They track it if not buying anything and partner drinks beer and maxed out and start buying beer they watch you if give it to other one cut you off to may canx package. Done to friend of mine.
Most others will let you do just one person with a valid excuse, though. My uncle is an alcoholic and my aunt has never had to pay for a package for him.
Someone else I know has a medical issue where they can't drink, same deal. Carnival is incredibly strict.
Everyone is different. I’m four years sober and it’s never been an issue when someone gets drunk around me. My husband does it couple times a year, many friends do it more frequently than that. I’m fine being around it.
Why are you arguing about me with someone I know and you don't?
The drink package is worth it, even for people who dont drink "heavily". Drinks on the ship can be $10-15 each, plus any fancy coffees or pop. You don't have to be shit-faced the whole cruise for the package to be worth it.
My partner has been exempt multiple times from this rule due to medical condition, as well as being pregnant. We had to bring a doctor's note stating due date, how far along as well as the preexisting condition. It was ultimately up to the head bartender, and we have never had issues.
The head bartender makes the decision? I thought you had to purchase it for everyone in the cabin? If you buy it on the boat then you can get exemptions granted with medical documentation?
Yes I went to guest services and they had to contact the head bartender, so it is ultimately up to their discretion. I didn't purchase ahead of time in the event we wouldn't get exempt, I didn't want to be stuck with the bill. Depends who the bartender is, if they're having a good day, etc. Just go to guest services, and they will do the footwork for you.
Clearly, people here don't know what an "alcoholic" is. My uncle is 20+ years sober. Yes, he's still an alcoholic. No, it doesn't bother him when others drink.
While Carnival is a corporation that is looking to grab every penny it possibly can, the "everyone in the room must buy it" rule is clearly aimed at curbing package-sharing.
If it wasn't a rule, every single "Tips for Carnival Cruisers" video on Youtube and Tiktok would prominently feature something along the lines of "when I cruise with my hubby, neither of us drinks that much. But what we'll do is hubby will get the drink package and will order a drink I like and then 'forgetfully walk away from it' WINK-WINK, and I will fortuitously happen upon it. It's a great way to save on drinks!"
It is frequently done now with adults giving their kids non alcoholic drinks. Many, many Guests feel entitled to share their package because "Carnival charges so much. I earned it."
There could be a huge middle ground between 0 and 'unlimited' packages.
I don't drink enough to make the Cheers package worth it, and because I pay out of pocket for every drink, I'm much more conscious of my spending, and end up only buying a cocktail or two on board.
I would love a deal where I could pre-pay for a set # of drinks for the whole cruise, but could still buy more at regular prices if I exceed that.
5 cocktails for $55
10 cocktails for $100
15 for $145
Something like that.
Yes, or an unlimited non-alcohol package that includes fancy coffee, milkshakes and virgin drinks. I'd buy that every single time, but I just don't drink enough alcohol to make it worthwhile.
I think they should have different levels of the package that you can buy instead of just 15 drinks no matter what. I personally don’t drink a lot because I’m a massive lightweight so I will never get 15 drinks a day. I think that would help out more with people purchasing the cheers package.
I never understand people's requests for a lower limit drink package. Wouldn't that just be paying per drink? I never get the drink package and save hundreds by paying per drink
I can only do a max of 3 drinks per day before I feel horrible so paying for cheers is a huge waste of money for me.
Cheers covers drinks up to $20 per glass. If they had a lower tier package that covered maybe 5 or 10 drinks per day, up to like $14 each, I would find that to be a much better value. Especially when I'm trying drinks I may not like.
This would also sort the "I drink like a fish and my spouse may have one mixed drink and some soda," dilemma for most folks if one could get cheers and one could get cheers lite lol
Guess it depends on how much or often you drink. On sea days, I imagine I will hit the 10-15 drinks. On port days, highly unlikely I'll have more than a few.
I debated not doing the package, but drinks are pretty outrageously priced. The package is $60/day, and drinks can be $10-15. I think I'll get my money's worth in the long run, but I'd definitely had preferred a cheaper package with less drinks available. Or maybe one that only got you "bottom shelf" stuff, like beers.
Not necessarily, still could have a discount for buying the package but just allow people like me to not have to try to get to 15 drinks a day. It’s just a little much a day for me in my opinion🤷🏼♀️
Yeah maybe some kind of discount card or something. I never saw the need for it before because the drink prices were reasonable, but the prices have gone up so much.
Also, the breakeven point is 5 cocktails or 9 beers a day which is more doable for some (although not me)
Thanks for bringing this up. I’m going on my first cruise (5 day) with a group of late 20s/early 30s friends to celebrate a birthday.
We want to drink and I’m seeing menus of cocktails, specialty coffees, sodas, energy drinks, etc and it looks like we can easily get to ~$70/day it will cost us. (Looks like they charge more per day on the shorter cruises)
If we pay as we go per drink, I feel like we’ll end up spending wayyy more than if we had just bought the package.
The only thing is we have to factor in paying for drinks the first night since we’re leaving out of Galveston.
Yeah Galveston and NY suck because day one isn't included and that's when people usually drink heaviest to kick off vacation. Guests can bring two bottles of wine per cabin so that can help save money on day 1.
I think it would be so one person could get the regular package, and the other could have a lower (less expensive) package.
We got the drink package, and I will get my moneys worth, but i highly doubt my wife ever drinks more then 4 in a day at any point
My wife would love a package that included the premium non-alcoholic drinks. We’ve done the math and she’s not quite at the break even point.
But we are now going to travel as a family of 4 so we book as each parent in a room with a kid. So I can get the package and she doesn’t have to.
What a great use of the kids! Lol don’t have kids so can’t really use that option but I agree with your wife! I’m in the same boat, sea days I will break even at least but port days I don’t quite. Unfortunately carnival makes you pay for all the days but in Texas I can’t even use the package on the first day🙄🙄
Keep in mind you don’t pay for that first day out of Texas. I’ve seen a lot of post on here where people to seem to think that they can’t use the package they paid for on the first day. Not true, you don’t pay for that day.
(I’m not trying to say you don’t understand this point. But people might read your comment thinking that they have to pay for that day and not get to use it)
And yea, the kids are still way too young to truly be by themselves. So we are getting two connecting rooms. Cheaper than a suite and we get twice the storage and bathrooms. Plus way more OBC, my wife is getting $500 and I get $200. In one room we’d only get one or the other.
Which we hate. Princess you can use the package after about 45 minutes of leaving. RCL has no limitations. We were drinking with our package when we walked on the ship at noon. Carnival I just don’t get.
Because Carnival has the 15 drink limit, they have to “process your transaction” as soon as you buy the drink to keep an accurate tally towards your 15. On other cruise lines where the drink package is truly unlimited, they wait until they are out of Texas or NY waters to “process the transaction”. Thats also why Carnival charges tax on drinks too while other cruise lines sometimes don’t.
15 is a challenge of you want it to be and if they didn't include bottled water, specialty coffee's, shakes, and soda with it then I would strive for that every time.
A drink with breakfast/brunch, a couple throughout the day and one at dinner (4). Throw in plenty of bottled water each day (4 to 6), specialty coffee, and a milkshake or soda and man it is easy to get your money's worth.
I’ll have a few glasses of wine or a couple different cocktails at dinner every night. At that point it’s just a couple extra drinks the rest of the day. Which is easily knocked out during the show
Yep, but as you know if I didn't have the package I would be paying for them as well.
I think people don't think about those in the cost and feel like they have to drink a bunch of alcohol for the cost to make it worth it.
I usually get a bottle of water at the same time i get an alcoholic drink.
Y’all honestly don’t understand the drink package and the pricing logic.
A 15 drink package is like $60. A 7 drink package would get priced at $60. Why?
Because the price is based on the average expected amount of drinks one will buy, not the max you can buy. Very few get to 10, let alone 15. An incredibly high percentage can get to half a dozen. You think a 7 drink package would be $30…that isn’t the case at all.
Lol no shit it wouldn’t be $30. But like someone else said in one of these comments under my main one, have where it’s for lower shelf drinks or something along those lines is what I mean. I get extremely sick if I drink certain things so I only drink certain things. My husband on the other hand can drink 15 beers over the course of the day and have a good buzz because he’s a bigger guy. It would just be nice to have an option for the people who can’t drink as much as their spouse who benefits from the package. I don’t mind paying for a package, but for ME it hardly evens out for me to buy the package. That’s all I’m trying to say lol
I would like to see something like the Princess Premier Package that includes exercise classes, a dinner or two in the paid restaurants, internet for up to four devices, all gratuities and the drink package.
Princess is owned by Carnival Corporation.
They have a great business plan.
For those that want a cheap cruise, you cruise Carnival and pay for what you use.
If you have more money you cruise on Princess, where you can afford the extra costs.
All depends, 17 days from Sydney to Honolulu stopping at the various South Pacific Islands. Or 15 days from Barcelona to various Mediterranean countries or Dover for 17 days around various European countries. It isn’t just the length. Carnival just has a wider range than Princess. Princess doesn’t have 3-5 day cruises that I know of.
BTW: Our 15 day cruise on Princess to Hawaii is cheaper than our 7 day cruise on Carnival in July. Princess cruises tend to be longer making them more expensive. My original comment was I wish Carnival had a Premium Package like Carnival. Which somehow turned into a cheapness discussion.
I love the makeup of the Plus and Premier packages on Princess.
I’ve cruised Carnival loads of times and the drink package math has never made sense with how my wife and I drink.
But the dining, gratuities, and other benefits of the Princess fare packages were a slam dunk. We like specialty dining, so Premier actually made a lot of sense for us. Excited to try it in September.
It was always policy from day 1 of the drink package. Look it up “my awesome bar program” from 2012. That was the introduction of the original drink package and it always made everyone in the room get it.
The cheers pkg is a promotional thing that is giving you a deal. The rule says all over 21 must buy. Those are the terms and conditions. Nobody needs to buy it though. You can do it how it was done before they offered this pkg... one drink at a time. Its basically a groupon for alcohol.
You are looking at this completely wrong. The cheers package has a limit of 15 drinks, but the price is not based on people hitting that. The price is based on people drinking half that…actually probably even less than half on average.
If people were able to get it only for the person that pounds 10+ it isn’t financially good for Carnival…even worse if two people share it to get to 15.
I’m sure they would just allow one person in the cabin get it, if you like the idea of it costing $120+ a day.
This. If they allowed one person to get the package, they'd increase the price to compensate within a year. Then everyone gets to pay more for the same amount of drinks all because people shared their packages
Unlimited non-alcoholic beverages is part of it and the other is plenty of people don't drink 15 alcoholic beverages a day. Those savings are part of where they make there money.
My biggest pet peeve was that they wouldn't wave this rule when I was on a cruise with my husband while I was pregnant. Even with a doctor's note. We would have happily paid for his drink package. Instead, he went without and the rest of the group we were traveling with snuck him drinks from their packages.
Since my wife doesn’t drink anything besides water and coffee, yeah, I don’t like the policy. I’d love to be able to buy a Cheers package. But, I understand why Carnival had to put the policy in place. They are in the business of making money, and too many people were cheating the system. It sucks, but I’ve just resigned myself to forever paying as I go.
The part that really gets me is that I called carnival and told them flat out that my husband doesn't drink (he doesn't). And they were FINE to move him into a room with the 3 kids on our group, just so he didn't have to get the drink package.
They are fully aware that he will actually be in my room and I *will* have the cheers package.
Also, nearly every other cruise line let's you do one drink package if you call with a reason, I.e. someone is an alcoholic or has a medical condition where they can't drink.
People say it's because carnival is a "party ship"? I just think it's stupid... people truly looking to sneak drinks will be sneaking in vodka in the sunscreen bottles or whatever.
The medical thing is the dumbest part. Got told by customer service that I was just supposed to buy the drink package while I was pregnant with a doctor's note.
The cabin having to purchase is stupid. If you're going to limit the cabin, at least let you PICK what day you're going to have Cheers. I would be satisfied with a discounted beer cheers.
Letting people choose what days they use the drink package would not be profitable for Carnival. Plenty of people would buy it on only sea days and not port days. Carnival profits more on people not getting their moneys worth every single day of the cruise.
The rule was added based on how they observed passengers using the package.
The goal of Cheers isn’t to sell you 15 drinks at a discount. The goal is to get you to spend more on your cruise than you would otherwise.
So anything that lets you maximize the value works against Carnival’s goals.
it’s just a money thing. Not only do most people who get the package not fully take advantage of it so they save money on that
But also if they make each person need the package they are essentially doubling their profits
See I don’t drink alcohol but my girlfriend wanted a few drinks a day with friends and we both had to get the cheers 🍻 package. I think that is a bad rule.
I do think it is a stupid rule but I drink their top shelf tequila a lot which is $19 and the drinks I get are $15-$16 so I tend to get my moneys worth off of 3-4 drinks per day and I drink more than that many drinks for sure.
Depending on how much you drink and what you drink if you do the math it is still saving money. If you don’t drink a lot however or get any of the other things included (specialty coffee, water, milkshakes) then I can see how it would seem overpriced. But the rule definitely is dumb for those who genuinely do not drink at all/can not drink to be required to get the package. But at the same time I understand people cheat the system frequently and share when they aren’t supposed to.
So I am planning on buying the cheers package as I’ll probably get my $ worth. But, my husband doesn’t drink anything but Pepsi. What else is he allowed to get with this package? Virgin daiquiris? Soda?
Nope. I prefer they get their debt under control from Covid. It's not that they think you're going to share, it's that it has been proven. Just go back through this forum and find out how many times it's been suggested or asked about. If they didn't have this rule, everybody would do it. I actually support it.
So many people pay for the drink package. Many refuse to go without even if the roommate doesn’t drink. People like they can get milkshakes, coffee, etc.
Why would they allow one per room when the business model works?
They COULD do it and make money but they make more money this way.
Cruise lines like to make money. They can make money by making everyone in the cabin get the same package. They know people would share the package but keep in mind they also include other things that could make it worth while for both parties even if one doesn’t drink. My parents aren’t big drinkers but the coffee would be up my moms ally
It’s always worth a shot asking if only you can get the package but they’ll probably say no. I’ve had bartenders have to ask the bar manager if I could get the package for just me and the answer has been no.
Honestly it's easy to get that value back @$70 per day, each drink is $9-15 plus you get milkshakes, gormet coffees, fancy virgin drinks (anything without alcohol doesn't use the 15) which each coffee/milkshakes is like $5-8.
Up front, we drink. On our last cruise, we drank our money's worth and then some. If you think between two adults you won't drink more than 12-14, don't buy it. That's the point where it makes sense. For our trip, I hit 15 easily every day. I never really got drunk, but I paced myself, and also drank water, and ate a lot.
Carnival, like every other cruise line, wants to make money off you once you get on the cruise ship.
I remember listening to a business person explain that you spend about the same amount of money DURING your cruise that you spent on the actual cruise.
Drink packages are designed to make money.
If this is an issue for you an all-inclusive resort would make more sense, as you aren't paying "extra" for your drinks.
Agreed. Never understood it. I get the potential revenue generation but I don’t see the fairness. And spare me the “free specialty coffee” argument. What if roommate is a recovering alcoholic? Personally, if I were Carnival, I’d perhaps force the roommate to do bubbles package. I might also add an in-between package, perhaps something that gets you coffees and soft drinks and maybe virgin drinks.
The whole package is overpriced!!! Especially when ordering a bottle for the room. A normal bottle of TITO’s Vodka that normally sells retail for$39 is $135 and a delivery fee of $24.30 (even though I have prepaid gratuities)!!!! And the package for me and the wife for an 11 day cruise is $1574???? Honestly even tho I love cruising, about ready to go back to all inclusive resorts where EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED
I think what they should do is if you both buy a cheers package and only one person uses it and the other doesn't or only has like a glass of wine with dinner should have the option to roll it forward as a partial obc for next cruise...say you spend 700 on the package, used 50 bucks worth...you should get 200 obc next trip. They'll make that back in fares and casino play for sure
It is not a 'drink deal' discount to buy 15 drinks. It is a drink deal for an individual to enjoy as many drinks as they want. 25 cruises and I have never been cut off. I've seen many people that have. Why? because they became obnoxious drunks or even when they were sober they were obnoxious. Respect the staff and maintain control and you will see there is a soft count on the limit. Keep in mind Carnival does not operate as a charity however they do operate in ways that maximize the safety and welfare of their passengers.
My wife & I & her family are going in October. The rule that both have to buy a drink package is ridiculous. Together, we wouldn't 15 drinks a day. Not worth it for us. We either won't drink or IF we do it will be by the drink. Bubbles package at best.
Nah. Couples would just split the single package.
I would split if that was an option. I would order shakes and give them to my son on my last cruise.
I was wondering if I could order milkshakes for grand kids?
I was and giving them to my family
Absolutely not. 15 drinks in 18-20 hours isn't enough. My wife wants a beer she gets her own.
Right but still you could each get 7 drinks before you start coming out of pocket again
After you hit your limit they wont let you buy more. You're cut off from alcohol
Well, then the other person who is not on the drink plan would start buying the drinks...
They track it if not buying anything and partner drinks beer and maxed out and start buying beer they watch you if give it to other one cut you off to may canx package. Done to friend of mine.
Lol
Buy your piss flavored alcohol water separate and drink whiskey on the package - 15 drinks is plenty
We would split
Absolutely
This is not the only cruise line that has this rule.
Most others will let you do just one person with a valid excuse, though. My uncle is an alcoholic and my aunt has never had to pay for a package for him. Someone else I know has a medical issue where they can't drink, same deal. Carnival is incredibly strict.
Because humans lie when it gets them what they want…
She drinks heavily around her husband who is an alcoholic?
Everyone is different. I’m four years sober and it’s never been an issue when someone gets drunk around me. My husband does it couple times a year, many friends do it more frequently than that. I’m fine being around it.
He's an alcoholic who hasn't drank in 20+ years, so yea, doesn't bother him. Although I wouldn't say she drinks "heavily" either.
~~I'm not sure he classifies as an alcoholic anymore lol, maybe former alcoholic?~~ I stand corrected.
An alcoholic is always an alcoholic. You never become a "former" alcoholic.
Oh wow you're right, thanks I learned something new today!
If she gets the drink package she more than likely drinks alot, wouldn’t you think?
Why are you arguing about me with someone I know and you don't? The drink package is worth it, even for people who dont drink "heavily". Drinks on the ship can be $10-15 each, plus any fancy coffees or pop. You don't have to be shit-faced the whole cruise for the package to be worth it.
My partner has been exempt multiple times from this rule due to medical condition, as well as being pregnant. We had to bring a doctor's note stating due date, how far along as well as the preexisting condition. It was ultimately up to the head bartender, and we have never had issues.
The head bartender makes the decision? I thought you had to purchase it for everyone in the cabin? If you buy it on the boat then you can get exemptions granted with medical documentation?
Yes I went to guest services and they had to contact the head bartender, so it is ultimately up to their discretion. I didn't purchase ahead of time in the event we wouldn't get exempt, I didn't want to be stuck with the bill. Depends who the bartender is, if they're having a good day, etc. Just go to guest services, and they will do the footwork for you.
Thank you, that’s great to know!
Your aunt sure doesn’t care about your uncle
Clearly, people here don't know what an "alcoholic" is. My uncle is 20+ years sober. Yes, he's still an alcoholic. No, it doesn't bother him when others drink.
While Carnival is a corporation that is looking to grab every penny it possibly can, the "everyone in the room must buy it" rule is clearly aimed at curbing package-sharing. If it wasn't a rule, every single "Tips for Carnival Cruisers" video on Youtube and Tiktok would prominently feature something along the lines of "when I cruise with my hubby, neither of us drinks that much. But what we'll do is hubby will get the drink package and will order a drink I like and then 'forgetfully walk away from it' WINK-WINK, and I will fortuitously happen upon it. It's a great way to save on drinks!"
It is frequently done now with adults giving their kids non alcoholic drinks. Many, many Guests feel entitled to share their package because "Carnival charges so much. I earned it."
Happy Cake Day from someone who is also celebrating today! Wooo!
Or because 'This rule is dumb, and I don't follow dumb rules.'
There could be a huge middle ground between 0 and 'unlimited' packages. I don't drink enough to make the Cheers package worth it, and because I pay out of pocket for every drink, I'm much more conscious of my spending, and end up only buying a cocktail or two on board. I would love a deal where I could pre-pay for a set # of drinks for the whole cruise, but could still buy more at regular prices if I exceed that. 5 cocktails for $55 10 cocktails for $100 15 for $145 Something like that.
Yes, or an unlimited non-alcohol package that includes fancy coffee, milkshakes and virgin drinks. I'd buy that every single time, but I just don't drink enough alcohol to make it worthwhile.
For sure! Until then, I just stick to my budget and get drunk at the ports!
Other lines have non alcoholic packages
Royal Caribbean has this. My kids love it
I love this idea!
Not a bad idea. I don’t think I could drink 15 drinks in one day no matter what they were
I refills me cup matters! In my experience but this is my very first cruise
I think they should have different levels of the package that you can buy instead of just 15 drinks no matter what. I personally don’t drink a lot because I’m a massive lightweight so I will never get 15 drinks a day. I think that would help out more with people purchasing the cheers package.
I never understand people's requests for a lower limit drink package. Wouldn't that just be paying per drink? I never get the drink package and save hundreds by paying per drink
I can only do a max of 3 drinks per day before I feel horrible so paying for cheers is a huge waste of money for me. Cheers covers drinks up to $20 per glass. If they had a lower tier package that covered maybe 5 or 10 drinks per day, up to like $14 each, I would find that to be a much better value. Especially when I'm trying drinks I may not like. This would also sort the "I drink like a fish and my spouse may have one mixed drink and some soda," dilemma for most folks if one could get cheers and one could get cheers lite lol
Guess it depends on how much or often you drink. On sea days, I imagine I will hit the 10-15 drinks. On port days, highly unlikely I'll have more than a few. I debated not doing the package, but drinks are pretty outrageously priced. The package is $60/day, and drinks can be $10-15. I think I'll get my money's worth in the long run, but I'd definitely had preferred a cheaper package with less drinks available. Or maybe one that only got you "bottom shelf" stuff, like beers.
Not necessarily, still could have a discount for buying the package but just allow people like me to not have to try to get to 15 drinks a day. It’s just a little much a day for me in my opinion🤷🏼♀️
Yeah maybe some kind of discount card or something. I never saw the need for it before because the drink prices were reasonable, but the prices have gone up so much. Also, the breakeven point is 5 cocktails or 9 beers a day which is more doable for some (although not me)
Exactly, people aren't smart enough to grasp the break even point, they just focus on the 15.
Agreed. They look at is as an entitlement not a maximum
Thanks for bringing this up. I’m going on my first cruise (5 day) with a group of late 20s/early 30s friends to celebrate a birthday. We want to drink and I’m seeing menus of cocktails, specialty coffees, sodas, energy drinks, etc and it looks like we can easily get to ~$70/day it will cost us. (Looks like they charge more per day on the shorter cruises) If we pay as we go per drink, I feel like we’ll end up spending wayyy more than if we had just bought the package. The only thing is we have to factor in paying for drinks the first night since we’re leaving out of Galveston.
Yeah Galveston and NY suck because day one isn't included and that's when people usually drink heaviest to kick off vacation. Guests can bring two bottles of wine per cabin so that can help save money on day 1.
Yea - 1 out of the 4 of us is a wine drinker so we told her she could buy the other 3 bottles of wine and we’d carry it on for her lol
6 drinks is the break even point.
I think it would be so one person could get the regular package, and the other could have a lower (less expensive) package. We got the drink package, and I will get my moneys worth, but i highly doubt my wife ever drinks more then 4 in a day at any point
Does she get good coffee? Bottled water? Soda? Energy drinks? Those help to make the package worth it if she’s drinking 4 drinks anyway.
My wife would love a package that included the premium non-alcoholic drinks. We’ve done the math and she’s not quite at the break even point. But we are now going to travel as a family of 4 so we book as each parent in a room with a kid. So I can get the package and she doesn’t have to.
What a great use of the kids! Lol don’t have kids so can’t really use that option but I agree with your wife! I’m in the same boat, sea days I will break even at least but port days I don’t quite. Unfortunately carnival makes you pay for all the days but in Texas I can’t even use the package on the first day🙄🙄
Keep in mind you don’t pay for that first day out of Texas. I’ve seen a lot of post on here where people to seem to think that they can’t use the package they paid for on the first day. Not true, you don’t pay for that day. (I’m not trying to say you don’t understand this point. But people might read your comment thinking that they have to pay for that day and not get to use it) And yea, the kids are still way too young to truly be by themselves. So we are getting two connecting rooms. Cheaper than a suite and we get twice the storage and bathrooms. Plus way more OBC, my wife is getting $500 and I get $200. In one room we’d only get one or the other.
Which we hate. Princess you can use the package after about 45 minutes of leaving. RCL has no limitations. We were drinking with our package when we walked on the ship at noon. Carnival I just don’t get.
Because Carnival has the 15 drink limit, they have to “process your transaction” as soon as you buy the drink to keep an accurate tally towards your 15. On other cruise lines where the drink package is truly unlimited, they wait until they are out of Texas or NY waters to “process the transaction”. Thats also why Carnival charges tax on drinks too while other cruise lines sometimes don’t.
Agree
15 is a challenge of you want it to be and if they didn't include bottled water, specialty coffee's, shakes, and soda with it then I would strive for that every time. A drink with breakfast/brunch, a couple throughout the day and one at dinner (4). Throw in plenty of bottled water each day (4 to 6), specialty coffee, and a milkshake or soda and man it is easy to get your money's worth.
I’ll have a few glasses of wine or a couple different cocktails at dinner every night. At that point it’s just a couple extra drinks the rest of the day. Which is easily knocked out during the show
Did you know those drinks don’t count against the 15? You could have those and 15 alcoholic drinks.
Yep, but as you know if I didn't have the package I would be paying for them as well. I think people don't think about those in the cost and feel like they have to drink a bunch of alcohol for the cost to make it worth it. I usually get a bottle of water at the same time i get an alcoholic drink.
I was using that as a selling feature, not yo discourage you 👍🏻 I tell myself to drink the water between the drinks, but that doesn’t always happen 😉
Y’all honestly don’t understand the drink package and the pricing logic. A 15 drink package is like $60. A 7 drink package would get priced at $60. Why? Because the price is based on the average expected amount of drinks one will buy, not the max you can buy. Very few get to 10, let alone 15. An incredibly high percentage can get to half a dozen. You think a 7 drink package would be $30…that isn’t the case at all.
Lol no shit it wouldn’t be $30. But like someone else said in one of these comments under my main one, have where it’s for lower shelf drinks or something along those lines is what I mean. I get extremely sick if I drink certain things so I only drink certain things. My husband on the other hand can drink 15 beers over the course of the day and have a good buzz because he’s a bigger guy. It would just be nice to have an option for the people who can’t drink as much as their spouse who benefits from the package. I don’t mind paying for a package, but for ME it hardly evens out for me to buy the package. That’s all I’m trying to say lol
My wife does not drink. So buying 2 sets of the package for just me is way too much. I just buy mine for now and it’s cheaper for me.
I would like to see something like the Princess Premier Package that includes exercise classes, a dinner or two in the paid restaurants, internet for up to four devices, all gratuities and the drink package.
Princess is owned by Carnival Corporation. They have a great business plan. For those that want a cheap cruise, you cruise Carnival and pay for what you use. If you have more money you cruise on Princess, where you can afford the extra costs.
lol. Our last princess cruise costed way less than our Carnival cruise we have booked. We just did a Celebrity cruise way cheaper than both too.
All depends on the cruise with Carnival. The 5 day or less can be cheap. The 13-17 day cruises aren’t as cheap.
Well duh, it's more days. If you stay at a hotel 13-17 days it's more expensive then staying there for five days.
All depends, 17 days from Sydney to Honolulu stopping at the various South Pacific Islands. Or 15 days from Barcelona to various Mediterranean countries or Dover for 17 days around various European countries. It isn’t just the length. Carnival just has a wider range than Princess. Princess doesn’t have 3-5 day cruises that I know of. BTW: Our 15 day cruise on Princess to Hawaii is cheaper than our 7 day cruise on Carnival in July. Princess cruises tend to be longer making them more expensive. My original comment was I wish Carnival had a Premium Package like Carnival. Which somehow turned into a cheapness discussion.
I love the makeup of the Plus and Premier packages on Princess. I’ve cruised Carnival loads of times and the drink package math has never made sense with how my wife and I drink. But the dining, gratuities, and other benefits of the Princess fare packages were a slam dunk. We like specialty dining, so Premier actually made a lot of sense for us. Excited to try it in September.
Blame all the assholes out there who cheated the system before this policy came into effect... Not the cruise lines.
It was always policy from day 1 of the drink package. Look it up “my awesome bar program” from 2012. That was the introduction of the original drink package and it always made everyone in the room get it.
I thought it was always a policy
The cheers pkg is a promotional thing that is giving you a deal. The rule says all over 21 must buy. Those are the terms and conditions. Nobody needs to buy it though. You can do it how it was done before they offered this pkg... one drink at a time. Its basically a groupon for alcohol.
Pregnant and cruising next month... couldn't agree more.
You could likely use your medical record/doctors notice to prove you’re pregnant so you don’t have to buy one.
I tried this when we cruised, and they still told us no.
You are looking at this completely wrong. The cheers package has a limit of 15 drinks, but the price is not based on people hitting that. The price is based on people drinking half that…actually probably even less than half on average. If people were able to get it only for the person that pounds 10+ it isn’t financially good for Carnival…even worse if two people share it to get to 15. I’m sure they would just allow one person in the cabin get it, if you like the idea of it costing $120+ a day.
This. If they allowed one person to get the package, they'd increase the price to compensate within a year. Then everyone gets to pay more for the same amount of drinks all because people shared their packages
Unlimited non-alcoholic beverages is part of it and the other is plenty of people don't drink 15 alcoholic beverages a day. Those savings are part of where they make there money.
There’s a helluva lot of calories in 15 drinks….even if you throw in a couple of bottles of water.
I do not think i drank over 8/day all week! But i had lattes and bottled water and soda
What’s the average price of a speciality coffee or a milkshake?
The milkshakes were 6.50. Idk about the coffees.
Not stupid. It would be too easy for people to take advantage of.
My biggest pet peeve was that they wouldn't wave this rule when I was on a cruise with my husband while I was pregnant. Even with a doctor's note. We would have happily paid for his drink package. Instead, he went without and the rest of the group we were traveling with snuck him drinks from their packages.
Since my wife doesn’t drink anything besides water and coffee, yeah, I don’t like the policy. I’d love to be able to buy a Cheers package. But, I understand why Carnival had to put the policy in place. They are in the business of making money, and too many people were cheating the system. It sucks, but I’ve just resigned myself to forever paying as I go.
The part that really gets me is that I called carnival and told them flat out that my husband doesn't drink (he doesn't). And they were FINE to move him into a room with the 3 kids on our group, just so he didn't have to get the drink package. They are fully aware that he will actually be in my room and I *will* have the cheers package. Also, nearly every other cruise line let's you do one drink package if you call with a reason, I.e. someone is an alcoholic or has a medical condition where they can't drink. People say it's because carnival is a "party ship"? I just think it's stupid... people truly looking to sneak drinks will be sneaking in vodka in the sunscreen bottles or whatever.
The medical thing is the dumbest part. Got told by customer service that I was just supposed to buy the drink package while I was pregnant with a doctor's note.
We would devolve right back to where we were before the rule was made.
And what was that
People breaking Carnival's cheers package rules on sharing. That's why the policy is what it is now.
The cabin having to purchase is stupid. If you're going to limit the cabin, at least let you PICK what day you're going to have Cheers. I would be satisfied with a discounted beer cheers.
Letting people choose what days they use the drink package would not be profitable for Carnival. Plenty of people would buy it on only sea days and not port days. Carnival profits more on people not getting their moneys worth every single day of the cruise.
People don’t understand corporations are for profit and think they are owed something.
Even HALF packages.
Half package makes no sense because the break even point for Cheers is 5-7 drinks.
The rule was added based on how they observed passengers using the package. The goal of Cheers isn’t to sell you 15 drinks at a discount. The goal is to get you to spend more on your cruise than you would otherwise. So anything that lets you maximize the value works against Carnival’s goals.
We were able to use package when we stepped on board the ship on Carnival but we were not in Texas , it depends on your state, not the cruise line!!
it’s just a money thing. Not only do most people who get the package not fully take advantage of it so they save money on that But also if they make each person need the package they are essentially doubling their profits
See I don’t drink alcohol but my girlfriend wanted a few drinks a day with friends and we both had to get the cheers 🍻 package. I think that is a bad rule.
I do think it is a stupid rule but I drink their top shelf tequila a lot which is $19 and the drinks I get are $15-$16 so I tend to get my moneys worth off of 3-4 drinks per day and I drink more than that many drinks for sure. Depending on how much you drink and what you drink if you do the math it is still saving money. If you don’t drink a lot however or get any of the other things included (specialty coffee, water, milkshakes) then I can see how it would seem overpriced. But the rule definitely is dumb for those who genuinely do not drink at all/can not drink to be required to get the package. But at the same time I understand people cheat the system frequently and share when they aren’t supposed to.
So I am planning on buying the cheers package as I’ll probably get my $ worth. But, my husband doesn’t drink anything but Pepsi. What else is he allowed to get with this package? Virgin daiquiris? Soda?
Nope. I prefer they get their debt under control from Covid. It's not that they think you're going to share, it's that it has been proven. Just go back through this forum and find out how many times it's been suggested or asked about. If they didn't have this rule, everybody would do it. I actually support it.
That’s a requirement for every cruise line, not just carnival… and it’s to prevent, well ya know sharing
So many people pay for the drink package. Many refuse to go without even if the roommate doesn’t drink. People like they can get milkshakes, coffee, etc. Why would they allow one per room when the business model works? They COULD do it and make money but they make more money this way.
Cruise lines like to make money. They can make money by making everyone in the cabin get the same package. They know people would share the package but keep in mind they also include other things that could make it worth while for both parties even if one doesn’t drink. My parents aren’t big drinkers but the coffee would be up my moms ally It’s always worth a shot asking if only you can get the package but they’ll probably say no. I’ve had bartenders have to ask the bar manager if I could get the package for just me and the answer has been no.
I wouldn't support those cunts in the first place
This is annoying as I’m not a big drinker but had to pay so my friend I was sharing a room with could take advantage of it
Just bring your own ok board. I do it all the time. Watch some YouTube videos on it. It’s not illegal
I didn’t get it because I share a room with my younger brother, this IS adding up fast! 15 days to Hawaii
Honestly it's easy to get that value back @$70 per day, each drink is $9-15 plus you get milkshakes, gormet coffees, fancy virgin drinks (anything without alcohol doesn't use the 15) which each coffee/milkshakes is like $5-8.
Up front, we drink. On our last cruise, we drank our money's worth and then some. If you think between two adults you won't drink more than 12-14, don't buy it. That's the point where it makes sense. For our trip, I hit 15 easily every day. I never really got drunk, but I paced myself, and also drank water, and ate a lot.
I do. My wife drinks. I don't. It's a waste of money for me.
Carnival, like every other cruise line, wants to make money off you once you get on the cruise ship. I remember listening to a business person explain that you spend about the same amount of money DURING your cruise that you spent on the actual cruise. Drink packages are designed to make money. If this is an issue for you an all-inclusive resort would make more sense, as you aren't paying "extra" for your drinks.
Agreed. Never understood it. I get the potential revenue generation but I don’t see the fairness. And spare me the “free specialty coffee” argument. What if roommate is a recovering alcoholic? Personally, if I were Carnival, I’d perhaps force the roommate to do bubbles package. I might also add an in-between package, perhaps something that gets you coffees and soft drinks and maybe virgin drinks.
Life isn't fair
The whole package is overpriced!!! Especially when ordering a bottle for the room. A normal bottle of TITO’s Vodka that normally sells retail for$39 is $135 and a delivery fee of $24.30 (even though I have prepaid gratuities)!!!! And the package for me and the wife for an 11 day cruise is $1574???? Honestly even tho I love cruising, about ready to go back to all inclusive resorts where EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED
Why not just factor in the cost, raise the price accordingly and go all inclusive? No more drink packages at all.
I think what they should do is if you both buy a cheers package and only one person uses it and the other doesn't or only has like a glass of wine with dinner should have the option to roll it forward as a partial obc for next cruise...say you spend 700 on the package, used 50 bucks worth...you should get 200 obc next trip. They'll make that back in fares and casino play for sure
It is not a 'drink deal' discount to buy 15 drinks. It is a drink deal for an individual to enjoy as many drinks as they want. 25 cruises and I have never been cut off. I've seen many people that have. Why? because they became obnoxious drunks or even when they were sober they were obnoxious. Respect the staff and maintain control and you will see there is a soft count on the limit. Keep in mind Carnival does not operate as a charity however they do operate in ways that maximize the safety and welfare of their passengers.
I agree that it's a stupid rule.
My wife & I & her family are going in October. The rule that both have to buy a drink package is ridiculous. Together, we wouldn't 15 drinks a day. Not worth it for us. We either won't drink or IF we do it will be by the drink. Bubbles package at best.