Uograde to Premium Beverage Package not worth the money

[Silkroad]

25 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

I would have to say I agree with you when I consider the Premium (and above) wine selection on my recent cruise on Equinox. I like a nice Cakebread Cab on occasion, but it was not available anywhere on my 12-night cruise. Neither were several Premium Cabs and Sauvignon Blancs. They were also unable to supply large bottles of Evian and Acqua Panna for most of the cruise. However, my DH was able to find acceptable beers (Leffe, Franziskaner, Sam Adams, Guinness) and we were both able to obtain cocktails made with Premium spirits. We barely break even on the Premium package, so I do hope Celebrity ups their wine game before our next cruise!

Oops! Meant to say Caymus Cab, which has previously been available for a small upcharge over the Premium Package. 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Silkroad

[Virginia100]

3 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

Since it has often been asked, here are the two different menus CLASSIC & PREMIUM.

 

I think as some stated above it depends what you usually drink. At the Martini Bar usually all drinks are made with Grey Goose or Ketel One. And I really wouldn't want to drink a Martini made with Smirnoff or Stolichnaya, maybe Tito's but yeah... $10 really makes the difference here.

I have had premium package on all my cruises but on my March Reflection cruise in Aqua the wine selection was very limited. My favorite, Pinot Grigio, was only available in  the basic package selection, no premium selection. At the a martini bar Stoli or Absolut are the equal of Grey Goose or the others. If I’m not going Sky Suite as I often go , I’m not upgrading any more.

[81Zoomie]

On our last Reflection cruise they were out of Decoy, out of Caymus, and Opulence Cab appeared to be rationed.  We were having dinner in Murano, asked for Opulance, and were told they didn’t have it, but “would have it tomorrow.”  And yes, when we requested these the sommelier suggested lower quality/priced wines.  There was a shortage or higher end liquors as well.  Someone on another thread thought perhaps Celebrity has changed suppliers which affects what they stock.

[patty1955]

40 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

So what if the premium is simply overpriced and the classic is actually a better wine? Should the sommelier just bring the more expensive wine even when they feel it's not the better wine? Price is only an indicator of quality, or match to your meal, to a point. Would you choose the more expensive wine simply because it's more expensive?

If it happened one, I'd agree with you. The reason we checked was because we suspected that's what he was doing. And my favorite wine is a $9 Apothic Red. 

[Silkroad]

29 minutes ago, 81Zoomie said:

On our last Reflection cruise they were out of Decoy, out of Caymus, and Opulence Cab appeared to be rationed.  We were having dinner in Murano, asked for Opulance, and were told they didn’t have it, but “would have it tomorrow.”  And yes, when we requested these the sommelier suggested lower quality/priced wines.  There was a shortage or higher end liquors as well.  Someone on another thread thought perhaps Celebrity has changed suppliers which affects what they stock.

Unbelievable. I got the old, “we’ll have it tomorrow” too. Yup. No Decoy or Caymus. I did have the Opulence cab a couple times. Mind you, I’m not wedded to specific wines, but I do expect equivalent quality in the wines they do offer. In Murano, I gave up and ordered a bottle of Grgich Hills cab😋 The odd thing is that everything was available on Edge last October, but Equinox was poorly stocked in April. If they’ve changed suppliers they should ensure their wine quality or reduce the cost of the Premium beverage package.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Silkroad

[cruisestitch]

6 hours ago, drakes2 said:

Just returned from an 11 night Hawaii cruise on the Ecliise. Included in cruise price was the basic drinks package covering all beverages up to $9 per drink. Since I'm mostly a cabernet wine drinker and enjoy better quality wines I decided to upgrade to the premium package which covers drinks up to $15.  

 

I’m with you so far but I don’t follow how the long wait in the dining room is related to upgrading the beverage package?

 

6 hours ago, drakes2 said:

Wait tines in the MDR were long one evening we waited 2 hours and 15 minutes for our entree to appear. When we questioned the waiter he said they were short staffed and kitchen could not keep up.  Maitre D was nowhere to be seen. I gave this cruise a rating of 3 out of 10, the best service I received was from my cabin steward.  This was the first sailing for the Eclipse since March of 2020 and clearly they were nowhere near ready to sail. Food quality was mediocre and was served warm most evenings.  Have done more than  a dozen Celebrity cruises and this was the worst of them all. 

 

[D C]

2 hours ago, cdaloia said:

Did the upgrade to premium package just increase? I am seeing 16.80 a day now?  Was $12.  

 

1 hour ago, alyssamma said:

From their FAQ...

 

 

Where did you see $16.80?

YES IT DID! 

$16.80 upgrade price on my Infinity itinerary late this year.   

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, drakes2 said:

I called Celebrity directly to get the 10% Elite discount.  I quite often frequented the World Class Bar while on the Eclipse.  Not as busy as the Martini bar, therefore, seating was always available.  They make some fantastic drinks with some unique ingredients.  The El Don Julio was my favorite. 

So,perhaps the upgrade to premium was actually worth it?

[alyssamma]

16 minutes ago, D C said:

 

YES IT DID! 

$16.80 upgrade price on my Infinity itinerary late this year.   

What happens if you call directly?

[prmssk]

19 minutes ago, D C said:

 

YES IT DID! 

$16.80 upgrade price on my Infinity itinerary late this year.   

Do you know when this goes into effect?  The FAQ on Celebrity's website is still showing $12 inclusive of gratuity.

[durberville]

ARRRRGGGHHH! I was gonna upgrade today when it was $12 and then thought I’d wait….well CRAP not sure it’s worth that to me. Wow!! A heads up from Celebrity might have been nice! 😡

Edited May 13, 2022 by durberville

[BEAV]

Re: Caymus Family wines.....

 

Just off the Edge Transatlantic where the Sommelier in Fine Cut Steakhouse told me that Caymus has been unable to supply their contract w/Celebrity due to shortages caused by the 2018 Napa Valley fires. This includes not only the Cabernet, but also their Mer Soleil. I didn’t ask if they had Conundrum in stock. I did inquire about Emmolo (Merlot) which was sold by the bottle. They did have a small supply of it, which we enjoyed on two nights. He went on to say Caymus was still supplying Emmolo as they wanted to “keep their foot in the door” with Celebrity. 

 

No Decoy on Edge either, which seems to be a fleetwide thing. I enjoyed Celebrity’s Elegance red blend instead. Two nights I splurged on Grgich Hills Opulence for the $10 upcharge over the Premium package. Well worth it IMO. 

 

 

[WonderMan3]

Our preferred vodka is Grey Goose and we frequent the martini bar for their specialty martinis. The Premium Package is absolutely worth it for me and my husband.

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

So,perhaps the upgrade to premium was actually worth it?

If you want to drink a cocktail with dinner then yes but I was expecting some decent cabs as I enjoy a red wine with my meal   I mostly ordered beef dishes either prime rib, beef wellington, short ribs, etc and some decent wine not high end but certainly not what they can and do purchase for much less than ten bucks a bottle.  Some have stated they are having a supply chain issue and since covid can't seem to get the wines they carried pre 2019. We are almost half way through 2022 now so don't believe this to be true. 

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, drakes2 said:

If you want to drink a cocktail with dinner then yes but I was expecting some decent cabs as I enjoy a red wine with my meal   I mostly ordered beef dishes either prime rib, beef wellington, short ribs, etc and some decent wine not high end but certainly not what they can and do purchase for much less than ten bucks a bottle.  Some have stated they are having a supply chain issue and since covid can't seem to get the wines they carried pre 2019. We are almost half way through 2022 now so don't believe this to be true. 

Whilst there are clearly some supply issues surely Celebrity can find some suitable replacements. We have always found differences between expected and actual stock on board but have always been able to enjoy something pleasant. With service seeming to be an issue I wonder is the sommelier is simply running around with a bottle of classic red in one hand, classic white in the other and hoping as long as glasses are full no one will complain?

 

[drakes2]

6 hours ago, chemmo said:

Whilst there are clearly some supply issues surely Celebrity can find some suitable replacements. We have always found differences between expected and actual stock on board but have always been able to enjoy something pleasant. With service seeming to be an issue I wonder is the sommelier is simply running around with a bottle of classic red in one hand, classic white in the other and hoping as long as glasses are full no one will complain?

 

For sure they can find a suitable replacement but they come with an upcharge and they won't serve it to you unless you pay the difference even if they run out of a couple of your favorite wines. I remember one afternoon at the casino bar waiting for our group to start a slot pull I asked for a glass of Villa Maria white which they did not have. Bartender offered me one from their basic package which I turned down. Well he found the Villa Maria just had to get it from another bar. Its either sheer laziness or lack of training, probably a little of both. Never experienced this type if service on any previous cruise. 

[D C]

10 hours ago, prmssk said:

Do you know when this goes into effect?  The FAQ on Celebrity's website is still showing $12 inclusive of gratuity.

I went into my Cruise Planner for a sailing late this year and it was shown in the upgrade section. 

[alyssamma]

28 minutes ago, D C said:

I went into my Cruise Planner for a sailing late this year and it was shown in the upgrade section. 

This is very weird. I looked at my cruises and I see a $10/day difference still...

 

 

[Pinboy]

41 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

Its either sheer laziness or lack of training, probably a little of both. Never experienced this type if service on any previous cruise. 

" sheer laziness " -- You got it.

To wait over 2 hrs  for your main course ---- totally unacceptable.

"Maître D was nowhere to be seen "--- Simple---He/she didn't want to " face the music " , so, stayed out of sight.

While we have not cruised since Covid , and are non-drinkers :

As you appear to be a " regular " Celebrity cruiser , did they do anything for you since the food service and your preferred wine(s) were unavailable ? 

 

 

 

[D C]

15 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

This is very weird. I looked at my cruises and I see a $10/day difference still...

 

 

When is your sailing?  I have Nov and January, both out of the US and they're both at $16.80

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

Who cares what the Sommelier recommends. You have the wine list in front of you.  If you want a different, more expensive wine, ask for it.  

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Sox Fan Cruiser

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, D C said:

When is your sailing?  I have Nov and January, both out of the US and they're both at $16.80

I have 4 and checked all of them...10/22, 2/23, 10/23, and 2/24...

[capecodmercury]

14 hours ago, patty1955 said:

and keep an eye on the sommelier. We found on our last Caribbean cruise, the sommelier would bring the cheapest wine when we'd ask him to choose for us even though we were had the premium package. Now we choose for ourselves. 

I'm sorry to hear this about the Sommeliers.  We have had very good luck with our Sommelier on Celebrity in the past.  I don't pretend to be a vinophile so I tend to rely on the Sommelier a fair amount to give recommendations.  I just let them know I am open to trying different varietals.  I really don't care about the price per glass as long as the wine is tasty.

[Rustyman]

Because of the talk of an increase to upgrade I phoned Celebrity today to upgrade to premium. Cost was £9.70 per day less 10% for Elite discount so £8.67 a day, that includes gratuities. So I upgraded as we frequent the World Class bar and because we find the classic package wines pretty basic in the main. Not snobbery but premium wines are at least drinkable.

TBH if it weren’t for the above then classic package would be great.

 

[mfs2k]

Every beverage outlet is having supply chain issues.  The problems arent necessarily with the liquor or wine supply.  It could be bottles or labels for the producer.  They are likely prioritizing more profitable packaging also.  I work for a hotel and it's really difficult getting the 50ml minibar sizes of many liquor brands now.  So, if a cruise ship isn't carrying certain brands of liquor or wine you're used to seeing, it's not likely related to cost cutting, but to supply issues from the wholesaler.