Drinks vouchers on sea pass instead of happy hours in skylounge

[davekathy]

Do the drinks include bottled water...this is my usual go to. I also like to grab the bottles to drink in the cabin.

Yes.

[PoppyandNana]

On 9/15/2018 at 5:46 AM, di T said:

currently on Eclipse and we have 3 drink vouchers on our sea passes instead of the normal lounge happy hour! After 25 Celebrity cruises this is only the 3rd time we have had this and on the other times it was on transatlantic cruises. The hostess says this is going fleet wide and as been on the Eclipse for months! Have any of you experienced this?

We can use the vouchers at most bars between 5&7pm but I get the impression the bar staff in some bars and not really interested in serving the drinks from the Captains club menu. Really miss the atmosphere in the lounge and the friendships with fellow guests and staff. In fact thinking of doing more other cruise lines not just because of this but lots of little niggles we used to feel our loyalty was important but not now. Dianne

 

This new practice does nothing for us. In fact, is a big takeaway.  We always get the beverage package so going to a bar with a card accomplishes nothing.  Just the opposite.  In the Sky Lounge there are delicious snacks, good conversation with fellow passengers and usually music. View out the big windows and more.  

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, PoppyandNana said:

 

This new practice does nothing for us. In fact, is a big takeaway.  We always get the beverage package so going to a bar with a card accomplishes nothing.  Just the opposite.  In the Sky Lounge there are delicious snacks, good conversation with fellow passengers and usually music. View out the big windows and more.  

You still will have the HH gatherings for Elite and above in the Sky (or whatever the name of the lounge is on the ship your cruising on) Lounge. The 3 drinks loaded on your Seapass card has not eliminated that.

 

[Luvcrusn]

9 minutes ago, PoppyandNana said:

 

This new practice does nothing for us. In fact, is a big takeaway.  We always get the beverage package so going to a bar with a card accomplishes nothing.  Just the opposite.  In the Sky Lounge there are delicious snacks, good conversation with fellow passengers and usually music. View out the big windows and more.  

I could not agree more. We have a beverage package, there's plenty to eat all over the ship, but the special party, social atmosphere was so nice. Giving us 3 drinks on top of a beverage package is like a slap. 

[jagoffee]

Since the special party and social party remains, I cannot see the downside.

is it that some people like the idea of forcing people to come to the gathering for the drinks instead of giving everyone a choice of where to drink?  Are you afraid that less people will attend the social gathering?  The coupons allowing people to drink anyway might be a good thing for a lot of people as it can get too crowded at the social gathering.

The bottom line is that it does seem fair IMO for a small group of cruisers to continue to hope that a different choice should not be given to everyone.  

[BenBar1]

Just back from a fabulous Canada/New England Fall Folliage Cruise on the Summit. Loved having three drinks loaded on to our sea pass card each night. We were able to enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail in the dining room with dinner and a soft drink. We see this new system as wonderful. You can also still go up to the longe for happy hour and socialize and have appetizers. For us, it is great. Thanks, Celebrity. 

[davekathy]

1 minute ago, BenBar1 said:

Just back from a fabulous Canada/New England Fall Folliage Cruise on the Summit. Loved having three drinks loaded on to our sea pass card each night. We were able to enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail in the dining room with dinner and a soft drink. We see this new system as wonderful. You can also still go up to the longe for happy hour and socialize and have appetizers. For us, it is great. Thanks, Celebrity. 

Agree. 

[killsport]

When you went to the happy hour, did each drink count as one of your three added on the Seapass card, or was it unlimited? Just wondering...

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, killsport said:

When you went to the happy hour, did each drink count as one of your three added on the Seapass card, or was it unlimited? Just wondering...

Yes each drink ordered is deducted. Drinks are no longer unlimited during the HH no matter where you are getting them. 

[killsport]

Thanks for the clarification @davekathy

[happy 2 b cruising]

20 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Agree. 

I am confused when you said you got your three loaded drinks in the MDR?  I thought you must use the the loaded coupons between 5-7 as a Happy Hour Perk.

[davekathy]

Just now, happy 2 b cruising said:

I am confused when you said you got your three loaded drinks in the MDR?  I thought you must use the the loaded coupons between 5-7 as a Happy Hour Perk.

Not my post you are referencing. I was agreeing with BenBar1. But I can answer your question. If you are dining during the HHs (5:00 to 7: 00PM) you can use your three drinks that are loaded on your Seapass cards during that time frame in the MDR. 

[cruisestitch]

Yes, between 5 and 7.  Dining room opens at 5:30 or 6.  Early dining passengers can get a drink on their card until 7.

[davekathy]

9 minutes ago, killsport said:

Thanks for the clarification @davekathy

You're welcome.

[Jim_Iain]

We were on Millennium recently B2B2B and they loaded 3 drink on each card even if you have a drink package.   They could be used at any bar up to a certain $ limit or could be used in the Elite lounge.   I was told they were loading them on for all cruises regardless of number of Elite and above.

 

[happy 2 b cruising]

29 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Not my post you are referencing. I was agreeing with BenBar1. But I can answer your question. If you are dining during the HHs (5:00 to 7: 00PM) you can use your three drinks that are loaded on your Seapass cards during that time frame in the MDR. 

Thank you all for your responses 👍

[jsf]

We like the drinks loaded on our card, we are not drinkers and I go to the bar and get three soda's and three waters and return to our cabin and place in refrig so we can use  when we want.

J.

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, happy 2 b cruising said:

Thank you all for your responses 👍

You're welcome. 

[Formerly known as Seabee]

Interesting thing happened to me on last Eclipse cruise I was on.  One of the waiters in the lounge asked me to use the 3 tickets (yes these were given out) rather than just using my beverage package during the 5-7 HH.  Seems his tip was bigger with the Capt Club perk than he got with the package. I asked another waiter about this at a different bar and he agreed. 

[Mr. Click]

6 hours ago, happy 2 b cruising said:

I am confused when you said you got your three loaded drinks in the MDR?  I thought you must use the the loaded coupons between 5-7 as a Happy Hour Perk.

Just back from 10 nights on the Reflection.  When we boarded and got to our cabin there was a packet from the Captains Club hostess with three pages detailing our perks as Elite and explaining the new drinks on card deal.  The drinks on your card will good at any bar on the ship except the World Class Bar and the valid hours were from 4:30pm to 7:30pm.  The drinks did indeed count against anything you might have ordered in the Sky Lounge during their CC HH from 5 to 7pm.   It seemed to work well.  We did the HH most evenings just to visit with new friends but it was also nice to be able to grab something in the dining rooms or most bars. One other note, on the evening of the Senior Officers Party for Elites and above they still and the HH and the three drinks on our cards so that was an improvement from past cruises when they canceled the HH on that evening. Still no HH or 3 drinks on departure day.

[happy 2 b cruising]

16 hours ago, Mr. Click said:

Just back from 10 nights on the Reflection.  When we boarded and got to our cabin there was a packet from the Captains Club hostess with three pages detailing our perks as Elite and explaining the new drinks on card deal.  The drinks on your card will good at any bar on the ship except the World Class Bar and the valid hours were from 4:30pm to 7:30pm.  The drinks did indeed count against anything you might have ordered in the Sky Lounge during their CC HH from 5 to 7pm.   It seemed to work well.  We did the HH most evenings just to visit with new friends but it was also nice to be able to grab something in the dining rooms or most bars. One other note, on the evening of the Senior Officers Party for Elites and above they still and the HH and the three drinks on our cards so that was an improvement from past cruises when they canceled the HH on that evening. Still no HH or 3 drinks on departure day.

Appreciated your response 👍.

[davekathy]

18 hours ago, Formerly known as Seabee said:

Interesting thing happened to me on last Eclipse cruise I was on.  One of the waiters in the lounge asked me to use the 3 tickets (yes these were given out) rather than just using my beverage package during the 5-7 HH.  Seems his tip was bigger with the Capt Club perk than he got with the package. I asked another waiter about this at a different bar and he agreed. 

Interesting. I thought the tip was 18% no matter how the beverage was ordered. 

[FlorenceItaly]

I heard from a wait staff member on my most recent cruise that their tip during HH was 50 cents per drink, and drink package 30 cents per drink.

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

I heard from a wait staff member on my most recent cruise that their tip during HH was 50 cents per drink, and drink package 30 cents per drink.

I learn something new everyday on CC. 

[Luvcrusn]

Thanks FlorenceItaly, I didn't know that either. The staff on the X ships work so hard to make our vacations enjoyable that it's a small thing to do to increase their paychecks (in addition to extra gratuities). We'll be sure to use the 3 loaded drinks nightly before using our beverage package.