Royal Caribbean: The latest to hike drinks package prices

[Jason]

Add Royal Caribbean to the list of cruise lines raising prices for drinks packages. 

Effective Jan. 1, the cost of the line's main drinks package, the Deluxe Beverage Package, will range from $63 to $70 per person, per day, according to a price grid recently updated on the line's website. That's up more than 10% from the current range of $57 to $63 per person, per day. 

Including the automatic gratuity of 18% that Royal Caribbean adds to drinks bills, the full cost of the Deluxe Beverage Package starting in January will range from $74.34 per person, per day to $82.60. 

Royal Caribbean in January also will hike the price for its less-inclusive Premium Refreshment Package to $29 per person, per day on all ships. The package currently ranges in price from $26 to $29 per person, per day. Also going up, sharply, will be the cost of a soda-only Classic Soda Package. It'll cost $12.99 per person, per day starting in January on all ships, up from a range of $8.50 to $9.50 per person, per day.

The new soda package price will be 36.7% to 52.8% higher than current rates. 

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson contacted about the price hikes noted that not everyone would pay the higher pricing. Royal Caribbean ships sometimes offer drinks packages at lower prices than the official rates found on the line's website, associate vice president for public relations Ted Miller told USA TODAY. 

"It does vary based on demand and time of year," he said.  The Deluxe Beverage Package includes a wide selection of cocktails, beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, premium coffee, tea, fountain soda and bottled water.  The Premium Refreshment Package includes non-alcoholic drinks only, including premium coffees and teas, bottled water, fresh-squeezed juices, non-alcoholic cocktails and fountain soda.  The Deluxe Beverage Package must be purchased by all adult passengers staying in the same cabin, a rule designed to prevent multiple passengers sharing a single drinks package.

At the new rates, two cruisers sharing a cabin on a typical seven-night cruise would pay at least $1,040.76 for a Deluxe Beverage Package. 

Royal Caribbean joins Norwegian Cruise Line in hiking drinks package rates sharply as 2019 approaches. Norwegian Cruise Line this month pushed through a 11.2% price hike across its fleet for a top-tier Ultimate Beverage Package.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

View full article

[Jan115]

On 10/15/2018 at 11:30 PM, Jason said:

Add Royal Caribbean to the list of cruise lines raising prices for drinks packages. 

Effective Jan. 1, the cost of the line's main drinks package, the Deluxe Beverage Package, will range from $63 to $70 per person, per day, according to a price grid recently updated on the line's website. That's up more than 10% from the current range of $57 to $63 per person, per day. 

Including the automatic gratuity of 18% that Royal Caribbean adds to drinks bills, the full cost of the Deluxe Beverage Package starting in January will range from $74.34 per person, per day to $82.60. 

Royal Caribbean in January also will hike the price for its less-inclusive Premium Refreshment Package to $29 per person, per day on all ships. The package currently ranges in price from $26 to $29 per person, per day. Also going up, sharply, will be the cost of a soda-only Classic Soda Package. It'll cost $12.99 per person, per day starting in January on all ships, up from a range of $8.50 to $9.50 per person, per day.

The new soda package price will be 36.7% to 52.8% higher than current rates. 

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson contacted about the price hikes noted that not everyone would pay the higher pricing. Royal Caribbean ships sometimes offer drinks packages at lower prices than the official rates found on the line's website, associate vice president for public relations Ted Miller told USA TODAY. 

"It does vary based on demand and time of year," he said.  The Deluxe Beverage Package includes a wide selection of cocktails, beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, premium coffee, tea, fountain soda and bottled water.  The Premium Refreshment Package includes non-alcoholic drinks only, including premium coffees and teas, bottled water, fresh-squeezed juices, non-alcoholic cocktails and fountain soda.  The Deluxe Beverage Package must be purchased by all adult passengers staying in the same cabin, a rule designed to prevent multiple passengers sharing a single drinks package.

At the new rates, two cruisers sharing a cabin on a typical seven-night cruise would pay at least $1,040.76 for a Deluxe Beverage Package. 

Royal Caribbean joins Norwegian Cruise Line in hiking drinks package rates sharply as 2019 approaches. Norwegian Cruise Line this month pushed through a 11.2% price hike across its fleet for a top-tier Ultimate Beverage Package.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

 

View full article

 

Not welcome news, but still not as bad as the $95 per person per day that NCL now charges (without the gratuity!).