The reason I got the Cheers! package was due to them including bottled water as well as non-alcoholic coffee bar drinks. I enjoy alcohol, but looovve my coffee! My M.O. was to order a drink, then a bottle of water so I was pacing myself and keeping hydrated.
Restrictions from Carnival Cruise: -Must be 21 years or older to purchase and agree not to give to minors -Each adult assigned to the same stateroom must purchase the program -Only one drink at a time may be ordered. -No sharing is permitted -Applicable state and local taxes will be charged to the guest folio when this program is used within US waters -Program allows for up to 15 alcoholic drinks, per 24-hour period (6:00am - 6:00am). -Carnival reserves the right to refuse service for any reason -Program is non-refundable
My first cruise, I did not get the cheers package and spent $1,625 on drinks for me and my sister. Since then, We have always gotten the cheers package.
LOL. I watched the first 5 minutes or so. You convinced me I definitely don't need the package. I wish I could just buy it for my husband, but you have to get it for both people over 21 in the same cabin. You drank more the first 2 days than I drink in a year. Nothing wrong with that. You guys are on vacation and having fun, but I would be so sick. Now I have to decide between getting my husband a bottle of amaretto and something else. prob the Malibu rum or paying for a drink package that I won't use. (except for juice/soda) Thanks for making videos!
I don't drink at all but I am a heavy coffee drinker! So, I am going to try the cheers package and see if my coffee and soda is worth it. I might get a alchemy drink or 2 but as a non drinker. I am going to see if it is even worth it. I have to try at least once to see if it is worth the price tag.
No way. I felt sick just watching this. I don't know what is more disgusting, the price of the alcohol on board or how much they encourage people to drink. No offence to you. A good report on the drink package.
I agree! I am always stressing if I should even get a soft drink at the shows or I have to save my money for the end of the trip for the tips. I decided to try Cheers this time around and prepay my tips before cruising so I would not be stressing out.
In addition if you’re not a heavy drinker you can use the 15 count to not worry as much about not finishing something you may not like. A lot of Brandy’s totals are a result of this.
@@NogVlog That's a very good point. I was thinkng I might break even with the package, but being able to try new things without the pressure of having to finish a nasty drink b/c its $12 is a selling point.
Not quite understanding having to buy 2 drink packages when only I drink. I get the reasoning but there are ways around it. Give me a wrist band that has to stay on or something that identifies me as a purchaser of the package.
Unless they force you to drink it in front of them sharing can still happen as you just pass the drink to someone once you get out of view. Carnival has a 15 drink per day cap, if you are a light/casual drinker you can easily share that among 2 people.
Thank you for the labor intense video. Kinda crappy carnival does not start the program until the 2nd day. The first day on the boat is when most of us are excited and want to party.
That is only true if cruising out of Texas or New York. Sailing out of the rest of the U. S. ports start the first day from what I understand, but you will have to pay taxes on what you order until you are out of state and federal waters.
The cost of Cherrs as of today is $990.00 including gratuities. That's for an 8-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Dream. I'm not going to buy it this time around and just pay out of pocket.
Yes price per day was raised a tad in May 2022, which sucked for the work we put into the numbers of this video lol. But the spirit of comparing for your best decision stays true!
Absolutely perfect video. The breakdown of days being at sea and port, drink diversity and price breakdown, it was perfect. Doing the exact same cruise come August, will definitely invest in CHEERS!
I have bought the drink package for my upcoming cruise because I know that neither I or my wife would buy any of the really cool drinks available. We're both just to cheap. ROFLMAO Now I need to buy drinks. Not necessarily more than I normally would drink but now I can relax, experiment, and have fun with the drinking package. WOO HOO This is going to be so cool. Thanks for the great info.
Your channel should be growing. What a comprehensive list of Cheers drinks, with time, location and costs! I’ve not seen any other channel as to the point, and so well done! 👏👏👍
Really appreciate the side-by-side running tally of all the drinks every day very informative made a lot of sense..With the carnival drinks package due to go up on May 1st. I'm booking it now. My quandary is do I use available pre cruise onboard credits to help defer the cost. a few other things are also going up tips & specialty dining..
Yeah news of the price increase really made me grimace since it will make my numbers in this video outdated 😭😤😁. We have always used aarp gift cards to deflect 10% of as much of any cost as possible. You just have to budget out what you will think you may use your OBC for if not on cheers. 🍻
Did you have any time or inclination to consume a green vegetable on this cruise? Even the Almighty rested on the seventh day! Best wishes and good luck!
@@clove8763 yes as many non alcoholic drinks as you want. That made the package worth it for me because I got specialty coffees and milkshakes as I pleased.
Just my thoughts On a 7 day trip you’re off the ship 3/4 days for at least 8-10 hours which is a whole day paid and wasted you won’t utilize the drink package until you get back on the ship
Biggest unanswered question is, do the drinks actually have any booze in them? Are you drinking 8 drinks because you're stone sober due to these drinks being 90% ice and a splash of rum?
Right! These can't be the potent drinks I'm accustomed to. They drank way too many to be ok. They must have the tolerance of a bull or those drinks are weak as F!!
Lol most likely sugar and a drop of alcohol. It would be concerning(to me) if ppl were able to consume 15 drinks and be able to function and drink like that for 5 days straight. Ain't no way.
@@barbarahernandez4713 it actually all depends on how strong the drink is and how much time apart. Not all drink are created equal. Some drinks are definitely "creepers". I love a good drink. I know...
Thanks for this video. It helps and we just purchased the cheers package for hubby and I. We leave out of Galveston on April 3rd on the Dream. It’s our very first cruise and we will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary.
Technically not after 6am and the cafe likely won’t be open before then, but I have heard some claim they got $ drinks on disembarkation day. You are not paying for that day so don’t be disappointed that if they make you pay a la cart. The coffees are cheap though!
Not gonna lie, on port days, we grab a couple of drinks before heading off to port and pour in or large water bottles. Especially great for relaxing on beach
We purchased alcohol that was sent to our room on the second day. I’m not a heavy drinker. A lot of people said they wouldn’t buy the cheers package again. The alcohol beverages on the ship were super weak. Although the bottled alcohol was expensive, it was worth it because they were strong because we mixed them ourselves. Two bottles lasted the entire seven days. We spent $170 for the two bottles compared to $800 for the drink package. We also packed our mixers for our drinks. People were drinking 15 drinks a day to get there money worth. They were still standing which let me know that the drinks were watered down. BTW, we purchased the ship drinks on day one, we bought about 5 drinks for $65. They were not worth it. We also purchased bottle water that lasted the entire cruise. Also, that cheers package doesn’t kick in until day two so day one is on you.
There is definitely a stigma in "you gotta get the drink package" but the route you took is also a very popular one and the most economical if you're fine having the same drink (as well as making them as strong as you want). But that can get repetative. I am on vacation, I want to try a bunch of different liquors and flavor combinations and not be stuck with the same vodka-soda every drink, nor do I want to leave a venue to go back to my room to make another drink. So we are willing to pay more to have that ability, yet if we don't anticipate drinking $XXX worth then still no need to get the drink package. I completely disagree with the drink strength. I think I have had all of maybe 3 weak drinks on our 5 sailings thus far.
We going in a few weeks and I think this is the way we're going to do it. Cheers! is now $75/day. I just can't justify spending almost $1,000 on alcohol.
Drinks aren't weak. You can watch them jigger the alcohol. Most have at least 2oz per cocktail. Don't know where you drink at home but wouldn't be surprised if their out of business by now.
Anything over $20 you only pay the difference, but I am not sure you'll find anything over that cost on these ships. There are a few scotches and cognacs at the steakhouse bars (you don't need a steakhouse reservation to visit) that are well over that cost, but other bars will have Blanton's as the most expensive bourbon at $9.95 before auto-gratuity.
Awesome video. Thanks. You also didn't include the water. We order a bottle of water with every drink. Helpful for ports. I also like the coffee from the coffee bar to start my day.
Great job 👏 Enjoyed the post.. Curious why the pkg doest kick in until the 2nd day? All our cruises out of Florida, cheers starts as soon as you step on board.
Texas and New York have state restrictions that prevent those packages to be used in port, so rather than have them start late after sail-away, they just start them 6am day two. Also while in port in Texas, the ship has to use Texas-taxed liquors so bars are limited in their drink options. Nothing super detrimental, they just can't make all of the drinks as their recipes list on their menus until the get out of Texas waters. I have no idea for sure, but I really think THAT is the actual reason why Carnival does not start CHEERS! on embarkation day in Texas, rather than an actual law preventing the package to begin that day. I could be wrong there, but it's awfully coincidental.
Te The best example of Cheers! And you didn't mention, or include, specialty coffee drinks, milkshakes, and energy drinks that don't count toawrd the 15 drink limit!!
Should have included "real drinks" made with more expensive spirits, like whiskey. Vodka, gin, and rum are generally cheaper spirits as they're not aged (you *can* age rum). So, I saw that "Island Old Fashioned"... it is probably an Island drink because it is rum instead of rye whiskey.
Nope.. this promotes alcoholism and how much weight did you all gain drinking all that alcohol? I drink but in moderation, therefore this package is not for me.
They do! They are the prices with the 18% auto-gratuity added in. If you don't get the drink package you have to pay that on each drink. If you do get the drink package you pay 18% on the package cost, so the more drinks you have the less gratuity you pay per drink, if that makes sense. In either case, you can add additional gratuity on each drink for whenever you see fit.
Cheers it’s not for everyone….you must enjoy it to purchase it, it’s not cheap, it’s not shareable, also it only counts for your alcoholic beverages on board not at the islands. Some people switch around drinkers and non drinkers, when cheers is added it’s for all adults in the cabin. No exceptions since it’s an optional plan.
Awesome video!! My hubby and I just watched this together, we have been cruising together for almost 10 years now and have always gotten the drink package....all of a sudden we were second guessing ourselves for our July 6th Magic Trip....but this very detailes video answered our questions!! Thanks so much for all the hard work you put into it!! Much love from Connecticut
i think it would have been good also, to show and include any sodas, milkshakes, specialty coffees, etc that are included with cheers. Many may not drink quite as much alcohol (say 3-4 per day) so might not have the value strictly for the alcohol, but would make up the difference in other drinks that are included. especially useful if a couple of traveling and one wants the cheers for the booze, but the other doesnt drink at all or as much (cheers just for soda is silly, but we all know the rule about over 21 in same cabin have to have cheers if one has it)
Certainly helps anyone on the borderline of deciding! However we don’t drink sodas, nor did we get any milkshakes or non-alcoholic coffees on this trip. As mentioned near the end of the video, we each got about 3 or 4 water bottles a day.
From this same trip, check out our Alchemy menu video where we comment after each drink! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bS2rW1FvLIE.html
@@paulbailey7563 Freedom was our first cruise and first vloging! While ports and crew will have changed be sure to check out our Freedom playlist if you need a fix as your trip gets closer :-)
If you don't get CHEERS, you pay 18% gratuity on each of the drinks you order, right there on the cruise (all added to your folio that you pay at the conclusion of your cruise---either with a CC on file or cash that you load to your folio at guest services). So a $10 drink would be $11.80 on the reciept. If you buy CHEERS you pay the base cost and 18% gratuity of ONLY that base cost, all there when you check out on your computer. Your receipt for that same $10 drink will be $0 with the package. In both cases, you can add an additional tip to each drink beyond that, if you are so inclined. Out of NY and TX, CHEERS doesn't start until 6am on day 2, so anything bought on embarkation day and evening will be like you don't have CHEERS. Hope that helps!
Yes, even though we purchased the package we logged the costs of the drinks, including the auto-gratuity, for comparison sake, and that is what is on the screen.
The Carnival package is worth it. You get so much more than just the alcohol drinks, with specialty coffee, water. 6 drinks a day is not hard even on port days
This was such a great video!! We always get Cheers but every now and again we doubt if we really need it. The last time we didn't get it, we ended up spending almost as much as cheers but didn't get any of the non alcoholic value from water, soda, specially coffees etc. I think we are definitely going Cheers.
Just a Texas and New York port restriction. So rather than making you pay for day 1 that you wouldn’t be able to start using until ~5pm, they start it day 2 6am.
We actually went in to this sailing, knowing we were doing this video and our Alchemy Bar video, with intentions to try a lot of different cocktails across the trip. We starred some beers and wines if I recall, but we were more focused on the mixed drinks for sure.
We don't drink quite that much, even on cruises, but we do like the specialty coffee, the bottled water at dinner and not having to worry about getting/not getting a drink because it's expensive. We do end up in the "green" when we do purchase the package. This time, we had $500 in OBC that paid for all but 60'ish of the package. So, I think we'll end up on in the positive.
Nice video! Ever since we splurged once to get it, we always do now. The way we drink on vacation (including the unlimited specialty coffee, water, and soft drinks) and not having to worry about the bill at the end just makes sense for us after I did the math. We love relaxing at Alchemy getting custom drinks. We rarely ever come close to 15 and always come out ahead or at least break even most days with what we like to drink. Port days doesn't matter to us because we drink more in the evening with Alchemy bar and other activities, like the comedy club. It isn't for everyone but usually when I break it down and let someone know that you do not have to drink 15 drinks to make it worth it (like we did), many come around.
Majority of your drinks were from the various bars. What did you drink while in the dining room with meals? I noticed the mimosas and bellinis at breakfast, but nothing from lunch and dinner? Or did you take drinks from the bars into the dining room?
WATER, lots of water lol. We did bring over some of the drinks from Alchemy but not always. Lance often orders the Tropical Espresso along with the desserts for after the meal.
Nice informative video Lance! I'll be sailing on the Carnival Glory in Sept on a 7 day, out of New Orleans. I bought the Cheers package recently, $495. My liquor preference tends to be vodka. I'm not a heavy drinker (alcohol wise), so I can't see coming close to the 15 drink daily max. Any suggestions on what alcohol based drinks to possibly get...that would do a good job of eating up the $70/day expenditure? aka the "biggest bang for the buck"..per drink.
Take some time to review each of the venues drink menus here: profcruise.com/carnival-bar-menus-and-drink-prices-2022/ and then make a notes page in your phone which ones you think you may like and want to try. Since 15 isn’t a big worry for you, you can move on to a different drink if you come across one you don’t like. Also letting the Alchemy bar tenders know you prefer vodka and then what flavors you like or don’t like and let them make something on the spot for you. They have a blast trying to craft something just right for you!
so in all honesty i see two major things that make the choice an easy one for me which we bit the bullet on for our first cruise july 17th-21st carnvial radiance trip....one is a big big one i dont have to worry about it...i can just enjoy my cruise drink what i want when i want. and two i am a huge soda and coffee fan so those options in addition to the 15 alcahol drink limit made an easy choice for me. also i know i am speaking of a differant drink package and company on this point but royal makes it so the package is usable on the private islands so that helps as well.
We hope to make a mirroring video on the Deluxe Beverage Package for RC in between our next sailings. Lot's of pros and cons that differ based on their different setups. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for the info. I was unclear on whether you included the last day when arriving back at home port; typically around 8:00AM in Galveston. I believe that counts as a day paid as well but you only have a few hours to use it on debarking. Seems like lost day to me.
Disembarkation day is not a part of CHEERS!, heck it isn’t even technically a “day” of your cruise. You don’t “pay” for that day for either. CHEERS! days are 6am-6am. After that you could probably have a mimosa or bloody mary at cost at the MDR breakfast but other venues are closed as staff restock for the next sailing.
The 1st alcoholic drink on New Year's Day was at 5 o'clock lol. This video really opened my eyes to how much the cruise industry makes in alcoholic beverages
Love the cheers package. I get it depending on who I’m traveling with. My partner doesn’t drink so I’ll drink less on our trip in September. When I go with my bestie….watch out we’re going hard! Cheers 🥂!
Don't think I will pay for two when the wife doesn't drink. If I could buy it for one it might be worth it but since I can't I guess I will have to pass. Thanks for the insight.
Ask if you can get a pitcher of a mixed drink. We ordered 2 drinks for 24.00 and found out we could have gotten a pitcher of only certain drinks for 29.00 on carnival liberty. Also they had a bucket of beers (5 or 6) bottles for 35.00. Just an FYI. We are going on carnival conquest in January so I'm gonna see if they have that offer also. Price for cheers pkg is ridiculous for a couple drinks for us.
Seems like your net surplus value after your port drinks and gratuities is about $23.00 Yet who cares looks like you guys had a blast and yes if you plan on drinking or trying new beverages, it’s worth it every time to get the cheers package. I’ve cruised 13 times so I know from experience lol
Yes sir. We are trying Royal Caribbean for the first time next week as well as their Deluxe Beverage Package and will (hopefully) orchestrate a similar video of how that turns out!
@@NogVlog Cheers for the win! Not only will I get enough alcohol to make me happy, I can start my day with my specialty coffees, continue my day with my specialty teas, I feel special the whole way through! Lol
Great vlog! New sub! And this doesn't include water bottles, specialty coffee, Gatorade and milkshakes etc so def a deal even though it hurts the wallet. I agree prob wouldn't drink as many but nice not to have to worry about during your vaca.
Lance stayed lit 🔥🤣thanks for the video. Going in June for the first time. One of my friends said he got cut off of the drink package more than once! Can’t imagine how many drinks it was.
Yup, with the auto gratuity its tough to find a cocktail under $10. But you do get what you pay for, the drinks are well-made, strong and tasty. Just have to do mental math on if what you plan to drink across all days will cost more than the package cost.
If out of Galveston or New York, you don’t pay for day one (embarkation) and you can’t use it that day either. Package starts 6am day two, and ends 6am on disembarkation day. The “last day” is your last sea day, not the day you get off.
It’s good on embarkation if sailing out of anywhere BUT Texas and New York. Those sailings’ packages don’t make you pay for that day. You can still buy drinks they are just at cost.
They are! We just didn’t get any so didn’t have any to show for this video. Water, soda, shakes, coffees, energy drinks, and juice are all included with CHEERS! package.
It will be in your account when the bartender swipes your Sail & Sign card, so the receipt printed will be $0 and indicate what number alcoholic drinks you are at for that day. They used to also place a sticker on your card for visual purposes but that was really pointless since the computer lets them know each swipe.
Fun, informative video! IMO, the true value of the drink package on any cruise line is the ability to try different beverages relatively carefree. I tend to stick with my tried and trues (Long Island Iced Teas), which I know will give me the most "bang for my buck" lol. Plus, cruise ports are usually a bit more liberal with their pours lol. I will try a drink package on a future cruise if I can get it as a promotion though. Enjoyed the vid, new sub!
Certainly, the parameters have to line up to make it worth-while. Not much variance in price for Carnival's package, though. Unless you are a heavy gambler you can get drinks on them in casino for one, for two, then even heavy gamblers get offered drinks anywhere (basically CHEERS!) but what they are losing to the casino is likely way more than the package cost.
