Deluxe package is so so worth it. The deluxe package includes coffee, soda, Red Bull, shots if you want to do shots. High end bourbons. My wife and I always get the drink package it’s the piece of mind trust me. When you don’t have it next thing you know you are worried about how much you’re spending and trying to keep the costs down. With the deluxe package you don’t have to worry about money. Yes bottled water is included. It’s different for everyone so the drink package is good for my wife and I.
FYI: Just received an email yesterday from the VP of RC guest services about our change of itinerary for the Symphony of the seas sailing May 16 - 24. Labidee, Haiti will no longer be our last port and has been replaced with Nassau, Bahamas. Our itinerary was also changed around a bit so we have 2 sea days, 3 back to back port stops followed by another 2 sea days. I am very happy that RC decided to change the location from Haiti as I was getting concerned. Hope this helps keep the info going among the community
as a haitian, the issues in Haiti have nothing to do with labadee since labadee is just tourist territory owned by americans just trying to get some money. i dont see the reason why RC would close it.
@@leaandfriends1111 To our Haitian family, I hope I didn’t appear to be offensive in my statement but I would rather not go to “any” place where there is a major unrest happening. That would be equivalent to someone from Japan visiting New Jersey during the Black Lives Matter protests. It may not be the center of action but it’s probably best to not be near it while things work themselves out. I guess like the expression… “you’re just asking for something to happen”.
also make sure when ordering a cocktail such as a pina colada specify the type of liquor you want. they wil give you cheap liquor but premium liquor is included (example skol rum vs kraken rum)
Make sure you start drinking as soon as you board - and board early! Just make sure you know where your room is before spending the rest of the day at bars.
I usually use my onboard credit for all of my alcoholic drinks. The amount of drinks I consume adds up to what I get in OBC...or even less. Saves me money and I never need to purchase the UDP. My little cruise hack😎😎
Took my first cruise to is spring and we went for the premium non alcoholic and enjoyed coffee, chais, bottled water, plenty of bloody Mary’s. Just the bottle water was worth it. We bought our alcohol drinks separately and just drank what we really needed. Saved a whole lot vs buying the whole unlimited alcohol . We didn’t feel pressured to be drinking everyday to get its worth back.
for me the drink package isn't about making back my money. I go into it knowing it's a loss but the convience of knowing I paid X amount and now I don't have to worry about how much I actually am drinking is worth it. it's also a lot easier as I don't drink alcohol.
I did the math and I’d need to drink 13 beers per day to make the drink package worth it. Unless you’re planning on getting wasted every day it’s really not worth it in my opinion. I feel like I’d be more worried about making my purchase worth it.
Yeah, the math just doesn't add up. It's just better to pay as you go. And if you bring the 2 bottles of wine on board that are allowed,then you're already off to a head start. I don't want to pay close to $1500 (discounted price!) for 2 people on an 11 day cruise and then feel obligated to have to drink just to break even. No thanks.
Just to break it down further, since they cap the drinks at $13ish, you would both have to drink over 5 top shelf cocktails a day before you broke even. Or obviously, a ton more of cheaper drinks like beer to break even. It's not worth it. Just have a beer or two and save the cash.
Don't forget the package works on disembarkation day. If you don't have anywhere to be, you can close the windjammer and keep getting drinks. Makes a long wait at the airport a lot more tolerable.
For what it's worth, currently the Labadie port is suspended due to the unrest in Haiti currently. My wife and I had the drink package but it was on a cruise that went to Cozumel and Honduras so none of the ports were Royal Caribbean owned. That meant that the entire day we weren't on the ship was time we couldn't use our drinks package, as we would have been able to at Perfect Day. Keep that in mind when you're getting the drink package. If you're planning on doing several excursions it really adds up how many drinks you have to have in a shorter time or on sea days to make up for the difference.
They have the best package of the mainstream lines. Carnival makes you pay taxes in US ports and has a limit of alcoholic beverages. You also can't use it at their private destinations. Norwegian has 2 different levels and the "free at sea" package doesn't include bottled water. They also charge tax in US ports.
First time cruisers here. We purchased the deluxe package so wouldn't have a bar Bill at the end. We intend on making good use with the alcohol, bottled water and coffee.
Don't forget that you can get mocktails too. If you want a pina colada but not the alcohol at that point of the day, it's included too and those can be almost as much as the ones with alcohol.
It is SO NOT worth it when they force you to have all adults in the same cabin to buy them! I drink, thus I can benefit from it, but when my husband ALSO has to get it, it means I have to consume drinks worth for 2 people to break even. He does not drink any alcohols, sodas or specialty coffees. So when we are on Royal, we pay as we go (and hate the cumbersomeness of having have to sign every receipts for every drinks we order, LOL). Royal offered to give him a soda package but when he doesn't even drink soda, that's a waste too. I know that there are people that abuse the system so I know why this system is there, but I find this being too expensive for us. p.s. We actually moved onto other cruise lines that don't have this constraint and it's much cheaper there.
I am convinced they do "water down" their open bottles. I am not a heavy drinker and can get tipsy at home with one or two drinks. On a cruise I can have 6 and feel nothing. Also on Royal, we actually called to book our drink package because one in our party is not a drinker and they allowed the Refreshment Package for that person.
I love the drink package. Most of the daily specialty drinks are at least $15 a few of those spread over the entire day plus wine at dinner, coffee in the morning and water would cost a bundle if purchased separately. Gratuities are also included which makes things super easy.
I have seen a couple get kicked off the ship at the first port (day 2 of 7) because one of them would not stop sharing his drinks with others after being warned multiple times to stop. It's weird to see people getting off the ship with all of their luggage on day 2.
I opted for the deluxe beverage package. I’m on a 4 day cruise. I mostly did it so I’m not bothered with paying each time and I like to try new cocktails, so if I’m not enjoying something new I won’t feel bad about the lost dollars. I am going to try my best to beat my price of the package 😜🎉
The automatic gratuity got me good my first cruise, the first day I was adding on a few extra dollars not reading the receipt, wondered why the crew in the music hall were extra attentive haha :) it's okay though their cocktails were amazing
If you drink a lot of soda or water, do a cost benefit analysis, take how much Deluxe drink package is and subtract the Refreshment drink package is and the difference is how many alcoholic beverages you need to consume a day. I drink a gallon/4 liters of water a day and solely bottled or sparkling water on a cruise (filtered or bottled at home). At full price, the water I drink pays for the Deluxe drink package. So yes, it’s not just about drinking alcoholic beverages.
I find the unlimited drink package is only good if you’re on a sailing that’s not port heavy. I purchased the refreshment package on Mediterranean Cruise and it was a complete waste of money for me. I would have been better off just purchasing my bottle water as needed along with my lattes. But I loved the unlimited drink package when I went to Alaska. But I will if it’s even worth having on my next cruise.
You can get drinks st the spa cafe as well. However drinks eith room service not included. I get one every time it makes it stress free from soda to cocktails, and i don't have to worry about tax and tips
In regards to the exemption you stated at 4:15 rc says the best they can do is give other adults the refreshment package. They won’t give you a deluxe package combo with a soda package for example
A little off topic, but ya know what drives me crazy when ordering drinks? It's watching the server hit what looks like maybe 100 keystrokes after swiping my card. I have no idea what he/she is entering into the system, but as a software engineer, it sure seems like they could reduce everything down to a swipe plus a couple of keystrokes to identify the drink that was ordered. I feel for the servers... they work harder at entering the order into the system than they do in creating the drinks.
We love to stop in Wonderland for special drinks! Also, call your alcohol..ex: Titos and tonic, or Makers and ginger ale, otherwise you get the cheap stuff
Out of TX you can as soon as you get on the ship. There is a smaller amount of things you can order though but works fine. It is not CA that you are thinking of but NY.
ohhhh you missed, Mimosas and Bloody Marys for breakfast with the deluxe drinks, in any breakfast venue, as bars dont open before 10am ....also on disembarkation day, again these drinks are available when all other bars shut the night before with breakfast
I like to drink, but for my wife and I to benefit from a two package cost, we’d need to drink constantly; certainly ruining the trip. Not to mention ruining our livers.
Each of you book a studio cabin on separate bookings. Only one of you then buys the beverage package and you share against the rules. The cruise fare for 2 x studio balcony cabins is the same as a normal balcony cabin. That's how you get around both having to buy the beverage package.
Idk anyone personally who doesn’t share there drinks with the drink package, mainly bc it’s hard to prove people are getting drinks from the one person with the benefit, you can get a drink and share it, and it’s wrong to say to a customer they can’t share drinks with others especially with there s/o
I understand not being allowed to share drinks when one has the drink package, but what about if someone just wants a sip to try it so they can see if they like it to get one of their own?
I said this on another video but for most people the best way to save money on all of your drinks is to skip the drink package (all of them) all together and add cash to your account if you are wanting to strictly stick to a budget. I have an 8 day cruise coming up this fall and the ultimate drink package for that sailing will be just under $500 (I'm assuming this isn't including gratuities so it's probably closer to $600 or $650). However instead of buying that package I plan on bringing $350 in cash to add to my card to cover any alcoholic drinks (maybe two or three), coffee (one a day) or any other speciality drinks (I don't drink pop) which will cover $40 a day which I will never even come close to spending anyway but I like to give myself a buffer. You can also do this if you are someone who drinks and have someone else in the cabin that doesn't and still save a ton of money. Most of the other packages like the dining packages I do see some value in but I just don't see it in any of the drink packages.
@@yojs17_ If you equal the amount of the package I can almost guarantee you won't spend it all. You literally have to drink 5 to 7 (depending on length of the cruise) alcoholic beverages a day, in cluding port days, just to break even. Also, the simple fact is that money you are paying for the drink package you're spending anyway so if you put that cash on your card you are not budgeting. Most normal people may have 1 to 3 alcoholic drinks a day on a cruise. If you put up that amount that's equal to the package you can still have that plus your coffee, pop or whatever non alcoholic drink you want plus have money left over without even thinking about it.
@@kenyattaclay7666 I get it, but I don't want to think about "how much money I have left on my card?". Plus my husband and I drink more than 1 to 3 times on a vacation. When we go out to a date night we have at least 2 drinks at dinner and then 2 drinks if we do something after dinner and that is in a short 3-4 hour time span. I'd rather pay one price and free to drink how much or how little as I want.
@@yojs17_ But you're still not thinking about it because that money is just there. Sure you have to go on the last night to get it back but I think 15 minutes of waiting in line is worth saving a couple hundred dollars. Also, that's not 2 to 3 times the whole vacation, that's 2 to 3 a day. The price limit on Royal is $14 per drink which is $42 a day and on a 7 day cruise that's $294. For my next cruise that's an 8 day that would be $336. The total cost of the deluxe beverage package for my cruise is $530. That extra few minutes is the difference of $194 per person so that's a total of $388. You do you but for almost $400 (or whatever the difference is on the length of cruise you are taking) I'd take a few minutes to go and get that money back, just saying.
@@kenyattaclay7666 I am doing a 4 day cruise, I know myself and my husband. I think the piece of mind not to have to worry about how much I am spending and drinking and then being strategic about which drink to get and then worried about wasting money if I don't like a drink or even counting how many drinks my husbands has had. The drink package is worth the peace of mind to me.
My husband and I made friends with a couple on our last cruise. They had the drink package; we did not. It became awkward when the couple kept trying to "hook us up" with drinks using their drink package. When I bought my own drink, they said I should have used theirs. I just didn't feel right about it.
Hello! First of all, my partner and I love your channel 🤗 Secondly, we will be going on our first cruise. We did all the bookings ourselves.. and upon reading about what documents to bring, we are not sure about the vaccines we need and is it mandatory. We are fully vaccinated for Covid.. but the others like Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A and B, etc… are those mandatory in order to board the ship? Please tell us. Thanks in advance ❤
Luckily wife and I got our drinks plus package as part of an MSC promotion, think like 150 per person, we'll absolutely get our moneys worth, Not just alcohol but sodas and specialty drinks/cofees and water bottles
I rebook if the price goes down. For me it’s about convenience. Plus it isn’t alcohol only but also for coffee and soda. So whatever the price I’ll grab it. I can’t put a price on convenience so it’s worth it for me.
@@stevieray7149 It's mentioned in the crown and anchor tier benefits list on the Royal website. Diamond = 4 free drinks, Diamond+ = 5 free drinks, Pinnacle = 6 free drinks per day.
We do the ultimate drink package every cruise. My wife can do 10/12 drinks a day im good for maybe 6/8 so for us it's worth it. If I were alone, I'd never buy it. I can easily be fine with 2 drinks a day, but since my wife always orders it, I do reluctantly drink more.
I do still get the drink package. The 6 drinks with Pinnacle alone isn't enough, but I supplement with either a drink package purchase or rely on free drinks in the casino thanks to my Prime status there.
They don't just be discreet about it. Get the drink and just put it on the table and the other person takes it. They have no clue, and frankly they really don't care.
Right! My family was on the Mariner last year. My boyfriend and stepdaughter had the drink package. I had several hundred dollars in credits. They were able to get drinks for others in our party with no issues. And our complete party was close to 15 adults. You have to be discreet and wait 5-10 minutes before going up for another drink. And if you tip the bartender well, they usually turn a blind eye. In labadee, our cabin attendant even helped us, under his suggestion, to share the drink package by spacing the charges out! Needless to say, we left him a huge tip when we left.
Typically, how far in advance of the cruise do they make the packages available to you? Booked in Nov 2023 for a May 2025 cruise, and nothing is available yet.
I just called RC to ask this same question. My cruise is January 2025 on Icon and the customer service agent said you can purchase 6 months before sailing.
I have a May 2025 cruise that was booked this past February, almost nothing is up for it. I also have a cruise this May which I booked last May. I was able to purchase the drink package this past October, so 9 months out. It may have been available sooner, but I don't recall how much sooner. Just keep an eye on it and check back in periodically. It seems like they roll out things little by little as it gets closer. For my May 2025 they have some excursions, flow rider lessons, and a 3 night dining package but nothing else yet. The Flowrider packages just came out within the last week IIRC.
I've never been cruising but would love to take my daughter and grandson on a 4 or 5 day cruise... mexico, aruba, curacao...somewhere like that. I want a ship with a balcony that overlooks the open center parklike area of the ship, so if anyone has a favorite ship like that please let me know. Maybe he can do a video of ships that have those. Also, regarding drinks... Is it possible to get a drink with a drink pass and take it to your room? I like the idea of having a cocktail and a nonalcoholic daiquiri for my grandson and taking it to our room, sitting on the balcony and overlooking the park area.
Great Video Matt, Sailing Allure in 14 days, Crown Loft Suite. Does the suite lounge have complimentary bottled water to grab and go at anytime? TIA, Keep the Vids coming.
That’s annoying that Starbucks isn’t included NCL allows you to use your premium beverage package to purchase Starbucks drinks, which is what makes it worth for me.
The drink package loses its appeal for Diamond and above crown and anchor members as they get free drink coupons anyway. And if you are in a Sky Class suite you get free flow drinks in Concierge lounge for three hours per day.
Was looking at the refreshment package. It's kind of difficult to imagine my 2 and 3 year old drinking $400 worth of juice in 7 days... Not sure why kids cost the same as adults.
Most cocktails use a mixer that are pre-mixed with the sugar. I would suggest ordering something that has strictly juice or something that isn't a pre-made mixer, like a rum and coke. I have diabetes too and have to watch those things.
I stick to a certain amount of beers and then switch to Top self Vodka and sugarfree Red bull. The mixers are what get you (and juices). I did that on my last Alaskan cruise and my numbers were a little higher but I think that was due to the desert my waiter made me eat each night.
I was going to ask the same and if it was included.. I assume it is because he showed in the video using it.. but weird he didn’t specify to be 100% clear
The cup is included and they usually have a table setup when you get on the ship. Sometimes they have them at some bars and one time they were in our stateroom.
I would get the refreshment package. If I wanted to add a shot of rum or kahlua to a virgin cocktail what would the extra upcharge be? That might make more sense for me.
The drink package is a rip off and ive seen them take it away from people who weren't even sharing drinks. If you go to the bathroom and leave your drink with your partner they have been know to revoke the package. Even if you do have multiple people drink off one package, its still a terrible deal.
I just called RC to ask this same question as my cruise is January 2025 on Icon. Per the Customer service agent it is available 6 Months before cruise date. The only stuff available right now is spa/limit shore excursions and limited onboard activities. So mine won’t be available until June. Frustrating customer service I want to pay for them now 😂
I would get the package if I could get it for 1 day. Otherwise you need to have 6+ drinks a day to break even! That's a lot of alcohol/calories to have daily! The drinks included without a package are more than diverse enough for me.
If you drink coffee, cokes/energy drink, juices and alcohol, 6 drinks is easy. 6 alcoholic drinks in an entire day is not really a lot, basic drunk math, 1 drink per hour (roughly) keeps you in a perfectly legal BA level. You are on Vacation feel free to go a little higher.
LMAO😂… what a lightweight. Coffee, water bottles, energy drinks, mamosas and a beer and you broke even… and that’s not even trying. Not even counting cocktails at the pool, bar, the beers for dinner etc
I personally have an expresso, 3 mimosas, and at least 1 cocktail before lunch, 9am-1pm, without even trying. With the amount of water bottles and sparkling water I drink throughout the day I’m breaking even without even having another alcoholic drink(though I am having many more)
*There is no human on Earth who can drink ~$69 worth of alcohol a day, you are way better off having some substances delivered to you via a drone when you are on the Titanic 9000 imo.*
Bruh, call me more powerful than a human. I could have that down before lunch. @ $13 per drink that’s 5 drinks. I’d be so happy with a $69/day drink package.
The deluxe beverage package costs 100 dollars per day. Who spends that much in drinks on the ship? It’s a complete overkill unless you are an alcoholic.
3 good coffes, a few bottled water, then alcohol, i like to drink on hols, each there own, for us totally worth it. who wants a bill at the end, and who wants to drink that disgusting cocktail that read better than it tasted
It’s absolutely disgusting to drink $70+ worth of alcohol a day for 7 days straight. Just to feel as if you got your moneys worth. RC needs to bring back the 10-15 drinks savings card.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog You seem salty over people wanting plastic straws back. Enjoy drinking your $14 drink though a micro toilet paper cardboard roll! LOL!!
What this guy does not inform you is that 1) It is often cheaper not to get a drinks package unless you plan on getting a LOT of alcohol EVERY day of your cruise, 2) This gratuity nonsense wont wash in Europe and most European guests go straight to guest services and have that gratuity charged removed for the entirety of the cruise......perhaps mention that in your next video....
Here in the States you can’t get the gratuity removed at anytime state room or the dining room or getting any drinks on the ship. The deluxe drink package includes any sodas, coffee, Red Bull also not just alcohol. Let’s do the math guy. A drink costs $14 each. A beer is $8 let’s say. I can have 3 jack and cokes at $14 each. So that’s $42 already. Let’s say I have 2 ice coffees also. $4 each. $50 already with the 2 coffees and 3 Jack and cokes. Now I want 2 beers $8 each. $66 and then I want another drink $14. $80 already. The drink package can be $73 a day. So I am ahead. The last night now my wife and I do shots and get crazy. We were well ahead of the drink package. It’s different for everyone.
@@whatitis8785 The drinks package has a drinks serving gratuity built in, that you get to pay for, on top of the 'housekeeping gratuity' they rip you off with when making the booking. Pay workers a REAL LIVING WAGE and get rid of the USAian idea that customers are _required_ to make up the wages slack from employers deliberately underpaying workers.
Yeah, gratuity nonsense. In Australia/Singapore the $14 drink charge includes a gratuity built into that price. Buy the exact same drink with a crown and anchor loyalty drink coupon and the drink is $10 with no gratuity on the receipt.
By speaking like a machine gun or as if you are rushing to the toilet, you are cutting off your potential subscribers from non-English-speaking countries.
We always get the ultimate drink package. I watch it weekly and when they have specials. I buy it when it's at its lowest and continue to watch the price. I have never re-purchased because it was cheaper. We enjoy drinking without having to worry about how much is added onto our bill. A huge benefit is bottles of water, both regular and San Pellegrino, available. For every drink we get we get a water. Also nice taking water to your cabin for when you are thirsty or like me, I drink a lot of water daily, 8 to 10 XL cups. Having a mimosa with breakfast is also a nice treat. The possibilities are endless. Can't wait until our next cruise in July on Independence of the Seas Keep cruising 🛳️❤️🍹
