Elite...no Social hour, just drink vouchers

[ghstudio]

I don't know about anyone else' date=' but we tried both the white and red wines and found they were not to our liking. I have had much better table wines in local restaurants. I really don't think they will hurt wine sales.[/quote']

 

I was not guessing....on the eclipse they saw a measurable decrease in $$$ wine sales when they used the vouchers.

[sammamishcruiser]

It's depressing to think that folks would actually sell the coupons.... Is this really the type of person that takes a celebrity cruise? Maybe it's time to go on a quality cruise line with folks that aren't always looking for a way to make a couple of bucks....

 

Sense the coupons are dated it is kinda funny (or sad) that some fool would actually BUY them on e-bay. That would be a complete waste of money, they can't even use them!:eek:

JMHO, I would think you would have to have a few brain cells missing to waste your time/ money on buying these! Would they NOT be totally useless!

OK, let the flaming begin!

Melody:D

[Can'tstopcruising]

Sense the coupons are dated it is kinda funny (or sad) that some fool would actually BUY them on e-bay. That would be a complete waste of money, they can't even use them!:eek:

JMHO, I would think you would have to have a few brain cells missing to waste your time/ money on buying these! Would they NOT be totally useless!

OK, let the flaming begin!

Melody:D

 

Have any of you actually SEEN them on ebay? Has anyone actually SEEN someone buy or sell a coupon on the ship?

 

This was first posted on April 1!!!!

[k9x8]

 

Guess it's all an honor system. However,I wonder who has the honor and who plays the system?

 

While I've given you grief on another thread, I admire your integrity.

 

As one with a mere two Celebrity cruises under her belt, I find this frenzy over free alcohol rather amusing.

[Orator]

While I've given you grief on another thread, I admire your integrity.

 

As one with a mere two Celebrity cruises under her belt, I find this frenzy over free alcohol rather amusing.

 

I take no offense at comments honestly offered.

For the record: I only drink Ginger Ale.

Think that the complaint about vouchers has more to do with some feeling that they are losing a benefit. When you become Elite,and you will, you we see that the Elite Hour for most is less about a "free drink" and more about the social aspects. I for one, enjoy meeting new people and reconnecting with past cruising friends.

Don't think twice about the other thread.I know my position is correct ;)

[NLH Arizona]

Have any of you actually SEEN them on ebay? Has anyone actually SEEN someone buy or sell a coupon on the ship?

 

This was first posted on April 1!!!!

I've never seen them. The only coupons I've ever seen on the ones you get upon arrival for 10% off wine, etc.

[sammamishcruiser]

Have any of you actually SEEN them on ebay? Has anyone actually SEEN someone buy or sell a coupon on the ship?

 

This was first posted on April 1!!!!

 

That is a good thought! Could have been an April fools joke! I do think tnat there was a thread about this a month or so ago, though. I guess if it is, then the jokes on me:eek::)

Melody:D

[A Sixth?]

Have any of you actually SEEN them on ebay? Has anyone actually SEEN someone buy or sell a coupon on the ship?

 

This was first posted on April 1!!!!

 

The way some may try is to bring a colour photocopier aboard' date=' like this little honey,

[img']http://media-s3.viva-images.com/vivastreet_gb/clad/e5/1/50923672/large/1.jpg?dt=4152ecef1006a1d072a9067419f5fcf5[/img]

 

and make extra copies of the valuable coupons for yourself ans friends.

 

Just slap a luggage tag on it.:D:rolleyes:

Edited April 3, 2013 by A Sixth?

[rumfan]

We've met some nice people in the Elite Lounge each night. I'd miss that.:)

[ping1]

If an elite passenger has a drink package already, the vouchers would be of no value. Maybe trade with another elite passenger for, say a Casino coupon? a Bingo coupon? Wondering.

[Starry Eyes]

The way some may try is to bring a colour photocopier aboard, like this little honey,

 

and make extra copies of the valuable coupons for yourself ans friends.

 

Just slap a luggage tag on it.:D:rolleyes:

Funny photo and thought....

Pretty sure you can get smaller ones these days...

So I hope nobody tries it.

Three per person per night is probably enough for me if they do vouchers on my pacific coastal cruise. And maybe they should...As it is a wine cruise, I understand people can bring bottles of wine aboard in ports...So I presume dining room wine sale will already be suppressed....how much more could vouchers for cheap wine impact the MDR...

[ghstudio]

Funny photo and thought....

Pretty sure you can get smaller ones these days...

So I hope nobody tries it.

Three per person per night is probably enough for me if they do vouchers on my pacific coastal cruise. And maybe they should...As it is a wine cruise, I understand people can bring bottles of wine aboard in ports...So I presume dining room wine sale will already be suppressed....how much more could vouchers for cheap wine impact the MDR...

 

I think you're right on a wine cruise....but on our 14 night TA, we usually would have bought 4 - 5 bottles of wine. With the vouchers, we took a glass of wine to dinner with us and actually purchased no wine for the entire cruise. I suspect that we were not alone

[tserface]

When I first heard about the voucher program I had this same impression... but then I thought, "Wait, there might be nice people in the other lounges and now I can meet them too!" The only thing we'd be missing is the outside chance to maybe get a fried appetizer if they are not all eaten before the server gets to us and a sales pitch from one or more of the specialty restaurants.

 

It was nice on some of the nights when the officers showed up and thanked us for our loyalty and they talked about the company future and ships being built, etc. That was a nice touch. That could still happen for everyone at the Captain's cocktail party.

 

Tom

 

I can see benefits to both processes.

We've met some nice people in the Elite Lounge each night. I'd miss that.:)

[Starry Eyes]

I think you're right on a wine cruise....but on our 14 night TA, we usually would have bought 4 - 5 bottles of wine. With the vouchers, we took a glass of wine to dinner with us and actually purchased no wine for the entire cruise. I suspect that we were not alone

 

I can see how carrying a glass to dinner might keep one from being inclined to buy 5 bottles on a 12 N cruise. And I imagine others did the same, so substantially fewer bottles of wine might be sold on such a cruise. On the plus side, they may have given away less wine and liquor than if they'd done huge cocktail parties for all those elite members (not that they pay that much per bottle wholesale). And probably less waste... I know I have left half glasses of free stuff in lounges as it is not supposed to leave with me. And the bars may have seemed active and appealing (rather than looking abandoned like on some TA cruises) to non-Elite cruisers, so maybe some drinks were sold that way.

 

I will happily accept whatever elite perk they throw my way.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Starry Eyes

[Nick_C]

Our first Celebrity Cruise this November.

 

We're C&A Diamonds.

 

Side question, what drinks are available during the Elite cocktail hour?

 

On Century at Xmas, the menu was

 

Kir Royale

Mimosa

Vodka or Gin Martini

Apple Martini

Cosmopolitan

Manhattan

Screwdriver

Cuba Libre

 

Celebrity Vintages Sparkling Wine

Santa Helena Chardonnay

Anakena Cabernet Sauvignon

Skyy Vodka

Beefeater Gin

Bacardi Rum

Jim Beam Burbon

Dewar's White Label Scotch

Courvoisier VS Cognac

Heineken, Bud Light and O'Doul's

Sodas and Juices

 

The Chardonnay was pretty awful, much worse that the white wine in RCIs Diamond Lounge (well, sailing out of Australia anyway)

 

At breakfast, they serve Sparkling Wine and Bloody Mary's, as well as proper coffee

Edited April 3, 2013 by Nick_C

[TourDeCruise]

What are the current drinks on the Elite drink menu? Are they the same as posted below?

 

We will be on the Reflection on Saturday for a 16-night TA. We got word from a Zenith guest currently on the ship that Michael's Club will be a dedicated lounge for Zenith members and guests in Celebrity suites lounge. Also, he reported that Elite/Elite+ members will be getting drink vouchers due to the large number of Elite/Elite+ members who will be on board.

 

During a couple cruises, we have had 3 vouchers per person/per night good for anything on the Classic Beverage package, but on our last cruise in February the vouchers were only good for items on the Elite drink menu. I anticipate that on the Reflection, we will only be able to order from the Elite drink menu. What are the current drinks on the Elite drink menu? We only ordered chardonnay and didn't pay attention to other drinks except for cabernet. Are the current drinks on the menu the same as posted below?

 

I did see people with reddish-pink and ivory-colored cocktails. What were those drinks? Our friend is hoping to get seltzer & cranberry juice; do you think she will have luck getting this or at least seltzer water with the vouchers?

 

Has anyone recently (since implementation of new Elite+ & Zenith tiers) been on a Celebrity cruise where you got Elite drink vouchers and were able to use them for anything on the Classic Beverage package. Or were they only good for drinks on the Elite drink menu?

 

BTW, I agree the Santa Helena Chardonnay is not the best. We had the Santa Carolina Chardonnay from Chile in the dining room, and it was very good. One night we were fortunate that they served the Santa Carolina Chardonnay to us at the Elite/Elite+ happy hour. Much better than the Santa Helena Chardonnay IMO and in dh's opinion.

 

 

Celebrity Vintages Sparkling Wine

Santa Helena Chardonnay

Anakena Cabernet Sauvignon

Skyy Vodka

Beefeater Gin

Bacardi Rum

Jim Beam Burbon

Dewar's White Label Scotch

Courvoisier VS Cognac

Heineken, Bud Light and O'Doul's

Sodas and Juices

 

The Chardonnay was pretty awful, much worse that the white wine in RCIs Diamond Lounge (well, sailing out of Australia anyway)

[upwarduk]

------where you got Elite drink vouchers and were able to use them for anything on the Classic Beverage package. Or were they only good for drinks on the Elite drink menu?

 

We only had Elite drinks menu on display the first night on our TA on Infinity Oct '13.

Not sure why, whether it was the rough weather, but when we asked, we were told that the drinks were the same as those on the Classic Package.

[ghstudio]

I think you'll find it varies by ship/cruise. The vouchers they distribute seem to always say that you can only get drinks on the "menu" and exclude the martini bar, restaurants, the molecular bar and the wine dispensers...but I was also on the infinity TA and they accepted the coupons for anything on the classic package and also in the martini bar.

 

The reflection seems, at times, to dance to it's own tune....so who knows what you'll be told and who knows if what you're told is what's actually implemented and understood in the bars.

 

Don't forget that with vouchers, you can grab a glass of wine on the way to the dining room....and if you have two vouchers, that can be a very full glass :) Don't confuse the stated "can't be used in the dining room" with "can't bring into the dining room" which is done all the time, coupons or not.

[TourDeCruise]

Thanks to both! Let's hope we get to choose from the Classic drink package, but otherwise, we'll live. lol.

 

We like the vouchers for that reason - to carry a glass of wine to dinner. They frown on carrying the glass of wine to dinner from the Elite lounge. We prefer wine with the meal as opposed to before the meal, but if that is our only choice (re: only Elite lounge w/ no vouchers), then we will do it. No reason for us to get the drink package as 2-3 glasses of wine each is plenty! And now we get the speciality coffees & teas with the new Elite+ benefit, which we are very happy to have and quite useful for us as we enjoy morning and afternoon tea (Celebrity's regular tea is not very good IMO but we enjoy the specialty teas in Cafe al Baccio).

 

We did the same thing by giving four vouchers to get two fuller glasses of wine which worked out well for dinner. A win-win for the server and us!

 

Hopefully the Reflection will let us get Riesling for me and Sauvignon Blanc (although $9.50 a glass so probably not) or Pinot Grigio for dh. If not, we'll get the chardonnay. It would be nice to use a voucher for the bottled water for the cabin too.

 

Kathy

[MisterBill99]

This is disappointing news that they only allow you to select from a limited list of drinks with the Elite vouchers. We'll be on Summit in June, it's our first cruise as Elite and we did not get the drink package under 123 (I took the OBC) since I figured that the 3 vouchers would be more than enough, but my wife and I both enjoy frozen drinks like Coco Loco or Strawberry Daiquiris. The Summit Bermuda cruises haven't started yet, so I'll have to see what people report when they get back.

Edited April 21, 2014 by MisterBill99

[ghstudio]

This is disappointing news that they only allow you to select from a limited list of drinks with the Elite vouchers. We'll be on Summit in June, it's our first cruise as Elite and we did not get the drink package under 123 (I took the OBC) since I figured that the 3 vouchers would be more than enough, but my wife and I both enjoy frozen drinks like Coco Loco or Strawberry Daiquiris. The Summit Bermuda cruises haven't started yet, so I'll have to see what people report when they get back.

 

At worst, you will get exactly what you would have gotten if they held the elite cocktail party in a closed room...order drinks from the elite menu. On some sailings, when they have used vouchers, they found it very confusing to waiters to have the classic drink package and the vouchers so they made it easier for their staff by just making the vouchers and classic drink package the same. You should have no expectation that your Bermuda trip will use vouchers...they are the exception rather than the rule. You should not be disappointed as you have lost nothing.

[MisterBill99]

At worst, you will get exactly what you would have gotten if they held the elite cocktail party in a closed room...order drinks from the elite menu. On some sailings, when they have used vouchers, they found it very confusing to waiters to have the classic drink package and the vouchers so they made it easier for their staff by just making the vouchers and classic drink package the same. You should have no expectation that your Bermuda trip will use vouchers...they are the exception rather than the rule. You should not be disappointed as you have lost nothing.

Well, disappointing in that I was expecting (obviously wrong) to be able to get whatever I wanted and not have to select from the drink menu listed above, most of which really doesn't appeal to me and none of which I'd normally drink. I guess I should have taken the free drink package instead of the OBC. Live and learn. Of course with the OBC I can get us each a drink that we actually want each day and still end up ahead.

Edited April 21, 2014 by MisterBill99

[suekay]

We're just off Millenium where we had vouchers. The server told us that vouchers will be fleetwide very soon. I've always had my suspicions that this would happen so that the lounge could then be for elite+ and zenith

 

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

[upwarduk]

We're just off Millenium where we had vouchers. The server told us that vouchers will be fleetwide very soon. I've always had my suspicions that this would happen so that the lounge could then be for elite+ and zenith.

 

Maybe I will never get to attend an event in the lounge then, we have had vouchers since we have been Elite!

[sailnsee]

Are they paper vouchers and are there cabin# or names on them?