For me it’s not about getting back the value you paid for it. It’s just nice not having to keep track of every drink you buy. More of a convenience for me.

I'm a 21 cruise veteran and I'm amazed at how every cruise some in our group stress over whether or not to get the package. It's soooo simple. If you drink, get it. If you don't drink, don't ! Just the fact that you don't have to sign anything, keep track of your drink spending or calculate gratuity ( which is included in the package ) every time you order a drink, is worth it. I drink 2 or 3 glasses of wine at dinner. That's $45.00 alone. At the end of the day, if you don't drink enough to feel like the package is worth it, you may be out $100 bucks or so. Big deal. We just booked Feb. 4 2024 on The Oasis out of Miami. See you onboard ! Enjoy your cruise everybody !

I was going back and forth on whether to get the deluxe package on our upcoming cruise on Liberty. I finally decided to go for it. Whether I break even was less important to me than freedom from no bill at the end to worry about. For my wife and I that mental freedom to just let go and enjoy was worth the cost.

Always remember that the refreshment package includes the coffees she mentioned as well as bottled water and soda (and frozen mocktails!!) . So, for $20-35/day (instead of $70-85/day for the deluxe) you can have a lot of the perks, without the alcohol. Me and my wife (in our 30s) do this often and have a few drinks here or there. It works out if you're not a heavy drinker!

My girl friend and I got a drink package for our oasis of the seas 7 day cruise last year Spent about a little over $1000 on the package but drank over $2000 on the trip Definitely worth it

I'm glad drink packages are there for those that consume them. But I gave up drinking years ago and never drank coffee. The free water and iced tea more than satisfy me. I prefer the upgraded dining packages.

Having just hit the Diamond status, we booked the refreshment package for our upcoming cruise in April. In the past we have tried both the deluxe package and the refreshment packages and trying to do the math. What we found was that if you only count the alcohol, it doesn't add up to being worth it. However we had to include the waters, sodas and coffees which then put it over the top as being worth it. Elizabeth was spot on with her comments, so good job there!

Always do a drink package. Even if your only drinking bottled water, and coffees and milk shakes, all the stuff that's not free. Costs more than you think!

just went on wonder of the seas two weeks ago! had a drink package for the first time. the convenience of not having to keep track of the price of drinks was well worth the price considering all drinks are $14 or more. Plus, the premium coffee, fresh juice & smoothies & as much soda as you want is always a plus (idk why they charge people for soda lol) .

I’d rather save my money to take a second cruise… And I’d rather save my calories for dessert! It helps that I really don’t enjoy alcoholic drinks that much more than just the nonalcoholic versions of it, so the refresher package is just fine for me and light years cheaper!

We always get the drink package. I have a system. I book the cruise, watch the drink package prices every day or so. When it takes I huge plunge (cheaper) usually $69 to $90 but it's buy 1 get another half off. I buy for hubby and myself. I then watch the drink package weekly for and better deals. I have yet to see something better than what I got. We were just on the Harmony of the Seas in January. Our drink package was $490/person for 7 days. We drink Captain Morgan mainly and margaritas or tequila shots. We really saved on our drinks by having the drink package. I believe we saved as much as $600. We enjoy drinking and not worrying about all those charges on our sea pass.

One thing I learned on our cruise was they have booze at Cafe Promenade - so I enjoyed a few late morning iced coffees with a shot of Baileys ... definitely lots of ways to get your value out of the package - but what i like best was freedom to try different drinks and if I didn't like it, just leaving it. If I didn't have the package I would stick to wine and beer or a "safe" drink I know I would like

Great perspective! Another great video! Great insight on the non-alcoholic included beverages as well. Coffees and bottle waters make up a great amount on why I choose the drink package.

I went on the Oasis in September '22. I bought the Deluxe drink package. I think it was about slightly over $700 for the package. On the cruise I had about 50 cocktails, about 3 wines and 3 or so beers. If we assume $11.75 average for the cocktails and wines and $8 average for the beers, plus 18% gratuity; that would come out to about $730 or there about. So I think I got my money's worth.

After you pay for it, the drink package always feels like “someone else” is picking up the tab. It’s great, I love it 😅

My wife and I cruised on Odyssey of the seas in January and we got the Deluxe Drink Package and it was totally worth it. We would never cruise without it now. It was nice not having to worry about a big bill at the end, which we would definitely have had. It was very nice getting to know the wait staff and when you have as many as we did, they remembered your names and cabin #! haha

For us it's really about the cost between the refreshment package and the deluxe. We will always get the refreshment package. I then base my average alcoholic drinks needed per day to break even based on the price difference of the 2. Our drinking habits are on average 5/6 alcoholic drinks per day max. We have it pretty much down to if the deluxe is between 73-77pp a day we will purchase. (depending on itinerary)

I've sailed on a cruise with and without a drink package and it was way more fun with. There were days that I didn't feel like drinking a lot, but I always start out with a mimosa or bloody mary or 2 at breakfast and a few throughout the day so it's always been worth it. Plus, I get bottled water and coffee with it. I think if you drink at least 5 drinks a day plus coffee, then it's worth your money.

I am sure you liver appreciated it. On my last cruise of 11 days, we drank whenever we wanted. Between my wife and I, we spent $128.58. That was 4 nights on the ship. 14 drinks. Our shore excursions all had a bar or restaurant drinks, so that is 8 more for $65. That’s much less than a drink package. Think about it before buying.

If we spend $1000 on drinks for 2, so be it. It's better than spending $1200 for a drink package(double occupancy) Also, leads to people over-drinking because they don't want to lose money. This can lead to feeling hungover, with no energy for most people. For others it can lead to fighting and bad behavior.

I cannot cruise without a deluxe beverage package. No package no cruise. That's my motto 😎

$600 for 7 nights, yes, but only if several sea days, and keeping in mind that amount includes all types of beverages. (Just 3 cocktails and 2 glasses of wine per day and then all the water-- even for excursions-- and all the other.) But holy cow, always buy the package on deep discount (like on holiday sales)! That's not hard for us because we book our cruises way in advance. 🤷‍♀️

This video would have been better had she added up all of the drinks during the week to see what they would have cost without the drink package.

I’ve had the drink package before and thought it was pretty worth it! I do kind of agree that having the package compels you to drink more but that’s not entirely bad. I drank a lot during that cruise so it definitely got me my moneys worth. Plus, I was on the cruise with a bunch of friends and family so sitting around having a good time in the sun having a nice screwdriver with some Tito’s vodka was a memory I won’t forget. Notice how I said WONT FORGET. If you get the drink/alcohol package, don’t drink just because you have it. You still gain value with the other drinks and coffee as well. Plus, you can have drinks without getting black out just like you can get drinks but not drink all the time. The point is to have a good time; the drink package is there so can get some value out of your time. As always with drinking: Drink responsibly and you’ll have a great time! 😎👌

Just about to go on another Royal Caribbean cruise and the drink package costs almost as much as our balcony stateroom. Having said that, the cost of individual alcoholic drinks (plus the exorbitant gratuity fee) makes the package worthwhile even if you are a very moderate drinker. The great thing about the package is that if you don’t like the cocktail, just get another one… simple. For a special holiday and if you enjoy your beers, wines, spirits or cocktails get the package - despite if you think the cost seems high. On our first cruise we didn’t have the drink package and paid a lot more! My typical drink profile on a cruise would be a premium coffee in the morning, beer or two with lunch, afternoon cocktail x2 pre-dinner drinks, three glasses of wine with dinner and maybe a couple of cocktails during the evening. Ok that may seem a lot - but heh, I’m on holidays!! 😎🍸🍹

$10 -3 bottles of water $42 -3 mixed drinks $10 -2 coffees $5 -1 fresh oj $5 -1 soda $72 total ... Nothing extreme here and meets the price point if it's at $70. Easy to switch out 2 of the following: coffee, soda or juice, for a beer or glass of wine and still make the number. Anything above and you would save money.

On our last cruise (3 night on the Mariner OTS), my wife and I put a grand total of nothing ($0) on our cruise card,but did buy a $36 coffee card, which we didnt completelyburn through. We also brought $14 worth of wine, $12 worth of rum we bottled ourselves to look like wine in two bottles (750ml each), and $4 worth of seltzer, splitting them for about 16 drinks between us. So, for $66... as opposed $420ish... (RC requires each adult in a stateroom to have the deluxe package after all), we didn't drink as much as we would have. We also didn't spend our cruise inebriated, exhausted and sick. So...

Gotta have the deluxe drink package, every cruise. Well worth it for this couple (who only drink on cruises) !!!

For me personally it's a must really enjoy the freedom of getting whatever I want and not needing to track it on a seven-night sailing I typically have 100 to 130 drinks the only problem is the wife can track it on the television in the stateroom 😟

Every day can knock out without thinking 3 or 5 mimosas At Brunch..plus my espresso’s throughout the day..I order a triple shot of espresso for my early morn workout session alone..so well worth it for that alone..Plus the 10 alcohol beverages through day/night

it depends imo on your choice of drink. If your just a beer guy, its prob not worth it. However for us, it was more than worth it. Also factor in the following: it allows tea, soda, juice, liquor, mix drinks, beer AND specialty coffee's and even smoothies if you go to the spa area. For people like us on a cruise, we like to wake up and have a nice coffee after breakfast or before going to the clubs at night. I like to get a smoothy after a hot day at the beach. When we went, we drank on average 10 mixed drinks a day. Sometimes more sometimes less. Not counting smoothies, coffee's, tea, soda, etc. Also it lets me try new drinks without being worried about wasting money

I got a deluxe package for the first time and will never look back. I also ordered it during the Black Friday sale so I didn't pay that much, but it was definitely money worth spent. I also book excursions during the Black Friday sale too.

What people dont think to include is the bottles of water ($3), coffee ($3-$7), and mocktails ($12-$14) or milkshakes ($5-$7). So you could spend $40-$50 a day without even including alcohol! Most packages on royal are about $60-$70 a day so i think its worth it. And if youre still worried about breaking even then everytime you get a drink, get it with a bottle of water (that adds up quick and you can store them in your fridge for later)

My travel buddy and I get the refreshment package every cruise so far. It covers her coffees and numerous bottles of water throughout the cruise. We also take advantage of the free milkshake at Johnny Rockets. Our next cruise in September will get us both to Diamond, so we’ll have drink vouchers for next sailing. I didn’t think of the Powerade in the Coca Cola freestyle machines and will use that heavily coming up! We bring a bottle or two of sparkling wine aboard with us, drink many mock tails to get our value out of the package, along with fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast.

I cruised 3 mos ago. Cruising again in July. Definitely buy the package again.

Great perspective take, Elizabeth has a beautiful smile!

For me, it depends on the itinerary. We've only ever done Mediterranean shore intensive cruises up to now, and absolutely wouldn't get a drinks package. This year we're doing the Caribbean, more sea days, and much more chilled, so we are getting the DDP

i like the idea of not having to worry about anything as well, just pay for everything up front. That being said, I would also calculate which is the greater want/need - convenience, or price overall

I definitely love the convenience of being able to order what I want when I want and not worry about having a big “bill” at the end of the cruise! And since we book our cruises so far in advance, we can spread the cost out over many months and it’s no big deal!

I’m 40 so I don’t drink much alcohol but I do love tropical drinks

We are currently been quoted £70.16 per guest it was £65.00 2 weeks ago, lm holding on and hoping the price drops before September 🤞 10:07

It’s really nice to have the freedom to literally choose any and every drink to try…and not feel bad if you don’t like it and want to trash it. Totally worth it unless you are Diamond and above.

The regular was worth it for my wonder cruise last week. We paid £20 per day inc gratuity, so well covered after 2/3 non soda drinks. The delux package was £72 inc gratuity but for two of us, it really wasn’t worth it as my wife doesn’t drink enough. Collectively, we’d have to drink £728 in alcohol if you knock off the £20 for the regular.

I’ll consume at least $85 worth of milkshakes, bottled water and coffee, on typical day. Add beer, wine, and cocktails and I’m easily in the hundreds…. Every Day!

We got the drink package for our cruise on wonder of the seas in July. Can't wait

18 day cruise, I maxed out my 15/day package most days. I drank over $1500 worth of beverages

Vitality Cafe!!!! Take advantage of those protein drinks, smoothies, juices!!

I think she played it perfectly...well done

This is a once in a lifetime cruise for us, so we're getting the deluxe package so not have to worry. I like coffees, juices and water, so it will work out great.

So, here's what happened on our 4 day Liberty sailing a few months ago..... Me (37), Husband (44), Son (4) with Diamond status, so we did not get the drink package. We spent an additional $400 in alcohol on top of the most expensive diamond free drinks totaling around $448, bringing us to drinking over $800 in just alcohol. I'll have to seriously reconsider the drink package next time we're on a short sailing even with our free diamond drinks LOL

I drank every day even when I didn't feel like it. And I don't drink that much so skipping it. May bring on the bottles of wine as well never done that

the big questions . short answer … absolutely yes . especially if you a younger cruiser who is at club until the am .

I got a package that allowed 15 drinks a day. I drank all 15 for 4 days, plus at the destinations, and then bought drinks when the package ran out. I almost died from alcoholism 4 years later, but the cruise was fun.

I enjoy the deluxe drink package. I order different drinks that I would like to try and I also have specialty coffees, fresh squeezed juices, bottled waters, and even a Johnny Rockets milk shake.

I think it worthwhile ... tips and gratuity add up quick and so does the thought process of its just $14 ... or it's just $5 and then we have a tab on our CC ... do I enjoy the stress free aspect of the package

cant wait! 30 days until Wonder...I'll let you know about the drink package afterwards!

This is an honest review I believe I can trust. I think we'll purchas this for our next cruise. Makes sense since ALL drinks are include and you don't feel guilty not finishing a new drink you actually hate 😉

It only makes sense when the cruise liner advertises a have it all package bundled from the beginning such as paid gratuities, wifi, some fine dining and shore excursion credits with some type of drink package. You can then scale down the suite too to compensate for most of the additional cost. Otherwise its throwing money way and you pay another 18% gratuity as well on the package. For a couple its about $1,640 just for a RC drink package on 15 day cruise. Total waste.

I've gone with it and without it. It is the ULTIMATE LUXURY, but I was in the same spot as Elizabeth, I was drinking just to drink and even drank more BEFORE the cruise to make sure I could level up my tolerance. It was a 4 day cruise and I would be tired the next day and didn't even leave the ship on one port day (Bahamas, no biggie if you've been before). I'm going on a six day cruise this year and not purchasing the drink package. I'm bringing 2 bottles of wine and a 12 pack of Diet Coke (which RC allows) and may purchase the coffee card and a drink or 2 the pool or dinner per day. I'm spending my $$ on more excursions this time around and will have more energy for the entire cruise.

I always get the package. The first time I cruised, I didn't get the package and was floored by all the drink charges.

The amount you need to drink to get your moneys worth is insane. If you can do it i wouldn't be asking about the cost, i would be asking "do i have a drink problem"

yes, its worth it! cocktails, speciality coffees and teas

We are cruising in august in two rooms between the six of us. 9 nights. Thoughts about “sharing” the drink package between me and me wife who will be in separate rooms.

If I drink 1 alcohol beverage per day it’ll be a miracle lol I’m just not into the taste of alcohol, so for me it’s not worth it. However, I have a European cruise coming up in May and I did by a nonalcoholic beverage package. At $8.99 per day this is definitely worth it to me! 😊

Great video. I totally agree. I’m not a drinker drinker so I can tell you off top what my drinking habits would be and it’s not cost efficient for a package. Id waste money. On the first day of a 6 day cruise no more than 3 drinks if any. Through out the sail at the highest 6 drinks per day. On departure day Zero. My turn up is drinking but this is the best I can do.

My thing with these packages are that you cant choose days to use them. I know theyre doing it because they want more money but nothing other than greed is stopping them from implementing something that allows them maybe 3 or 4 24 hour windows that activate whenever you buy your first drink and any drink after that is unlimited/free. It wouldnt be hard to implement

I used to cruise without a drink package, and then I stopped. 2 to 3 glasses of wine at dinner and if you get a drink at or at the pool like a pinacolada. You'll spend at least 100 bucks a day. Cheaper to have the drink package

I would definitely do it again I did it on the same ship on the seven night cruise last August and 0:01 I plan to do another deluxe beverage package on future cruise is a great vlog 😊

Can you do a video about what the Starbucks menu is. I know it is isn't the full menu served at Cafe Promenade, but I can't find anywhere what is served. Thanks!

I noticed you didn't mention having any wine with dinner during your sailing? I recently sailed Celebrity Beyond with a Premium Drink package that costed my wife and I $84 pp. Being able to have drinks up to $17 in value-- we were able to make full use of our upgraded bev package. We each normally have 3-4 glasses of wine at dinner alone-- to which we added a Champagne Toast to every evening-- plus one or two post dinner drinks at the Martini Bar. This alone exceed our cost for the package. Add in all the rehydration with bottled water, Red Bull, Vitamin Water, etc and specialty coffees throughout the day-- we came out way ahead.

Nothing beats the piece of mind knowing you have 7 days worth of unlimited drinks non stop 🍻🍷🍹🍸🥂🍾🥃

I feel that I tend to drink more on sea days not on port days… so it depends on my itinerary…my best cruise is 4 por days

You have to remember, without the package that's 18% gratuity on each individual drink. So while you're paying $11 for a cocktail and $3.50 for a water, without the package that's actually $12.98 and $4.13 then they encourage you to tip on top of that. You have to think about port days, all the time you don't have the opportunity to drink as much vs sea days and your upkeep every single day. If you don't meet a quota one day are you going to have to "catch up" the next. This is all the math I do while deciding. Going on a 4 day on Freedom in October, made more sense to me to go refreshment route and purchase alcohol à la carte when calculating what I would typically indulge in in a buffet type setting and multiple "ooh what's that" scenarios. Even then, I don't drink beverages enough to justify for myself when considering current DDP price. $68 and below pppd? Yes. But $75+ pppd? Sorry, can't hack it. I'm not a coffee, energy, beer, or even tea drinker but drink at least 3 bottles of water pd and LOVE fruity drinks, milkshakes, and an occasional Dr. Pepper. For a lightweight, a mocktail package's a win for me.

If there is at least one sail day it is worth it for my wife and me. Sometimes like the cruise were going beside sea day at one port we have to be on ship by 1:30. So that is like 2 sail days!

I'm a diabetic and 1 of the side effects is Dry mouth. Sooo, I know I'll start to day with an iced cappuccinos ☕️ before breakfast and a mimosa🥂 while I'm eating. During lunch I'll have at least 2 beers 🍺🍺 (& maaaybe a shot 🥃... or 3) & then I'll have 2 cocktails🍸🍹 with my dinner, so that's 7-9 & that's being Errday...😁 And I'm NOT an alcoholic, #DONTJUDGEME!! 😂🤣

I've stopped thinking about it as "I need to drink X number of drinks per day to get my monies worth", but rather now I calculate that number and get a total for the entire cruise. Cause I know you'll drink more some days (sea days) than others (port days), but overall if I drink over that total then yes it is worth it. But good point about it is not just alcohol. I like Coffee's\Hot Chocolate\Soda\Juice as well.

Great video Matt and Elizabeth, thanks. I may consider a drink package, I only really drink beer, water, and coffee.

We always get the drink package and never regretted it due to the convenience and comfort associated with not stressing about the cost of drinks. Plus... It is just easier not having to sign for every drink. That being said, we are about to turn Diamond and a little conflicted about the drink package due to getting the 4 drink vouchers.

I used to get just the soda package. But since I got to Diamond. Don't really need it. As well as Prime membership at the casino. So I'm good on Drinks for cruises for a long while.

Was on last month. If you like strawberry pina colada try Miami vice. It’s strawberry daiquiri and pina colada poured into same glass. I must’ve had 15

based on $ spend - going cash makes a ton of sense for most. But you can't beat the convince of a drink package and just not worrying about it.

Unless you are planning on drinking a lot of *alcohol* on the cruise (and I do mean a lot!), I really think the best way to squeeze out the bang for buck is to get the refreshment package (which I've seen as $500+ cheaper at least on 7 night sailings!!!) and whenever you want an alcoholic beverage -- pay extra. Me and my friend, who are both 23, recently went on a cruise and... we liked mocktails! We liked the fancy coffees! Milkshakes! Soda pop!!! We drank so so so much many more things than alcohol. It was nice being able to try a bunch of new drinks as being still fresh to the legal drinking scene, but it really taught us that we would get so much more value by just having the refreshment package, and when we want booze -- buy booze!

I normally get it on cruises that have Labadee and Coco Cay on the itinerary. Such as 4 or 3 night or bith stops on a longer. Heavy cruise port cruises i don't cause i am gone off ship longer. Of course the Group cruises it is need.

Wine and Water will do. The rest of this stuff is mainly sugar.

It was great that she listed every drink. Just confirms for me that it's not worth the $. I wont drink enough. I'll just buy a la carte

The cruises we gone on the last few years standard drink package included for all, not the premium stuff like cans of soda etc, the first few cruises we went on we bought a drink package, I don't think we got our monies worth, since I don't drink booze, and we could not buy a mixture of just soft drinks and two standard drink packages.

Shop packages early and often for best prices. If there’s a combined drink & wifi package it becomes a no-brainer for those of us who need to be able to use the internet.

For a drinker, the Deluxe drink package is reasonable. I personally would be sick with more than 3 alcoholic beverages a day. And my 21 year old has palate that only allows for sweer cocktails. So yeah, no Deluxe drink package for us

What ingredients are in a Strawberry Blonde?

Yes I think it's worth it I will be getting one when I got in September on the Harmony of the sea can't wait 😀 😊 😄

I drink a lot of whiskey sit down and smoke cigars. It’s a must for me.

Really wish she had totaled up the drinks. How much was a coke/Gatorade on board?? How much would her specialty coffees have cost?? And then how much was the alcohol a la carte on top of it?? $70/day: 5 mixed drinks, 1 specialty coffee, one soda, 3-4 alcoholic beverages etc.

I think it also depends on where you are cruising

$14 before gratuity strikes me as expensive for a cocktail. They range from about $8.50 for a simple daiquiri to $11 for their premium cocktails on P&O and there’s no service charge.

For me I will spend 100.00 in drinks and 500.00 in excursions. 😂😂😂❤

As a Diamond, and someone who usually books a Grand Suite, I don’t find the package to be a value. I’m somewhat surprised that Royal Caribbean hasn’t come up with an offer to try to sway their diamond and above to buy a deluxe package at a lesser rate, knowing that they have 4 to 6 drinks that are gonna be free anyway. I have purchased the deluxe package twice before and found myself also drinking more just to get the value out of the package. But I also found myself indulging in specialty coffee‘s fresh orange juice and other free drinks with the package. Again, I usually do no more than 4 to 5 drinks in a day, so the added expense of the deluxe package doesn’t really cut it. Seems like there’s something there that RC can work on to get a little extra money out of that group.

Its a convenience for me to get the drinks package. I like the all inclusive feel that a drinks package can bring. I may not make the drinks package "worth it" but I do feel free to experiment with drinks I may not have tried before. I know for me I can go "ooh what's that cool looking drink" and give it a try. Also the bottled water I order with every drink and a few that I'll take on shore excursions also helps cut down the amount of alcohol I consume. I'm also an evil smoker. So I find myself on sea days sat down in the smoking section just idly sipping and I know I've gone through 3 or 4 drinks doing that alone. But that's me.

I'd like to know some things like what's the cost of the good coffee (I'm a fancy coffee addict) plus what class of booze is the package good for as I enjoy high-end scotch which can get really expensive. Frozen specialty (non-alcoholic) drinks seems like something I'd enjoy but not necessarily get if I didn't have the package. When it comes down to it a good comprehensive list of what's free and what's available through the drink package would be necessary to make a decision on it.

Was that Harmony? I’m booked in May on her with those ports. I booked the drink package. $72.99 was the lowest I had seen…except once. I bought it when it went down to $67.99. I take advantage of all the included beverages, especially the bottled water. I always have one on hand to stay hydrated from drinking alcohol. I’m not doing any shore excursions, with the intent of staying onboard. Port stops are not a factor. I think the package is worth it.

Very interesting and informative video. If Elizabeth is not a staff member, hire her! If Elizabeth is part of the staff, she deserves a raise!!! Instead of putting my money towards a drink package all these years, I instead would just go on more cruises!!! Now I got my own "free" "drink-package" with the 4 daily drink vouchers that Royal Caribbean gives you for being a Diamond member status in their Crown & Anchor society!! 😆😆 In the words of Michael Scott... "Win-Win-Win" 🍺🍺