How much to upgrade complimentary to premium drinks

[B17]

Despite trying to find this info on the new website I cannot, with seemingly broken links find out how much this costs

I dont want the package with the obc and wifi just a simple upgrade from complimentary to premium drinks

Can anyone advise please

[Riocca]

3 minutes ago, B17 said:

Despite trying to find this info on the new website I cannot, with seemingly broken links find out how much this costs

I dont want the package with the obc and wifi just a simple upgrade from complimentary to premium drinks

Can anyone advise please

From memory the Premium Package is $16.95 and Ultimate is $23.95 both per day per person there is a discount available according to loyalty level.

I’m sure the prices were on the new website previously so these prices are possibly under review, although I hope not.

[B17]

OK Thank.  If I dont upgrade and stayed on complimentary but if I wanted for example a cocktail that wasnt on the complimentary can I just pay for it as a one off or do you / can you pay the difference on just one drink

[Riocca]

7 minutes ago, B17 said:

OK Thank.  If I dont upgrade and stayed on complimentary but if I wanted for example a cocktail that wasnt on the complimentary can I just pay for it as a one off or do you / can you pay the difference on just one drink

Simple answer is yes, also if there are 2 people in a cabin both don’t have to upgrade however they are very vigilant on two people sharing a package. I have seen people have their packages removed with no refund for doing this, although compared with other lines Azamara’s upgrade cost is very reasonable so I don’t know why anyone would contemplate doing that.

[beatnix]

Download Beverage Packages PDF 

https://www.azamara.com/static-assets/beverage-packages.pdf

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, B17 said:

OK Thank.  If I dont upgrade and stayed on complimentary but if I wanted for example a cocktail that wasnt on the complimentary can I just pay for it as a one off or do you / can you pay the difference on just one drink

Yes you can buy a drink - it’s at full menu cost, not the difference. You can also buy the package part way through the cruise at the daily rate for just the remains days of the cruise.  On our last cruise we had a little spare OBC so we used it on the Ultimate package for the last 4 days as a nice little treat

[hamrag]

8 hours ago, Riocca said:

From memory the Premium Package is $16.95 and Ultimate is $23.95 both per day per person there is a discount available according to loyalty level.

I’m sure the prices were on the new website previously so these prices are possibly under review, although I hope not.

The view we took was, for the sake of an additional $7 or about £5 pppd, what's the point in going premium when ultimate offers sooooooo much more!

Edited July 15, 2023 by hamrag

[Traveling Fools]

8 hours ago, B17 said:

OK Thank.  If I dont upgrade and stayed on complimentary but if I wanted for example a cocktail that wasnt on the complimentary can I just pay for it as a one off or do you / can you pay the difference on just one drink

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, hamrag said:

The view we took was, for the sake of an additional $7 or about £5 pppd, what's the point in going premium when ultimate offers sooooooo much more!

 

B17...Take a look at hamrag's post.  That special cocktail you want to order probably costs $10 or $15.  If you have one a day or say a 3 or 4 of them it equates to what an upgrade to the Ultimate package will cost you.

[B17]

Thanks for the replies.  Dont really want to have to spend another £200-£300 on drinks when they are already included.  Its just I like the odd frangelico or a liqueur thats not on the complimentary. 

But I did find last year the cocktails to be a bit disappointing.  Although what I ended up doing was asking what was included from the bar list and asking the bar tender to mix my own personalised cocktails

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

 

 

 

B17...Take a look at hamrag's post.  That special cocktail you want to order probably costs $10 or $15.  If you have one a day or say a 3 or 4 of them it equates to what an upgrade to the Ultimate package will cost you.

But, B17 is asking about upgrading from basic so it's $24 a day for upgrade to ultimate! What I was stating was there's not much point in going premium if upgrading, when ultimate doesn't cost much more.

[Dr H]

I usually purchase about 5 non complementary drinks per cruise. Gin tends to run just under $10 for say, Tanqueray 10, single malt scotches (singles) a tad more than $10. You have to do an awful lot of heavy drinking to breakeven with the package, and individual drinks off the ultimate are not expensive. Similarly, there is wine by the glass (VERY hard to find a menu), and I've just discovered that with a modicum of planning, you can buy a bottle of wine for $35-$50, and have it served over several days without its going bad. And finally, you are allowed to bring liquor aboard for in cabin enjoyment, no need to smuggle it. Just make sure it's packed in a suitcase, it won't be seized. Enjoy, Azamara is famous for not nickel and diming you to death!

[Traveling Fools]

10 hours ago, hamrag said:

But, B17 is asking about upgrading from basic so it's $24 a day for upgrade to ultimate! What I was stating was there's not much point in going premium if upgrading, when ultimate doesn't cost much more.

 

Ah so, Being a first time cruiser on Azamara, I misunderstood and did not realize they essentially have 3-drink packages; 1) Complementary/Basic, 2) Premium, and 3) Ultimate.  I agree that in B17's situation it isn't feasible to upgrade to Ultimate without taking a big bite out of her pocketbook.  BUT, if she does decide to upgrade she should suck it up and go with the Ultimate package.

 

9 hours ago, Dr H said:

I usually purchase about 5 non complementary drinks per cruise. Gin tends to run just under $10 for say, Tanqueray 10, single malt scotches (singles) a tad more than $10. You have to do an awful lot of heavy drinking to breakeven with the package, and individual drinks off the ultimate are not expensive. Similarly, there is wine by the glass (VERY hard to find a menu), and I've just discovered that with a modicum of planning, you can buy a bottle of wine for $35-$50, and have it served over several days without its going bad. And finally, you are allowed to bring liquor aboard for in cabin enjoyment, no need to smuggle it. Just make sure it's packed in a suitcase, it won't be seized. Enjoy, Azamara is famous for not nickel and diming you to death!

 

Dr. H

 

With the exception of when I'm cruising, I don't drink.  When I do while cruising I will order top shelf liquor and wine.  DW (a German) is a wine drinker at home and on the road.  Plus we both drink wasser mit gas at various times of the day. I don't know if Azamara serves Macallan, if they do I'm sure I'll will more than break even.

 

I do like that Azamara doesn't pitch a ***** about bringing adult beverages aboard for enjoyment in your suite. 

 

By the way Dr. H, I think we are shipmates on the last segment of your Nov BB...Lisbon to Ft. Lauderdale.  If so, we will have to meet and enjoy a good single malt.

[Dr H]

Joe, they do have 2 Macallans on board and a third single malt (don't remember which). One of the Macallans is "Quest". Which I first had ON Quest. Runs just under $10 for a single, under $20 for a double. Wasser mit Gas is always available, it's called "club soda", no charge. Wine is good, nothing exceptional, and in times past, they have sailed with a nondescript but drinkable German reisling. If you've seen my postings on on booze, the wine list for purchase is very nice, reasonably priced, and if DW wants her decent German wines, they are available, and you don't have to finish a bottle at one sitting. Oh, if you find a particular wine that you really do enjoy and it isn't on the menu the next day, just ask for it. They will find you a bottle. And yes, we will be leaving out of Lisbon back to Ft Lauderdale. I don't know if our beloved moderator will allow this, but as one wine lover to another, or at least his wife, in Lisbon, there is an amazing, small Wine/Port store with an unimaginable selection and even more unimaginably inexpensive. Actually, you can spend as much as you like, but the ports are, my guestimate, a quarter of the price you would pay here in the states, and as I said, Azamara lets you carry them on board. Garrafeire Nacional, Rua de Santa Justa 18, 1100-485. They are about two or three blocks in from the main square where the ship docks, easily found on any tourist map of Lisbon. If the name is censored out, I shall commune with the spirits to discover your email address. Chat with you guys soon.  David

[Traveling Fools]

44 minutes ago, Dr H said:

they do have 2 Macallans on board and a third single malt (don't remember which). One of the Macallans is "Quest". Which I first had ON Quest. Runs just under $10 for a single, under $20 for a double. 

 

Sounds good to me!

 

46 minutes ago, Dr H said:

 Wasser mit Gas is always available, it's called "club soda", no charge. 

 

Club soda will do in a pinch.

 

47 minutes ago, Dr H said:

 they have sailed with a nondescript but drinkable German reisling.

 

in Lisbon, there is an amazing, small Wine/Port store with an unimaginable selection and even more unimaginably inexpensive. 

 

The Riesling has to be smoking DRY....not the sweet stuff most places in the USA sell.  Whereas we are departing from Europe a good, dry Riesling should be easy to find at a great price.

52 minutes ago, Dr H said:

but the ports are, my guestimate, a quarter of the price you would pay here in the states, and as I said, Azamara lets you carry them on board. 

 

Port and Blu Cheese is a favorite of ours.  If any of you haven't tried this combo, give it a try.

[cruisinclined]

Can anyone recommend an outstanding red from the ultimate package which can be bought by the bottle (and its bottle price)?

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 minutes ago, cruisinclined said:

Can anyone recommend an outstanding red from the ultimate package which can be bought by the bottle (and its bottle price)?

If you want to buy by the bottle, you aren't limited to the ultimate package offerings – the sommelier will work with you to select a bottle to your taste from the entire ship's cellar.

[cruisinclined]

27 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

If you want to buy by the bottle, you aren't limited to the ultimate package offerings – the sommelier will work with you to select a bottle to your taste from the entire ship's cellar.

 

27 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

If you want to buy by the bottle, you aren't limited to the ultimate package offerings – the sommelier will work with you to select a bottle to your taste from the entire ship's cellar.

That's great let's include the cellar reds! Thank you.

Drinking only wine, the packages seem superfluous when excellent red is all I am likely to drink. If I can find the right one OBC is available.

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, cruisinclined said:

 

That's great let's include the cellar reds! Thank you.

Drinking only wine, the packages seem superfluous when excellent red is all I am likely to drink. If I can find the right one OBC is available.

Look into the Wine Lover's Package and the Wine Connoisseur Package for nice savings.  They are even more flexible than the descriptions state because you can get bottles above the maximum price by paying the difference.

[AllisonJames]

This is such a personal preference…really depends on what you like to drink the most and what quality you find acceptable or if you have a brand you must have. We have done 4 AZ cruises without the add on packages and we enjoy our wine and our cocktails. The cocktails we ended up purchasing tended to be of the “after dinner” variety because ports and liqueurs like Grand Mariner are not included…where we really struggle is with the included wines, particularly the whites. Our last cruise we purchased a few bottles but didn’t really find anything we really enjoyed…our upcoming cruise we’ve decided that with the loyalty discount, we are going to try the Ultimate package. Having better quality wine and sparkling wine/champagne may be worth it to us….we will see!