Overview of drink packages

[Sloop-JohnB]

Hello - great information! How does one go about purchasing the drink package(s)? Do ALL the people in your stateroom have to purchase the package (i.e., alcohol)? This was the case on an MSC cruise I took last summer.

 

HI LAMBFACE,

 

Any of the Beverage Packages can be purchased on line via your Reservation... go to your MY CELEBRITY section on the Celebrity Website.

 

OR you can purchase them over the phone.

 

Beverage Packages can be bought in this way up to 4 Days before your sailing date... and will be billed to your Credit Card.

 

They can also be purchased once you are onboard and charged to your Ship Account (just remember to purchase a package BEFORE you begin to drink... as getting any thing refunded back to you is difficult).

 

The pricing is per day per person. Classic Alcohol Package for example is $ 44 US per person per day PLUS 15% Tip... Premium Alcohol Package is $ 54 US per person per day PLUS 15% Tip.

 

The packages when bought are effective immediately... and for the duration of the rest of the cruise. They can be bought right up to 2 Days before the end of a cruise (so to cover the remaining days)

 

NO you do not have to purchase a package for everyone in your Stateroom... they are organized per person... so you might have one, and your travelling companion either another package, or having chosen to go ala carte. Celebrity will put either a logo (bought beforehand) or a sticker (bought onboard) on the Sea Pass for the Cruiser... you have to present your Sea Pass whenever making a purchase aboard for any chargeable item.

 

NOTE though there is NO SHARING between packages... Celebrity Staff does keep an eye on this... and you do run a good chance of being confronted (maybe having the package revoked) if it is determined someone on a package has been sharing with someone not on a package. Celebrity considers this seriously to be Stealing.

 

All in all the Packages are a good deal... and there are so many diffferent kinds to choose from...

 

Water - Pop - Non-Alcohol (Classic & Premium) - Alcohol (Classic & Premium) - Wine Bottle Packages - Cellar Master Cards - Stateroom Bar Set-Ups etc...

 

Truly a ton to choose from !!

 

Hope this is helpful,

 

Cheers!

Edited March 5, 2012 by Sloop-JohnB

[Hokiepackcruiser]

Great posts, but still a question...

 

What is meant by premium coffees and teas. I'm guessing the coffees are "brand names" like Starbucks, Caribou etc., but just the brewed coffees and not the espresso-based lattes, etc? How much do the premium coffees and teas cost?

 

Thanks, Tom

Edited March 6, 2012 by Hokiepackcruiser

[sarafinadh]

Great posts, but still a question...

 

What is meant by premium coffees and teas. I'm guessing the coffees are "brand names" like Starbucks, Caribou etc., but just the brewed coffees and not the espresso-based lattes, etc? How much do the premium coffees and teas cost?

 

Thanks, Tom

See post one...

[Mercury]

OP, Thanks for putting this all together!

 

Any chance that this thread can replace the "Sticky" on beverage packages from 2010?

[adchesney]

Great Post...we are on The Constellation (Connie) in November for the 12 night Immersive Wine Tour from Southampton.

 

I need to get the calculator out and see the pros and cons!

 

My wife and I did the Premium Alcohol Package when on Silhouette in November last year (Caribbean) – if think we were under ££ for my wife and saved money on the Package for me.

 

So next time I will get the Premium and my wife will have the Classic.

 

Regards

 

ANDREW

Edited March 6, 2012 by adchesney
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[CABINET]

If you decide to purchase a beverage package during the cruise do they charge you for the final day - we were off the ship by 9 am last year!

[sarafinadh]

If you decide to purchase a beverage package during the cruise do they charge you for the final day - we were off the ship by 9 am last year!

I bet they would but can't say for sure. Someone else will know!

 

I need to get the calculator out and see the pros and cons

Go check post 7. It has a link to a spreadsheet that does the calculations based on info you enter. It's slick.

 

OP, Thanks for putting this all together!

 

Any chance that this thread can replace the "Sticky" on beverage packages from 2010?

Happy to share but I don't know how they handle stickies around here; -)

[iCruise999]

Hi All, new here having jsut booked 12 nights on Celebrity Solstice starting on 4th June (Honeymoon)...;)

 

I must be being a bit thick because even with all the great information in this thred I can't quite work out in which package my drink preference sits.

 

I am a Cider drinker, preferably Magners and I never ever drink spirits because I hate the taste :confused:

 

So which package would include Magners?

 

What is the price per bottle if I dont get it as part of a package?

 

And is it available in the restaurant?

 

Cheers

 

Mark

[NukeIT]

Hi All, new here having jsut booked 12 nights on Celebrity Solstice starting on 4th June (Honeymoon)...;)

 

I must be being a bit thick because even with all the great information in this thred I can't quite work out in which package my drink preference sits.

 

I am a Cider drinker, preferably Magners and I never ever drink spirits because I hate the taste :confused:

 

So which package would include Magners?

 

What is the price per bottle if I dont get it as part of a package?

 

And is it available in the restaurant?

 

Cheers

 

Mark

 

From the first post. Looks like Magners is $8 so you would need the prmuim packages to have it included... Not sure where on the boat it is available.

 

I am also on the June 4th Med cruise, so stop on by the roll call and say hi.

[sarafinadh]

Ciders are on the Michael's menu.

[jerseygirl3]

If you decide to purchase a beverage package during the cruise do they charge you for the final day - we were off the ship by 9 am last year!

 

You pay by the night. In other words if you are on a 7 night sailing, you pay for 7 nights. You actually debark the ship on Day 8. However, I've heard you can still use the beverage package the morning you debark.

 

If you prefer, you don't have to purchase for the entire length of the cruise. You can decide with as little as two days left to purchase, however, once you purchase, you have to pay for the remainder of the sailing. But it's prorated by the number of nights you do purchase it for.

 

Jo-Ann

[CABINET]

Thanks Jo-Ann :D

[Sloop-JohnB]

If you decide to purchase a beverage package during the cruise do they charge you for the final day - we were off the ship by 9 am last year!

 

HI CABINET,

 

Celebrity advertises their cruises by the number of nights aboard (so 7 Nights = 8 Days). Although as you've stated the last day, isn't a full day at all. The cost of Packages are there "technically" calculated by the number of Nights and not the number of days... but you can indulge on BOTH the first and last day (so Embarkation Day and Debarkation Day).

 

Many stories of folks getting Premium Coffees (and even a few Bloody Marys) on the morning of Debarkation.

 

=== === ===

 

Hi All, new here having jsut booked 12 nights on Celebrity Solstice starting on 4th June (Honeymoon)...;)

 

I must be being a bit thick because even with all the great information in this thred I can't quite work out in which package my drink preference sits.

 

I am a Cider drinker, preferably Magners and I never ever drink spirits because I hate the taste :confused:

 

So which package would include Magners?

 

What is the price per bottle if I dont get it as part of a package?

 

And is it available in the restaurant?

 

Cheers

 

Mark

 

From the first post. Looks like Magners is $8 so you would need the prmuim packages to have it included... Not sure where on the boat it is available.

 

I am also on the June 4th Med cruise, so stop on by the roll call and say hi.

 

TO ICRUISE999,

 

Like everyone else you will have to "do the math" to discover if one of the Beverage Packages will be worthwhile for you... remember the Beverage Packages include a lot more than just alcoholic drinks (Fresh Squeezed Juice - Premium Coffees & Teas - Ice Coffees - Bottled Water - Pop etc)

 

You can find the price breakdowns back in Post # 1 in this topic.

 

Generally speaking, I say that one needs to drink as a MINIMUM 3 alcoholic drinks a day to break even (when you add in everything else you'll no doubt be buying such as bottled water)

 

A quick look tells me that Cider runs in the $ 5 to $ 8 range, so would be covered under the CLASSIC PACKAGE ($ 44 US per day per person PLUS 15% TIP).

 

No need to buy the PREMIUM PACKAGE as suggested by NUKEIT above, unless you are looking to drink Premium Bottled Waters (such as Evian or San Pellegrino) or other Alcoholic offerings. Classic Package covers individual servings / glasses / pours up to $ 8, and the Premium Package covers individual servings / glasses / pours up to $ 12.

 

I was on the Solstice in January, and Michaels Club has not been converted as of yet into a Sports Bar venue... so finding your preferred Magners cider may be a bit more of a challenge vs some of the newer S-Class Ships where Michaels is the Sports Bar venue (not that they won't have Magners Cider aboard, you are just going to have to find WHERE it is... I think I calculated something like 15 possible places aboard to get alcoholic drinks, so it is bound to be somewhere)

 

I have several of the 2012 Bar Menus and haven't seen it listed (but then again I don't have all 15)... the go to cider seems to be StrongBow.

 

BUT I can guarantee you this... once you locate the Magners aboard, you can most certainly make arrangements for the ship to transfer it to whatever your "fave" locations are aboard to hang out (so... if you like the Oceanview Bar, or the Passport Bar... they can make arrangements to stock some for you while aboard... so you won't have to go walking around the ship to get your "next" one).

 

Hope this is helpful,

 

Cheers!

 

PS... Here is a suggestion, you might want to post a NEW Topic entitled *Cider on the Solstice* here on the CC CELEBRITY BOARD, to find out if others have seen Magners aboard recently, and WHERE... would certainly be something I would do BEFORE making any commitment to purchasing an extensive Beverage Package.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Sloop-JohnB

[leylander]

A quick look tells me that Cider runs in the $ 5 to $ 8 range, so would be covered under the CLASSIC PACKAGE ($ 44 US per day per person PLUS 15% TIP).

 

:D This is so confusing.

 

Doesn't the classic package cover beers up to $5? So if Cider is classed as beer, it wouldn't be covered above the $5 price?

[Sloop-JohnB]

:D This is so confusing.

 

Doesn't the classic package cover beers up to $5? So if Cider is classed as beer, it wouldn't be covered above the $5 price?

 

HI LEYLANDER,

 

Good point... now you have me stumped.

 

I am not much of a Cider drinker myself (maybe one or two a year)... and didn't have one on my cruise.

 

I've never classified Cider as Beer (they are most certainly two different things)... not sure how Celebrity though chooses to "classify" them.

 

Do know though that Celebrity does choose to list them seperately on all their menus.

 

See this PHOTO below with a copy of the Bistro On 5 Drink Menu...

 

Cheers!

 

PHOTO - 2012 Drink Menu for Bistro on 5 (one page)

Edited March 6, 2012 by Sloop-JohnB

[NukeIT]

I always think of beer and cider as simliar items. So would assume they fall under the "Beer" classification.

[iCruise999]

PS... Here is a suggestion, you might want to post a NEW Topic entitled *Cider on the Solstice* here on the CC CELEBRITY BOARD, to find out if others have seen Magners aboard recently, and WHERE... would certainly be something I would do BEFORE making any commitment to purchasing an extensive Beverage Package.

 

Thanks for all your help, very much appreciated. I will take your advice and start a thread :-)

[mcoakle]

My wife and I are probably going to get the premium alcohol package for our sailing coming up. Do you all think we can get away with just getting one? I saw someone said they did it on another message board. I will drink some of the high end beers, and she would love to be able to get some of the higher priced wines, but I doubt we would drink enough to substantiate two of them.

[sarafinadh]

TO some extent the whole point of this thread is to determine how best to decide about packages.

 

If you make the decision that you will NEITHER of you drink sufficently to warrant the purchase of packages for either of you then don't get them. Pay al la carte.

 

Purchasing one package is tacky, deceitful and will result in embarrassment for you both as you will not be able to just sit down and order drinks. Instead you will be creeping around the ship, getting a drink for one of you in one venue and then passing it to your wife and going to another to get one for yourself, and then finding a third place to sit down and actually enjoy your misbegotten gains where no one knows that you acquired both drinks on one plan. And never mind wine with dinner...

 

And, because people are never as clever as they think they are, you will be found out and suffer the embarrassment of what ever repercussions Celebrity chooses to deem suitable punishment.

 

Don't be piker and a cheat. it's tacky and will prolly be stressful up until the moment you are apprehended.

Edited March 8, 2012 by sarafinadh

[mcoakle]

I think we are both going to get a package. Reading the other things it includes, coffee, bottled water and such, I think it makes sense for us to get them. I'll crunch the numbers and make a final decision.

 

Thanks for the info. Just saw someone on another thread that said they just purchased one and thought it was fine. I've seen numerous people do it with the soda packages on past cruises, but I'm not one for trying to sneak around.

[sarafinadh]

Sounds like a good decision. Once you do the number crunch it is pretty easy to tell if it's worth it or not. Did you use the spread sheet in post 7?

 

; -)

Edited March 8, 2012 by sarafinadh

[mcoakle]

I will now. Thanks! I'm thinking we could go without spending that much, but the packages will allow us to try some drinks that we wouldn't normally get. I"ll check out the spreadsheet to get a little clearer on my decision.

[gymjudge55]

We have only purchased one drink package, however that is because although I enjoy wine with dinner and expensive martinis my husband will probably only drink one or two drinks per day. We plan on using the OBC for his consumption since even the classic package would be a waste for him. We are in Aqua Class so I will let him drink the cabin waters and I will order more from my package for myself. He is fine with dining room coffee and the fresh juices from Blu.

My only issue is I like drinks in my cabin and will try and stockpile a couple to have for afternoons on the balcony. I will be drinking all of them but don't want anyone to question the fact that only one of us purchased a package!

[sollan]

My wife and I are probably going to get the premium alcohol package for our sailing coming up. Do you all think we can get away with just getting one? I saw someone said they did it on another message board. I will drink some of the high end beers, and she would love to be able to get some of the higher priced wines, but I doubt we would drink enough to substantiate two of them.

 

If one of you don't feel like paying for a own package then I think that person should pay for whats actually consumed.

It's called honesty.

Edited March 8, 2012 by sollan

[x lindsay x]

Do you have to pre-pay for the beverage package or do they add it to your on board account? I would prefer to pre-pay and not have to worry about it at the end of the cruise.

 

I'm new to Celebrity and have cruised with various lines that handle things both ways.