Does anyone remember when Celebrity began offering drink packages (to buy)?

[KKB]

I was looking at our cruises & it seems one of the draws for Celebrity was the opportunity to do a drink package.

We began sailing Celebrity in 2014...I cannot remember if they already offered it at that time.

 

I am NOT referring to All-Inclusive which began in 2020.

[JHUNTGOLF]

The first time we ever had the Classic Beverage Package was on a September 2013 European Wine Immersion cruise on Celebrity’s Infinity.  We got it as a perk when we booked that cruise.  At that time, the Classic package covered drinks up to $6 or $7, with Heineken beer priced at $6.  After the convenience of having a beverage package back in 2013, we have always had the Classic package as a perk on the numerous Celebrity cruises we’ve taken since then, and most of the time, find a great sale to upgrade to the Premium package.  For example for our upcoming September 12 night Med cruise on the Ascent, we were able to upgrade for $6.99 per person per day plus the 20% gratuity for a total upgrade cost of $8.39 so the total upgrade cost for the two of us was $201.36.

 

John

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We had on an April TA in 2013 , on the Silhouette

they mistakenly gave it to us , when we got our seapass on the ship it was there  😁

Edited July 16 by Ex-Airbalancer

[westcoastsue]

I remember friends buying a drink package late in 2010. I opted not to because I didn’t think I would drink enough to benefit from it. My friends made sure they did!

[jelayne]

We started cruising with Celebrity in 2012 and if there were drinks packages we didn’t know about them until 2013.

[manmachine]

It was shortly before the cutbacks in bar staff began.  Old tactic for nightclub owners:  sell an all-inclusive deal, cut back staff to ensure not too much gets served.

 

Pocket profit.

 

Repeat.

[leaveitallbehind]

17 minutes ago, manmachine said:

Old tactic for nightclub owners:  sell an all-inclusive deal, cut back staff to ensure not too much gets served.

While that may be true and there may not be as many bartenders floating around hustling drinks as in the past, this has never prevented us from getting as many drinks as we want.  Just may take a little more legwork.

[rcrabb1513]

2 hours ago, KKB said:

I was looking at our cruises & it seems one of the draws for Celebrity was the opportunity to do a drink package.

We began sailing Celebrity in 2014...I cannot remember if they already offered it at that time.

 

I am NOT referring to All-Inclusive which began in 2020.

We bought our first ever drink package on any cruise line for a 2014 Thanksgiving cruise on Celebrity Constellation.  I remember the wine steward just bringing a couple bottles of wine and set them next to the table in the MDR.  We were getting wine by the glass per our package.  There were four of us enjoying the same wine.  He apparently decided it was easier to just bring a couple bottles rather than going to the service bar for refills.

Edited July 16 by rcrabb1513

[CHEZMARYLOU]

The last time I had a large on board purchase spend was the 2012 NY cruise, almost $3k mostly bottles of wine.

On the 2013 NY cruise our on board spend was around $350. My best estimate is the change happened in 2012.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

52 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We started cruising with Celebrity in 2012 and if there were drinks packages we didn’t know about them until 2013.

2012 (no BP) and 2013 (BP) match with our on board spend for New Year's cruises.

[kasowell2]

We were on the first sailing when the introduced the drink packages. I know it was the Solstice and almost sure it was May of 2010. I tried to look at my history on the celebrity site but as almost everyone knows that doesn’t work 

[thebutlerdidit]

Another vote for 2010. On our first Celebrity cruise my husband chose to get a beverage package and I chose to pay per drink. He had a better time than I did. 

[doghog]

I remember the Go Big, Go Better and Go Best bundled packages. I believe those packages were introduced in 2015. Much better (wish Celebrity would bring them back) than the first version and second version AI packages.

[cyntil8ing]

I went on a Bermuda cruise with my friend in Summer 2013. One night, a fight broke out in the dining room, and I remember commenting that the new, at the time, drink packages, were to blame. I will never forget my fear that someone was going to get tossed over the railing. It took forever for security to arrive.

[Jeremiah1212]

This post is from summer 2010 and would indicate there were many posts on the drink package subject prior to that. 

[cyntil8ing]

I went back though old email and found this from January 2013, which I think was the original 123Go! promotion, where you could pick one of three, beverage package, gratuities or OBC. I think the beverage package existed before then, but it was the first time many "casual drinkers" took it. 

[kasowell2]

Celebrity’s website started working again and it was May of 2010. If I remember they were selling something before this that we bought (like maybe beer) but they cancelled it and we got the beverage package instead. I think there was only one type you could get not like a classic and premium they offer now.

[ORV]

45 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

This post is from summer 2010 and would indicate there were many posts on the drink package subject prior to that. 

Thanks for posting this. I would have been willing to bet it was more like 2012 or so, but I would have lost that bet. 

[hcat]

can't recall when, but it did forever change the demographics of X..

 

many "big drinkers" flocked to X because of them,  and they began to  try and change X to be like the lines they left.. still trying to re make  X Royal sub 2..

 

It was much better when folks paid for drinks.  They had wine packages and that was really enough !  The packages brought  higher prices for everyone..even moderate users.

 

"Big, better, best" was ok and reflected more reasonable pricing! Now its all hooked up with grats, wifi,  alcohol, etc.. We are def subsidizing the alcohol consumption of others!

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, kasowell2 said:

Celebrity’s website started working again and it was May of 2010. If I remember they were selling something before this that we bought (like maybe beer) but they cancelled it and we got the beverage package instead. I think there was only one type you could get not like a classic and premium they offer now.

 

This is the website footer from October 2009

 

 

[tartantiara]

We were on the Christmas and New Year cruise on Millenium December 2012 and bought the DP for both of us , it cost around £1000 for the 14 nights . We have never sailed Celebrity without one since 😁

Edited July 16 by tartantiara

[kasowell2]

3 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

This is the website footer from October 2009

 

 

As I said they were offering some type of beverage package beforehand but ours was the first one where mixed drinks were included because the first package we had purchased was no longer available as they changed them

[manmachine]

On 7/16/2024 at 1:24 PM, leaveitallbehind said:

While that may be true and there may not be as many bartenders floating around hustling drinks as in the past, this has never prevented us from getting as many drinks as we want.  Just may take a little more legwork.

Sure thing.  When I am on my what ‘Modern Luxury,’ cruise, ‘Nothing Comes Close’ to the sheer pleasure of more legwork to get a drink.

[Jazzbo]

The first time we had it was on the Solstice in January 2011. Our first S-class and our first time in Aqua class.

[PTC DAWG]

I liked the 3 perks they offered for a while, that said, I’m not sailing without a drink package..I loathe signing for every drink. AI and an upgrade to Premium or bust for the Wife and I. 
 

Oh yeah, we are subsidizing the WiFi for others…we don’t  need it..we would gladly trade the WiFi perk for room gratuities..

Edited August 8 by PTC DAWG