Same Company - Different drink package perks?

[Archaegeo]

Just noticed, on RCL, the standard and premium drink packages (45/dy for standard) does not include "Package does not include room service orn-stateroom purchases, specialty coffee, mini bar items, canned sodas, bottled water / juice and souvenir glassware, specialty beers as listed on bar menus, or alcoholic cocktails"

 

Wow, cheap much RCL? This thing basically only covers beer, house wine, and fountain soda. If you add in $10 more per day it adds cocktails

 

How can a bottled water or canned soda cost them more than a beer? Amazing it doesn't cover specialty coffee either. I can see it not covering mini-bar or glassware.

 

And the funny thing, unless it has changed recently, the package on Celebrity (RCL Owned) does include these things

 

How can this ever be a value unless you drink WAY too much beer or house wine each day?

 

By comparison, Celebrity for 18/day gets you Premium Non-Alcoholic "Enjoy nearly our entire selection of sodas selections on board including all canned and fountain soft drinks from Coca Cola, Premium Bottled Water from Evian, Perrier and San Pellegrino, Specialty Coffees and Teas, Non-Alcoholic Frozen Drinks and Smoothies, Red Bull Energy Drink and Specialty Waters from Vitamin Water."

 

And 54/day gets you all of that plus "In addition, you can enjoy our entire selection of Beers as well as Spirits, Cocktails and Wines by the Glass up to $12 per serving. Plus, with purchase of this Premium Package, you can enjoy a 30% discount on all wines by the bottle purchased on board, even our prized Reserve Wine list and Rare Wine list."

 

We have done the package on Celebrity before because you don't have to drink yourself into a stupor to try to make it even close.

 

If you get a specialty coffee in the morning, couple bottles of water during day, frozen coffee in afternoon, wine with lunch and dinner, and one cocktail, you probably still aren't at 54/day, but not having to think about it makes the package so desirable.

 

I cant see the RCL version being desirable, especially with it not including bottled water.

 

What gives RCL? You give Celebrity more for less? You own both lines and I can frequently sail Celebrity for the same price as RCL depending on time of year, so its not the difference in fare price.

[UCF_Knight]

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are run as two separate subsidiary companies of the parent company. Their policies and perks do not match and aren't designed to. Just a couple of examples:

 

There is no smoking on Celebrity balconies, but RCI allows it.

 

Celebrity's Captain's Club still uses the number of cruise credits to determine your tier, RCI's Crown and Anchor society uses the number of nights you've been on a ship.

 

These are just 2 of many examples where major policies differ. It is not shocking that drink packages differ in price and what is included. Each cruise line has configured and priced their packages in a way they believe is most attractive to their own target clientele in a manner that results in the greatest profit for the cruise line.

[Cindy]

For my upcoming Celebrity cruise, I received the Classic Beverage Package as a booking incentive, and then I paid the small upcharge to convert it to Premium. I'm really looking forward to it, specifically because of the wide variety of things it includes. I like that my non-alcoholic beverages as well as all glasses of wine up to the cut off price are part of the package.

I would never consider the beverage package offered by Royal Caribbean, since it excludes water, soda, and anything other than the house wine.

[PSCruiser]

There are tons of examples that show that RC and Celebrity policies and prices are arrived at completely independently. As for the logic of what's available in each package, it reminds me of the complementary beverage availability at Diamond events" wine - yes, Champagne - yes, beer - No!!

[Archaegeo]

For my upcoming Celebrity cruise, I received the Classic Beverage Package as a booking incentive, and then I paid the small upcharge to convert it to Premium. I'm really looking forward to it, specifically because of the wide variety of things it includes. I like that my non-alcoholic beverages as well as all glasses of wine up to the cut off price are part of the package.

 

I would never consider the beverage package offered by Royal Caribbean, since it excludes water, soda, and anything other than the house wine.

 

 

I think you will love the Celebrity package, we always do. Its so nice to be able to try drinks and send them back, especially since the premium package covers most of the things as the Molecular bar as well.

[Cruising89143]

Yep. I would never purchase the package on RCI but we did on X a few months ago and loved it. Have it for our next cruise on the Eclipse.

[snownyet]

celebrity also doesnt need to subsidize the expense of flowriders, ice rinks, aqua shows and merry go rounds to name just a few.

[raerom]

Yes RCCL drink package is disappointing. What amazes me is how many people thinks it is a great deal. I guess it is if you consume large quantities of alcohol. I won’t be purchasing it. I would purchase Celebrity’s package though because speciality coffees, teas and bottles of water are included.

[lisasay123]

What about going to the bar and ordering a rum and coke...hold the coke or a scotch and water...hold the scotch??:)

[gerif]

What about going to the bar and ordering a rum and coke...hold the coke or a scotch and water...hold the scotch??:)

 

Fountain soda is included with the package and tap water is free for everyone.

[akcruz]

What about going to the bar and ordering a rum and coke...hold the coke or a scotch and water...hold the scotch??:)

 

Fountain soda is included in Royal's packages, just not canned soda.

 

While I agree to a point with the OP, you do have different demographics onboard each line which leads to different policies. Personally I don't care if the specialty coffees or canned soda are included as I don't think I would use them. The bottled water, now that would be nice but not really a deal breaker since there are so many places around the ship to get water free including at any bar. Also, flavored water is now available on many ships as well, just bring your own re-usable container and you are all set for free.

 

Ooops gerif beat me to it :-)

[BekkaW]

Royal's packages include gratuity, Celebrity's does not so bear in mind that the Celebrity price is actually higher than $54 per day

[Stags14]

Then don't buy it...

[leaveitallbehind]

There are tons of examples that show that RC and Celebrity policies and prices are arrived at completely independently. As for the logic of what's available in each package, it reminds me of the complementary beverage availability at Diamond events" wine - yes, Champagne - yes, beer - No!!

 

Exactly - and good point regarding cruise rates. Similar cruises are not priced the same between the two companies. Another example is that RCI offers a C & A balcony discount while there is not a similar discount offered to the Captains Club members with Celebrity.

 

I would suspect that none of the Carnival group cruise lines are similar either. Different cruise lines owned by the same company are differentiated from each other intentionally to offer variety of choice to the market.

[charmay]

Royal's packages include gratuity, Celebrity's does not so bear in mind that the Celebrity price is actually higher than $54 per day

 

I didn't know that.

Well that answers alot really.

5/6 dollars extra for 6 drinks roughly?

Celebrity package could workout alot more depending on how many you drink.

Although I feel it's a valid point about people striving to get money's worth on rcl.

If the package included coffees and water maybe people might not over do it with the alcohol?

On the other hand if you what to get merry you will lol.

I do think on cruises they should encourage water alot more.

By including water .

They could have little stations with small bottles which people could just take.

Getting enough fluid intake is important.

I myself am guilty of forgetting to drink enough.

Especially if on the vino :D

[Paulxyz2004]

The Point about why policies on RCI and X are not the same despite both being owned by RCCL always makes me ROTFLMAO!

 

Heck why should they be the same?:confused: If they were the same, why run different lines in the first place?

 

I never hear the same about RCI and Azamara, RCI and Pullmantur, RCI and TUIcruises, RCI and CDF Croisières de France.

 

Carnival doesn´t operate all their brands equally either and I´m not sure anybody would expect the same on Carnival, Princess, Cunard, HAL, Seabourn........ Again wouldn´t make sense at all as why run different lines if they are all equal?

[Cindy]

The Point about why policies on RCI and X are not the same despite both being owned by RCCL always makes me ROTFLMAO!

 

Heck why should they be the same?:confused: If they were the same, why run different lines in the first place?

 

I never hear the same about RCI and Azamara, RCI and Pullmantur, RCI and TUIcruises, RCI and CDF Croisières de France.

 

Carnival doesn´t operate all their brands equally either and I´m not sure anybody would expect the same on Carnival, Princess, Cunard, HAL, Seabourn........ Again wouldn´t make sense at all as why run different lines if they are all equal?

 

One big difference between the two corporations is the Loyalty status reciprocity that Royal Caribbean grants between brands under their corporate umbrella. Carnival Corp. recognizes you as a past passenger for cruising with any of their brands, but that's about it. You can be a top-tier past passenger with any Carnival brand, but the on-board benefits don't transfer over to the other Carnival Corp. lines in any meaningful or consistent way. The other thing Royal Caribbean does differently is allows on-board booking across brands. In my opinion, both of those are a brilliant way to encourage people to be loyal to their corporate brands.

I wouldn't want the Royal Caribbean brands or the ships to be exactly the same. I think it's fun to explore new things! However, since I'm a perk kind of girl, the reciprocity makes a big difference to me when I'm considering cruises. I'm excited to board my first Celebrity ship in September...with Elite Captain's Club benefits.:D

[Archaegeo]

Yep, the club reciprocity was the deciding reason I gave Oasis a chance.

 

And saying the lines are different, that's fine, but does the drink package need to be different? Why not allow bottled water, canned soda, specialty drinks and fresh juice on RCI's? You would have a LOT more takers.

[kevinyork]

We had the RCI premium drinks package thrown in free on our transatlantic on Adventure a couple of weeks back. Whilst it was pretty good the major downfall was the house wine. There is only one of each red, white, blush and sparkling to choose from. The white was a heavy chardonney. I only drink wine with dinner but this white was awful and overpowered any food.

 

There is a saying in the UK, ABC, Anything But Chardonney.

 

On Celebrity their package includes wines by the glass up to a certain value so there is more choice.

 

Many were complaining about the house wine on our cruise. It doesnt make any sense really that you can have any beer including imported bottled beer in the pub which must cost them more than a glass of wine.

 

Unless this changes I would not be tempted to pay for the alcohol package on RCI. Had we paid for the package on this cruise I would have cancelled it so I could enjoy a drinkable white wine.

[Paulxyz2004]

Yep, the club reciprocity was the deciding reason I gave Oasis a chance.

 

And saying the lines are different, that's fine, but does the drink package need to be different? Why not allow bottled water, canned soda, specialty drinks and fresh juice on RCI's? You would have a LOT more takers.

 

Of course the drink package does not have to be different. But in the same way one can ask why has the drink package to be the same?

 

My Point is not what anyone on here wishes for, it´s the statement "they are owned by the same parent Company" as a reason to make it the same. The same Point is often used for things like balcony Smoking and other policies.

 

The loyalty Club reciprocity has really nothing to do with it. If that would be a Point we Need to throw in Azamara as well as all three programms do the reciprocity Levels.

 

While I don´t disagree with your Point about RCI having a lot more takers if they included all such, maybe that´s not what they want. It might be much more beneficial for their bottom line to have less takers for the package but sell the other stuff individually.

[Big_G]

Yep, the club reciprocity was the deciding reason I gave Oasis a chance.

 

And saying the lines are different, that's fine, but does the drink package need to be different? Why not allow bottled water, canned soda, specialty drinks and fresh juice on RCI's? You would have a LOT more takers.

 

It's all about the profit margins. If the lines have a different cruiser demographic, they will adjust the pricing appropriately. You just need to decide whether it's of value to you. It's not for us on Royal but it is on Celebrity. That's not a bad thing.

[UCF_Knight]

And saying the lines are different, that's fine, but does the drink package need to be different? Why not allow bottled water, canned soda, specialty drinks and fresh juice on RCI's? You would have a LOT more takers.

 

RCI is not worried about the number of takers. They are worried about what mix of included beverages and package pricing will result in them having the highest profit. They have configured the packages and pricing on each line in a manner that they believe will give them the greatest profit with the clientele of each line. This strategy takes into account what RCI believes they will make on both "takers" and "passers" over the length of a cruise.

[Cruising89143]

Royal's packages include gratuity, Celebrity's does not so bear in mind that the Celebrity price is actually higher than $54 per day

 

Gratuities are included in the price of the package on Celebrity. Just used it on the Reflection in March.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1838864&highlight=beverage+package