Other Things To Know Before Purchasing
Before you pull the trigger on buying the drink package, you should know that just because you purchase the unlimited beverage package on your cruise doesn’t mean you can drink anything in sight.
- Most packages have limits on what’s available, excluding drinks that are above a certain price limit . If you are the sort of person that only drinks the highest-end beverages, then you might want to check and make sure your particular drink is included in the package. If you go over that amount, the per-drink limit will be deducted from the cost and you will need to pay the difference.
- If you are a wine drinker, you can’t have whole bottles of wine with the packages, although you can get wine by the glass. If you want to purchase the whole bottle, having the drink package usually entitles you to a significant discount off the purchase price.
- You can’t use the drink packages to buy whole bottles of liquor in the ship’s duty-free shops.
- Drink packages don’t apply to drinks from your in-room mini bar. You’ll be charged full price for those beverages.
- You can only get one or two drinks at a time with most drink packages. There is often a short waiting period in between buying drinks.
What Does The Silver Spirits Package Cover
Any drinks up to $15.00, including premium wines by the glass, cocktails and aperitifs
The Chefs Table premium wine pairing
A selection of wines, which change twice per cruise
15% discount on premium beverages above $50
Soft drinks and juices
Note: For premium wines, only those wines that are available by the glass are included in the package . Wines that are only available by the bottle are not included in the package.
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Are There Limits In How Many Drinks I Can Get
The only cruise lines we know to have any limits on the number of drinks you can order is Carnival and Princess . They have a 15-drink limit on alcoholic beverages during the 24-hour period that runs from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. Non-alcoholic drinks aren’t included in the 15-drink total.
So if you have 15 alcoholic drinks, you can’t order another until the next day, but you can have all the waters or sodas that you want.
While other cruise lines may not set explicit limits, if you are obviously intoxicated then don’t be surprised if you are cut off from ordering any more drinks.
As well, there are often waiting periods between drink purchases.
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Byob Bring Your Own Booze: The Sneaky Way
Cruise passengers have been known to sneak their own booze aboard cruises. We like to play by the rules and dont particularly recommend this. But wed be remiss not mention this as a strategy for cheap drinks on a cruise. There are often-tried cruise alcohol tricks like putting liquor in mouthwash containers and using green or blue food coloring in attempts to hide that its actually alcohol.
Such tricks are well-known by security and you likely wont be fooling anyone by pouring some blue colored vodka into a Listerine bottle. Plus, that vodka will probably end up with a faint minty taste thats unavoidable.
If you are going to smuggle some liquor aboard your next sailing, consider a cruise ship flask kit that is specifically made for the purpose of being undetected when going through security. These nonmetallic pouches are purposely designed to let no air bubbles when pouring liquor into the devices, making it undetectable.
Many of these cruise flask kits have a good track record of success. For example, this Concealable and Reusable Cruise Flask Kit is currently the most popular alcohol smuggling device on Amazon and receives overwhelmingly positive reviews, with about 90%+ of reviewers, indicating it got past security. Check the most recent reviews.
So what happens if you get caught sneaking alcohol onto a cruise ship?
The biggest consequence is embarrassment and potential confiscation of your booze.
Do I Have To Buy A Drink Package
Absolutely not. Drink packages are completely optional. In fact, most people simply pay for each individual drink. When you do that, you’ll be charged each time you get a beverage and don’t forget the extra gratuity — usually around 18% — that’s tacked on.
Just know that if you buy the package, you can’t change your mind later and get your money back. So be sure you want it before you purchase.
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Review Of Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises is a Miami-based passenger shipping company operating a fleet of premium boats. Between April 2007 and September 2014, Oceania was owned by Apollo Management. The company’s owner since 2014 is NCLH – also the owner of NCL and RSSC , Oceania as a cruise line brand offers a luxury product with relatively shorter itineraries but is also well-known for its Around The World voyages lasting up to 180 days.
The company’s current President and CEO is Howard Sherman, who is the successor of Bob Binder . Between 2016-2021, Howard Sherman was NCLH’s Executive VP .
Find Cheap Drinks In Port
If you have an extra hour or two to burn while in port, skip the sugary overpriced drinks at Señor Frogs and Fat Tuesdays. Instead, find a cozy local bar a little further away from the port to throw back a few. Not only will you have a more authentic travel experience with local flavor, but you also may find local prices!
Drink your Buds, Millers, Coors, Coronas, and Heinekens once youre back on the ship. Instead, take the opportunity on shore to explore a local beer or spirit. Weve found there to be some surprisingly tasty brews popping up all around the world. Many popular Caribbean and Central American cruise destinations even have local brewpubs near cruise ports.
Also, be aware that many places around the world dont have open container laws like in the US. This means you can go into a local convenience store, and get a cold beer to enjoy while relaxing on the beach, touring the city streets, or simply walking back to the ship while you sip.
Many countries officially do have open container laws, but they are completely unenforced in popular cruise ports. The easiest way to know whether drinking alcohol in public is tolerated is this: if the cashier of a convenience store has a bottle opener at the counter, then thats a clear indication its acceptable to drink on the streets while in port. You may even be offered a cup! The best part is that all of these local beers while in port will be at a fraction of the cost compared to the cruise ships pricey drinks.
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Raising Your Glass Without The Sticker Shock
The various policies and restrictions to the different drinks packages can mystify even the most experienced cruisers. In short, there is no simple one-stop solution for all, so it takes careful planning and the ability to accurately calculate your expected budget for drinks. Whether a la carte or an all-in drinks package, you have plentiful options. Its important to note that you are on vacation, and worrying too much over every dime will detract from the overall mood. Go ahead and do the math, plan your strategy, but be spontaneous too. Sometimes its good to just go with the flow. We have highlighted just a few ways to save on the cost of drinks but there are many other creative ways to keep your costs down check back for a dedicated article on the best hacks to get cheap drinks on cruises.
Check out these articles for more information on the costs of cruising:
These People May Want To Think Twice About Oceania Cruises
The one group Oceania will not appeal to is families with young kids. By design, the lines ships have no kids facilities and offer no kids programs. Another group that might want to think twice is smokers: Only a couple small areas on each ship allow smoking just a small corner of the Pool Deck and a corner of the nightclub.
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Be A Loyal Cruiser To Get Rewarded With Free Drinks
If youve come back on the same cruise line for a second cruise, you may be rewarded for your loyalty with a bottle of champagne, a few drink tickets, and perhaps a cocktail party. Cruise a few more times on that same cruise line and you may find complimentary happy hours every single night!
Cruise lines are quite fond of treating their loyal patrons with booze. Even if youve only cruised once prior with the ship, there is usually a loyalty party event that includes complimentary drinks. So if this is your second or greater instance of cruising with the same cruise line, then be sure to check what alcohol perks you may be entitled to.
Weve found that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have some particularly enticing loyalty perks for cruisers who enjoy free drinks! In addition to exclusive parties with free drinks, Celebrity rewards their Elite Captain Club members with a daily cocktail hour with unlimited free drinks from 5:00-7:00 at most bars and lounges. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean rewards Diamond members of the Crown & Anchor society by loading free drink tickets onto their SeaPass card.
So it can really pay off for drinkers to be loyal to those lines!
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About The Oceania Beverage Packages And Drinks Options
The Oceania drinks packages can be good value, especially when you consider alcoholic beverages are not included in the price of your Oceania Cruises fare. There are three Oceania beverage packages:
- House Select package.
- Prestige Select package.
- Wine By The Bottle package.
The House Select and Prestige Select packages offer drinks by the glass, while the other lets you choose from a selection of bottled wine.
In addition, there is also a daily Wine With Lunch promotion as well as two happy hours.
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What’s Included In The Oceania Drinks Package
Oceania’s beverage packages enhance your onboard experience and also offer great value and added convenience. Simply choose the perfect libation to accompany each special occasion. Guests purchasing either beverage package will receive a 20% discount on any of the exclusive wine-pairing dinners in La Reserve onboard Marina and Riviera.
House Select++ Unlimited Champagne, wine and beer by the glass with lunch and dinner from $39.95 per guest, per day from US$39.95 per guest, per day
Prestige Select+ Unlimited premium spirits, Champagne, wine and beer by the glass wherever and whenever you wish from US$59.95 per guest, per day
Wine by the Bottle+++ All bottles are priced at US$47.50 7 bottles of wine are required for each package.
Terms & conditions
All Packages are non-refundable. + 20% discount on any of our exclusive wine-pairing dinners in La Reserve on board Marina and Riviera. ++ House Select Beverage Package is applicable with lunch and dinner in restaurants only. +++ Additional bottles cannot be added to the initial package. Available only on board for purchase.
Want Help With Your Oceania Cruise
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Military And Veteran Discounts On Oceania Cruise Line
Oceania is one of our favorite cruise lines because they offer affordable luxury.
We offer Military and Veteran discounts on Oceania cruise line no matter what ship and sail date. We simply take the lowest rate offered by Oceania and add our discount to that, so youll always pay less with us, guaranteed. We often offer free onboard credit and other perks as well.
Oceania Cruises Alcohol Policy
- Your actual drinks will vary in price, but this gives you a ballpark idea of what you might spend. Compare the amount youll spend each day above with the cost of each drink package per day. Carnival: $61.30 per day, including gratuity ($64.84 for cruises of 3-4 days
- View Prices on Cruises on Oceania. Why not lower drink prices for everyone? JLT August 14, 2018 at 5:16 am. Cruising is a luxury, not a necessity. You sound like a socialist
- Expect to pay big-city prices for drinks. Photo by Celebrity Cruises. If youre a drinker, beer, cocktails, and wine can quickly increase the cost of your cruise. Expect to pay $5 to $12 per drink, depending on your beverage of choice. A can of soda or a small bottle of water costs approximately $2 to $4
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Worth It Everything About Cruise Line Drink Packages
Cruise line drink packages are a big deal. Thats because when it comes to taking a cruise, people like to have a good time. And that good time usually involves alcohol flowing freely. No wonder there are so many bars on a modern cruise ship.
In fact, over 20% of cruisers report spending more than $200 on alcohol on their trip.
Thats why many people are interested in all you can drink packages that cruise lines now offer. The appeal of these packages is easy to see. You pay one set amount and then you dont have to worry about running up a huge bar tab.
Instead, you simply head to the bar, order whatever you want, and get back to the fun. Want a beer? A glass of wine? A cocktail ? You only need to flash your room key and youll get it.
But before you rush out and buy the drink package, there are some things you should know. Weve rounded up some of the biggest questions and answers about the cruise line beverage packages to help you get a better idea of if its the right thing for your next cruise.
How Do You Disguise Alcohol
It is important to talk to your teen about alcohol use and listen without judgement.
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The Cost Of Drinking On A Cruise
The all-inclusive nature of a cruise vacation is perhaps its biggest attraction inclusive of accommodations, food and many activities for a single price whilst cruising to far-off exotic destinations. Its the perfect hassle-free vacation style for many people who crave the easy life and no-nonsense trip planning. The only thing missing is the free booze. Those endless poolside piña coladas can soon add up. Cruises undoubtedly offer superb value for money, but a few drinks each day can seriously blow your planned vacation budget out of the water. If you have a taste for beer, wine or hard liquor you could effectively see that ultra-cheap short cruises almost double in price. There is no getting away from the fact that shipboard drinks are expensive, even before gratuities are factored in. From $8 beers to $15 cocktails, drinking on a cruise can easily rack up an onboard bill of hundreds of dollars.
Sure you can abstain, but where is the fun in that? You can still enjoy your guilty pleasures without the worry of a huge bar tab with a little creative planning. Check out our insightful tips to make your dollars go that much further with drinks on cruises, and the all-important question of whether a prepaid drinks package or a-la-carte pricing is best for you.
What Do You Wear To An Oceania Cruise For Dinner
A sundress or khakis can be dressed up for dinner with evening jewelry and a nice wrap. Gentlemen often need only add a sports jacket to be ready for the Grand Dining Room. And if you prefer to stay in shorts, simply dine at the Terrace Cafe. You can wear dressy shorts and casual shirts even in the evenings.
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House Select Package Us$3995 Per Person Per Day
The House Select beverage package is the least expensive. It offers champagne, wine and beer by-the-glass, but only during lunch and dinner at dining venues .
The price of the House Select package includes gratuities.
It is important to note that only your drinks are covered by this drinks package. In other words, you cant order drinks for a friend using this package.
Do I Need To Buy A Beverage Package On My Cruise
Beverage packages are not compulsory but there are very distinct rules governing what you can and cannot do with them. There is the obvious temptation to pay for one package and surreptitiously share it with your cruisemates. This is forbidden by virtually all lines, which mandates that if one person orders an alcoholic inclusive beverage package, every adult above drinking age in the same stateroom must also. This combats sneaky sharers but also makes it less attractive if your significant other is either a teetotaler or just a light drinker.
Another significant drawback for some cruisers is that drinks packages have to be purchased for the entirety of the cruise. So, consider this scenario: you have a big blowout on the first night and wish to take it easy the following day to nurse a hangover, so you are unlikely to get the cost benefit. Occasional drinkers are usually better off ordering a la carte.
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