For many cruise passengers, drink packages aren't optional.
Many cruisers don't want the uncertainty of a large bill at the end of their cruises. Many also enjoy not having to think about cost as they sample everything from fresh juice and milkshakes to beer, wine and cocktails.
DON'T MISS: Royal Caribbean makes a key beverage package change
Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) -), unlike its chief rival, Royal Caribbean, uses a fixed price for its Cheers beverage package. Passengers pay a set daily fee — currently $59.95 pre-cruise or $64.95 onboard — for access to all the nonalcoholic beverages they can drink and a maximum 15 alcoholic beverages each day.
That set price, applying to any cruise, is different from the pricing Royal Caribbean (RCL) -) uses. Carnival's rival line uses dynamic pricing, which means the package price for the same cruise can change regularly.
Royal Caribbean charges about $50 to $100 a day for its Deluxe Beverage Package, which includes truly unlimited drinks (as long as you are not visibly intoxicated). In general, Royal Caribbean customers pay more for their drink packages and many order it, cancel it, get refunded, and buy it again if the price goes down.
Carnival has a clearer offer, which is about to get both more complicated and more expensive.
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Image source: Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival raises Cheers drink-package price
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald used his Facebook page on Oct. 3 to outline a price increase for the company's Cheers beverage package, which will affect cruises shorter than 6 days.
"Now as you know or perhaps you do not, I do not drink alcohol and I will discuss more about that shortly. But first let me talk about the Cheers program because yesterday we sent an email to all the guests booked on 3, 4, and 5-day cruises that there will be a price change for the program which is as follows for cruises departing 12/01/23, and after," he wrote.
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Currently, people who pay for Cheers! before their cruises pay $59.95 a day. That price will go up 17%, to $69.95 a day. Passengers who opt to book onboard will see the same $10 a day increase, from $64.95 a day to $74.95 a day. That's 15% higher.
Carnival passengers on cruises six days or longer will not see a price increase.
"You have until the 8th of October to call us or to book online and grab the current price," Heald posted. "I have also been asked by the beards to let you know that from October 9th – December 1st you will only be able to purchase the Cheers program for any cruise via your Cruise Manager and not by calling. This is so that the work my colleagues are doing on the website can continue."
Carnival considers more changes
Heald also said that he continues to alert management — the "beards," as he calls them — to passengers' requests for changes to Carnival's drink-package offerings.
"I promise I have told the beards that some of you wish for a shorter Cheers program, a non-alcohol-based program and while there are no plans for these at the moment I promise I am letting them know your requests," he said.
Carnival has a soda package but has no equivalent to Royal Caribbean's Refreshment Package, which includes all drinks aside from alcoholic ones.
Heald's followers have also asked him whether Carnival could copy another Royal Caribbean beverage offer. Chris Saunders posted about his recent experience on Carnival's rival:
"The crew were super nice just like they are on Carnival but the ship did have one thing we really liked and wish Carnival would do. We bought a coffee card which gave us 15 coffees on a 12-day cruise," he shared.
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Carnival has no coffee-only package and Royal Caribbean's coffee card is sold on many, but not all, sailings. It includes specialty coffee at the onboard Cafes, which serve Starbucks coffee, but not at the dedicated Starbucks locations.
