bigger drinkers and the other cabin doesn’t to take into consideration the smaller drinkers, then split the cost? However you do it, it’s how they make their profit.

We never bought a drinks package. We are not not big drinkers so we ordered a drink when we fancied one- which was not very often.

River cruises we’ve been on provide included wine or beer with meals, even a Buck’s Fizz with breakfast if you want. We’ve never bought a drinks package, but we frequently get offered one as an incentive to book within 30 days of getting back from the cruise we’ve just been on.
We usually accept that and make use of it IME evening for things like Pernod, daiquiris, or other cocktails that we’d never drink at home. I reckon they offer it us for free because they know we’ll never drink the number of drinks the package covers.

Cheesey

Sorry crossed posts with V3ra who is saying the same thing.

Yes what you describe is what we've found Cheesey.

I can't say I've ever had wine served by a 125ml glass, it's normally free-poured at the table! 🍷

We prefer Marella (TUI) cruises.
Their all-inclusive drinks package also includes freshly made to order Lavazza coffee at the dedicated coffee shop onboard.
We certainly got our money's worth from there during our eight days at sea on our Transatlantic crossing last November!

I guess the point is that all cruise companies don't do the same thing. Our cruise is with MSC and I should probably take a closer look at the 'rules' as I am getting a lot of my information from the MSC Facebook groups - presuming the participants have been on the cruises and know what they are talking about - but I should do due diligence!
I am happy to pay per drink but mainly just amazed at the thought of anyone drinking 15 alcoholic drinks in one evening (if ashore during the day) - the mind boggles and I know it isn't compulsory that you have to have all 15 but I know a few people who would see that as a gauntlet thrown down.

I agree its each cabin, not table

We had a drinks package thrown in as a perk once and would never have got our moneys worth if we had had to pay for it.
We like to cruise with Viking. They are more expensive but wine and beer are included with meals. Soft drinks and posh coffees at any time.

I recommend PAYG unless you are a big drinker. Basic drinks are always free from the buffet.

I am teetotal, my husband is not and can sink a pint or 6 when he is holidaying. Medically I can't drink so I would find it quite discriminatory if I couldn't be one of the party should the others want to buy the drinks package. I wonder how they can insist on that.

We have mostly travelled with Fred Olaf . We have never bought a drinks package but usually had a drink or perhaps two most nights snd found the onboard prices very reasonable despite them having a captive audience.

Olsen !

We cruise regularly and never buy a drinks package. We enjoy a drink. Before dinner, a glass if wine with our evening meal and maybe a drink or two afterwards. Our bill rarely exceeds our on board spend, around £500 for 2 weeks.
It is well known that drinks packages are only profitable for the cruise line not for the guest.

We have cruised many times (over 30) with mainly Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Princess etc (we have never sailed P&O, Fred Olsen or NCL) and have sometimes had the drinks package and sometimes not.

We are not big drinkers but the price of the drinks are usually expensive and the American lines, will add 20% service charge per drink. The drinks packages usually include coffees, water, milkshakes etc which can also bump up the cost without the package.

You need to decide how much you will actually drink (around $13 a glass or up to $17 for a cocktail + service charge, to see if a package is worth it.

If your cruise is port intensive (i.e. you get off the ship each day) a package is not such good value, but if you have a few sea days, or you are doing a repostioning cruise, it would be worth considering.

Marella cruises (TUI) are all inclusive and so the cost of the drinks are built into the price

We are also going on our first cruise. Neither of us are drinkers but occasionally enjoy the odd tipple. Despite that I chose the ‘drinks’ package for several reasons: drinks are expensive on board, the drinks included in the package are known brands whereas the standard are not and are reported to be “awful”; the package also included the fastest wifi and several hundred dollars towards trips. There were a few other perks too, but mostly I just want to have my first cruise an easy experience without running up an unknown, potentially large bill. On board I’ll work out if it was good value for money or not.
I did begin to try to work out if we would save money without the most expensive package but gave up.
Enjoy your cruise.

I have recently returned from an MSC cruise. We had the drinks package. I wouldn’t have it again. Our wine choices were White (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio or Prosecco) Red (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot). I tried 4 out of 5 of those. I like wine but didn’t find limited choice very enticing. The only whiskey on offer was Jamisons. The only beer available on the package was Heineken. I thought I would try all the cocktails but didn’t because having tried two on different days they were more like slushies. I wouldn’t do the drinks package again. I didn’t find it good value. That said it is nice to have a glass of wine with lunch on seadays.

Honestly as a cruiser don't waste your money unless you are heavy drinkers. You can order drinks to suit you and there is also no way you will spend £800 that way. Also unless tips are included go to the Pursers Office at the start of the cruise and adk for tips to be taken off and you can give tips individually especially to cabin staff. Have a great trip!

I don't know which cruise liner you're going on but I've been on several cruises. I worked as a PA to a disabled couple and travelled on P&O and Royal Caribbean several times and also with my DH when I retired. We were always seated together in the main dining room and chose our own table in the self service restaurant. Drinks were larger on the American ship so good value. There's also several cafeterias serving tea coffee soft drinks cakes etc all inclusive of the price. We didn't bother with the drinks package as I don't drink alcohol every day. Drinking water is available free in the restaurant and self service. Have a lovely holiday.