Do you need a drink package if you have access to Michael's

[tulip2010]

If you have a suite and can access Michael's does it make sense to buy a drink package. We are planning on sailing the Equinox for a 7 day Caribbean cruise in June. I don't drink but like coffee and tea drinks, occasional soda, or virgin blended drinks. My husband likes before and after dinner drinks and wine with dinner. Sometimes wine or beer with lunch and a bloody Mary for breakfast since on vacation.:) Our son, 11, will love the lemonade and non-alcoholic blended drinks. I have read that some go to Michael's for before and after dinner drinks, so maybe a wine package for my husband? And a non-alcohol package for my son and I. Or should we just plan to use Michael's for everything?

 

Any help, opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

[cb at sea]

If you plan to be "out and about" on the ship, rather than in the lounge, why not just buy whatever drinks strike your fancy, without the package? You can get any drink at any time without having the package...you simply charge it to your cabin. Then, during cocktail hours, you can take advantage of the lounge drinks.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Celebrity suite bookings come with the BEST package, which includes the Premium Beverage package for the first 2 passengers (also internet, gratuities and OBC) -- in addition to Michael's. So the only question is whether you should get a beverage package for your son.

[kathynorth]

Celebrity suite bookings come with the BEST package, which includes the Premium Beverage package for the first 2 passengers (also internet, gratuities and OBC) -- in addition to Michael's. So the only question is whether you should get a beverage package for your son.

 

If you book a suite via exciting deals or some of the other special deal you don't get any perks, just the access to Michael's and Luminae.

[tulip2010]

Celebrity suite bookings come with the BEST package, which includes the Premium Beverage package for the first 2 passengers (also internet, gratuities and OBC) -- in addition to Michael's. So the only question is whether you should get a beverage package for your son.

 

Are those perks only offered at certain times, during promotions for example, or all the time?

[BEAV]

If you book a suite via exciting deals or some of the other special deal you don't get any perks, just the access to Michael's and Luminae.

 

Correct. This also applies to repositioning cruises where the Go BBB promo isn't offered. The only exception is RS and PH gets the Premium package no matter what the rate booked. It comes with the accommodation, not the rate type.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Are those perks only offered at certain times, during promotions for example, or all the time?

 

They are currently being offered as part of the promotion package. Just depends on the promo at the time you book, unless it is a RS, PS or Signature S on Reflection.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

As far as needing a drink package, if you are not receiving one as part of a promotion, you could wait until you board and see how Michaels Club works out for you. You can take drinks out of the club so could both get a glass of wine to take to dinner for your DH. They also have coffee and tea in MC along with bottled water and soft drinks.

[39august]

I didn't know you were allowed to take drinks out of Michael's club. We have the GO Best package so it doesn't matter to me. But I am surprised that this is allowed.

[Northern Aurora]

I didn't know you were allowed to take drinks out of Michael's club. We have the GO Best package so it doesn't matter to me. But I am surprised that this is allowed.

 

Every Michael's Club we have used has allowed drinks to be taken out of the venue. The MCs work very differently than the Elite/Elite + evening cocktail gathering. Since theatre bar service can be slow this is particularly handy on M-class ships as suite passengers stop by to MC to pick up a beverage (alcohol or not) to take to the evening show.

[CEOofVacation]

We do not take alcohol out of Michael's Club because I think there is some written rule somewhere that drinks were supposed to be consumed in Michael's Club only. We witness one of the bartenders protesting softly to a guest that guests are not allowed to take the alcohol out of Michael's Club. We saw this guy a couple of times who would come in during the late afternoon and requested for 2 glasses of alcohol (sometimes wine, other times hard liquor) for his wife and himself. He said to her "Nonsense. I do this every night." She folded. I have also not seen Michael's Club Concierge say anything.

 

For us, it is worth the extra money to pay for alcohol when dining to not get into the situation like that gentleman. We saw him at Luminae a few times and he and his wife brought alcohol in each time. I personally think it looks cheap.

[Alakegirl]

Do you like lots of cold drinks at the pool? That could be a problem.

[jelayne]

On the Infinity earlier this year friends were in a Suite and had been going to Michaels Club regularly. One evening they took a glass of wine with them as they left Michaels Club. The next day they got a note from the MC Concierge advising them that drinks were not to be taken out of Michaels Club.

[johhnnyt]

We do not take alcohol out of Michael's Club because I think there is some written rule somewhere that drinks were supposed to be consumed in Michael's Club only. We witness one of the bartenders protesting softly to a guest that guests are not allowed to take the alcohol out of Michael's Club. We saw this guy a couple of times who would come in during the late afternoon and requested for 2 glasses of alcohol (sometimes wine, other times hard liquor) for his wife and himself. He said to her "Nonsense. I do this every night." She folded. I have also not seen Michael's Club Concierge say anything.

 

For us, it is worth the extra money to pay for alcohol when dining to not get into the situation like that gentleman. We saw him at Luminae a few times and he and his wife brought alcohol in each time. I personally think it looks cheap.

 

It doesn't just look cheap, it is.

I feel bad for the staff in those situations because if anyone gets in trouble for it they will not the guest that broke the rule, it will be the staff member that was just trying to accommodate.

 

We were on one cruise and the cc hostess allowed a couple to bring in two of their friends one night to a cc event that had some free drinks. He said he was elite + and in a Royal Suite. Next night guy came back with four friends, and after the cc hostess said she allowed the night before as a simple one time courtesy, and couldn't allow it again, the man raised his voice and threatened her with some type of retaliation.

 

Luckily the GRM was nearby and took the passenger aside, and escorted him and his party out. They fumed the rest of the trip. I found the guy totally tasteless as he had no regard for the simple rules, other passengers, or the team onboard.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've never observed anyone stopped or chastised for taking drinks out of Michael's. People in our group did it all the time on the Summit in April.

[cruisestitch]

If a guest has to be "chastised" it should be done so that no other guest observes it.

[ClaudiaB]

Well, we were given a package with our suite, but we didn't spend too terribly much time in Michael's. There's no view, it's very often couples just sitting together and not socializing. At least our experience, which I admit is only 2 times. We like to be out and about on the ship. Michael's is nice but we don't spend all our pre and post dinner time there, and we don't go in often during the day.

 

We don't drink alcohol during the day but we use our package for Evian at every meal and all during the day, and for cokes. If we didn't get a package as a perk we wouldn't buy one outright. The numbers just don't work for us. We prefer the Sky Lounge at elite cocktail hour because of the view, and the little nibbles, plus we can get drinks on our package. Honestly we might have been in MC an hour each evening, after sunset and before dinner. On occasion we came for the teas and little musical concerts. That was nice, and we also did some of the tours that the concierge arranged. That was really nice.

[wrk2cruise]

We were advised on boarding Equinox by the MCC that alcohol was to be consumed in the lounge. Soft drinks and water were available to take out. Bar staff would advise of the policy but wouldn't make a fuss.

 

Same ship and same MCC a few months later and nothing was said. It may have more to do with the F&B manager.

 

I don't drink much and found that without a bev package I would enjoy it in MC or the Elite cocktail hour and pay per drink if I felt like something elsewhere. But I don't drink wine or anything other than maybe a Coke at meals.

[groryjm]

We have always taken drinks out of Michael's. I usually stop by the club of an evening for a drink before bed and chat to whoever is there and then retire with a nightcap for myself and another for my dw. I only got into this habit after encouragement from the bar staff on Equinox a few years ago and have never been discouraged on other ships since :cool:

 

Once on Reflection my DW and I were sitting at the Ensemble lounge bar listening to a guitarist. I asked the barman for a calvados for my DW but he explained the did not have any and it was not a drink he thought was anywhere on the ship. The other barman who was helping out but mainly worked in Michael's nipped out to the club and brought a very large calvados over to my dw :D

 

Now whilst I think the staff in MC are happy to allow guests to take drinks out (on Connie, Reflection and Equinox at least) I think it would be wrong to just use it merely as a take out bar and would always have a premium drinks package as well ( bearing in mind that in the UK we don't have best or big like you do in the US and rarely is anything more than the classic offered as a perk)

[chemmo]

I think there is always a little of when does use of a perk become abuse of the perk....We have now experienced six Michael's Clubs and experienced the following....

 

We have occasionally taken drinks out of Michael's for convenience (we always have the premium package), we have never been questioned. We have had a few late, very sociable, evenings in Michael's where as we have got up to leave we have been offered a 'nightcap to take back to the room'.

 

We have seen many guests get a glass of wine to take to dinner with them and not be questioned. We have witnessed a guest asking the barman for the "rest of the bottle" to be taken back to the room and being politely refused. We even saw another guest sitting an extended non suite family near to the door of Michael's making multiple trips in and out! This only happened the first evening (I guess the Michael's Club host had that quiet word cruisestitch suggested)...

 

 

To come back to the OP.....

 

 

I would board with no package for yourself and husband but a budget for wine and poolside drinks. Remember you can take on board two favourite bottles of wine to enjoy with dinner and just pay the corkage fee (they will keep the bottle for him for the second night). Also make a point of taking water and an odd soda back to the cabin....If your son is fairly independent and goes to the clubs and wants to 'get his own drinks' when with friends it could be worthwhile getting him a package. We do always enjoy Michael's pre and post dinner, try it and see...if after a couple of days you are feeling restricted splurge out on a package then....

[tulip2010]

Thank you everyone for the input. It sounds like a bev package is the way to go for us but waiting a day or 2 to see what we need makes sense.

[CEOofVacation]

Thank you everyone for the input. It sounds like a bev package is the way to go for us but waiting a day or 2 to see what we need makes sense.

My husband bought a 5 premium bottles of wine package which he utilized at dinner. Since I don't drink, that was sufficient.

[delondin]

On our last cruise I was surprised that the cost of wines wasn't consistent at different bars. For example Cloudy Bay Sauvingnon was out of the premium package In Luminae ($20 per glass I think) but included at the Burger bar. Annoying as I have always drunk this as part of the premium package.

[Gracie115]

I just don't get the "it looks cheap" to take a drink out of Michael's. We've been on 2 different ships and it's never been an issue. We nearly always go to Michael's before dinner have a glass of wine and then take one with us to dinner. No one has ever even remotely hinted to us or anyone we were with that it wasn't appropriate.

 

Now if someone is abusing this by running in and grabbing drink and running back out again then I could understand if they were stopped...but, again, I never saw anyone stopped.

 

I think most, but not all, do not abuse this wonderful perk. We just love Michael's, such a great setting for a pre & post dinner cocktail!!

[chemmo]

 

I think most, but not all, do not abuse this wonderful perk. We just love Michael's, such a great setting for a pre & post dinner cocktail!!

 

Totally agree Gracie! Unfortunately there are always one or two guests who may push the level of 'reasonable'. This can make life difficult for the Michael's Club staff, the Concierge and fellow guests....

 

 

I don't think any employee minds any guest taking a glass of wine (or any other drink) from Michael's. However, if a couple on a cruise are regularly trying to take out four glasses (not all for their own consumption) the management response will be 'Can we remind you that you should not be taking drinks out?'....very hard for them then to be firm with abusers of the system without the reasonable guest being caught up in the 'tightening' of rules....I think guests who have been challenged may have been caught in this type of scenario.

 

 

We cruised just after the rules of laundry changed for RS and PH guests....it became clear (and was confirmed by staff) that they wanted to offer the top suites unlimited laundry but had needed to change the wording because a few guests (with large extended families on board) had really abused the system....Celebrity then had a 'limit' introduced so that they could at a reasonable point say 'at additional cost'....We have never been charged when we know we have slightly exceeded 'the limit' - the limit is not there for most suite guests, it has been introduced for the few who would abuse....

 

Like you we love Michael's for pre and post dinner drinks, love the ambiance, love the service....