One of many sensible issues about cruising is that you already know you’ll by no means go hungry. Nevertheless, one factor I at all times marvel earlier than becoming a member of a cruise is whether or not to purchase the all inclusive drinks bundle – will it’s value it? Forward of our Caribbean cruise we had been critically tempted by the P&O drinks bundle.
However did we go for it? On this publish, I check out whether or not the P&O drinks bundle is value it and provide you with some options you would possibly like to think about.
2024 replace: the value of drinks on P&O cruises and the P&O drinks bundle included on this publish had been correct after we sailed. I’ve up to date this publish with details about P&O’s revamped drinks packages to make it related for 2024.
Up to date P&O drinks packages
In 2023 P&O scrapped the Final Drinks Bundle and gave their drinks packages a revamp, introducing 4 new choices for passengers onboard for 5 nights or extra:
- The Refresh drink bundle
- The Alcohol-free drink bundle
- The Basic drink bundle
- The Deluxe drink bundle
However what’s included in every?
The Refresh Drink Bundle – beforehand identified on the P&O Kids’s drink bundle
This very primary packages is greatest suited to youngsters and adults who can’t be and not using a few primary mushy drinks. It consists of common and huge mushy drinks (Pepsi, Papsi Max and Lemonade) on faucet and small glasses of juice or squash all through your cruise.
The Refresh drink bundle prices £10.95 per particular person, per day.
If you’re crusing with youngsters aged 16 or underneath and purchase both the Basic of Deluxe drink packages (see beneath) your youngsters will get the Refresh Drink Bundle without cost.
The Alcohol-Free Drink Bundle
This bundle is greatest fitted to adults who need free flowing non-alcoholic drinks. It consists of the identical mushy drinks and juices because the Refresh drink bundle, plus:
- 300ml bottles of water
- Mixers
- Bottled juices and soda together with sugar-free
- Non-alcoholic drinks (over 18s solely)
- Chosen Costa Espresso (small) and teapigs
- Non-alcoholic cocktails (over 18s solely)
This Alcohol-Free Drink Bundle prices £24.99 per particular person, per day
The Basic Drink Bundle
This packages works greatest if you wish to add alcohol to your drinks bundle. It consists of all the pieces within the Alcohol-free bundle plus:
- Chosen cocktails like Piña Colada and Mai Tai
- Chosen 25ml measures of spirits like Marabelle Gin, Golden Tide Rum, Smirnoff Vodka, Bell’s Whisky
- Beers and ciders like Birra Moretti, Heineken, John Smith’s
- Chosen 175ml glasses of wine like Pinot Grigio, Rioja, Malbec
- Fortified and dessert wine like Graham’s Port
- 125ml glasses of Prosecco
If you wish to prime up your spherical with premium drinks you may get 20% off on merchandise excluded from this drinks bundle like bottles Champagne, massive bottles of water, craft beers, the total vary of Costa Espresso and premium wines, cocktails and spirits.
The Basic Drink Bundle prices £44.95 per particular person, per day.
Save extra: get 10% off the Basic Drinks Bundle when bought on the time of reserving an Early Saver and Choose Value vacation of 5 nights or extra crusing from March 2024.
The Deluxe Drink Bundle
P&O’s prime tipples drink bundle is for passengers who take pleasure in premium drinks. It consists of all the pieces within the Basic Drink Bundle plus:
- The total vary of Costa Espresso drinks together with Frappés and Fruit Coolers
- Premium cocktails like Aperol Spritz and the Sundown Cooler
- 50ml spirits like Gray Goose, Salcombe Gin, The Tidal Rum and Johnnie Walker
- Craft beers like St Austell Brewery Tribute and Okell’s IPA
- 250ml glasses of wine like Côtes de Provence Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot
- Good serve vary of spirits like Gray Goose Vodka, Salcombe ‘Begin Level’ and The Tidal Rum
If you wish to prime up your spherical with premium drinks you may get 20% off on merchandise excluded from this drinks bundle like bottles of wine and Champagne, massive bottles of water and signature spirits.
The Deluxe Drinks Bundle prices £54.95 per particular person, per day.
How a lot is the P&O drink bundle?
I’ve included all the costs above however in abstract:
- The Refresh drink bundle – £10.95 per particular person, per day
- The Alcohol-free drink bundle – £24.99 per particular person, per day
- The Basic drink bundle – £44.95 per particular person, per day
- The Deluxe drink bundle – £54.95 per particular person, per day
To double examine, you’ll find the most recent drinks bundle costs right here.
My evaluation about whether or not the P&O drinks bundle is worth for cash is unlikely to alter considerably yr to yr.
Is the P&O drinks bundle value it?
To chop to the chase, the P&O drinks bundle, and certainly any cruise drinks bundle, is barely value it if you will get worth from it.
It is advisable ask your self:
- What number of drinks will you’ve gotten every day?
- Will you get worth from a P&O drinks bundle when you’ve got extra days ashore than at sea?
- How a lot do drinks price on P&O cruise ships and would shopping for individually work out higher?
It’s additionally value noting that P&O don’t cost gratuities or a service cost on prime of the value of your drinks, so there’s no additional price to paying as you go.
Right here’s what we determined
On our 15 evening Caribbean cruise on P&O Azura we determined to not get the drinks bundle. Let me clarify why…
Don’t get me fallacious. We take pleasure in a drink and might simply sink a bottle of wine with dinner and some bevies afterwards. We additionally like a drink by the pool in the course of the day.
Add to {that a} very competitively priced P&O drink bundle (it was £39.95 per grownup in a cabin on the time we sailed) and it’d seem to be a no brainer.
Caffeine followers may also have as many primo speciality coffees as they need from Costa Espresso onboard. Add to that bottles of water in your cabin.
Pub costs
Nevertheless, after we sailed in December 2019 we discovered the drink costs on P&O had been no dearer than what you’d discover in a fairly priced pub within the UK.
So until you could possibly spend £44 down your native all day, on a regular basis (or practically £90 for a pair) then you definately’re going to be falling wanting getting good worth from the highest drinks bundle.
Once we did the maths and factored in days ashore and days after we needed to present our livers a break, the P&O drinks bundle wasn’t value it for us.
What about with youngsters?
Had we been cruising with our two youngsters we would have thought once more.
It is because in case you purchase the P&O Basic or Deluxe Drinks Bundle for the adults in your cabin the children routinely get the P&O Refresh drinks bundle included. That is value £10.95 per little one, per day.
In case your youngsters can get via various mushy drinks, juices and fruit cordials every day then that’s value fairly a bit to you.
So, as I’ve already talked about, the P&O drinks bundle could also be worth for cash for some folks.
If you’re travelling with youngsters (the extra you’ve gotten the higher worth it turns into) or intend to completely loosen up and spend your days by the pool, then who wouldn’t desire a piña colada by their aspect all through the day?
Plus, the bundle consists of gratuities and is quite a bit cheaper than the packages I’ve seen marketed by different cruise strains.
Information in regards to the P&O Drinks Packages
As with all cruise drinks offers there are T&Cs. These could have an effect on the worth you get out of your P&O drinks bundle.
Right here’s a number of the necessary questions answered:
When can you purchase the drinks bundle?
Your P&O drinks bundle could be purchased whenever you guide your cruise proper via to midnight on the second evening of your cruise. It’s not obtainable after day two and have to be purchased for each day of your cruise from that time.
Is it cheaper to purchase a drinks bundle on board?
No, P&O don’t supply reductions for drinks packages purchased onboard.
You would possibly truly discover it cheaper to purchase upfront relying on presents obtainable at time you guide.
What does the P&O Cruises drinks bundle embody?
Every of the 4 drinks packages have an in depth checklist of what’s included. See my rationalization above or go to the P&O web site for the freshest info.
If you happen to by the Basic or Deluxe packages you get a 20% low cost off drinks that aren’t included.
Is there a restrict on the variety of drinks you’ll be able to have?
Sure. You’ll be able to ‘solely’ have as much as 15 drinks every day and there have to be quarter-hour between your orders.
Your each day allowance resets at 6am every day.
You can not order doubles or bigger spirit measures, or glasses of wine bigger than your bundle permits.
Are you able to share your drinks with different folks?
No. You’ll be able to’t give drinks to different folks.
You’ll be able to solely order one drink at a time and in case you are seated the employees will take your glass away earlier than bringing you one other.
Does everybody in you cabin must have a drinks bundle?
Everybody aged 18 or over in your cabin will need to have the identical drinks bundle.
If you’re in the identical cabin as youngsters aged 16 and underneath they’ll obtain a complimentary Refresh Drinks Bundle the place all adults have bought a Basic or Deluxe Drinks Bundle.
Any friends aged 17 years should buy both a Refresh or Alcohol-Free Drinks Bundle when any adults in the identical cabin buy a Basic or Deluxe Drinks Bundle.
Bear in mind that the Basic and Deluxe Drinks Packages can solely be bought by friends over the age of 18 on UK, European and Asian cruises, or these aged over 21 in case your cruise visits USA or UAE waters.
Does P&O supply a non-alcoholic drink bundle for adults?
Sure. The P&O non-alcoholic drinks bundle prices £24.95 and consists of bottled water (500ml solely), draught mushy drinks, juices, sodas, primo Costa coffees, chosen pigteas, and non-alcoholic cocktails.
Different non-alcoholic drinks, reminiscent of canned drinks, could be purchased at a 20% low cost.
Is your cabin’s mini bar included within the bundle?
No. Mini bar and room service drinks will not be included in any P&O drinks bundle.
Are you able to get a P&O drinks bundle on a mini-cruise?
No, sadly not.
This could be a type of events when you could possibly get worth for cash however drinks packages are solely obtainable on cruises of 5 nights or over.
Different P&O cruises drinks bundle choices
So, we didn’t go for the P&O Drinks Bundle.
However we did get different drinks packages whereas onboard and know we acquired worth for cash verses paying as we drank.
You will have to examine if these can be found in your cruise whenever you board as they can’t be purchased upfront.
The P&O wine packages
Two wine packages had been obtainable on P&O Azura after we sailed. These got here in packages of six or 12 bottles.
Purchase considered one of these and you can also make a saving on buying a bottle every evening with dinner.
Once we sailed, we purchased the Captain’s wine bundle of 12 bottles for £230, which labored out at £19.16 a bottle. It’s not grocery store costs nevertheless it’s nonetheless a saving to purchase in bulk.
There have been purple, white, rose and glowing wines (not champagne) included on the bundle wine checklist.
If you’re comfortable to pay a bit extra then there’s the Commodore’s wine bundle (£270 for 12 bottles on the time we sailed), however we loved each bottle within the Captain’s checklist.
You should purchase a wine bundle at any time throughout your cruise and get a booklet of vouchers to present at hand over in the primary restaurant.
Take excellent care of this little booklet as it’s paper and will simply get misplaced.
We had a panic one evening after we thought Mr Tin Field had put it via the wash in considered one of his shirt pockets.
Draught beer bundle
On Azura, there was additionally a draught beer bundle that labored in an analogous approach to the wine packages.
They don’t seen to promote this off the ship however we noticed details about it onboard. We had been capable of get a guide of 10 or 20 vouchers and saved 15% on shopping for pints individually.
You’ll have to examine if that is obtainable in your P&O ship.
You will discover out extra about most of P&O’s drink packages on their web site.
What in regards to the P&O Kids’s drink bundle?
That is now the Refresher Drinks Bundle and prices £10.95 per little one and consists of draught mushy drinks (Pepsi, Pepsi Max and Lemonade), chosen juices and fruit cordial by the glass.
Every little one in your cabin has to have the bundle and it could possibly’t be shared.
The excellent news for any mums and dads who purchase the Basic and Deluxe Drinks Bundle is that your youngsters get the Refresher Drinks Bundle without cost.
That is helpful for households with youngsters who eat a lot of mushy drinks every day and provides quite a bit worth of the grownup drinks bundle.
Nevertheless, in case you are cruising with a child or younger youngsters you gained’t get the profit.
How a lot do P&O mini bar drinks price?
In your cabin you’ve gotten a collection of mini bar drinks together with lager, gin in a tin and mushy drinks. You’ll be able to ask your steward to take these away to make room in your personal drinks.
The mini bar is barely dearer than the ship’s bars, however no extra so than a lodge mini bar.
You’ll additionally discover a big bottle of nonetheless water in your cabin quickly after boarding. That is complimentary and comes with a type hooked up to enroll to get six extra bottles for a set worth.
The water in your cabin has a chemical style however is drinkable.
If the style will hassle you then get the water bundle or deliver some cordial. We at all times journey with a mini Robinson Sauash’d tremendous concentrated cordial bottle.
What drinks are included in your cruise?
You will get faucet water, tea and low within the buffets and in your cabin on P&O cruise ships.
Some juices are additionally obtainable within the buffets. So that you don’t want to purchase drinks in any respect in case you are proud of these primary drinks.
Prime tip: for a free glass of bubbly, be sure you attend the Captain’s drinks reception. Wine will also be on supply at procuring and gallery occasions throughout your cruise.
Price of drinks on P&O Azura
If you happen to’re questioning how a lot it prices to purchase drinks on a P&O cruise right here’s a couple of of the drinks menus from onboard in December 2019 to January 2020.
Costs can have been up to date since then so take these as indicators of what you would possibly anticipate plus inflation.
Right here’s the menu from the Terrace Bar, Aqua Bar and The Retreat.
P&O lounge and bar drinks menu
Right here’s the menu for the Planet Bar, Mala Bar and Brodie’s Bar.
What number of bottles of alcohol are you able to deliver onboard P&O cruise ships?
Don’t neglect that you would be able to deliver alcohol onboard whenever you embark your P&O cruise.
We every introduced a litre bottle of spirits that we’d purchased in responsibility free on the airport on our approach to the Caribbean.
You might use your allowance to deliver a litre of wine, Champagne, or beer as a substitute. We opted to deliver our personal pre-dinner drinks.
If you happen to purchase the rest in port throughout your cruise this will likely be taken away whenever you board the ship.
It isn’t gone endlessly although. You’re given a ticket and can get your booze again on the finish of your cruise.
Concentrate on private allowances for spirits in case you are flying again to the UK.
So, is the P&O drinks bundle value it?
It wasn’t for us, however that doesn’t imply different folks wouldn’t get worth.
If you happen to like a lot of alcoholic or premium drinks whereas on vacation then it’s value trying into, particularly when you’ve got a lot of sea days.
It’s additionally one thing to think about in case you don’t need to deliver your personal one litre bottle allowance onboard.
What do you consider cruise drink packages? Do you suppose they provide worth for cash or do you favor to pay as you go?
Extra cruise studying
Right here’s some extra posts I’ve written about cruising:
Want extra assist planning your subsequent cruise?
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