Increased Cocktail Prices Making Premium Package Not all inclusive?

[CruisinCorey2525]

So all of the cocktails at the Craft Social are $16, over the $15 max, and plenty at the martini  bar are over $15.

 

This is my first Celebrity cruise and am curious if these prices are new?

[WhiteSoxFan]

I cannot attest as to whether the pricing is new, but you will only have to pay the difference between the cocktail price and the $15 allowance.

[NutsAboutGolf]

That stinks, furthermore, I'd imagine there will be a lot of negative interactions in addition to slow service as the typical interaction may go like this:

Guest: Orders a drink

Bartender: Slaps down a $1-3 receipt and pen

Guest: Pushes it back proclaiming they have the PBP

Bartender & Guest: Have a 30 second debate

Guest: Leaves to complain to Guest Services

 

Rinse and repeat...

[megfla]

We enjoyed MANY of the items on the Martini Bar menu on our recent Millennium sailing, all of which were covered under the premium package. 

[cruisestitch]

Guest services explains the program

 

guest skulks away, chagrined

[CruisinCorey2525]

6 minutes ago, WhiteSoxFan said:

I cannot attest as to whether the pricing is new, but you will only have to pay the difference between the cocktail price and the $15 allowance.

That I am aware of, so ultimately I'll  maybe spend $20 more oh no!! Not a big deal at all, but still a bit of a nuisance and mentally not as enjoyable since you are having to pay more in the end.

[Algebralovr]

That price IS higher for the Martini Bar, definitely, but the big question is WHERE are you sailing out of?  

 

If you are sailing out of Florida or St. Maarten, then that pricing is higher.  That price does not include the gratuity.  If you are sailing out of the UK, then often they include the gratuity in the cost and raise the value of the Premium package to cover it.  

[CruisinCorey2525]

1 minute ago, megfla said:

We enjoyed MANY of the items on the Martini Bar menu on our recent Millennium sailing, all of which were covered under the premium package. 

For sure! There's plenty to go around, but just seeing how they're putting a drink literally one dollar above the included drinks seems under handed and an attempt to squeeze literally quarters out of someone. 

[megfla]

1 minute ago, CruisinCorey2525 said:

For sure! There's plenty to go around, but just seeing how they're putting a drink literally one dollar above the included drinks seems under handed and an attempt to squeeze literally quarters out of someone. 

That's the odd thing, we ordered Cosmo's and Dirty Martini's as shown on your menu and were never charged any excess.  So unless this is in fact an increase in the last few weeks, I will be surprised if you are in fact charged that extra dollar.

[jelayne]

What ship are you on?  AlgebraLovr is correct, cruises from the UK are required to show the prices with the gratuity. The limit of the Premium package is increased accordingly.

 

BTW the Premium package  is not all inclusive, never has been.  There are wines and drinks that are above the limit that you pay the difference + tip.  The menus you posted have been covered by the  Premium in the past.

Edited July 22, 2021 by jelayne

[KKB]

Interesting....

I just pulled up the Martini Bar menu for our Edge cruise Saturday.

Many martinis say $15/18.

It USED to be the classic package allowed you to get the martinis but in a smaller glass.

Looking at the above price point,  it now appears you get the smaller one on the premium plan.

NOW...looking at photos & comments from passengers on the Edge the last few weeks, it appears they are still the large martinis & no one has complained about cost. 

Curious to be sure...

[jelayne]

When we were on the Edge pre-pandemic there were 2 sizes of Martinis large -$15, extra large-$18.  The large was the same size at the martinis on the other ships Martini Bars.  
You can  get regular size martinis covered  by the Classic package at bars other than the Martini Bar.

[grandgeezer]

One of the reasons people give for buying a drink package is not having to take the whole 10 seconds it takes to sign the slip. They still have the other reasons such as getting there monies worth and the ability to try new drinks and not worry about the cost if they don't drink them.

[CruisinCorey2525]

I'm sailing on the Equinox Oct 20, from Fort Lauderdale Florida. No UK cruise here. This is in the app too.

[bajathree]

Sailed Edge June 26th and never paid anything extra for any drink with my Premium Package and I was always drinking premium vodka or Tequila. 

[CruisinCorey2525]

Just now, bajathree said:

Sailed Edge June 26th and never paid anything extra for any drink with my Premium Package and I was always drinking premium vodka or Tequila. 

Awesome. Probably is just an app formality  or something.  

[BettyCruiser]

The Equinox lists 4 martinis for $16 and several others for $13 on the martini menu on the app.

[WhiteSoxFan]

1 minute ago, BettyCruiser said:

The Equinox lists 4 martinis for $16 and several others for $13 on the martini menu on the app.

I see the same for my Summit sailing out of Florida.  I assume there is no reason that I can't get s regular Tito's martini there that is covered by the AI package?

[HskrCrsr]

I will give X the benefit of the doubt on the pricing at some bars/lounges and suggest that it is to keep people like me away, preserving the environment/experience for those who know more about drinking.

 

I am fairly new to drinking alcohol (used to dink Mtn Dew) and mostly drink pina coladas. My wife enjoys wine and has a palate capable of appreciating subtleties. I simply can't taste some of what she experiences. So on my (cancelled) cruise in 2020, I had planned to go around to various bars to see what else I might like. But being that I don't know what I am doing, I was not going to pay extra (even $1) for something I might not like. So the Martini Bar and Craft Social were places I mostly would avoid, allowing a better experience for those who appreciate those things. But if I had a specific wine in mind or wanted to learn about the art of making a martini, I might aim for a specific place/experience and pay extra.

 

So I think it is about preserving the experience rather than squeezing extra $$ from me. The "what can I get on my PBP" crowd will go elsewhere.

[Oville]

33 minutes ago, KKB said:

Interesting....

I just pulled up the Martini Bar menu for our Edge cruise Saturday.

Many martinis say $15/18.

It USED to be the classic package allowed you to get the martinis but in a smaller glass.

Looking at the above price point,  it now appears you get the smaller one on the premium plan.

NOW...looking at photos & comments from passengers on the Edge the last few weeks, it appears they are still the large martinis & no one has complained about cost. 

Curious to be sure...

I don’t think the Martini Bar on the Edge ever served 2 sizes.

[jelayne]

I think the menus may be messed up.  Our upcoming Edge cruise only has drink menus for the Pool Bar and the Sunset Bar- they have different prices for the same wines.  BeringerWhite Zinfandel ( retail $4.50 a bottle) has a price of $7 at the pool bar.  Same wine at the Sunset is listed at $10 so over the Classic pkg.  

[jelayne]

3 minutes ago, Oville said:

I don’t think the Martini Bar on the Edge ever served 2 sizes.

It did in January 2019.

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

That stinks, furthermore, I'd imagine there will be a lot of negative interactions in addition to slow service as the typical interaction may go like this:

Guest: Orders a drink

Bartender: Slaps down a $1-3 receipt and pen

Guest: Pushes it back proclaiming they have the PBP

Bartender & Guest: Have a 30 second debate

Guest: Leaves to complain to Guest Services

 

Rinse and repeat...

That guest needs to get a life.  

[swooldri]

Am I missing something here?  The Celebrity web site says the Classic Drink Package includes drinks up to $9.00 not the $15.00 mentioned.  Help.  Thanks, Steve

[bama4cruisin]

Just now, swooldri said:

Am I missing something here?  The Celebrity web site says the Classic Drink Package includes drinks up to $9.00 not the $15.00 mentioned.  Help.  Thanks, Steve

Classic up to $9.00; Premium Drink Package up to $15.00.  For cruises out of Great Britain and,I believe, Australia and New Zealand, the gratuity is included in the listed price , but the limits on both packages are increased accordingly.