Free diamond drinks

[cruisegus]

1 hour ago, Cigar King said:

If you are in a suite, you can get water in the suite lounge during happy hour.  If you are on an Oasis class ship, that may be form 11 - 11.  

think it might very by ship just off Allure in a GS within the last 30 days and nothing avalible from 11am till just before happy hour.

[island lady]

15 hours ago, cruisegus said:

think it might very by ship just off Allure in a GS within the last 30 days and nothing avalible from 11am till just before happy hour.

 

Harmony 11/28 & 12/5 B2B.   Harmony again 1/2 &1/9 B2B.  

 

All four legs/weeks....Beer, wine, soda, water, bubbly available in the SL for no charge from 11-11.  No charge happy hour full drinks started at 4:30.  

 

Tips in cash were always appreciated.  

[joetop2467]

So if we use a diamond drink voucher for a ten dollar drink, are we charged a gratuity?

[island lady]

12 minutes ago, joetop2467 said:

So if we use a diamond drink voucher for a ten dollar drink, are we charged a gratuity?

 

Actually never got a bill to sign.  As long as it's free...to me it's free.  We tip bartender, waiter in cash for each drink.  

[SHIP TRAVELER]

It is interesting how the loyalty programs on different main stream lines vary. 

 

On Princess, we are Platinum (Elite is higher so Plat is like Diamond).  They have no free drinks except at the welcome back party.  They do have a happy hour snack spread 4:30 to 7:?? in a closed venue but you buy your own drinks.

 

On Celebrity, we are Elite and it is all you can drink from 5 to 7 at most bars.  No snacks of any note.

These free drinks are NOT good in the dining room.  At Elite plus you get free specialty coffee anywhere except Starbucks.

On Celebrity in a suite (Sky Suites included) you get free drinks all day in the Retreat suite lounge.  There is a cooler with help yourself soft drinks, water, juices and beer. There is a free fancy coffee machine.

I had not realized that there was no drinks in the Suite Lounge on RCL until happy hour time.  The one time we were in a GS we joined friends in the D lounge and didn't use the SL.  This was on a TA with the Diamond in a big lounge so we did not crowd anyone.  The good old days of a big party.

 

We are D+ now and are looking forward to trying the new drinks plan.  I think it will work for us.  We really like that it will be good in the dining room because we like a glass of wine with dinner and I hate to carry one in from a bar.

 

 

[flamingos]

2 hours ago, joetop2467 said:

So if we use a diamond drink voucher for a ten dollar drink, are we charged a gratuity?

No - it just shows up as $0.00 charge.

 

We always tipped $1 each drink (or a larger bill at the end of the evening).

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

 

On Celebrity, we are Elite and it is all you can drink from 5 to 7 at most bars.  No snacks of any note.

These free drinks are NOT good in the dining room.  At Elite plus you get free specialty coffee anywhere except Starbucks.

 

 

Starbucks on Celebrity 😱

don’t most people  have the classic drink package , so free drinks at HH does mean much 

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, joetop2467 said:

So if we use a diamond drink voucher for a ten dollar drink, are we charged a gratuity?

The C&A drinks loaded on your Seapass card are at no additional charge to you so that means the server/bar tender is not getting an automatic tip. 

[davekathy]

1 minute ago, Airbalancer said:

Starbucks on Celebrity 😱

don’t most people  have the classic drink package , so free drinks at HH does mean much 

It does for those elite and above that aren't getting the AI offer that includes the CBP. 

[39august]

Coffee not free in Cafe Promenade?

[cruisegirl1]

25 minutes ago, 39august said:

Coffee not free in Cafe Promenade?

Brewed coffee is free, but not any type of specialty coffee. 

 

M

[molly361]

6 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Harmony 11/28 & 12/5 B2B.   Harmony again 1/2 &1/9 B2B.  

 

All four legs/weeks....Beer, wine, soda, water, bubbly available in the SL for no charge from 11-11.  No charge happy hour full drinks started at 4:30.  

 

Tips in cash were always appreciated.  

I missed out.  I thought the letter said the Happy Hour started at 5 so I always went elsewhere.  I also thought the letter said coffee was available starting at 7am and as you know you were lucky if they were ready at 7:30.  Good to know for May that Happy hour is at 4:30 not 5

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I never seen a Starbucks on a Celebrity ship , they Al Bacio , probably better that Starbucks 

[John&LaLa]

19 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I missed out.  I thought the letter said the Happy Hour started at 5 so I always went elsewhere.  I also thought the letter said coffee was available starting at 7am and as you know you were lucky if they were ready at 7:30.  Good to know for May that Happy hour is at 4:30 not 5

 

You're not going in April🤔

[molly361]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

You're not going in April🤔

That's right  I'm going with my new BFF LaLa in March😇

[Jasukkie]

I get the feeling a lot of Diamonds are not tipping on these drinks. Bartenders seem surprised when I do. I wish they would put out a tip jar. I guess people could say it's included in your daily gratuity charge??

 

 

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, Jasukkie said:

I get the feeling a lot of Diamonds are not tipping on these drinks. Bartenders seem surprised when I do. I wish they would put out a tip jar. I guess people could say it's included in your daily gratuity charge??

 

 

 

No idea on Diamond folks, but this Pinnacle tips cash 

[Lady Hudson]

Us too!  We are very grateful to those working on our ships.  Katherine 

[BekkaW]

9 minutes ago, Jasukkie said:

I get the feeling a lot of Diamonds are not tipping on these drinks. Bartenders seem surprised when I do. I wish they would put out a tip jar. I guess people could say it's included in your daily gratuity charge??

 

 

We certainly always tip on our diamond drinks. To my knowledge it has always been regarded as the correct thing to do whether it was in the lounge, or the first run they had at the 3 vouchers during happy hour times, and now these more flexible vouchers. 

 

[VernRDH]

Agree on tipping on the diamond drinks. I usually do a little each time and then a bigger tip at the end. Both at the solarium bar where we spend most days and at 270 or cafe promenade for my morning latte. 

[cruisegirl1]

18 minutes ago, Jasukkie said:

I get the feeling a lot of Diamonds are not tipping on these drinks. Bartenders seem surprised when I do. I wish they would put out a tip jar. I guess people could say it's included in your daily gratuity charge??

 

 

I wouldn’t have any idea what others tip. I tip for the voucher drinks,, as well as a complimentary drink I might receive from the casino.  

 

Couple of times , if I’ve had no money on me, I’ve asked for a receipt so I could add gratuity. Servers or bartenders are always happy to comply. 
 

m

Edited January 23, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[island lady]

17 hours ago, molly361 said:

I missed out.  I thought the letter said the Happy Hour started at 5 so I always went elsewhere.  I also thought the letter said coffee was available starting at 7am and as you know you were lucky if they were ready at 7:30.  Good to know for May that Happy hour is at 4:30 not 5

 

I thought so as well.  It wasn't until this last B2B that I questioned our bartender in the SL on giving us a couple of Gin and Tonics since it was still 20 minutes to 5.  He told me HH started at 4:30 (freebie cocktails for suites).  We were just expecting to use our vouchers.  

 

And actually I think the DL starts then too, 4:30-7:30 but could not verify that since we never used it except for coffee when the crew members in the SL could not get their act together before 7:45. 😣

 

In our paper work the SL coffee is supposed to be available by 7 am.  Had even questioned Lyli on it, who verified it.  Uh..uh....not!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by island lady

[island lady]

17 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

No idea on Diamond folks, but this Pinnacle tips cash 

 

So does this one.  😉 

[flamingos]

17 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Couple of times , if I’ve had no money on me, I’ve asked for a receipt so I could add gratuity. Servers or bartenders are always happy to comply. 
 

This is what hung us up - we did this once and while the free drink was on our account immediately, it was late the next day before the gratuity showed up as a separate charge. 

[island lady]

12 minutes ago, flamingos said:

This is what hung us up - we did this once and while the free drink was on our account immediately, it was late the next day before the gratuity showed up as a separate charge. 

 

That happens with land based restaurants as "pending" until they add the tip on my CC all the time as well.

 

Bucky likes a higher end Cab which is 15.00...two bucks over the 13.00 allowed for vouchers.  After a fee of 36 cents...we see these daily posts on our sea pass account of 2.36.  😉  They were even putting those little charges through separately as  pending on our CC.