Evaluating a beverage package? Here is a beverage list with prices, as of mid-2010.

[fninsn]

Hi All,

 

Just got off the Eclipse this past Saturday. Fantastic Cruise! DH and I each purchased the Classic Drink Package and were more than satisfied. It covered everything we wanted to drink throughout the week and the convenience alone is worth the cost.

 

We were able to drink a variety of beverages including various brands of beer, wine and cocktails along with bottled water, soda, specialty coffees and teas and freshly squeezed juices. I had "small" martini's in the Martini Bar and enjoyed several frosty drinks as well. In the MDR, our sommelier just kept topping our wine glasses and although the wine choices were somewhat limited by the cost, we always found a wine we enjoyed.

 

Not sure if we spent every penny although if we didn't it was very close. Even on a port day, we would enjoy a couple of coffees, bottled water, wine with dinner and a drink or two before/after dinner.

 

Another point to note. We didn't notice any difference in bar service at all. In fact, I think the wait staff are happy when they didn't have to get signatures. Made it a bit easier for them as well.

 

All in all, I would highly recommend the classic drink package for anyone who enjoys a few cocktails throughout the day. If you prefer top shelf brands or more expensive wines, you would probably prefer the Premium package, but the classic was very good for us.

[perodise]

I'm sailing on the Summit on 12/10 and was wondering if the Microbrews (Flying Dog, Brooklyn Lager, Magic Hat, etc) are sold in Michaels or some other bar on the ship? Trying to plot my course to get the most value out of the Premium alcohol package. I couldnt find them back in 1/2010 on the Summit when Celebrity offered a beer package whereas all beers were included for $28 per day. Having bottles of Grolsch (swing top) and unopened cars of Boddinger and putting them in a soft cooler(packed with ice thanks to my steward) made for a very enjoyable and cheap day at the beach.

[librarylady19]

In our experience, many of the beers listed on the menu (especially the microbrews) are not actually available on the ship. Michaels with the expanded craft beer menu will be available after Solsticization in January 2012.

Here's a sneak preview of the beer menu from Silhouette, courtesy of Gonzo . DH was drooling...he will definitely get his money's worth with the premium bev package there!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=30927684&postcount=17

Edited December 6, 2011 by librarylady19

[mamasylvia]

Okay, I'm going to sound like a real n00b here (which I am). But my understanding has always been that part of the benefit of a cruise is that everything is included in the price. Obviously that isn't going to include alcoholic drinks, but it looks like I'd have to buy non-alcoholic drinks as well! $4-6 for a pot of non-premium tea or a Coke after spending $2-3k on the cruise itself? Why aren't basic drinks included? What else is going to cost extra? I've really been looking forward to going on a cruise, but it looks like we may not be able to afford it!

Edited December 9, 2011 by mamasylvia

[jimzgoldfinch]

Okay, I'm going to sound like a real n00b here (which I am). But my understanding has always been that part of the benefit of a cruise is that everything is included in the price. Obviously that isn't going to include alcoholic drinks, but it looks like I'd have to buy non-alcoholic drinks as well! $4-6 for a pot of non-premium tea or a Coke after spending $2-3k on the cruise itself? Why aren't basic drinks included? What else is going to cost extra? I've really been looking forward to going on a cruise, but it looks like we may not be able to afford it!

 

Hi,

Basic drinks are include. Non premium Coffee & tea are readily available. Likewise dispensed soft drinks are available in the cafe. Many will find these options acceptable but some can't stand the coffee.

 

However, you will have to pay for canned / bottled soft drinks and speciality teas & coffees.

 

Jim

[Lsimon]

Okay, I'm going to sound like a real n00b here (which I am). But my understanding has always been that part of the benefit of a cruise is that everything is included in the price. Obviously that isn't going to include alcoholic drinks, but it looks like I'd have to buy non-alcoholic drinks as well! $4-6 for a pot of non-premium tea or a Coke after spending $2-3k on the cruise itself? Why aren't basic drinks included? What else is going to cost extra? I've really been looking forward to going on a cruise, but it looks like we may not be able to afford it!

 

Basic beverages are included. The no extra charge beverages are:

 

Tap water, Brewed coffee (regular and decaf), instant coffee (taster's choice regular and decaf), Tea (good selection of about 8 or more popular tea blends including green, mint, etc), hot coca (Nestles instant mix), Milk (regular, chocolate and skim), juices, iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch.

 

All of these items are available in any dining area or from room service. They are available 24/7 from room service and from beverage stations in the buffet area although some items are not available at all times in the buffet: Some milks are only available during meals in the buffet and the dispensers used for juices during breakfast times are used for iced tea, lemonade and punch at other times.

 

For the most part there is an extra charge for any alcoholic, carbonated, or bottled beverage. Also most bars and lounges charge for any beverages served there. There are upscale versions of many no-extra-charge beverages available which do cost extra such as espresso based coffees, organic teas, bottled water, fresh sqeezed OJ, etc.

[mamasylvia]

Thanks for the response. I like an occasional soda, and DH is not fit to live with until after he gets his Diet Coke in the morning, but it sounds like the free drinks will otherwise meet our requirements.

 

I can't blame Celebrity for trying to upsell their products, as long as a basic variety is included for the cruise price.

 

After reading about the prices onboard and people taking their own drinks, however, I'm having an interesting vision of landing in a foreign country and trying to find a grocery store to stock up on DC and then a liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine for DH ... ;) Are MC/Visa pretty widely used internationally? Any problem with using a debit Visa in Europe or Oz/NZ?

[sarafinadh]

Are MC/Visa pretty widely used internationally? Any problem with using a debit Visa in Europe or Oz/NZ?

Yes and yes. Generally the best deal exchange rate wise is to go to an atm machine and withdraw the maximum amount, which prorates the fees over the largest amount of cash. If you are not going to be in country for any length of time and will not be needing a few hundred in cash just use your plastic as you usually would. AmX and Discover would not as universally accepted, so make sure you have a debit card with the visa/mc logo on it.

 

Here's a sneak preview of the beer menu from Silhouette, courtesy of Gonzo . DH was drooling...he will definitely get his money's worth with the premium bev package there!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=30927684&postcount=17

 

Thanks SO MUCH for that attachment... The Spouse looked it over when I sent it to him and is now calculating if that bev package MIGHT make sense for hi after all ; -) He just got ALL excited when he saw it!!

[upwarduk]

----then a liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine for DH ...

 

Be aware that you will only be allowed to take 2 bottles of wine per cabin at embarkation.

 

Are MC/Visa pretty widely used internationally?

Any problem with using a debit Visa in Europe or Oz/NZ?

 

You make us sound like 3rd World countries!!!!

 

Some outlets don't readily accept American Express though, purely because they are charged for its use.

[mamasylvia]

> You make us sound like 3rd World countries!!!!

 

Didn't mean to! Just trying to not be an Ugly American, assuming that the cards we use are what all "normal" people use. ;) I'm also a chronic over-researcher - I hate unpleasant surprises, I'd rather know what accommodations I need to make ahead of time.

 

I'm surprised MC/Visa is more widely accepted than Amex, though. I'd have expected it to be the other way around and was thinking maybe we should get an Amex for the trip. Sounds like I won't need to bother. However, I normally avoid ATM fees by just getting some cash back with a purchase, when I don't need a large amount. Do other countries have that option also? If gas stations, restaurants, and tourist traps usually take MC/Visa, I won't need much cash. (Yes, of course we're going to buy some overpriced doodads with tacky town names on them. What's the point of travelling if you don't get home and look at something and say "What WAS I thinking?")

 

The ease of financial transactions in travelling these days just boggles my mind. I'm old enough to remember when we bought traveller's checks for any trip, and if we underestimated the amount we would need, we were in deep doodoo because there was no easy way to get cash outside your own hometown. Even when we moved away from Dallas in 1997, I had DH set up a savings account at a Dallas bank because his company HQ is there and I wanted a place he could cash his out-of-state personal checks when he had to go back for meetings. Now, other than a little in-case-of-emergency local money, I expect to travel halfway around the world without carrying cash at all.

 

Two bottles of wine will be plenty. DH likes a glass of wine as a nightcap, but surely two bottles would get him through a 12-night cruise. (I'll just tell him if he runs out of wine before the cruise end, he'll either have to go without or pay onboard prices, and he's cheap!) I usually manage about 4 alcoholic drinks per year ;) so doubt the cruise will be an occasion - I expect to be drunk enough on the scenery and excitement! Is there a limit on bringing canned sodas/bottled drinks?

[cruiserMan28]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with using the Premium Drink package at the CellarMasters? Like, can you get wine under 12$ from the machines? Or do they have other wine you can get by the glass?

 

Any help would be good.

 

Thanks!

 

--------

Summit 02-04-2012

[JetCruister]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with using the Premium Drink package at the CellarMasters? Like, can you get wine under 12$ from the machines? Or do they have other wine you can get by the glass?

 

Any help would be good.

 

Thanks!

 

--------

Summit 02-04-2012

 

You can not use the machines with your seapass card. You can purchase a card to use in the machines. We ordered wine by the glass here, and then took the name of the wine we liked to dinner and our sommelier and she made sure we had this wine everynight with dinner. She was not very good at recommending wines for us, so we went tasting in Cellarmasters and found what we liked.

[C & D Cruisingfans]

Regarding credit cards. The advantage of using Amex in a foreign country is that you will not be charged a "foreign transaction fee" like you will with most Visa cards. Check your Visa card company so you know what fees you will be charged.

 

 

---

I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=27.438200,-82.516314

[TLCOhio]

Here are the detailed specifics from our mid-June 2011 cruise on the Solstice from a menu/pricing card that I borrowed from the Sunset/Oceanview area:

 

BEERS: At $4.50 each (plus the added 15% service charge), it is Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors Light and Miller Lite; at $5.00 (which goes to $5.75 with tip), there is Amstel Light, Beck’s, Corona, Corona Light, Leffe Blonde, Heineken, Heineken Light, O’Doul’s (NA), Red Stripe and Samuel Adams; at $6.00 (which goes to $6.90 with tip), it is Bohemia, Grolsch, Guinness, Stella Artois, Newcastle Brown Ale and Peroni.

 

RED WINES: At $5.50 each, Cabernet Sauvignon/Pinotage “Basket Pressed” Heron’s Nest, Stellenbosch; at $6.50 each, Tempranillo, Marques de la Concordia, Crianza, Rioja; at $7.50 each Cabernet Sauvignon “Heritage” Wente Estates, Livermore; at $8.00 each, Merlot, Rutherford Ranch, Napa Valley and Shiraz “The Barossa” Peter Lehmann, Barossa Valley; at $8.50 each, Chianti Classico Riserva Tenuta di Nozzole, Tuscany and Pinot Noir, Kendall Jackson, “Vintner’s Reserve”.

 

WHITE WINES: At $5.50 each, Viognier, Maison Paul Jaboulet Aine, Rhone Valley; at $6.00 each, Riesling “Kabinett” Selbach-Oster, Mosel; at $6.50 each, Sauvignon Blanc, Southern Right, Walker Bay; at $7.50 each, Pino Grigio, Bollini, Trentino; at $8.00 each, Chardonnay, St. Francis, Sonoma; at $8.50 each, Pouilly Fume “La Moynerie” Michel Redde, Loire Valley.

 

ROSE-BLUSH: At $5.50 each, White Zinfandel, Beringer, North Coast; at $6.50 each, Rose de Provence, Jean-Lux Colombo.

 

The $8 glass of wine goes to $9.20 with tip added. A $6.50 wine goes to $7.48 with tip.

 

NON-ALCOHOLIC: At $2.50 each, it is Evian, Pellegrino and Perrier smaller-sized; at $3.00 each, they offer Arizona Premium Iced Tea, Green Tea, Lemon Tea, Peach Tea and Diet Lemon; at $4.00 each, they had Strawberry Banana Soda, Peach Sangria, large Evian and Pellegrino, Sparkling Mint Lemonade and Watermelon Tropic; at $5.00 each, it is Red Bull, regular and sugar-free. They also offer various Coca-Cola soft drinks, but those prices were not listed on this card.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 51,552 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 54,871 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

 

 

Loved this Sunset Bar area that adjoined part of the lawn areas on the top, back part of the Solstice. Nice views here, not too crowded, etc. Great to enjoy the fresh air and sights!:

 

[Colleen]

Got off the Celebrity Millenium on December 3rd. I had the complete Premium Package and my husband had the complete non-alcoholic passage. We agreed that they were totally worth it, and kept close track of what we drank and the prices. We really loved not having a big bill at the end,

 

The prices listed below were still in effect.

 

Just posted a review for those interested,

[sccat]

Hi All,

 

Just got off the Eclipse this past Saturday. Fantastic Cruise! DH and I each purchased the Classic Drink Package and were more than satisfied. It covered everything we wanted to drink throughout the week and the convenience alone is worth the cost.

 

We were able to drink a variety of beverages including various brands of beer, wine and cocktails along with bottled water, soda, specialty coffees and teas and freshly squeezed juices. I had "small" martini's in the Martini Bar and enjoyed several frosty drinks as well. In the MDR, our sommelier just kept topping our wine glasses and although the wine choices were somewhat limited by the cost, we always found a wine we enjoyed.

 

Not sure if we spent every penny although if we didn't it was very close. Even on a port day, we would enjoy a couple of coffees, bottled water, wine with dinner and a drink or two before/after dinner.

 

Another point to note. We didn't notice any difference in bar service at all. In fact, I think the wait staff are happy when they didn't have to get signatures. Made it a bit easier for them as well.

 

All in all, I would highly recommend the classic drink package for anyone who enjoys a few cocktails throughout the day. If you prefer top shelf brands or more expensive wines, you would probably prefer the Premium package, but the classic was very good for us.

 

We had the same experience in Sept on the Solstice. The Classic Pkg was great for us. We definitely got our money's worth and the convenience was great! Another advantage of the wines by the glass in the MDR was that we were able to change wines to pair with each course and we were able to select different wines from each other. Can't do that if you order a bottle of wine to share!

[sccat]

Regarding credit cards. The advantage of using Amex in a foreign country is that you will not be charged a "foreign transaction fee" like you will with most Visa cards. Check your Visa card company so you know what fees you will be charged.

 

 

---

I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=27.438200,-82.516314

 

The best card we found for foreign travel is the CapitalOne Mastercard ... no foreign transaction fees ever! A no annual fees like Amex.

[meijk]

I am leaving next week on the Silhouette, so excited! I know somewhere in this thread is a post about ordering wines by the bottle for dinner. The sommelier counts 6X12$ or something like that???? (me and my husband have got the premium Package) and you can order a bottle for that amount. Is it still possible? Anybody knows???? :)Thanks from The Netherlands

[jimzgoldfinch]

I am leaving next week on the Silhouette, so excited! I know somewhere in this thread is a post about ordering wines by the bottle for dinner. The sommelier counts 6X12$ or something like that???? (me and my husband have got the premium Package) and you can order a bottle for that amount. Is it still possible? Anybody knows???? :)Thanks from The Netherlands

 

Hi,

If you buy a bottle of wine, it is not included in the premium package and you will be charged the full price of the bottle.

 

With the package to can get as many glasses of wine as you like. If the glass of wine is more than $12, the difference will be charged to your onboard account. The choice of wine by the glass is limited.

 

Jim

[meijk]

Hi,

If you buy a bottle of wine, it is not included in the premium package and you will be charged the full price of the bottle.

 

With the package to can get as many glasses of wine as you like. If the glass of wine is more than $12, the difference will be charged to your onboard account. The choice of wine by the glass is limited.

 

Jim

 

 

Thanks I know, but there are post with different info. I am looking for that. Kind regards

[jagoffee]

Thanks I know, but there are post with different info. I am looking for that. Kind regards

 

I know that if you have the premium package you can buy a drink that is more than $12 and pay the difference. I must have missed the posting that you mention because I have never heard of the wine bottle formula. If you find it please come back and let us know where it is. I suppose anything is possible, I never did ask about that possibility.

[Lsimon]

I am leaving next week on the Silhouette, so excited! I know somewhere in this thread is a post about ordering wines by the bottle for dinner. The sommelier counts 6X12$ or something like that???? (me and my husband have got the premium Package) and you can order a bottle for that amount. Is it still possible? Anybody knows???? :)Thanks from The Netherlands

 

I've read one post something like this from over a year back. I don't know what thread it was on. The poster reported that everyone at their table had the package and that their sommelier allowed them to order any bottle of wine which was less expensive than the number of people at the table with the premium package times the per glass limit of 12. Shortly thereafter one or more people posted that they asked about this and were refused.

 

It sounded like a very nice sommelier making an exception for some reason - perhaps in the early days of the unlimited beverage plans when things were less clear to the staff. I do not think this is anything you could count on as I've never read about it since. The norm is that only the wines by the glass listed on the dining room menu are available if they are withing the package per glass limit. But it never hurts to ask.

[thehip]

Hi!

 

This question is only in regards to the wine packages.

 

Not understanding the wine packages at all. We usually cruise on RC and at dinner the first night we look at the wine packages and what wines are offered and make a package selection. You get X number of bottles for a fixed price.

 

Celebrity's brutal website indicates I need to make my wine package selection at least 4 days before I cruise. Is that true or can I wait until on the ship? And it shows a price (and a sample selection) but does not indicate what I am getting: bottles, glasses, how many?

 

I hope this is not a repeat question as I really searched hard for this one, and there were a few posts in the 1500s in this thread alluding to the language on their website but no clear answers.

 

Silhouette in March (finally can skip Explorer of the Seas!)

thanks...

Edited December 15, 2011 by thehip

[mgreenwald]

Thanks for the list, I'm a scotch drinker and I was wondering if you had the prices for liquers by the glass

[jackdec]

Thanks for the list, I'm a scotch drinker and I was wondering if you had the prices for liquers by the glass

Do you have to pay a charge along with the drinks you get on the packages like a tax or tip. Or all all taxes included in the packages. This may seem stupid. Is the classic package just a cheaper drinks list compared to the premium package. Or is the quality of drinks better on the premium.

 

Declan