To BYO or not to BYO

Finding the perfect cruise package is always a big decision, especially when there are so many amazing hens boat cruise package options on offer! One key factor when it comes to choosing the right experience is whether or not to choose one of our My Ultimate beverage package cruise packages, or opt for a BYO cruise option.

There are so many reasons to love BYO friendly cruises, from the cost-saving to the huge range of drinks and possibilities. In fact, our My Ultimate Hens BYO cruises are some of our most popular offerings amongst our hens...but they also come with some logistics. When you book with My Ultimate Hens, logistics don't need to = stress. We've got your back when it comes to planning your BYO cruise experience!

5 Top Tips For Navigating BYO Logistics Like A Pro

Location, location:
Prior to your celebration, hop onto maps and familiarise yourself with the locations of convenience stores, liquor stores, grocery stores or fuel stations nearby to your departure location. This way you have an idea of how long it will take for you to make your way there and back if you forget anything. This is also a great idea if you plan to purchase ice or drinks immediately before hopping on the boat!

All hands on deck:
If you like your drinks cold, ice is a must when it comes to BYO drinks! When it comes to ice, it's important to remember that you typically need a few bags depending on your group size, and this can become heavy quickly! Prepare by having plenty of hands on deck to help you pick up/carry the ice and remember to allocate hands to carrying drinks too. Be sure to account for this when you round up a crew to assist in carrying items, and if you might need to make two trips back and forth - account for timing for this!

Insulated cooler bags:
Cooler bags are a great way to keep your drinks cold, but they are also a fairly commonly accepted and appropriate way to keep BYO drinks contained if you have a lunch, dinner or activity before your cruise and you don't have time to stop and get drinks in between. With a cooler bag, you can pop some ice bricks inside to keep your drinks nice and cold, and store nonchalantly under the table at the previous venue in your package, ready to crack open when you get on board! Some venues will allow you to store these safely on-site too.

Don't forget the utensils:
When it comes to BYO, this usually means a varied range of drinks brought along, so it's best to be overprepared! A great way to ensure you have plenty of drinking utensils is to task the bridesmaids with sourcing some plastic wine glasses, red cups and paper straws from a cheap shop...or ask everyone to bring cans only, so there are no cups needed!

Communication is key:
Coordinate with your fellow hens and let them know about the BYO arrangement. Include any limitations on the invite such as 'no spirits' or 'no glass' in the group event so that nobody wastes time or money for a seamless celebration!

Is the organiser supposed to provide the drinks, or does each person bring their own?
This is totally up to your group! Some organisers prefer to take care of everything on behalf of the whole group, which can make for simpler logistics and less questions. Other groups are happy to invite all attendees to be responsible for themselves and what they drink.

Who covers the cost of the drinks, since they are not included in the package?
It's rare for the organiser/MOH to pay for everybody's drinks themselves, though this is always an option too! Typically it's every man for themselves if the whole group is doing bringing their own drinks! If the organiser/MOH is taking care of it all, it's common to simply notify guests of the added cost to share the cost between everyone!

I don't want to have to physically carry it from place to place before we get on the cruise. What should I do?
When it comes to BYO, consider whether your group is going straight to the boat to kickstart the celebrations or whether you have other activities first. It's often more logistically favourable to have one nominated person taking care of all of the drinks if you have other elements of your package beforehand.

This way, the designated BYO drink organiser can consider these things on behalf of the group at once, rather than 12, 15, 20+ people all having to consider these things.

1. Some groups organise an Uber Eats or timed BWS delivery which can arrive at a specific time at the wharf, ready to go! 

2. Some groups have a friend or family member drop the drinks to them, so they don't have to worry about carting drinks all over town.

3. A popular option is to leave time between your last activity and the boat to purchase drinks and ice etc at a nearby location to the wharf.

Explore your options in advance of the big day to figure out what suits you.

How to ask everyone for money to cover the drinks, if they are all provided by the organisers?
A great way to do this is to work out how much alcohol and mixers you intend to buy, calculate the cost and then divide it by your group numbers. You can then simply add this amount to the per-head cost price on the invite.

If you are happy to have more involvement from the group directly, you could calculate a few options and do a poll to see how much they are all happy to pay for example:

Option 1: Wine only - everyone pays an extra $20pp

Option 2: Wine and seltzers - everyone pays an extra $40pp

Option 3: Wine, champagne, seltzers and premixed spirit cans - everyone pays an extra $60pp

This way, guests know they are required to pay extra and they feel that they have been involved in the decision making too, and are happy with what will be provided.

How do I know how many drinks to organise and what type?
This is a common conundrum amongst Maid Of Honours, especially if they don't know all of the attendees. How are you to know what they like to drink or how much they drink?

When it comes to boat parties - more is more. Once you are out on the water, there is nowhere to buy extra drinks, so it's common for groups to buy more than they need rather than staying on the conservative side. After all, you don't have to drink everything on board, and if you have some left over - lucky you! But if you run out well...our simple recommendation is make sure you don't!

What if I have alcohol left over after the cruise?
Depending on your post boat cruise plans, there are a number of things you can do!

If you have a hotel or house to continue the celebrations at, some groups like to play hens games and use the leftovers as prizes.

If there's still alcohol remaining at the end of the night, you could consider sending guests home with a parting gift.

And of course...you can always gift the remainder to the bride! 

What if I have alcohol left over, but I can't take it with me? (You may have a dinner, drinks or nightclubbing awaiting you)

If you have plans to continue celebrating after the cruise, and can't take the drinks with you, some ways to navigate this are:

• Have a nominated person take them home for you (like a mum, aunty or nan) who isn't hitting the town with the rest of the party.
• Throw the remainder away or leave with the crew... if you can bear to part with it of course! We find it a struggle to part with our beloved vino here at My Ultimate HQ! Occasionally if there is only a small amount left over, it makes logistics easier to ditch the small amount you have left!

Certain cruise details are specific to the My Ultimate Hens boat you are partying on! Whether it's a yacht, a river cruiser or double story party vessel - each of our boats have different features.

Some common questions that are specific to your vessel are:

• Are there glasses provided?
• Are we allowed to bring glass on board?
• What if people want to mix their own drinks with straight spirits?
  
• Is there an eski?
  

Be sure to consult your documentation to have these questions answered!