All-you-can-drink cruises: Really?

Many people like taking a cruise because of their all-you-can-eat buffets. You get as much food as you want three or four times a day, with no worries that the lobster will break your budget.

But now cruise lines are taking that a step further with "all-you-can-drink" packages.

That's right: drink, as in wine, beer and cocktails.

Carnival Taking Reservations

Carnival has just begun testing an all-you-can-drink alcohol package on its Carnival Victory line and, according to USA Today , may expand it to other ships if it turns out to be popular.

The Carnival all-you-can-drink deal will cost $42 a day, plus a $6 tip.

It can be used for wines by the glass, beer and cocktails less than $10 each.  

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises already offer similar deals on some of their ships, but Carnival is considered the most mass-market of all cruise lines, so this change is much more significant.

If you enjoy a few drinks every day on a cruise, this could save you several hundred dollars over the week.  Even if you are not a heavy drinker, you can still run up a $50 to $75 bar tab in a day.

But some travelers are voicing concern that other passengers would take advantage of all you can drink, leading to passed out patrons, rowdy bar fights and drunk passengers toppling off balconies.

The good news: the ship's captain will not be eligible for this deal.

Whether or not you decide to check out one of these cruises, don't waste your money.

To read the full USA Today story, go to http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/08/carnival-cruise-wine-beer-drink-package/828302/1 .
        
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