123 Advice

[Patsy Flower]

We are looking to book our first cruise with Celebrity for October - possibly 11 nights but maybe 10.

 

I know that the drink package in the current promotion is excellent but we do not drink alcohol due to medical reasons and normally buy a soda package.

 

In view of the above, do you think we would be better going for free gratuities and onboard spend or would it still be worthwhile getting the classic package and avoiding the alcohol.

 

I am trying to work out the most cost effective way for us. I understand that we would have to pay gratuities upfront as we would prefer Select Dining.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this. The cruise is showing 300USD OBC.

 

Thanks

[Redtravel]

I also don't drink. I take the free gratuities. Since you have to pay them ahead if you do select dining, it makes sense. Soda cards can be purchased separately for $7-8 day pp. Since a can of soda costs $2.88 incl. tip, the soda card is a good deal if you drink more than 2 per day.

[Andy]

We are looking to book our first cruise with Celebrity for October - possibly 11 nights but maybe 10.

 

I know that the drink package in the current promotion is excellent but we do not drink alcohol due to medical reasons and normally buy a soda package.

 

In view of the above, do you think we would be better going for free gratuities and onboard spend or would it still be worthwhile getting the classic package and avoiding the alcohol.

 

I am trying to work out the most cost effective way for us. I understand that we would have to pay gratuities upfront as we would prefer Select Dining.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this. The cruise is showing 300USD OBC.

 

Thanks

 

Hi Patsy Flower,

 

Given the parameters you've listed, I'd opt for the $300 OBC, as you would likely get the most bang for your buck - especially if you will not be partaking of the alcohol element of the beverage package. It makes sense to purchase the soda package, which I believe is currently $8.00 pp per day, plus gratuity. BTW, if you purchse this onboard, you can apply your OBC towards this purchase.

 

I hope this is helpful !

[vermonter16]

Can you use OBC to pay for the gratuities as long as you are not in Select Dining?

Edited January 29, 2014 by vermonter16

[Andy]

Can you use OBC to pay for the gratuities as long as you are not in Select Dining?

 

Hi Vermonter,

 

Other than Select Dining (which grats must be prepaid)... Yes, you can use OBC.

[robtulipe]

Can you use OBC to pay for the gratuities as long as you are not in Select Dining?

Yes you can.

We do this all of the time and will do so on our next X cruise which is in just under two weeks time. The only thing about doing so is that you, as you mentioned, can't select Select Dining prior to the cruise as that option requires prepayment of the gratuities so one must try to change to this when onboard if this is want they want but that isn't always possible as was the case for the Century cruise we returned from last month.;)

Edited January 29, 2014 by robtulipe

[Miaminice]

Take the 300 $ OBC, buy the Soda Package on board (embarkation day) and use the rest for other things bought on board....

[attilamom1217]

The $300 OBC is greater than the total of the gratuities. Therefore, I would take the OBC and use it towards the soda package and excursions.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[miched]

Do a search for a Internet TA that offers to pay your gratuities. There are a few and some are advertised on Cruise Critic home site, some even will offer additional SBC. You can then take the $300 SBC. You are also allowed to take as much soft drinks and water on board as you want.

 

🌴🍸🍻🍺

[carolslc]

We don't drink alcohol either. We used the OBC to pay for gratuities and also used it to purchase the premium nonalcoholic package for me. I enjoyed it all week for sodas, bottled water when leaving the ship, and lots of virgin pina coladas and sparkling mint lemonade. My dh brought bottles of gatorade on the ship as that's all he really drinks other than water.

[Sailawaytoday]

Do a search for a Internet TA that offers to pay your gratuities. There are a few and some are advertised on Cruise Critic home site, some even will offer additional SBC. You can then take the $300 SBC. You are also allowed to take as much soft drinks and water on board as you want.

 

 

I agree with this post. We haven't paid our own gratuities for awhile, since our travel agent offers to pay them as a "thank you" for our booking. In addition, there is sometimes an additional onboard credit. (Unused credits from travel agents, unlike OBC from Celebrity, are refunded to your credit card at the end of the cruise). On our most recent onboard booking, we took the "booking onboard" OBC and the 123OBC. The booking was transferred to our agent, who is paying gratuities for the cabin of four, and added a beverage package and some internet minutes for 3rd and 4th (a promotion that was added by Celebrity after our booking). All good, except the price of cruising for 11 days over Xmas!!

[adirondacksailor]

From your post it seems you are saying you are allowed 2 offers (must be a European cruise?). I would select the $300 obc (and pay gratuities onboard, using obc, hoping select dining is still available when you board). And, second, the bev pkg. It would be worth it, as, in addition to alcohol, you have specialty coffees, sodas, fresh squeezed oj, water, etc., also included. If you only use it for a couple of sodas, forget it and go for tips and obc.

We booked an upcoming European cruise with 123go and took bev pkg and $300 obc, and, as previous poster mentioned, booked via online TA who threw in the free gratuities.

[AmberCascades]

The "gratuities paid" part of 123 only pertains to the daily auto gratuities that everyone has to pay, no? We got this as part of 123 but when we chose select dining we had to pre-pay the gratuities for that ourselves. We didn't want traditional seating so we made sure we booked it ahead of time.

[Sailawaytoday]

From your post it seems you are saying you are allowed 2 offers (must be a European cruise?). I would select the $300 obc (and pay gratuities onboard, using obc, hoping select dining is still available when you board). And, second, the bev pkg. It would be worth it, as, in addition to alcohol, you have specialty coffees, sodas, fresh squeezed oj, water, etc., also included. If you only use it for a couple of sodas, forget it and go for tips and obc.

We booked an upcoming European cruise with 123go and took bev pkg and $300 obc, and, as previous poster mentioned, booked via online TA who threw in the free gratuities.

 

Our onboard booking was for an 11 night Caribbean cruise. We received $200 OBC for booking onboard, plus a $300 OBC for 123. 3rd and 4th got a non-alcoholic bev package and 38 internet minutes (about enough to log on). Will have to see if my wife and I can be counted as 3rd and 4th, and not the kids!). We booked Select Dining with the reservation, confident that our TA would pick this up for us (which she did).

 

We already get coffee and juice as part of the Elite breakfast, and cocktails at night. Not sure where we will spend $500, but it will be fun to try!

[Wiltonian]

The "gratuities paid" part of 123 only pertains to the daily auto gratuities that everyone has to pay, no? We got this as part of 123 but when we chose select dining we had to pre-pay the gratuities for that ourselves. We didn't want traditional seating so we made sure we booked it ahead of time.

 

There are no extra gratuities for select dining; it's just that you have to pre-pay them on booking to choose select dining. The 123Go offer for gratuities will reimburse your account with the gratuities you've paid up front.

[Patsy Flower]

Many thanks to everyone who has replied to my post.

 

These boards provide so much help and information.

 

The 123 GO promotion appears to be very popular. When it finishes at the end of February is it likely that prices will be reduced significantly. In other words are we just paying for this perk which I must admit sounds like a real incentive to book.

 

As a UK cruiser I would be unable to take advantage of any future price drops.

 

Thanks again for any help or comments.