Drink package consumption

[Highlander1]

Seems like most of the replies favor the premium drink package. We enjoy our drinks, however, when weighing the cost for a 12 day open bar for 2 of us, the cost is around $1500 with grats. Thats as much as a full cruise fare for (1) for a balcony cabin for the whole 12 days.:( I know my wife and I could easily drink the $54 worth in a day, not sure I want to keep that pace for 12 days, but its not necessarily an excessive amount of drinking. I know I would drink more and would try different things if I were a premium package holder, I'm just almost sure I don't want or need that much booze.:D In addition, there may be days, I just don't feel like drinking. Our past history has been mostly on 7 day cruises, our bar bill is usually around $400-$500 so we would have to make an effort to make the premium package worthwhile.

 

For us, there is very little value in the mineral waters, fresh squezzed juices, coffees, and other non-alcoholic specialty drinks. Also, we may drink more heavily on specific days, sea days particularly, it would be difficult to match that volume continously for a 12 day period. When in port, we tend to drink less, most days not even having a drink until before dinner. My wife enjoys wine at dinner so a bottle lasts her two nights.

 

As for the convenience of not having to sign a check, first, signing the check provides me a convenient time to add an extra tip for the servers and in no way do I look at having to sign as being any kind of burden at all. For those that feel they didn't want a big bill at the end of the trip, fine, but you may have paid dearly upfront.

 

We will drink as much as we want, I'm sure there will be times when I walk away instead of having another because we won't to pay for another round, but as with everything in life, sometimes its better to manage the excesses than to succumb to the temptation of no limits.

 

I'm betting we disembark with a bar bill under $1000 for the 12 day cruise. Some days we will drink $150, the next day maybe only $50, the next day $0. Now, will we have saved $500 by not indulging, perhaps yes, perhaps we cut ourselves out of some extras that may have added a nice touch. For now, I'd rather save the $500 toward the next cruise.

 

So, my thoughts on the packages are if your a steady drinker, you'll easily get your moneys worth. If your getting the package for convenience and to allow yourself the luxuries of things like fresh squezzed juices and mineral waters, your probably overpaying but it makes you happy so go for it. And if you buying the package so you don't have to sign a bill or because you don't want a big bar bill at the end, your more than likely getting soaked.

 

Theres different thoughts and levels of importance for all, at least you have a choice for yourself, just the way it should be.

[gsc500]

I usually wouldn't consider a drink package since DH and I don't really drink alcohol. On a 7 day cruise, we usually have 2 bottles of wine, 1 beer and maybe 2 fruity alcohol drinks TOTAL for the 2 of us.

 

We usually order regular ice tea anyway at meals with tap water on the side. Our kids don't really drink soda. They stick with chocolate milk, ice tea and lemonade normally even at home.

 

I'm kicking around the idea of the premium non-alcoholic pkg for DH & myself. Only because it looks like there is selection of fruit flavored ice teas available on board and we can drink that like water.

 

Even, if we add in a bottle of wine or so a la carte, it would still be a lot less than an alcohol pkg since our drink tab is usually waaay under a hundred.

 

We normally do most of our drinking at meals with an occasional glass or bottle of water in between. Keep the ice tea refills flowing, might as well leave a pitcher on the table for you. Lol.

 

So, here's my real question, are the special ice teas available in the dining rooms? I know that you are suppose to get one drink at a time and that's not a problem if the flavored ice teas are available at meals because we inhale the stuff so we can get them one after another.

 

But assuming we can get the premium ice teas at meals, can we also get sparkling water either at the same time or order one after the other without finishing the first?

 

I think that I know we CAN'T get any premium coffees (lattes, etc.) at the dining rooms but have to go to the cafe? I guess a better question is what CAN'T you order from the drink list in the dining rooms?

 

Just trying to figure out if we can utilize the premium non-alcoholic drink package WHILE dining because that is where we do 85% of our liquid consumption.

 

Thanks!

[colocop004]

we have just booked our first celebrity cruise for a 12 nite mediterranean sailing in may, so i have been visiting these boards to glean some info and advice.

 

sorry to be ignorant but how do these alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks packages work?

are the drinks unlimited or what?? i tried to get into celebrity's website but somehow info was not given. pls explain to this newbie. tks!!

 

Welcome to Celebrity! I hope you find this cruise line as amazing as we do.

 

As you can tell, there are a lot of opinions regarding the drink packages. The only limits to what you drink are priced based, depending on the package you get, and the fact that you can only get one beverage at a time. There is no sharing of packages, so I guess that is a limit as well.

 

There is a Sticky at the beginning of the Celebrity CC page that talks about the beverage packages and will give you more information than you can process in one sitting!

[miched]

.

 

 

The easiest way to judge the value is to look at what you would normally spend a day without it. To drink more than normal to justify it is using bad logic. Why spend more than you would normally spend by buying a drink package? Even if you were to drink a case of beer a day and a bottle of liquor Celebrity wouldn't be losing anything as the 2 together probably doesn't cost them $40. Buying a package at $60 per day is a method of Celebrity to guarantee that you will spend that much per day on beverages.

 

I don't need to drink x bottles of water, cocktails, smoohties, juices, wine, coffee and etc just to break even because I have never had a bar bill that averaged $60 per day. So why pay more up front and then chase after it trying to get ahead.

 

A few bottles of beer, maybe a DOD and occassionally a cocktail over the length of a cruise is all I ever drink on board over the length of a cruise. I don't drink bottled water at home but do enjoy a few cups of coffee per day and maybe a beer or so and that doesn't add up to $60 per day. Just because I am on a cruise doesn't mean that I have to indulge in a daily ritual of getting intoxicated or drinking a lot of things that are adding more to my waist line. So a drink package is not worth it for me.

 

Many do make use of it and enjoy it as it contributes to their freedom of not having to think about an unexpected bar tab.

 

It all depends on where and how you want to spend your money. Some passengers are happy with a inside cabin and others would not sail unless they have the Royal Suite.

 

If you can or want to drink all day and every day go for it and be happy.:D

 

 

 

.

[gymjudge55]

I just purchased mine on the last day of the sale. I went back and forth and I am still not sure I will break even although it should be close. I am married to a guy stuck back in the 70's. Each time we go out he is shocked when my cosmo costs $10. He just can't wrap his mind around that. With the drink package I can order what I want without censure. He can then drink water and fruit punch and be happy.