Question for experienced cruisers

We are traveling on celebrity for the first time and I'm having a hard time figuring out if it's worth it to move up (I know it's a personal decision, but need to pick some brains)

The price difference between the inside cabin which gets no perks and "upgrading" to an oceanview is about $1085...that $1085 provides me with $300 OBC which brings down my cost to $785 effectively...that $785 gets me the following:

2 classic beverage package and 2 classic non-alcoholic package...keep in mind, I don't drink ALL that much - maybe 2 alcoholic drinks a day for a 10 night cruise and let's toss in a soda a day for me. My husband drinks - 3-5 drinks a day when travelling. My kids are too young and drink only water and milk (which they can get at the dining halls)

To those that know the costs of the above scenario - is is worth paying the extra $785...or pay for drinks as we go since I don't know how much we spend on them. I also know they might have deals on the ship for one classic alcoholic package - help please!

The math isn't likely to work for you with the beverage packages -- but you also have the option to choose a difference perk, like free gratuities. The dollar amount may seem lower, but everybody actually benefits from 100% of the free gratuity perk. There will still be a dollar deficit -- that's the cost of the view. Only you can decide if the view is worth it.

You're right...it's a matter of what you feel comfortable paying. There are many very frequent cruisers that always book inside cabins and are quite happy. We cruise 3-4 times a year and we always book a balcony except on some smaller ships where the cost is absurd.

I would shop the deals and see if they make it worthwhile to you to upgrade to an outside.

I would say go with the upgrade. The window alone will be nice for you and for the younger kids. When you are getting ready, it may be something to keep them occupied. That aside, if you drink 2 drinks and your husband may drink up to 5, at $10.00 a drink that $700.00 for the 10 day cruise. I find that on a cruise you may drink a little more. Grab a drink on the way to room to get ready or before dinner, it can just add up. In addition, I like not having to worry about it on a cruise. If i order a new martini and I hate it, then I can order another. It gives me the flexibility to try different drinks and just enjoy. Lastly, I can't imagine the children wouldn't love something special drink wise on a cruise. :D

I would go with the upgrade as we have been on several cruises and we have always had a balcony or higher. As stated it also depends what type of perks you will get as well. Your children may enjoy looking out the window as well. Staying in a inside cabin just does not work for us but on the same hand that does not mean that it does not work for other folks. Enjoy whatever you decide and have a great cruise.

I would go with the upgrade because we also like the bottled water, specialty coffees in Cafe al Bacio and I personally love the Mango Smoothie (just a non alcoholic mango daquiri, so good!). And with the package you will try different drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic, smoothies, etc. My husband likes not collecting little pieces of paper

Suggest you book the inside and pay as you go for the drinks. Take the savings and invest that amount in your children's college fund, or use it for a future cruise.

When making your decision don't overlook the bottled water you & the family may want, or speciality coffee or tea. Bottles of water can add up quick so in addition the the drinks & soda you & DH drink add in water @ $2-3 a bottle and coffe/tea.

Thank you everyone for your comments...lots to consider. We are leaning towards the upgrade and I'll keep looking for a deal...think there might be some better ones coming. Thanks!

Suggest you book the inside and pay as you go for the drinks. Take the savings and invest that amount in your children's college fund, or use it for a future cruise.

Definitely agree here. $1000 is an awful lot of money to save and spend on other things. If you are on an S-class ship the insides cabins are as big in interior space as a balcony cabin. I suggest you try to get an inside cabin on a higher deck. The oceanview cabins are always on the lower decks. So we get an inside cabin on deck 9 on a ship like Equinox or Reflection.

Don't forget you can bring 2 750 ml bottles of wine with you to cut some of the alcohol cost. We know we don't drink that much so the drink package is not a big deal for us. I know it's not accepted by the congiscenti but we bring our water bottles with us and drink the ship's water. Haven't been poisoned yet. It's the same water that they make your tea and coffee out of.

Don't fret the little things and enjoy your cruise.

Bottled water --- just get a case or two and bring it to port and stick a luggage tag on it and you don't have to buy it on board. Also soft drinks - you can bring as much of that as you want, or the particular juices your children want. We have done that on many many cruises but we now have a beverage package included so no longer. Water and soft drinks can add up too.

For us a balcony is a necessity; for others it's not. Our first cruise ever we had an ocean view and we could see outside, but we really wanted to GO outside and feel the breeze, so that became the minimum for us from that point on.

We never had a beverage package until last cruise and all our future cruises now include them. We don't come close to using the full value. Even though admittedly we drink more on a cruise than at home, if we added up the cost, it would not be enough to warrant the package. I would suggest buying them a la carte. If after a few days you decide you want a package, you can buy one, no harm no foul. And it's pro rated so you only pay for the days left in the cruise.

You are the only one who knows whether or not the inside cabin will be OK with you. I shared an inside cabin with my grandson and I could manage it. My husband could not have done so. For this reason, we always book a veranda aka balcony.

In doing the calculations, comparing drink package with OBC or tips, you only need to drink as much as the lowest offering in order to break even. It isn't just the alcohol, but also the delicious non-alcohol drinks, like mint lemonade, and on our last cruise I often ordered an alcohol-free mojito - I called it a nojito - because I loved the mint-lime combination but wasn't drinking much. I still feel I got my money's worth but I wasn't considering the added cost of the better cabin since it is what we book.

I enjoy the drink package for the freedom to try new drinks without the worry about if I like them or not. Also I enjoy having a white wine with the starters and a red wine with the entree.

Whichever choice you make, please put it behind you and totally enjoy the cruise. That is the most important thing. The rest is just window dressing. (an old family saying).

Beth