Beverages and Beverage Packages FAQ

[lawgirl]

What an excellent, thoughtful post! Many thanks!

 

You may consider adding info on other topics I see a lot : if the classic beverage package is free (a booking perk) can only one person in the cabin upgrade to premium or do both need to?

 

AND is there tax charged if you purchase a package or upgrade while still docked in the embarkation port (ie should you wait until a few miles off shore).

 

Thanks!

[ailetoile]

What an excellent, thoughtful post! Many thanks!

 

You may consider adding info on other topics I see a lot : if the classic beverage package is free (a booking perk) can only one person in the cabin upgrade to premium or do both need to?

 

AND is there tax charged if you purchase a package or upgrade while still docked in the embarkation port (ie should you wait until a few miles off shore).

 

Thanks!

 

Hey lawgirl! The first one is a great idea that I will add for my next update.

 

As for the second one... I see this topic come up and I'd actually love to add it, but I'm not 100% sure of the answer. I've seen some people say they've been charged tax at some ports, while others insist that the bartenders wait to run the purchase (for drinks, too) until the ship is at sea so there won't be tax. Any insights?

[lawgirl]

Hey lawgirl! The first one is a great idea that I will add for my next update.

 

As for the second one... I see this topic come up and I'd actually love to add it, but I'm not 100% sure of the answer. I've seen some people say they've been charged tax at some ports, while others insist that the bartenders wait to run the purchase (for drinks, too) until the ship is at sea so there won't be tax. Any insights?

 

I have read different stories on taxing, but I think to be safe, cruisers should wait...or I guess ask the question when buying the package or upgrade if the ship is still docked. Thank you again! Great, great post!

[ailetoile]

I have made the following changes to the PDF:

 

1. I have split the Beverage Packages category into Purchasing Beverage Packages and Using Beverage Packages to better represent the range of questions within this category.

 

2. I have added or updated these questions:

 

(Purchasing Beverage Packages) If both individuals in my stateroom have received a beverage package as a booking perk, can one person upgrade while the other keeps the original package?

Unless it is otherwise specified by the terms and conditions of the booking perk, one member of a pair who received the same booking perk can choose to upgrade while the other chooses not to.

 

If the terms and conditions of the booking perk do stipulate that both individuals must upgrade, you may wish to try waiting until you actually board the ship before you attempt to upgrade for an individual. While this still may not be successful, there have been many reports that individuals have succeeded in upgrading without upgrading the other affected person.

 

(Purchasing Beverage Packages) Will I have to pay tax on the purchase or upgrade of a beverage package?

If you purchase a beverage package prior to sailing or while you are not docked in a port, you do not have to pay taxes.

 

There are some reports that drink package purchases and upgrades can be subject to tax while the ship is docked in port, so you may wish to confirm that this will not be the case or wait until the ship has sailed before you decide to buy. Please note that this seems to be up to the discretion of the individual employee that handles the sale.

 

(Using Beverage Packages) Can I use my beverage package to purchase drinks for other people? Can I share my beverage package?

No. You may not use your beverage package to purchase drinks for anyone besides yourself.

 

(Using Beverage Packages) Where is my beverage package valid?

You can use your beverage package in most of the ship’s public venues, as well as on any private destinations such as Labadee.

 

(Using Beverage Packages) Can I use my beverage package for room service?

No. You cannot use your beverage package to pay for purchases made through room service.

 

You can, however, use your beverage package to purchase unopened bottles of water, soda, or beer to take back to your stateroom so that they may be consumed later.

 

(Using Beverage Packages) Does my beverage package cover the minibar in my stateroom?

No. The beverage package does not cover drinks that are taken from the minibar in your stateroom.

 

(Using Beverage Packages) Can I use my Classic or Premium Package towards purchases of bottles of alcohol from the ship’s gift shop?

No. You cannot use any beverage package perks to reduce the cost of bottles of alcohol from the ship’s gift shop.

 

3. I also updated the information about the stateroom bar setup to include the box of mixed nuts and explicit wording that once you have consumed your six mixers you must purchase additional ones separately.

Bev Package FAQ.pdf

Edited February 20, 2015 by ailetoile

[cle-guy]

(Purchasing Beverage Packages) Will I have to pay tax on the purchase or upgrade of a beverage package?

If you purchase a beverage package prior to sailing or while you are not docked in a port, you do not have to pay taxes.

 

There are some reports that drink package purchases and upgrades can be subject to tax while the ship is docked in port, so you may wish to confirm that this will not be the case or wait until the ship has sailed before you decide to buy. Please note that this seems to be up to the discretion of the individual employee that handles the sale.

 

Also this varied by port. Some ports require ships to collect local taxes while other's don't. I know i've paid sales local tax in port in Bayonne, NJ.

 

I also would agree that the charging or not of the tax, has to do with method of taking the order. Anyone ringing at a real POS workstation, the computer will tally it automatically, as computers do.

 

Anyone who has their number "written down" the staff will wait till out of port to enter into the POS to save those guests the local taxes. At some point, I feel like I often read 2 miles from shore, taxes go away, and someone in charge of ship's time and travel would alert the IT department to turn off the tax collection for that stop and they would make appropriate other notes such as location, speed, time etc. to document specifically for any tax issues that owed later arise should they receive an audit from the locals.

Edited February 20, 2015 by cle-guy

[ailetoile]

Also this varied by port. Some ports require ships to collect local taxes while other's don't. I know i've paid sales local tax in port in Bayonne, NJ.

 

I also would agree that the charging or not of the tax, has to do with method of taking the order. Anyone ringing at a real POS workstation, the computer will tally it automatically, as computers do.

 

Anyone who has their number "written down" the staff will wait till out of port to enter into the POS to save those guests the local taxes. At some point, I feel like I often read 2 miles from shore, taxes go away, and someone in charge of ship's time and travel would alert the IT department to turn off the tax collection for that stop and they would make appropriate other notes such as location, speed, time etc. to document specifically for any tax issues that owed later arise should they receive an audit from the locals.

 

I love this information. I'll have to think about if/how I want to add it to the FAQ but I like having it in this thread a lot. Thanks for getting so specific, Curt!

[kqcallahan]

Do both people in a stateroom have to upgrade from Classic to Premium? Thanks

[ailetoile]

Do both people in a stateroom have to upgrade from Classic to Premium? Thanks

 

Nope. One person can upgrade while the other doesn't.

[kqcallahan]

Is there a rule on how many drinks you can order at a time? Or how much time you have to wait in between a drink?

[ailetoile]

Is there a rule on how many drinks you can order at a time? Or how much time you have to wait in between a drink?

 

I apologize for the delay in answering you. I never saw the question when you asked it.

 

The answer is that it depends. If you DO NOT have a beverage package, you may purchase as many drinks as you would like at one time.

 

If you do have a beverage package, you may only purchase one drink at a time. This is to help ensure that you are not sharing beverages purchased with the package. There are conflicting reports about how long you must wait between beverage purchases, but the consensus seems to be that it is not terribly long.

[ailetoile]

I've updated the PDF to fix a few typos, add a touch more information to a few questions, and to include the following questions:

 

(A la Carte Drinking) Is the tap water in my stateroom potable?

You can drink the tap water in your stateroom. Your stateroom attendant will also provide your stateroom with a pitcher of tap water that he or she will keep refilled throughout the duration of your trip.

 

Some may find that the sodium level or the taste of the tap water does not agree with them. This is a preference that will vary from person to person. The only alternative to the tap water is to purchase bottled water aboard the ship if it is not covered by a beverage package or your stateroom class, or to purchase bottled water at a port of call to bring on board.

 

(A la Carte Drinking) Is there a limit to the number of beverages I can buy at one time?

It depends. If you DO NOT have a beverage package, you may purchase as many drinks as you would like at one time.

 

If you DO have a beverage package, you may only purchase one drink at a time. This is to help ensure that you are not sharing beverages purchased with the package. There are conflicting reports about how long you must wait between beverage purchases, but the consensus seems to be that it is not terribly long.

 

(Purchasing and Upgrading Beverage Packages) How will I know exactly what is covered under my beverage package?

You may be able to request a list of beverages that are included in your beverage package from Guest Services. Keep in mind that this list is a guideline, and that there may be mixed drinks or brands that are not listed but which are still included in your package. It never hurts to specify which beverage package you have and to ask for what you would like at the bar to see if the bartender is able to accommodate you.

 

---

 

Thank you very much to everyone who continues to ask questions that I have overlooked. :)

Bev Package FAQ.pdf

[RJ2002]

Thanks very much for this very informative post. We are returning to Celebrity after a long absence, and have the Classic Package as part of our amenities. You've answered all of our questions.

[music]

One more question please, about beer. If you want a beer listed on the premium list, can you just pay the difference?

[ailetoile]

One more question please, about beer. If you want a beer listed on the premium list, can you just pay the difference?

 

Not with the Classic Package, no. You will pay the full cost of the beer (plus the 18% gratuity if it's applicable on your sailing).

[cruise kitty]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Before You Cruise

 

 

Can I bring alcoholic beverages aboard with me?

Yes, but it is restricted. You may bring up to two standard-sized (750 ml) bottles of wine per stateroom on board at embarkation. Other alcoholic beverages (beer or spirits) that is brought on board at embarkation will be confiscated and will not be returned.

 

If you purchase alcohol on board the ship or at a port of call, it will be temporarily confiscated and returned to you on the last night of the cruise.

 

[

 

Not exactly accurate, we regularly cruise out of Rome, & purchase various wines, & absinthe to take home as gifts or souvenirs, which we embark with. We've experienced them holding it for us for the length of the cruise, & more often than not, us just storing it in our room for the length of the cruise.... By the end of one of our cruises I had at least 12 wine bottles stored in the closet :) Didn't try to hide any of them, just carried them on :)

 

I would not have a problem if they stored them for me, along with my bottles of olive oil & all the soap I buy.

 

Maybe it's different on the Caribbean or Bahama type cruises, but I have no experience with that.

[ailetoile]

Not exactly accurate, we regularly cruise out of Rome, & purchase various wines, & absinthe to take home as gifts or souvenirs, which we embark with. We've experienced them holding it for us for the length of the cruise, & more often than not, us just storing it in our room for the length of the cruise.... By the end of one of our cruises I had at least 12 wine bottles stored in the closet :) Didn't try to hide any of them, just carried them on :)

 

I would not have a problem if they stored them for me, along with my bottles of olive oil & all the soap I buy.

 

Maybe it's different on the Caribbean or Bahama type cruises, but I have no experience with that.

 

Now that is interesting and the first I've heard of it. They are quite strict about this on the Caribbean sailings, which are the vast majority of my Celebrity experience.

 

I'll do some research on this and reword that question to be more accurate in the PDF update (not tonight, I don't like to spam them until I have a few new or updated questions).

 

Thank you for pointing that out. Much appreciated!

Edited February 25, 2015 by ailetoile

[cruise kitty]

Now that is interesting and the first I've heard of it. They are quite strict about this on the Caribbean sailings, which are the vast majority of my Celebrity experience.

 

I'll do some research on this and reword that question to be more accurate in the PDF update (not tonight, I don't like to spam them until I have a few new or updated questions).

 

Thank you for pointing that out. Much appreciated!

 

I would think if you were trying to hide/smuggle on wine or alcohol they might take it & not return it, but I would say the majority of Europe cruisers are doing some sort of pre trip on land, & are probably bringing on wine, oil, spices etc., so, no, they don't take it all & not return it to you.

 

On port days they do a half hearted check & may direct you to a table to check in your wine/alcohol souvenirs.

 

The one time that they are really checking & are strict is the last port before a TA crossing... & I can understand why...

[Pat&Paul]

Can we upgrade Non Booze Premium to Premium Booze package? I already bouth my Non Booze package and am having second thoughts.

[ailetoile]

I would think if you were trying to hide/smuggle on wine or alcohol they might take it & not return it, but I would say the majority of Europe cruisers are doing some sort of pre trip on land, & are probably bringing on wine, oil, spices etc., so, no, they don't take it all & not return it to you.

 

On port days they do a half hearted check & may direct you to a table to check in your wine/alcohol souvenirs.

 

The one time that they are really checking & are strict is the last port before a TA crossing... & I can understand why...

 

You probably have a very good point. There's also definitely something of a culture difference, I would imagine, between the passengers getting on a European sailing and those getting on a Caribbean sailing. I really do dream of having the chance to do a few European or Asian sailings in my lifetime... :)

 

I will definitely update the FAQ to reflect this. Thanks again :D

[ailetoile]

Can we upgrade Non Booze Premium to Premium Booze package? I already bouth my Non Booze package and am having second thoughts.

 

You should be able to. If you are doing it beforehand then you can call Celebrity to either upgrade or to cancel the non-alcohol package and add the alcohol package (I'm not sure how they'd do it exactly). This will work 100% of the time.

 

I am about 95% sure you can also do this upgrade once you board, but I'd actually really like to get some confirmation from someone who has successfully done it after reading in a recent thread here that someone had a problem upgrading from non-alcoholic to alcoholic onboard. :eek:

[prish]

You probably have a very good point. There's also definitely something of a culture difference, I would imagine, between the passengers getting on a European sailing and those getting on a Caribbean sailing. I really do dream of having the chance to do a few European or Asian sailings in my lifetime... :)

 

I will definitely update the FAQ to reflect this. Thanks again :D

 

I've only done European sailings and always buy a couple of bottles of wine or eau de vie, olive oil, etc, both pre-cruise as well as in the ports, have never ever had Celebrity check my bags and confiscate the bottles. Some years back DH's backpack had a couple of extra cans of Efes beer left over from our picnic lunch and these also made it through when we boarded. Guess things are different in the Caribbean.

[CathyCruises]

I have also been successful in bringing bottles of wine on from ports in the Mediterranean. Not a hundred percent of the time but definitely more than 50% of the time. Maybe you could change the section to say that bottles are SUBJECT to confiscation rather than making it an absolute that they WILL be confiscated! Just a thought. . .

[CathyCruises]

dreaded double post

Edited February 25, 2015 by CathyCruises

[ailetoile]

I have also been successful in bringing bottles of wine on from ports in the Mediterranean. Not a hundred percent of the time but definitely more than 50% of the time. Maybe you could change the section to say that bottles are SUBJECT to confiscation rather than making it an absolute that they WILL be confiscated! Just a thought. . .

 

That is my thought exactly. It really helps to have others weigh in about this since it's outside my realm of experience!

[cle-guy]

That is my thought exactly. It really helps to have others weigh in about this since it's outside my realm of experience!

 

The collection of wine bought on port calls is very hit and miss. I think they do a better job enforcing in Caribbean, other areas, perhaps not so much.

 

You should list the policy that wine and spirits must be surrendered upon boarding at all ports of call, however Celebrity can be lax in its enforcement of the policy, and you MAY get to take the purchase to cabin, but according to the written policy, expect it to be held until final night.

 

I have read somewhere on X website, that its "Wine Cruises" do allow people to bring their purchase son board. They do a few immersion cruses in California and France on occasion.

 

I brought 3 bottles of port on while in portugal, security saw them and pointed me to the naughty table to check them in, but no one was at table so I just continued on and didn't check them.