Evaluating a beverage package? Here is a beverage list with prices, as of mid-2010.

[AnnaMiami]

I've asked this question before and unfortunately have not been able to get an answer. Does anyone know how quickly after finishing your drink you can order another? I'm asking for the specific purpose of chasing my shot of Patron with a nice cold beer (a vacation favorite :D)

[C&F]

I've asked this question before and unfortunately have not been able to get an answer. Does anyone know how quickly after finishing your drink you can order another? I'm asking for the specific purpose of chasing my shot of Patron with a nice cold beer (a vacation favorite :D)

 

Good question. I would say if you walk away and return a minute later, it should be no problem. A shot and a beer chaser is very common and you just might be lucky enough to find a bartender who won't be so strict. But if you do the shot, your drink is now finished, so you should be able to get another drink right away.

[Feelin' Nauti']

Good question. I would say if you walk away and return a minute later, it should be no problem. A shot and a beer chaser is very common and you just might be lucky enough to find a bartender who won't be so strict. But if you do the shot, your drink is now finished, so you should be able to get another drink right away.

Line'em up!

 

:D

[Hab Fan From Ham]

I posted this question in another thread but didn't get too much help, so I'll try my luck here. I can't decide between premium and classic package partly because I'm not familiar with the wines avaialable in the classic (i.e. $8 and less). Does anyone know about their quality? I realize this is subjective, but I would appreciate anyone's opinion. I mostly drink wine so it's not about the martinis, specialty coffees etc. Thanx.

[travels with mimi]

THANKS...this really helps with selecting a beverage package. we are leaning toward the stateroom bar set up. Does anyone have experience with this? The set up is specifically for the stateroom but how about mixin the drink before I go to the pool or library or whatever?...anyone?

[startrek77]

I've asked this question before and unfortunately have not been able to get an answer. Does anyone know how quickly after finishing your drink you can order another? I'm asking for the specific purpose of chasing my shot of Patron with a nice cold beer (a vacation favorite :D)

 

You can order your next drink as soon as your current drink is gone, you do not have to walk away from the bar and come back. Yes you may also get a bar tender that will just give you both at the same time. I had the P-Package and had no problems getting as many drinks as I wanted in most cases if I was hanging out at the bar my next drink would be there without me asking. Once the bar tenders get to know you and your drink they will take Great care of you.:D

 

P.S. I always give a small tip here and there not with every round but the service would have been the same if I had not. I felt the bar tenders worked hard and they do not make much so every tip helps.:cool:

 

Buying the drink package was the best and has made Celebrity one of my Top picks for cruising.

[AnnaMiami]

You can order your next drink as soon as your current drink is gone, you do not have to walk away from the bar and come back. Yes you may also get a bar tender that will just give you both at the same time. I had the P-Package and had no problems getting as many drinks as I wanted in most cases if I was hanging out at the bar my next drink would be there without me asking. Once the bar tenders get to know you and your drink they will take Great care of you.:D

 

P.S. I always give a small tip here and there not with every round but the service would have been the same if I had not. I felt the bar tenders worked hard and they do not make much so every tip helps.:cool:

 

Buying the drink package was the best and has made Celebrity one of my Top picks for cruising.

 

Thank you so much! Your response is exactly what I've been hoping to hear :D No clue how I'm going to make it through the next five days!

[u2cruiser]

Thank you so much! Your response is exactly what I've been hoping to hear :D No clue how I'm going to make it through the next five days!

 

Have a great cruise AnnaMiami. Hope you get your chaser. :)

If you ask for it by name you should get the 2 drinks together I would think.

 

Please check back and let us know. I leave for my cruise at the end of this month and intend getting the premium package. :D

[suz56]

Have a great cruise AnnaMiami. Hope you get your chaser. :)

If you ask for it by name you should get the 2 drinks together I would think.

 

Please check back and let us know. I leave for my cruise at the end of this month and intend getting the premium package. :D

 

 

as soon as the bartender waits on the other people at the bar or if you aren't at the bar, whenever the cocktail person can get back to you...

[u2cruiser]

as soon as the bartender waits on the other people at the bar or if you aren't at the bar, whenever the cocktail person can get back to you...

 

Ah! So a chaser can't be classed as one type of drink, but 2, by definition? Makes sense I suppose. :D

[loutampa]

My wife and I thought hard before we took our cruise last month, if we should buy the package.

We decided not to as we could always purchase the package on board and it would be prerated to the days left.

Well, in the end we did not need to.

We drank beers and wines, as we would normally.

For instance, I drink 4/5 beers a day and a few Baileys at night.

My wife drinks and few G&T's and a couple of wines.

At the end of the cruise, we paid a bar tab of $583.30 inc tips.

The classic beverage package, which would have covered us,

would have cost $583.05 inc tips. FOR 1 PERSON

So we absolutely made the right decision NOT to pre purchase

[Estelle]

I'm also debating purchasing the packages (and which one) for our cruise next year, so all this info has been extremely helpful.

 

We will be on a 13 day T/A with lots of sea days but also 5 days when we will be off the ship all day and probably heading to bed early to get up and do it again the next day, so that is part of my quandry.

 

Looking at the prices posted, drinks are priced much higher on CCL then on Cunard and Princess (our most recent cruises) at least for martinis using premium brands - so maybe the solution is buy a premium card for me - I drink Grey Goose Martinis, champagne and better wines and let my husband pay as he goes (he drinks beer and JD and an occasional glass of red wine). I also like that it includes bottled water, which I always miss when on a ship and the premium coffee drinks.

 

Thanks again for all the helpful input!

[khalubear]

Not only how much you drink but what you drink.

If you drink Martini's and wine get the premium.

A martini is 11.50 with grats.

A glass of wine is 9.20.

if that is all you drink per day don't buy.

If you add a premium cafe or two a day, a bottle of water(for shore excursions, your room etc), 3 beer or two pina colada's and a mixed drink at the show. you add 36-40 dollars to the above. Then buy.

The convenience was worth 10 dollars a day. However you will drink more if you have the package than if you did not because when your signing those bills you look at the cost and decide not to try that paradise martini because your not sure if you will like it. We made a habit of getting a good cafe in the morning, meeting at the martini bar before supper and having wine with dinner because we had the package. If we had not purchased the package we would have not done this and yes not spent what we had spent on the packages.

We were on vacation though and never once had to think about what we were spending.

To those who will answer I don't care what my bill will be at the end, it is because you know yourself and have done the number crunching or are way too rich to care if you do spend more. For us it allowed us freedom to choose.

But as I said, if you only drink a few drinks a day don't buy. If you want the freedom to try different drinks and not worry if you have budgeted enough, then do the number crunching and if you come close to the package price buy it. If not then you have planned ahead and know what your bill (roughly) will be after your trip.

[khalubear]

I second this

 

 

 

 

Why I liked the Premium package..

 

I liked the premium package as there was 'no guilt' if I wanted a 2nd martini.. It was already bought and paid for..

 

I liked not having to sign for a beverage, I always felt obliged to add an extra tip.. This way I just went around tipping extra to my fav bar staff at the end of the cruise...

 

I liked that if I wasn't enjoying a drink I could leave it and not feel 'guilty' that I'd just dropped $7:50 on it.. I found that some bar staff to could make my favourite Rum Runner drink and it taste totally different..

 

I liked that I felt 'liberated' to experiment in the Martini bar and instead of sticking with the safe, tried and tested I felt free to order others that I may not have 'risked' if I was dropping $10

 

I liked having bottles of San Peligrino, we would go for a speciality coffee before breakfast and then take a bottle of San Pel to breakfast..

 

I liked ordering a 'French Kiss' after dinner... an indulgence I would not otherwise have done..

 

I liked ordering wine with dinner, and not feeling I had to finish every last drop..

(warning, if you order a wine over the $12 limit they charge for the whole glass)

 

 

The freedom to mix it up a little and leave something I didn't particularly care for is great.

[khalubear]

there is no posting. We had the premium and never had to ask because we stuck to under 12 and just asked the sommelier to pick our wine.( took a couple nights to pick a favorite but it was fun trying)

 

First - a *HUGE Thank You* to everyone who has contributed to the wealth of information in this thread! :)

 

We are leaning toward the classic alcohol package for our upcoming 10 night cruise. (our first one!) My question is - are the inclusions/exclusions clearly posted everywhere, or are we going to have to constantly be asking, "Is this latte included in our package? Is that mixed drink included in our package? Is this beer under $5? ..." :confused:

 

Thanks for your help!

[khalubear]

order a premium cafe then order a shot of baileys on the side. My wife did that in the MDR. WE had the premium but i don't see why the classic would not work.

 

Thank you, r. I guess what's driving me a bit crazy is the fact that "premium" coffees are included in the "classic" package, but "specialty" coffees are included in the "premium" package. Wouldn't you think you'd have to buy a "premium" package to get "premium" coffee?

 

Now it's five o'clock here, and I need a drink! :p

[Estelle]

Thanks Steve and Lise -

 

Your experience is what I assume will happen with us - I do like wine with dinner, I like to try different martinis and have forced myself to finish some I didn't like because I had paid for it, I like being able to use the cafe without guilt (although I drink fancy teas not coffee) and getting good bottled water throughout the day - including when leaving for shore excursions.

 

I think this is am excellent way to customize the cruise experience for different people. I often see debates about the all-inclusive lines, where the biggest benefit is often perceived as the included drinks and that is a waste if you don't drink or drink very lightly. This takes care of that issue. I like the option of paying $40 or $50 more a night to not sign for drinks of any kind for my cruise. If I end up spending $20 or even $50 more than my bar tab would have been I still think it will be worth it in the end.

 

The biggest problem will be coming back to the real world after the crusie is over!

[Wylie Coyote]

This may have been answered and I did search before posting, but I have a question about the drink packages. So, I buy the Premium Package that allows for drinks $12 and below. What would happen if I get a $15 drink? Is my OBC account only charged the difference between the $12 maximum and $15 price, meaning I get a $3 charge?

 

Just wondering...

 

Thanks in advance

[JudyD]

This may have been answered and I did search before posting, but I have a question about the drink packages. So, I buy the Premium Package that allows for drinks $12 and below. What would happen if I get a $15 drink? Is my OBC account only charged the difference between the $12 maximum and $15 price, meaning I get a $3 charge?

 

Just wondering...

 

Thanks in advance

 

You are charged the whole price of the drink. In your example, it would be $15.00 plus tip charged to your account.

[dblane]

We loved the premium alcohol pkg on our last 7 day cruise. I have a question about the extra tipping. Since we are not signing anything when we get our drinks, do you tip extra with cash? Have not noticed anyone doing that.

[khalubear]

You paid the 15% when you bought the package. If you want to tip extra I know some tipped at the end of the cruise to their favorites and the sommelier.

 

We loved the premium alcohol pkg on our last 7 day cruise. I have a question about the extra tipping. Since we are not signing anything when we get our drinks, do you tip extra with cash? Have not noticed anyone doing that.

[khalubear]

Yup the whole price.

However, we were able to do just fine at the $12.00 mark. If both of you have it(premium) ask your Sommelier on the first night at dinner that you want to sample a few wines and that you have the premium package. Ours did a great job on Equinox, Aggie. We only drink white, just can't get the hang of red.We tried one each night for the first few nights until we found one that was just right. She kept the glasses full and your card covers it. She asked us what type... pinot chardonney etc and she suggested one.. A cappacino after dinner and Lise had coffee with baileys on the side.

 

Also if you want the glass that comes with the drink of the day you are charged full fare too.

We are not scotch drinkers or into the expensive wines so the 12 dollar limit was easy, with martini's at 10 there were enough on the menu to try as many as you wanted.

Cheers

Steve

 

You are charged the whole price of the drink. In your example, it would be $15.00 plus tip charged to your account.

[gravelakedick]

We just returned from the 3/11 Infinity Cruise and I had the classic package. I felt the wines included were decent. Also, be sure to ask your beverage server if there are additional ones you can order by the glass. I had mentioned, on our second night at dinner, that I was disappointed there were no south American wines available by the glass, especially for a south American cruise. She informed me that both a red and white were available, and they turned out to be very nice wines that I ordered most nights.

[Wylie Coyote]

Yup the whole price.

However, we were able to do just fine at the $12.00 mark. If both of you have it(premium) ask your Sommelier on the first night at dinner that you want to sample a few wines and that you have the premium package. Ours did a great job on Equinox, Aggie. We only drink white, just can't get the hang of red.We tried one each night for the first few nights until we found one that was just right. She kept the glasses full and your card covers it. She asked us what type... pinot chardonney etc and she suggested one.. A cappacino after dinner and Lise had coffee with baileys on the side.

 

Also if you want the glass that comes with the drink of the day you are charged full fare too.

We are not scotch drinkers or into the expensive wines so the 12 dollar limit was easy, with martini's at 10 there were enough on the menu to try as many as you wanted.

Cheers

Steve

 

 

Well, we should be covered then. We drink Kettle Vodka with Soda and our favorite cognac is Grand Marnier. Sounds Like we can enjoy many wines by the glass as well with the premium package.

[zeenichka]

Not only how much you drink but what you drink.

If you drink Martini's and wine get the premium.

A martini is 11.50 with grats.

A glass of wine is 9.20.

if that is all you drink per day don't buy.

If you add a premium cafe or two a day, a bottle of water(for shore excursions, your room etc), 3 beer or two pina colada's and a mixed drink at the show. you add 36-40 dollars to the above. Then buy.

The convenience was worth 10 dollars a day. However you will drink more if you have the package than if you did not because when your signing those bills you look at the cost and decide not to try that paradise martini because your not sure if you will like it. We made a habit of getting a good cafe in the morning, meeting at the martini bar before supper and having wine with dinner because we had the package. If we had not purchased the package we would have not done this and yes not spent what we had spent on the packages.

We were on vacation though and never once had to think about what we were spending.

To those who will answer I don't care what my bill will be at the end, it is because you know yourself and have done the number crunching or are way too rich to care if you do spend more. For us it allowed us freedom to choose.

But as I said, if you only drink a few drinks a day don't buy. If you want the freedom to try different drinks and not worry if you have budgeted enough, then do the number crunching and if you come close to the package price buy it. If not then you have planned ahead and know what your bill (roughly) will be after your trip.

 

 

We are cruising on Equinox in June and I went ahead and bought the premium package. Based on your post and others as well.

DH is on the fence. Last night he asked if I ordered a drink that costs more than $12.00 do you pay the difference or? I couldn't give him an answer. I would assume the answer is no.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks!!!:)