Another bringing alcohol onboard ?

[jlynch924]

On our most recent cruise, we brought those Daily's pre-mixed mixed drink pouches on board with us. Pop them in the top part of the fridge and you have a sort of slushy cocktail that resembles what they sell on deck for $4-$7 per pop. I was always a sucker for those, but taking my own aboard helped keep that cost down!

 

[purfectlyweird]

Found this plastic bottle of vodka at my local liquor store for 7$ and the drink mixes on sale 2 for 3$ at local grocery store. Ordered a bucket of ice from room service and used the melted water to make my juice.

 

[Kimosabe]

...I'd still like more info on the wine packages if anyone has done that...

We have done the wine package a couple of times and will likely do it again on our next voyage this spring. As I recall, there are a couple of "levels" in terms of price and/or volume, so there is at least some degree of customizing you can do. The wine bottle magically appears at your table the first night and, if you don't finish it (or the next bottle) that night, what's left of it will re-appear in the next dining room the following night, and so on. We might take a look at the bring-your-own-and-pay-the-corking-fee approach, but as much as it hurts to pay inflated prices, it would hurt just as much to think I'm paying another $20 just to bring in my own. No doubt there are ways to play the system and avoid one or more such fees without necessarily feeling like you're sneaking around. We had some friends who planned to have wine in their room and then just pour a glass and take it with them to dinner. Seemed a little absurd to me at the time, but I guess it's not much different than stopping by one of the bars before dinner, ordering a glass and taking it on to dinner if you don't finish it at the bar. Honestly not sure how DCL feels about somebody taking glasses in or out of dinner, but with all the alcohol that flows on the ship, I doubt they are very strict as long as everyone is acting responsibly.

 

[phinz]

First cruise. What do people do for beer? Do they bring onboard bottles or cans? What happens if you leave your stateroom? Do you need to put it into a container?

I've seen cases of beer strapped to carry ons. I've seen carry ons filled with just booze. I've seen portable minibars used as carry ons.

 

[kiford]

We had some friends who planned to have wine in their room and then just pour a glass and take it with them to dinner. Seemed a little absurd to me at the time, but I guess it's not much different than stopping by one of the bars before dinner, ordering a glass and taking it on to dinner if you don't finish it at the bar.

It's actually completely different. DCL makes money on the drinks that they sell at the bars; they make nothing on what you bring onboard. They are very liberal in allowing you to do that and consume it in your stateroom but they ask that you not bring it to lounges, on deck, to restaurants or other public locations. That's why they charge a corking fee for bringing your own wine to dinner. It's to compensate for what they lose by not selling you the bottle or a glass. I know that lots of people do it, but at some point if DCL feels that they are losing too much money by allowing people to bring their own wine/liquor on board who are not following the rules by consuming in their own stateroom, they may remove that perk and they are one of the few cruise lines that do have that perk.

 

[phinz]

And that's why I spend more on drinking in the bars than I save by bringing my own booze. I just choose to supplement my onboard purchases with drinks I can pour when the bars are closed.

 

[rawdata]

On our most recent cruise, we brought those Daily's pre-mixed mixed drink pouches on board with us. Pop them in the top part of the fridge and you have a sort of slushy cocktail that resembles what they sell on deck for $4-$7 per pop. I was always a sucker for those, but taking my own aboard helped keep that cost down!

oh yeah.... I've always liked the strawberry daiquiri ones that were like that... hmmm. I think the size of my checked airline bag just grew...

 

[nunnerygrl]

If you bring your own bottle of wine onboard, you can request a corkscrew and glasses from room service (or possibly from your room steward), so you don't need to bring your own.

Thank you! This is the answer that I've been looking for.

 

[charminnie]

Does anyone know how much the wine packages are on the Dream? We will be on for four nights.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Does anyone know how much the wine packages are on the Dream? We will be on for four nights.

Classic package: 3 night $80; 4 night $110
Premium package: 3 night $136; 4 night $184

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

We'll look into the alcohol packages when they are available for our cruise. If it makes sense price wise we will probably go for it! $110 for 4 nights doesn't sound like a bad price.

 

[alyspins]

Thanks for all the help, everyone. This is really useful.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Classic package: 3 night $80; 4 night $110
Premium package: 3 night $136; 4 night $184

Do you get to choose the nights they bring the wine or are they pre-determined?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do you get to choose the nights they bring the wine or are they pre-determined?

If you buy, say, a 3 night package on a cruise that's longer than that, you just pick when you want to drink your wine during the cruise. It just means that you get 3 bottles.