Cruise tips: Are drinks packages worth buying on a cruise?

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This was published 6 years ago

Cruise tips: Are drinks packages worth buying on a cruise?

By Sally Macmillan
You could save a few bucks by buying drink packages online when you've booked the cruise.

You could save a few bucks by buying drink packages online when you've booked the cruise.Credit: Adobe Stock

When you cruise on a luxury ocean line alcoholic and soft drinks are usually included in the fare – which is one reason why they are more expensive. Among the advantages of this arrangement is not having to tot up every drink you order or worry about who is paying for the bottle of wine you share over dinner – plus service charges (often up to 18 per cent when drinks are not included in the fare) are already covered.

These days, most mainstream cruise lines sell drinks packages, which take the hassle out of paying as you go but aren't necessarily a way to save money. If you're happy to drink regular tea and coffee from the buffet, fill up a water bottle from the tap and aren't fussed by branded soft drinks, then a soft-drinks package isn't worth buying. Similarly, if you like the occasional cocktail or beer rather than several every day or night, you're better off without an alcoholic drinks package.

If you do opt to buy one, it's worth checking the conditions, some of which are bizarre – for example, several lines insist that if one person in a shared cabin has a drinks package, everyone has to have one. How does that work when one person drinks alcohol and another doesn't (and doesn't particularly want a soft-drinks package either), or you're adults sharing with kids? You can't buy a drink for anyone else on your package, and minibar purchases and room-service drinks are not included.

Ponant ships will be visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ponant ships will be visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Credit: Lorraine Turci

You can save a few bucks by buying packages online when you've booked the cruise but whether you pre-order or buy one on board, it's worth doing a few sums to see if you'll actually drink as much as is included. Packages are charged by the day and apply for the duration of the cruise, so if you're off the ship every day in port, you might be hard-pressed to squeeze in $60 worth of drinks in the evening.

Packages vary considerably from line to line, too; some combine soft and alcoholic drinks, some are just for wine and most have price limits set on the drinks – say $10 to $15 for a glass of wine or cocktail. Probably the simplest is Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage package – $US55 a person, a day, covers specialty tea and coffee, bottled water, fresh juices, wine by the glass, cocktails, spirits, liqueurs and beer, with a limit of $US12 a drink.

SHORE THING

THE PORT Hong Kong

WHO GOES THERE Azamara, Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Holland America Line, NCL, P&O UK, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea, Windstar

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WHY WE LOVE IT Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan mix of old and new, East and West, and its harbour is one of the most spectacular in the world.

TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Cruise ships dock at two cruise terminals: Ocean Terminal and Kai Tak (the former airport). You can walk from Ocean Terminal straight into the shopping and dining district of Tsim Sha Tsui, three major museums (Cultural, Space and Art) – and to the Star Ferry terminal for a quick hop over to Hong Kong Island. Kai Tak is a futuristic facility that has the largest rooftop garden in Hong Kong; nearby attractions include the Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden. Both terminals have on-site shopping malls and both are well served by public train, ferry and bus systems. There is so much to do in Hong Kong you need to draw up a shortlist, which will depend on how much time you have there; however the one must-do trip, whether you have a day or a week, is the tram ride up The Peak on Hong Kong Island.

MUST SEE During the day, Man Mo Temple (Hollywood Road) and the Big Buddha on Lantau Island; at night, the harbour laser show and Temple Street Night Market.

MUST EAT There are thousands of restaurants offering every type of cuisine imaginable. Hong Kong specialties include dai pai dongs, street stalls dishing up stir-fries of varying quality, and cha chaan tengs, casual diners that serve Chinese-Western fusion food.

NEED TO KNOW Hong Kong is subtropical, so summers are hot and humid. The best time to visit is from November to April during the cool dry season.

ESSENTIALS discoverhongkong.com

CRUISE SCEPTIC

Ships are too big. You don't have to cruise on a mega-ship – ships can carry as few as 50 passengers or as many as 6000. Aesthetically, that's open to opinion.

NEWS

Hole in one

APT's 22-day Best of France river cruise offers golfing enthusiasts the chance to play three premium courses – The Grand Avignon in Provence, Vaudreuil on the Seine River and Le Chateaux in Bordeaux, voted Best Golf Course in France in 2014 by the World Golf Awards. The Grand Avignon Golf Course features many water hazards. It was designed by Georges Roumeas and the French golf champion Jean Garaialde. It has a driving range on the water and the clubhouse is set in an old Provencal farmhouse. The cruise goes from Arles to Lyon, is followed by a flight to Paris and round-trip Seine cruise, then there's a train trip to Bordeaux for the seven-day cruise on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. Fares include green fees, golf buggies and a full set of clubs. See www.aptouring.com.au

So hot right now

As some countries crack down on the number of mega-ships visiting over-loved ports, there is increasing interest in small-ship cruising to Latin America and the Caribbean. Ponant has just released a collection of 21 new itineraries in the region for October 2018 to April 2019. The French luxury expedition line will have five ships – including the new Explorer-class ship Le Champlain and the classic three-masted yacht Le Ponant – visiting 26 countries on South America's east and west coasts and the Caribbean. Highlights include expeditions along the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, visiting a remote Warao Indian village and sipping a mojito while listening to jazz in Havana. Ten of the voyages are designated expedition cruises, and will be accompanied by a team of naturalists. See www.au.ponant.com

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