Classic Beverage Package Changes and Devaluation

[prmssk]

8 minutes ago, Cruisedreamer1 said:

Well, now the classic beverage package does not include premium coffees or teas!!!! Now I'm miffed!!!

 

Please let me know if I'm miss reading the above.

They are still included. See the link in post #70

[jelayne]

22 minutes ago, Cruisedreamer1 said:

Well, now the classic beverage package does not include premium coffees or teas!!!! Now I'm miffed!!!

 

Please let me know if I'm miss reading the above.

You are misreading something.  Premium coffees and teas are still included in the Classic package.

[RichYak]

IMO there is an incredible amount of misinformation in this thread. People seem to be aghast about things that aren’t actually true. 

[slonich]

Well, when I was booking our March cruise in January, I called Celebrity to confirm that sparkling water and juices would indeed be included if we chose "all included" and they said YES. Either the rep was reading the info off of their website, or their internal documents also had Zero Proof included in Classic at that time (1/20). I've done my due diligence so I fully expect our cards to be coded according to how the package was sold to me.

 

The cost of going with AI vs cabin only was actually a couple of dollars less than adding separate gratuities, wifi, and zero proof package, so it was a really good deal to get a Classic package for less than the cost of Zero Proof. If they make me pay for bottled water after all, I won't be happy, but we'll still be ahead. 

 

Re grandfathering, should be fairly easy to implement as their database includes the price and category for each drink, among other things. The passenger card is what decides if that drink will ring up as a $0 or some other value. Each card could be easily coded to include or exclude whatever is needed in any combination, not just current packages (Premium, Classic, Zero Proof, or None), but unlimited versions of each. I really hope that's how things already are and it won't be a fight for any of us to receive what we purchased.

[RichYak]

16 minutes ago, slonich said:

I've done my due diligence so I fully expect our cards to be coded according to how the package was sold to me.

IMO your card will be coded according to what you paid for. For what you were told will require a fight. Please don’t take it out on the bartender who must charge you for your sparkling water. Take your fight to guest services afterwards. 

[NorthStarStateCruiser]

9 minutes ago, slonich said:

Re grandfathering, should be fairly easy to implement as their database includes the price and category for each drink, among other things. The passenger card is what decides if that drink will ring up as a $0 or some other value. Each card could be easily coded to include or exclude whatever is needed in any combination, not just current packages (Premium, Classic, Zero Proof, or None), but unlimited versions of each. I really hope that's how things already are and it won't be a fight for any of us to receive what we purchased.

I think that's overestimating the aptitude of Celebrity's IT department. It's certainly possible, but I don't think they'll jump through extra hoops to accommodate in this way.

 

In regards to that phone call, sparkling water and juices are included in the classic package. Premium juices or water are not included. What the phone agent told you is correct.

[slonich]

4 minutes ago, RichYak said:

IMO your card will be coded according to what you paid for. For what you were told will require a fight. Please don’t take it out on the bartender who must charge you for your sparkling water. Take your fight to guest services afterwards. 

Of course not, he/she will be mixing my drinks for the next 4 days 🙂

This is likely a non-issue and everything's just fine. If there happen to be inconsistencies, shouldn't amount to too much $$, may or may not be worth a phone call when we get back home.

[slonich]

5 minutes ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

I think that's overestimating the aptitude of Celebrity's IT department. It's certainly possible, but I don't think they'll jump through extra hoops to accommodate in this way.

 

In regards to that phone call, sparkling water and juices are included in the classic package. Premium juices or water are not included. What the phone agent told you is correct.

 

Fingers crossed Celebrity already has the procedure in place for custom packages and it's a matter of data entry, no need to involve the IT department :).

 

Thanks for clarifying about sparkling water and juice!

Back in January I asked the phone rep about San Pellegrino, Perrier, or similar, as well as bottled still water. The answer was "yes, everything non-alcoholic is now included in the Classic package". She wasn't sure about smoothies and went to ask somebody, then a few moments later said yes to that too. That was a little sus as people here were saying the opposite, but figured it would be a nice bonus if the rep was right and smoothies were also included. I heard that smoothies weren't that great, but DH is a vegan and he may go for those.

Later I mentioned to her how it was a little hard to figure out what the new info was vs what was left over from 2022. She said they had just made changes to the packages beginning of 2023, like the price of the Classic package went up but it now included "everything non-alcoholic". That made sense.

[CruiseCrew123]

The rep is incorrect. Smoothies (think kale etc from the spa cafe ) are not included and neither are fresh juices - just the watered down version from the ocean view . Sparkling water in the form of club soda is available but not pelligrino or Perrier . I was on celebrity 2 weeks ago 

[wrk2cruise]

@CruiseCrew123  Is correct the classic package includes generic versions but the premium waters are on the premium alcohol package or zero proof package.

 

I think the real change in the packages was the elimination of the classic non alcoholic and soda packages and basically rebranding the premium non alcoholic package as Zero Proof.  

 

The execution of the change was totally botched.

[stellarose]

my invoice says:

 

Celebrity All‐Incluisve Promotion
At Celebrity Cruises®, we believe choice matters. That’s why we’ve pre­packaged our most popular amenities—drinks,
Wi­Fi, and tips—so you can now choose the most convenient way to get the best value from your cruise. It’s that
simple. One price. All Included.
Drinks
Choose from an incredible array of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, wines by the glass, sodas, juices,
specialty coffees and bottled water from our Classic Drinks Package.
Wi­Fi
We know staying in touch is important, so we’ve included Basic Wi­Fi access for all guests. Browse the web, check
email, and text using messaging apps.
Tips
We’ve got you covered. Just sit back and relax while we make your vacation as memorable as possible.

[PTC DAWG]

8 hours ago, RichYak said:

IMO there is an incredible amount of misinformation in this thread. People seem to be aghast about things that aren’t actually true. 

Par for the course. 

[stellarose]

if I go to bar and they say no to what I want.... then so be it. I'M ON VACAY lol.

[NorthStarStateCruiser]

7 hours ago, slonich said:

Back in January I asked the phone rep about San Pellegrino, Perrier, or similar, as well as bottled still water. The answer was "yes, everything non-alcoholic is now included in the Classic package". She wasn't sure about smoothies and went to ask somebody, then a few moments later said yes to that too. That was a little sus as people here were saying the opposite, but figured it would be a nice bonus if the rep was right and smoothies were also included. I heard that smoothies weren't that great, but DH is a vegan and he may go for those.

Later I mentioned to her how it was a little hard to figure out what the new info was vs what was left over from 2022. She said they had just made changes to the packages beginning of 2023, like the price of the Classic package went up but it now included "everything non-alcoholic". That made sense.

Okay, that's really lame that they specifically told you this info over the phone.  There certainly was some miscommunication internally that led to this misinformation.  I really think that the only way they are going to remedy this situation is by offering $100 OBC for the mishap to folks who were led to believe that all non-alcoholic drinks were included in the classic package.

[stellarose]

and my celebrity booking does not show drink package as add on, but my invoice from my TA does. uh oh. 

[slonich]

23 minutes ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

Okay, that's really lame that they specifically told you this info over the phone.  There certainly was some miscommunication internally that led to this misinformation.  I really think that the only way they are going to remedy this situation is by offering $100 OBC for the mishap to folks who were led to believe that all non-alcoholic drinks were included in the classic package.

That would be very nice of them to do. I don't want to call again because there may be no problem at all and everything may already be set up exactly as promised at booking. I'd rather not poke too much before it's confirmed that the problem exists.

Worst case scenario, we'll modify what we order, or pay a la carte. Or I'll have my 18-year-old order premium non-alc for me with her fancy Zaro Proof card. Those gen-Zers are finally good for something lol

[Lisah101]

8 hours ago, slonich said:

 

Fingers crossed Celebrity already has the procedure in place for custom packages and it's a matter of data entry, no need to involve the IT department :).

 

Thanks for clarifying about sparkling water and juice!

Back in January I asked the phone rep about San Pellegrino, Perrier, or similar, as well as bottled still water. The answer was "yes, everything non-alcoholic is now included in the Classic package". She wasn't sure about smoothies and went to ask somebody, then a few moments later said yes to that too. That was a little sus as people here were saying the opposite, but figured it would be a nice bonus if the rep was right and smoothies were also included. I heard that smoothies weren't that great, but DH is a vegan and he may go for those.

Later I mentioned to her how it was a little hard to figure out what the new info was vs what was left over from 2022. She said they had just made changes to the packages beginning of 2023, like the price of the Classic package went up but it now included "everything non-alcoholic". That made sense.

I thought the smoothies included greek yogurt so that would not be vegan.

[slonich]

1 hour ago, stellarose said:

if I go to bar and they say no to what I want.... then so be it. I'M ON VACAY lol.

 

Exactly!

After a couple of rounds of whatever they give us from the upper 3/4 of the classic package list, we'll be completely fine with generic bottled water and non-premium juices. 

As they say, happiness doesn't come from a bottle. Unless it's a Gucci or a Dior 🙂

[stellarose]

As a school teacher , who is saving up the entire year for the trip,  it's vacation.  I am not cooking, cleaning or doing any school work.  Vacation!! If I can only a 

[slonich]

11 minutes ago, Lisah101 said:

I thought the smoothies included greek yogurt so that would not be vegan.

Nooo! 

Thanks so much for pointing that out. I'll obviously need to do some more research. He's been a vegan for a long time and is pretty good at magically finding stuff to fit his diet anywhere we go. I still like to do some prep work and get a rough idea of what may be available at which restaurant before we make reservations. 

Do you know if Spa Cafe makes the smoothies from fresh fruit, or from premixes?

[slonich]

39 minutes ago, stellarose said:

As a school teacher , who is saving up the entire year for the trip,  it's vacation.  I am not cooking, cleaning or doing any school work.  Vacation!! If I can only a 

I hear you. My job is not nearly as challenging as yours and I love it most of the time, but it/s still so awesome to get away for a few days. 

 

Here's to not running into any of our students, clients, patients, colleagues, or bosses while on vacation!

[twobeautifulgirls]

I am booked in an Aqua class room so we both have the classic drink package. My daughter is only 19 so I asked the TA if we still have to pay the premium for the classic package as opposed to the zero package which is $50 a day cheaper. I was told we have no option since it is part of Aqua. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for a refund of a drink package for a minor. I mean, she would love an unlimited drink package but if they won't serve her why should I pay for it?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 minutes ago, twobeautifulgirls said:

I am booked in an Aqua class room so we both have the classic drink package. My daughter is only 19 so I asked the TA if we still have to pay the premium for the classic package as opposed to the zero package which is $50 a day cheaper. I was told we have no option since it is part of Aqua. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for a refund of a drink package for a minor. I mean, she would love an unlimited drink package but if they won't serve her why should I pay for it?

Most the world is 19 , but if your old enough to join the military, you should be able to drink 

[zitsky]

47 minutes ago, twobeautifulgirls said:

I am booked in an Aqua class room so we both have the classic drink package. My daughter is only 19 so I asked the TA if we still have to pay the premium for the classic package as opposed to the zero package which is $50 a day cheaper. I was told we have no option since it is part of Aqua. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for a refund of a drink package for a minor. I mean, she would love an unlimited drink package but if they won't serve her why should I pay for it?

Well when you call Celebrity please let us know what they say.

[slonich]

1 hour ago, twobeautifulgirls said:

I am booked in an Aqua class room so we both have the classic drink package. My daughter is only 19 so I asked the TA if we still have to pay the premium for the classic package as opposed to the zero package which is $50 a day cheaper. I was told we have no option since it is part of Aqua. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for a refund of a drink package for a minor. I mean, she would love an unlimited drink package but if they won't serve her why should I pay for it?

 

We are not in Aqua, but in a somewhat similar situation: have a Concierge with all included and a kid who will be 18. I was told that she would get the Zero Proof package instead of Classic and the cost of all included is what it is regardless, no discounts. AI package still made sense for us. 

 

Another question I was kinda pushed into asking was if anything would change while we are docked in the Bahamas as their legal drinking age is 18. The answer was that on land in the Bahamas it may be 18, but while onboard it's still 21 so no alc for her. Of course it was a no, but earned me some easy cool mom points for fake trying.