If you’re sailing Carnival, the CHEERS! beverage package is getting a tweak you should know about. For many people, they won’t even notice the change. For others, it could mean having to wait longer for their drinks and losing some of the appeal of the offer.
Here’s what’s going on…
Like to Drink Fast? Carnival Is Putting a Higher Time Limit on Servings
Drink packages are popular for many people on cruises. Cruise lines charge for most beverages and the prices can be expensive. Paying $4 for a soda, $8 for a beer, and $14 for a cocktail is pretty standard.
That’s where drink packages can help. They offer one set daily price and you just grab a drink when you’re thirsty. Instead of paying per drink, you know exactly what you’ll spend during the cruise. And while the concept is simple, there is plenty of fine print.
For one, if one person in the cabin buys the drink package then everyone in the cabin has to buy it. As well, some cruise lines put limits on how many drinks you can get each day. Carnival, for example, allows for 15 alcoholic drinks each day.
Another common restriction is a time limit. Carnival has for years had a 5-minute restriction in between ordering drinks and only one drink can be ordered at a time.
Now, Carnival says the time limit between ordering drinks will change to 10 minutes.
Most Passengers Unlikely to See a Difference, But Some Will
Cruise lines are constantly tweaking things around the ship. This includes everything from pricing to menu items to the rules behind what you get when you make a purchase.
That seems to be the case with this change from a 5-minute wait to a 10-minute wait.
To be honest, we’re not entirely clear of the “why” behind the change. It could be to help discourage sharing drinks with others. Instead of getting one drink, waiting just five minutes and then getting a second for another person, you have to take more time to do this.
It may also cut down on the overall number of drinks ordered. For instance, someone wanting a drink and a shot couldn’t order them both at once even under the old rules. But while a five-minute wait may be acceptable, someone having to wait ten minutes may just decide against the idea.
It could also be a way to cut down on excessive drinking. Instead of being able to order and down multiple drinks in five-minute increments, it will now take longer. Someone having shots, for instance, could now have a maximum of six per hour — considerably less than with a five-minute wait.
What’s not clear is if the 10-minute wait applies also to non-alcoholic drinks also included in the package. The “Program Restrictions” on Carnival’s website don’t specifically mention any difference, saying only that “one drink at a time may be ordered.”
In our view, many people who have a few drinks at a time won’t even notice the change. Someone really wanting to live it up on the ship, however, is going to have to go a little slower.
