All Inclusive?

[tom_uk]

This is what worries me. We have 8 sea days during the cruise, when a glass of wine with lunch and a beer or 2 would be most welcome, but at those prices I'm sure we'll think twice. We didn't do too badly on Princess, but Celebrity's prices are even higher aren't they?

 

We have decided to see how we go for the first 2 days, then buy the package if we find we're going over the daily rate anyway, but we don't want to feel we have got to drink more to get our money's worth if that makes sense?

 

P&O definitely costs a lot less overall. :(

 

I've dug out the onboard account from our cruise on Solstice in Sep/Oct 2009. We spent about $700 on drinks, etc in total. (There might be a few coffees included in that.) That was an 11 night cruise: the E Med cruise from Civitavecchia to Istanbul.

 

We seem to have bought a bottle of wine in the MDR on three nights - they were $40.25, $41.40 and $67.85, including the 15%. Other nights we obviously bought by the glass: I can see $17.83, $20.70, and $13.23 (that was just one glass!); again, all including the 15%. At the Sunset Bar, on the other hand, we frequently spent $6.90 (or double that, $13.80); I recall that we found a Malbec for $6.00 a glass (plus $0.90 gratuity) that we enjoyed, and had quite a few of them during the cruise.

 

Finally, we spent $103.50 in Muranos on one night. That might have been all drinks (a very expensive bottle + 15%) because I have a feeling that we pre-booked and pre-paid the meal cost.

 

So drinks are undoubtedly expensive on Celebrity. In 2006 we didn't mind as the £/$ exchange rate was around $2=£1, but in 2009 it was below $1.50=£1, as I recall.

[u2cruiser]

I've dug out the onboard account from our cruise on Solstice in Sep/Oct 2009. We spent about $700 on drinks, etc in total. (There might be a few coffees included in that.) That was an 11 night cruise: the E Med cruise from Civitavecchia to Istanbul.

 

We seem to have bought a bottle of wine in the MDR on three nights - they were $40.25, $41.40 and $67.85, including the 15%. Other nights we obviously bought by the glass: I can see $17.83, $20.70, and $13.23 (that was just one glass!); again, all including the 15%. At the Sunset Bar, on the other hand, we frequently spent $6.90 (or double that, $13.80); I recall that we found a Malbec for $6.00 a glass (plus $0.90 gratuity) that we enjoyed, and had quite a few of them during the cruise.

 

Finally, we spent $103.50 in Muranos on one night. That might have been all drinks (a very expensive bottle + 15%) because I have a feeling that we pre-booked and pre-paid the meal cost.

 

So drinks are undoubtedly expensive on Celebrity. In 2006 we didn't mind as the £/$ exchange rate was around $2=£1, but in 2009 it was below $1.50=£1, as I recall.

 

YIKES :eek:

 

Thank you so much for digging out that information.

That kind of makes the package seem reasonable (if that's at all possible?)

Guess the £1200 bargain cruise isn't going to be quite the bargain we envisaged :) We don't mind paying for good quality goods, but equally don't want to be ripped off either.

 

It makes our £7.50 half carafe of housewine in the MDR on Ventura look a bit sick. We did buy some very nice bottles too. :o

 

Wonder what an equivalent premium package would cost on P&O? Would you say the drinks are around 1/3 of the price, as no gratuities are added?

[Invincible]

It makes me wonder how P&O maintain their drinks prices. It spoils you for any other cruiseline after going with P&O. :(

 

Plus VAT Invincible?

 

While still in port in Barcelona

[tom_uk]

Would you say the drinks are around 1/3 of the price, as no gratuities are added?

 

Perhaps a bit more: around a half or so. Those $40 bottles of wine would have been about £27 or so once converted, and I suppose we would have paid around £16 to £18 for an equivalent on P&O.

[billyelliot]

Drinks are so expensive on RCI! thats why we are trying P&O! looking forward to having what I want and not trying to ration ourselves lol :D

Im also taking a couple of bottles of my favorite wine for the cabin. Another no no with RCI