RCI to test requiring all adults in cabin to purchase alcohol package

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/...hol-package-rule-requires-all-adults-purchase

Recently booked Harmony. Took months before we finally settled on RCI MOSTLY because they did not require our disabled adult son to purchase the alcohol package.

AND they call themselves Autism Friendly so hoping they waiver him ..... :furious: ... if not major part of our cruise may change.
Yuck. I would be steamed in your shoes, as I never drink and wouldn't want to be forced to subsidize those who do.
 
Yuck. I would be steamed in your shoes, as I never drink and wouldn't want to be forced to subsidize those who do.

DH and I would like the beverage package. The entire rest of our group (8 plus us 2) are getting it. We got it our last cruise and it was a great value simply because of the price of drinks and ease, much like DDP. But we shouldn't have to spend over $400 for DS to drink a few cokes each day.

We contacted all the other cruise lines that worked for us about a waiver for him and they all refused. RCI allows, is great with working with DS other needs due to their "Autism Friendly" program. I am just hoping due to that we can obtain a medical waiver but I'm not counting on it. If we knew this we would have booked on another line that actually offers specials with the drink package for free for first two passengers.
 
Right now it's just a "pilot" program so hopefully you're not in one of those eight sailings. If you are, and you can't get a waiver, I think it's best to skip the drink package and go a la carte.
 


Just off Liberty a month ago. RCI allows you to bring 2 bottle of wine on board per stateroom with no corkage fee (we had 1 for us, 1 for kids so 4 bottles of wine brought on board). We didn't buy the drink package (like we usually do) since we had wine for our dinner every night. I bout 1-3 drinks daily on days at sea but only maybe a drink a day on port days. I was happy with this and spent MUCH LESS than we have done previously with the alcohol packages. (I often felt compelled to order more drinks to "break even" each day). I would guess I averaged $25 a day on drinks (and the package was over $50 daily). We probably won't buy the alcohol drink package again (but I buy the soda package for me and the kids).
 
Right now it's just a "pilot" program so hopefully you're not in one of those eight sailings. If you are, and you can't get a waiver, I think it's best to skip the drink package and go a la carte.

We are not, but we are on Harmony. So if they find it's successful - I would bet it continues.
"A spokesperson from Royal Caribbean confirmed the new policy will be tested on Harmony of the Seas, but added, "At this time, we do not have plans to roll it out to any other ships.""

Yes, we would likely skip the package but I doubt I would order drinks now (DH will). They are overpriced and the cruises we didn't get it I just found I couldn't spend the money. I don't drink wine so that allowance doesn't help me. I'm just frustrated - we could have gone another direction on a different line with better ports.
 


I *am* on one of those sailings and I'm livid. I'm cruising with 2 friends, 1 does not drink alcohol at all. 2 of us were planning to buy the package....to the tune of $488 each. Now we won't. We can't. I can't ask my friend who doesn't drink to buy that package so I can drink. It's BS. Royal only screwed themselves out of almost a grand. Maybe more. At this point only 1 of the 3 of us has bought airfare. I'd be out less money paying her for her airfare and ditching the cruise altogether.

Is this going to apply to soda packages, too? I don't drink soda. I'm not spending $70 for my friend to drink soda.

What about the fact that we booked a promo that gave 2 of us a free soda package? What happens with that now?

Back in the day when Royal required everyone in a room to buy the same package I think people skirted it by buying their adult package onboard. There you bought it per person. I wonder if that will be possible again.

Seriously. I'm beyond livid. This is utter crap.
 
[QUOTE="sweetpee_1993, post: 57863758, member: 217297 I can't ask my friend who doesn't drink to buy that package so I can drink. [/QUOTE]

Ummm...you can still drink. There's no rule that you must be on a package to drink.

You were going to spend $488 anyway. If I use $15/drink, that's the equivalent of 32 drinks or about 4 per day if you bought them individually. If you drink more than that, well then it just is going to cost you more.
 
[QUOTE="sweetpee_1993, post: 57863758, member: 217297 I can't ask my friend who doesn't drink to buy that package so I can drink.

Ummm...you can still drink. There's no rule that you must be on a package to drink.

You were going to spend $488 anyway. If I use $15/drink, that's the equivalent of 32 drinks or about 4 per day if you bought them individually. If you drink more than that, well then it just is going to cost you more.[/QUOTE]


I was going to not need to bring bottled water because it was included in the package. Now I get to figure out where/how I'll get a couple cases of bottled water bettween the airport and hotel the night before. And, 4 drinks a day is nothing. Except if I have to purchase bottles of water onboard I've eaten into the budget for those 4 drinks. Now I get the fun of counting the pennies and tracking my spending. That sounds like fun. On vacation. I'm so glad I booked a "test" cruise so I can both stress AND pay more. Oh wait! That's right. I *didn't* book a test cruise. I booked a cruise with a budget & a plan. Now the bait & switch has blown that. And I'm not amused. I won't spend more. That's a promise on principle alone. I'm not to the PIF date yet. I *do* have the option to cancel.
 
And the primary reason they are testing it? Because people were sharing the packages and bragging about it and even offering tips on how to do it online.

People who break the rules are why we can't have nice things.
 
I'm trying to remind myself that this only changed in late 2013, which part of my brain thinks is a short time ago. :) That before then we had to buy the same package

What about the fact that we booked a promo that gave 2 of us a free soda package? What happens with that now?

As far as I know this test is only for the booze packages.

Back in the day when Royal required everyone in a room to buy the same package I think people skirted it by buying their adult package onboard. There you bought it per person. I wonder if that will be possible again.

I don't remember ever hearing about that workaround. Huh.
 
I have an idea! If I end up having to pay more for my package by paying for my friend who won't even use it I will be absolutely sure for every drink I order I will order a second drink to dump out. I may even go 2 dump to my 1 drink. That ensures the "test" doesn't swing in their favor by me. Oh! Even better because when we had the package on Allure hubby & I would order a drink AND a bottle of water together.....I can do that when I order a dump drink. So dump drink AND bottle of water to throw away. Heehee! I can do this all day!
 
And the primary reason they are testing it? Because people were sharing the packages and bragging about it and even offering tips on how to do it online.

People who break the rules are why we can't have nice things.

Money grab. It's a money grab. If it's a test it's to see if they increase or decrease revenue. If they were worried about the cheaters they'd raise the price or just make the change outright. No, they're testing the water to see if it benefits them. They're doing it on a ship that most people have chosen to pay a little extra for because they want to be on that ship. That's why they aren't testing it on Oasis or another older ship.
 
Money grab. It's a money grab. If it's a test it's to see if they increase or decrease revenue. If they were worried about the cheaters they'd raise the price or just make the change outright. No, they're testing the water to see if it benefits them. They're doing it on a ship that most people have chosen to pay a little extra for because they want to be on that ship. That's why they aren't testing it on Oasis or another older ship.


'Money grab'? Well, they ARE a business, and making money is what it's all about.

It's no different than being required to buy a full admission ticket to Disney even if you don't ride one single ride. The rider and non-rider companion have to pay the same amount.[/QUOTE]
 
'Money grab'? Well, they ARE a business, and making money is what it's all about.

It's no different than being required to buy a full admission ticket to Disney even if you don't ride one single ride. The rider and non-rider companion have to pay the same amount.

Exactly. And people had NOT been cheating the system (one person buying the package and then getting additional drinks for others in their party who didn't buy the package) WERE costing them money.
 
Exactly. And people had NOT been cheating the system (one person buying the package and then getting additional drinks for others in their party who didn't buy the package) WERE costing them money.
See my post above. If they were losing so much money they'd just raise the package price or make the change fleet wide. They're testing to see if it works out better for them. Read: more money in THEIR pocket.
 
'Money grab'? Well, they ARE a business, and making money is what it's all about.

It's no different than being required to buy a full admission ticket to Disney even if you don't ride one single ride. The rider and non-rider companion have to pay the same amount.
[/QUOTE]
True. Perhaps we should add RCI stock to the portfolio so I can feel better when everyone gets the privilege of paying more for RCIs bait & switch tactics. ;)
 

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