There has been plenty of talk surrounding the alcohol prices in Qatar but the England players' families are beating the hefty costs by taking their time over meals on board their luxury £1billion cruise ship.
Alcoholic beverages on the cruise the families are staying on are said to be just as expensive as those in the Doha hotels when bought individually, with a pint of beer costing around £14. Consumption of alcohol bought from authorized suppliers is legal in Qatar, although drinking in public is strictly prohibited.
However, according to the Telegraph, many of the wives, girlfriends and families have already found a way to beat the expensive booze bills by taking advantage of the meal deals on offer. It is understood more than one of the cruise ship restaurants is offering unlimited alcoholic drinks with meals for a set fee of as little as £50.
This has resulted in the families enjoying longer than normal meals on the ship to make the most of the cheaper alcohol. Considering two pints of beer around one of the pools would cost almost £30, forking out £50 for food and unlimited drinks has proved to be a great money-saving move.
The vast majority of the players' families are staying on the cruise ship, which is thought to be where other countries' families are staying. The ship features a funfair with bumper cars and a host of activities including a giant indoor slide and a shopping centre.
There is also an impressive state-of-the-art pool with sunbeds and an indoor facility, with hundreds of people staying on the ship. With families also spending time outside the cruise ship, it presents a challenge for them to spend more time with the players due to the possible risk of spreading Covid-19 among the England camp.
It didn't stop the likes of Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Harry Maguire from spending time with their loved ones after the Three Lions' 6-2 thrashing of Iran on Monday. Grealish - who paid tribute to a young fan with his goal celebration during the match - looked delighted to catch up with his girlfriend Sasha Attwood after he scored his first World Cup goal as a late substitute.
Meanwhile, Maguire went over to speak to his wife, Fern, and the rest of his family, after the out-of-favour Manchester United defender impressed for the Three Lions.
Marcus Rashford celebrated netting a second-half goal during the game by catching up with girlfriend Lucia Loi, who was watching on as the national treasure scored England's fifth goal. Maddison, who was ruled out of the game through injury, also went to catch up with Alexa Kennedy and his son in the stands.
