Are the perks really free?

[madeph]

Interesting discussion and comparison. I've never had a drink package before so I was eager to get the "free" classic package, I didn't know you could potentially trade in perks for a lower price tag! As a noob to this, is the price listed on the menu the price you're supposed to "pay for"? Is it just as simple as choosing a glass of wine that's $8 off the menu if my package include $8 max glasses?

 

Also, does my drink package kick in once I embark and end the morning of disembarkment?

[sanger727]

Interesting discussion and comparison. I've never had a drink package before so I was eager to get the "free" classic package, I didn't know you could potentially trade in perks for a lower price tag! As a noob to this, is the price listed on the menu the price you're supposed to "pay for"? Is it just as simple as choosing a glass of wine that's $8 off the menu if my package include $8 max glasses?

 

Also, does my drink package kick in once I embark and end the morning of disembarkment?

 

 

Yes, mixed drinks with the included liquors for your package will be covered as well as any beers/wines up to the package limit.

 

Drink package will be in effect when you board on embarkation day.... not sure about disembarkation day; you get kicked off so fast we've never tried.

 

 

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[sunnycruises]

We did a dink package once but absolutely didn't think it was worth it. And I've never seen it that the 'included' perks didn't add much more to the price than their worth so now we always book residence rates which are a way better offer. Now that we're elite we have a few drinks at the elite lounge and that helps as well as the free 90 minutes of internet. That's my take on it but it depends on your situation. Happy calculating!

 

 

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[NantahalaCruiser]

We did a dink package once but absolutely didn't think it was worth it. And I've never seen it that the 'included' perks didn't add much more to the price than their worth so now we always book residence rates which are a way better offer. Now that we're elite we have a few drinks at the elite lounge and that helps as well as the free 90 minutes of internet. That's my take on it but it depends on your situation. Happy calculating!

 

 

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It depends on what your "worth" is and the fare difference. The a la carte price of two specialty coffees and a glass of wine with dinner was greater than my fare increase to get the Classic Beverage Package perk on my next cruise.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Yes, mixed drinks with the included liquors for your package will be covered as well as any beers/wines up to the package limit.

 

Drink package will be in effect when you board on embarkation day.... not sure about disembarkation day; you get kicked off so fast we've never tried.

 

 

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It was still active on our disembarkation day - used it for a specialty coffee.

[grandgeezer]

I can't afford the free perks. September 25, 2017 11 day Caribbean on the Equinox, A2 balcony is $949 with no perks. Same balcony with 2 perks is $1749. Both prices don't include the taxes and fees which are identical. Just found this on celebrity's website and I did a mock booking all the way to the end to make sure this was accurate, and it was. I called my online travel agency and they would throw in a $200 obc. No thanks.

[Mr. Click]

Perks are not free, sometimes the upcharge has good value, sometimes it does not. It is up to us as consumers to shop carefully and make real, bottom line decisons.

[NantahalaCruiser]

I can't afford the free perks. September 25, 2017 11 day Caribbean on the Equinox, A2 balcony is $949 with no perks. Same balcony with 2 perks is $1749. Both prices don't include the taxes and fees which are identical. Just found this on celebrity's website and I did a mock booking all the way to the end to make sure this was accurate, and it was. I called my online travel agency and they would throw in a $200 obc. No thanks.

Thanks for the info. We are on the same cruise and I was not aware of the price drop. Unfortunately, the A2's were sold out when I called my TA this evening, but we were able to upgrade from a 2B to a C2 Concierge cabin instead for the $949 + $400 = $1349 with the two perks. The effective price for the Classic Beverage Package is now $400 - $150 = $250 pp or $22.73 per person per day versus our previous $18.18; but still worth it to us. If the A2 had still been available, we also would have chosen the $949 with no perks since the CBP would have then been $800 - $150 = $650 or $59.09 per person per day - which we could not have justified.

 

This was a $200 pp savings relative to our previous $1549 pp for the 2B plus the upgrade! So again thanks very much for the info.

[NantahalaCruiser]

grandgeezer

 

Thanks again, I checked again late tonight and found an A2 that must have been just released; jumped on it for the $949 pp - great deal.

[grandgeezer]

grandgeezer

 

Thanks again, I checked again late tonight and found an A2 that must have been just released; jumped on it for the $949 pp - great deal.

 

You're welcome. I'm glad a booked cruiser was able to upgrade and save some money.

[dolfansam]

The drink plan is not free. It is included in your fare and they included it. Did they charge you the full list price, most likely not, but I would guess you did pay a higher total cost for your cruise. As to the 18 percent gratuity, it is my understanding that is included in the program, thus if true, it is already paid.

 

I am planning to try the drink package on our next cruise as we too got it included.

 

 

Generally you get $1000 (300 OBC and drink pkg for 2) worth of goodies for about $200-300 more than the regular price.

 

 

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[Beanb41]

There is no such thing as a free lunch in the cruising industry. For oceanview cabins and above at least one perk is included. By doing a simple arithmetic test one can work out what the cost of each perk is worth. The best perk from a cost perspective on a longer cruise is the Classic drinks package but from my experience it is very difficult to consume around 10 - 15 drinks a day every day on a cruise. We tried for a while and failed miserably by cruise end. There is just so much coffee and booze the body will take. We have found that the $300 OBC for two people is less than we would pay in extra perk premium over a 10 day cruise. We cant have pre paid gratuities in our part of the world but we have an offer of an additional 300OBC. I have never considered the unlimited internet as we get two chunks of 90 minutes free anyway. Even when we didn't I only used internet to check emails and facebook and I found there were enough free wifi areas ashore to deal with those. the 4 perks on offer are I think unique to Celebrity and are a selling and marketing point of difference for the cruise line. Too date I have found that Celebrities costings have been comparable with other similar cruises but a "free booze package" saving around $1000 over 10 days has tipped the balance

[bigbenboys]

Our up coming cruise Hawaii to Vancouver we are in a Sky Suite. The difference to have all 4 perks and no perks was $1000 pp. I'm sure with us being elite plus. Drinks at the elite events. We each get about 250 internet mins each. Drinks in Michael's Club with the suite. If it was all about money we would have booked without perks. I like the convenience of drinking what I want, where I want and not having to sign anything. The unlimited internet is also nice for the 5 sea days.

[zebra36]

Interesting discussion. Everyone just needs to do the math and figure out if it is worth the convenience and $'s to go with the offered perks(?). In my case it just did not make sense to go with the perks as I am going solo and the OBC option was showing as only $150. It made more sense for me to take the $900 fare reduction for the resident rate.

[Cinerama]

There is no such thing as a free lunch in the cruising industry. For oceanview cabins and above at least one perk is included. By doing a simple arithmetic test one can work out what the cost of each perk is worth. The best perk from a cost perspective on a longer cruise is the Classic drinks package but from my experience it is very difficult to consume around 10 - 15 drinks a day every day on a cruise. We tried for a while and failed miserably by cruise end.

 

10 to 15 drinks a day would be a lot. But the Classic package is $55. It's good for all drinks up to $9. You pay the difference if it's over $9. Six $9 drinks is $54 and that's easy to do.

 

 

1. Mimosa at breakfast
   
2. Cocktail at the pool
   
3. Beer or wine with lunch
   
4. Cocktail before dinner
   
5. Glass of wine with dinner
   
6. Another glass of wine with dinner
   
7. Desert cocktail
   
8. Cocktail while watching a show
   

That doesn't include any bottles of water and coffees.

 

We paid $664 (plus $372 port charges, taxes and fees) for OV 3128 cabin with the Classic Beverage perk for our 4/30/17 cruise.

Edited April 24, 2017 by Cinerama

[sanger727]

Still trying to understand how everyone on here seems to find these significant savings for non-perks rates. Just priced out my next cruise, clicked every discount box and the 2 perk rate is the ONLY rate offered. When I have priced out cruises before and found discount rates, the discounts were in the $50-$150 pp range, so easily lower in value than the drink package. If you find a non perk rate that's $1,000 less, then clearly that's a better deal, bit that doesn't seem to be offered often.

 

And no, I don't agree that comparing an oceanview or balcony rate to an inside rate is a fair comparison of 'perk' costs. Those rooms have intrinsic value above and beyond the perk cost, hence why those rooms have always cost more. On my next cruise it cost $500 pp to upgrade from an inside to a balcony; breaking down to $41 pp pd, that cost seems a fair trade for the extra room, view, and outdoor space; not even taking into consideration the beverage package we got by upgrading.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

Still trying to understand how everyone on here seems to find these significant savings for non-perks rates. Just priced out my next cruise, clicked every discount box and the 2 perk rate is the ONLY rate offered. When I have priced out cruises before and found discount rates, the discounts were in the $50-$150 pp range, so easily lower in value than the drink package. If you find a non perk rate that's $1,000 less, then clearly that's a better deal, bit that doesn't seem to be offered often.

 

And no, I don't agree that comparing an oceanview or balcony rate to an inside rate is a fair comparison of 'perk' costs. Those rooms have intrinsic value above and beyond the perk cost, hence why those rooms have always cost more. On my next cruise it cost $500 pp to upgrade from an inside to a balcony; breaking down to $41 pp pd, that cost seems a fair trade for the extra room, view, and outdoor space; not even taking into consideration the beverage package we got by upgrading.

 

 

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The no perk rate only shows up for some cruises, definitely not all. I tried desperately before booking HAL for the Med. next year but nothing. Even when I called Celebrity. They may show up later on. We were able to get a BC Resident rate on our Suez Canal cruise a year ahead of time but the cruise had no perks to begin with.

[4774Papa]

10 to 15 drinks a day would be a lot. But the Classic package is $55. It's good for all drinks up to $9. You pay the difference if it's over $9. Six $9 drinks is $54 and that's easy to do.

 

 

1. Mimosa at breakfast
   
2. Cocktail at the pool
   
3. Beer or wine with lunch
   
4. Cocktail before dinner
   
5. Glass of wine with dinner
   
6. Another glass of wine with dinner
   
7. Desert cocktail
   
8. Cocktail while watching a show
   

That doesn't include any bottles of water and coffees.

 

We paid $664 (plus $372 port charges, taxes and fees) for OV 3128 cabin with the Classic Beverage perk for our 4/30/17 cruise.

Your breakdown may indicate that a drinks package works for you. However, your scenario for a day of drinking would seem to indicate a sea day, not a port day were you are off the ship at 8AM and not back until 4 PM.

 

in that case, your analysis breaks down. Also, if you are elite and enjoy happy hour, the drink or drinks before dinner would be free. We normally drink three glasses of wine at the elite happy hour and for dinner usually will drink half a bottle of wine together.

 

Also, we don't drink alcohol at breakfast and usually not at lunch. The best way is to keep a tally of what you spend on alcohol for a cruise, and compare to what would happen with a drinks package. Before we were elite, we normally spent no more than $500 total on alcohol for a 14 day cruise. We don't buy bottled water or drink specialty coffees or diet soda. After becoming elite, we now spend about $250 for a 14 day cruise. No stinking drink package for us.

[grandgeezer]

Still trying to understand how everyone on here seems to find these significant savings for non-perks rates. Just priced out my next cruise, clicked every discount box and the 2 perk rate is the ONLY rate offered. When I have priced out cruises before and found discount rates, the discounts were in the $50-$150 pp range, so easily lower in value than the drink package. If you find a non perk rate that's $1,000 less, then clearly that's a better deal, bit that doesn't seem to be offered often.

 

And no, I don't agree that comparing an oceanview or balcony rate to an inside rate is a fair comparison of 'perk' costs. Those rooms have intrinsic value above and beyond the perk cost, hence why those rooms have always cost more. On my next cruise it cost $500 pp to upgrade from an inside to a balcony; breaking down to $41 pp pd, that cost seems a fair trade for the extra room, view, and outdoor space; not even taking into consideration the beverage package we got by upgrading.

 

 

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Before they started this perks sham, we constantly found the difference between inside and ocean views in the $10-$15 per person, per day range. Comparing one particular cruise can be misleading because of how the cruise is selling. This past December, we paid about $20 per day, per person, to go from an obstructed view balcony to Aqua.

[gogy]

10 to 15 drinks a day would be a lot. But the Classic package is $55. It's good for all drinks up to $9. You pay the difference if it's over $9. Six $9 drinks is $54 and that's easy to do.

 

 

 

 

1. Mimosa at breakfast
   
2. Cocktail at the pool
   
3. Beer or wine with lunch
   
4. Cocktail before dinner
   
5. Glass of wine with dinner
   
6. Another glass of wine with dinner
   
7. Desert cocktail
   
8. Cocktail while watching a show
   

That doesn't include any bottles of water and coffees.

 

We paid $664 (plus $372 port charges, taxes and fees) for OV 3128 cabin with the Classic Beverage perk for our 4/30/17 cruise.

 

I totally agree on your post, we do the same amount of drinking, and the drink package has been to our advantage. I see that you were in stateroom 3128, I have booked that cabin for my next cruise. How did you like your room, any pictures.

Thanks

[cdn_tbird]

Still trying to understand how everyone on here seems to find these significant savings for non-perks rates. Just priced out my next cruise, clicked every discount box and the 2 perk rate is the ONLY rate offered. When I have priced out cruises before and found discount rates, the discounts were in the $50-$150 pp range, so easily lower in value than the drink package. If you find a non perk rate that's $1,000 less, then clearly that's a better deal, bit that doesn't seem to be offered often.

 

And no, I don't agree that comparing an oceanview or balcony rate to an inside rate is a fair comparison of 'perk' costs. Those rooms have intrinsic value above and beyond the perk cost, hence why those rooms have always cost more. On my next cruise it cost $500 pp to upgrade from an inside to a balcony; breaking down to $41 pp pd, that cost seems a fair trade for the extra room, view, and outdoor space; not even taking into consideration the beverage package we got by upgrading.

 

 

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On the screen where you'll see the "Go Big..." options, there is a link underneath them that says "Want to see if you qualify for a different discount?" Going through that link, it'll ask a few questions that will then tell you if you qualify for a "resident rate" which will be the base fare without any perks.

[varoo]

The perks are not free, but for many passengers it can be worth paying the higher price to have them included.

 

Other times it may be better to take a discounted price without the perks and pay for whatever we want ourselves, depending on the price difference.

 

The lower prices without perks can vary greatly depending on how well cabins are selling at the regular posted prices, and whether or not someone qualifies for the lowest discount category prices offered.

 

The true value of a drink package is different for each person.

For example, there is no way that I would consume 8 alcoholic beverages per day, as a previous poster described doing.

But there are some who drink even more than that, and others for whom a drink package has little to no value at all.

[krmnc]

Wow...booked our Med cruise in March for sailing in Sept and didn't realize what a deal we were getting (I think). The Go Best package for our veranda room for $360. We must have lucked out w/ the timing because it was just a decision we made that week to take a cruise in the fall, so no real planning/strategizing involved.

[sanger727]

On the screen where you'll see the "Go Big..." options, there is a link underneath them that says "Want to see if you qualify for a different discount?" Going through that link, it'll ask a few questions that will then tell you if you qualify for a "resident rate" which will be the base fare without any perks.

 

 

I did that. Clicked every box it would let me. No discounts available, took my straight back to 'go bigger' being the best available rate.

 

 

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[grandgeezer]

I did that. Clicked every box it would let me. No discounts available, took my straight back to 'go bigger' being the best available rate.

 

 

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What cruise are you looking at? I look at lots of different cruises and have always found a cruise price with no perks. The only exceptions I've see are transatlantics and repositioning cruises.