Should You Buy That Drink Package?

Martini's Martini Bar - Oceania Nautica
Copyright Andy Richards 2023 - All Rights Reserved

AS I read about this subject on the internet, it seems to me that the primary approach taken is whether the packages are (economically) "worth it." I'll go out on a (pretty stout) limb here and opine that from a pure dollars and cents point of view, the answer is almost always "no." There are some economic factors that perhaps support the idea of justifying the packages, however. One major factor is that drinks on shipboard are going to be (often substantially) more costly than sitting at your favorite dive at home (or even on shore in many places). They range all over the place, but generally a cruise ship cocktail will be in the $12-$20 range.

So if it isn't really economically justifiable, why in the world would we do it?

 WE DIDN'T seriously consider purchasing a drink package on our first couple of cruises. Our first cruise was an Alaska Inside Passage cruise with Princess Cruises. There were a fair number of at sea days in during the cruise, and together with evenings back on board during port days, we would look at our stateroom charges and were surprised (though not shocked) at how those drink costs added up. But when we would do the math, it still didn't work out to economically justify the cost of the "package." The packages, pricing and limitations are very different from line to line and figuring them out can be mind-boggling. From what I can see, for mainline ships, a package will cost you between $85 - $125 per person, per day. Again, wildly imprecise math, but between 7-10 drinks for lower cost cocktails, and between 4 - 6 drinks at the highest end. Keep in mind, of course, that the highest cost drinks will only be available on the higher (premium) packages, so that will move more toward an average.

Sunset Bar - Celebrity Reflection
Courtesy of Cruise Critic

BUT WE didn't have the full picture. I am what some might refer to as a "coffee snob." The complimentary coffee always available in the buffet was - to  - barely tolerable. I discovered the specialty coffee shop the first day on board, and at that time, Princess (or the provider they contracted with) had a punch card you could purchase which (again, if you did the math) discounted the cost of each cup enough to justify its purchase, and actually had more punches than I ended up using on the cruise (possibly a negative). I ended up using that on my second (also Princess) cruise, though. We also drink a fair amount of water on a daily basis, and it is important to us to carry water off the ship and up to our stateroom at night. Some of the drink packages include these items. Again, they can add up quickly if you are buying them individually (of course, most seasoned cruisers are quick to note that the tap water on board is filtered and very much potable and you could just carry your own water bottle on board - so there's that). Still, I am not sure that if I did the math it even with those extras, justify the cost of the package.

DRINK PACKAGES can vary significantly both in terms of levels on the same cruise line, and from cruise line to cruise line. Our third cruise was aboard a new (to us) cruise line: Celebrity Cruises, aboard The Celebrity Reflection. Since that cruise, we have been on 4 more cruises on the Reflection, and it is one of my personal favorite ships. The final ship in Celebrity's "Solstice" class (kind of their "middle" line these days, with the older "Millenium Class" ships beginning to show a bit of age), the Reflection was the most modern and sported one more deck that the older Solstice ships. As much as we love the Reflection, Celebrity stepped up its game only a couple years later, with the Celebrity Edge (the first of its Edge Class). We have cruised on the Edge 2 times and on the (newer) sister, Apex 4 times (and are scheduled for a 5th cruise on her in August/September in Norway). In just a few weeks, we will board the (current) newest Edge Class ship: The Beyond and are really looking forward to it. But back to drink packages (sort of 😉).

I am what some might refer to as a "coffee snob."

THERE IS a back story here. In 2011, we traveled to San Francisco mainly to visit our daughter who lives there. But we also booked an overnight up in Napa to do some wine tasting (we really weren't big wine drinkers, but it seemed like a fun thing to do). We hired a private service and we visited 3 vineyards - all the same day. One of them was an estate vineyard, right in Napa: The O'Brien Estate. Bart and Barb O'Brien, the owners and proprietors, have a clever theme to their wines and naming. They use a "romance" to tell their story, naming their wines with names like "fascination," "seduction," and similar names. The names get "bolder" as the wines get "bolder." Their desert wine is named "Reflection." In 2012, Celebrity debuted the Celebrity Reflection. In February of 2013, Bart and Barb decided to combine their own love for travel with their great vineyard and its clients. It is a small vineyard in relative terms and the only way to purchase wine is to be signed up on their allocation system (in other words, you become a client). But even more importantly, you become a friend! And we have. The first trip was a cruise (neither of them had ever cruised before), and what better ship to sail on than one that befit the name of their ultimate wine: "Reflection?" They sent out a flyer announcing the cruise. I didn't pay much attention. My wife did. She read the flyer and "signed us up." It was an adventure for us. We had only cruised so far with family members. We would be on our own and not know a soul on board (except for Bart and Barb, who we had met once at their vineyard). It turned out to be a great trip. Maybe worthy of its own blog.

WHAT THE heck does any of this nostalgia have to do with drink packages? Well, it is my blog about our experiences. 😈 And I will bring it around. As part of our package for this cruise, we had been "comped" Celebrities "standard" drink package. It was one down from the premium, but looking at the selection, we thought it would serve us well. One more piece of relatively useless information first. The Solstice Class Celebrity Ships have a central social point: The Martini Bar. That bar has been our meeting point (especially for pre-dinner cocktails) on every cruise we have ever done on a Solstice Class ship. So there we were, on the first full night of the cruise, at the bar with our assigned table-mates and new (and now long time) friends, Lou and Penny. I was getting ready to order our "go-to" Gin and Tonics, when my wife asked Penny what she was drinking. It was something we hadn't heard of, so my wife said she wanted to try one. I ordered her one and the bartender said: "you know this is not on your package?" I said fine, just put it on the tab. When I got her the drink and he handed me the tab to sign, I was a bit surprised. It wasn't cheap. But I could see more of them on the horizon. On impulse, I immediately walked down stairs to the pursers office and upgraded our packages to "premium." We pretty much haven't looked back from that. Just a year later, we boarded the Celebrity Summit with a group of friends. The first thing we did was upgrade our (once again "comped") drink package to premium). Most of the time these days we are able to do it well before the cruise departure date (on Celebrity - some lines don't let you upgrade until you are on board).

I SAID my first upgrade was on impulse. It was certainly that and though we never really did the close math, I am willing to bet it probably ultimately cost us something more out-of-pocket. Part of my "impulse" was the knowledge that I could now get unlimited servings from the upscale coffee bar and unlimited bottled water. I also like to have a glass of wine at dinner and that gave me the option of trying different glassed. The Reflection - at that time - touted itself as being very wine-centric. I think is was - but I also think that it has since, dialed that back a bit.

SO IF it isn't really economically justifiable, why in the world would we do it? Good question. For the most part, our own justification is non-economic. For us (as much as we do it), cruising is a luxury. Over the years we saved and didn't travel or vacation much outside of visiting family. Once we got to the point where we were comfortable traveling, cruising became kind of "our thing." We want it to be our luxury and that means not having to attend to little details or analysis about costs. Sure, we do all that with the big picture - before we ever board the ship. But once aboard, the last thing we want to think about is how much is that going to cost me. The package does that for us. Some call it "peace of mind." I would say that is a little strong, but I do like that I can drink (within reason) what I want, when I want. Every morning for me starts with a trip to the specialty coffee bar. On an at sea day, it isn't unusually for me to start my morning (after breakfast) with a Bloody Mary and a cigar. I may also have another coffee or a capuchino. Then during the afternoon (especially if the weather is cooperative), I may sit and smoke cigars and enjoy cocktails. In the late afternoon we will have cocktails before dinner and maybe a glass of wine with the meal. And not altogether infrequently we may go have a final after-dinner drink somewhere. At night, I routinely grab a couple bottles of water, for the stateroom. That involves (for me) a fair variety. With the package, I don't ever give it a thought. That justifies it for us. That may or may not be justification enough for you.

I KIND of alluded to the reason we usually include the "premium" package above. We are cocktail drinkers. I also like a decent glass of wine with dinner. As we have grown older and more "experienced" we have gravitated to a certain level of liquor and wines and often they are only included on the premium package. And, we like to try new things - sometimes also only available on the premium package.

With the package, I don't ever give it a thought. That justifies it for us

SHOULD YOU buy a package? Should it be a "premium" package. Only you will be able to determine that. To do that, you should understand how the packages work. As I noted above, they vary by cruise line and it pays to do your research and to ask questions. The all have a list of the beer, wine and liquors included within each of their package categories. One thing to beware of though. We have had experiences where a certain liquor or wine is listed, only to learn once aboard that they do not actually have it. Sometimes you have to find it from certain bars. We have made it a mission to get to know the bartenders in our favorite smaller bars and they will almost always got "find" a bottle of your preferred liquor for you. It pays to ask (and certainly doesn't hurt to tip generously).

YOU SHOULD also think about how you drink. It is not unusually for us to have several cocktails (and as I mentioned, sometimes a variety) during the day. If you don't do that (perhaps have one or two drinks a day), it most likely isn't going to make sense for you to have a package (do remember, though, to count coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages that are additional cost items but may be on the package). What you drink plays a part as well. If you drink popular beer, simple cocktails and don't care about having them with the "well" liquor, you probably won't really benefit from a package (especially not a premium package). If you like call drinks and higher end liquors, you might - I'll address wine separately, because in my view it is a different animal altogether).

Wine Tower - Main Dining Room - Celebrity Reflection
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

WINE IS something that I have a different (and rather unintuitive) spin on. Like higher end liquors and even beer, one would think the premium package would be the way to go to get the wines you like. And that may have been true once upon a time. The vast majority of liquor falls within a certain class and with some very limited exceptions, even the more expensive stuff is attainable (and therefore generally included in the premium package pricing). Wine is just different. When we were on one of the Celebrity ships they had a couple $1,000 bottles on board. They have more that are in the $100 - $400 range. Those wines just aren't going to be offered "by the glass." To us, it seems like all the cruise lines have somewhat "dumbed down" their wine selections. Generally, even with a premium package, there are only a handful (usually one or two within each "type") of "nicer" wines offered by the glass. In our experienc, if they are not offered by the glass, they are not in any package. And, virtually all packages these days has a dollar limit on wines they will serve within your package. If you happen to be a conniseur and choosy about your wine, the package is not going to help you out. If wine is your thing, you are probably best to "go it alone," and choose your wines by the bottle (for those who aren't aware, if purchase a bottle and do not finish it, they will "cork" it for you and bring it for your next meal (in most cased anywhere on the ship where you might be dining).

THE NATURE of the cruise can also be a factor. We tend to drink more when on Caribbean cruises just because of the nature of the cruise. It tends to be a "fun in the sun" vacation and there is often numerous sea days - as well as repetitive stops where we have "been there, done that," and don't usually spend a long time on shore. On the other had, if we are going on a "destination" cruise (Alaska, Europe, Asia, etc.) those tend to be much more excursion - intensive and you are likely to spend the majority of your port days off the ship (and obviously unable to partake of the on-board drink package). While for our own reasons it hasn't made a difference in our choices, I can certainly see the logic at work there.

Sunset Bar Cigar Area - Celebrity Reflection
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

IT IS also important to be aware of some of the limitations on packages which again vary from ship line to ship line. Many of the ship lines have a daily limit (usually 15 drinks) that will be covered by any package. After that, you are on your own. I don't make it a mission to try to reach that limit and I am pretty sure I never have (even with coffee, water, etc.). Another "gotcha" is the policy of a majority of cruise lines that requires every adult in the same stateroom to have the same package. So if you are a frequent drinker, but your companion is not, he or she will still have to pay for the same package. If they have one or two drinks a day, you are essentially paying double. I am not certain what the reasoning for that rule is (you can bet there is a huge economic component for the lines in it though). Once of the articulated reasons is that they are concerned that one person buys the package and then supplies drinks for both occupants. I get that, but there certainly must be another way to "police" that issue. Online information suggests that the only mainline cruise line that does not have this requirement currently is Princess (which is interesting, as the parent company - Carnival - and the sister company - Holland America - both do observe the rule).

THERE ARE circumstances that may throw some of these observations out the window. One is if the cruise line is offering a very good deal, or even comping the drink package. More frequent cruisers who have obtained "status" will sometimes get that as an offer (be aware that it generally included the base price and you are still charged for the gratuity portion in most cases). Often, before the cruise, cruiselines will offer "sales" of packages. It pays to watch the cruiseline sites and apps and doing the math may make it actually a reasonably good deal, depending on your circumstances. I have also heard it suggested that having the package, with unlimited access, may actually encourage overconsumption. That may be true in a very limited few cases, but I wouldn't suggest that should be part of your analysis (unless you are prone to overconsumption, which is another whole, perhaps long, discussion).

IN THE end, I don't think this is an economics discussion in most cases. It is about how you cruise.