To (Premium) drink or not, that is the question?!?!

Heading out on an Eastern Carib. sailing soon, it's very Sea-day intensive (3 full plus embarkation day). I'm very torn between purchasing the Premium package or not. Partially the overall cost but also because we are getting $175 OBC that can be used for anything including any drinks. I've done some quick calculations and it looks like break even on the premium package is around 7 alcohol drinks per day (avg cost with gratuity $11). Any sage advice? I'm not an alcoholic but it is vacation so 7 per day considering meals doesn't seem crazy to me. Thoughts?

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Heading out on an Eastern Carib. sailing soon, it's very Sea-day intensive (3 full plus embarkation day). I'm very torn between purchasing the Premium package or not. Partially the overall cost but also because we are getting $175 OBC that can be used for anything including any drinks. I've done some quick calculations and it looks like break even on the premium package is around 7 alcohol drinks per day (avg cost with gratuity $11). Any sage advice? I'm not an alcoholic but it is vacation so 7 per day considering meals doesn't seem crazy to me. Thoughts?

 

 

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For me, it's also an attitude change. We are getting the classic package included, so the only question is whether to upgrade at a cost of $11.80 per day. Wife doesn't drink alcohol, so the classic is fine for her whereas I am partial to some top shelf liquor. While also not a great drinker, I enjoy a Grey Goose Bloody Mary or two in the morning and I like my Tequila Sunrise made with Patron Silver and Bacardi spiced or Gentleman Jack in the evening. I don't drik 'plain' water, so I like a San Pellegino at dinner along with a cocktail or two along the way.

Being diabetic, I have to be careful with the 'fru-fru' drinks, but I absolutely LOVE my coffee, so I think a few specialty javas may get consumed!

Where the attitude comes in is not having to add up the cost along the way. With a package, whether it's free or not, I just decide what to drink and done. If we don't have one, I just don't drink or get the soda package and maybe one or two drinks above that throughout the cruise. Like I said, the alcohol really isn't that important to me, but if I'm going to waste carbs, they're going to be good, memorable ones!

We have had the classic beverage package in the past on some of our cruises and the premium beverage package on our most recent cruise. While we are not big drinkers, we enjoyed having the premium beverage package for a number of reasons. (1) My DH became fond of Vitamin Water as an alternative to water, (2) we like drinking Perrier at meals rather than still water, (3) my DH enjoys a Baileys after dinner or in the theater and it was moved up to the premium beverage package, (4) the wines-by-the-glass list is more extensive, (5) I enjoy my lattes and other beverages (try the Aspen coffee and from Cafe al Bacio throughout the day and evening, and (6) we really enjoyed working through the menu at the Martini Bar.

Having said all that, the recent change in how the cost of drinks over the package limit makes the classic beverage package less of a problem for those who want to partake of the Martini Bar or other beverages over the classic package limit. In the past, the entire cost of a drink over the classic beverage package was billed for those who have a classic beverage package. Just this spring, that "rule" was changed and now only the difference between the drink cost and the package limit. If you don't mind signing for charges when you order a drink over the limit, you could order drinks that exceed the classic beverage package limit and just pay the difference.

Your 7 drinks a day calculation doesn't include any bottled water, juice, soda or speciality coffee. For many those items alone cost $10-20 per day plus gratuity.

Your 7 drinks a day calculation doesn't include any bottled water, juice, soda or speciality coffee. For many those items alone cost $10-20 per day plus gratuity.

Exactly!

You have to do the numbers. Try a day or so and see if classic works for you or not.

People always talk about the "hassle" of having to sign a ticket or whatever. We have never found that a problem, in all the years of no beverage packages. So that doesn't go into our discussion whether to upgrade or not. Now that you just have to pay the difference in prices between the classic and premium, you have to do the numbers. We aren't coffee drinkers and we don't drink any alcohol until the evening. However one martini at the martini bar will offset the cost and we do like Evian at meals (because we can ;)). Many of our recent cruises have included premium package which has been fun. We still upgraded our wine by the glass on occasion, paying the difference above premium.

My DH became fond of Vitamin Water as an alternative to water

This alone could be the deal breaker for me to upgrade, I would much rather have a Vitamin Water zero instead of a bottle of water when available and would have no problem drinking 3 to 4 of these a day!

I've had the classic package in the past and while I flirted with the idea of upgrading to premium, I ended up not doing it and was happy to just pay for the one or two Martinis I enjoyed during my 8 night cruise. This upcoming sailing I will have the premium for a 15 night, and I'll be very happy to take it for a spin to see what I was missing and just upgrade for future cruises(or not, since now only the difference is paid for an out of package cocktail, not the whole price). As others have said, factoring in the extra $11.80 US a day for an upgrade is not just only for the top shelf liquors and higher priced wines it's also access to the premium water brands, some smoothies, and full cans of soda rather than cups (PLEASE, someone tell me X finally straightened this out and we all know what's definite with the soda service, I stopped following the soda war threads a while back :D:')), the coffee drinks at Cafe al Bacio that contain premium liquor. The upgrade definitely pays off if you drink more than two bottles of Evian, San Pellegrino or Vitamin Water a day.

Your best bet is definitely to take the classic for a spin for at least for a day or two and then decide if you want to upgrade.

We recently sailed on Summit for 9 nights with the Classic Package. Absolutely no need to upgrade as far as we were concerned. There was plenty of choices on the Classic Package and our Sommelier in the MDR was wonderful. The only thing I didn't like was the Merlot on the CP, so I switch to a Shiraz which was heavenly.

As for the soda. The only time DH and I ordered soda was during lunch up in the Ocean View Cafe and we always received a can of soda.

We always upgrade to the Premium package. It includes fresh juice, water, specialty coffees as well as alcohol. I am not a big drinker, but on a cruise I will have fresh juice in the morning with my breakfast, a glass of wine with lunch, pre-dinner cocktails, wine with dinner, an after dinner cappucino and and after dinner drink like amaretto. Then I usually have a drink while at a show. Sometimes we will stop and pick up a coffee before we head back to the cabin. I'm sure I spend more than the package cost and Mr Poetic likes expensive scotch. Most of the drinks we have are above the classic, so it makes sense for us.

We don't drink enough alcohol to justify the beverage packages. Also, we enjoy the elite happy hour that limits our need to pay for alcohol.

I suggest when you cruise do an inventory your expenses for alcohol to see how much you spend. I have done that on every cruise we have done and before we were elite, we spent about $450-$500 on a two week cruise. Now we spend about half of that. Also, we don't drink bottled water, sodas or high priced coffee.

I do like martinis. If I get a classic package how much extra would a martini cost ?

Laura

I do like martinis. If I get a classic package how much extra would a martini cost ?

 

 

 

Laura

Martinis at the martini bar are mostly $12, so $3 upcharge.

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We stick with the classic package. Works for us.

Same question for my cruise. I keep reading all these threads and then decided that I should probably upgrade just because I need to make a decision. :)

Same question for my cruise. I keep reading all these threads and then decided that I should probably upgrade just because I need to make a decision. :)

There isn't any monetary advantage to upgrading prior to your cruise. Since you can upgrade while on board - and it can be done up untill the last four days (or so I've read here on the boards) of your cruise, you could "test the waters" and try the classic package for a day or two. If you decide to upgrade then, you will be making the additional "investment" based on your personal experience.

I've had the Classic Beverage Package and never thought about upgrading. However, we received Go Best perks on our last cruise. We enjoyed the Premium Beverage Package. Having discovered the Martini Bar, Vitamin Water, some new wines-by-the-glass etc, I am rethinking my own plans for upcoming cruise which was booked with the classic beverage package as my perk. I will likely upgrade to the Premium Beverage Package at the time I make final payment.

In the end, it comes down to your own beverage choices. Another way to look at this is to consider the cost difference between the upgrade and up charges, if you do opt to order drinks that exceed the classic beverage package limit.

We upgrade purely to avoid the hassle of asking whether something is included in Classic or not, we do always make sure we ask for premium brands by name rather than just saying vodka and tonic, we ask for Greygoose & tonic for example. Like to make sure we get our monies worth on the upgrade!

We upgrade purely to avoid the hassle of asking whether something is included in Classic or not, we do always make sure we ask for premium brands by name rather than just saying vodka and tonic, we ask for Greygoose & tonic for example. Like to make sure we get our monies worth on the upgrade!

This is my train of thought also. I am on vacation, I don't want to worry about whether something is included or not. The new package allows them to charge the difference but if I spent more than the $11 each day I would second guess myself.

We were on our first Celebrity cruise with a Classic Package. We had a couple of drinks at the martini bar with the $3.54 up charge. That was really it. The beer choices were fine on Classic and so were the wine choices at dinner. In Blu, they just keep pouring once they see your glass is empty or getting there. That is really nice. We went to the MDR one night and had to flag down someone for that. :mad: We are lucky to have a TA who gives us a perk in addition to the one that Celebrity gives us. It's nice to have the Classic Package.

If I want a can of soda, what is the upcharge from classic? Can I still get coke zero? I doubt they have that in the soda gun.

Thanks.

Kim

If I want a can of soda, what is the upcharge from classic? Can I still get coke zero? I doubt they have that in the soda gun.

 

Thanks.

Kim

We were on Summit July 7 - 16 and we had the Classic Package. Every time we ordered a Coke or a Sprite they gave us a can. We were surprised but at least on Summit for that cruise they were serving cans of soda. Your experience of course could be different.

I'm very torn between purchasing the Premium package or not. Thoughts?

 

 

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Here is my "RUFF" run down of a day with a drink pkg on another thread

For us at least, the package was not just about bar drinks. It was everything else that the pkg includes.

A speciality coffee each on the balcony while the wifester is putting on her face, $5 ea.

Evian or San Pellegrino with fresh squeezed juice with that second coffee at breakfast, $15 ea.

Grab a bottle water on the way to stake out a deck chair, $4 ea.

$24 each before any mind altering liquid is consumed.A beer or the drink of the day by the pool, $6 ea

Then off to lunch, maybe a soda, or another San Pellegrino $5 eaThe sun is hot hot hot! A cold beer or drink of the day is in order, $6 ea

The burger at the Mast Grill is calling our names, it does not go down with out some liquid assistance, $5 ea, then it is time to meet friends to watch the sun set from the Sunset Bar, $6 ea. Afternoon total $28.

And the evening fun has yet to begin.

San Pellegrino and a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and another speciality coffee with desert, $26 ea

Now it is time for some mind altering sampling to happen, or not A cocktail with friends at one of the watering holes on ship $7 ea, or 2 if we are letting our hair down!

One more bottle water on the way back to the cabin just in case we get thirsty during the night, $4. Evening total, $44.Morning, $24, day, $28, evening $44, total $96.00 each using the low end of the cost scale and not much mind altering substance.

Some evening's we will grab another coffee ( or worse) and go and sit on deck 5 to unwind, listen to the swoosh of the waves gently breaking down the side of the ship before heading to the cabin.

Depends on how you make use of the package.

We have upgraded to the Premium on our last 2 cruises. Our friends stayed with the Classic and were fine. I like the Craft beer selection, the wine the wifester drank last yr was $14.00 a glass x 3 @ dinner = $42.00 without a pkg every dinner.

EW

The latest change of allowing Classic Package folks to only pay the difference on more expensive drinks does complicate the calculations, but we figure that just having 3 of the more expensive drinks or wines, per day, ...makes the Premium Package a bargain. And then toss in a few bottles of Pelligrino...and for us its a no-brainer.

Hank

If I want a can of soda, what is the upcharge from classic? Can I still get coke zero? I doubt they have that in the soda gun.

 

Thanks.

Kim

Coke just announced that they will no longer be making Coke Zero in the US. Not sure how that will impact the cruise line or if they will get it elsewhere. They are replacing it with Coke Zero Sugar, which is supposed to more like Coke.

In any case, we had the classic package last week on our cruise and were never given any fountain soda. It was all cans.

I have two questions- hopefully someone can help me out here.

DH and I have the classic package as a perk when we signed up for a balcony. We also have OBC coming our way too. I am understanding that we can upgrade to the premium package when we get on board- BUT can we wait a day (Or two) to decide if we want to upgrade?

We will be on the Silhouette... There is a 'fancy' bar up on top (I can't recall the name) Where they serve a smoking drinking and several other fun cocktails. I know it isn't covered in the classic package- IS it covered in the Premium package?

Thanks for any info you can send my way.

Gabrielle