Fred's AI Package increase

[Life0nMars 135]

I see that Fred has increased the A1 drinks package from £10 to £15pp per day.

Still exceptionally great value in my opinion.

Upgrade to All Inclusive now and save up to 50%*

For many guests, the time spent sailing the world’s waterways on board one of Fred. Olsen’s smaller, more intimate cruise ships is the time to indulge and make the most of a well-earned escape away from it all.

With this is mind, Fred. Olsen’s All Inclusive Drinks Upgrade is another service offered to ensure your holiday is relaxing and enjoyable. By upgrading to All Inclusive, you can treat yourself to that extra glass or two of your favourite tipple, without having to worry about the bar bill at the end of your cruise – it’s already covered.

More than half of Fred. Olsen’s guests choose to take advantage of this fantastic upgrade, which has now been updated and improved to include an even greater selection of drinks. From only £15 per person, per night* (£34 per person, per night on one to four night sailings) you can enjoy selected white, red and rosé wine by the glass and selected house beers, house spirits and soft drinks all day, every day throughout your cruise. Whether it’s a refreshing glass of juice or a pint of your favourite beer by the pool on a hot afternoon at sea, or a G&T to round off your day of exploration, it’s all included in the price. 

We do not offer a non-alcoholic all-inclusive package

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What is included in your All Inclusive Upgrade:

In the bars

• A selection of soft drinks (post-mix on pump), served by the glass: Pepsi, lemonade, tonic waters, juices and mineral/spring water
• A choice of three red, three white and two rosé wines by the glass
• Selected branded beers in cans or on draught
• Selected house spirits: white rum, gin, vodka, whisky, brandy and Irish Cream
• Daily ‘specials’

In the restaurants & buffet areas

• A selection of soft drinks, mineral/spring water and juices by the glass
• A choice of three red, three white and two rosé wines by the glass
• Selected branded beers in cans
• Regular tea & coffee

Premium drinks are discounted too:

• Guests with the All Inclusive Upgrade can also save 50% off premium and branded drinks, other red and white wines (excluding Champagne or sparkling wine), cocktails and bottled water. 

The friendly staff and waiters on board your ship will know you’ve upgraded to All Inclusive, as it will be indicated on your key/security card. Simply hand it over to a member of the team when ordering your drinks, and they’ll handle the rest.

Please note: The updated All Inclusive package will be available on departures from 1^st May 2017 onwards. The previous All Inclusive package will continue to be offered on cruises departing up to 30^th April 2017 (W1703, W1704, D1703, D1704, D1705, D1706, D1707, M1706, M1707, M1708, M1709, M1710, L1704, L1705, L1706, and L1707).

Guests who have booked All Inclusive at the previous price (from £10 per person, per night**) for departures from 1^st May 2017 onwards will enjoy the updated package outlined above at no extra cost. For bookings made from 7^th March 2017 onwards for departures from 1^st May onwards, guests will be charged at the new rate (from £15 per person, per night*).  On cruises D1708, W1705, M1711 and L1708 onwards, the price to upgrade after boarding will be £25 per person, per night regardless of when the guest booked their cruise (excluding one to four night sailings where the upgrade is not available to purchase on board).

For more information about the All Inclusive upgrade and pricing, please contact our friendly Reservations Team.

*Pricing for the updated All Inclusive upgrade starts at £15 per person, per night for cruise bookings made before departure. For one to four night sailings, the upgrade is charged at £34 per person, per night. Guests who upgrade to All Inclusive after boarding will be charged £25 per person, per night. Guests on one to four night sailings cannot upgrade once on board.

**Guests who have booked All Inclusive at the previous price will pay £10 per person, per night or £29 per person, per night on one to four night sailings. Guests who upgrade after boarding will be charged £25 per person, per night on standard cruises; Guests on one to four night sailings cannot upgrade once on board.

http://www.fredolsencruises.com/cruise-extras/all-inclusive-package

 

[Oldworldtraveller 2225]

It beats every other cruise line who charge for drinks or who offer drinks packages. It begs the question that if Fred can do it why can't others!!!

[Land Ahoy 797]

Hi  I agree that even at £15 per day the beverage package is still very reasonable.   I can't say why other cruise lines don't offer such value but it is possible that many of the passengers on Fred Olsen don't abuse the package and drink sensibly?

[Davybe 529]

A Bargain at £15 even good value at the £25 it is good value compared to Celebrity ...Davybe

[Oldworldtraveller 2225]

2 hours ago, Land Ahoy said:

Hi  I agree that even at £15 per day the beverage package is still very reasonable.   I can't say why other cruise lines don't offer such value but it is possible that many of the passengers on Fred Olsen don't abuse the package and drink sensibly?

Nice thought Land Ahoy although I suspect it has more to do with profit. 

[Furby 441]

am I missing something, what an A1 package?

[2torts 346]

If it was AI it would be all inclusive but A1 I haven't a clue. 

[sammy sun 1084]

That's a big jump though for 1-4 night sailings. £34 from £15?! That's more than double.

[Sea Cruiser 89]

I still think the price for the all inclusive package is very good value for money

[tj42 39]

very good value for money!!

[Oldworldtraveller 2225]

4 hours ago, Furby said:

am I missing something, what an A1 package?

I think Furby that pennbank has simply made a typing error as the the article clearly refers to All Inclusive (A.I)

[Oldworldtraveller 2225]

3 hours ago, sammy sun said:

That's a big jump though for 1-4 night sailings. £34 from £15?! That's more than double.

Yes it is, but its still exceptional value in my book. As for the £34 I am sure there is a method behind it, what I am not sure. Try NCL at $79 pp a day plus 18% or £155 for 2, now that is taking the proverbial.

[Life0nMars 135]

On 08/03/2017 at 0:05 PM, Furby said:

am I missing something, what an A1 package?

Yes Furby

It was a typing mistake , similar to yours above lol.  sorry for that. I think most forum members realised.

 

 

Edited March 10, 2017 by pennbank

[Life0nMars 135]

On 08/03/2017 at 0:42 PM, sammy sun said:

That's a big jump though for 1-4 night sailings. £34 from £15?! That's more than double.

Sammy sun

The old charge for AI  All inclusive on 1- 4 nights  I think was £29

so only a £5 pp per day hike.

Still exceptionally good value compared to the other cruise lines. 

Edited March 10, 2017 by pennbank

[sammy sun 1084]

8 minutes ago, pennbank said:

Sammy sun

The old charge for AI  All inclusive on 1- 4 nights  I think was £29

so only a £5 pp per day hike.

Still exceptionally good value compared to the other cruise lines. 

When compared to rival cruise lines I do agree that it is very good value for money. I'm just thinking that if I was new to cruising and saw that it was £15pp but then £35pp for a short cruise it would make me wonder what I was getting for that jump in price. 

[Oldworldtraveller 2225]

Some of course may think that even on a short cruise it is less than half that charged on US cruise lines with the incentive that if they book for a longer cruise it goes DOWN to £15 per night. 

[Life0nMars 135]

8 hours ago, sammy sun said:

When compared to rival cruise lines I do agree that it is very good value for money. I'm just thinking that if I was new to cruising and saw that it was £15pp but then £35pp for a short cruise it would make me wonder what I was getting for that jump in price. 

You would be getting great Value compared to other cruise lines.

 If you do not  book  the Al  prior to boarding then on cruises more that 5 days it is £25pp per day. On cruises less that 4 days the Al  it is not available on board to purchase.

 

Its still exceptional compared to other lines.

Edited March 11, 2017 by pennbank

[cruise chef 866]

Still amazing value, even if you are a light drinker @15pp per day its still cheaper to take the package

[GWRFAN 6]

Nowhere does it mention whether every member of the party has to pay the £15 per night. My wife only drinks the occasional soft drink so £30 per night would be uneconomic for us. As to being able to drink "a pint of your favourite beer by the pool" , unless my particular tipple is one of the "selected" brands again it would not be a good package for me.

[Rojojacko 0]

Having sailed with Fred last year and paid the £10 pppd for AI, I was pleased with the deal but at £15 pppd it is getting a bit dearer. In my opinion, the £20 pppd charge for AI by MSC is a much better deal as it includes pretty much all of the branded spirits and liqueurs and cocktails and a wider choice of wines, as well as gelato, fresh juices, speciality coffee and bottled mineral water. The only let down is that only one lager is included. I think that Costa charge the same for a similar selection of drinks. As others say, it knocks the US cruise line AI prices into a cocked hat. 

[Life0nMars 135]

2 hours ago, GWRFAN said:

Nowhere does it mention whether every member of the party has to pay the £15 per night. My wife only drinks the occasional soft drink so £30 per night would be uneconomic for us. As to being able to drink "a pint of your favourite beer by the pool" , unless my particular tipple is one of the "selected" brands again it would not be a good package for me.

GWRFAN it does towards the bottom of the page

http://www.fredolsencruises.com/cruise-extras/all-inclusive-package

 

 

*Terms & Conditions: Upgrade covers selected house wines by the glass, selected beers, spirits and soft drinks, subject to availability. Tours, tips, premium drinks, premium hot drinks, medical facilities and other spend, during travel to the ship and while on board, are not included. Any additional expenditure will need to be paid separately. Drinks ordered on room service (other than those listed in the room); mini-bar drinks; drinks bought ashore; Bookmark Café chocolates and beverages; all speciality coffees; Traditional Afternoon Tea events; and Wine Tasting are all excluded from the Upgrade. All Inclusive Upgrade is charged at £15 per person, per night (£34 per person, per night on one to four night sailings). Upgrade must be booked at least six days prior to departure and purchased for the full duration of the cruise by all guests on a booking. FOCL reserves the right to exclude specific cruises. 50% discount on the published price available on: branded and premium drinks and cocktails (including cocktail of the day and non-alcoholic cocktails). All Inclusive drinks are for the sole consumption of those who have purchased the upgrade. Only one drink may be ordered at one time and the room card must always be shown. 

These Terms and Conditions are in addition to Fred. Olsen’s standard Terms and Conditions which can be found here. Both must be read before booking. All offers are non-combinable other than as detailed in the banners above, with the exception of the Enjoyment Promise, where applicable. Offers may be withdrawn or amended at any time without prior notice, are subject to availability and cannot be applied retrospectively.

Edited March 12, 2017 by pennbank

[Life0nMars 135]

41 minutes ago, Rojojacko said:

Having sailed with Fred last year and paid the £10 pppd for AI, I was pleased with the deal but at £15 pppd it is getting a bit dearer. In my opinion, the £20 pppd charge for AI by MSC is a much better deal as it includes pretty much all of the branded spirits and liqueurs and cocktails and a wider choice of wines, as well as gelato, fresh juices, speciality coffee and bottled mineral water. The only let down is that only one lager is included. I think that Costa charge the same for a similar selection of drinks. As others say, it knocks the US cruise line AI prices into a cocked hat. 

MSC have changed their packages for 2017

 

see

 https://www.reasonstocruise.com/msc-cruises-drinks-packages/amp/

Starting from summer 2017, the Allegrissimo package will be renamed All-Inclusive Restaurant & Bar Drink Package

Starting from summer 2017, the Allegrissimo Premium package will be renamed All-Inclusive Deluxe Drink Package  

Depending area sailing prices are for adult are  £20  or £39 pp per day depending on package.

The more expensive £39 pp per day The All-Inclusive Deluxe Drink Package offers perks over and above the standard All-Inclusive Restaurant & Bar Drink Package. It is more inclusive and includes premium brands. It also includes drinks from the in-cabin mini bar.

Still good value, but Freds is still cheaper.

Edited March 12, 2017 by pennbank

[Occasional Cruiser 6]

We always bought Fred’s £10 a day drinks package, when cruising with Fred Olsen and were pleased to do so.

However, when we tried Cruise & Maritime’s Magellan last September, we discovered their inclusive drinks price was £17 a day, or £34 for the two of us, which we initially thought was a bit pricey. Nevertheless, we decided to buy it anyway, to give us more certainty re on-board spend (you can sign up for it on board within the first 24 hours) and I was very glad that we did, for the following reason.

As the cruise progressed, we very soon discovered that C&M’s drinks package was far more comprehensive than Fred’s, as it included all the cocktails and many of the after dinner drinks, like Drambuie, as well.

On that basis it turned out to be a bargain and it allowed us to indulge ourselves a little more than we might otherwise have done.

So, on that basis, I don’t think that Fred’s limited AI drinks package at the newly increased price of £15 a person (£30 a couple) is that much of a bargain, certainly not when compared with Cruise & Maritime.

[Annieuk 56]

We are back on Braemar in September for the first time since 2003 so will see some changes.  When I booked I was amazed to see an offer for those booking over the St. Patrick's Day weekend that the All Inclusive Drinks package was included free!  Seeing as they are now charging £10pppday that seems incredibly good.  We wait to see what it's like.

[Oldworldtraveller 2225]

Hi Annieuk,

I have experienced Fred's A/I on several occasions and have never had any complaints.