How far will you go ???

[jennmaybe]

After 17 years of cruising, we have never, ever paid for a beverage package and we never have any intention on doing so. The prices are just absolutely ludicrous and you would have to do a lot of drinking to justify the cost.  
 

As long as people are willing to pay it, they will continue charging their outrageous prices and they will continue increasing as much as they can.  We prefer to pay for a balcony cabin in lieu of wasting money on a beverage package.

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, Pinboy said:

LOL--- No disrespect--Let's stay friends--

Don't ya think there's better ( more fun ) things to enjoy the " thrill of the hunt " than getting a deal on toilet paper ???

Example---- Let's say I'm sitting in the Solarium , very few seats available, " you know who " is  in the cabin, and this beautiful 32 yr old hops onto the lounge beside me, etc, etc---

Guess what happens ???  I wake up !!

Lol!!  Absolutely, unequivocally YES!  That was about the extent of my couponing. The thrill of the hunt for me is finding a cruise bargain!

[doghog]

3 hours ago, Pinboy said:

Example---- Let's say I'm sitting in the Solarium , very few seats available, " you know who " is  in the cabin, and this beautiful 32 yr old hops onto the lounge beside me, etc, etc---

Guess what happens ???  I wake up !!

You've been watching National Lampoons Vacation way to much. 😂

[dleahy4444]

26 minutes ago, Hawkstar33 said:

Well, I kinda don't have a real point..I was reading, and the amount of folks posting about how they work their daily drinks out, just amazed me. And I understand the scrimping part. But if you have to scrimp like some are willing to do, it just ain't happening for me. That's all. Just saying that we will not play the game, and for us the package is it.  Covers every beverage from taking meds in the morning till bedtime, and even our during the night sip or two of water.  Mind you, we never drink at home.  So it's not about getting a package to get bombed..It's a matter of having it when you want it, whether it is 2 or 10 drinks, because we are on vacation.  No asking what we can and can't have, and not being upset when the cheap wine stinks. Or when they pour cheap rack booze into my glass instead of the good stuff, because what I drink is not available on a very limited, drink menu between 5-7.     

Do I understand that you rather not go on the cruise at all if you could not get / afford the package? If so, that is your personal choice. Others may opt to still cruise, enjoy everything they are paying for in their cruise fare, and the perks of their loyalty tier. Again a personal choice based on finances and preferences. If those people want to go on this board and share their experiences or tips on how to get the occasional drink without paying the exorbitant prices why shouldn’t they? Isn’t what CC be about? Sharing experiences and tips without judgement? 

[Muushka]

I am in the camp of not wasting money no matter what I am doing.  Be it in a grocery store or a restaurant or on vacation or cruising.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the finer things (we usually cruise in a suite on X or the rare RCI, Yachtclub on MSC.  But we have done several DCL cruises and no way would we pay suite prices on that cruise line). 

 

When we do cruise X in a suite, nowadays means waiting until I find a suite at a decent price otherwise no.  I have a feeling this will be our last suite on X due to the rise in price.

 

I have a close relative who has the attitude that she only lives once.  "It's my vacation, I'm going to splurge!".  Or "I am eating out, I will splurge!"  I should probably say that she had the attitude because today she cannot afford anything other than the absolutely necessities, no splurges.

[markeb]

21 minutes ago, jennmaybe said:

After 17 years of cruising, we have never, ever paid for a beverage package and we never have any intention on doing so. The prices are just absolutely ludicrous and you would have to do a lot of drinking to justify the cost.  
 

As long as people are willing to pay it, they will continue charging their outrageous prices and they will continue increasing as much as they can.  We prefer to pay for a balcony cabin in lieu of wasting money on a beverage package.

 

Have you done the math on that? Recently?

 

The promotion may be over, but Celebrity had the premium beverage package on special for $69.99. Martinis at the martini bar are $17. Much of the (barely) drinkable wine is $17. Much of the beer is $11 or more. A latte is $5. Bottled water is $4. So are sodas. It doesn't take much effort to hit 69.99. Four martinis or martini priced drinks plus a latte should do it. Or three, a few bottles of water, and a latte. A little more effort to break even at $99. The cost of alcohol without a drink package is ludicrous. The cost of the package really isn't. (And no, I'm not adding the gratuity. It cancels out algebraically in the calculation.)

 

I certainly don't advocate having 4-6 alcoholic beverages of any type every day, but people do it all the time on a cruise. And then presumably revert to baseline at home.

[Lastdance]

There is nothing wrong with the thrill, or the art of the hunt for a great price, as I love that feeling too! Having said that, it’s your hard-earned money, along with your right to do as you please with it!  I am absolutely okay with doing what you feel is needed within the rules to feel a cruise is worth it to you.  After all, it is opportunity cost and priority driven.  Drinking is not my forte, but I do love my bottles premium water, not just in plastic bottles or huge glass ones.  Also, I have never been allowed by Celebrity to book the Retreat that did not include the Premium Bev Pkg.  Yes, I do know that others have been able to do it without that package, but unfortunately not me!  So I do drink lots of water, along with a few drinks that I have learned to enjoy, but never more than one alcoholic beverage a day.

[grandgeezer]

5 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

I really don’t see the point of your post other than to wonder why people might go to extremes to not have to get the drink package. As another poster pointed out, many people do scrimp and save in order to afford a Celebrity cruise vacation. Since the prices are so high now, the cruise fare alone may be at the top of their budget. A drink package, especially if they don’t drink much, might be an unjustified additional expense. If the cruiser is Elite or above, the perks like the HH drinks are not “free”. They are well deserved perks earned by the money they have spent over the years as loyal customers, which they should take full advantage of, within the rules. 

I beg to differ with the statement about HH drinks aren’t free. In the past we had friends cruise with us on Celebrity, we are Elite +. We booked at the same time, same category. We paid exactly the same price. We got the HH drinks, two bags of laundry each, 240 minutes of internet, and a few other freebies, they got nothing. Sounds an awful lot like “for free” to me.

We’ve the drink package a couple of times and found it was a waste of money. I can’t remember more than once, or twice that we got our “monies worth”. We didn’t drink much more than we did with just the HH drinks. We don’t bring any wine or soda aboard. If you are someone who normally drinks enough maybe it’s worth it to you. If not, what have you gained or saved? It’s your money to spend as you please.

[dleahy4444]

16 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

I beg to differ with the statement about HH drinks aren’t free. In the past we had friends cruise with us on Celebrity, we are Elite +. We booked at the same time, same category. We paid exactly the same price. We got the HH drinks, two bags of laundry each, 240 minutes of internet, and a few other freebies, they got nothing. Sounds an awful lot like “for free” to me.

We’ve the drink package a couple of times and found it was a waste of money. I can’t remember more than once, or twice that we got our “monies worth”. We didn’t drink much more than we did with just the HH drinks. We don’t bring any wine or soda aboard. If you are someone who normally drinks enough maybe it’s worth it to you. If not, what have you gained or saved? It’s your money to spend as you please.

I know that there is no charge for the HH drinks or other Elite perks. What I meant was that these drinks and perks were earned ( not merely gifted)  by Elite and above cruisers who  receive these perks in return for their brand loyalty and the money they have spent on Celebrity over the years. 
I agree with the rest of your post. If elite cruisers want to just use their HH drinks and want to optimize them as fully as possible, that is their prerogative. The drink package may not work for them. As you said, it’s their money to spend as they please. 

[C-Dragons]

6 hours ago, Andrewgary said:

Right up there with "Bless your heart".

Absolutely.

It's a favorite Texan saying. 😉

[cgolf1]

So I guess I didn’t fully answer the OPs post. We don’t bring wine or any drinks onboard. Two cruises the only booking option was with the classic package, that was sufficient for us. Our other numerous cruises the max drinks we would buy is 5 each, even when we did a 16 night cruise. We get water from the buffet during the day and juices. I bought the soda package on Royal, but wouldn’t do that anymore. 
 

We also no longer due specialty dining, used to do the specialty buffet on Disney. In all our cruises all but one supper has been in the mdr. We are super cheap people. There is no reason I could see we would cheat the system and we likely will never reach the free drink status sailing inside rooms on Celebrity. Even booked an oceanview, lowest class on our Galapagos trip lol. 
 

I know the way we cruise is not for many, but it works for us. I just need time away from a stressful job. 

[zitsky]

I understand the OP.  I grew up poor.  Now I’m not.  I bounced checks in college to feed my cat.  I studied finance and accounting.  But I don’t pinch my pennies.  I don’t watch how much extra I spend over my package limit.  I decide what my cruise budget is and I spend it.

 

Bringing in a case of soda is crazy unless you really have to have Pepsi.  I wanted Perrier on board but lived with what was available because I got tired of hearing “we don’t have it”.

[mayleeman]

Lots of comments about what strangers should do. 

 

Many of us have only one drinker in a couple. The packages require a purchase of some package by everyone.  My wife for medical reasons (a-fib) cannot drink more than a sip of anything with alcohol, caffeine or artificial sweeteners. She will drink ginger ale to help with motion sickness. Me, I have diabetes so I drink only straight hard liquor to avoid raising my blood sugar, and wine if I have just one or two on a lower carb day. I also stopped drinking soda months ago, and am perfectly happy with ordinary coffee and ice tea.

 

So, the packages would be crazy for us to buy. I bought the "gift" 1 liter of Scotch (no tip--thanks, @Jim_Iain) and we will bring a bottle of wine for our cabin. We will bring some ginger ale for my wife because getting some on board in the past has been iffy.

 

People shouldn't generalize about others' choices...our situations may not be similar to yours.

Edited January 17 by mayleeman

[markeb]

20 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

Lots of comments about what strangers should do. 

 

Many of us have only one drinker in a couple. The packages require a purchase of some package by everyone.  My wife for medical reasons (a-fib) cannot drink more than a sip of anything with alcohol, caffeine or artificial sweeteners. She will drink ginger ale to help with motion sickness. Me, I have diabetes so I drink only straight hard liquor to avoid raising my blood sugar, and wine if I have just one or two on a lower carb day. I also stopped drinking soda months ago, and am perfectly happy with ordinary coffee and ice tea.

 

So, the packages would be crazy for us to buy. I bought the "gift" 1 liter of Scotch (no tip--thanks, @Jim_Iain) and we will bring a bottle of wine for our cabin. We will bring some ginger ale for my wife because getting some on board in the past has been iffy.

 

People shouldn't generalize about others' choices...our situations may not be similar to yours.

 

That makes perfectly good sense. And fortunately (no idea how easy or hard it really is) they now allow medical exceptions on the "everyone must have the same package" rule.

 

It's actually a little bizarre they don't stock more ginger ale. It's kind of the go to for many of us for any motion issues. I've probably seen that, but it didn't really register. I also don't recall them selling ginger candies, which would seem a great idea and probably a money maker.

 

When we've driven, which is rare, we have typically taken our two bottles of wine. Usually something in the middle range that I'm not worried about shocking too bad on the drive. That's never been to save money but to have something I know full well won't be on the ship.

 

Have to remember the gift thing next cruise. If there's a whisky I'd drink available to gift...

 

 

[mayleeman]

@markeb Fortunately, I wouldn't be able to recognize a shocked wine if it had an electrical cord in it and was emitting sparks! We'll bring a cheap pinot noir because my wife still sighs when she smells the aroma.

 

The bottle we are getting is Scotch, Glenlivet 12. I think they had Jack Daniels, too, but that may have been in the set-up thing (which charges a tip). 

Edited January 17 by mayleeman

[HopefulCruiser123]

I am in the camp of bringing my two bottles of wine on board because that is my favorite and not found on any of the wine lists.  We look forward to sharing those two bottles out on our verandah.  I am an extremely light drinker, and on our 16 day transatlantic my husband will take full advantage of our premium drink package.  I likely will use my premium drink package (that I am required to have) for coffee, lemonade, water and maybe a frozen mocktail.  I have promised to try a couple of new creamy style cocktails.  Celebrity will make out quite nicely between the two of us.

 

As far as how many threads on Cruise Critic discuss this topic, I think people who are cruise enthusiasts are just “living on the high seas” either in reality or vicariously through the discussions on these boards while waiting for their next cruise.  There is no exhausting any topic because there are as many perspectives and opinions as there are stars in the sky.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

[Travelling2Some]

On 1/16/2024 at 11:03 PM, mayleeman said:

Lots of comments about what strangers should do. 

 

Many of us have only one drinker in a couple. The packages require a purchase of some package by everyone.  My wife for medical reasons (a-fib) cannot drink more than a sip of anything with alcohol, caffeine or artificial sweeteners. She will drink ginger ale to help with motion sickness. Me, I have diabetes so I drink only straight hard liquor to avoid raising my blood sugar, and wine if I have just one or two on a lower carb day. I also stopped drinking soda months ago, and am perfectly happy with ordinary coffee and ice tea.

 

So, the packages would be crazy for us to buy. I bought the "gift" 1 liter of Scotch (no tip--thanks, @Jim_Iain) and we will bring a bottle of wine for our cabin. We will bring some ginger ale for my wife because getting some on board in the past has been iffy.

 

People shouldn't generalize about others' choices...our situations may not be similar to yours.

The only thing easier than spending other people's money is raising other people's children, lol.

[Salt Lifer]

We don't buy the drink packages because we only have a couple drinks a day so it would be a lot of wasted money. We do bring water bottles to fill because I feel paying $4 for bottled water is asinine when you can get it for free.  It isn't gaming the system - it is being a smart consumer.  

[poffles]

I just reached Elite before my recent two cruises in November.  The first one did not include any package, the second 'included the Classic package.  I was so excited AND adamant that we were not going to pay for a package on the first cruise and just do the hustle of coffee at Elite breakfast and drinks during HH.  Well when a sale on the drinks package came out at 50% off I could not resist.  I like my coffees and drinks when I want them so I was the hustle without a package had me consumed with the thought; buying the package just settled my mind. We even bought the Premium package AND upgraded the Classic package on the other cruise, we are weak LOL.

 

So all this said, I go back to thinking next cruise .... just wait till next cruise I will do it different.  I think for me it will depend on the itinerary.  All of my cruises have been in the Caribbean so we are now often staying on board and for us drinks are part of that experience.  An itinerary where it is new discovery and more time in ports would be a different story so we would rethink for sure, thinking if we do a Europe itinerary one day.

 

Oh and we went to Elite breakfast for first hand knowledge of what it would be like (even to grab a coffee) and it was sit down and be served, taking a coffee out was not so much an option.  They don't serve a 'full' breakfast which also doesn't work for us and we ended up mostly giving this a pass.  Even without a package I'm not sure we would want to resort to this every morning for our coffee.

 

All this to say I like my drink package but I will admit that the cost hits hard and with CAD exchange on top of that OUCH. I have no cruises booked right now so  I can't say what I will do next time but the Elite hustle is always in my mind 🙂 I wish Celebrity offered drink coupons like Royal so at least a person wasn't trapped into a timeline/venue for usage but it is what it is.

 

Edited January 19 by poffles

[Hawkstar33]

7 hours ago, Salt Lifer said:

We don't buy the drink packages because we only have a couple drinks a day so it would be a lot of wasted money. We do bring water bottles to fill because I feel paying $4 for bottled water is asinine when you can get it for free.  It isn't gaming the system - it is being a smart consumer.  

Where do you fill the water bottles you bring onboard?  I'm guessing the machines at the buffet.  Anywhere else?  

[poffles]

On 1/16/2024 at 2:26 PM, jennmaybe said:

After 17 years of cruising, we have never, ever paid for a beverage package and we never have any intention on doing so. The prices are just absolutely ludicrous and you would have to do a lot of drinking to justify the cost.  
 

As long as people are willing to pay it, they will continue charging their outrageous prices and they will continue increasing as much as they can.  We prefer to pay for a balcony cabin in lieu of wasting money on a beverage package.

 

Wasting money is subjective, some might say that a balcony is a waste of money.   I am not one of those people as I definitely like my balcony but equally for some of us the math can work to not make the drink package a 'waste'.  I guess I do a lot of drinking, not to be assumed as primarily alcohol which is often the only thing people consider when valuing the package(s).

 

I will agree prices are outrageous, but outrageous prices are not isolated to drink packages.  Great to have choices!

Edited January 19 by poffles

[Hawkstar33]

5 minutes ago, poffles said:

 

Wasting money is subjective, some might say that a balcony is a waste of money.   I am not one of those people as I definitely like my balcony but equally for some of us the math can work to not make the drink package a 'waste'.  I guess I do a lot of drinking, not to be assumed as primarily alcohol which is often the only thing people consider when valuing the package(s).

 

I will agree prices are outrageous, but outrageous prices are not isolated to drink packages.  Great to have choices!

Pretty funny right.  Suite paying guests carrying water bottles, and rushing to the breakfast n happy hour...Hmmm

[Pinboy]

3 hours ago, poffles said:

1--They don't serve a 'full' breakfast which also doesn't work for us and we ended up mostly giving this a pass.  Even without a package I'm not sure we would want to resort to this every morning for our coffee.

2--and with CAD exchange on top of that OUCH. Great to have choices.

 

Congratulations on becoming Elite ---

LOL--- When we " graduated " to Elite last year, we found out that over 80% of passengers are Elite or higher--- so much for that.

1-- What some people do ( us ) is go to the MDR instead of the " Slugfest on 14'' ( Buffet ) for breakfast, enjoy being served , then walk the deck for a while--- 6 minutes (?? ) later, go to the Elite breakfast for a " fill-up " at The Tuscan Grill--- nice plated dishes, beautiful view, great service.

2--Our Canadian exchange rate !!! ( There goes my day )-- I try to use it as an excuse to not buy something (4 Lacoste t shirts for $20 ), but how can you go wrong at that price.

( I'm the only person on our street that uses ( not wears ) Lacoste t shirts to wash the car )

Great to have choices ??? LOL---Not so fast !! Ya wanna spend the rest of the cruise etc, etc---over the exchange rate for " another " swimsuit cover-up  ??

 

 

 

[rinshin]

We live not too far from Wine Country and belong to several wine clubs.  The wines I purchase from wineries or through wine clubs are in the range of $15-$150.  For daily drinking, usually under $15 from wine clubs.  
 

I also receive very hard to come by and more costly wines on occasions from our friend who lives in Sonoma.  He is very much into wines and those bottles I receive as gifts are stored for special occasions.  
 

I plan to bring those wines on my cruise in May.  I read the wine list on Celebrity and though I am ok with it, I prefer better wines like the wines I am bringing because cruising is special occasion for me.  Two bottles last maybe 5 days during dinner for our 13 night cruise  and I will purchase wines or drinks other times.  We are perfectly ok with it.  
 

We have not made the decision on purchasing beverage package because my husband only drinks beers and we think it makes no sense to purchase premium package for us.  We did drink much more when we first started cruising 34 years ago, but at our age, much less so.  
 

 

Edited January 19 by rinshin

[miched]

I collect the empty bottles and cans if they have the MI $.10 deposit on them and cash them in when I get back to MI.  💰💰💰🤑.   I also fill up containers that have twist off caps with the shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and body wash to use at home (not all on the same bottle).  😱   Also pack  the extra rolls of TP, and facial tissues stored in the cabin.  🤥.   There is a lot more stuff but I don’t want to expose all of it. 🤷‍♂️🤗

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅