Expectations for Solstice

[The_Big_M]

Yes, but the prices didn't go up they remained the same, just advertised differently.:D

 

That contradicts what you asked when you asked "Are you sure the prices didn't go up and it was just the 15% gratuity included." :D

[The_Big_M]

Thanks KarateMan;

I saw their beverage packages appear costly, but I think a good idea. I considered that once you are on-board they can charge what they like for any beverage as there is no competition. (within industry acceptance).

 

That's true... but the prices have stayed fairly stable over time. I wouldn't expect major changes in the overall price, just whether it's split into base+grats, or an inclusive price.

[The_Big_M]

On Celebrity Solstice, March this year, bottled wine at dinner was expensive compared to other cruise lines, from memory zilch under $30, they would not serve the half litre carafes of wine one could get at the buffet for around $10.

 

Celebrity increased the drink prices because they knew the Colonials would still buy plenty. Thirsty creatures we are!

 

That's not a local change.

 

Celebrity hasn't had wine under $30 as far as I know for at least 6 years, probably longer. Same thing with the carafes, they're a buffet only offering everywhere. Celebrity does the same with many of its alchoholic products. They're only available at certain bars, not everywhere.

[travelaugust]

Hi there :)

 

Unfortunately Celebrity gave their drinks a considerable hike in the transition from the US to Australian cruises, I can tell you this because it happened on the second or third day which made it blatantly obvious as our cruise was the first for the Australian season.

 

Out of Australia all prices include the gratuity-

A VB, Heineken, Corona etc now costs $7US

Peroni, Stella etc were $7.50

Crown Lager was $9.25

Jack Daniels was $8

A house spirit cocktail was around $8

Standard cocktails were $10.50

Martinis were $13

Molecular cocktails were $13.75

A coffee was $5.25

 

Best bet would be to consider a drinks package, you can either get classic which includes beers up to $7 (the cheapest available) and everything else up to $9.75 or the premium which includes all drinks valued up to $15. So despite the price increase the drinks package costs the same and covers a higher amount since the higher prices if that makes sense.

 

If you're a simple drinker the classic will suffice, however, if you can see yourself enjoying martinis or molecular (fancy) cocktails the premium is worth it. Both packages include bottled water, juice, coffee etc as well.

 

Also, a heads up that it is now cheaper to pre-book your beverage packages online as it is $5USD dearer per day once on-board.

 

Online-

Classic- $52AUD per day

Premium- $64AUD per day

 

On-board-

Classic- $56.50USD per day

Premium- $68USD per day

 

So when you factor in currency conversion it's far better to book them beforehand. As you're on a longer cruise locking yourself into drinking every day could be a bit much, best for you to decide for yourself :)

Thanks Cruin-M:

 

Wow, those prices are excessive. Far worse than pubs/taverns. Probably equals fancy restaurants. Well as they say, if you can't afford to cruise then don't cruise. I am up for over $1,100 for a premium beverage package for 19 days...if the wife wants a package too, that is big dollars.

[MicCanberra]

That contradicts what you asked when you asked "Are you sure the prices didn't go up and it was just the 15% gratuity included." :D

I meant, if the price going up was the gratuity being included, my bad if it sounded like another question.:D

[MicCanberra]

That's not a local change.

 

Celebrity hasn't had wine under $30 as far as I know for at least 6 years, probably longer. Same thing with the carafes, they're a buffet only offering everywhere. Celebrity does the same with many of its alchoholic products. They're only available at certain bars, not everywhere.

Correct, and try to even get a glass of wine that will come into the drinks package when dining in one of the specialty restuarants. Not much if any, I recommend you ask for what you would normally drink when in the MDR or at the bar.:D

[MicCanberra]

Thanks Cruin-M:

 

Wow, those prices are excessive. Far worse than pubs/taverns. Probably equals fancy restaurants. Well as they say, if you can't afford to cruise then don't cruise. I am up for over $1,100 for a premium beverage package for 19 days...if the wife wants a package too, that is big dollars.

Those prices have the gratuity included, but it will add up unless you go with a package and then you know exactly what your bill will be (large).:D

[Stuartm]

Hi there :)

 

Unfortunately Celebrity gave their drinks a considerable hike in the transition from the US to Australian cruises, I can tell you this because it happened on the second or third day which made it blatantly obvious as our cruise was the first for the Australian season.

 

Out of Australia all prices include the gratuity-

A VB, Heineken, Corona etc now costs $7US

Peroni, Stella etc were $7.50

Crown Lager was $9.25

Jack Daniels was $8

A house spirit cocktail was around $8

Standard cocktails were $10.50

Martinis were $13

Molecular cocktails were $13.75

A coffee was $5.25

 

Best bet would be to consider a drinks package, you can either get classic which includes beers up to $7 (the cheapest available) and everything else up to $9.75 or the premium which includes all drinks valued up to $15. So despite the price increase the drinks package costs the same and covers a higher amount since the higher prices if that makes sense.

 

If you're a simple drinker the classic will suffice, however, if you can see yourself enjoying martinis or molecular (fancy) cocktails the premium is worth it. Both packages include bottled water, juice, coffee etc as well.

 

Also, a heads up that it is now cheaper to pre-book your beverage packages online as it is $5USD dearer per day once on-board.

 

Online-

Classic- $52AUD per day

Premium- $64AUD per day

 

On-board-

Classic- $56.50USD per day

Premium- $68USD per day

 

So when you factor in currency conversion it's far better to book them beforehand. As you're on a longer cruise locking yourself into drinking every day could be a bit much, best for you to decide for yourself :)

 

 

I'm a little confused. Are you saying that they changed all the menus in all the bars on the ship to show the price of the drink + the gratuity?

 

In any case, I was on the Solstice trans Pacific that arrived on October 23rd this year and the prices were the same.

 

We took the premium package and we only drank our $64 dollars worth a day on a few occasions. That being said, I would consider buying it again if I cruise with Celebrity in the future as it is great not coming home to a big booze bill! I would also get the premium package again as those Molecular Bar cocktails are too good to miss and they fall outside of the standard package.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise but as the Diamond Princess is our ship of choice it was difficult not to compare. Like others I really miss the wrap around Promenade deck and also the aft pools. I found some of the interior decoration was trying too hard to be 'cool' but one could criticize the Diamond for being too 'vanilla'. The theatre and gym on the Solstice were far better than on the Diamond but for me the main foyer on the Solstice feels a little enclosed when compared to the Diamond. Bottom line, we all have our personal tastes and experiences and our first experience with Celebrity was fantastic.

We are booked on the Sapphire Princess (Diamond's sister ship) in December 2015 so it will be interesting to see how I view her after my Solstice experience. The only thing I am sure of is that I'm going have a great time!

 

cheers

 

Stu

 

 

cheers

 

Stu

[MicCanberra]

I'm a little confused. Are you saying that they changed all the menus in all the bars on the ship to show the price of the drink + the gratuity?

 

In any case, I was on the Solstice trans Pacific that arrived on October 23rd this year and the prices were the same.

 

We took the premium package and we only drank our $64 dollars worth a day on a few occasions. That being said, I would consider buying it again if I cruise with Celebrity in the future as it is great not coming home to a big booze bill! I would also get the premium package again as those Molecular Bar cocktails are too good to miss and they fall outside of the standard package.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise but as the Diamond Princess is our ship of choice it was difficult not to compare. Like others I really miss the wrap around Promenade deck and also the aft pools. I found some of the interior decoration was trying too hard to be 'cool' but one could criticize the Diamond for being too 'vanilla'. The theatre and gym on the Solstice were far better than on the Diamond but for me the main foyer on the Solstice feels a little enclosed when compared to the Diamond. Bottom line, we all have our personal tastes and experiences and our first experience with Celebrity was fantastic.

We are booked on the Sapphire Princess (Diamond's sister ship) in December 2015 so it will be interesting to see how I view her after my Solstice experience. The only thing I am sure of is that I'm going have a great time!

 

cheers

 

Stu

 

 

cheers

 

Stu

I am glad you have recovered from that wonderful cruise on the Solstice. BTW, I love the Solstice but also love the Diamond. As you said, the ship does matter that much for me to have a good time.:D

[chester32]

:)

I suggest that you drink for one full sea day, and evaluate whether you would be better off getting a package or not.:D

Hi MicCanberra

Is it possible to do this, as we cant decide if it is worth while getting the drinks package By the way what happened to your picture in the tux ,your last cruise must have been too relaxing:)

[MicCanberra]

:)

Hi MicCanberra

Is it possible to do this, as we cant decide if it is worth while getting the drinks package By the way what happened to your picture in the tux ,your last cruise must have been too relaxing:)

 

Yes, packages can be purchased on board right up to the last couple of days of the cruise (they only charge the daily rate for the remainder of the cruise).

I decided it was time for an update and the cruise was very relaxing, 30 nights transpacific from Mexico to Australia, via Hawaii, French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea) and NZ.:D

Edited November 15, 2013 by MicCanberra

[cruisin-m]

Are you sure the prices didn't go up and it was just the 15% gratuity included.:D

 

Yeah it definitely went up because when you first set foot on the ship a beer was $5 on the menu which they then added the 15% to bring it to $5.75 then between later on the first day and the second day all the prices were changed to reflect the gratuity as $5.75 on the menu. This wasn't where it stopped though as late on the second day it went up again to $7.00.

 

You also saw instances where they forgot to change the recommended wine prices and for instance a glass of Conumdrum white was $12 on the food menu but $15 on the updated wine list. $12 +15% grat would be $13.75 ;)

 

Another one went from $9 up to $13.

 

But hey the last thing to worry about on a cruise is the cost of a drink I just would have expected them to at least wait to people weren't on the ship so they were none the wiser :rolleyes:

[MicCanberra]

Yeah it definitely went up because when you first set foot on the ship a beer was $5 on the menu which they then added the 15% to bring it to $5.75 then between later on the first day and the second day all the prices were changed to reflect the gratuity as $5.75 on the menu. This wasn't where it stopped though as late on the second day it went up again to $7.00.

 

You also saw instances where they forgot to change the recommended wine prices and for instance a glass of Conumdrum white was $12 on the food menu but $15 on the updated wine list. $12 +15% grat would be $13.75 ;)

 

Another one went from $9 up to $13.

 

But hey the last thing to worry about on a cruise is the cost of a drink I just would have expected them to at least wait to people weren't on the ship so they were none the wiser :rolleyes:

 

I suppose those prices fluctuating like that, just make the packages look even better then.:D

[rugbypopsie]

Just off the 12 day Aus/NZ on Solstice. Hmm..there is a lot to love..the banks of lifts are great... very little waiting but they come at the expense of a having a big central atrium. The ship feels very grown up...nice colours and decor. The buffet and food generally were very good...but the food was often not hot when it should have been even in the speciality restaurant Tuscan. Our balcony cabin was nice, good bathroom and proper shower door, but no line to hang a wet cossie or undies and no guest laundry. Not a lot of storage in the cabin either would have to leave a lot in the case on a long trip. Great bed, stupid pillows! We were in 7336 towards the starboard aft..good location very very quiet..view slightly obstructed by life boats looking down but otherwise good. Decent sized table on balcony...good chairs. Production shows some of the best I have seen! Friend had a bump out cabin 2110 on deck 12 definately worth trying for one of those..much larger balcony.. The pools were nice the outdoor one didn't get a workout but the indoor one was very nice. Service throughout the ship was very hit and miss...in the MDR and speciality restaurant...very very good, else where sometime OK otherwise ignored. We didn't have the drinks package...and yes the drinks were hiked up just for us...:mad: also in the gift shop. I overheard a US person complaining that the prices had changed from the previous US trip and the assistant confirmed they had been "adjusted" for Australia. No bargains in booze either.:mad: By the way my friends booked through US agent and got the drinks package and gratuties free...

 

So...there is a lot to like..this is a real grown up ship..mmmm to me its more like a floating luxury hotel than a ship..just my opinion..its a bit too closed in and its not just the size..but as I said they made compromises in the design, there are lots of intimate spaces to sit..if you could only be heard my least favourite part of the cruise...is everyone deaf..the sound levels throughout were awful..if you sat in the Martini bar you were assaulted by "doof doof" music at high decibels clashing with the music coming from the entertainment atrium one floor down...grrr..even in the buffet it was at times hard to have a conversation. We only had one tender port (Akaroa)..and they need to practise..it was pretty chaotic for the first couple of hours..two people were trying to organise..just not working well..too slow.

 

Next is Voyager and then back to a little ship Azamara. I think I am still a Princess princess (US ones) but Solstice has many fans and its easy to see why.

 

Sue

[Stuartm]

Just off the 12 day Aus/NZ on Solstice. Hmm..there is a lot to love..the banks of lifts are great... very little waiting but they come at the expense of a having a big central atrium. The ship feels very grown up...nice colours and decor. The buffet and food generally were very good...but the food was often not hot when it should have been even in the speciality restaurant Tuscan. Our balcony cabin was nice, good bathroom and proper shower door, but no line to hang a wet cossie or undies and no guest laundry. Not a lot of storage in the cabin either would have to leave a lot in the case on a long trip. Great bed, stupid pillows! We were in 7336 towards the starboard aft..good location very very quiet..view slightly obstructed by life boats looking down but otherwise good. Decent sized table on balcony...good chairs. Production shows some of the best I have seen! Friend had a bump out cabin 2110 on deck 12 definately worth trying for one of those..much larger balcony.. The pools were nice the outdoor one didn't get a workout but the indoor one was very nice. Service throughout the ship was very hit and miss...in the MDR and speciality restaurant...very very good, else where sometime OK otherwise ignored. We didn't have the drinks package...and yes the drinks were hiked up just for us...:mad: also in the gift shop. I overheard a US person complaining that the prices had changed from the previous US trip and the assistant confirmed they had been "adjusted" for Australia. No bargains in booze either.:mad: By the way my friends booked through US agent and got the drinks package and gratuties free...

 

So...there is a lot to like..this is a real grown up ship..mmmm to me its more like a floating luxury hotel than a ship..just my opinion..its a bit too closed in and its not just the size..but as I said they made compromises in the design, there are lots of intimate spaces to sit..if you could only be heard my least favourite part of the cruise...is everyone deaf..the sound levels throughout were awful..if you sat in the Martini bar you were assaulted by "doof doof" music at high decibels clashing with the music coming from the entertainment atrium one floor down...grrr..even in the buffet it was at times hard to have a conversation. We only had one tender port (Akaroa)..and they need to practise..it was pretty chaotic for the first couple of hours..two people were trying to organise..just not working well..too slow.

 

Next is Voyager and then back to a little ship Azamara. I think I am still a Princess princess (US ones) but Solstice has many fans and its easy to see why.

 

Sue

 

I agree about the music Sue. It was often too loud and inappropriate. The casino was unbearable at times as the machines were all set on high volume (even those that had a volume control were still too loud on the lowest setting) and with the high volume piped music....it almost made me leave:D.

I also agree with you about the volume in the buffet although I saw a woman call a manager over and ask if it could be turned down.....and it was so maybe we passengers need to be more pro-active.

 

I wasn't as keen as you about the lifts I'm afraid. I think the ship is too big not to have a third set of stairs/lifts towards the aft.

 

My main gripe was the drinks service in all the dining venues. It seemed that the wine waiters were thinly spread and for the first few nights we were served our appetizers before our drinks order had been taken. This was also our experience in Murano, Tuscan Grill and Blu.

I have a conspiracy theory:eek: that as so many people had the drinks package ( as we did) and many of these received this gratis through the 123 promotion ( we didn't....we paid) that by slowing down the service people wouldn't be able to access their package so freely. I'm sure that, as with most conspiracy theories, mine is flawed but nonetheless, until we complained about it in the MDR, the service was slow. In the buffet it was usually quicker to go to the bar yourself than to try and flag down a drinks waiter .....and one could have died of thirst in the casino!

 

As far as the price hike in beverages once Solstice commenced her Australian season, I don't know what the people on the premium package would be drinking. The cocktails in the molecular bar would be too expensive as they would be above the $12 limit and the wine we drank at dinner was $12 a glass on our cruise so that would not be available either.

 

I also loved the bed.......but I loved the pillows too!!!!

 

cheers Stu

[MicCanberra]

Just off the 12 day Aus/NZ on Solstice. Hmm..there is a lot to love..the banks of lifts are great... very little waiting but they come at the expense of a having a big central atrium. The ship feels very grown up...nice colours and decor. The buffet and food generally were very good...but the food was often not hot when it should have been even in the speciality restaurant Tuscan. Our balcony cabin was nice, good bathroom and proper shower door, but no line to hang a wet cossie or undies and no guest laundry. Not a lot of storage in the cabin either would have to leave a lot in the case on a long trip. Great bed, stupid pillows! We were in 7336 towards the starboard aft..good location very very quiet..view slightly obstructed by life boats looking down but otherwise good. Decent sized table on balcony...good chairs. Production shows some of the best I have seen! Friend had a bump out cabin 2110 on deck 12 definately worth trying for one of those..much larger balcony.. The pools were nice the outdoor one didn't get a workout but the indoor one was very nice. Service throughout the ship was very hit and miss...in the MDR and speciality restaurant...very very good, else where sometime OK otherwise ignored. We didn't have the drinks package...and yes the drinks were hiked up just for us...:mad: also in the gift shop. I overheard a US person complaining that the prices had changed from the previous US trip and the assistant confirmed they had been "adjusted" for Australia. No bargains in booze either.:mad: By the way my friends booked through US agent and got the drinks package and gratuties free...

 

So...there is a lot to like..this is a real grown up ship..mmmm to me its more like a floating luxury hotel than a ship..just my opinion..its a bit too closed in and its not just the size..but as I said they made compromises in the design, there are lots of intimate spaces to sit..if you could only be heard my least favourite part of the cruise...is everyone deaf..the sound levels throughout were awful..if you sat in the Martini bar you were assaulted by "doof doof" music at high decibels clashing with the music coming from the entertainment atrium one floor down...grrr..even in the buffet it was at times hard to have a conversation. We only had one tender port (Akaroa)..and they need to practise..it was pretty chaotic for the first couple of hours..two people were trying to organise..just not working well..too slow.

 

Next is Voyager and then back to a little ship Azamara. I think I am still a Princess princess (US ones) but Solstice has many fans and its easy to see why.

 

Sue

 

Thanks for the review Sue, I also agree about the music around the ship (mainly the Martini Bar) and it was one reason why we made the ensemble bar or the passport bar our drinking hole for pre and post dinner drinks.:D

[KiwiFunCruiser]

 

As far as the price hike in beverages once Solstice commenced her Australian season, I don't know what the people on the premium package would be drinking. The cocktails in the molecular bar would be too expensive as they would be above the $12 limit and the wine we drank at dinner was $12 a glass on our cruise so that would not be available either.

 

 

cheers Stu

 

Just wanted to confirm the part where all wines are $12 a glass upwards. och!!! that's a bit over the top.

[MicCanberra]

 

My main gripe was the drinks service in all the dining venues. It seemed that the wine waiters were thinly spread and for the first few nights we were served our appetizers before our drinks order had been taken. This was also our experience in Murano, Tuscan Grill and Blu.

I have a conspiracy theory:eek: that as so many people had the drinks package ( as we did) and many of these received this gratis through the 123 promotion ( we didn't....we paid) that by slowing down the service people wouldn't be able to access their package so freely. I'm sure that, as with most conspiracy theories, mine is flawed but nonetheless, until we complained about it in the MDR, the service was slow. In the buffet it was usually quicker to go to the bar yourself than to try and flag down a drinks waiter .....and one could have died of thirst in the casino!

 

 

 

cheers Stu

 

Lol, about the conspiracy theory, I feel guilty now that maybe I was hogging the waiters.:D

I too had a drinks package but found that some staff look out to ensure that we had drinks at all times. We were select dining but this didn't stop one staff member from having drinks delivered to us if we were not in her station. Maybe we were just lucky. I cannot answer for the casino but at the other bars, there was always one waiter who would see us come in and take our order straight away. The cynic may say they were looking for tips and they may be right as we made sure we tipped them at the end of the cruise for their great service.:D

A big shout out to Raisa, Olga, Giddey, Johnny, Sladjana and Anthony, all excellent staff.:D

Edited November 17, 2013 by MicCanberra

[rugbypopsie]

Re the conspiracy theory..and drinks generally. Molecular bar cocktails $14, I like Cosmos simple drink but not worth that price. We could do direct comparison as 6 of us together two on package (since they got it for nothing) and 4 without. We had anytime dining on level 4 ask to be seated in Marlon and Richards tables...great service for both food and drinks. Our friends on the package had their drinks continually refilled throughout the meal...we thought $25 corkage on your own wine was a bit steep. They did sometimes have bucket beer specials on weird beers. No bulk laundry deal either..I'm not paying $2.50 for someone to wash socks..so take a line folks. However pants at $5 I thought reasonable.

 

Our room steward was very ordinary..didn't leave us comment cards either..wonder why? We tipped him anyway...heck if someone wants to do any of my housework I'm happy.

 

Overall it was a good trip..my tips are do your own excursions its so easy in NZ they are well set up with tourism tents or shuittles to the I site. Be ready for the $15 and $10 shuttle costs. Take washing liquid and line...and if you enjoy a drink book through the states..:)

 

Sue

[MicCanberra]

Re the conspiracy theory..and drinks generally. Molecular bar cocktails $14, I like Cosmos simple drink but not worth that price. We could do direct comparison as 6 of us together two on package (since they got it for nothing) and 4 without. We had anytime dining on level 4 ask to be seated in Marlon and Richards tables...great service for both food and drinks. Our friends on the package had their drinks continually refilled throughout the meal...we thought $25 corkage on your own wine was a bit steep. They did sometimes have bucket beer specials on weird beers. No bulk laundry deal either..I'm not paying $2.50 for someone to wash socks..so take a line folks. However pants at $5 I thought reasonable.

 

Our room steward was very ordinary..didn't leave us comment cards either..wonder why? We tipped him anyway...heck if someone wants to do any of my housework I'm happy.

 

Overall it was a good trip..my tips are do your own excursions its so easy in NZ they are well set up with tourism tents or shuittles to the I site. Be ready for the $15 and $10 shuttle costs. Take washing liquid and line...and if you enjoy a drink book through the states..:)

 

Sue

 

I thought it was $15 corkage on wine, but in any case I agree about bringing an elastic line for drying your smalls. We just use the shampoo for detergent and ask for some extra towels to help dry some of the items overnight.:D

[rugbypopsie]

I thought it was $15 corkage on wine, but in any case I agree about bringing an elastic line for drying your smalls. We just use the shampoo for detergent and ask for some extra towels to help dry some of the items overnight.:D

 

Definately $25 corkage if you take your own wine into MDR.

 

Sue

[cruisin-m]

I agree about the music Sue. It was often too loud and inappropriate. The casino was unbearable at times as the machines were all set on high volume (even those that had a volume control were still too loud on the lowest setting) and with the high volume piped music....it almost made me leave:D.

I also agree with you about the volume in the buffet although I saw a woman call a manager over and ask if it could be turned down.....and it was so maybe we passengers need to be more pro-active.

 

I wasn't as keen as you about the lifts I'm afraid. I think the ship is too big not to have a third set of stairs/lifts towards the aft.

 

My main gripe was the drinks service in all the dining venues. It seemed that the wine waiters were thinly spread and for the first few nights we were served our appetizers before our drinks order had been taken. This was also our experience in Murano, Tuscan Grill and Blu.

I have a conspiracy theory:eek: that as so many people had the drinks package ( as we did) and many of these received this gratis through the 123 promotion ( we didn't....we paid) that by slowing down the service people wouldn't be able to access their package so freely. I'm sure that, as with most conspiracy theories, mine is flawed but nonetheless, until we complained about it in the MDR, the service was slow. In the buffet it was usually quicker to go to the bar yourself than to try and flag down a drinks waiter .....and one could have died of thirst in the casino!

 

As far as the price hike in beverages once Solstice commenced her Australian season, I don't know what the people on the premium package would be drinking. The cocktails in the molecular bar would be too expensive as they would be above the $12 limit and the wine we drank at dinner was $12 a glass on our cruise so that would not be available either.

 

I also loved the bed.......but I loved the pillows too!!!!

 

cheers Stu

 

Hi Stu

 

They had to change the limits on what was included in the drinks packages out of Australia for that very reason that if they didn't the packages wouldn't have included very much, in fact the classic package would have included basically nothing if they didn't, not even the cheapest beer available :eek:

 

Out of Australia the classic is beers up to $7 and everything else to $9.75 and premium was anything up to $15 a pop.

 

Although there was a catch to this as well, if a drink was classified as promotional or special like it was an offering only for the day it was not included in even the premium package despite only being valued at $8. This made absolutely no sense to me as to why they would refuse you a cheap $8 drink on their most expensive drinks package but happily serve you a $15 drink :confused:

[MicCanberra]

Hi Stu

 

They had to change the limits on what was included in the drinks packages out of Australia for that very reason that if they didn't the packages wouldn't have included very much, in fact the classic package would have included basically nothing if they didn't, not even the cheapest beer available :eek:

 

Out of Australia the classic is beers up to $7 and everything else to $9.75 and premium was anything up to $15 a pop.

 

Although there was a catch to this as well, if a drink was classified as promotional or special like it was an offering only for the day it was not included in even the premium package despite only being valued at $8. This made absolutely no sense to me as to why they would refuse you a cheap $8 drink on their most expensive drinks package but happily serve you a $15 drink :confused:

 

That is confusing.:confused:

[chester32]

Wondering If you have the classic package and you order a drink over the allowed limit do you pay the difference or do you have to pay the full price

Thanks

[Stuartm]

I've just returned from having a long lunch with some cruising friends and I told them about this thread on the Solstice.

 

They were on the inaugural Solstice Cruise from Singapore to Sydney and when they disembarked they said that it was the best cruise they had ever taken.

 

A couple of months later they cruised on the Solstice from Sydney to Honolulu at the end of her Australian season and they said it was the worst cruise experience they had had.

 

They put some of that down to the fantastic CD on the first cruise who organized so many interesting activities whereas on the second cruise the CD (and the activities )seemed to be very lacklustre.

 

I just mention this as we often compare different cruise companies and their pros and cons but even on the same ship and the same cruise line our experiences can vary.

 

If the drinks prices stay at their new level once the Solstice has left Australia then one can just accept that as an across the board increase. But if the prices revert back to their "pre-Australian" level then I would certainly question whether I'd want to cruise with Celebrity again.

cheers

 

Stu