Advise on Butchard/ tea---

I will be on a Celebrity Cruise that will be in Victoria 12:00 to 8:00--

Celebrity used to offer a combo- Gardens and tea at the Empress.

Now it is tea at the Gardens.

These are my choices:

Do the Celebrity excursion where tea is now held at the Gardens.

Do the Gardens on my own, if time also do the Butterfly one (not sure I really want to do that because I was in a Butterfly Garden at the rainforest on Panama Canal cruise last Dec) and do the tea at the Empress afterwards?

Some people who did the Empress recently weren't happy because they weren't able to eat in main tea room. Supposedly now it is luck of the draw. If I did the Empress, I would only want to be in main tea room.

Some people who have done both, actually liked the one at the Gardens better.

So I would like to hear comments from our wise community to help me make up my mind! Thanks, Anita

Some people who did the Empress recently weren't happy because they weren't able to eat in main tea room. Supposedly now it is luck of the draw. If I did the Empress, I would only want to be in main tea room.... Some people who have done both, actually liked the one at the Gardens better.

Hi Anita,

Well first of all, I sit here with my hand over my mouth in shock that tea at the Empress is not a staggering $75.00 per person, plus tax and tip as well. That is simply outrageous for what you get, in my opinion (yes, I have done it). Wow! LOL

http://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/pdf/emp-tea-at-the-empress-aug-2016/

Combine the price with the chance you may not be in the tea room, and I think one makes a strong case for tea at the Gardens. ;) Here is their link, at half the price (but of course, you must pay admission to the Gardens but that in itself is spectacular).

http://www.butchartgardens.com/files/7014/5945/7441/FS_Spring_AT_menu.pdf

How much is the Celebrity Gardens/tea excursion (I tried to look it up but it would not load for me)?

.

I much prefer tea at the Gardens over the over-priced and over-hyped Empress tea.