Ashley KosciolekWhether you enjoy pina coladas by the pool, beer at the brewpub, specialty coffee at the cafe or all of the above, cruise drink packages can be economical if you think you’ll consume enough to make the purchase of one worth the expense. But are you using yours correctly?
Even if you’re a seasoned beverage package pro, we’re willing to bet there are still some mistakes you’re making. Here, we’ve compiled a list of ways you might be paying too much, committing etiquette faux pas or simply not drawing as much value as you could be from your investment. We’re also offering some cruise drink package tips to help fix those mistakes.
Not Budgeting for a Drink Package if You Want One
Cruise drink packages are not cheap. In fact, they’re crazy expensive. For the most inclusive options with some of the biggest cruise lines, you could be looking at an extra $100 per person, per day, which amounts to more than $1,200 for two adults on a weeklong voyage – as much as the cost of another cruise.
Some lines then charge an additional mandatory gratuity of up to 20% on top of the cost of the package. Then you’ll have to factor in any additional local taxes that might be levied on drinks you order with your package while the ship is docked in port.
You should work all of this into the bottom line of your vacation budget as you’re planning so you’re not left with serious sticker shock.
Assuming You Have to Have a Package
Cruise beverage packages are a given for many passengers, but you should never feel obligated to buy one if you’re not a big drinker and don’t think you’ll use it enough to at least break even. At that point, it’s just a waste of money. This applies even if your cruise line includes a drink package in your fare.
Why would you care about opting out if it’s free? Because, as mentioned above, you could still be looking at gratuities and taxes on the estimated value of the “free” package, as is the case with NCL’s Free at Sea promotion, and those can amount to hundreds of dollars. So, if you don’t think you’ll get enough use out of the included package, see if you can choose not to accept it.
Not Knowing What Your Package Covers
One of the best cruise drink package tips is to simply read a package’s list of inclusions ahead of buying it or opting into it if it’s a freebie. It sounds obvious, but we’re always shocked when someone tells us they didn’t know they’d have to pay extra for bottled water, specialty tea and coffee, high-end beer or top-shelf spirits with packages that don’t include them.
If you know what you’re getting into ahead of time, you’ll be less surprised by additional charges, and you can better determine if it would make the most financial sense for you to skip the package and order a la carte, keep a basic package for what you need or upgrade to a premium offering.
Overlooking Other Package Types
If you’re a bigger fan of smoothies, energy drinks or specialty coffee than booze, check to see which other kinds of drink packages your cruise line sells besides ones that include alcohol. Most have coffee packages or punch cards; zero-proof packages that roll smoothies, milkshakes, bottled water and fancy coffees and teas into the equation; and basic soda packages, too. If you can tailor your package to exactly what you want, it could end up costing you less than splurging on one that includes everything.
Not Considering Your Itinerary
One of our biggest cruise drink package tips is this: To best calculate whether or not a cruise drink package is a good financial decision, don’t forget to take your itinerary – specifically, the number of sea days versus port days – into account. If you’ll be spending most of your time ashore, you’re unlikely to draw maximum value from a package, especially one that includes alcohol.
Don’t forget to add cruise lines’ private destinations to your tally because many – including Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, Carnival’s Half Moon Cay and Celebration Key, and Norwegian’s Harvest Caye – don’t allow you to use your shipboard alcohol packages when you’re ashore.
Trying to Share Packages
Stop using your alcohol package to order drinks for someone else. We still hear about people trying to do this, and it bothers us. Behavior like that is why most lines now require everyone sharing a cabin to have a beverage package if even one person in the room has one.
Instead, have others in your group plan on budgeting for their own packages or to buy drinks a la carte.
Buying a Package if You’re Traveling With Kids
Think adults are the only ones who must have their own beverage packages if another adult in their cabin has one? Think again. Children sharing the room also are required to have packages – the zero-proof kind. Unless your kids regularly consume an alarming number of soft drinks or your teen downs specialty coffees like they’re going out of style, they shouldn’t need a beverage package of any kind.
When you’re cruising with kids, the only way purchasing an alcohol package for yourself would be worth the cost is if what you’d expect to spend on a la carte drinks without one would exceed the cost of both your package and your kiddos’.
Additionally, if you limit your children’s sugary drink intake, you probably won’t want them to have a drink package. Otherwise, if they’re out and about on the ship by themselves, they can purchase soda, milkshakes and other beverages at any time without your knowledge.
Attempting to Order More Than One Drink at a Time
Most cruise lines won’t allow this if you have a package. It’s to prevent you from sharing with others in your group who didn’t purchase one. Be aware of your cruise line’s policy before sidling up to the bar and having the bartender tell you they can’t fulfill your request. Some cruise lines will make the exception for ordering a bottle of water alongside an alcoholic beverage.
Making Faux Pas With Personal Drinkware
We know Stanley cups are, like, so trendy right now. Although we personally don’t understand the appeal of bringing them on a cruise, lots of people do it. Just don’t ask the bartender to fill your own personal cup, mug or tumbler when you head to your favorite onboard haunt. It’s unsanitary. They’ll likely refuse and, instead, give it to you in one of the ship’s clean glasses from which you can then transfer it if you’d like. The same applies to filling your thermos in the buffet. Use clean glassware at the beverage station and then transfer it to your personal drinkware.
The only time it’s acceptable and actually necessary to use your own cup is if you’re getting soda from the Freestyle machines on Royal Caribbean ships using the cup they gave you. The cups are what activate the machines. Just be sure to wash yours occasionally during your voyage.
Forgetting There’s Other Free Alcohol Onboard
Thinking of skipping the beverage package? There are other ways to score free alcohol and mocktails onboard. When you book a suite with some cruise lines, they’ll give you a complimentary beverage package or amenities like a free welcome bottle of sparkling wine, Champagne or a spirit of your choice.
If a suite isn’t in your budget, check your loyalty status. Some brands offer access to exclusive cocktail hours or lounges where crew serve drinks to attendees. Other lines offer beverage vouchers as perks.
If you don’t have high-tier status, look for events like art auctions or the captain’s welcome reception, which are open to everyone and often serve complimentary alcohol. It also pays to be a joiner, as winners of onboard game shows often receive drink vouchers or bottles of Champagne or sparkling wine as prizes.
Ultimately, you can take advantage of these free drinks in addition to the ones you’re entitled to in the event you do decide to purchase a beverage package.
Exceeding Your Limits
Don’t become so obsessed with getting your money’s worth out of your drink package that you drink to excess. Many cruise lines have daily limits on the number of alcoholic drinks your package will cover. It’s partially to help them save money and partially to keep passengers safe.
Not only can binge drinking be dangerous for you and the people around you, but you could miss out on valuable vacation time if you get sick or find yourself hungover the next day. Take the time to do the math to see if a drink package is right for you. Above all, know your limits, and don’t worry about maxing out your beverage allotment. In addition to being one of the best cruise drink package tips, it’s also solid advice that will help you avoid embarrassing yourself.
Not Hydrating Enough
You might be drinking a ton with your package, but are you hydrating? Alcohol can dehydrate you quickly, especially if you’re sailing someplace warm and aren’t taking in enough other fluids – especially those with electrolytes.
Make sure to drink plenty of water, and consider bringing a 12-pack of your favorite sports drink onboard if your cruise line allows it. A good rule of thumb is to ask for a bottle of water after every alcoholic drink or two.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, only you can decide if a cruise beverage package is right for you. To recap of our cruise drink package tips, remember to calculate the cost of the package, plus any gratuities and taxes you’re likely to be charged. Budget accordingly when planning your sailing, remembering to consider the fact that, if you purchase a package, everyone in your cabin will likely be required to do the same. Also take the length of your sailing and the number of sea days versus port days into consideration to see if the investment is worth the expense.
If you do opt for a package, make sure to know your limits; hydrate between beers, cocktails or glasses of wine; and remember the rules. Don’t try to order more than one drink at a time, don’t order drinks for others who don’t have packages, and don’t ask the bartender to fill your personal drinkware.
Finally, never feel pressured to buy an alcohol package you don’t think you’ll need. There are other ways to find free drinks onboard. Worst case, you can pay a la carte; if you’re someone who only enjoys a couple of drinks a day, this is almost always a less expensive way to go than a drink package purchase is.
Comments
Have you made any of these cruise drink package mistakes? Do you have any other drink package tips or hacks to add to our list? Drop us an anchor below to share whether or not you think a beverage package is worth it on a cruise.
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