Mark_UK

Thank you - that's all extremely helpful! Sounds like you got a great deal on that upgrade!

Yes we'd probably look at the All Inclusive or one of the other packages which is part of the appeal. On RC with D+ we get 5 drinks anytime during the day, but not sure I like the idea of cramming a load in between 5-7pm! 🤣

Thanks for the tips! RC is fun and their entertainment is often very good, but I've increasingly found the newer ships to be too crowded (no sunbeds, etc) and as I say, the constant upselling gets in the way of enjoying yourself. Them upping the drinks package to £80-a-day was the final straw. I did the Greek isles and Ephesus this year on Odyssey of the Seas and was fantastic! Would love to do it again and Istanbul too but seems those sailings next year on Apex are pretty high... Will keep an eye out!

Interesting, thanks. Just looked at the infinite veranda on YouTube, does look quite different! I can see why it might be appealing? Hard to say until you've seen it in real life though I guess.

That's good to know regarding the table situation, thanks! I feel quite excited to try something new, it was a toss up between Celebrity and Virgin Voyages I think.

Thanks! I'm either looking at a 7 night Norway out of Southampton (Silhouette) or a 10 night Israel/Egypt (Apex). Both look great! I quite like the idea of the all in pricing, even for the indulge/elevate stuff. I'm a little fed up thinking I've got a good deal on Royal only to find I've forked out the same amount again on drinks packages, gratuities, etc.

Hi all, We're thinking of trying celebrity out for our next cruise, as having cruised with Royal for the last 10+ years (now Diamond Plus) I'd like to try something new - particularly given the constant upselling (and crazy drink package prices!). We are in our mid-30s and enjoy a mixture of chilling by the pool and some modern evening entertainment plus a bit of casino. We don't usually go in for the gameshows and quizes/activities. A few questions I have though... 1) We've generally preferred the newer RC ships like Quantum and Oasis class so I'm assuming it might be best to start with an Edge class? Solstice looks good too though? 2) Can you request a table for 2 or 4, rather than being seated with others? On Royal I've usually been able to email in advance. 3) Are the excursions more expensive than Royal? 4) Do they have an equivalent of RoyalUp? 5) As Diamond Plus I believe we get Elite status? Do you get any welcome aboard drinks or snacks in your room like on Royal? And lastly, are the slightly higher prices worth it in your view?? Thanks in advance!

It means 'upgrade unavailable' sadly. If you view the page in 'desktop mode' it's much clearer.

Lots of sarcastic comments in this threat which surprise me! I get there have been price rises before, and some can justify the package. We can't deny though that the calculation has changed - a drinks package in many cases costing more than a balcony cabin. You have to be a committed drinker in these difficult times to double your vacation cost, even before any other add ons, so clearly they're now not aiming at the masses. If inflation (largely due to fuel costs) were the sole driver then we'd see fares jumping, though to date they seem the same/lower to me.

The "champagne" and "prosecco" is pretty dire too, such a dark yellow and so bitter... pretty sure it's gone off. We brought 2 bottles of £5 prosecco and it was far better!

I do agree, they are charging luxury prices for a fairly standard product. Yes people pay a lot for a cocktail on land in certain places, but not one poured out of a pre-mix jug with no idea what's actually in it (never order a goombay smash!), or a splash of $3-a-carton island oasis and cheap generic rum.

Thanks. For us nothing is added or even annotated as a gratuity, just get the headline price.

Ah that makes sense, Royal were once ruled against by the UK advertising standards agency for misleading sales so I guess they might have just started including the gratuity in the quoted price. https://www.travellawquarterly.co.uk/resources/bulletins/asa-ruling-on-royal-caribbean/

Out of interest does the US $ DBP price on the cruise planner include the gratuity or is that added during checkout? I'm UK based and the price shows as £67.74 ($87) per day, discounted from the onboard price of £92.75 ($113). These seem higher than the onboard prices (currently $98) but I'm wondering if that's because the UK cruise planner includes the gratuity in the quoted price, or are we just being ripped off with an awful exchange rate?

I was slightly addicted to the DBP as I liked the freedom to order what I wanted, but we decided to go without on a recent 9 night Odyssey and found we didn't really miss it. Had some free C&A drinks, brought some wine onboard and had no hangovers. Def won't be buying again at such high prices.

Cruise fares seem pretty similar, if not lower?

I agree it's now gone too high. In many cases now the 'luxury' to have some drinks costs MORE than paying for your accommodation, a sea view balcony, entertainment, unlimited food, staff and transport...? I'm D+ and it's now made me consider other lines for the first time.

I'm not sure the inflation/distribution argument stacks up. They're currently offering the package for £45 ($55) on all 2022 European sailings (presumably with very high distribution costs to get US beers over), alongside pretty reasonable fares. Other lines are still at the same price or remain inclusive (e.g. celebrity). I reckon this is more about servicing all that COVID finance.

Same here, refusing to pay those prices.

Or those drinkers will chose not to go on cruises... Royal say their strategy is to target those who haven't cruised before, but I'm coming across first time cruisers who face quite a shock at the price of drinks and are planning on not returning. Instead they're going back to resorts in Mexico, Egypt, Spain, etc where it's all included. I wonder if this in part explains why in Europe they are offering it for £40p/day ($55?) for 2022 sailings but weridly on your cruise balance rather than the cruise planner.

Mine is £69.50 (~$87) for Oasis in November. And that's allegedly a BOGOF offer as part of Memorial Day.

The economics surprise me but I guess people are paying it. Given the low base cost of their drinks (lots of pre-mix, tax free imports, etc) I'd have thought a price that your average cruiser can afford would be the sweet spot, rather than making it exclusive to the wealthy. Plus you want people to have a good time on vacation, not sitting there resenting the price of drinks.

It's an insane price. I like the freedom of the package but now voting with my feet and not biting. They should introduce a cheaper more limited version (less selection, 15 a day limit or something - similar to the old system where I think there was a premium and deluxe package). It's honestly made the packages unobtainable for me, and even putting me off the idea of cruising vs land-based all inclusives. They now cost more than a balcony cabin in many instances!