New Beverage Program is here!

[Joseph87]

Hello all, new member here!

 

I'm going on the Caribbean cruise this Christmas and New Year with my family and I have a couple of questions about the drinks packages.

 

Beer: From anyone's experience, is it easy enough to somehow share the beer between say 2-4 people? For example can one person go up to the bar, order a beer, pass it to his friend then go and order another? Or even pass the card so the friend can go and order one? If not, it doesn't seem worth it as you'd have to drink about 7-9 beers a day to make sure you make your money back.

 

Wine: Am I right in thinking the packages go in 3-5-7 amounts? By this I mean does the cheapest package entitle you to 3 bottles (per night) for the cruise, or is it $90 (or whatever it was) per 3 bottles regardless of the time period?

 

Thanks,

 

Joseph

[micruiser2002]

I have also seen pictures of the Martini bar menu with prices at $10. I wonder if they have 2 sizes??

[Muushka]

You will have to pay for it for the whole cruise...not part of the cruise

 

Thank you.:)

[Wine-O]

I have also seen pictures of the Martini bar menu with prices at $10. I wonder if they have 2 sizes??

 

Those were huge glasses, and you probably get 4 ozs.

 

They did have the smaller martini glasses at some of the other bar venues, and if you ordered a vodka martini you would probably get 2 ozs of their bar stock (absolute) for $6.00.

[micruiser2002]

joseph87 - I don't believe you are supposed to be sharing. I am sure you could try but I would think they could easily catch on by looking at how often you are purchasing. Even if you do not get caught if everyone starts doing this it will be the end of the packages.

 

The wine is for so many bottles total, not per night.

 

Honestly I do not see the value in any of their packages except maybe the frozen drink one for cruises with lots of sea days.

[cruiseinfoseeker]

......

 

Beer: From anyone's experience, is it easy enough to somehow share the beer between say 2-4 people? For example can one person go up to the bar, order a beer, pass it to his friend then go and order another? Or even pass the card so the friend can go and order one? If not, it doesn't seem worth it as you'd have to drink about 7-9 beers a day to make sure you make your money back...

 

My DH can 'easily' drink 7-9 beers a day.(unfortunately I suppose) so for a long cruise with many sea days this is a value for us.

As for the sharing....hmmm, obviously they woundn't allow that.

I wonder if they will think DH is sharing due the the quickness of his beer consumption by the pool on a sea day:eek:

 

 

MICRUISER2002: I see the frozen drink package on my reservations now also. So I was misinformed and shared that misinformation:o (probably won't be the last time:() I look forward to hearing reports in the future on the actual offerings in this package. It looks like I may be getting it:D

[cruiseinfoseeker]

....

Honestly I do not see the value in any of their packages except maybe the frozen drink one for cruises with lots of sea days.

 

I agree. We are taking a 14 night Panama canal cruise and have 7 sea days and one more I suppose transiting the canal. So for 8 lazy days it may be worth our while. I am not going to crunch the numbers yet because (as I said in previous post) I want to wait for the reviews to come in.

[cruzendude]

Last December on GTS Summit. Absolute Martini in the Martini Bar.

$6.00 plus 15% gratuity = $6.90. I have multiple receipts I could scan for you:D

 

No thanks..I have PLENTY of my own $10.00 receipts...actually no I don't, I have never seen a reason to be anal and actually keep those receipts...:eek:

[cruzendude]

On Solstice the price was $10.00 + gratuity = $11.50, but you got a great pour and top-shelf vodka.

 

True dat! We don't drink the swill! :p

[EMc]

$51/day for the Liquor Package??? Even assuming the average drink is $8 + gratuities, you'd have get 6 or more drinks A NIGHT to break even. Where did they come up with these prices?

 

I can't say for sure, but... we purchased the unlimited premium liquor/drink program on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas in 2004. The package doesn't just cover "liquor".. it covers beer, frozen drinks, wine, bottled water and specialty coffee. And soda, too

Even if you don't drink a lot it can be a good value.

 

Think about it. I think bottled water costs 4 bucks...a beer is.. what? 5 bucks, at least.. the drink of the day?

 

So, grab some coffee.. have an early Bloody Mary eye opener... have a frozen drink or two later in the day at the pool. Throw in 3 or 4 bottles of water through out the day, a pre dinner drink, maybe a drink at the show.. a glass of wine or 2 at dinner or 2 cocktails, not to mention buckets of beer. In fact, we were able to take whatever amount we wanted at the end of the night back to the cabin. Beer to go!

 

See what I mean? And, yes, they did also offer all those other specific beverage packages if that is all you wanted... but the unlimited premium drink package covered all those things. What it didn't cover was ultra premium liquor... ie, really high end stuff.

We loved it and were hoping to see it offered again. It was not. And it is only cost effective if you order it in the first day,

 

We didn't really see it at first.. we were in the Schooner Bar and they set up the usual large number of tables offering all kinds of packages. I assumed the table offering it was only offering the usual wine package. As I was walking away, it caught my eye. It was well worth it.

 

Plus, it was nice to know that the bar bill was set from the get go.

 

Keep in mind, it is per person and the email I received (from Celebrity) showed this package at 51.50 per day.. with 15% gratuity added. We were on an 11 night cruise... it was 1,265.00 total for the 2 of us and I believe the RCCL package was the same.

 

I do think this is a bit strange.. would seem a better "fit" for RC....anyway, I DO, so, hope RC follows suit!

 

EMc

[newhips]

I can't say for sure, but... we purchased the unlimited premium liquor/drink program on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas in 2004. The package doesn't just cover "liquor".. it covers beer, frozen drinks, wine, bottled water and specialty coffee. And soda, too

Even if you don't drink a lot it can be a good value.

 

Think about it. I think bottled water costs 4 bucks...a beer is.. what? 5 bucks, at least.. the drink of the day?

 

So, grab some coffee.. have an early Bloody Mary eye opener... have a frozen drink or two later in the day at the pool. Throw in 3 or 4 bottles of water through out the day, a pre dinner drink, maybe a drink at the show.. a glass of wine or 2 at dinner or 2 cocktails, not to mention buckets of beer. In fact, we were able to take whatever amount we wanted at the end of the night back to the cabin. Beer to go!

 

See what I mean? And, yes, they did also offer all those other specific beverage packages if that is all you wanted... but the unlimited premium drink package covered all those things. What it didn't cover was ultra premium liquor... ie, really high end stuff.

We loved it and were hoping to see it offered again. It was not. And it is only cost effective if you order it in the first day,

 

We didn't really see it at first.. we were in the Schooner Bar and they set up the usual large number of tables offering all kinds of packages. I assumed the table offering it was only offering the usual wine package. As I was walking away, it caught my eye. It was well worth it.

 

Plus, it was nice to know that the bar bill was set from the get go.

 

Keep in mind, it is per person and the email I received (from Celebrity) showed this package at 51.50 per day.. with 15% gratuity added. We were on an 11 night cruise... it was 1,265.00 total for the 2 of us and I believe the RCCL package was the same.

 

I do think this is a bit strange.. would seem a better "fit" for RC....anyway, I DO, so, hope RC follows suit!

 

EMc

I have a question - did you say you received an email from Celebrity saying that the 51.50 per day package allowed you to order anything? Straight liquor drinks, mixed drinks, Martini bar, drink of the day, beer, soda, water, specialty coffees, etc?

[PatC]

I'm confused (not unusual:p) The "liquor package", no matter which one, only includes the liquor for the duration of the cruise? Not fruit drinks, soda, water, etc.? I thought only RCI had that package. Celebrity's package looks strictly booze. Maybe when others return or have experienced these packages it will make it more clear.

 

I love the fruity drink one. I can do that one easily. Even the non-alcoholic ones are good. On Mercury in March we have 5 days at sea and this package fits like a glove for me. I also like the stateroom ones. The last time on Connie they charged $100 for the best one. One thing they didn't tell you was $15 was for those nuts! Looks like the nuts are gone so that's good. The price went back to the original prices they had a few years ago. Last trip they didn't give us the package we'd pre-ordered. When we went to guest relations they did order it, I had the confirmation with me. The price had gone down by then also, we only paid $60 for the same one.

 

Hope they are more explicit as time goes on as to what is included and not included.

 

PatC

[EMc]

I have a question - did you say you received an email from Celebrity saying that the 51.50 per day package allowed you to order anything? Straight liquor drinks, mixed drinks, Martini bar, drink of the day, beer, soda, water, specialty coffees, etc?

 

Unlimited Liquor Packages…starting from $51.50* per night

Our Liquor Packages provide the ultimate in convenience for all tastes. Choose from our Classic or Premium Package based on your own preference and desire.

 

This is the quote from the Celebrity email about the drink packages,

This is, exactly, how the RC package was stated..

Note the mention of "convenience for all tastes",

 

Like I said, I am assuming this is the same program as RC offered.

 

The way it's tiered lets you know what it includes. Ie, everything above.

 

I did say I wasn't sure... but I really do think it is the same. I could be wrong. I hope I'm not.

[tuscansun]

We can't wait for more information, I tried to book the liquor package for our Solstice Nov 30 cruise, and it said our reservation was under maintenance--so, they must be upgrading the system to incorporate all of this...we will probably buy it, it takes the pressure off for the most part if you enjoy wine with dinner and drinks by the pool...and before dinner..lol..we are from New Orleans, you know!

[6502programmer]

Beer: From anyone's experience, is it easy enough to somehow share the beer between say 2-4 people? For example can one person go up to the bar, order a beer, pass it to his friend then go and order another? Or even pass the card so the friend can go and order one? If not, it doesn't seem worth it as you'd have to drink about 7-9 beers a day to make sure you make your money back.

In a word, no. This is no different than going into a soccer match, handing your ticket through the fence to your buddy (who doesn't have one) and having him walk through the gate with your ticket. In most of polite society, it's considered stealing.

 

Could you do it? Sure, but you'd have to go to different bartenders (unless you bought their silence with tips, but I wouldn't count on that), and aren't you supposed to be on vacation, not scheming your way into stealing drinks? Can you share an occasional drink without arousing suspicion? Sure, but that doesn't make it any more right. If you're supplying all the drinks for a table personally, you will be caught. You'd likely only lose the use of your package and be refunded the remainder, but they may keep the entire cost of your package and deny you further use of it.

 

Wine: Am I right in thinking the packages go in 3-5-7 amounts? By this I mean does the cheapest package entitle you to 3 bottles (per night) for the cruise, or is it $90 (or whatever it was) per 3 bottles regardless of the time period?

It's for the cruise. You are prepaying for a set number of bottles of wine for the duration of your cruise.

[micruiser2002]

Did I miss something? I was just on the Legend in April and Brilliance last November (and many other prior RCL cruises) and no where did we ever see any drink packages. Did they only offer this once? I do remember the drink cards that allowed for so like 10 drinks.

 

EMc, Now I have heard of these packages for groups, is that what you are talking about?

[raudacruise]

In a word, no. This is no different than going into a soccer match, handing your ticket through the fence to your buddy (who doesn't have one) and having him walk through the gate with your ticket. In most of polite society, it's considered stealing.

 

Could you do it? Sure, but you'd have to go to different bartenders (unless you bought their silence with tips, but I wouldn't count on that), and aren't you supposed to be on vacation, not scheming your way into stealing drinks? Can you share an occasional drink without arousing suspicion? Sure, but that doesn't make it any more right. If you're supplying all the drinks for a table personally, you will be caught. You'd likely only lose the use of your package and be refunded the remainder, but they may keep the entire cost of your package and deny you further use of it.

 

The underlying problem is that =X= came out with bad packages so know folks are going to try to scam them just like they do with RumRunners. I can think of ways to get one package and sharing it - there are multiple bars open so you really wouldn't need to "bribe" the bartenders. But who wants to go on a cruise doing that?

 

If they had just done a little better packaging than whats being offered they could have a better return. Now we are back to the same old.

 

BTW, O!H!I!O but that was definitely a nail biter.

[ppppp98]

Can anyone book already the Beverage package on "My Reservation" on celebrity.com?

 

Because I still got this Information on my Reservation for Jan. 2010:

 

We apologize for the inconvenience, but at this time, pre-cruise reservations for this beverage package are not yet available. Please click here to view the Beverage Package reservation schedule and learn when pre-cruise reservations will be available for your sail date.

 

The schedule said it should be possible today:

 

http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/celebrity/en_US/pdf/beverage/Beverage_Online_Reservations_Schedule-.pdf

[EMc]

>>>Did I miss something? <<<<

 

Nope. We had never seen this before, either. Haven't seen it since and, no, it wasn't a group thing. And like I said, I didn't see it at first...not really accurate...I glanced at it, very briefly and thought it was the wine package. The couple we were sitting with noticed it and, so, we took a second, better, look.

 

There was a sticker placed on your sail & sign card, but they keyed the card into the system and it was full of info. It wouldn't be possible to hand the card off to someone else to use.

 

We still have the card. Well, we have all of our cards, including one from Celebrity. But we have had to show the card to many people who "insist" that this program never existed. It's a bright yellow sticker that says "Premium Brand (in bold) Drink Program".We have been on the Brilliance many times and this was the only time it was offered. The crew told us it was not offered on the sailing following ours. It didn't sell enough. I was also told that this was pushed at the pool bar area before sail away. This was the December 13th, 2004 11 night cruise. It was our 3rd time on the Brilliance.

[felixdacat]

Did I miss something? I was just on the Legend in April and Brilliance last November (and many other prior RCL cruises) and no where did we ever see any drink packages. Did they only offer this once? I do remember the drink cards that allowed for so like 10 drinks.

 

EMc, Now I have heard of these packages for groups, is that what you are talking about?

 

Yes you did miss something.

These are brand new drink packages that were first announced back in April. Some became available on 10/18, but most will be available for purchase today (11/15).

But I think the basic attitude is that you really did not miss anything because the packages are not really worth the price. We will see now that they should be available for purchase.

[aml3679]

I was excited to look at my options for beverage packages this morning and it says it is still not available. I called Celebrity and the packages are being loaded by booking order. I booked very early, at least I thought. So, be patient. She told me that mine will either be loaded later today or tomorrow. Although some say it is not worth it, I still want to look. It will be our 25th Anniversary and I want it to be special.

[micruiser2002]

felixdacat, I was not referring to the new Celebrity beverage program, I was referring to the drink package someone got on RCL Brilliance. If you see their response it was a one time deal.

 

EMc - not surprising it didn't sell well, it sounds like they didn't advertise it well. Too bad it sounds like it might have been a good deal? I still think even the Celebrity one is too much. With port stops I really only have a couple of drinks in the evening, I would not be able to drink $50 worth.

[cruiseinfoseeker]

The underlying problem is that =X= came out with bad packages so know folks are going to try to scam them just like they do with RumRunners. I can think of ways to get one package and sharing it - there are multiple bars open so you really wouldn't need to "bribe" the bartenders. But who wants to go on a cruise doing that?

 

If they had just done a little better packaging than whats being offered they could have a better return. Now we are back to the same old.

 

BTW, O!H!I!O but that was definitely a nail biter.

 

 

I personally don't think the packages are that bad. I know I am in the minority on this, but I am looking at it through a business eye. I don't believe the packages are necessarily aimed at the two or three a night drinker which may be the average cruiser (and many of us on this board). The value for the company is that some that drink more than the cost of the plan will buy it and some that do not drink the cost of the plan will buy it(not realizing its not a value for them)

 

Also some that feel like they may come close may just get the plan out of convenience to have it prepaid and budgeted.

 

Or I am completely wrong and Celebrity made a big mistake:p

[micruiser2002]

I will be surprised if this is successful. I think based on the demographics of the average Celebrity cruiser this is not going to work. I think some of these packages are more geared to the average Carnival cruiser (sorry). I just don't think the average Celebrity cruiser drinks so much. As I have said before unless you have a sailing with a lot of sea days (more drinking during the day and by the pool) I do not see this being financially beneficial to most cruisers. Then again I do not tend to drink too much hard liquor so not sure how much of a cost advantage these packages are. But for someone like me who enjoys maybe 1 frozen drink by the pool, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, then maybe a beer or two while I gamble, it doesn't cost out. Plus we still have not confirmed that the liquor package even allows you to get any type of drink including beer and wine.

[felixdacat]

I waited till today before making any final opinions, hoping that there could have been some last minute changes in pricing or some better explanations of the details.

Here is what I just wrote to Celebrity:

 

"Celebrity,

 

I wanted to let you know how disappointed I am with the actual Beverage Packages that became available today as well as the execution of their finally becoming obtainable.

As you can see from this previous communication, I had a high level of interest in these packages when they were announced last April.

Here are my complaints:

• From the announcement in the Captains Club Newsletter in April till October there was no communication whatsoever concerning the Beverage packages. This includes my first attempt at requesting information being ignored. This also includes numerous attempts by members of the CruiseCritics forums to get updates from your Customer Service staff only to find they were either not informed of the program, or did not have any updated information.

• You were only allowed to purchase a small number of packages for a small number of sailing dates on October 18th. The bulk of the packages only became available today. As a computer engineer, I can recognize that this was a software rollout designed to make sure that the website would be able to handle the new functionality properly.

On the surface, this is all well and good as you want to be able to make sure that everything works before you subject the majority of your guests to any possible problems. However, the Celebrity marketing currently says that Guests will be given the “Star Treatment”, “Indulging us in unparalleled service.” It is my opinion that the way you rolled out these packages was not congruent with your marketing. Stress testing in a lab environment should have accomplished the needed analysis and allowed you to make the packages available to almost all sailings on one date.

• The Beer Package and the Liquor Packages are at price points that make it almost impossible to find any value in purchasing them.

For example; the Beer Package would mean that you would have to commit to drinking 7+ beers per day, every day of the cruise to make it worthwhile. Making a $241.50 commitment for the entire 7 night cruise for one person to receive beer is not a logical course of action.

Now, if you could purchase the beer package for a day at a time, particularly the “At Sea” days, and therefore only commit $34.50 at a time, that would be more practical (although a price point between $25-30 would have been more reasonable).

• Many on the forums do agree that the Frozen Drinks package is at a decent price point, especially when you consider that a certain percentage of these drinks will be non-alcoholic. However, after committing $154 for a 7 day cruise, you will then be motivated to drink only Frozen drinks the entire cruise. That is just not realistic. Again, if you could purchase the packages on a daily basis, it would make more sense.

• What do you mean by “Starting From” in the price description? This implies greater charges. I have not gone through the ordering process because I believe the minimum charges to be too great so I do not know if there is actually more levels to these packages. Even the Liquor packages say “Starting From” when you show two different levels of packages. Is there one price if you want Bourbon and another if you want Vodka? This is confusing.

• The Taste of the Vineyards Wine packages are not available on the Solstice and Equinox. I am sailing on the 12/20 Solstice, so the one package that I may have purchased today is not available to me.

This probably has nothing to do with the website.

I would like a better explanation as to why the Wine Packages are not available for Pre-Order for my sailing.

 

Today, I find myself disenchanted with your service. I have been regularly going to the CruiseCritics forums since my family decided to sail. For the most part I have been a defender of your company’s alcohol policies for two reasons. First, I gave you high marks for allowing guests to bring two bottles of wine per cabin on board. The second reason was that you were going to be offering these beverage packages.

Now, it appears that these packages are not worthy of the expectations that we had for them. This also means they are not worthy of the Celebrity reputation."