RayO 153 Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 The P&O limit would not allow me to have any of the G&T Perfect Serves, which was my regular tipple when last on a P&O cruise. This would be the only time that a package would not allow me to drink what I want. RayO Davybe 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 On 2/5/2019 at 10:38 AM, sinbad10 said: We have cruised on all 3 Cunard ships within the last 2 years and have never, apart from prior to dinner, seen bars so empty. Many arguments on differing cruise forums have taken place with regards to alcohol prices on Cunard and there seems to be a split that those that live in the south of UK or the bigger cities around the UK seem to accept the prices and think they are reasonable where the rest of the UK, myself included, think the prices are very high. Of course there are a lot of Americans who cruise with Cunard and because generally higher alcohol prices in the US they seem to be acceptable. We were on QM2 when they introduced on trial their drinks package, now also available on QE & QV, and at $69 pppd even though drinks are considerably higher than P&O there were not many takers. Hi Sinbad. I did once ask some Americans about how much they paid ,One Couple from Florida thought Celebrity's prices slightly higher than they would pay at home going out to a decent Hotel or restaurant ,the couple from New York thought the prices around what they paid or cheaper than New York? Are the Prices on premium lines in line with what you would pay in London, as they are much higher than I pay in North Wales....Davybe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oldworldtraveller 2225 Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 At the current exchange rate $69 = about £58. In London that would buy me 11 pints of beers or 7 spirits and mixers or about 9 glasses of wine. Way, way beyond my intake. We need to remember that in the USA wages are often higher and cruises are in many cases cheaper than what we pay here so when they add a drinks package into the cost it is in some cases still lower than what we pay as the lead in cost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sinbad10 757 Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 5 hours ago, Davybe said: Hi Sinbad. I did once ask some Americans about how much they paid ,One Couple from Florida thought Celebrity's prices slightly higher than they would pay at home going out to a decent Hotel or restaurant ,the couple from New York thought the prices around what they paid or cheaper than New York? Are the Prices on premium lines in line with what you would pay in London, as they are much higher than I pay in North Wales....Davybe Sorry I dont live in London so dont know what prices are there but in Staffordshire in general the prices are a lot higher on Cunard than what you would pay in a decent hotel/restaurant. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 17 hours ago, sinbad10 said: Sorry I dont live in London so dont know what prices are there but in Staffordshire in general the prices are a lot higher on Cunard than what you would pay in a decent hotel/restaurant. How things have changed, Cunard was reputed to have the lowest drink prices at sea some years ago? now among the highest ...Daavybe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afcandrew 371 Posted February 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 15 minutes ago, Davybe said: How things have changed, Cunard was reputed to have the lowest drink prices at sea some years ago? now among the highest ...Daavybe Yes - but at least they are a good, British Line - or so they keep telling us 🤨🙄 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DerekV 0 Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 As sinbad10 has said, I did some very rough calculations and if you consider that you may have a couple of cups of Costa Coffee in the morning and if it's a sea day a couple of beers in the afternoon, then a drink before dinner, a glass or two of wine with dinner and maybe a drink after the show and a nightcap then it's quite easy to see how you can consume quite a number of drinks, without realising it. Nobody has been able to explain why, if there's no VAT or Alcohol Duty on board why drinks are so expensive anyway. Their "Duty-Free" prices are more expensive than my local supermarket! As a group of 4 we usually take on-board a bottle of booze each (bought from local supermarket) and drink that for our before dinner drinks. I think we just accept that the drinks are expensive, drink in moderation and then accept that as part of the price of the holiday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
*Dancing Queen* 394 Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 9 hours ago, afcandrew said: Yes - but at least they are a good, British Line - or so they keep telling us 🤨🙄 They can tell us whatever they like and some will believe it but Cunard belong to Carnival and are American through and through HLM and afcandrew 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oldworldtraveller 2225 Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 11 hours ago, afcandrew said: Yes - but at least they are a good, British Line - or so they keep telling us They may have a British heritage but being owned by Carnival Corp. their Corporate Head Quarters in Miami and their pricing in US Dollars, that makes them very much American in my book. afcandrew and HLM 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted February 12, 2019 Report Share Posted February 12, 2019 22 hours ago, afcandrew said: Yes - but at least they are a good, British Line - or so they keep telling us 🤨🙄 Probably that's why we pay in USD on the ship??? 🤣 One man actually said he cruised with Cunard because they were "British" even then they charged us in USD ,he thought they were the best cruise line in the world, but had never sailed with anyone else? ....Davybe😑 Oldworldtraveller, HLM and afcandrew 1 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Annieuk 56 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 I've just caught up with this topic, not been on the site for a while. We've just done a late booking for a 7 night Arcadia cruise in May. If we were to take up the Drinks package that would cost us £559.30 for the week - no way would we spend that much on alcohol in a week, even allowing for my occasional double Espresso from Costa Coffee - I'm not sure a double Espresso would be included in the drinks package would it - and I always ask for it with a small jug of hot milk - don't think they charge me for that usually. In September we're doing the 30 night Canada/USA cruise so the cost of the drinks package for that would be £2397!! No way! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
towny44 229 Posted March 16, 2019 Report Share Posted March 16, 2019 7 minutes ago, Annieuk said: I've just caught up with this topic, not been on the site for a while. We've just done a late booking for a 7 night Arcadia cruise in May. If we were to take up the Drinks package that would cost us £559.30 for the week - no way would we spend that much on alcohol in a week, even allowing for my occasional double Espresso from Costa Coffee - I'm not sure a double Espresso would be included in the drinks package would it - and I always ask for it with a small jug of hot milk - don't think they charge me for that usually. In September we're doing the 30 night Canada/USA cruise so the cost of the drinks package for that would be £2397!! No way! I think that's the view of the majority on the forums Annie, but I imagine there will be quite a few who think it will be cost effective for them, I just hope P&O drink prices don't escalate like Celebrity's did after they introduced drink packages. Davybe 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted March 18, 2019 Report Share Posted March 18, 2019 On 3/16/2019 at 9:29 AM, towny44 said: I think that's the view of the majority on the forums Annie, but I imagine there will be quite a few who think it will be cost effective for them, I just hope P&O drink prices don't escalate like Celebrity's did after they introduced drink packages. Just checked the "Captain Wine Package" and that has gone up from this time last year ,works out about £1-30 per bottle increase...Davybe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ikea Logistics 12 Posted March 19, 2019 Report Share Posted March 19, 2019 On 3/18/2019 at 1:21 PM, Davybe said: Just checked the "Captain Wine Package" and that has gone up from this time last year ,works out about £1-30 per bottle increase...Davybe well thats one way to claim back gratuities then Davybe 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sinbad10 757 Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 On 3/18/2019 at 1:21 PM, Davybe said: Just checked the "Captain Wine Package" and that has gone up from this time last year ,works out about £1-30 per bottle increase...Davybe The price of wine went up in February due to increase in government duty that is one reason why inflation has risen in the UK and I have no doubt that P&O probably do not buy their wines from the UK I have no doubt other countries prices have risen so that is why prices have increased nothing to do with claw back of stopping gratuities. Davybe 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
STC 5 Posted July 8, 2019 Report Share Posted July 8, 2019 Personally, I think P&O's current drinks packages are absolutely EXTORTIONATE!! It's a complete and utter con that ALL adults sharing the same cabin MUST purchase the same drinks package - whether they want to or not! There is no way on earth that my wife and I would get through £39.95 worth of alcoholic drinks EVERYDAY of our cruise. That equates to over £1118 for a 14 night cruise. Even the non-alcoholic drinks package at £19.95pp per day is far too expensive. To justify these sort of prices, you would have to spend most of your days/evenings sat in a bar... EVERYDAY... sea day or not! Personally, I would rather put the £1118 towards another cruise. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted July 8, 2019 Report Share Posted July 8, 2019 28 minutes ago, STC said: Personally, I think P&O's current drinks packages are absolutely EXTORTIONATE!! It's a complete and utter con that ALL adults sharing the same cabin MUST purchase the same drinks package - whether they want to or not! There is no way on earth that my wife and I would get through £39.95 worth of alcoholic drinks EVERYDAY of our cruise. That equates to over £1118 for a 14 night cruise. Even the non-alcoholic drinks package at £19.95pp per day is far too expensive. To justify these sort of prices, you would have to spend most of your days/evenings sat in a bar... EVERYDAY... sea day or not! Personally, I would rather put the £1118 towards another cruise. Like you we do not bother with the Drinks packages ,we buy wine from the "Captains Package " for drinking with Diner and the rest we just buy as we need. It will be suitable for some people ,but not for us...Davybe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HLM 519 Posted July 9, 2019 Report Share Posted July 9, 2019 16 hours ago, STC said: Personally, I think P&O's current drinks packages are absolutely EXTORTIONATE!! It's a complete and utter con that ALL adults sharing the same cabin MUST purchase the same drinks package - whether they want to or not! There is no way on earth that my wife and I would get through £39.95 worth of alcoholic drinks EVERYDAY of our cruise. That equates to over £1118 for a 14 night cruise. Even the non-alcoholic drinks package at £19.95pp per day is far too expensive. To justify these sort of prices, you would have to spend most of your days/evenings sat in a bar... EVERYDAY... sea day or not! Personally, I would rather put the £1118 towards another cruise. As I said in an earlier post STC, there is no obligation to buy therefore there's no extortion to you personally should you opt not to buy the package. Very few cruiselines, if any allow one of two cabin occupants to buy the package and it's pretty obvious why. I could quite easily get value for money from the package and I'd certainly not be spending most of the days and evenings sat in bars, it does only equate to 5/6 alcoholic drinks a day that's certainly not excessive when on a cruise, that's without coffees and soft drinks. Just my opinion but I think it represents good value. HLM. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sinbad10 757 Posted July 9, 2019 Report Share Posted July 9, 2019 22 hours ago, STC said: Personally, I think P&O's current drinks packages are absolutely EXTORTIONATE!! It's a complete and utter con that ALL adults sharing the same cabin MUST purchase the same drinks package - whether they want to or not! There is no way on earth that my wife and I would get through £39.95 worth of alcoholic drinks EVERYDAY of our cruise. That equates to over £1118 for a 14 night cruise. Even the non-alcoholic drinks package at £19.95pp per day is far too expensive. To justify these sort of prices, you would have to spend most of your days/evenings sat in a bar... EVERYDAY... sea day or not! Personally, I would rather put the £1118 towards another cruise. Princess, Cunard and many others are a lot dearer so hardly extortionate and is one of the cheapest. afcandrew and HLM 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afcandrew 371 Posted July 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2019 Whilst I do think P&O's package prices are expensive, I agree that many of the other lines are much more so. Princess now charge $59.99 per day plus 18% gratuity. I do understand why both pax in a cabin have to sign up for it because without that it would be open to abuse. HLM 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Harpers 5 Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 Hi, I have been on Royal Caribbean where they occasionally do free drinks package( price of holiday increased accordingly). People do seem to drink more than normal and the prices of drinks for us not on a package is ridiculous. I hope P& O dont put their drinks prices up, but I bet they will! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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