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

[eurodolphin]

All drinks over $12 would be excluded. I doubt there is many, other than possibly some wines by the glass.

 

LMZinSc, maybe you didn't see in my original post that I was asking about the non-alcoholic package ? I suppose they won't have any non-alcoholic drinks that

are morze expensive than

[eurodolphin]

All drinks over $12 would be excluded. I doubt there is many, other than possibly some wines by the glass.

 

Sorry about my previous unfinished post, I made a mistake while typing:o

 

LMZinSc, maybe you didn't see in my original post that I was asking about the non-alcoholic package ? I suppose they won't have any non-alcoholic drinks that

are more expensive than 12 USD ? Couldn't imagine what that might be ?

[GeneD]

If I purchased a classic alcoholic package for $313.00 including gratuity and wanted to drink Chardonney by the glass there would only be one (St. Francis) chardonney available to me as every other one is $8.5 or more?

Also If I did drink a $9.00 glass of Chard then I would have to pay the full shot and not the difference of $1.00?

If this is correct then the cruise line is pretty much pushing a person to select the premium package to get the more expensive chardonney's.

Another question would either the classic or premium alcoholic packages be able to be used in the stateroom?

 

Please help me understand?

Edited October 2, 2010 by GeneD

[tjncanada]

If I purchased a classic alcoholic package for $313.00 including gratuity and wanted to drink Chardonney by the glass there would only be one (St. Francis) chardonney available to me as every other one is $8.5 or more?

Also If I did drink a $9.00 glass of Chard then I would have to pay the full shot and not the difference of $1.00?

If this is correct then the cruise line is pretty much pushing a person to select the premium package to get the more expensive chardonney's.

Another question would either the classic or premium alcoholic packages be able to be used in the stateroom?

 

Please help me understand?

 

Yes, you would have to select the premium package to have access to the full selection of Chardonnays. If the price per glass exceeds the "cap" for the package terms you have to pay the full price plus gratuity. None of the beverage packages apply to room service or the mini bar. You can get a drink at any bar and bring it back to your stateroom though but only a glass at a time. I don't think it's so much about pushing one to go for the premium package but offering the option to accommodate different tastes.

[GeneD]

How is the tap water on the ship? I ask this as I am thinking of just bringing some "2 go " powder packages - the kind that you add to water bottles - and just purchasing several bottles of water on the ship, refilling from the tap when empty, adding a 2 go pack and having that when ever I wanted ice tea or lemonade away from the dining venues. How cold does the minibar get? Another question.

We are not big drinkers so if I bought the two bottles of wine allowed, and bring it on the ship can we bring the bottle to the dining room already uncorked and drink some of it there or are the bottles to be consummed strickly in the room?

Can bottles be bought at the ports and brought on board to be consummed or does the ship hold them until the last night? (That last night could get pretty rowdy if one wanted to drain the bottles! )

Probably pretty newbie questions but we haven't cruised since the early 90's and mostly on the smaller ships with groups so boy do I need to update my "cruising Software" versions. LOL

Gene

[jg51]

How is the tap water on the ship? ...

Meaning no disrespect, "GeneD," and actually looking out for your best interests, I have to say that your last post does not belong on this thread.

 

This is a "sticky" (permanently-at-the-top) thread about evaluating beverage packages. Your last post has a long series of basic questions about beverages, but not about the packages. I strongly recommend that you start a new thread with your questions -- or find a non-sticky one about general beverage topics to add to. If you start a new thread, you will get LOTS of people reading and answering you. At this point, a lot of people are no longer reading this sticky (except for discussion of packages).

 

I would like to ask other members to answer "GeneD" on his new thread, but not on this one, because there is a rule against "hijacking" threads (switching to other topics). Thank you.

 

Good luck and good cruising.

Edited October 2, 2010 by jg51

[GeneD]

Sorry.

I have been vacillating on the classic wine package for my wife and the water package for me. Somehow I guess my inquiries are off topic.

Just thought that people would be more in tuned to answering simple questions about what could be done and prices for comparing packages to non packages. I tried the calculator thingy but didn't really have any success.

Again sorry for wasting your time. Just as an aside I would not have known that ST. Francis chard. would be the only one available on the Classic package and who knows what it tastes like before actually getting on the ship??

I guess if you are a big imbiber the packages make sense.

Gene

Edited October 2, 2010 by GeneD

[JanetB60]

I've seen several posts where people say they are going to order bottles of wine via Celebrity as gifts and have them sent to the dining room. Can anyone explain what, if any, advantage this gives over just purchasing the bottle of wine in the dining room?

 

Also - do you think you are better off getting something like the captains or sommelier wine package vs buying by the bottle.

 

And last but not least is it more economical to purchase a bottle rather than by the glass?

 

I was considering the classic alcohol package, but the wines seem limited and I'm also really not sure I can drink enough alcohol to justify the cost (definitely not the cost of the premium which would give a better selection of wines). I am basically a water, club soda and latte kinda girl who enjoys 1 or 2 glasses of wine with dinner and a very occasional cocktail during the afternoon or evening. So my thought now is to get the the classic non-alcohol package to cover the club soda, water and lattes (which I would appear to break even on with 2 lattes, 2 club sodas and 2 waters per day, which is easily done) and then just purchase the wine for dinner and the occasional cocktail separately.

[jg51]

... do you think you are better off getting something like the captains or sommelier wine package vs buying by the bottle.

Hi, "JanetB60."

Those packages involve buying bottles, not glasses. I think that you have to purchase 3 or 5 or 7 bottles in advance, and you get a discount (10 or 15%, if I recall correctly).

 

... is it more economical to purchase a bottle rather than by the glass?

Yes, it is -- if you are sure that you are going to enjoy the wine. The advantage to buying by the glass is that you can abandon your choice if you try something new and don't like it. Here's an example of the typical kind of savings involved: Pinot Grigio (Bollino) is $32 per bottle and $7.50 per glass. If it were to be poured at five glasses per bottle (as I've heard it said is done by sommeliers), that would add up to $37.50. [You'd actually come out ahead if it were poured at four glasses per bottle!]

 

... my thought now is to get the the classic non-alcohol package to cover the club soda, water and lattes ... and then just purchase the wine for dinner and the occasional cocktail separately.

It sounds reasonable to me. Enjoy yourself! :)

Edited October 4, 2010 by jg51

[JanetB60]

Am I right in assuming that the only difference between the classic and premium non-alcohol packages are the premium vs non-premium water and the fact that the premium package also includes smoothies, vitamin water and non-alcoholic frozen drinks?

[Jazzbo]

Am I right in assuming that the only difference between the classic and premium non-alcohol packages are the premium vs non-premium water and the fact that the premium package also includes smoothies, vitamin water and non-alcoholic frozen drinks?

 

That's not the only difference. With the classic package, you get wines (by the glass), beers, and mixed drinks that are $8.00 or less. With the premium package, you get any beer, and wines by the glass and mixed drinks that are $12 or less.

[sunkey1]

That's not the only difference. With the classic package, you get wines (by the glass), beers, and mixed drinks that are $8.00 or less. With the premium package, you get any beer, and wines by the glass and mixed drinks that are $12 or less.

 

Nope, poster was asking about the NON alcoholic packages and yes, that pretty much sums up the differences. The chance to get frozen non-alcoholic drinks is what is making me get the premium N/A over the classic.

[GeneD]

Are the Beverage packages days figured on the entire days of the cruise. in other words lets say a cruise is scheduled for 8 days. We all know that the last day passengers disembark, so is the package figured on 7 days use or 8 days no matter what?

[LMZinSC]

Are the Beverage packages days figured on the entire days of the cruise. in other words lets say a cruise is scheduled for 8 days. We all know that the last day passengers disembark, so is the package figured on 7 days use or 8 days no matter what?

It would be based on the number of nights. Your average cruise is 7 nights and so it would be package price per day x 7.

[GeneD]

So if I am on an 8 day cruise and I decide after 4 days to purchase a premium alcoholic package, I would be charged for 4 days or $56.35 x 4= $225.40. The same package purchased for the 8 days would be $445.80. Please correct me if I am wrong.? (As you can guess I may be math challenged)! LOL

[jg51]

So if I am on an 8 day cruise and I decide after 4 days to purchase a premium alcoholic package, I would be charged for 4 days or $56.35 x 4= $225.40. The same package purchased for the 8 days would be $445.80. Please correct me if I am wrong.? (As you can guess I may be math challenged)! LOL

Hello, GeneD.

It's hard to speak in terms of "days" for a cruise, because that word can be misleading. It's better to speak of "nights," as the cruise lines do.

 

We don't know if your cruise is seven or eight nights in length. Let's assume that it is eight nights -- for example, Sunday night through Sunday night. That would actually be seven full days and two partial days (i.e., Sunday, roughly from noon to midnight ... Monday through Sunday ... and Monday, roughly from midnight to 10 AM).

 

If you were to purchase a Premium Package on Thursday afternoon (after four full days had gone by), it would cost $225.40, as you said. If you were to purchase it for the whole cruise, it would be double that -- $250.80 (rather than the $245.80 that you mentioned).

.

Edited October 6, 2010 by jg51

[victoria dawn]

How do I get a list of the costs of the drinks? so I can figure out which wines i can drink for under the $8.00. Also, when i go to sign up for the premium packaes the charges aren't per day - they are for the entire cruise as far as I can tell. Example - when filling out my cruise information I click on the packages there is one complete total. I'm hoping that it is for the 12 nights that I will be away.

[tjncanada]

How do I get a list of the costs of the drinks? so I can figure out which wines i can drink for under the $8.00. Also, when i go to sign up for the premium packaes the charges aren't per day - they are for the entire cruise as far as I can tell. Example - when filling out my cruise information I click on the packages there is one complete total. I'm hoping that it is for the 12 nights that I will be away.

 

There is an extensive list on the first page of this thread (click "first" in the navigation section). You can only pre-book the packages for the entire cruise so that's only option you have on-line. There was some discussion here about purchasing on board part way in to the cruise. You can do that up until the last couple days but you must purchase it for the remainder of the cruise.

[jg51]

How do I get a list of the costs of the drinks? so I can figure out which wines i can drink for under the $8.00. Also, when i go to sign up for the premium packaes the charges aren't per day - they are for the entire cruise as far as I can tell. Example - when filling out my cruise information I click on the packages there is one complete total. I'm hoping that it is for the 12 nights that I will be away.

Hi, "victoria dawn."

You got good advice from "tjncanada" (to go to the opening post of this thread). [Thanks, "tjn."] However, I provided some updates (to my opening list) in subsequent posts. I recommend that you browse through all the pages of this thread, looking for updates -- or, if you just want to look at a major update related to wines, you can jump to this post:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=25623046&postcount=133

There is a smaller wine update in this post:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=25684342&postcount=160

 

Have fun! :)

PS: If you browse through the thread, you'll find a post that gives you prices per day (and per week and per fortnight) for the four major beverage packages.

.

Edited October 7, 2010 by jg51

[laurieb]

thanks much for the wine list! It's good to know what's available by the glass.

[cardinals218]

In the MDR or speciality restaurants, can you get a glass of nice bourbon/cognac/rum for an after dinner drink (i.e. Blanton's, or Cles des Ducs Armagnac with the premium package?

 

I know the more premium liquors are available at some bars on board but I am not sure about the restaurants.

 

Thanks!

Edited October 12, 2010 by cardinals218

[colocop004]

In the MDR or speciality restaurants, can you get a glass of nice bourbon/cognac/rum for an after dinner drink (i.e. Blanton's, or Cles des Ducs Armagnac with the premium package?

 

I know the more premium liquors are available at some bars on board but I am not sure about the restaurants.

 

Thanks!

 

I have found that you can get anything you want, and they will have a menu of some after dinner drinks which may include something that you will enjoy. If not they will get it from a bar, but that sometimes takes quite a while. As far as if it will be eligible on your drink package, I would assume that it will depend on the price point.

[Beachspider]

Hello, As I scan the posts on this topic , I did not see anyone who does purchase the beverage plan the entire cruise?? Also, if you do purchase the beverage plan, do you go for the premier plan? I am looking at the prices for martini's etc (drinks over the 8 dollar's):o What do you recomend? My last cruise was on the RC (alaska) and we did not have any option for a beverage plan Thanks

[jg51]

Hello, As I scan the posts on this topic , I did not see anyone who does purchase the beverage plan the entire cruise?? Also, if you do purchase the beverage plan, do you go for the premier plan? I am looking at the prices for martini's etc (drinks over the 8 dollar's):o What do you recomend? My last cruise was on the RC (alaska) and we did not have any option for a beverage plan Thanks

Hello, "Beachspider."

 

The topic of "beverage packages" has been discussed on many threads. Sometimes people have stated that they purchased packages for an entire cruise -- either pre-purchasing from home or purchasing aboard the ship, on Embarkation Day. This is not unusual.

 

I myself have pre-purchased a "Premium Package," for a near-future cruise, for a long list of reasons (the martinis being on the list).

 

I hope that you will enjoy your next cruise! :)

[Ocean Dancer]

We sailed on the Summit back in May and bought the Classic package in advance. We loved the ease of ordering anything we wanted and usually ordered blender drinks, Malibu and Coke, or Baileys over ice. We also loved that we could get water or soda, for shore times, or our room. It was fun trying different drinks, and having a drink at the shows, at dinner, at the pool, or taking back to our balcony. We are not big drinkers, but as we were celebrating our 41st anniversary, we went for it, and would do it again. But do be aware that the drinks are very weak, we managed to maintain a light buzz, but never got drunk, or sick even though we were drinking between 8 and 12 drinks each per day!

 

We are not big wine or beer drinkers, we had fun with it and hope this helps. As for sharing a package, this will not work for long, Believe me, they know! After a few days, we didn't have to even show our card, they know!