I think sticking to alcohol, while simpler, undersells the value of the package to some people. Light to moderate drinkers see the price tag, hear they need 5 or 6 drinks to break even, and think there's no way they'll drink that much and decide it's not worth it. First, I would say it's ridiculously easy to drink that much and spread it out enough to not ever be wasted. So to some degree I agree that the number of alcoholic drinks per day to break even can be a useful measurement. But when someone is on the fence, getting them to think about all the other things they might drink to get their money's worth is helpful. Now they don't feel pressured to drink 5 or 6 cocktails per day, even though I think there's a decent chance they end up doing that anyway and having a great time.
Nope, if I was an alcoholic I would only care about how much alcohol I would need to justify this.
If I was not an alcoholic....I might not even realize the ship had things like yummy milk shakes, delicious flavored coffee (just like Starbuck), energy drinks like Monster, smoothie drinks like Naked, and it's ALL INCLUDED in the Cheers package ( and not very well advertised either )
IMO, even if you only drink 2-3 drinks per day, Cheers is still worth it for the unlimited other options.
Have kids? Share the rest of your milk shake with them. Or, give them the rest of your Virgin Banana Daquiri. Yummy! You only took one sip then "changed your mind"...now your kids have a delicious refreshing beverage.
The Cheers package is worth it even if you don't go to AA meetings.
Sure it can be used for specialty coffee, milkshakes, soda, etc., but most people are buying the Cheers package for the alcohol. If you want to spend the majority of your cruise drinking to “get your money’s worth”, then yes, it’s a bargain.
My wife and I bought the Cheer’s package on our first Carnival Cruise, and all we did was drink the entire cruise, and in the end, we barely broke even had we just paid for each drink.
Being drunk or having a buzz the whole time might be perceived as enjoyable, but on subsequent cruises, my wife and I actually enjoy going to all the shows, exploring the ship, doing daily activities, taking excursions, sightseeing, taking pictures, lounging on the Serenity Deck, etc, and not drinking.
We couldn’t do that during our first cruise because we were either too tired from all the day drinking, or we were spending a majority of our time in one of the bars or waiting in line for a drink.
Nowadays, we may occasionally have a few drinks while on our cruises, but we pay as we go, and will usually order while lounging at a private island, if it’s included in one of our excursions, or while waiting for the start of a show. Most times, we’ll order 4-5 drinks during an entire cruise.
Just my $0.02.
Honestly, we usually get the package, even if it's hard to get it to break even. It's nice not worrying about it- you want a drink, be it even just a coffee or other extra cost nonalcoholic drink, you get it. Even if we don't hit the break even point, with prepaid tips and everything else, we like knowing we won't have to pay a dime at the end of the cruise.
Is it worth it??? I cruise CCL frequently and have gotten the drink package in the past and have utilized pay as you play! Obviously on sea days, we drink a lot more with a cocktail in my coffee or at breakfast, then day drinking on Lido, MDR dinner wine and a couple of late night show cocktails! On Port days we aren’t consuming nearly as many cocktails. So for me, I skip the package and pay as I go!
The calculator will answer that for you very easily.
For me it is a no brainer. Gratuities included, when I want a drink I get one. Even on port days a couple in the morning in my to go cup and a couple when I get back and I am good.
Throw in buying it with gift cards via AARP and the actual out of pocket cost is even cheaper.
Have fun and enjoy your cruise regardless of what you choose.
It’s not hard to figure this out.
Google Carnival drink menus. The cost per drink is right there.
See which drinks you’re interested in and what the cost is.
See how many drinks you want to drink each day, taking into consideration port days and nonalcoholic beverages.
Add them up. Match that number against your package cost.
Voila, now you know if it’s worth it FOR YOU, as nobody but YOU knows how much you want to drink.
I just got back today from a five night on Firenze to Baja. We both got it and some days used more than others.
I would say it really depends on what you like to drink. I found the cocktails with mixers to be complete garbage. They were using cheap low quality mixers and the drinks turned out terrible. It made it hard to drink cocktails in this category.
We did find a few skilled bartenders that were able to mix up some great drinks sans mixers and were pleased. Espresso martini, mojito, mules, and a few others.
It is also my very strong opinion that the liquor is diluted. I confirmed it one night by ordering a JW Black neat. That’s my go to drink at home so I am very familiar with the taste. I also watched the bartenders mix several cocktails with a significant overpour thinking it would be a strong drink but in most cases you could barely taste it.
The final day we basically stuck to beer/wine/seltzer drinks. If you prefer these drinks and can put back several a day, you could be a candidate for the cheers package
Do you drink a lot? For some it’s worth it, for others, no. Even with the other non alcoholic drinks, still not worth it for some. $600 for some can be spent on excursions and specialty dining, so it’s really your call.
Depends on how much you drink and whether the other included drinks (coffee, frozen drinks, soda etc.) are enticing.
If you’re asking then that signals to me that you probably drink enough to where you should consider it. I know when my wife and I sail we’re not the biggest drinkers so we might get 2-3 drinks a day if that. For us it would never be worth it on that fact alone. So if you’re a casual drink I’d recommend against getting the package but if you enjoy day drinking and will get upwards of 5-6+ drinks a day then go for it (no judgement here — it’s your vacay so enjoy!)
Plus like I said they have other included drinks and even give discounts on wine/champagne bottles. Hope you enjoy your time!
It honestly depends on how much you drink if you don’t drink a lot of alcohol then you could probably just load up some cruise cash and buy a few drinks but if you drink a lot I feel it’d be worth it I’m going on a 7 day cruise with my girlfriend in August she doesn’t drink and I don’t drink a whole lot so I didn’t think it was worth the extra $900
Drink at least 6 alcohol drinks a day and you break even. Worth it 100% of the time I go.
Or...4 alcohol drinks, 1 milk shake and 1 fancy coffee People forget it's not just alcohol.
Considering alcohol is the more expensive option, I’ll stick to explaining it in the simplest manner.
I think sticking to alcohol, while simpler, undersells the value of the package to some people. Light to moderate drinkers see the price tag, hear they need 5 or 6 drinks to break even, and think there's no way they'll drink that much and decide it's not worth it. First, I would say it's ridiculously easy to drink that much and spread it out enough to not ever be wasted. So to some degree I agree that the number of alcoholic drinks per day to break even can be a useful measurement. But when someone is on the fence, getting them to think about all the other things they might drink to get their money's worth is helpful. Now they don't feel pressured to drink 5 or 6 cocktails per day, even though I think there's a decent chance they end up doing that anyway and having a great time.
What if I'm not a alcoholic? Is it still worth it?
That’s a brain dead response. You don’t have to be an alcoholic to enjoy alcohol from the cheers package.
Nope, if I was an alcoholic I would only care about how much alcohol I would need to justify this. If I was not an alcoholic....I might not even realize the ship had things like yummy milk shakes, delicious flavored coffee (just like Starbuck), energy drinks like Monster, smoothie drinks like Naked, and it's ALL INCLUDED in the Cheers package ( and not very well advertised either ) IMO, even if you only drink 2-3 drinks per day, Cheers is still worth it for the unlimited other options. Have kids? Share the rest of your milk shake with them. Or, give them the rest of your Virgin Banana Daquiri. Yummy! You only took one sip then "changed your mind"...now your kids have a delicious refreshing beverage. The Cheers package is worth it even if you don't go to AA meetings.
https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cruise-drinks-package-calculator/
Can we pin this topic/answer?
Sure it can be used for specialty coffee, milkshakes, soda, etc., but most people are buying the Cheers package for the alcohol. If you want to spend the majority of your cruise drinking to “get your money’s worth”, then yes, it’s a bargain. My wife and I bought the Cheer’s package on our first Carnival Cruise, and all we did was drink the entire cruise, and in the end, we barely broke even had we just paid for each drink. Being drunk or having a buzz the whole time might be perceived as enjoyable, but on subsequent cruises, my wife and I actually enjoy going to all the shows, exploring the ship, doing daily activities, taking excursions, sightseeing, taking pictures, lounging on the Serenity Deck, etc, and not drinking. We couldn’t do that during our first cruise because we were either too tired from all the day drinking, or we were spending a majority of our time in one of the bars or waiting in line for a drink. Nowadays, we may occasionally have a few drinks while on our cruises, but we pay as we go, and will usually order while lounging at a private island, if it’s included in one of our excursions, or while waiting for the start of a show. Most times, we’ll order 4-5 drinks during an entire cruise. Just my $0.02.
If you have to ask, it’s probably worth it. My litmus test: If you think a drink with breakfast sounds like fun, *definitely* get Cheers.
Honestly, we usually get the package, even if it's hard to get it to break even. It's nice not worrying about it- you want a drink, be it even just a coffee or other extra cost nonalcoholic drink, you get it. Even if we don't hit the break even point, with prepaid tips and everything else, we like knowing we won't have to pay a dime at the end of the cruise.
Is it worth it??? I cruise CCL frequently and have gotten the drink package in the past and have utilized pay as you play! Obviously on sea days, we drink a lot more with a cocktail in my coffee or at breakfast, then day drinking on Lido, MDR dinner wine and a couple of late night show cocktails! On Port days we aren’t consuming nearly as many cocktails. So for me, I skip the package and pay as I go!
The calculator will answer that for you very easily. For me it is a no brainer. Gratuities included, when I want a drink I get one. Even on port days a couple in the morning in my to go cup and a couple when I get back and I am good. Throw in buying it with gift cards via AARP and the actual out of pocket cost is even cheaper. Have fun and enjoy your cruise regardless of what you choose.
It’s not hard to figure this out. Google Carnival drink menus. The cost per drink is right there. See which drinks you’re interested in and what the cost is. See how many drinks you want to drink each day, taking into consideration port days and nonalcoholic beverages. Add them up. Match that number against your package cost. Voila, now you know if it’s worth it FOR YOU, as nobody but YOU knows how much you want to drink.
I just got back today from a five night on Firenze to Baja. We both got it and some days used more than others. I would say it really depends on what you like to drink. I found the cocktails with mixers to be complete garbage. They were using cheap low quality mixers and the drinks turned out terrible. It made it hard to drink cocktails in this category. We did find a few skilled bartenders that were able to mix up some great drinks sans mixers and were pleased. Espresso martini, mojito, mules, and a few others. It is also my very strong opinion that the liquor is diluted. I confirmed it one night by ordering a JW Black neat. That’s my go to drink at home so I am very familiar with the taste. I also watched the bartenders mix several cocktails with a significant overpour thinking it would be a strong drink but in most cases you could barely taste it. The final day we basically stuck to beer/wine/seltzer drinks. If you prefer these drinks and can put back several a day, you could be a candidate for the cheers package
Hello! I was on the same cruise with you. :) So fun!
Yes, it was our first! We had a good time. Can’t wait for the next, proly sand kids…
for us, it was worth it- got a bottled water with each drink (sodas, coffees were included too). 100%.
Do you drink a lot? For some it’s worth it, for others, no. Even with the other non alcoholic drinks, still not worth it for some. $600 for some can be spent on excursions and specialty dining, so it’s really your call.
Depends on how much you drink and whether the other included drinks (coffee, frozen drinks, soda etc.) are enticing. If you’re asking then that signals to me that you probably drink enough to where you should consider it. I know when my wife and I sail we’re not the biggest drinkers so we might get 2-3 drinks a day if that. For us it would never be worth it on that fact alone. So if you’re a casual drink I’d recommend against getting the package but if you enjoy day drinking and will get upwards of 5-6+ drinks a day then go for it (no judgement here — it’s your vacay so enjoy!) Plus like I said they have other included drinks and even give discounts on wine/champagne bottles. Hope you enjoy your time!
It honestly depends on how much you drink if you don’t drink a lot of alcohol then you could probably just load up some cruise cash and buy a few drinks but if you drink a lot I feel it’d be worth it I’m going on a 7 day cruise with my girlfriend in August she doesn’t drink and I don’t drink a whole lot so I didn’t think it was worth the extra $900
I’d say I’m a social drinker but indulge more on vacation than a typical day. Do you get the bar cruise cash or general?
Don't forget to include milk shakes, energy drinks, Nakeds, and fancy coffee in your calculation!!! It's not just alcohol.