Drinks Package

[Debbie1573]

What a fantastic help this forum is! You have been a terrific help. I think we will definitely upgrade to the Premium Package as it is our 35th anniversary and we want to be able to have all that is on offer including drinks in the Martini Bar. My only other question to all you lovely people is whether it is the same price to pay with my travel agent (Cruise 1st) or should I wait until we get onboard ? :cool:

[CatsRKool]

Hi Debbie, ask your Travel Agent to do it; won't cost more. That way, you know it's done and you're not messing around when you get on the ship. Won't cost you more with your TA - the price is the price. The dining room sommelier saw quickly we were wine lovers and was opening bottles NOT on the "by the glass" list and working it into our package price. (Bottles of wine are not included in the package, to be clear.). Not guaranteeing this will happen but it was a nice surprise we experienced. And if you don't like a drink or the piña colada is watery, dump it out and ask for another! Have a fab trip.

[4774Papa]

That free happy hour makes a difference, 4774Papa. Paying for a couple of cocktails each night, as well as wine with dinner, soon bumps up the bar bill.

 

We've only just booked our first Celebrity cruise but on our recent RCI cruise it only took about 5 drinks - 2 cocktails, and three glasses of wine, to break even on the drinks package.

I usually purchase a wine package with average cost per bottle at $30. DW and I usually drink half a bottle of wine at dinner.

 

We occasionally have a martini or two, but find that when we do that, we are buzzed so high that we don't drink much the rest of the evening (perhaps one glass of wine).

 

 

Also, the package is a cost every day. Some days, we back off a bit on alcohol.

 

I suppose it depends on how much you drink, whether or not your get free happy hour and what you drink.

[Debbie1573]

Just to be clear - we all drink a lot (there are 4 of us going). A few beers during the day, wine with lunch, at least a bottle of wine with dinner, then drinks afterwards. I'd say we will definitely get out monies worth !:p

[Queen of Oakville]

Every cruiser has to know their own "drinking habits" especially while on vacation, to know if a drink package, and consequently a upgraded drink package is worth it.

 

I can go a whole week or more at home without any alcohol.

 

On a cruise, without a drink package, I will have a glass of wine or two at dinner, and drink water/coffee the rest of the day. I've never ended up with any crazy bar bill.

 

On a cruise with a drink package, I feel compelled to get my money's worth; cocktails by the pools, drinks with dinner, drinks afterwards. With all that drinking comes all those calories, that I personally don't need. My first cruise with a drink package is the first cruise I gained weight!

 

YMMV.

 

to the OP, why not wait until your onboard. Try Day 1 to see if the classic package meets your needs. If it doesn't, you can always upgrade on Day 2

[surebeatssailing]

We don't have an alcohol drink package on the 14 day Baltic cruise in August but we really enjoy Cafe al Bacio 3 x /day & I drink a bunch of water so we opted for the nonalcoholic drink package & we will just buy 1-2 daily cocktails/wine as we go. There are also some enjoyable alcohol free drinks that I like.

[CanadianDee]

Every cruiser has to know their own "drinking habits" especially while on vacation, to know if a drink package, and consequently a upgraded drink package is worth it.

 

 

LOL. SO true.

 

I don't drink much at home and never get a beverage package on the ship. Just order a drink here or there when one strikes my fancy.

 

Every trip I obsess about some aspect of the vacation. This next trip we have planned is with the 123GO beverage perk and that's become my obsession. In anticipation of this particular vacation - which isn't until January 2016 - I've started experimenting with martinis. I figure by the time we cruise, my drinking habits will have changed substantially. ;)

[Gordoncruickshank]

Just to be clear - we all drink a lot (there are 4 of us going). A few beers during the day, wine with lunch, at least a bottle of wine with dinner, then drinks afterwards. I'd say we will definitely get out monies worth !:p

All you need is a couple of Molecular Bar cocktails and you have covered almost half of the premium package. Some beer and wine in the day leaves your evening wine and post dinner drinks free.

[MR_T]

All you need is a couple of Molecular Bar cocktails and you have covered almost half of the premium package. Some beer and wine in the day leaves your evening wine and post dinner drinks free.

 

 

Or to make it easy... Just have 5 martinis/molecular drinks or what ever the new bars going to be called! [emoji483][emoji483][emoji483][emoji483][emoji483][emoji12]

[johnritt]

I just like the freedom of the premium drinks package, though I have only sailed Celebrity and used the package once.

 

The speciality coffees, the water, the wierd drinks, the nicer wine, the not worrying about what most anything costs is worth the $70 plus gratuity per person per week, to me.

 

I don't think we made or lost much on that cruise, but it sure was relaxing and fun, and the package contributed to that experience. So much fun that we booked another one in January, and probably wouldn't have without the package.

 

I hate worrying about my wife worrying about money. It's more fun this way.

[melsuli]

Just to be clear - we all drink a lot (there are 4 of us going). A few beers during the day, wine with lunch, at least a bottle of wine with dinner, then drinks afterwards. I'd say we will definitely get out monies worth !:p

 

In that case upgrade now don't wait until you get on board. There is another thread about the current increase in drinks packages and there are lots of instances where cruisers have been charged inconsistent amounts so I would do it now to avoid the hassle.

 

To give you some idea of the cost, I did ours for a 15 night cruise in November(2015) and the price was £91.50 pp plus £13.73 service charge @ 15% which totals up to £105.23 pp and equates to around £7.015 a day.

 

The service charge is now 18% I believe but its not going to be that much difference.

Edited April 21, 2015 by melsuli

[Debbie1573]

I have asked our TA and they said we will have to do it on board as if we do it now we would have to pay for the whole Premium Package again instead of just upgrading from the Classic. I have emailed Celebrity direct and let's see what they say. :confused:

[MR_T]

I have asked our TA and they said we will have to do it on board as if we do it now we would have to pay for the whole Premium Package again instead of just upgrading from the Classic. I have emailed Celebrity direct and let's see what they say. :confused:

 

 

Sounds like your TA is just being lazy... As That's just not true! I guess your agent doesn't get any commission for sorting out the upgrade so they can't be bothered!

 

The simplest way is to just call celebrity and they will sort it out for you..

[butterflymama]

I have asked our TA and they said we will have to do it on board as if we do it now we would have to pay for the whole Premium Package again instead of just upgrading from the Classic. I have emailed Celebrity direct and let's see what they say. :confused:

 

I upgraded for our cruise in May. I just called Celebrity direct and they added on. I paid with a credit card.

[MR_T]

I have asked our TA and they said we will have to do it on board as if we do it now we would have to pay for the whole Premium Package again instead of just upgrading from the Classic. I have emailed Celebrity direct and let's see what they say. :confused:

 

 

Debbie, I see your from Cardiff... Just call the UK line in the morning and they will sort it out for you... They might even still be open tonight?

[MR_T]

UK line - 0844 493 2043 open till 8pm! [emoji4]

[gormless]

I updated our 123Go "free" classic packages to premium last week. No problem with doing that. I just didn't want classic showing up on our SeaPass cards with a sticker that could get lost for the upgrade.

[ghstudio]

I updated our 123Go "free" classic packages to premium last week. No problem with doing that. I just didn't want classic showing up on our SeaPass cards with a sticker that could get lost for the upgrade.

 

If you buy the upgrade on board and get the sticker, you can go to guest services and get a new SeaPass card that has premium on it.