Beverage packages - break even?

[geospyder]

Curious - for those of you that have purchased beverage packages - have you ever broke even or came out ahead by doing so? We are not big drinkers. On average we had couple glasses of wine each per day and a drink at the shows in the evening. Every other day or so I'd have a beer and also had a few lattes. The reason I ask is that on our last cruise our bill was $605 between the two of us. That also included one night at Qsine ($80) and a $12 purchase at one of the stores. That doesn't even come close to what a package would have cost us.

[We're The Groupnors]

Bought the premium package on our last cruise and came out way ahead. I'm not what I would consider a big drinker, but do typically drink more alcohol a day than what you described, at least when I'm on vacation.;)

 

What I did OD on was juice, lattes, more lattes, and plenty of bottled water.

[reedprincess]

We come out ahead every time. We always do the premium alcohol package and come out ahead. With the bottled water, specialty coffees, fresh sqeezed juices, etc. along with the alcohol drinks, we find it completely a money saver. Maybe not on port intensive cruises - but then, especially in the Caribbean and Alaska, we hardly disembark in the ports anymore. So - with caramel coffees in the morning plus juice, bottled water if we get off the ship, 2 or so fruity mixed frown drinks by the pool, martini before dinner, glass of wine or cocktail at dinner, drink at the show, drink at the casino and drink or 2 in the nightclub or late-night- we are completely ahead. We also have high-end tastes - I am a martini and vodka gal and the husband is either beer or Campari or Grand Marnier - those are expensive drinks!! (not the beer of course)

For us, it works out great - we ar enot drunkards or stumblers, but we do enjoy good cocktails. We also are both Elite members and even with the Elite cocktail party, etc, it still works out as a savings for us - what can I say- pina coladas add up! :eek:

[BettyCruiser]

I depends on what you like to drink, if you drink wine, martinis and drinks at the molecular bar it's easy for it to add up.

 

Latte $4.00

Wine w/lunch* $10.00

Afternoon drink $5.00

Afternoon pop $2.00

Martini before dinner $10.00

Wine w/dinner* $10.00

Water w/dinner $4.00

After dinner drink $10.00

Total $55.00

Premium drink package is $54.00 per day

*using $10.00 as average glass of wine

 

I'll admit, that I do drink more than what's listed above and my SO, considerably more, while on a cruise:)

[Sloop-JohnB]

Curious - for those of you that have purchased beverage packages - have you ever broke even or came out ahead by doing so? We are not big drinkers. On average we had couple glasses of wine each per day and a drink at the shows in the evening. Every other day or so I'd have a beer and also had a few lattes. The reason I ask is that on our last cruise our bill was $605 between the two of us. That also included one night at Qsine ($80) and a $12 purchase at one of the stores. That doesn't even come close to what a package would have cost us.

 

Hi Geospyder,

 

Unfortunately, Celebrity's Onboard Account Print-Outs (even if you ask for the "detailed" version) don't reveal a lot of info on what you actually order while aboard... they just record WHERE you consumed, and then show that very excellent $ 0.00 Entry :D

 

I did take a look at our Detailed Onboard Account Statement (we had bought 2 of the Premium Alcohol Packages) and noted there were 103 Transactions over the course of the week... a quick bit of math tells me that the $ 869.40 TOTAL that we paid for the 2 of us... divided by 103 Transactions works out to aprox $ 8.44 per drink (taxes in... so just under $ 7.50 per drink before taxes)

 

Considering that a lot of our bill was made up of high-end By The Glass Wines ($ 8 to $ 12), and a few exotic Cocktails (Passport Bar - Martini Bar) I do think that we got our money's worth... as they would have off-set any of the lower priced waters and Premium Teas and Coffees that we also favoured.

 

And I wouldn't have said that we drank excessively (sure there was a day or two... like Embarkation Day when we probably did more than the norm)... but generally speaking we had about 3 or 4 Alcoholic Drinks per day* ... that included a Martini before Dinner, and then a couple of glasses wine with Dinner. Some nights finished off with a Night Cap after the "late show" before retiring for the evening.

 

*NOTE - which as I've said here on this the CC CELEBRITY BOARD is where I think most folks will break even (3 to 4 alcoholic drinks per day) when you take into account everything else that these Alcoholic Packages cover

 

PLUS... As others have said, the "convenience" of it all is also very nice... in that you don't have to continually be signing & collecting chits, or worrying about the FINAL TOTAL of your Bar Bill / Onboard Account Expenses

 

Hope this info is (somewhat) helpful,

 

Cheers!

[gymjudge55]

I admit, I like to drink on vacation. I also like high end alcohol. So I believe I will come out ahead. Just the two martinis I will have before dinner, one or two glasses of wine with dinner, after dinner drink at shows and casino and I have my monies worth without the coffee and waters I'll have also. Now DH will have maybe 7 drinks the entire cruise, no drink package for him. We'll use OBC for his bill.

[skittl1321]

While researching this I've determined DH would probably break even if he had the package, but wouldn't spend that much without it.

 

However, it offers the ability to not worry about the cost of the drinks you are buying, but the ability to just enjoy. This probably means he'll drink more than he would if I was watching the purse strings.

[sarahc78]

We've always come out ahead w/ ours. Last cruise by several hundred $ infact. I love the freedom it gives me. I can try & experiment w/ new coffee's, martinis, etc...

[Viktoria]

We too came out ahead with the wine package. However, it encouraged us to drink way more than we would have. I believe the package was around $389 including the tip but I think I probably would have spent less than that if I was more careful of what I was drinking. It is fun not to have to worry about the checks and we did tip another $ or so on occasion. All in all we had a wonderful trip on the Summit.;)

[tobymonster]

We didn't calculate the costs to see whether or not we broke even, but it didn't matter for us. It made things so much simpler and more enjoyable to be able to order whatever we wanted and order something else if we didn't like it.

 

It was really fun to get to try new drinks and wines and not worry about wasting 12 bucks if I didn't like it.

 

It was also nice to be able to order fancy coffees, teas, smoothies, sparkling water, etc. We definitely enjoyed having the drink package.

[geospyder]

Thanks for all the responses. It was interesting to see the various opinions. I can relate to the people that bought the packages for the convenience. We had considered a beverage package on this last cruise but decided to just see what our costs were. In our case we would not have broken even. I have no problem with the MDR coffee or the coffee at the buffet. The juices at the buffet and MDR were good and we refilled our water bottles from the machine at the buffet. I did enjoy a latte each day. We found that buying a bottle of wine was less expensive that buying the wine by the glass so we bought bottles in the MDR and the Wine Cellar. Thanks again for the responses. Curiosity satisified :)

[germanyboy]

There was another thread where someone--poolboyclay-- had a google doc of a Celebrity beverage calculator.

 

You could save it as an excel doc.

 

I guessed if I had 2 lattes, 2 bottled h2o, 2 beer, 2 wine, 2 martinis a day, it would come to $200 more than the package cost.

 

I am leaing for 13 night Century cruise this week, and am taking a printout of it to fill in and see see how I do.

 

Prices are from 2010, but if prices went up, you save even more.

 

If you want a blank version, email me and I'll send it to you.

 

jerald cross at comcast dot net NO SPACES

[ghstudio]

Generally speaking, if you are an organ donor and you take the premium alcohol package, it's a fair bet that they won't be using your liver for a donation ;)

 

(I drink my fair share of martini's on board....but after about 2 large ones at the marini bar, on-board can become on-floor.)

[Lovemychoos]

Generally speaking, if you are an organ donor and you take the premium alcohol package, it's a fair bet that they won't be using your liver for a donation ;)

 

(I drink my fair share of martini's on board....but after about 2 large ones at the marini bar, on-board can become on-floor.)

 

 

Hahahahaha, your post made me laugh out loud :D

 

I'm afraid I agree, we like a drink or 3, but we'd have to drink far more that we usually do, or are even totally comfortable with, to come out ahead with a package. That is just our opinion, bearing in mind that we're not bothered about bottled waters or speciality coffee etc. We had a couple of $100 wine cellar cards on our last cruise, wine with dinner and a martini or two, and still were no where near the price of any alcoholic package.

 

Louise

[JLS07]

One thing that made me change from a "Pay as you go" to a "drink package" was the idea of being able to get whatever I want and not worry about it. Will I get my money out of it - yes because I can go to the martini bar and try various ones out, same with the Molecular bar. It is all about trying things and not worrying about it.

 

Without the package I never tried either place. I didn't want to pay for the drinks and not like them or finish them. Now - try it and not worry about it. Do I finish all or them - of course not. But I do get to try them and have fun with it.

 

Plus the time and hassle of signing everything and checking the tab in the room is just . . .. We would see something and have to think - okay did we order drinks at X bar yesterday? Oh yea that charge is fine. Now - you don't need to do that 1/2 as much.

[sarafinadh]

There was another thread where someone--poolboyclay-- had a google doc of a Celebrity beverage calculator.

 

You could save it as an excel doc.

 

Post 7 in the overview of bev packages thread has it.

[aquaclass]

since we drink regular coffee in the morning, we don't drink a lot of smoothies, cruise Aqua Class so bottles water and brew tea is included, and since we bring our two bottles of wine on board, we have never broken even with the beverage package.

[bighairtexan]

Some days I come out ahead (mostly sea days). Some days I don't "drink my money's worth". Some days I break even. But I still get the Premium package so that if I want something different I can try it and not feel like I SHOULD drink it even if I don't like it. I happen to LOVE the MOLECULAR BAR and those drinks are $12. Just the convenience and not having to worry about my final bill is also worth something to me.

[RosieCanberra]

We just love the packages, well worth it in our opinion, but it does depend on individuals consumption patterns.

cheers Mic:D

[Esprit]

I reckon I came out well ahead.

 

Daily intake of fresh orange juice followed by coffee in Cafe al Bacio. A cocktail or two by the pool before a few bottles of Peroni around 5 pm.

 

A molecular bar drink pre dinner then at least three glasses of wine and a bottle of Pellegrino during dinner, finished off with a sambucca. Then off to the Sky lounge mostly where I'd drink the premium package champagne or Vodka.

 

Never once did I have a hangover either

[librarylady19]

We've always come out ahead w/ ours. Last cruise by several hundred $ infact. I love the freedom it gives me. I can try & experiment w/ new coffee's, martinis, etc...

 

That was our experience too. Actually, I didn't worry keeping track of whether I got my money'sworth in dollar and cents terms....the ability to order so easily, the great service and the freedom to try different beverages was well worth it regardless. Again, YMMV.

[Brad1185]

I thought to break even you would have a drink before breakfast, one during breakfast, one after breakfast, a mid morning drink, one before, during and after lunch, 2 mid afternoon drinks, one before, during and after dinner, a mid evening dring and 2 before bed everyday just to break even.

 

I looked at the price of the drink packages and holy cow. I'm glad I don't drink. I cant believe anyone would pay those prices, but everyone seems to think its the bargin of the century.

[Sloop-JohnB]

I thought to break even you would have a drink before breakfast, one during breakfast, one after breakfast, a mid morning drink, one before, during and after lunch, 2 mid afternoon drinks, one before, during and after dinner, a mid evening dring and 2 before bed everyday just to break even.

 

I looked at the price of the drink packages and holy cow. I'm glad I don't drink. I cant believe anyone would pay those prices, but everyone seems to think its the bargin of the century.

 

TO BRAD1185,

 

That is an often thought misconception...

 

Celebrity charges for a lot of beverages... not just alcohol. So if you are going to drink something they charge for (Fresh Squeezed & Bottled Juices - Pop - Bottled Water - Premium Coffees & Teas - Iced Coffees - OR Alcohol...) then you are going to pay extra.

 

They offer packages that cover all these items... or some combo of them.

 

If one drinks say 3 or 4 alcoholic drinks a day, in addition to some of the above listed items then one is bound to come close to breaking even (no matter whether they've signed up for the Classic or the Premium Alcohol Package)

 

As has been said before, everyone's preferences in drinks, and consumption is different, which is why it is so important that folks "do the math" to see if having a Package would be a good choice for them.

 

If you are a non-drinker (alcoholics) you should still probably at least look at the pricing for the other packages as well...

 

Examples...

 

* The Soda / Pop Package goes for $ 7 US per day... while individual drinks go for $ 2 each

 

* The Classic Non-Alcoholic Package goes for $ 14 US per day... while individual drinks go for between $ 2 and $ 6 per day

 

Doesn't take long to add up... especially as folks seem to find they drink more to keep themselves hydrated (especially "regular" bottled water) on and off the ship (or to combat the sodium bloat).

 

Cheers!

[gymjudge55]

I thought to break even you would have a drink before breakfast, one during breakfast, one after breakfast, a mid morning drink, one before, during and after lunch, 2 mid afternoon drinks, one before, during and after dinner, a mid evening dring and 2 before bed everyday just to break even.

 

I looked at the price of the drink packages and holy cow. I'm glad I don't drink. I cant believe anyone would pay those prices, but everyone seems to think its the bargin of the century.

 

The drinks are not all that out of line. I like Grey Goose Cosmos and those are $10 on the ship and pretty much $10-$14 at any restaurant I go to here and I am not in NYC! Wine by the glass is priced pretty much what you pay anywhere also. I will not need that much to break even as I do like a couple of drinks before dinner and a couple of glasses of wine with dinner. With coffee, pop, water and juice I'll at least break even. Hubby doesn't drink so he will not get a drink package. Simple. Works for everyone.

[Sloop-JohnB]

 

* The Soda / Pop Package goes for $ 7 US per day... while individual drinks go for $ 2 each

 

* The Classic Non-Alcoholic Package goes for $ 14 US per day... while individual drinks go for between $ 2 and $ 6 per day

 

Doesn't take long to add up... especially as folks seem to find they drink more to keep themselves hydrated (especially "regular" bottled water) on and off the ship (or to combat the sodium bloat).

 

Cheers!

 

CORRECTION....

 

Meant of course to say individual drinks go for between $ 2 and $ 6 per item

 

--- --- ---

 

And GYMJUDGE55, brings up a good point.

 

Being on a cruise ship is basically a floating Hotel or Resort... so prices are going to reflect that (and not be what you pay for a bottle of water at the Grocery Store... or a six pack of Beer... back home)

 

Individual prices are going to be equivalent to those found in Hotels, Resorts, Bars & Restaurants... that is certainly what we found also... prices similar to other vacation destinations we've been to.

 

Cheers!