Wasting Away Again In Margaritaville: The Drink Package
Is there any way to enjoy the MAS without the drink package? Well, it depends on what kind of drinker you are and what kind of cruiser you are. The nice thing about purchasing the drink package is that you have already paid for the drinks and perhaps factored that in to your cruise cost. It isn’t very fun, I think, to have to continually do the math to see how much the margarita you are about to order is going to cost you. If you are only an occasional drinker and would be happy with one frozen beverage and maybe have one drink with dinner, then you are probably better off purchasing your drinks as you go. If you are planning on booking excursions that have alcohol, and you plan on getting off at every port to have some beverages, then perhaps you are better off paying as you go. If you are staying in one of the suites and have access to their concierge lounge, then you might feel like you don’t have a need to purchase the drink package. You could also find that if you are going to spend most of your time gambling that you will receive free drinks in the casino, which is nice. There are definitely ways to enjoy your cruise and 2 or 3 alcoholic beverages while on board without purchasing the drink package.
Because we weren’t staying in a suite, we did not receive any on board credit with our booking, we don’t gamble much and enjoy more that 2 or 4 beverages a day, we felt like we should go ahead and purchase the drink package for our cruise. We later found out that we couldn’t even bring on the usual bottle or two of wine with us, which we found interesting and different. This didn’t bum us out too much because we knew we could get all the mimosas we wanted (almost all- they had a 15 drink maximum) on the ship. So, at about $400 per person (which for a 5 day cruise is fairly comparable to other cruise lines), we wanted to make sure that we took advantage of the drink package.
One thing that Margaritaville At Sea Islander definitely had going for it was that it had a lot of fun and unique bars throughout the ship. And, the bartenders at each of the bars were very friendly and knowledgeable about the drinks they were making and pouring. We found multiple bars that we really enjoyed and considered fun stops in our day. Because of the way that they handle dining, we often were given a beeper that would let us know when our table was ready. During our wait, we could visit one of those bars and typically enjoy some live music with an expertly crafted cocktail. Bubbles Up bar was definitely our favorite and Brian, the bartender, was great.
The pool bars were run pretty well and the wait times weren’t too bad. If you were sitting in a lounger, waiting for a server to come by was often hit or miss and it took awhile to get your drink so that once you got it you almost wanted to go ahead and order another one. And, because activities on the ship were somewhat limited, those activities were well attended, so the bars that were located in those areas often got very busy and the wait could be rather long. Not a huge deal but just some kinks that need to be figured out with both of those issues.
Generally, we found that the mixed drinks that we were served were strong and tasty. This is not always the case on cruise ships or other environments where drinks are included, so a total plus for MAS. Sometimes on cruise ships you find that the drinks taste watered down and made in mass, so generally not that great. I would say that if you are an avid cruiser like we are, and you generally feel like you get your money’s worth from having the drink package, then the MAS will be no different. In fact, you might feel that you get even more of your money’s worth because the drinks are good and strong. Another difference that MAS had going for it is that the drinks package covered drinks priced up to $20. We found that this covered most drinks that we wanted and even some really nice glasses of bourbon. On Royal Caribbean, the drinks package covers drinks up to $15 and so a really nice glass off bourbon or an especially fancy cocktail might be an extra 2 or 3 dollars, which is disappointing.
We were definitely glad that we purchased the drink package on the Margaritaville At Sea Islander, but by the end of the cruise we felt like our livers needed a rest. If we ever cruise with MAS, we will probably get the drink package again, but we are now fully aware that even though the actual cruise fare is very inexpensive that by the end of the cruise you could potentially be paying as much for a MAS cruise as you would be for an adults-only cruise on Virgin Voyages, which would for sure be our preference.
