Do we need to buy a beverage package?

[arubadan]

This is our first cruise. Today I got an email from Celebrity about purchasing a beverage package. Do we really need beverage packages? Is this a per person charge? My wife is mainly a wine drinker but I enjoy premium beers and vodka. Not heavy drinkers but I am sure we will drink plenty since we are on a vacation. Any help will be appreciated. TIA.

 

Dan

Edited October 28, 2014 by arubadan

[Mulege]

Keep in mind that the alcohol packages include water, coffee/tea, soft drinks, and juices depending on which package you choose. Prices add up quickly if you do your math based on your preferences. Check the web site to see what is included. You can buy a package up until the last two days of your cruise. Someone correct me if I got that wrong. Good luck.

[chrismakris]

The price shown is per person and it depends how much you drink. Of course while we are on vacation we tend to have that extra glass of wine or beer.

 

We had the premium package on our last cruise(which is the one to get) and when worked out it saves quite a bit of money. For example:

 

Morning cappuccino: $4-5 each

 

Premium bottle of water to take with you when you get off and back on the ship = $16(2 bottle/pp x $4 each bottle)

 

Premium Beverage before dinner $8-12 each

 

Wine with dinner $6-$12 each

 

Couple extra bottles of water here and there, a couple of extra drinks here and there. $25-$30 each person/day.

 

As you can see it can add up fast.

 

Keep in mind the choices for your wife for wine will be more limited with the classic package.

[chrismakris]

Just a quick question arubadan.

 

Did you book your cruise when the 123Go or Pick your Perk offer was available?

 

If not I would look into trying to get Celebrity to add it on to your cruise. You might have to pay the difference in cruise fares, but it might cheaper than paying for 2 classic packages. Not sure if you can do this but it would be worth a shot.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/123go-offer

[arubadan]

I honestly do not know. We booked through US Air. Like I said we got an email to add the beverage package directly from Celebrity, so I would think we should be able to add it to our package.

[cynbar]

This is our first cruise. Today I got an email from Celebrity about purchasing a beverage package. Do we really need beverage packages? Is this a per person charge? My wife is mainly a wine drinker but I enjoy premium beers and vodka. Not heavy drinkers but I am sure we will drink plenty since we are on a vacation. Any help will be appreciated. TIA.

 

Dan

 

No, you certainly don't need to buy a beverage package. You can pay as you go, sign slips for a bottle of wine or a cocktail or a coffee or a soda. There are lists on this forum that will show you what is included under the classic and premium packages, including glasses of wine (bottles of wine are not included on either package.) So, as other posters have said, add up what you might spend in a day for alcohol, coffees, sodas, fresh squeezed juices, bottled water and so on. But I have to say that we have really liked having the beverage packages, even when we probably don't do better than break even. It just seems to give the cruise a more elegant feel to order what ever you feel like, with no slips to sign and no concern about the cost. It also makes us more likely to try things we probably would never try, including varieties of wine, if we were paying by the drink. Think about it and decide what would work for you, but it seems like most people are hooked once they try having a package.

[chrismakris]

I honestly do not know. We booked through US Air. Like I said we got an email to add the beverage package directly from Celebrity, so I would think we should be able to add it to our package.

 

I would call US Air vacations or Celebrity and ask them. If you booked during a time that the 123Go package or the Pick your Perk was available then you should have had the option to pick one of the items.

 

If the promo was on and they didn't offer it to you I would try to get them to make it right. I don't recall a time in the last year when one of those offers was not available.

 

If they can't add it on for you then I would take your stuff to a travel agent and see what they can do for you. You shouldn't have to pay for something that you should have got for free.

[wallie5446]

Here is my "RUFF" run down of a day with a drink pkg on another thread

 

For us at least, the package was not just about drinks that would make us not remember the cruise! It was everything else that the pkg includes.

 

A speciality coffee each on the balcony while the wifester is putting on her face, $5 ea.

 

Evian or San Pellegrino with fresh squeezed juice with that second coffee at breakfast, $15 ea.

 

Grab a bottle water on the way to stake out a deck chair, $4 ea.

$24 each before any mind altering liquid is consumed.

 

A beer or the drink of the day by the pool, $6 ea

Then off to lunch, maybe a soda, or another San Pellegrino $5 ea

The sun is hot hot hot! A cold beer or drink of the day is in order, $6 ea

The burger at the Mast Grill is calling our names, it does not go down with out some liquid assistance, $5 ea, then it is time to meet friends to watch the sun set from the Sunset Bar, $6 ea. Afternoon total $28.

And the evening fun has yet to begin.

San Pellegrino and a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and another speciality coffee with desert, $26 ea

Now it is time for some mind altering sampling to happen, or not A cocktail with friends at one of the watering holes on ship $7 ea, or 2 if we are letting our hair down!

One more bottle water on the way back to the cabin just in case we get thirsty during the night, $4. Evening total, $44.

Morning, $24, day, $28, evening $44, total $96.00 each useing the low end of the cost scale and not much mind altering substance.

Some evening's we will grab another coffee ( or worse) and go and sit on deck 5 to unwind, listen to the swoosh of the waves gently breaking down the side of the ship before heading to the cabin.

 

Depends on how you make use of the package.

 

My wife liked the Shariz that was $12 a glass, and I liked the Craft beers that were any where from $10-$14 each, so we got the Premium pkg last yr, and plan on doing so again in 12 days!

Edited October 28, 2014 by wallie5446

[DinaS]

This is our first cruise. Today I got an email from Celebrity about purchasing a beverage package. Do we really need beverage packages? Is this a per person charge? My wife is mainly a wine drinker but I enjoy premium beers and vodka. Not heavy drinkers but I am sure we will drink plenty since we are on a vacation. Any help will be appreciated. TIA.

 

Dan

 

You should have had the opportunity to select your perk as part of the 123 promotion. Did you get prepaid gratuities? You should have had a choice of beverage plans, prepaid gratuities or OBC.

 

If you didn't get any of these, call your TA (US Airways) and find out why they didn't offer this to you.

[miataman19]

You also have the option to purchase the package on the ship. That's a nice choice if you have OBC and aren't getting the package as a perk.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Forums mobile app

[cb at sea]

Included in your fare will be: Ice water, coffee, tea (iced or hot) lemonade or flavored water, milk and juice at breakfast. So you really don't need a package for those things.

 

Soda is about $2.85 per can (yields 2 glasses with ice)....

 

Drinks run from $5-12...depending on what you get....domestic beers might be a bit less. Wine is WAAAAAY overpriced.

 

You generally need to drink about 6-7 drinks per day to make an alcohol package "pay" for itself.

[Lsimon]

No, you do not have to buy a beverage package.

 

I believe that the beverage packages are expensive. It is my belief and opinion that when Celebrity started offering these packages a few years ago that they did so with the idea of increasing, and not decreasing, their revenues. It therefore follows that the packages are priced above the average cruiser's past level of expenditure for extra cost beverages. With this in mind I feel the beverage packages are best for those that drink above average quantities of the included beverages or are willing to pay a little extra for an all inclusive experience.

 

If you feel that they are not a good option for you then you can purchase any drinks ala carte on a pay as you go basis. All onboard purchases are charged to an onboard account that you settle at the end of the cruise so there is no need to carry cash on board.

 

Also, while the packages include a nice selection of premium non-alcoholic beverages there is a selection of basic non-alcoholic beverages included in your cruise fare at no extra cost. Click here for a post on another thread discussing this.

 

I'll also add that if one is a wine connoisseur they may find the wines offered on the beverage packages to be disappointing. The wines offered on the classic package are a very basic selection of wines. The premium package adds a few nicer varieties but the fact is that the selection of wines served by the glass on board (which is all you can get under the packages) pales in comparison to the larger and more varied list of wines available by the bottle.

 

If one is unsure as to whether or not they should buy a package then they can wait until they are on board and have had time to check out the selection, prices and their desired consumption. You can take a day to check things out and then buy a package on board at a cost prorated for the remaining nights of your cruise.

[Champagne Cruiser]

If you have to pay for the package I would wait until Day 2 of the cruise. Give yourself a full day to see what you would actually want to drink. We love the Beverage Pkg, but if we had to pay for it we wouldn't have it. Sure I like the lattes, SanPellegrino and fresh squeezed oj along with my champagne and wine. But if I don't have the free package I am happy with the free coffee, teas, juice and water.

[Lsimon]

...Wine is WAAAAAY overpriced....

 

Personally I do not believe that any of the beverages are way overpriced, including the wine. Are the prices significantly higher than retail prices? - Definitely!! But I wouldn't expect to pay retail prices at any bar or restaurant. The prices on board the ship are comparable to most nicer resorts, bars and restaurants I've been to and lower than that found at many nicer restaurants in the Chicago area.

 

If anyone is curious about the prices of wine you can look at the following posts which were from cruises last May. Note that the second link is from a cruise from a UK port where they included the 15% gratuity in the menu price as noted on the post:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2042016

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44321241&

Edited October 29, 2014 by Lsimon

[Bholling]

Hope you are able to get the perks you've earned, but don't lose a lot of sleep over the beverage packages. We've cruised with and without them, and while it is nice not to have all those bar receipts piling up, for me anyway, they usually turn out not to be worth the cost.

 

I am fine with the regular coffee from room service or the buffet so no need for me to spend $5 each for specialty coffee drinks. I usually have 2 or 3 drinks max during sea days and 1 or 2 glasses of wine with dinner. We don't usually stay up late enough to spend a lot of time in the bars, so very few nightcaps. Last time we had a package I almost felt compelled to drink more than I normally would just to get my money's worth!

 

I think on our next cruise in February we will go without the alcohol packages. That way I can feel free to order the wine I really want rather than trying to find one that fits the price point of my package. I can't see how I could possibly drink enough to make up the difference, but more power to those who can!

[Cruise_Christy]

You just have to calculate that if there was no package available, would you spend at least that amount every day on beverages. I know I wouldn't come even close to the alcoholic packages value even if I was trying hard, but would easily exceed the non alcoholic packages.

 

People who drink a lot will get good value. If you're really not sure if you'd come close to that amount then it's probably not going to be worth it.

 

So if not sure - don't prebook. Worst case scenario, you don't book it, you go on the ship, you see the drinks prices, you have a day on board, you decide you definitely spent more than the daily package - you can still get the package and you won't have lost anything. Much better than buying it in advance because you're not sure and then realizing on board that you only drink half the amount.

[B1G]

I will never cruise without a BP

Edited October 29, 2014 by B1G

[4774Papa]

This is our first cruise. Today I got an email from Celebrity about purchasing a beverage package. Do we really need beverage packages? Is this a per person charge? My wife is mainly a wine drinker but I enjoy premium beers and vodka. Not heavy drinkers but I am sure we will drink plenty since we are on a vacation. Any help will be appreciated. TIA.

 

Dan

The water on the ship is drinkable.

 

There are wine packages where you can save a bit.

 

In my opinion, unless you drink quite a lot and have to have the expensive starbucks type coffee, the beverage packages are not affordable. Cost is about $50 per person a day.

 

For a two week cruise, we normally spend about $400 total on alcohol, and we drink wine with every dinner. We do buy an occasional mixed drink or beer. If you drink a lot, go for it.

[Caribbean Chris]

I would call US Air vacations or Celebrity and ask them. If you booked during a time that the 123Go package or the Pick your Perk was available then you should have had the option to pick one of the items.

 

If the promo was on and they didn't offer it to you I would try to get them to make it right. I don't recall a time in the last year when one of those offers was not available.

 

If they can't add it on for you then I would take your stuff to a travel agent and see what they can do for you. You shouldn't have to pay for something that you should have got for free.

 

Actually, there WAS a timeframe in late spring this year (2014) when 123Go/Pick Your Perk had ended. For a while, X offered a "Pick Two" deal. My relatives decided to join us on our December cruise and got $500 off the price and a $500 on board credit. (No Bev package.)

 

It is definitely worth investigating through USAir Vacations.

 

(Doubtful they can "take your stuff to a travel agent and see what they can do for you" because USAir Vacations basically owns the booking - they ARE the agent. The only option woud be cancel and rebook with a fresh start. Original poster did not say when he is sailing, or what itinerary, but might be in the penalty period. Might also lose what he paid for an insurance package, and USAir may have a canx fee of their own.)

 

Bear in mind - Some cruises, categories, bookings do not qualify for 123Go such as transatlantics.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Caribbean Chris

[AmberCascades]

Search the Board for Celebrity Drink Calculator (I tried to link it here, but I'm not so good at these technical thingies - I don't know if it worked or not).

 

We used it to figure out the package for our last Celebrity cruise. We usually get the free one, but we didn't for the last cruise. It helps to figure out whether it's worth buying or not.

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=311997&d=1399534404

[blindrid]

This is our first cruise. Today I got an email from Celebrity about purchasing a beverage package. Do we really need beverage packages? Is this a per person charge? My wife is mainly a wine drinker but I enjoy premium beers and vodka. Not heavy drinkers but I am sure we will drink plenty since we are on a vacation. Any help will be appreciated. TIA.

 

Dan

 

Hi Dan:

 

We never buy drink packages and I consider myself a professional drinker when I cruise :rolleyes:.

 

Here's the way my history has worked. I prefer beer in the day ( a bucket will do me fine), wine at night with maybe a nightcap or two. My DW drinks a few drinks during the day and a glass of wine or two with dinner. We really don't keep track or conserve as it's vacation. Don't do a lot of specialty coffees and sodas. Will buy maybe a wine package if available to get discounted bottles.

 

Since you have to cover both, our bar tab is never $100+ a day. IMHO, the bill probably would be but when in port we'll drink on the beach, etc. so valuable drinking time is off the ship, out of pocket. I do notice as time on a cruise passes, I drink less also. So the first couple of days, I might really give it a run then taper off as I think the "vacation effect" wears off also.

 

I know some people have documented their tabs and feel it's a great buy but in our case, our drinks run about $75 a day on the average. Now if we were on a TA or something sea day intensive, I know I could do some damage. Accordingly, on a ten day out tab = $750 instead of the $1100+(with grats).

 

To each their own and enjoy your cruise, Randy

[happygran]

There's no need to buy the drinks package, if you're a moderate drinker.......we enjoy a few drinks on a cruise.......martinis, beer, cocktails.........it depends how many you enjoy! We certainly enjoy our drinks, in the evening, but have never found a benefit to ordering the package........we don't drink enough, even though we 'think' we drink a lot on board. We have wine with dinner plus a few drinks afterwards, but that doesn't justify a package.

 

We have a package on our next cruise (promo) but would never buy one.........and we don't go without.........just don't drink during the day, make do with the coffee on offer etc etc.

 

Each to their own................

[caladezi]

Don't overlook that if the OP purchased an inside cabin, the perks would not have been available. OV or above only.

[vulcan1971]

I clicked on the link earlier in this thread to use the spreadsheet that helps you to estimate your bar bill. I used my upcoming 16 day transatlantic as an example. The ala carte pricing estimated my bill well north of

$2000. :eek:

 

Glad that I purchased my premium package prior to the last price increase back in February for less than $1000. :D

[blindrid]

I clicked on the link earlier in this thread to use the spreadsheet that helps you to estimate your bar bill. I used my upcoming 16 day transatlantic as an example. The ala carte pricing estimated my bill well north of

$2000. :eek:

 

Glad that I purchased my premium package prior to the last price increase back in February for less than $1000. :D

 

16 day for only a $1,000? Doesn't sound right but I'll believe you.