Wine with Classic Package

[jenniebnyc]

We started with the Classic through 123Go in January and quickly upgraded to the Premium bc of the lack of wine selection that was to our liking. I am not a chardonnay drinker and they did not even have the pinot grigio under Classic on day 1. So, upgrade we did. Once upgraded it was then difficult to find availablity for wines over $8, flavoured grey goose at the pool bar, Aqua Pana water, etc. We were very upset by the end of the cruise. We spoke with the beverage manager and he refunded us without much hassle. I was also frustrated that Cellar Masters did not have a great selection of wines under the Premium package and asked me many times to purchase a wine package too! Ridiculous. They should allow you to use Cellar Masters for all wines at your price point or make more wines available by the glass. We were definitley not happy this past cruise. It was a struggle and annoying.

[I-Cruiser]

No there is not. They are two different types of packages.

 

The Premium and Classic beverage packages are for unlimited amounts of the included beverages and their prices are for one person only with no sharing. The alcoholic version of these include any alcoholic drink priced up to the per drink limit of the package and include beer, spirits, cocktails and wines as well as the non-alcoholic beverages included in the non-alcohol versions of these packages.

 

In contrast, the wine package is the advance purchase of a set number of bottles of wine at a purportedly discounted price. Because it is for a set amount of wine, rather than an unlimited amount, you can share it with your traveling companions or anyone else you'd like. The bottles can be consumed in your cabin or a dining room and possibly in a lounge if you arraigned for them to be transported there. I say purportedly as I've read a couple comments on these boards that the amount of the discount can vary from small to nothing depending on which wines you choose. The way the package works is that you purchase a set number of bottles of wine (3, 5 or 7 I think) from a small selection of similarly priced wines. Personally, I've preferred to forgo the small discount and purchased bottled wine from ship's wine list which has a lot more variety both in terms of price and selection.

 

Remember that it is not necessary to buy any packages at all. All the extra cost beverages can be purchased ala carte with individual charges to your on-board account.

 

Larry, thank you for explaining this so well:)

[jkgourmet]

We started with the Classic through 123Go in January and quickly upgraded to the Premium bc of the lack of wine selection that was to our liking. I am not a chardonnay drinker and they did not even have the pinot grigio under Classic on day 1. So, upgrade we did. Once upgraded it was then difficult to find availablity for wines over $8, flavoured grey goose at the pool bar, Aqua Pana water, etc. We were very upset by the end of the cruise. We spoke with the beverage manager and he refunded us without much hassle. I was also frustrated that Cellar Masters did not have a great selection of wines under the Premium package and asked me many times to purchase a wine package too! Ridiculous. They should allow you to use Cellar Masters for all wines at your price point or make more wines available by the glass. We were definitley not happy this past cruise. It was a struggle and annoying.

 

That's unfortunate. And surprising to me. What ship and itinerary, please?

 

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[Hlitner]

On the Eclispse (this past Nov-Dec) we had the Classic Bev package for the first time and had planned to upgrade to Premium once aboard. But we quickly ran into a bar tender who we knew from prior cruises and he quickly talked us out of upgrading. His advice was to live with the Classic Package for a couple of days (it was a 14 day cruise) and see if we then thought it necessary to spend the extra $23 a day (for the 2 of us). We quickly realized that the Classic Package was good enough...although I had to forgo drinking better scotch and cognac. But even if I had purchased an ocassional decent scotch it would have been cheaper then paying $23 a day. As to the wines by the glass, we found the Classic Package wines to be "drinkable" and after taking a good look at the offerings on the Premium package we were not convinced it was worth the extra money.

 

Hank

[justcrusn]

Thanks for the info--I thought I read somewhere that if one person in cabin bought the classic alcohol package the other must do so too. Can't find where I read that now but I was sure I did. If they enforce it or not is another thing.

 

posters often confuse PURCHASING. a beverage package with the terms of a promotion.

 

ON CELEBRITY, Either passenger in a cabin may choose to PURCHASE whatever they like.

 

If, however they choose a beverage package as part of a promotion, they must both choose the same one.

 

And on some other (lesser) lol lines it is true that both must purchase the same thing, just not on celebrity.