Too Many Cruisers Fall For These Cruise Drink Package Traps

Too Many Cruisers Fall For These Cruise Drink Package Traps

A drinks package can easily add $1,000 or more to the cost of your seven-night cruise. They’ve become popular and cruise lines push cruisers hard to buy them, arguing they’re great value, but are they really? And who exactly should, and should not, be buying them and why?

I decided to make this cruise drink package traps blog after seeing how much I helped Richard – a new-to-cruise friend planning a cruise on Holland America, to celebrate his wedding anniversary – avoid falling into traps that so many cruisers do with drinks packages.

Here’s what I told him to consider and those tricks, traps, and mistakes to avoid.

Overall, I advised he should be sceptical, as cruise lines are businesses. We’ve got to assume that drinks packages bring in more revenue and are more profitable than passengers buying drinks ad hoc. Or they wouldn’t offer them!

However, I said he should also consider if knowing exactly how much he would be spending by paying for a drinks package upfront, and not having the hassle of having to sign for drinks every time would make his trip more enjoyable.

With all that in mind, here’s the specific traps I took Richard through.

Drink Package Traps: It’s The Best Option

First, I suggested a few checks to see if a drinks package made sense, unlike falling for the trap the lines project that it is the best value option.

I encouraged him to start with an online drinks package calculator. There’s one on Cruzely.com and another on Cruisemummy.co.uk.

They’re a great start for thinking through how much he and his wife will likely drink and then compare if buying drinks individually or a drinks package makes the most sense.

However, they do tend to compare the top tier packages, and most lines have a range of packages with different inclusions and brands covered. So, we needed to dive in deeper before he decided.

On Holland America, he can choose from a $60 a day Elite Package, $55 a day Signature Package, $18 a day Quench Package with only non-alcoholic drinks, and more.

So, I suggested to Richard that next, he considers the impact of the itinerary on what and how much they would use a drinks package.

They are going on a port-intensive Western Mediterranean cruise with just one sea day and will be doing seven to nine-hour excursions to Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre. So, likely less use of the package, as they would be off the ship a lot and possibly having early nights after tiring days.

If they were going on a repositioning cruise, with mostly sea days, they may end up drinking and using the drinks package more.

Drink Package Traps: Everyone Pays

As his wife drinks less, he was hoping to get different packages for each of them. But therein lies another problem.

Cruise lines require as standard that everybody in the cabin of drinking age, which is 21 for lines sailing out of the USA but 18 in many other regions, must buy the same drinks package.

Holland America certainly has this rule, so if he wants the Elite package his wife must have the same. Usually.

However, if one of the party doesn’t drink alcohol, by speaking to the line they will usually allow them to have the non-alcoholic option.

Drink Package Traps: Devil Is In The Details

Before deciding which package, I strongly encouraged them to look very carefully at the rules and inclusions, as they include many tricks and traps, catching out even frequent cruisers as they differ by line and can change.

I slipped up this year by not checking the detail and making assumptions based on past cruises.

I tend to go for the non-alcohol packages, which I like as they include speciality coffees from most cruise line coffee shops, but I hadn’t checked and found once on board that Starbucks was not covered by it on neither my Norwegian Viva nor Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruises.

So, with the devil in the details, here are key things I told Richard to look out for.

Key details

First, they usually have a set number of drinks covered by the package per day. For example, Holland America covers 15 drinks per day.

But, proving that checking the specifics is key, on the Elite package it is 15 alcoholic drinks and as many non-alcoholic, but on the Signature package it is 15 of any type of drink in total.

Second, those 15 drinks only cover those on the menu up to a certain price, another drink package trap.

On Holland America it covers drinks on the menus up to $15 for the Elite Package but only up to $11 on the Signature. And you pay the difference for drinks you order that cost above that.

On Celebrity it is drinks up to $17, on Carnival $20, but Royal Caribbean is just $14. So, you need to check.

Some lines also offer discounts for items not covered by the package, like more fancy wines and so on.

Thirdly, I told Richard he can only order one drink at a time. Lines do that to stop cruisers having one drinks package and sharing it with friends.

Like on most lines, Holland America packages do not include the drinks in the minibar, ordered from room service, freshly squeezed juice, nor on their Half Moon Cay private island.

Of course, the last one not affecting him, as they’re doing a Mediterranean Cruise.

From what I can see, the Carnival Corporation private islands do not to let you use drinks packages on their private islands, but on some of Royal Caribbean’s you can. So, always check!

Not included

Some packages don’t include bottles of water. So, if you’re looking to get bottles of water for your room or take on an excursion, you also need to check if those are included.

Although not relevant to Holland America, I also always recommend when choosing between packages to check if they include only house brands and not premium brands.

If you’re fussy about the brand of beer, spirit or wine that could be key in deciding which package is right.

Some lines are better at listing these, for example, I think Norwegian Cruise Line’s online flyer is excellent as it shows all the brands covered.

I also told Richard to check if the price quoted per day includes service charge/gratuity or not. Most, including Holland America, do not, so the price charged will be increased by 18%.

I stressed that means he will not get charged gratuity every time he orders a drink, as he’s already paid it. If he bought drinks ad hoc, 18% will be auto added.

Drink Package Traps: The All-Inclusive Bundles

Holland America, like several other lines these days, offers a more “all-inclusive” bundle called “Have-It-All” that combines a drinks package with other amenities (Wi-Fi, Speciality Dining and Excursion credits).

Richard wondered if that was a better option than buying the drinks and other items individually.

Celebrity has “Always Included”, Princess has “Princess Plus” and “Princess Premier”, and Norwegian has just as I record this revamped theirs to a new “More At Sea” package.

The watch-out I had for Richard is to never assume that the drinks package included in these bundles are what he needs, as many do not have the best and most comprehensive package. You must check.

Although in his case, the Holland America “Have It All” package while having only basic Wi-Fi does have the better Elite Drinks package.

But, I am just back from a Celebrity Eclipse Canada and New England cruise where the “Always Included” bundle I bought just had the Classic and not the Premium drinks package, which was enough for me, but others on the trip with me did not find it suitable and ended up paying to upgrade.

Drink Package Traps: Perks Actually Cover You

Another thing that I mentioned to him for future cruises, because it didn’t affect him on this cruise, is before committing to a drinks package is to check what perks or included drinks are within their fare and not get trapped into buying a package.

He is going in a balcony cabin, and does not have any loyalty perks, but in the future, how he cruises may mean no need for a package.

For example, when I went on those Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruises, as I was Diamond Level, thanks to Royal Caribbean Group combining loyalty points, I got four drinks per day as a perk, which was more than enough for what I needed.

When going on more premium lines like Viking, which include soft drinks, speciality coffees and wine and beer with meals, it may not be worth getting a package unless the included beers and wines are not to your liking.

But especially, if ever cruising in a suite, the in-suite or lounge inclusions may be enough.

For example, in Cunard Queens Grill suites, while drinks are not included as standard in the fare, but they are in some promotional offers. What you do get is a minibar with soft drinks and mixers, and you can choose to have two large bottles of spirits. So that may be enough, and just buy occasional drinks ad hoc.

Drink Package Traps: Paying More On Board

After reviewing this, Richard decided a Drinks Package was right for them. My next advice was to buy it before the cruise via the cruise personaliser, and not get trapped into paying more once on board.

Cruise lines discount the drinks package if bought before boarding. It looks like 20% in his case.

Drink Package Traps: Not Getting Your Money’s Worth

Having decided to get one, I encouraged Richard to get their money’s worth out of the package!

I wasn’t encouraging them to get drunk and do it to excess every day, but like most cruisers, he was focusing on the alcoholic drinks side of the package.

But, I reminded him he could get bottled sodas, energy drinks, specialty teas and coffees, smoothies, bottles of water, hot chocolates, and fancy coffees after dinner like Irish coffee.

So, to get the most I suggested he makes sure to use the full range of the package.

If you have any other tips and watch-outs of drinks packages, leave them in the comments.