Did Celebrity Management Get the Message

[Ma Bell]

Maybe they should not offer the pkgs in the Caribbean lol Seems to attract a different crowd.

 

I'm hoping that was part of it. I really think the problem arises when the package is included in the fare. Hoping they just keep them for purchase.

[Cruising89143]

Maybe they should not offer the pkgs in the Caribbean lol Seems to attract a different crowd.

 

If "different" means a younger, more active cruise crowd then that's good in my book.

[Ma Bell]

Older people can drink as much as younger ones and they're not as good at balancing their plates and glasses.;)

[bob278]

Older people can drink as much as younger ones and they're not as good at balancing their plates and glasses.;)

 

Which is why they shouldn't try to keep up. :D

 

Hi Joanie.

Edited May 20, 2014 by bob278

[Ma Bell]

Hi Bob!!!:D

[Minoushka]

On my last Carnival cruise on Conquest the Casino offered me a drink card .So one night an Indian waiter came over to offer me a drink ...i asked for an apple martini but not strong .It was delicious .A little while later the waiter came back ....i asumed was the same guy ..and he offered to repeat my drink ....another apple martini ..sure I said not realizing it was not the same guy .Well let me tell you that one was real and i drank it slowly when it hit me like a ton of bricks ...boy i wasin orbit and hated that feeling .i went back to my cabin needing to rest ...my head was spinning ...I ate something and it passed ..but i really do not drink and after that experience have no desire to ever drink again ...i hated the feeling of being a space cadet

So

I agree a choice should be given ...OBC or drink package

[zoncom]

Celebrity does have a problem. Too many berths to fill in a down economy. Trying to keep its niche rep as a preminum line but hold prices down with food prices up.Keeping its old line customer base but needing to attract new cruisers who book exclusively on price Unlimited alcohol is only practical on luxury lines. $15 per diem service charges? not in near future unless CCL starts it.

[Oville]

The last 7 Celebrity cruises I've been on we had the drink package perk. With the exception of 1 I never saw people drunk, wine spilled on passengers in the elevators, dishes being left everywhere or any of the tales of woe others have seen.

 

Regarding dining room service, isn't that a personnel cutback not the drink packages?

 

I guess we've been very luck. I don't think your typical Celebrity cruiser boards their ship with the idea of a booze cruise.

[cle-guy]

If "different" means a younger, more active cruise crowd then that's good in my book.

 

agree.

[cle-guy]

 

I was very disappointed when Azamara went more inclusive, and added the drink package - as we barely drink, and I do not wish to pay for something we wont use. I truly hope Celebrity does not go down the same path, by adding drinks, and raising prices additionally. I'd much rather pay for a drink when I'm in the mood, or have the OPTION of choosing a drink package as a benefit.

 

I doubt anyone does, but many of us already are.

 

• I never eat breakfast, just a cup of coffee, but I am paying for breakfast foods in my cabin fare certainly.
   
  
• I no longer see the shows in the Theatre, so why am I subsidizing those now?
   
  
• I don't do trivia or any of those games, so why should my cabin fare go towards paying for the staff that run those?
   
  
• I never use the outdoor pool, only the indoor pool. I find the outdoor one's water too chilly for me. So I only want to pay partially towards pool maintenance.
   
  
• I don't like the hot glass show and don't go there.
   
  
• I sometimes eat in specialty restaurants, so why shouldn't I get a credit back for the cruise fare that's paying for my meal in the MDR that night? What about a night I eat in port if it'a a late call or overnight? Or lunch in a port?
  

 

Maybe everyone should have to swipe their sea pass cards and be charged for everything we do to ensure no one pays for something they don't use.

 

I realize it's a bit extreme, but point is we are all already subsidizing things we all don't use. That so many people take the drinks package when offered as a perk, some here say it's 80% of people take it - though I have no way of knowing for sure - it seems like the majority do use the drinks and therefore having drinks as part of the already subsidized things like meals and entertainment isn't really a far reach. Many here also say the free drinks are actually part of their cruise fare so the argument can't be made that that it isn't already being paid for by those who take it as a perk.

[Ma Bell]

Curt,

 

I hope if Celebrity becomes what you think it will be, you still like it. I have a feeling if you like it now, you may not like it then.

[NLH Arizona]

I doubt anyone does, but many of us already are.

 

• I never eat breakfast, just a cup of coffee, but I am paying for breakfast foods in my cabin fare certainly.
   
  
• I no longer see the shows in the Theatre, so why am I subsidizing those now?
   
  
• I don't do trivia or any of those games, so why should my cabin fare go towards paying for the staff that run those?
   
  
• I never use the outdoor pool, only the indoor pool. I find the outdoor one's water too chilly for me. So I only want to pay partially towards pool maintenance.
   
  
• I don't like the hot glass show and don't go there.
   
  
• I sometimes eat in specialty restaurants, so why shouldn't I get a credit back for the cruise fare that's paying for my meal in the MDR that night? What about a night I eat in port if it'a a late call or overnight? Or lunch in a port?
  

Maybe everyone should have to swipe their sea pass cards and be charged for everything we do to ensure no one pays for something they don't use.

 

I realize it's a bit extreme, but point is we are all already subsidizing things we all don't use. That so many people take the drinks package when offered as a perk, some here say it's 80% of people take it - though I have no way of knowing for sure - it seems like the majority do use the drinks and therefore having drinks as part of the already subsidized things like meals and entertainment isn't really a far reach. Many here also say the free drinks are actually part of their cruise fare so the argument can't be made that that it isn't already being paid for by those who take it as a perk.

This is why I'd like to see Celebrity go a-la-carte, we would then pay for what we want. I think it is more like 90% who get the drink packages.

[surebeatssailing]

You have to remember that the packages are not just about the alcohol, there is also Specialty Coffee's and teas, bottled water, fresh squeezed oj, soda's etc included which when you put it in a "package" makes it really convenient and a lot of the time, a good value.

 

This pertains to DH & myself. We would never purchase a drink package based on the 1-2 glasses of wine that I drink daily & 2 manhattans DH drinks daily. But we enjoy the coffees & teas throughout the day & occ soda .

[Ma Bell]

The last 7 Celebrity cruises I've been on we had the drink package perk. With the exception of 1 I never saw people drunk, wine spilled on passengers in the elevators, dishes being left everywhere or any of the tales of woe others have seen.

 

Regarding dining room service, isn't that a personnel cutback not the drink packages?

 

I guess we've been very luck. I don't think your typical Celebrity cruiser boards their ship with the idea of a booze cruise.

 

I never saw anything like it either and I'm hoping it was just an anomaly. Is it possible the "typical" Celebrity cruiser might be changing?

Edited May 21, 2014 by Ma Bell

[Christine Frances]

I never saw anything like it either and I'm hoping it was just an anomaly. Is it possible the "typical" Celebrity cruiser might be changing?

 

Nope! I've never seen anything like that either.

[Ma Bell]

Nope! I've never seen anything like that either.

 

I guess we'll see in October. I'm on the two weeks before the TA as well.

[parallax]

We find the drink package as a plus but for us the itinerary is the key. When we go on our 11 day Adriatic cruise, we don't have to think when we order. We will have speciality coffee and load up on water in the morning. In the afternoon and early evening, we will have a coke and a before dinner drink. During dinner we will have a couple of glasses of wine and after dinner we will have a nightcap. We are not over imbibing but we are enjoying our vacation.

[bigbenboys]

Not necessarily, a couple we just cruised with felt they would have done better picking the on board credit. They didn't drink anywhere near what they would have received in credit.(which I believe was 250)

They wished they chose the credit to spend on things they wanted

 

 

We have never taken the drink package. Not that I dont drink. I will have 3 to 6 glasses of wine at the Elite event. The gratuities seem to be the best deal for us. Richard

[hcat]

Curt,

 

I hope if Celebrity becomes what you think it will be, you still like it. I have a feeling if you like it now, you may not like it then.

 

Agree....many pax came over to X looking for a better experience.than on other cruise lines.not just the alcohol perk...hope X does not change into the lines they came from...

[Christine Frances]

We have never taken the drink package. Not that I dont drink. I will have 3 to 6 glasses of wine at the Elite event. The gratuities seem to be the best deal for us. Richard

 

I go to the Elite event and use my premium package to upgrade the basic wine and beer they serve:) Although I only have 1 and rarely 2 glasses:D Early seating and have to save room for wine at dinner lol

[Big_G]

The last 7 Celebrity cruises I've been on we had the drink package perk. With the exception of 1 I never saw people drunk, wine spilled on passengers in the elevators, dishes being left everywhere or any of the tales of woe others have seen.

 

 

Neither did we but two Reflection cruises a year apart one without and one with the 123Go and the bartenders were flat out too busy with the 123Go. Same number of bartenders and they were working their asses off. We always had good service but there wasn't a lot of socializing between the bartenders and the customers. It also appeared that there were a large number of newbies to the drink package by how many people that came to the bar trying to get multiple drinks on one card. Never saw anyone that appeared to have gotten more than their monies worth.

 

PS: They were both great cruises. Don't want to leave wrong impression. ;)

Edited May 21, 2014 by Big_G

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We have never taken the drink package. Not that I dont drink. I will have 3 to 6 glasses of wine at the Elite event. The gratuities seem to be the best deal for us. Richard

 

3 to 6 glass of wine in 2 hours :eek:

 

I did not drink that much with the drink package

Edited May 21, 2014 by Airbalancer

[mcrcruiser]

This is why I'd like to see Celebrity go a-la-carte, we would then pay for what we want. I think it is more like 90% who get the drink packages.

 

Where (link please ) did you get that 90% figure from ?

[jkgourmet]

I have yet to read loads of threads about people over-consuming and causing problems nor did we witness this on our cruise.

 

The drink package is what enticed us to try Celebrity and we already have another booked because of it.

 

I think they are trying all sorts of things to lure new customers and old ones to book. It's called marketing.

 

Especially the part about NEW customers. The cruise industry is an anomaly. Repeat customers are often less profitable than a new customer. The newbies spend way more money on board than frequent cruisers. The newbies buy the photos, book excursions thru the cruise line, gotta try every speciality restaurant, and buy stuff in duty free because 'It's cheaper'

 

The new cruisers are the goose that laid the golden egg. Loyalists are the ones bitching and whining about every change that occurs.

 

A brief review of the thousands of posts in the last 7 days about alcohol packages, zumba and trivia games makes that very clear. All the while, The newbies are saying "Great, I get free house vodka and Miller beer" and "Look! Celebrity has Zumba! Who cares what it costs" and "Trivia three times a day! That's so much fun!"

 

I DONT LIKE IT EITHER, but the cruise industry wants new customers more than repeat customers.

[lexdisic]

Where (link please ) did you get that 90% figure from ?

 

Our TA said that by the time the PYP finished -80% of bookings made with X through them, had the drinks package. Remember though, that included in there, was the low consumption drinkers who saw the package as good value even though they didnt drink that much - $100 a day for 2 in a cabin sounds like a real giveaway. X advertises it as "worth up to $1500" - makes the OBC and gratuities of $300 (UK offering), seem quite miserly in comparison.