Originally Posted by
spherehopper
We're new to cruising and have taken a Cunard QM2 TA, a 2 week Oceania Caribbean and 3 week Azamara Asia cruise already this year. Drinks are included on Azamara but on the other two we drank whatever whenever we liked although we rarely drink alcohol in the day. Our tab was approx half of the drinks package cost...
Regarding this point: Basic drinks are, but fancy ones, call drinks, etc., are not. We like an Aperol Spritz in the afternoon, so we paid for them. For our modest habit, that was a lot cheaper than getting a package, and no sense of leaving money on the table by not getting smashed. (If you'll be on the
Azamara Onward, now based in the Med year-round, look for Charmaine in the Deck 5 Mosaic bar. She's great, She was there in late July 2025, though of course might not be by the time you cruise.)