All inclusive drink package age limit

by **Eaststandbaggie** on Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:33 am

Hello All,
Am trying to weigh up the economics of having the all inclusive drinks package. My wife and I are taking our 17 year old son with us, who we do sometimes allow to have a couple of drinks but only while in our company. Would our son get away with the odd drink on board or is it totally taboo. Cost of all inclusive would not be worthwhile if he could only have non alcoholic drinks.
Cheers Chris

by **HW tenpin** on Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:01 pm

All cruise lines are fairly strict on underage drinking, and usually all in the party has to buy the AI package.

Depending on how much you both drink you ned to consider the cost against just buying them, roughly beer is about �2.30 cocktails �3.50 to �5 so you can work out roughly if the package is right for you.

As for just a drink or two for your son, I guess that would not attract attention, however if he tried to buy his own, then expect to be asked for proof of age.

by **tercar** on Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:10 pm

hi eaststandbaggie,
does your son look older than his 17 years, and what do you mean by the odd drink! if he likes a few cocktail each evening say 3 that would be approx �9 take into consideration soft drinks, special coffees, maybe a beer or 2 during the day and weigh up the cost. i was on the destiny in November and a pint of beer was �2.50. coke was �1.20 soon adds up. if you two like a drink as well it may well be worth going all inclusive. personally i wouldn't go on a Thompson ship any other way. it great not having to worry about the bill.
not that im a plonky but i do like a drink or several on holiday. also the specialty coffees are quite expensive and i like a few of those through out the day. sometime with a brandy.

by **Eaststandbaggie** on Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:32 am

Thanks for the replies.
Please dont think that my wife and I let my son get blotto while away.
We have always prefferred to let him have two or three drinks with us rather than than him drinking behind our backs. He doesnt hang around street corners or come home having had a drink, he knows he doesnt have to hide up a corner. Rightly or wrongly this is how we have treated all of our children and we have found that they have a respect for alcohol and dont binge or over do it.
Obviously the whole party has to go all inclusive and I just wondered wether it would be worthwhile if my son was only to have pop all day.
Dont people find that they have a drink (alcoholic or not) when the go off the ship, doesnt this reduce the economics of having all inclusive or do people just go without.

Thanks all Chris

by **HW tenpin** on Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:20 pm

The theory of the drinks package, (whatever you pay) is the whole party, this is because you should not buy drinks for other guest or friends. Your son is underage so you would only buy him a soft drinks package. ( no point buying the full package).

That said, and you did not read this from me, there is nothing stopping you buying your wife and you a drink, then ordering another for your son a little later. or even at the same time. Most of the bar staff will overlook one or two, but would have to report excess use.

The drinks available on the package is about half the full bar list, but in truth unless you are very fussy about what you drink, the choice is OK. If you choose something that is not included in the AI package you only pay about a third of the menu price, these are all marked up by a star next to the drink.
With wine you can have as many glasses as you like, but will be charged if you ask for a bottle

Most of the time nothing is said about buying the odd one, but only for excess.
Hope this helps.

by **Eaststandbaggie** on Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:33 pm

Hi Tenpin thanks for the reply,
I havent given you the whole scenario. Because my son is 17 he is classed as an adult when you pay for the trip. This isnt just the cost of the cruise, it also means we would have to pay the full rate of �149 for him as well as ourselves for all inclusive. There is no lower grade of all inclusive at his age. We got caught on this last year when we paid adult all inclusive for him in Tenerife but only got childs benefits. Got round it this xmas by going self catering instead.
It seems that it would be more economic to pay as I go and he can then have one or two drinks while we are off the boat in the beach bars. It ensures that none of us get into any trouble on the ship.
Cheers chris

by **HW tenpin** on Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:02 pm

Hiya Chris,

Never heard of having to pay full drinks package for someone who is underage!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cruise yes.

However I personally do not think the AI is worth it for average drinkers, which is roughly 8 drinks a night. or day, on sea days. bearing in mind most days you will be ashore.

Anyway have a great trip love to hear how you enjoyed it when you do get back.

by **Luna Luna** on Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:02 am

Hi

Not sure if you are talking about the Destiny or the Spirit cruise, but we just booked our holiday on the destiny and got offered AI for �30 per adult and �15 per child. As my kids could drink that much in a day, (and my husband for that matter) we went for it. We were told that last year they were charging �149 but this year it is �30, so not sure if you are on the same ship? Didn't think it was a limited offer either, if this is the case it would be definitley worth paying for your son, but maybe not at �149.

hope this doesn't confuse
Luna Luna

by **Eaststandbaggie** on Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:23 am

Hi Luna luna,
We are going on the destiny. Went through the motions of booking the same cruise again yesterday with my sons age put as 16. AI price then came down to �75. As soon as I changed the age to 17 it only lets you book AI at the adult price of �149.
Have decided not to have AI.

Just a thought but are you allowed to drink duty free in your cabins and can you bring drink on board from your time off ship. Would reduce costs if my wife and I could have a couple in the cabin while getting read for dinner.

Cheers Chris

by **Mrs Johnson** on Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:36 pm

Hi, we've just come back from the Destiny travelling with our 16yr old daughter who only drinks water! Her AI charge would have been �74 and ours �149 each, crazy when she would not have got bottled water free, even with AI there would have been a charge. We decided not to go for AI, we just bought spirits from the onboard duty free shop and bought mixers and water when we got off the ship, we also got a bucket of ice every night to have with drinks in the cabin before dinner. We always had a couple of glasses of wine with our meal and any drinks we wanted in the evening. We never went without, if we wanted a drink we had it. What we would have paid for AI was actually a lot more than our final bill, which included excursions, photographs and drinks. So I wouldn't recommend AI at all if your have a 17 year old. Seems crazy to have to pay the same price as an adult when they can't even have a drink.