First time to cruise X from RCCL, Elite and 123Go promo question

[roquejo]

Hi,

 

I am D with Royal so first time will try Celebrity for Sept 2016 Alaska..now with the Go Better promo, being Elite I find it hard to choose between the drink package or the free internet as my 2nd perk.

 

If I am not Elite, then no question I will choose the drink package...

 

But with the free drinks in the morning breakfast and elite cocktails on all nights except embarkation and officers party night... will the drinks be enough for a moderate drinker to forgo the classic drink package perk?

 

What I am thinking is as an Elite, will choosing the free unlimited internet package benefit more than the drink package? Because they only give you 90 mins of internet as Elite, which is bad given the slowness will consume your minutes without doing much?

 

So given internet elite benefit is less ideal than the elite free drinks benefit... you end up gaining more by choosing the unlimited internet package? correct?

Edited November 27, 2015 by roquejo

[alcpa1]

You do have choices but if you only have a few cocktails (3 per person per evening if vouchers are given) you might get more benefit from the pre-paid gratuity, OBC or internet. The vouchers generally work better if you have early seating as the Elite cocktail time is better suited for Select dining or late seating.

Elite members do get 90 minutes of internet with their coupons. If you need more given the slow speed then that is a consideration. On the other hand you will have internet access in every port in Alaska and your phone will work in every port as well.

Have a great cruise. Alaska is spectacular.

[cruzzzinma]

You can use your elite 90 minute internet package or apply it as a discount against the unlimited internet package. I think we paid $195 for unlimited internet (with the elite discount) for a 14 day cruise earlier this month. If you use it, the beverage package has a better dollar value as a freebie. In the end, it is whatever has the most value to you.

 

Our internet on the Constellation TA was better than we've had on any other Celebrity cruise.

[roquejo]

You do have choices but if you only have a few cocktails (3 per person per evening if vouchers are given) you might get more benefit from the pre-paid gratuity, OBC or internet. The vouchers generally work better if you have early seating as the Elite cocktail time is better suited for Select dining or late seating.

Elite members do get 90 minutes of internet with their coupons. If you need more given the slow speed then that is a consideration. On the other hand you will have internet access in every port in Alaska and your phone will work in every port as well.

Have a great cruise. Alaska is spectacular.

 

Thanks, I have been to Alaska 2X already, being my 3rd time show how much I liked Alaska.

 

Yeah, I know the free internet spots like Salmon Landing, Juneau public library, Walmart, Skagway pulbic library, even that hotel in Whittier.. but the mere fact of purposely just going there just to be able to connect and do either work related stuff or catch up with the news kills 1-2 hours of your port time in Alaska.

 

That is why RCCL just shifted from free minutes to coupons of 24 hours continuous access for Diamond members and up..makes more sense given the slow connection.

 

Perhaps X should follow RCCL also.

[roquejo]

 

Our internet on the Constellation TA was better than we've had on any other Celebrity cruise.

 

I heard they are upgrading, starting with Equinox, not sure about Constellation..

 

It is also location dependent, so I am not sure how the satellite connection is in Alaska.. as the last 2 times I've been there, I did not use any of the ships' internet.

[chemmo]

On our last cruise (Equinox) we had much faster internet service.

 

Re drinks package. Make a list of what you would drink in a day, remembering bottled water and quality coffee, wine with dinner, soft drinks....

 

We did this and although not big drinkers we probably would now always go with a package. When we looked at our drinking it was how much we spent on the non-alcoholic that surprised us.

 

Another factor is how much time are you going to be off the ship for. On a port intensive cruise you will obviously use your package less than if you have one with more sea days.

 

We moved from RCCL to Celebrity some years ago and have never looked back!

Enjoy your cruise.

[roquejo]

 

We moved from RCCL to Celebrity some years ago and have never looked back!

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Thanks, yes, there seems to some consensus here in this forum that Diamond Plus Crown and Anchor members, knowing that they may not reach Pinnacle usually graduates to be being Celebrity cruisers...

 

I love the marketing campaign of X right now, so many exiting offers/promos to lure customers in, while RCCL 's marketing has became dull lately..

 

Aside from the free 123Go promos, revitalized suite luxuries, how many free upgrades X offered lately? They even have double upgrades for Asia sailings late year... while it has been ages since RCCL offered a free stateroom upgrades and it has always been alternating BOGOHO or 30% off.

 

perhaps maybe because RCCL's brand has already been established, so they have sent their best marketing team to X.

 

Even the prices of RCCL became boring lately with less fluctuations that I grew tired monitoring it... while X's prices moves frequently, making it more exciting to watch.

Edited November 27, 2015 by roquejo

[kenevenpar]

Thanks, yes, there seems to some consensus here in this forum that Diamond Plus Crown and Anchor members, knowing that they may not reach Pinnacle usually graduates to be being Celebrity cruisers...

 

I love the marketing campaign of X right now, so many exiting offers/promos to lure customers in, while RCCL 's marketing has became dull lately..

 

Aside from the free 123Go promos, revitalized suite luxuries, how many free upgrades X offered lately? They even have double upgrades for Asia sailings late year... while it has been ages since RCCL offered a free stateroom upgrades and it has always been alternating BOGOHO or 30% off.

 

perhaps maybe because RCCL's brand has already been established, so they have sent their best marketing team to X.

 

Even the prices of RCCL became boring lately with less fluctuations that I grew tired monitoring it... while X's prices moves frequently, making it more exciting to watch.

 

It amuses me that =X= advertises "free" perks. If you look at the pricing, they are anything but free. It's like Polo having a 40% off storewide sale; everything is marked up the day before the sale so the net price is virtually the same as it was before. And RCCL is no better, with the 30 or 40% off sales. Off what? Some listed price that nobody has ever paid?

 

Drives me crazy! I look for the best price among three lines going where I want to go.

[jelayne]

In deciding which perk to choose keep in mind that Celebrity's Elite cocktail hour is short, only from 5p-7p. As I recall Royals Diamond lounge served drinks form 5-8 or 8:30.

 

When Celebrity uses vouchers they are also good from 5-7.

[4774Papa]

On our last cruise (Equinox) we had much faster internet service.

 

Re drinks package. Make a list of what you would drink in a day, remembering bottled water and quality coffee, wine with dinner, soft drinks....

 

We did this and although not big drinkers we probably would now always go with a package. When we looked at our drinking it was how much we spent on the non-alcoholic that surprised us.

 

Another factor is how much time are you going to be off the ship for. On a port intensive cruise you will obviously use your package less than if you have one with more sea days.

 

We moved from RCCL to Celebrity some years ago and have never looked back!

Enjoy your cruise.

I have always kept track of our spending on cruises. Prior to becoming elite on X, we would normally spend about $500 TOTAL for two persons on alcohol, specialty coffee, etc.

 

After becoming elite, that dropped to about $250 total for two weeks.

 

We rarely drink specialty coffee, don't drink bottled water or soda.

 

No way would we spend $55 per day per person on alcohol.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Thanks, yes, there seems to some consensus here in this forum that Diamond Plus Crown and Anchor members, knowing that they may not reach Pinnacle usually graduates to be being Celebrity cruisers...

 

I love the marketing campaign of X right now, so many exiting offers/promos to lure customers in, while RCCL 's marketing has became dull lately..

 

Aside from the free 123Go promos, revitalized suite luxuries, how many free upgrades X offered lately? They even have double upgrades for Asia sailings late year... while it has been ages since RCCL offered a free stateroom upgrades and it has always been alternating BOGOHO or 30% off.

 

perhaps maybe because RCCL's brand has already been established, so they have sent their best marketing team to X.

 

Even the prices of RCCL became boring lately with less fluctuations that I grew tired monitoring it... while X's prices moves frequently, making it more exciting to watch.

 

Celebrity is amazing. While I cruise both lines, and am Diamond Plus with Royal, as of lately I'm finding Celebrity to be a better fit for me.

 

Did my first Alaska cruise earlier this year and was a wonderful trip.

[roquejo]

I might have answered my question, as a solo elite cruiser for 7 nights, to maximize the Go Better promo, might be better to choose the $300 OBC, then the classic beverage package.

 

Then use the $300 OBC when I board the ship to upgrade the classic beverage to premium beverage package $11.8 X 7 = $82.6

 

then buy the unlimited internet package at 30% elite discount

$299 at 30% off = $209.30

 

$300 - ($209.30 + $82.6) = $8.10

 

So in effect, I will get the Premium Beverage package plus the unlimited internet, with $8.10 OBC to spare.

 

vs

 

just simply picking classic beverage plus unlimited internet as perks.

Edited November 28, 2015 by roquejo

[CRUISEBOY305]

I might have answered my question, as a solo elite cruiser for 7 nights, to maximize the Go Better promo, might be better to choose the $300 OBC, then the classic beverage package.

 

Then use the $300 OBC when I board the ship to upgrade the classic beverage to premium beverage package $11.8 X 7 = $82.6

 

then buy the unlimited internet package at 30% elite discount

$299 at 30% off = $209.30

 

$300 - ($209.30 + $82.6) = $8.10

 

So in effect, I will get the Premium Beverage package plus the unlimited internet, with $8.10 OBC to spare.

 

vs

 

just simply picking classic beverage plus unlimited internet as perks.

 

Sounds like you'll make good use of your OBC.

[dodger1964]

I might have answered my question, as a solo elite cruiser for 7 nights, to maximize the Go Better promo, might be better to choose the $300 OBC, then the classic beverage package.

 

Then use the $300 OBC when I board the ship to upgrade the classic beverage to premium beverage package $11.8 X 7 = $82.6

 

then buy the unlimited internet package at 30% elite discount

$299 at 30% off = $209.30

 

$300 - ($209.30 + $82.6) = $8.10

 

So in effect, I will get the Premium Beverage package plus the unlimited internet, with $8.10 OBC to spare.

 

vs

 

just simply picking classic beverage plus unlimited internet as perks.

 

 

Have u priced cruise without getting any perks??

 

Our next two cruises we did that after considering our options.

 

Have a great cruise!!

[roquejo]

Have u priced cruise without getting any perks??

 

Our next two cruises we did that after considering our options.

 

Have a great cruise!!

 

The 2 perks are free with the Go Better promo so it doesn't matter....and due to the higher demand of Alaska sailings now coz of the promo, the balcony category I am in only increased by $50 since they introduced the 2 free perks promo.